Copenhagen’s gorgeous new cycling bridge; New bike insurance comparison service launches; Borat does a triathlon (sort of); Paris-Brest-Patisserie; NYC man who used bike as weapon jailed; Herne Hill stalwart dies + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Pidcock out of l'Avenir after nasty crash
The crash comes at a bad time for the British rider with the World Championships in his native Yorkshire just a month away.
Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.
Trolling level - 100%
If you don’t get the joke, but you want to: https://t.co/ySGItx0zgI
— Ellen Noble (@ellenlikesbikes) August 21, 2019
Oh, the joys of social media and its ‘influencers’…
A few weeks ago an Instagram influencer had a ‘motorbike crash’ and if that doesn’t scream ‘photoshoot opportunity’ then we don’t know what does.
American pro cyclocross rider, Ellen Noble, has done some truly excellent trolling here.
I'd like to try that one, and that one, and errr...that one....
#ParisBrestParis2019 has its own cake! Like a wheel from a Bike
Go go go all participants in #pbp2019 #cycling pic.twitter.com/YkZqlyxt9f— Sigr (@SigrNordic) August 21, 2019
We’re not entirely sure if this is actually the official cake of the Paris-Brest-Paris, but damn that cake looks tasty!
***
An update from our French patisserie correspondent. The name of the pastry is indeed a Paris-Brest, and it was created by the patissier Louis Durand in 1910 at the request of the event’s founder, Pierre Giffard – so that’s as official as you can get.
Now sold at patisseries throughout France, the shape is inspired by that of a bicycle wheel, and the energy boost it gives meant it quickly became popular with participants in Paris-Brest-Paris.
Gravel riding, it's been around since the 70's, you know...
Gravel Riding has been around since the 70’s
Great pic @mission753 https://t.co/4ZcBEhpYFq— Dean Downing (@dean0downing) August 20, 2019
Turns out that gravel riding isn’t such a new thing. Here’s a typical Welsh club run from back in the day! No such thing as 650b back then…
Lapierre to launch disc version of Aircode aero road bike
It looks like French brand Lapierre will add a disc version of the Aircode aero road bike to its range in 2020. The latest update to the UCI’s List of Approved Models of Frames and Forks contains the Aircode Disque.
The Aircode has been in Lapierre’s range for several years, the second generation having been approved by the UCI in 2017. A new rim brake model has not been added to the list so it could be that Lapierre is simply bringing its range up to date with the addition of disc brakes to the current rim brake design (pictured below) rather than making wholesale changes.
Read our review of the existing rim brake Lapierre Aircode SL 900 Ultimate
Dave takes a look at the new Cervelo Aspero Gravel Bike
The Beyonce Bianchi (that's actually a Merckx)
Well played fellow commuter, well played. pic.twitter.com/hKxwNAKKzd
— Gem Atkinson (@gematkinson) August 20, 2019
There’s so much going on here.
All of your best puns in the comments below, please…
“If you like it then you shoulda put a big ring on it”
“I can see your Halo wheels”
NYC man jailed for using bike as weapon
A New York City has been jailed for up to five years for using his bicycle as a weapon after he hit another man in the face with it in June last year, with the victim suffering swelling and pain.
Henry DeGroat, aged 21 and from New Brighton on Staten Island, pleaded guilty in court to third-degree criminal weapon possession in relation to the incident in June last year, reports SI Live.
DeGroat, who has a previous conviction after an Italian tourist was shot after apparently getting caught in crossfire, was sentenced to 30 months to five years in prison following the latest case.
We’ve seen a number of cases from both the UK and the US over the years in which a cyclist has been the target of a motorist using their vehicle as a weapon – including this case in which a bus driver in Bristol was jailed for 17 months for deliberately knocking a cyclist from his bike.
Given the greater potential for causing harm when using a motor vehicle, rather than a bicycle, as a weapon, DeGroat’s punishment does seem disproportionate compared to the sentences we see motorists receive in such cases.
Worth riding all that way for.
Confectionery achievement unlocked #ACME #ParisBrestParis2019 #PBP19 #Audax #onmybiketoday #fromwhereiride #OutForALongTimeNotAGoodTime https://t.co/MTrzP8TCD9 pic.twitter.com/ekY1tA3P6M
— Jason Burns (@jiberjaber) August 21, 2019
Now that we’ve seen the official Paris-Brest-Paris patisserie, we really want one. Handily for the finishers, they get one once they’ve crossed the line.
Well earned!
Herne Hill Velodrome stalwart Jeff Avis has passed away
We send our condolences to his wife Barbara, sons Paul & Mark, daughter Sue and all his family and friends.
If you would like to make a donation there will be a collection at the sign-on desk.
— Herne Hill Velodrome (@HerneHillVel) August 21, 2019
Police Scotland have held another close pass operation - this time in Stirling
WARNINGS & PENALTIES GIVEN DURING TWO DAYS OF ACTIVITY
Sgt David Ross of @polscotrpu said: “I can’t emphasise enough the need to give cyclists appropriate space. Frustration or lateness are not excuses to risk someone’s safety.”
