Welcome to Monday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
Live blog: Taxpayers’ Alliance think speeding fines are a tax (and 20mph makes “no difference” to road safety); Skoda unveil concept car for cyclists; Porn Pedallers hosting new kit launch event in London; £125k Paul Smith x Rapha jersey on eBay +more
All today’s news from the site and beyond as we start a new week…
Mon, Jun 10, 2019 19:03
SUMMARY
10 June 2019, 19:03
ICYMI - weekend-catch-up
Here are some of our top stories from the weekend in case you’ve been neglecting us since Friday…
ASO “don’t really seem to care much about women’s cycling” says Joanna Rowsell Shand
£400k damages for family of triathlete killed in pothole crash
10 June 2019, 19:03
Never mind the bollocks...
…here’s a load of mountain bikes in South Wales spotted flaunting their Bike Balls. They’re available from a selection of retailers with a puerile sense of humour nationwide…
10 June 2019, 19:03
Paul Smith x Rapha jersey pops up on ebay for £125,000. Again...
We can only assume the last auction wasn’t successful, because once more we’ve spotted this jersey described as “a piece of cycling history” pop up on ebay for the princely sum of £125,000. While it’s quite nice we just can’t see that it’s nice enough to cost the same as a house, which got us thinking… why is the seller asking for such an extortionate amount? Is he/she hoping someone very rich and gullible will come along, or is there more to the story? If miraculously the seller happens to be reading this, or anyone can shed any light, do let us know in the comments!
10 June 2019, 19:03
Porn Pedallers launching their new jersey on 20th June... and are inviting you to go to a strip club with them afterwards to celebrate
What goes on at a kit launch party for a cycling team made up of “a ramshackle bunch of cycling enthusiasts who happen to work in or around the UK adult entertainment industry”? Who knows, but if you’re lucky enough to be on the guest list you can find out at Look Mum No Hands! on 20th June for the Porn Pedallers’ new kit launch party. It’s been made by Le Col, and Porn Pedallers also donate £10 of each sale of their branded kit to the Terrence Higgins Trust. While the event is by invitation only, anyone can go along to the after-party at Platinum Lace strip club on Leicester Square from 10.30pm onwards – info above.
10 June 2019, 19:03
Riding Ritchey's Swiss Cross
David has just been testing Ritchey’s new Swiss Cross, check out what he has to say about it in his video review below.
10 June 2019, 19:03
Anyone else with the Monday blues?
Monday feeling
@therussellellis pic.twitter.com/C3bLTuRqmP
— Elia Viviani (@eliaviviani) June 10, 2019
10 June 2019, 19:03
DealClincher: 35% off 3T Exploro Team Rival Gravel Bike
Fancy a wider-tyre bike that is still incredibly fast on the road?
3T’s Exploro is currently down to a very tempting £2,550 with a Rival 1X groupset, Fulcrum wheels, WTB 47mm Road Plus TCS tyres and 3T finishing kit.
10 June 2019, 19:03
Nikki Brammeier announces pro cycling retirement the day after sharing news of pregnancy
Today I’m announcing my retirement from professional cycling. Not many athletes get to end their career as current National champion, fit, healthy & still loving their sport, but that’s how i’de like to end mine Please read more here https://t.co/ZO1L9g4ieb
— Nikki Brammeier (@NikkiBrammeier) June 10, 2019
The 32-year-old current national cyclocross champion said she wanted ‘to end on a high’, calling time on her career shortly after announcing she is expecting her first child with husband Matt Brammeier, himself a former pro and now a cycling coach.
10 June 2019, 19:03
Look launch Tour de France edition Carbon Ceramic Titanium pedals
The pedal of choice for riders such as Nairo Quintana and Romain Bardet for this year’s Tour, this is Look’s top-of-the-range road racing pedal given a Tour de France makeover. It has a ceramic bearings under the pedal platform for the ultimate in smoothness and a titanium axle, and weighs in at just 95g per pedal.
Only 1,700 units of the special edition coloured versions will be up for sale worldwide at €290.90, after which a standard version will be available later in the year. Head over to Look’s website for more deets.
10 June 2019, 19:03
Skoda launch a car for cyclists
Long story short, it has a roof rack and a drinks cooler.
But what else makes a car a “cyclist’s car”? Well, according to Skoda, you’ll need to fit it out with a pressure washer for cleaning off some amazingly muddy road bikes.
