Welcome to Friday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Alex Bowden and the rest of the team.
Zwiftiverse gets bigger; Car-free London by 2030?; “Let’s have another Olympics…” Says Sir Chris Hoy (poss joking); Danny MacAskill overtake gets thumbs up from cops; Animal rights protester has bike crushed by lorry +more in today’s Live blog
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Fri, Aug 02, 2019 18:23
SUMMARY
2 August 2019, 18:23
Danny MacAskill gets thumbs-up from Scotland's Road Policing team
#OpClosePass in Eddleston today:
10 #ChatontheMat
1 Insurance warning
5 Speed warnings2 drivers charged with Careless Driving for overtaking our cyclist far below safe standards.
Pics of excellent overtakes, including @danny_macaskill ‘s @DropandRollTour Van!#Rule163 pic.twitter.com/S1CxH8vxHw
— Road Policing Scotland (@polscotrpu) August 1, 2019
The mtb hero was praised for an ‘excellent overtake’, whereas numerous drivers during this latest Operation Close Pass weren’t so excellent with two charged for careless driving due to passing too close.
2 August 2019, 18:23
Shocking moment animal rights activist has bike crushed under lorry, narrowly escaping himself
The footage was captured by Claire Folan during a sit-in protest at Ramsgate port yesterday morning, with activists attempting to block a lorry carrying livestock. As a man on a bike appears about 14 seconds into the clip, the lorry ploughs through the bike with the man narrowly escaping being crushed himself.
Ms Folan told Kent Online: “I think the thought that went through my head was, ‘am I going to see someone die today?’
“I honestly believe it’s only a matter of time – someone will die at that port.”
She also said the two minute interceptions of livestock lorries are pre-arranged, but the police fail to step in when activists are put in danger by lorry drivers: “Having been previously down at the front with the lorries, trying to slow them and almost getting hit myself, I’ve more recently started standing back to film.
“I’m very glad I was in a position to show what happened today. The disregard for life extends to humans too with these ruthless exporters.”
2 August 2019, 18:23
The Away With Cars Report says London should be car-free by 2030, proposing a huge public transport service as an alternative
The report, from Common Wealth and backed by campaign groups We Own It and Greenpeace, says no Londoners should have private cars by 2030 and instead proposes a huge network of public transport services involving state-run electric cabs, e-bikes, auto-rickshaws, trams and e-scooters.
“Most Londoners won’t dare cycle because of a legitimate fear of being killed or maimed by a motor vehicle”, says the report, which forms the basis of the initiative to remove private cars from the roads. They envisage a utopia where the only cars on the roads are shared vehicle or private hire cabs that are both managed and regulated by TfL, ensuring drivers get fair pay and annual leave.
For cycling, you could hire e-bikes quickly and easily via your annual subscription, and all bikes will be much more accessible with far improved cycling infrastructure: “Dockless bikes are now ubiquitous, booked and unlocked with the TfL app. TfL planners ensure minimum comprehensive coverage across the city, and cycle hire is free to annual subscribers, pensioners and under 18s. Segregated cycle lanes are everywhere, even down to quiet residential streets, which are no longer crowded with parked cars.”
They go as far as to say life for professional drivers (now using electric vans of course) will be so much easier due to the little congestion that they will be on a shorter working week, and ambulance services will be less stretched because of the greatly reduced road casualties.
What do you think, could it actuall happen or is this all a bit too ambitious?
2 August 2019, 18:23
Zwift opens new virtual roads
Zwift has announced the addition of new roads on its virtual cycling platform.
“Titans Grove draws inspiration from the High Sierras [in California, USA], home to the world-famous Sequoia National Park,” says Zwift.
“Sitting adjacent to the Fuego Flats, the mammoth-sized boulders and giant sequoias cast a most welcome shadow for those arriving fresh from a trip through the desert.”
The new section of road features three gradual climbs.
“With a maximum gradient of 5%, these are climbs that will provide enough of a challenge to get the legs stinging, but still gentle enough that Zwifters can still sit back and enjoy the scenery,” says Zwift.