Read more – https://t.co/TdqAHNwgAJ#OpClosePass pic.twitter.com/lVxluMy7hu
— Stirling Police (@StirlingPol) August 21, 2019
Copehagen's new cycle and walking bridge is stunning
Copenhagen is a world-leader when it comes to cycling infrastructure, and the latest addition to its portfolio is stunning – the 160-metre Lille Langebro cycle and pedestrian bridge which spans the city’s Inner Harbour.
Designed by London-based architects WilkinsonEyre, its part of an ongoing regeneration of the Danish capital’s harbour and the central section swings through 90 degrees to let ships through.
The footway of the bridge is 3 metres in width, while the two-way cycle path is 4-metres across.
“We are delighted to have worked with Realdania to design a distinctive new bridge for the people of Copenhagen that will improve the urban spaces and promenades along the waterfront and strengthen the cycling culture in the city while also being safe and accessible to everyone,” commented Simon Roberts, associate director at WilkinsonEyre.
You can find more photos of it here.
Wedding Present and Milltag offer Bizarro cycling jersey
What’s that you say, you’re in the market for a cycling jersey celebrating the second studio album of a jingly-jangly Leeds-based indie outfit from the 1980s that’s still going strong (in a much-modified form) today?
You jammy devil, The Wedding Present have teamed up with Milltag to offer a jersey (in both men’s and women’s cuts) that suits your requirements. It’ll cost you 80 quid. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Bizarro.
They first did a Bizarro jersey back in 2012 and it’s available to pre-order until 8th September. We might never have this chance again.
Milltag did a jersey with Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine back in 2014, by the way.
New bike insurance price comparison service launches
Insurance price comparison provider Quotezone.co.uk has launched a new price comparison service for bike insurance.
The company says that the service aggregates quotes from a range of bicycle insurance specialists and displays them online, enabling users to quickly compare not just prices but also policy features.
The companies founder, Greg Wilson, said: “At Quotezone.co.uk we understand that a cyclist’s bicycle is much more than a basic mode of transport… they are often very valuable vehicles in their own right, with many of them worth thousands of pounds and some even valued at £10,000 or more.
“In addition, cyclists do run the risk of suffering a third-party liability claim at some stage, which they would have to cover themselves if they were uninsured.
“Of course, just because insuring your bicycle is a wise decision doesn’t mean you should pay over the odds for that insurance policy. That’s why we’re launching this new price comparison service, to help cyclists find the right policy at the right price by comparing quotes from a range of providers.”
You can find the service here.
CANNOT UNSEE
Pass the mindbleach please.
⠀
Cycling… running… diving…
It's just summertime.
⠀ pic.twitter.com/wrUdslXOA4— ⓑιcιcletⓞ (@Bicicleto_ZGZ) August 21, 2019
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Latest Comments
@chrisonabike True, things went back to normal once the pandemic was over. In this case, however the problems are still ongoing, and aren't likely to be resolved in the near future. If anything, they're going to get worse. Food shortages are predicted because of the effect that the heatwave has had on crops. This is bound to push prices up. The Straits of Hormuz aren't likely to reopen anytime soon and the strategic oil reserves are running low. Russia is having to import petrol because its own refineries have been badly hit, so that's even more competition for an even more scarce resource. I think that more and more people are going to see cycling as a way of cutting household bills.
I think if "grown up" cyclists * are quibbling about ASLs we've very much missed the road safety point anyway. (Not to mention the wider "better transport choices" picture). ASLs are poor-to-useless "cycling infra", even for their design intent. If the idea is "for less confident cyclists" then a design that requires that you re-position in front of the motor traffic - waiting to accelerate - seems unhelpful. Of course they're only designed to help when traffic is stopped, and you can reach the front in time and if vehicles aren't already occupying them. As we're noting here drivers frequently ignore them - whether that be deliberate, a lack of road craft, because they were concentrating on following the vehicle in front, or because the paint has rubbed off. * Aside: shouldn't cycling also be safe and accessible for kids? Or should they only be allowed to do this when accompanied by sufficient qualified adults? Or be limited to parks and otherwise being driven around by their carers? Perhaps there is another way...?
Hi Bungle, I saw you follow-up comment. I can't imaging there's a tolerance of 4 seconds on camera enforced lights, seems an odd decision - an offence is committed if a vehicle starts crossing on a red, any tolerance is discretionary. There does seem to be some odd thinking about 'advanced stop lines' where the rules relating to them are identical to a regular stop line, as explained correctly elsewhere in the Highway Code. It does seem a regular offence. Where I live it doesn't help that some of them are very faint and disappear in rain.
@ktache Not sure he's totally ruled out of the worlds yet (though I think it would be best if he doesn't), normal recovery time is about eight weeks but surgery can halve that...depending on the nature of the break he could be just about fit to ride by the time of the elite men's race, but he'll have missed a lot of training. Hopefully his managers and team will persuade him to wait until Lombardia, if not just to knock it off for the rest of the year.
