Welcome to Wednesday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
Live blog: 3T Strada and Strada Due bikes first with SRAM Force eTap AXS, Mark Beaumont Around The World In 80 Days tours in May, Survey finds 2/3s of drivers see cyclists as inconsiderate says AA survey + more
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Wed, Apr 03, 2019 16:56
SUMMARY
3 April 2019, 16:56
Cycling cats... the next must-have accessory?
Need to get a cycling cat. Reckon @Wiggle_Sport sell them? https://t.co/ltIyv49ivi
— Darren Willsher (@darrenwillsher) April 2, 2019
The story of Dean Nicholson, who was cycling around the world before a cat decided to follow him and wouldn’t leave his side, has resonated far and wide – good news stories are hard to come by nowadays. Wiggle appear open to the idea of selling feline companions, judging by the reply to this enquiry…
Read more about Dean’s story on yesterday’s live blog.
3 April 2019, 16:56
Silky skills from Ivan Cortina
Football with cleats? @ivan_cortina from @Bahrain_Merida demonstrates! pic.twitter.com/oR15gDx7QU
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) April 2, 2019
3 April 2019, 16:56
Bradley Wiggins gets all nostalgic about Flanders in cool new video
Cycling at it’s best, thank you Belgium @cyclingflanders pic.twitter.com/DzKjAwQTKj
— Brad Wiggins (@SirWiggo) April 2, 2019
Wiggins calls the Tour of Flanders “an absolute celebration of cycling” in this rousing short video, as he rides around the legendary roads and takes on some cobbles. Just in case you didn’t know, the 2019 edition of the Tour of Flanders takes place this Sunday.
3 April 2019, 16:56
Track legend Hugh Porter reveals he has £20 on Wolves to lift the FA Cup
The Express and Star report that former track champion and now commentator Hugh Porter (pictured above with Chris Hoy) has put down a £20 bet on his boyhood team to win the FA Cup. Porter said: “If we (Wolves) won the competition it would be special and mean so much to the city.
“Winning the FA Cup would be special.”
While it might be a desperate angle for this Wolves-supporting writer to mention the Old Gold on a cycling website, I reckon it’s just about fair game…
3 April 2019, 16:56
New survey of 21,000 drivers by the AA Charitable Trust finds 66% think cyclists are "inconsiderate"
The results weren’t all bad, however, with a huge 95% agreeing that cyclists are vulnerable road users and should be given more space, reports motor1.com. Of those who thought that cyclists lacked consideration, the over 65’s were most likely to hold the opinion (69%), with 57% of 18-24’s agreeing.
93% of respondents said they always look out for cyclists, which is an increase on the 89% who said so from a survey five years ago. Director of the AA Charitable Trust Edmund King said of the findings: “Our new research shows there is still some way to go in terms of ensuring everyone on the road looks out for each other.
“On the roads it should never be a case of drivers versus cyclists or motorcyclists. Everyone is on the road to get somewhere and by looking out for each other we can ensure we do so safely. It is disappointing that two-thirds of drivers feel cyclists are inconsiderate and this shows that more needs to be done by drivers and cyclists to co-exist safely and peacefully. The irony is that most cyclists are drivers and many drivers are cyclists.”
Perceived conflict between drivers and cyclists has been a hot topic recently, with Piers Morgan sticking his oar in on Good Morning Britain earlier this week and renewed calls for a new Dutch-style word to distinguish cycle commuters and racing cyclists.
3 April 2019, 16:56
This again...
A simple idea for cyclists to voluntary state they’re careful, consensus and insured road users by wearing HiVis vests with an unique registration number. @transportgovuk @THINKgovuk Good cyclists will wear it. pic.twitter.com/p090IJOVaS
— Stop Leftist Hate (@StopLeftistHate) April 2, 2019
We think this has done the rounds before, but the could-be-a-parody account ‘Stop Leftist Hate’ is at it again with the bizarre idea to make cyclists wear high-vis bibs with registration plates. The account holder, with a profile pic of Winston Churchill who abolished road tax in 1937 and the hashtag #iamtommyrobinson in his bio, also calls for cyclists to pay road tax in the comments with seemingly no hint of irony.