Then obviously, you’ll want to strip off in a car park and do your laundry before you get home to your washing machine. So you’ll be needing a washing machine in the boot. They don’t specify how you’ll dry the kit, but we’re sure it’ll be fine tied to the aerial…
Who needs seats anyway? You’ll obviously want to leave one of your children at home so that your bike can ride along in the car. Then be sure to take your other two bikes on the roof rack.
But oh gosh! A mechanical has befallen you en route. Not to worry! You’ve got a specific place for a toolbox. You could never just put that in the boot.
If you’re still thinking ‘wow! This is the car for me’, then, unfortunately, it’s just a concept car. So sad, but don’t worry, you can still have “a KAROQ Velo inspired accessory package, which includes a ŠKODA Multi-tool, ŠKODA Bicycle tyre pump and bracket and ŠKODA Bicycle Lights”. Available to order from local ŠKODA Retailers.
Have Skoda not heard of simply riding from home?
10 June 2019, 19:03
Plans to relax UK's £1,000 Cycle to Work limit to make it easier to buy e-bikes announced by Government's cycling minister
The latest changes to the Cycle to Work scheme could mean great news for e-bikers and those considering ditching the car and investing in an e-bike for the commute – as the government has outlined plans to make it easier for employers to provide bikes and equipment, including e-bikes, worth over the current £1,000 limit. Full story on eBikeTips.
10 June 2019, 19:03
Full protected cycle lane for Kew Road in Richmond?
Bit of Monday morning news for you, from this week’s “Active Travel Group” meeting at @LBRUT …
Kew Road is likely to get full protected cycling. #NotACarPark pic.twitter.com/fpKky8r9CW
— Richmond Cycling (@RichmondCycling) June 10, 2019
It was announced in a Richmond council meeting today that the busy road is set for a full protected cycle lane, which will hopefully make scenes like the one in the image above a thing of the past…
10 June 2019, 19:03
Five cool things
A luxurious bag handmade in Scotland, Hunt’s new super wide gravel wheels and a handy tool storage solution from Topeak make our kit round-up this week. Read all about them here.
10 June 2019, 19:03
A group calling themselves the 'Taxpayers' Alliance' don't appear to know the difference between tax and a fine
Another day, another tax. Nice one @SadiqKhan #NoMoreTaxes pic.twitter.com/8d1VffZNk3
— TaxPayers’ Alliance (@the_tpa) June 9, 2019
You may have heard of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, which claims to be a “non-partisan grassroots campaign for lower taxes and government transparency” but in reality is a right-wing lobby group that has received hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding from the US; it is often wheeled out on BBC News to provide [checks notes] balance on stories about increased public psending – such as on cycle lanes.
Today, it has attracted criticism by describing fines for motorists breaking new 20mph limits in London as a ‘tax’ – while also suggesting there is no evidence that lower speed limits save lives (spoiler – they do, and there is a wealth of studies to back that up). Cue the rightfully cutting and sarcastic stream of replies …
I’ve literally never been hit with a speeding fine. Not once, in over twenty years. Am I a tax evader?
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) June 10, 2019
Perhaps you should rename yourselves FinePayers’ Alliance.
— Richard Hallett (@hallettrichard) June 9, 2019
It isn’t a tax you buffoons. Don’t want to pay it, don’t exceed the speed limit. I’m a taxpayer and you do not speak for me.
— Dan Jarvis (@worldcupdan) June 9, 2019
Looking at the TaxPayer’s Alliance website they appear to be a legitimate operation with an 18-strong team, although we’re not too sure who’s funding them. Most of their tweets and blog posts seem to read like something from a Jacob Rees-Mogg manifesto, if such a thing existed, with one praising Donald Trump’s lowering of taxes for big businesses in the US and another claiming that cutting taxes for corporations like Amazon would lead to economic growth in the UK.
10 June 2019, 19:03
Cycle Superswimway
SPLASH!
