Welcome to Friday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
Video – Chris Froome updates on recovery; Dutch Headwind Championships; Driver complains about Bristol traffic … his wife tells him to buy a bike; Brighton proposes car ban; Tour de Yorkshire routes + more on the live blog
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Fri, Jan 17, 2020 21:16
SUMMARY
17 January 2020, 21:16
Bike commuting in -32c
People are shocked when I tell them I bike all winter. Today in #yyc it’s -32C. This video shows how I do it! #ohcanada #doingwinter #activewinter #wintersports #wintercycling @ParticipACTION @nenshi @bikecalgary @CTVCalgary @WomenBike @WinterCyclingFd @EWoolleyWard8 pic.twitter.com/FVtpSXwW6D
— Gabrielle Heine (@gabrielleheine1) January 15, 2020
For anyone who gets a bit angsty cycling to work when the thermometer drops past zero, you’ve got nothing on Gabrielle Heine of Calgary. In this video she walks us through her bike that she has equipped to take on the brutal Canadian winter, with studded tyres and some homemade bar mitts that appear to be made out of neoprene boots – this gives her something extra warm to slip her hands in while still allowing access to the gears and brakes.
Her clothing ensemble consists of merino baselayers, ski socks, snow trousers, a jumper and down jacket, plus a balaclava, snood, hat and ski goggles. We’re never moaning about the British ‘winter’ again…
17 January 2020, 21:16
Ribble bring in-store shopping online with the launch of Live In-Store
If you don’t like shopping in shops but still want all the benefits of shopping in shops, Ribble Cycles may have the solution for you… they’ve just launched ‘Live In-Store’, which gives customers using Ribble’s website the chance to interact with a member of staff live from a physical Ribble store, all from the comfort of their own homes.
Ribble say they are the first in the bike industry to offer such a service, with dedicated and trained Live In-Store experts giving you the chance to browse the shelves, see things in more detail and get extra advice via your phone, tablet or computer. It’s all being made possible by the Go Instore customer engagement platform, who are handling the technology side of things for the Ribble experts to broadcast themselves to customers. Go Instore’s Co-founder Andre Hordagoda said: “As a keen cyclist and having been through the consultative process of buying road bikes over the years, I fully appreciate the need for professional support in getting sizing and configuration just right. From the early conceptual days of Go Instore we always felt we would work well with a leader in this category – so it’s great to be partnering with an award-
winning brand such as Ribble and we are excited to deliver their excellent customer
service to consumers worldwide”
Live In-Store will be offered by the team at Ribble’s Preston shop, and will be rolled out in their other locations if successful. Audio is two-way and video is just one-way (they can’t see you), good to know for those who have just rolled out of bed and fancy a new bike. The service will also be offered with extended ‘opening’ hours, including evenings and Sundays, and you can head over to Ribble’s website for more info.
What with big name bike shop chains such as Cycle Surgery and Evans in turmoil, is this the way forward? Let us know your thoughts as always…
17 January 2020, 21:16
Ride (virtually) with Geraint Thomas
On Thursday 23rd January at 7.30pm, the 2018 Tour de France champ will be Zwifting with Eric Min (Zwift CEO) and also hosting a Q+A during the ride. Riders of all ages and abilities are welcome to ride the Watopia course, that is 20.2km long with 147m of virtual elevation.
17 January 2020, 21:16
Interesting...
This year! It’s nearly ready. The NorthRoad Wolf with in built hydration is a matter of weeks away. A British designed and built Tri bike to compete with the best.
For more info and ordering details just dm.#cycling #buybritish #bemorewolf #triathlon #tt #ironman #aatr pic.twitter.com/DkCWJluHwD
— NorthRoadCycles (@NorthRoadCycles) January 17, 2020
It could probably do with a saddle, handlebars and a drivetrain, but when those bits are sorted it looks like NorthRoad Cycles are launching their very non-UCI legal Wolf tri bike imminently.
17 January 2020, 21:16
Tour de Yorkshire route announcement, live from Leeds
So far we know that Stage 1 on the 30th April will start in in Beverley and end in Redcar, and is 176.5km in length. Stage 2 begins in Skipton, heads through the Yorkshire dales taking in Grinton Moor and finishes in Leyburn, and Stage 3 starts in Barnsley and finished in Huddersfield.