3 April 2019, 16:56
Romain Bardet also robbed along with Dan Martin at Catalunya last week
Looks like someone didn’t left empty handed of our misfortunes. Same story for my power meter who was on my broken bike https://t.co/M6e3y8QJIg
— Romain Bardet (@romainbardet) April 2, 2019
Dan Martin had his Garmin stolen at the race, and now Bardet has also revealed his power meter was pinched at the roadside too. He was left with broken ribs after crashing on the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya, with teammate Tony Gallopin also caught up in the crash.
3 April 2019, 16:56
Cyclist injured as thieves try to steal bike
A cyclist in Yorkshire sustained what police described as minor head injuries when two men tried to steal his bike in Bridlington.
The incident happened on Friday 15 March close to the bowling green off Queensgate..
The victim sustained bruising but managed to get away from his assailants, together with his bike.
According to police, one suspect is described as white, 5’ 6” and has a shaven head. He was dressed in a black hooded top, black tracksuit bottoms and dark footwear, while the other was 5’ 8” with a dark blue tracksuit and dark footwear.
Anyone with information is requested to contact Humberside Police on 101 quoting reference number 16/39125/19.
3 April 2019, 16:56
Mark Beaumont to tour Around The World In 80 Days stage show next month
Mark Beaumont will stage his Around The World In 80 Days stage show, which follows his Guinness World Record breaking ride for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle, throughout England and Wales next month.
The 17-date tour starts in Malvern on 1 May and finishes in Penrith on 30 May. In between, the show will visit Treorchy, Cheltenham, Truro, Exeter, Chesham, Horsham, Andover, Gateshead, Lancaster, Derby, Stafford, Newtown, Caernarfon, Sale and Leeds.
More details, including links to buy tickets, can be found here.
3 April 2019, 16:56
"Why don't you use the cycle lane?" etc etc...
Here’s the “cycling/pedestrian” lane right in front of the Straiton retail park. I had to lift my bike so I didn’t puncture any tyres pic.twitter.com/ARu4x2OzL7
— antonia.geo (@antgeo5) April 2, 2019
Could it be the ‘best’ worst infra ever? This abomination of a cycle and pedestrian path in Midlothian would certainly take some beating…
3 April 2019, 16:56
Victor Campenaerts looking fast ahead of his hour record attempt later this month
Looking fast?
Final preparations underway for @VCampenaerts of @Lotto_Soudal ahead of his #UCIHourRecord attempt between April 16th-17th
Read more here https://t.co/Or9jTvG4oO
@LuisE_Lemus pic.twitter.com/dDgXFdeq2z— UCI (@UCI_cycling) April 3, 2019
The Belgian is hoping to surpass Bradley Wiggins’ current mark of 54.526km when he makes his attempt at altitude on the Velodromo Bicentenario in Mexico between the 16th and 17th of April.
You can read more about the Campagnolo-equipped Ridley Arena track bike he’ll be using for the attempt here.
3 April 2019, 16:56
Fickaskåp launch new stylish 'adventure-proof' phone wallet, and it's crowdfunding on Kickstarter
Fickaskåp‘s new wallet is an update of the brand’s original waterproof Phone and Valuables wallet launched last year, and promises more features and more capacity while retaining the functionality of the previous design.
It has a fold out design, with a separate weather-proof zipper pocket plus internal money and credit card slots. The touch-enabled phone pocket is 100% waterproof, and it’s touted as “the perfect companion for longer day or multi-day adventures where efficiency is everything”.
The crowdfunder has 51 days to go and has currently raised £1,874 of their £11,000 goal. With a £24 backing you can get a regular-sized wallet and the large size is £26, with an estimated delivery of August ’19. Check it out on Kickstarter here.
3 April 2019, 16:56
SRAM Force eTap AXS is here
12 speed wireless shifting, for less money! The bikes are starting to drop from various brands online too… read our full story about the new tech here.
3 April 2019, 16:56
'Trevor' certainly reminds us of someone ...