@Bungle_52 The Met told me a couple of years ago when rejecting a submission that they needed a clear three seconds of red visible before they would consider it for an RLJ prosecution. I pointed out to them that this meant that at 30 mph a driver could see a light change to red from 40 metres away and still get through without sanction, or 55 m if they accelerated to 40 as most do. They just replied "them's our rules..."
@Ben Graham I have just checked the footage from my report. The driver crosses the 1st stop line 4 seconds after the light turns red. All on camera from behind the vehicle. No further action. So I assume the margin is at least 4 seconds.
Oh, and active travel funding per head (in England at least) is laughable compared to other places. Plus it is delivered intermittently. It's more like a Blue Peter contest...
Yup, I see those opportunities being missed all the time in Edinburgh. When it gets really bad, dig it all up and put it back down again how it was. Contrast with what seems to happen in NL - when things are dug up the whole thing seems to get a "let's redo this according to the current standards" treatment. They even coordinate with the utilities, so that after a refurb the street isn't immediately dug up again because of leaking pipes / we suddenly realised the new estate being planned for round the corner will want broadband etc. Pros and cons of course - you may wait longer there for changes as smaller changes may be deferred until a major redo is due. (Though in the UK case you likely wouldn't get them at all...) It seems we "can't have nice things" in the UK in part because a) we have greater motor traffic speeds/volumes spead across "streets" / within urban areas b) the funding and organisational responsibility differs. Are we in the "Sam Vimes boots" territory (being too poor to afford better products which not only save money over time but actually work)? There is long term money pressure on LAs and it seems that due to poor construction and maintenance we have to regularly pour money into (pot-)holes in the road. And it seems there's no budget to check up on or enforce adequate standards from utilities work or even private building.
Shame about the world champs defence. Speedy recovery. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/30/tadej-pogacar-vuelta-a-espana-cycling-crash-hospital-stage-nine
I believe the accepted form for this kind of argument is "I know you are, you said you were, but what am I?".
10 thoughts on “Copenhagen’s gorgeous new cycling bridge; New bike insurance comparison service launches; Borat does a triathlon (sort of); Paris-Brest-Patisserie; NYC man who used bike as weapon jailed; Herne Hill stalwart dies + more on the live blog”
The Rough Stuff Fellowship
The Rough Stuff Fellowship have been around a bit longer than since the 1970s. Just love these archive pictures;
https://www.instagram.com/rsfarchive/
I’m pretty sure that’s what a
I’m pretty sure that’s what a paris brest cake looks like, originally designed to commemorate the race. More races should get on board with comemorative foodstuffs.
RobD wrote:
Didn’t they have to make a Paris-Brest on Bake Off? (the last series – not sure if it was slebs or civilians). I remember I had to google it, to find out what it was.
RobD wrote:
The RideLondon cake would be one that’s been sitting around for hours.
I couldn’t be bothered to try
I couldn’t be bothered to try to understand your Instagram story.
I think road.cc operatives probably spend too long on Soshal Meedja searching out non-stories.
HarrogateSpa wrote:
It’s actually quite amusing. Try harder.
The fantastic Copenhagen
The fantastic Copenhagen bridge opens as well.
ktache wrote:
Aye, thon bridge is fabulous. Hoping the planned crossing in Belfast can be as good when they eventually get the green light.
Some very bad driving around
Some very bad driving around cyclists in Stirling, shame they were undercover police officers.
OPERATION CLOSE PASS ACTIVITY IN STIRLINGSHIRE
Forth Valley’s Road Policing Unit (RPU) carried out Operation Close Pass in the Stirling Town Centre and Fallin areas yesterday and today.
Operation Close Pass aims to keep cyclists safe on the roads and focuses on both education and enforcement.
Three drivers were warned for not giving cyclists enough space and two drivers were either warned or given a fixed penalty notice for sounding horns at cyclists.
Two drivers were given formal warnings for offensive behaviour towards cyclists, including verbal abuse.
A further two drivers were given fixed penalties for failing to negotiate a roundabout and a bollard properly while passing cyclists.
A number of other road traffic offences were also detected with seven drivers either given a fixed penalty or warned for speeding, failing to wear a seatbelt and using a mobile phone.
Three drivers were found to have defects on their vehicles, and a cyclist was warned for careless cycling.
Sergeant David Ross of Stirling’s RPU said:
“Keeping vulnerable road users safe remains a priority in Forth Valley and Operation Close Pass is about prevention as well as enforcement.
“I can’t emphasise enough the need to give cyclists the appropriate space and respect all other road users. Frustration or lateness are not excuses to risk someone’s safety.”
Stirling comes across as
Stirling comes across as pretty much a Nirvana when compared to other regions in Scotland. The sooner Polis Scotland get their act together and get across to the West the better. They’ll have their work cut out. I’m telling you.