17 January 2020, 21:16
Tour De Yorkshire Ride sportive: full route announcement
You’ll find details of the pro races below, and above is the course for the sportive on 3rd May. It will start and finish in Leeds city centre, with the 132km long route taking in the ‘Cote de Cow’ and Calf climbs (new for 2020) and old favourites such as Greenhow. The medium route is 81km and the short 50km, and a special edition Rapha jersey made specially for the event has also just been released…
5,000 riders are expected to ride the sportive, which takes place a few hours before the pro men and women begin their final stage.
17 January 2020, 21:16
If you've not seen this yet...
It’s doing the rounds again, and is utterly terrifying until you breathe a big sigh of relief at the end of the video. To our knowledge, no one has managed to identify the cyclist yet.
17 January 2020, 21:16
Ultra cyclist Laura Scott said she was turned down for a job because she "didn't get the lad banter"
Oh, the irony… didn´t get a job once because in their words… “I didn´t get the lad banter” now patting themselves on the back for all the work they do for women in sports
— Laura Scott (@Laura_Scott) January 16, 2020
Scott hasn’t mentioned who the potential employer was, but claims they are now “patting themselves on the back for all the work they do for women in sports.”
17 January 2020, 21:16
WyndyMilla and Spoon Customs to merge
As WyndyMilla’s co-founders prepare to step down after ten years, they’ve announced they will merge with Spoons Customs with Spoons’ founder Andy Carr as CEO. They say it will bring together “the very best in handmade carbon and steel custom bicycles”, offering cyclists a custom design and production process so you can build your dream machine in WyndyMilla carbon or Spoons steel.
Both brands will keep their names but business operations will be under one roof. WyndaMilla’s co-founder Henry Furniss said: “We’re really proud of what we’ve built over the last ten years, through hard work and a commitment to doing things differently. WyndyMilla is a much loved brand run by a highly capable, technically proficient team of passionate cyclists who have together produced some of the most exciting custom carbon bicycles available anywhere in the world.
“As Nasima and I move on to new challenges, we look forward to seeing what the combined brand and technical expertise of Spoon Customs and WyndyMilla can do, as they capitalise on the platform for growth that has been successfully built over the last few years.”
17 January 2020, 21:16
Another city proposes city centre traffic ban, as Brighton council prepares to discuss next week
The Argus reports that Brighton and Hove City Council will be debating a proposal that could see private cars banned from Brighton city centre if implemented.
The proposal was put forward by Green Councillor Amy Heley, who requested that council officers assess the viability of a car ban and what any exemptions would be. It reads: “The climate emergency, the environmental and public health crisis caused by air pollution, and dangerous roads can and must be tackled by drastically reducing private car use in the city centre”.
As the only place in the country with a Green Party parliamentary seat (Brighton Pavilion, that Caroline Lucas won with a landslide in December) it might come as no surprise such proposals have come from Brighton; although they have come after similar announcements from York, Birmingham and Bristol in the past few weeks.
The proposal will be debated by Brighton’s environment, transport and sustainability committee on Tuesday next week.
17 January 2020, 21:16
Man complaining to papers about traffic in Bristol told to get a bike and stop polluting the air... by his own wife
@sgloscouncil #a4174 Ring road queues and congestion – no end in sight https://t.co/YncG8OK4HG
— Angela Smith (@AngelaS47408700) January 16, 2020
The story begins with a Bristol Post article that says there is “no end in sight” to the congestion and tailbacks on the A4174 ring road at Bromley Heath. The main interviewee is a Mr Jason Mills, a driver nonetheless, who got in touch with The Bristol Post to say he is forced to leave at 6.30am and wake his son up to avoid the worst of the traffic. Mr Mills even quotes stats that claim five people a week are dying due to Bristol air pollution, blaming insufficient traffic lights and removal of bus lanes for the problems… so, what’s the solution?
road.cc were contacted by Stefano Marazzi this morning, who is also a member of a Bromley Heath resident’s Facebook group. When the article was shared on the group, none other than Mr Mills’ wife Rachel made the killer suggestion that her husband could instead cycle to solve his traffic woes. She added: “He also needs to understand that he, a motorist, is contributing to air pollution. And if he is so concerned about his journey time and emissions he shouldn’t have accepted a job in Abergavenny!”