We’re having a new bathroom installed. This is Trevor, our Bora Hansgrohe plumber who is fitting the wet room. pic.twitter.com/8Lrc8cRPU2
— Duncs (@dunks517) April 3, 2019
3 April 2019, 16:56
3T brings new SRAM Force eTap AXS groupset to its Strada and Strada Due bikes
3T has announced the launch of Strada and Strada Due bikes equipped with the new SRAM Force eTap AXS electronic groupset unveiled today (see our tech editor David Arthur’s coverage of that here).
Earlier this year, 3T partnered with SRAM for the launch of the Red eTap AXS groupset, and while it acknowledges that the Force version is “still a premium product at a premium price, the costs of complete bikes with these groups have come down significantly. So now the wireless 12-speed shifting revolution is complete.”
Head of design at 3T, Gerard Vroomen, said: “Maybe SRAM won’t like me saying this, but it’s hard to notice a difference between the Force eTap AXS and the Red eTap AXS drivetrains.
“Of course the Red is slightly lighter, but in functionality, quality and finesse, they are both fantastic. Of course a big difference is the affordability of Force, and at that level, Force eTap AXS is tough to beat.”
Our tech team will have more in-depth coverage of the bikes tomorrow, but meanwhile take a look above at the gallery of the 3T Strada with the new groupset.
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Jack is group editor across road.cc, off.road.cc and ebiketips, overseeing all three sites in the F-At Digital group to make sure everything’s up to scratch. He’s been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of road.cc including tech, news and video, and also contributed to eBikeTips before being named editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town, and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master’s degree in print journalism, and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it’s a long story).
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Latest Comments
chrisonabike 28 minutes ago
"All that's required is an to roads policing" - that's a big all... Although no doubt the "idiots just keep coming" aspect does apply: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9lel2wz93o "Man charged after car crashes through bowling alley" - luckily they only skittled over skittles.
chrisonabike 39 minutes ago
Almost any change to roads and streets is accompanied by a period of heightened danger, and in the UK "look out for cyclists" will need to be learned... practically. And over the time it takes for cyclists to become a regular feature. OTOH once (if...) good designs are in and frequent enough such that drivers encounter them AND the cyclists on them regularly (another big if) I don't think they should be much more difficult than a footway to deal with. These things are all over NL - don't have the collision stats but they should. (NL isn't perfect but collecting info on the safety of designs to feed back into better designs as required is part of the "sustainable safety" philosophy - if they're really a killer I think they'd be altering these.)
wtjs 2 hours ago
I'm in the happy position of agreeing with everybody here! I've never considered a bike with a stand, yet I'm impressed by the ingenuity and adaptability of this axle. I tow a Yak Bob with a Robert Axle, employing my El Cheapo Vitus gravel bike and I just have to be very careful where I stop. Hedges are generally a dead loss, and I seek walls, telegraph poles and signposts and generally lean the widest part of the Bob against it. One very awkward task is removing the two steel pins which lock the trailer arms onto the special mounting slots on the Robert axle, and when you have one out, the sodding weight in the trailer can twist the whole caboodle and bend the Bob fitting before you can get the other out and unhitch. I doubt if a stand would help with that. You can imagine that this combo is a real pain when you have to get it over the bridge at railway stations, and it nearly resulted in Merseyrail nearly parting me and the trailer on the platform from the bike on the train. It's a long story for another time. Another axle example recently featured on here, with a 12mm front axle bearing the Herculean weight limit of a monster American front rack.
HoarseMann 4 hours ago
This has nothing to do with the type of bike - it's the type of behaviour that's the problem. Banning the sale of such bikes will not curtail the behaviour. They'll just find another type of vehicle and continue to drive dangerously as there's such a lack of enforcement. I'd sooner see them ban the bally. But really, all that's required is an improvement to roads policing.
AidanR 4 hours ago
The EAPC Bill is welcome, but full of holes. What's to stop an overpowered but temporarily limited e-bike being sold and subsequently delimited? This is often a trivial process.