I cycled from Utrecht to Nijmegen a few years ago in much heavier rain, through rural, hilly forests and didn't see a single puddle on the smooth cycleways, never mind anything even close to this deep
— Hackney Cyclist (@Hackneycyclist) June 10, 2019
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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
Mr Blackbird 17 minutes ago
@kingleo Just picture a lovely character pub with all the original internal features. Baskets of flowers hanging outside. It serves an excellent selection of real ales, craft ales, quality lagers and quality ciders. Todays menu includes a ploughman's lunch, seafood platter and a vast range of sandwich fillings ; all made using locally sourced foods. But wait! A new cycle lane has just been constructed in front of the pub. It is far too dangerous to cross and enter the pub. You turn around and trudge home. Stopping at Tesco to buy a 4 pack of Carling.
chrisonabike 34 minutes ago
@Hollis Jones as Rendel said, the key difference here is there were two strong pieces of evidence distinguishing this from "we all *know* they were aware of the cyclist", one of them a human witness. Outside that it's simply "but the prosecution cannot prove they didn't notice..." and legally that must fail. Like a "he said, she said" but where one of the sides is absent, because they're dead.
leedorney 36 minutes ago
Having experienced this in Anglesey and most of it is unnecessary, it does give the driver a big lesson in 'looking extra', as travelling slower does that !
leedorney 39 minutes ago
It's true, you aren't feeling yourself any favours wearing black/dark colours, BUT you've got to look, soo many dont and the campaign should be for motorist - look, simple as, it's not hard and drop the speed to, maybe if the police where actually outside rather than on Facebook looking for the naughty words/viewpoints, drivers would be caught speeding, not looking, pulling out, not braking in time, going through red lights, overtaking at a bad time, cutting up cyclists and a lot more..
wtjs 39 minutes ago
@Rome73 There are still too many motor vehicles in the central Oxford Street area. There should be zero, except for delivery vehicles at proscribed... prescribed times
Rendel Harris 45 minutes ago
@Hollis Jones The crucial difference is the fact that Richardson stopped, exited the vehicle, tried to pull Mr Mullins free and when he couldn't got back in and drove on. He knowingly, actively and voluntarily engaged in the harmful behaviour that caused Mr Mullins' death, which is what made it murder. The hit and run driver hasn't deliberately hit a cyclist and although driving away is of course utterly reprehensible it's only covered by the laws regarding failing to stop at the scene of an accident, which only attracts a six month prison sentence maximum. It's high time the law was changed so that firstly the penalties for failing to stop and render assistance are far higher and secondly so that if the medical evidence is that the victim would have survived with prompt assistance then the driver can be charged with manslaughter or murder. However as it stands murder requires evidence of malice aforethought with an intention to kill or to cause GBH resulting in death. Richardson clearly displayed this by resuming driving even though he knew Mr Mullins was stuck under his car; the hit and run driver in an "accident" didn't have that intention so can't be charged with murder however atrocious their behaviour after the event.
matthewn5 48 minutes ago
@robgru76 "I am gobsmacked by the number of cyclists I see" So you had no problem in seeing them, what's the issue?
Rendel Harris 1 hour ago
@jaymack I know, sorry! I do accept they deserve some credit for not trying to pass it of as a DBDD but the evidence is so clear it would have been s scandal even by British justice vs cyclists standards if they'd gone for anything below manslaughter.
chrisonabike 1 hour ago
@Rendel Harris yeah but it could have been spent on widening a few metres of road...
Rome73 1 hour ago
I have worked and socialised around Oxford street for decades. There has been major change in that time - as you would expect in a major metropolis. When I was young you could drive down the whole of Oxford St. When that was stopped everyone screamed the world was going to come to an end. Then it was narrowed in parts to a single lane, the pavements widened and New Oxford Street and Charing Cross road were closed to cars. Everyone screamed the world was going to come to an end. Then Tottenham Court Road was made two way!! And yes, you guessed it, the world was going to come to an end. Then cycle lanes were built all along Gower Street down to Shaftesbury Avenue and the taxi drivers went mental with rage, and the world was going to come to an end. Soho, where I worked for over 10 years, was slowly purged of through vehicles and every time a road was closed or made one way - the world was going to come to an end. But the pedestrian and cyclists increased and so did retail and bars. Thinking back to it, it’s crazy to remember how soho was once clogged with cars, all stuck in self imposed traffic, belching fumes and poison into the narrow streets - until ULEZ and road closures reduced all that. There are still too many motor vehicles in the central Oxford Street area. There should be zero, except for delivery vehicles at proscribed times.
20 thoughts on “Live blog: Taxpayers’ Alliance think speeding fines are a tax (and 20mph makes “no difference” to road safety); Skoda unveil concept car for cyclists; Porn Pedallers hosting new kit launch event in London; £125k Paul Smith x Rapha jersey on eBay +more”
Skoda previosuly offered a
Skoda previously offered a two bike internal fork clamp mount for the Yeti. Not everyone has kids. I don’t. So the internal bike rack comes in very handy and it’s safer than on the roof.