“Each lap features 158m [520ft] of elevation gain.”
2 August 2019, 18:23
"Let's have another Olympics, shall we?" - Chris Hoy's tongue-in-cheek solution to the nation's problems
Sir Chris Hoy is sad that the nation’s apparently so divided. “Let’s have another Olympics shall we?” he suggests.
The Scot is of course joking, but speaking to Motor Sport magazine he seems to be mourning the spirit of 2012.
“We were so united and there was such a feeling of ‘look what we can achieve and isn’t this great’. It was such a wonderful time, people were talking on the Tube and every morning I would wake up, open my curtains and see thousands of people flooding into the Olympic Park.
“It is sad when you think that in such a short space of time the country is so divided. You turn the news on and you think ‘Oh God, can it get any worse?’
“Let’s have another Olympic Games, shall we? That will sort it out.”
2 August 2019, 18:23
Anti-cycling Facebook pages part of propaganda network run by Boris Johnson ally
Weirdly, and initially somewhat confusingly, Lynton Crosby’s firm also ran the Square Mile Cycling group. This fake grassroots campaign aimed to have the Embankment Cycle Superhighway redirected throught the City of London.
Seems like it’s a Canary Wharf thing.
2 August 2019, 18:23
Doing RideLondon? Don't fancy the extra mileage to and from the start and finish?
Taking part in Prudential @RideLondon this weekend?
Non-folding bikes can be taken on certain Tube, DLR and Overground services during off peak hours
Folding bikes are welcome on all services at any time
Check out this map for details – https://t.co/srE46xCEiR
— Transport for London (@TfL) August 2, 2019
2 August 2019, 18:23
Fiona Kolbinger still leading TCR
Tanja Hacker is currently the number 2 woman in the race. Second to leading woman and overall race leader, Fiona Kolbinger. She’s now making her way through the climbs of the CP3 parcours.#TCRNo7 #TCRNo7riders #TCRNo7women #TCRNo7cap222 @PEdALEDjapan #LiveDressRide pic.twitter.com/YsK7k4vB5a
— The Transcontinental (@transconrace) August 2, 2019
2 August 2019, 18:23
Near Miss of the Day 293: Why wait when you’re driving the bigger vehicle?
2 August 2019, 18:23
Campaigners ask questions of Canary Wharf Group
Following on from this morning’s report on the fake anti-cycling campaign groups seemingly run at the behest of Canary Wharf Group (CWG), London Cycling Campaign are asking a few questions of the property firm.
The group says: “While publicly maintaining a paper-thin pretence of support for cycling, CWG have over and over attacked cycling schemes and/or attempted to weaken them behind closed doors.
“CWG appear to be the landowner responsible for putting in a ludicrous number of anti-cycling barriers where the National Cycle Network passes Canary Wharf.
“CWG also now oppose the Canary Wharf – Rotherhithe bridge crossing, as detailed in their submission to The London Plan’s examination in public, calling it ‘very expensive and environmentally intrusive’.”
2 August 2019, 18:23
Chris Froome's "road to recovery"
Tomorrow Team Ineos are going to bring you the story of one man who had a horrible crash, who then cycled with one leg for a bit until he was well enough to cycle with two legs. (We’re guessing there’ll probably a bit about the psychological impact too.)
“I’d like to share with people just what I’ve been through during the last few weeks.”
Chris Froome: My Road to Recovery – launching tomorrow pic.twitter.com/ytLEYRuMfO
— Team INEOS (@TeamINEOS) August 2, 2019
2 August 2019, 18:23
Bedford cycling ban extended for another three years
Controversial PSPO is being enforced ever more vigorously by private contractor.
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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
mdavidford 2 hours ago
@Chris RideFar I think what you meant to say was "REMOVE this and put it on PODCAST CC".
jaymack 3 hours ago
As Mary Whitehouse never said - one doesn't have to read the article if one doesn't want to read about an off-road bicycle.