Sredlums 5 hours ago
@KiwiMike Yeah, in my over four decades of riding all over Europe I've never 'been for a ride in the countryside'. That must be it. Or, and I know this is a wild concept, you just accept that I just voiced my personal experiences and never missed a kickstand, like I wrote. Anyway, what's the big horror of laying your bike on its side for the very few occasions where there is nothing to lean your bike against?
mdavidford 5 hours ago
They may have looked, but did they see?
jackcycles 5 hours ago
Ds2025: where they are going wrong is that they are crushing the motorbike rather than the person sat on top of it. If they did the latter this issue would be solved in less than 24 hours.
Rod Marton 5 hours ago
I came this way today with the car boot sale in operation. There was a marshal at the entrance, who stopped a car turning right across the cycleway as I was approaching. So that certainly works. I think it necessary for the marshal to be there, I couldn't say if the driver would have turned if he hadn't been there but you always have to suspect the worst. Unfortunately there is no marshal at the exit, and there was certainly a car stopped across the cycleway as I was approaching it. But he pulled onto the road before I reached it, and the following car stayed off the cycleway as I went through. Ideally there should have been a marshal there too. On the whole, though, it's a really high standard piece of infrastructure. Just a pity it doesn't extend a bit further.
eburtthebike 6 hours ago
“absolute carnage” So right! Just look at the bodies piled up, blood running in the gutters and injured people limping away. It's a bit of a problem with a road, delaying some people for minutes at a time: it isn't carnage, let alone 'absolute carnage'. Anyone who exaggerates so ridiculously really shouldn't be allowed to comment in public, unless they want to demonstrate their idiocy to all and sundry.
27 thoughts on “Live blog: 3T Strada and Strada Due bikes first with SRAM Force eTap AXS, Mark Beaumont Around The World In 80 Days tours in May, Survey finds 2/3s of drivers see cyclists as inconsiderate says AA survey + more”
What does “inconsiderate”
What does “inconsiderate” mean? Is it because they take up enough space to inconvenience a driver such as riding in secondary or two abreast and won’t bumble along in the gutter? I’m as considerate when on my bike as in my car.
This attitude is the result of years (decades) of drivers being told they somehow have a greater ‘right’ to the road when it’s simply not true. Blame for this rests with car adverts and the media and I’d suggest that the media – overpaid jerks on TV as well as pompous columnists in the press – is the place where change is needed most.
And I suspect most will jump on the “inconsiderate” for their clickbait headlines, as the press release has done – it’s on motor1, Yahoo news and road.cc have done it too here.
Simon E wrote:
It’s in the Pyschopath Dictionary of Driving as:
‘inconsiderate adj. inv. /ɪnkənˈsɪdərət/. 1. refusing to defer to the owner of a piece of land, most notably public highway. 2. being a cyclist. See also: “road tax”, “cycle lanes”, “insolence”, “lèse-majesté”.’
“93% of respondents said they
“93% of respondents said they always look out for cyclists, which is an increase on the 89% who said so from a survey five years ago.”
So the percentage of drivers lying or deluded about their driving standards has increased over five years. I commend the 7% for at least being honest.
100% of cyclists know that
100% of cyclists know that drivers are inconsiderate….
carlosdsanchez wrote:
FTFY!
This survey just further demonstrates that fact.
Quote:
93% said that they always look out for cyclists. Its not 93% always look out for cyclists.
And I agree with others here – what exactly is an “inconvenience”? That could simply mean that Captain Gammon responded to the AA, “Dammit I had to slow from 60, this one time!”
I don’t think it makes sense
I don’t think it makes sense to ask if cyclists (or motorists) are inconsiderate: the question clumps a whole group of people into one and of course some of those will not be considerate. If you have to answer yes or no, it just becomes a case of “which kind of wrong do you want to be?”
I think it is useful, not for
I think it is useful, not for what it says about cyclists, but for what it says about the public’s view of cyclists.
There is widespread prejudice against cyclist, based on psychological projection. We are considered “inconsiderate” even though we are doing things that make sense to us, and that might be perfectly legal (the old 2-abreast issue). But we are inconsiderate because we are seen as illegitimate users of the road.