I saw the Skoda story via
I saw the Skoda story via ‘influencers’ on social media who took it for a test spin. Zzzzzzz.
Nothing more nausiating than people fawning over brands because they got a few bits of free kit etc. I’ve unfollowed most of the people that are now doing this sort of gig.
There was a previous LiveBlog
There was a previous LiveBlog that featured a bit of victim blaming from skoda
https://road.cc/content/news/259906-live-blog-mp-calls-minister-cycling-cabinet-hygiene-sainsburys-kicks-out-cyclist
and the specific website
A car with a washing machine,
A car with a washing machine, well that’s a new one on me.
Good news for Kew Road, and
Good news for Kew Road, and looking at the tweets a lot of great stuff about to happen in Richmond.
I’d quite like a cycling
I’d quite like a cycling specific car, preferably one that comes with a driver willing to hand fresh cool bottles and food out of the window, give me a new wheel when I puncture, carry the endless supply of wet weather gear I seem to carry in Scotland, oh and drive at a 25mph in front of me for all of those long drags home into a block headwind…
I’ve got VW. It’s on its
I’ve got VW. It’s on its third turbo. It’s needed two new brake calipers, the central locking keeps going faulty, an electric window packed up, it’s required work to the ABS, a new fuel filter housing. The alloy wheels corrode and the bodywork is rusting.
So much for German engineering. Somehow, if it were a Citroën, I would not be so piqued by the rubbish quality.
So for ferrying bikes, maybe a Citroën Berlingo next time. Can’t be worse than a VW!
Sriracha wrote:
Though I no longer drive it (parked in the garage for the last 20 months) my Passat estate has been brilliant, 2001 B5.5 model, the only issue was the clogging up of the stupidly placed drain plug under the battery (which is a bstd to get out) that causes the passenger footwell to get wet if you don’t periodically unblock it.
Other than that I found it to be a bloody brilliant car, same turbo after 130k, no clutch problems, replaced an electric window internals for £50 by buying the whole thing and 30 mins work by a local garage but that was when it was 120k/14yrs old. Some say those PD engines are just getting run in at 100k and I tend to agree, I had an Isuzu engined Astra before that with a garret turbo, that was bombproof as well, maybe I’ve just been lucky.
As a bike carrier it’s superb, always inside, 2up you can carry two bikes and absolutely loads of kit with room to spare, far more than the vast majority of SUVs, IF I ever replaced it/decided to drive again, I would want a large estate and I would very likely consider another Passat.
The only good car is a
The only good car is a crushed car.
Gizzard wrote:
I disagree…
hawkinspeter wrote:
I disagree…
— Gizzard
In a nutshell, that is rather a tasty car interior!
The only good car is a
The only good car is a crushed car.
The only good car is a
The only good car is a crushed car.
What’s a protected cycle lane
What’s a protected cycle lane?
Presumably a bit more than a bit of signage.
Tax Payers’ Alliance? Given
Tax Payers’ Alliance? Given who funds them, shouldn’t that be the Tax Avoiders’ Alliance?
Are these ‘tax’ dodgers
Are these ‘tax’ dodgers supported by the US Embassy? I really don’t understand the thinking of the far right; they really just want to sit in their castles whilst the world dissolves around them.
Organon wrote:
Not funded by the US state, but by US ‘special interest groups’.
Make the world Merica, and all that.
Small state politics – lower taxes, the state has no income so cannot pay for any social type stuff. Health and social care and law enforcement all paid for by private subscription or insurance, the rich can afford it so they don’t care. Any taxes are an imposition on the freedom of the rich to become richer, so should be done away with.
(Yes, the poor will get poorer, and can’t afford the insurance, and the state isn’t there as a safety net or to pay police or empty the bins, but that’s just the law of the jungle or something isn’t it? What are you: some sort of communist?)
brooksby wrote:
Comrade!
(No subject)
I believe it is time to trial
I believe it is time to test speed safety once and for all. Let’s experiment by picking one street in London, completely at random, and switching between enforcing a return to the days of cars having to drive behind a man waving a flag, and on alternate days setting a minimum speed limit of 50mph. Then, after say ten years of recording how many people are knocked down under each condition, we’ll have plenty of data to draw some conclusions. I’ve got a map with me now, and I’m closing my eyes and pointing… Oh, look at that, my finger has landed on Tufton Street, what a coincidence.