Mr Marazzi told road.cc: “Basically the residents of Bromley Heath and Downend – which is literally a 2 mile/12 minute cycle to UWE, MoD, and the Filton Area – are getting stuck in gridlock for one to two hours every day, causing miles of tailbacks.
“Lots of people are moaning on the Bromley Heath Facebook group about how that in their cars it’s taking them 40 minutes to travel a distance of half a mile. Not once does it seem to dawn on them that they are the problem!”
On yer bike Mr Mills, and heed the wise words of our favourite drag queen/active travel advocate RuPaul…
You’re not stuck in traffic, you are the traffic. pic.twitter.com/nXQlBPImEy
— RuPaul (@RuPaul) July 9, 2019
17 January 2020, 21:16
"You're taking up the whole road"
Shouts out to the man in Audi SQ7 having a go at me for “taking up the whole road”. BRUV LOOK AT THE SIZE OF YOUR CAR.
It’s cool though as you said you were cyclist too so you know. Bet your mum is your bike with that inbred irrational. Clown. pic.twitter.com/GkxM1OsdjF
— AlecBriggs/ Pedaler (@Alec_Pedaler) January 17, 2020
Crit specialist Alec Briggs was also subjected to “I’m a cyclist too”, but unfortunately the driver forgot to mention ‘road tax” in his game of anti-cycling bingo.
17 January 2020, 21:16
Who won this two up after 200km?
De langverwachte sprint (na 200km), maak zelf maar uit wie wint.. @MerlierTim @mathieuvdpoel @sporza_koers @sporza @SammyNeyrinck pic.twitter.com/rBk19d50Y8
— Rickaert Jonas (@RickaertJonas) January 17, 2020
Amstel Gold winner Van der Poel vs Belgian Champion Merlier. We reckon the loser was given hill repeats while the rest went to the cafe…
17 January 2020, 21:16
Schmolke have bought THM Carbones
In part two of today’s luxurious custom bike brand financial news, purveyors of featherlight £450 handlebars Schmolke have bought THM Carbones, purveyors of similarly weightless carbon brakes and stems.
THM Carbones was owned by 3T since 2016, and the new takeover began on the 1st January: “This takeover will create a full range supplier for carbon bicycle components made in Germany at highest level of quality”, say Schmolke.
17 January 2020, 21:16
Could there be an official UCI 'alternative race calendar'?
The inventor of L’Eroica, Giancarlo Brocci, met UCI president Lappartient this week to outline his vision for an alternative calendar of races taking in gravel & little-known roads & often exceeding 300km in length. Apparently Lappartient was all ears. https://t.co/dY53pR8OdS
— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) January 17, 2020
A 300km gravel race on the World Tour calendar? Yes. Yes, please.
17 January 2020, 21:16
Feeling the gusts at the moment? Spare a thought for competitors in the Dutch Headwind Cycling Championships
Each year, on the windiest day of the year, the Dutch Headwind Cycling Championships take place on the Oosterscheldekering Storm Surge Barrier.
Over 200 competitors ride the 8.5 km course against 100+ km/hr winds on upright single-speed bikes. Watch more: https://t.co/h2sVb6819T pic.twitter.com/OIU0iVTiUd
— Dutch Cycling Embassy (@Cycling_Embassy) January 17, 2020
There’s been a pretty strong westerly wind blowing across most of the UK today… and if you’re heading west on the way home and fancy spicing things up with some cycling colleagues, how about devising your own Headwind Cycling Championships?
The Championships take place on ‘the windiest day of the year’ annually on the Netherlands’ Oosterscheldekering storm barrier (we’re not sure if they just wait for that day or guess which one will be windiest prior to the date) and competitors must ride the entire 8.5km course against winds of more than 100km/h on standard issue, upright single-speed bikes.
Around 200 individuals take part each year setting off at intervals in a time trial format; there is also a team event. The inaugural race in 2013 was won by Olympic mountain biker Bart Brentjens in a time of 17 minutes and 51 seconds, which is still the course record.
17 January 2020, 21:16
Chris Froome updates on recovery
Team Ineos rider and four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome has given an update on his recovery from the injuries that kept him out of last July’s race – and a record-equalling fifth yellow jersey is still very much the aim.