Rendel Harris 4 hours ago
@FionaJJ In London they're allowed to stop on single and double yellows to deliver packages or empty pillar boxes; in practice they take this as carte blanche to park wherever and whenever they want, such as this chap on the Brixton Road who pulled into the bus/cycle/motorcycle lane without indicating, as I approached at 20mph, to park on a red route, response to a remonstrance, "I suppose you never get post delivered do ya?"
FionaJJ 4 hours ago
@Rendel Harris We have a pavement parking ban, but around here at least, royal mail vans are already exempt, subject to certain caveats, such as allowing at least 1.5m, and only being stopped to do their work.
FionaJJ 4 hours ago
It was already embarrassing for the police that they made such a mess of their attempt to determine whether a bike was legal or not, but I had assumed it was a group of well intentioned, but under-trained officers acting on their own initiative, having spotted something they thought looked not quite right. I'm now discovering this was a planned activity, something sufficiently organised to have been given a name - Operation FRISLEN, designed specifically to identify and remove illegal e-bikes and scooters. It's apparent that the officers were sent out without adequate training, never mind the kind of equipment that should be used for this sort of work. I'm not saying they always need specialist equipment to spot all illegal bikes, but at least if they'd been given a demonstration with that equipment, they'd have realised why their approach was not going to end well.
Geoff Ingram 7 hours ago
Have put drop bars on a 2001 B1 mtb, a 2007 stumpy hardtail and a 2010 stumpy full suss. In all cases fairly basic conversións leaving gearing and wheels broadly the same and concentrating on correct positioning of bars and fit. Oddly, with all 3 I was happy with the result when recently done, but after a few months found that the extra speed on easy trails was more than offset by the lack of ability (probably mine) on tougher routes and finally preferred flat bar with slammed and inverted stem as best overall compromise. Good fun playing around, though.
mark1a 7 hours ago
The photos in this review look they are for a different bag?
mattw 8 hours ago
This is a strange reactionary knee jerk overall. But what is this "are essentially motorbikes in disguise" waffle? "One letter claimed that high-powered electric ‘e-bikes’ were “essentially motorbikes” in disguise, with many being used without lights, helmets, or any hi-vis clothing." Surely, they simply ARE motorbikes?
bikes 8 hours ago
I only watched the last one, that's enough for me! A punishment pass and a clueless passenger. Did you op snap that one?
bikes 9 hours ago
I don't love the motorway comment. What if they're miles from a motorway? The get in the cycle lane comment is born out of ignorance from people who never cycle. I would just tell them the reason: It's full of broken glass, wet leaves, etc. I'm turning right. I'd have to keep stopping and then rejoining the road. I'd have to keep giving way. It's full of pedestrians. Etc. Or simply ask if they have tried it and leave it at that.
21 thoughts on “Zwiftiverse gets bigger; Car-free London by 2030?; “Let’s have another Olympics…” Says Sir Chris Hoy (poss joking); Danny MacAskill overtake gets thumbs up from cops; Animal rights protester has bike crushed by lorry +more in today’s Live blog”
I suspect a lot of people
I suspect a lot of people still would prefer to use their cars even if there was an abaolutely amazing public transport system.
It might work in London, but London still has a central body which (in theory) runs and controls and coordinates all of their public transport.
The rest of the country has a chaotic (in theory – the majority are First or Stagecoach) set of transport companies which compete against each other, to the point of (allegedly!) swamping rivals’ routes to kill them off and then rowing back.
Quote:
…might have been better (?) if the video actually showed said shocking moment, rather than just before then panning it out of shot and then just after.
brooksby wrote:
Which video were you watching? I saw it.
numbskull wrote:
I stand corrected: I think I blinked at the wrong moment…
But it leads me onto another point. We’re constantly being told about how huge the blind spots are around a HGV (the size of Wales, wasn’t it?).
There are all these protesters milling about next to and in the road (and Mr Brompton rides out right into a known blind spot, but I’m not going there).
In the interests of safety and, y’know, not killing anybody, I appreciate it might have been seen as giving in but couldn’t the HGV driver have just STOPPED? (“Sorry, mate, I can’t safely proceed”)
Protesting is one thing.