What is the context of the
What is the context of the survey? Do 66% of drivers think that all cyclists are inconsiderate, that some cyclists are inconsiderate, that cyclists in general are occasionally inconsiderate, that they have actually witnessed inconsiderate behavior by a cyclist; ever, in the last year, last week? Is the inconsiderate behaviour of a specified nature? E.g; Riding at speed on crowded pavements, parking bikes in ambulance bays, no lighting after dark, jumping red lights, kids messing about in a residential street etc or is it a nebulous personal assessment of cyclists doing things that may be completely legal such as a group of cyclists riding 2 abreast, or seeing a cyclist filtering past traffic or for some just the sight of a cyclist on the road.
How do cyclists compare with other recognised road user groups? For example taxi, bus or HGV drivers, horse riders, motorcyclists etc?
This headline figure is utterly meaningless.
The trouble here is that the
The trouble here is that the obscure website motor1.com doesn’t present us with the whole report.
Without knowing what “motorists” feel about other groups, such as “other car drivers”, “lollipop people”, “children walking to school”, “pedestrians darting between cars”, unmarked white van drivers”, etc., etc. this 93% has no context. It may represent no more than their own perception of themselves as infallible uber-motorists, with everyone else seen as bumbling fools.
So where can we read the AA Charitable Trust report? Oh, do I have to search for it?
As a Man Utd supporter, can
As a Man Utd supporter, can we please not mention Wolves for a few days at least?
Thanks.
Kendalred wrote:
I read it and thought hang on, the Wolvesare a rugby league club as in (warrington Wolves), surely he’s made a mistake and meant the challenge cup final at wembley, then I realised he was referring to wendy-ball, the thugs business (it’s not really a sport anymore is it!)
100% of cyclists don’t give a
100% of cyclists don’t give a shit what drivers think !
dreamlx10 wrote:
The definition of being inconsiderate.
Sriracha wrote:
100% of cyclists don’t give a shit what drivers think !
— Sriracha The definition of being inconsiderate.— dreamlx10
Not really.
I took primary position on my commute home one night last week because we were on a single carriageway road with regular road centre furniture and oncoming traffic, and I didn’t want a boy racer to try and squeeze past where there wasn’t any room to do so. Also slightly downhill so was able to maintain a reasonable speed.
Said boy racer duly turned up, tooted twice while behind me and then again, long and loud wher ethe road widened, traffic eased and he was able to overtake properly … which to his credit he did.
I don’t give a shit what that driver thinks of me, nor any other that would behave that way towards me or any other rider.
I don’t think that makes me inconsiderate.
Jetmans Dad wrote:
In my personal experience, I’ve had far better interactions with your atypical ‘boy racer’ type motor/motorist than pretty much all other groups/ types of driver.
Older drivers, women in small cars, bus drivers, HGV drivers, van drivers, ‘big car’ twat, going home in a hurry twat, late for work twat, so all motorists in general, far worse on average. Maybe I’ve been lucky but it’s noticeable by its absence of being buzzed with a loud exhaust note and then you see the type of motor, Scooby, Honda Civic Type R, sooped up Citreon something or other.
I do care what drivers think but not how i’ve ‘incovenienced them (though I will try to explain if they care to listen why I am doing x or y). Generally I care because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t for example let them out of junctions from the left to turn right (across me) when I see a gap that they can get in and I only have to ease off the pedals and wave them across. I care how that interaction MIGHT make them think that a), I’m just a person who happens to be on a bike but I act like a considerate road user, b), they might slow and wave a bike out in similar. Is there a guarantee, no, but if 1 in 100 passes that on, then for that extra 2seconds it ‘cost’ me then it was worth it.