“The only appointment I’ve set myself is the Tour de France. The prospect of going for a fifth yellow jersey is massive for me.”
In his first interview of 2020, @chrisfroome gives us the latest update on his training and recovery, his #TDF2020 focus, plus a message for the fans. pic.twitter.com/ebwMyhXODB
— Team INEOS (@TeamINEOS) January 17, 2020
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Jack has 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 the website 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
lonpfrb 8 minutes ago
Jetmans Dad "Food delivery riders in particular are riding overpowered 'eBikes' that are basically mopeds … powered only via the throttle without pedalling at significantly more than 15mph. Problem is they look like normal bikes/ebikes and not like mopeds so that is what people describe them as." Indeed, mistaken identification of e-motorcycles as bicycles is a significant problem because different regulations and training apply, so different enforcement. Even worse are the illegaly modified e-motorcycles that are not operated as such, without training, insurance and compliance generally. Zero hour employment contracts and employers taking no practical responsibility make it worse yet. Then there's the health impacts on customers that fall on taxpayers through the NHS.
Gus T 12 minutes ago
I might be cynical about Police re-organisations but how many new senior officer posts will be created in this re-organisation.
ktache 27 minutes ago
I have to put it back into mode eight so rarely that I will have to open up the manual. Normally when I stick it on the bars when I had to send my r4 back to Hope. Or if it seemed to go a bit weird. Can't remember the last time.
ktache 33 minutes ago
I have nothing but praise for my helmet mounted Exposure Axis, running eight years now. Battery only does two and a bit commutes now, so I'm going to either upgrade to the Diablo or see if they will upgrade the battery. If they'd released their STVZo road/4k lumens when your giving it some going downhill off road light I would have bought it first day. Mode 8 for me, low low, good mid and top high, decided after a couple of weeks of use and I've never changed. I use the button or the tap function (Tap 2 for me) to cycle through the power levels. Exceptional helmet light. The button is it's weak point, but very livable, I am glad of the tap function. It can sometimes take a few presses to get the flashing bit with its press and hold, but not for too long because that's off.
Hirsute 47 minutes ago
Hard to see who replies on any thread. I only visit the site a couple of times a week as it is not usable.
lonpfrb 55 minutes ago
People who want to travel safely in a 20 mph area, so that no motor vehicle tries to overtake them, need to be capable of 20 mph so get no assistance at all from a legal e-bike that provides 15.5 mph. So the e-bike regulations are broken because they encourage unsafe overtaking by impatient drivers (5 mph). In 30 mph roads, the 10 mph difference would still allow safe overtaking to be completed in short distances. So the low speed 15.5 is less safe in practice not safer.
wtjs 1 hour ago
I have been doing some cross-checking between my records and the police dataset How do you do that? The spreadsheet has been designed to ensure that you can't. There's no unique code for each incident, so why haven't they included that? There are many incidents dated from the same location on the same day by the same despised reporter category (cyclist) for the same offender category (such as 'car'). The great majority of intended (as usual in these misleading 'databases', it's not the real outcome) outcomes is the entirely useless 'warning letter'. Is there anybody out there who believes that the average police officer could rouse either the wit or the willingness to determine whether the offender has received a warning letter previously?! Some people will be receiving numerous such letters to throw in the bin, which encourages them to repeat the offence. As for the claimed 'positive outcome'!- only the most deluded could believe that
KDee 2 hours ago
I pretty much have stopped bothering. I also find when I come to the site it loads the previous days page and I have to refresh to see today’s front page.
Benthic 2 hours ago
I regularly submit reports to A&S Police, and keep detailed records of what I have submitted, and the responses. I have been doing some cross-checking between my records and the police dataset. I'm afraid correlation is patchy at best. So, I am not confident in the dataset's accuracy. Further, where I can be fairly certain of a correlation, it's been largely warning letters issued for very clear video evidence of hand-held mobile phone use whilst driving. No wonder I see so many doing so. They have nothing much to fear. :o( Should I keep bothering?
Rendel Harris 3 hours ago
That was a reply to Hirsute by the way, which I naïvely assumed would appear on the thread underneath his comment given that I clicked the reply button on his comment. The Admins really need to sort this, and various other problems, out before people stop bothering.
