Cops criticised for hi-vis handout; No retrial for HGV driver who killed cyclist; New Rapha range; Cambridge Station secure bike parking FAIL; ex-Team Sky doc admits lying; Remembering rubbish bike lights; "I’m a cyclist myself…" +more on the live blog

These lorry trays are available on eBay and Amazon for between £11 and £111 pounds.
Why are they still for sale in the UK when their installation would be a reason for an MOT failure?

On the "Cambridge's not-so-secure station cycle park" picture, can I just say "Oh.  My.  God." 

Police Scotland happy to spend money on free high viz handouts before they will set up a dedicated online video upload facility.

Police Scotland a 20ty century organisation operating an analogue service in the 21st century digital age.

But they're all highly trained professionals!

Such a highly regulated industry too!

On the lack of a retrial on the killer lorry driver in Birmingham for death by dangerous, already convicted on death by careless, prosecuting QC Michael Duck said "Ultimately this was not a case in which there was a sustained period of bad driving..."

Had he only just installed and loaded the table up so that his vision was obscured, that day perhaps, or a few moments before the awful crash?

This was a deliberate act by a "highly trained" professional driver, who had decided that not having a good view out of his huge and dangerous vehicle was a great thing to do.

Fair enough, the retrial might not have resulted in a conviction, noting the motorcentric society and therefore jury, but they could have given it a go.

No remorse from the killer driver so it may actually result in a good sentence, you never know?

Somehow I doubt it though.

The hub dynamo rescued from some 1930s Aunt Nelly was the mutt's nuts, provided you could find a suitable bulb that wouldn't blow out when over-volted by the unregulated output, and was better than a glow worm at lower speeds.

I had a design for change-over to battery power when stopped, and a simple regulator that would probably have worked. Modern electronics and rechargeable batteries make it trivial now, but back then it wasn't so easy, especially on paper-round money.

It got put on the back burner when I discovered motorcyles, many of which had worse electrical systems.

I had those wonder lights too in the early 80s, all the way through commuting across the city through some absolutely awful Northern weather but they did you okay, you just had to slow down a bit!

By late 1990 (IIRC) I'd bought a set of Duracell Halogen's (that Ktache mentioned earlier), they took two D cells each and were one of the best widely available and not ridiculously expensive commuter light sets at the time but were a bit bulky, I think I might have spent £30 on them. Very waterproof, great beam and they were lockable so you would literally have to break them off or steal the whole bike.

There's a set on ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Collectable-Duracell-Lockable-Cycle-l...

I only chucked the front away last year as I was hankering over using and the unit to store a decent amount of 18650s and use the reflector in the head unit as it was excellent with a Halogen so thought it'd be brilliant with a decent LED but I just didn't have the patience/skills to do it.

As for the hi-vis, cops doing what they've been told by their bosses because that's what these people do, victim blame and always pushing the onus for safety onto the vulernable. I wonder how many women/men they've suggested should wear anti-rape garments, not many i would think as it would be absolutely outrageous to do so! The whole way of thinking stinks, doesn't improve matters and yet so many people still don't get it!

Ta, that was back then, Hope and Exposure, with a sideorder or NiteRider and FibreFlare these days.  Considering a helping of Moon.

Let's dial it back to the 70's!! Alloy case with Bakelite switch. 1289 battery with minimal life and if shaking it didn't work, messing about with the brass terminals got you somewhere!   Also had a  slot on the back  because back then bikes had a bracket brazed onto the frame for lights. Bulbs also had a habit of working themselves loose or blowing. 

Why did you also not manage to get it done by Halloween too, or has Johnson resorted to blaming drivers now?

The Scots police probably do mean well, but they also think its a lot lot easier to just hand out hi viz tat than to actually - you know - police the roads...

Apart from their almost complete failure as lights, Never Ready rears used such heavy batteries that they would eventually swing into the spokes .  Incredible that they were so unreliable but could still pass all the statutory tests.

I used to use these to get back and  to , to school. I reckon I must've gone through four or five different brackets that just snapped every time. If only I had some ancient photos to prove it I will be in line for your marvellous socks. Finally upgraded to a dynamo -must have lasted me about 10 years barely gave a candle Flicker. 

I remember using some early rechargeable batteries in my 'never - ready' bike lights. Even with a fresh charge they would often die on the way home from work on a cold winters evening.

At one point I did experiment with an Oldhams miners cap lamp, which suddenly died halfway down a pitch black bridleway, scared myself stupid..............

I just smile as I remember the group stopping at lighting up time and the sound of tapping and banging the damn things ( never readies) to get a glimmer of light. The few members who had half decent lights were designated front and rear duties.  

Erectile disfunction; if you believe the gossip, as well as his testosterone patches it is alleged little blue pills were supplied via BC as well.

The funny thing is that you could legally ride around with those lights (and stuff like hi-viz wasn't a thing) and never have any issues with cars.  Now you can ride round with half a dozen lights that can be seen from space, dressed head to toe in yellow and reflectives, and a driver will claim they "didn't see you".

Yes I remember the 'Wonder lights', I had a front and back set.  Remember this was before the days of the internet and you either had to buy stuff from your local bike shop or from an advert in Cycling Weekly.

The lights used an odd crap battery called a 3LR12 or MN1203 which is still available and was the equivelent of 3AA cells.  In Cycling Weekly a seller was offering a rechargeble version and a charger, which I bought and they lasted a few years and the same seller was also offering a dynamo conversion kit for them as well - these were the cutting edge bike light technology at the time!

I also remember a few years later my twin 10 watt halogen 'Smart' branded front lights, which I still have in my junk box and some spare bulbs somewhere, these were not bad but they used a lead acid battery that was heavier than my bike, or at least it felt that it was because it was basically just a mini car battery.

It is incredible the difference that modern 'LED' and li-ion battery technology has made to day and night time cycling.

I did kind of want a set of the lockable Duracell lights, back when I was suffering the EverReadys

Rim Friction Dynamos were ten times worse than any of these.  Made the same noise as a buzz saw, destroyed the side walls of your tyres,  Was like riding up hill in Treacle and went out when you were static, at Junctions .  The Everbrite lights were a god send by Comparison.

I had a big chrome dynamo-driven front light; streamlined and with a high and low beam- who were they trying to kid!  It always used to work loose so that it pointed at the ground, and died when you stopped