I do my utmost to give a positive experience for everyone on my journey (similarly when I’m driving the van for work, we are tracked and we’re a community based service for vulnerable people so we have to be on good behaviour anyhow) For pedestrians, when I’m on the bike it’s often safer and easy to slow and wave them across (it cuts out the hazard for one thing), I’ll even tell them not to run/hurry, pretty much everytime I get a positive response, it’s cost me nothing to do that but if that changes in just a small way the thinking of others towards people on bikes then it’s worth it.
i appreciate many you will simply never turn but for a negligible amount of effort i think it’s worth a try to change the thinking. However when you have twats like the geezer on the race bike this morning with all the ‘gear’ cycling the wrong way on the road at the horse/bike crossing because he was too fucking lazy to use the path that leads to the bit of road he was aiming for (not 40metres away) is the type that infuriates others and leads drivers to think, yup, spandex, noddy hat wearing retard and band others into that, it shouldn’t but it does.
Unfortunately one bad incident trumps 10 positive and more, we know this in all walks of life, not just for people on bikes.
Are they the same.two thirds
Are they the same.two thirds who are surprised when a rider appears out of nowhere?
https://road.cc/content/news/258481-two-thirds-drivers-are-surprised-when-cyclist-appears-nowhere
Jitensha Oni wrote:
Well it IS admittedly very incosiderate of us to constantly use matter transporters to randomly materialise in front of cars. I mean just last week (and I’ll admit it happened) I randomply appeared in front of a driver slightly ahead of him and in the cycle lane where he wanted to turn right (Norway) whereas previously I had been slightly further ahead of him, and before that I was “a good bit” ahead of him. Lights, visible clothing etc are of little help when we suddenly appear almost exactly where we were a second earlier.
99.9% of Roadcc readers are
99.9% of Roadcc readers are considerate road users but would be concerned about the additional weight a feline would contribute if it impacted their Strava KOMs.
Of our two cats Salem weighs 5kg and little Lilly is only just over 2kg but thats still more than the weight of two full bottles. Carrying both would nearly be the same weight as the bike.
Good luck to Dean & Nala their journeys. I know it’s the distance and not the speed, and how you travel is more important sometimes than the destination etc etc…
As a Wolves fan then you
As a Wolves fan then you clearly missed the chance to photoshop Hugh and the Wolves cycling jersey together that Andy Tennant was modelling recently to make it even more cycling related 😉
However whilst on the subject of football is it worth posing the question how much space at Spurs new super modern high tech stadium that cost nearly 1billion pounds has set aside for new cycle parking,let alone offering secure cycle facilities…go on guess 🙂
Quote:
Because that works so well for motorists, doesn’t it?
The picture you have used to
The picture you have used to promote the Live Blog, the one with the full ASL, must be a bad photoshop fake. You have filled it with stock images of cyclists, whom we all know NEVER stop at red lights
ktache wrote:
‘who’
OK, I’ll stop…
‘Cyclist injured as thieves
‘Cyclist injured as thieves try to steal bike…‘
Christ. You mean there are still some cyclists who go about unarmed?
The twat in a black range
The twat in a black range rover last night with his three year daughter didn’t look before pulling out, then when I threw my arm up in disgust he reversed out the road and drove right up in an agressive manner.
When I challenged him – bloke in his late 20s/early 30s, babbled on about hi vis, where’s yours I said, you haven’t got any have you, I’ve got a bright front light AND reflectives … “I didn’t see you” it said, well bother to actually look or is it that you saw me but thought I’ll still pull out anyways. He starting effing and blinding in front of his daughter, “you’re a properly special dad aren’t you” I sez, “drive like an idiot and swear in front of your child”. So he tries to intimidate me more and I just cycle at 3mph towards Tesco.
He only had another 30m to get home, I know this as he came down from the initial turn to try initinidate me and the second turning goes back in a small loop so his motor was a standout amongst the others on that row (I cycle past it 3 times a week), he deliberately came back around to threaten me after he’d already pulled out on me, so, he might have got a little visit from the puncture fairies last night … How’d you like them apples cunt face!
A simple idea for cyclists to
I suppose that’s almost a sentence and I think I can decipher what he means but it would help if he could write something that at least approximates correct grammar and spelling. None of us are perfect but i can’t help thinking the only thing this guy successfully managed at school was to eat his lunch.
portec wrote:
I recognise the writing style. It’s Christopher Grayling.