Protesting is one thing. Purposely puuting yourself in harms way to obstruct someone’s business and lawful activity is another.
numbskull wrote:
Utter garbage. The entire point of direct action is to cause a stink and obstruct what you’re protesting against, you will achieve nothing by meekly standing on the side.
‘Car-free London by 2030?’
‘Car-free London by 2030?’
Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!
Let’s give the lorry driver a
Let’s give the lorry driver a break on this one; both the cyclist and the driver were victims of the lunacy happening on the road at that time. No one was hurt, no one wanted anyone hurt, (except maybe the protesters) the dutch lorry driver is almost certainly going to be very experienced around cyclists. Protest, but lets not create danger while doing it
alexuk wrote:
The dutch lorry driver probably couldn’t believe there wasn’t safe, segregated, joined up infrastructure for protesters like at home
quiff wrote:
Given the overall standard of Dutch driving he probably didn’t give a fuck either way, all this bullshit about Dutch drivers being great is precisely that, they manage to kill 60 cyclists where segregated infra meets a road so they aren’t all that and another 140+ cyclists die elsewhere despite all the segregation.
The sooner we get direct
The sooner we get direct vision cabs on our lorries the better.
What a fucking idiot . I have
What a fucking idiot . I have no sympathy whatsoever. The lorry driver does not even no he’s there. That’s how most cyclists get killed in London ,up the inside of a lorry .
protest ,great . I’m all for it , it’s a way to get your message across . But FFS getting your self killed by being a fucking idiot . It’s his own fault . Like bill hicks said about taking LSD .if you think you can fly ,then take off from the fucking ground ,don’t jump off a building . Your a moron ,one less s moron who’s a fucking disappointment to his parents .
Been following Wout van Aert
Been following Wout van Aert’s recovery – possibility of a minor Franco-Belgian skirmish in the offing – Wout claiming the surgeon in Pau bodged the job and left him at risk of never making a full recovery. Second surgery in Belgium has corrected the issue, he’s now at the stage where he can’t walk more than a few steps but should make a full recovery.
“I honestly believe it’s only
“I honestly believe it’s only a matter of time – someone will die at that port.”
Well stop riding into the blind spot of lorries on purpose then you dopes. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
“CWG also now oppose the
“CWG also now oppose the Canary Wharf – Rotherhithe bridge…, calling it ‘very expensive and environmentally intrusive’.”
So not a bit like Canary Wharf then?
If I was the lorry driver and
If I was the lorry driver and was confronted with all those protesters on the road in front of me, I’d have stopped and not continued driving at them.
Brompton cycles straight into
Brompton cycles straight into the drivers blind spot: Having taken part in a swap places scheme last week, where a 6’5” copper walked into that very spot whilst I was in the cab, I can attest that the driver couldn’t possibly have seen him. I can only assume the cyclist was unaware of this blind spot. The driver must have felt threatened with all the protesters, so lets give him a break here.
Crusty wrote:
If a truck has such pisspoor visibilty that you can’t see a 6’5″ copper standing near it, then why the fuck is it ever allowed to be on the road?
Rakkor wrote:
This is the question we should be asking every time someone is killed or injured in a ‘blind spot’.
The technology exists to eradicate blind spots, vehicles that you cannot drive safely should not be allowed on the roads.
If the industry hadn’t been
If the industry hadn’t been so resistant to change (I’m thinking the FTA, of course, and manufactures like Volvo, with their LifePaint for the potential victims rather than their deadly vehicles for the killers) then we would have a lot more of the far safer direct vision cabs out there by now.
I’m not sure why they’re
I’m not sure why they’re bothering with this protest right now.
In a few months time after a no-deal Brexit, we won’t be signed up to single market rules, so animal exports won’t be allowed anyway.
All the livestock farmers will go bankrupt, especially once cheap imports from the US start coming in.
All the countryside that doesn’t get built on or used as a Donald Trump golf course can be rewilded and filled with wolves, bears, lynxes and mountain lions.