18 thoughts on “Video – Chris Froome updates on recovery; Dutch Headwind Championships; Driver complains about Bristol traffic … his wife tells him to buy a bike; Brighton proposes car ban; Tour de Yorkshire routes + more on the live blog”
That’s an interesting idea
That’s an interesting idea from Ribble however I wonder if they’re just gonna get practical jokers constantly asking how fast it goes..
Well done Gabrielle.
Well done Gabrielle.
I, being a soft southerner, have never ridden in levels of that cold, but when it does get proper chilly and especially when I used to be riding around in the early hours of the morning is the freezing of the water bottle. Insulated bottles minimise this, but very annoying, and thirsty.
I have some wonderful Conti Spike Claws, which of course, only get fitted every few years, but they go on the good bike, the front suspension stops the pounding my arms can get with the refrozen rough ground, and the ceramic brakes are not as affected by iceing. My cantilevers just didn’t cut it, the aluminium rims, once a layer of ice builds up, become terrifying with their pointlessness. This might not be a problem that Gabrielle has.
Worked with a few Russians, mainly Muscovites, they were always complaining about how cold it was, even with the temp in the low teens, apparently we have a WET cold, Moscow has a dry cold, you just put on another fur.
One thing I did notice one of the last times I went for the spikes was my unprotected front mech would ice up if I managed to get to the water at the bottom of the puddles by breaking through the ice. My commuter has little booties (Grunge Guards) which meant that the derailiers were always protected. A few gear changes before the ice would set, and I was fine, but something I seem to forget.
Of coutrse this year very wet and warm.
Bloody hell, that truck video
Bloody hell, that truck video!
PRSboy wrote:
I have to ask but – is that real??
The congestion problem in
The congestion problem in South Gloucestershire, not Bristol, is almost entirely of the council’s own making, and I should know, I used to live there and went to their cycle forums and various other meetings for twenty years. Like many other councils, they produce lots of glossy documents, with pictures of buses, cyclists and pedestrians, and all their policies promote green transport. Unfortunately they do pretty much the opposite in practice, like building new, fast roads, practically motorways, with no footpath or cycleway, or make changes to roads to improve them for drivers which make them more dangerous for cyclists. Or allowing massive new developments with no provision for cyclists. Or the absolute classic of the Bristol Aerospace museum, where the cycle parking is fantastic, proper racks, covered, but it’s literally as far as possible away from the entrance.
I tried for twenty years to get them to follow their own policies, constantly pointing out that they needed to spend much, much more on cycling rather than drivers, but it was all water off a duck’s back, and now we see the result.
Kudos to his wife for pointing out the error of his ways.
eburtthebike wrote:
How are you getting on with battery assist and a ‘secret’ identity, burt?
brooksby wrote:
Damn, I thought my subtle change of name would ensure anonymity, but the astute readers of road.cc have unmasked my feeble attempts. The Cube e-mtb is fantastic, as is the Radwagen. I live at the top of a long steep hill, and am suffering from severe youth deficiency and too much wine.
The Forest of Dean is amazing, even if I still have a true blue tory MP, who is apparently prepared to defend Boris the Liar to the death.
eburtthebike, are you perhaps
eburtthebike, are you perhaps a recent n+1, it’s just I’ve not heard you mention the governments review into road safety yet?
ktache wrote:
I’m saving that up for later, after my petition to release the report into Russian interference in our elections has finished http://chng.it/WWFDDNyQ
eburtthebike wrote:
Signed that.
I, too, am puzzled about you creating a new account rather than just changing your name.
hawkinspeter wrote:
It happened because I wanted to comment on a story in the ebike section, and at the time it was rather seperate to this, if linked, and my account wouldn’t allow me to, so I had to create a new one. I did that some time ago, so I’m not sure why my name has changed now.
eburtthebike wrote:
You’ve most likely got two accounts and it’s probably just that your browser has remembered one instead of the other. Good for logging in and “liking” your own posts!
Anyhow, glad to hear that you’re enjoying your biking whether it’s assisted or not.
The Radwagon is an impressive
The Radwagon is an impressive machine.
Far cheaper than an equivent Tern.
Powerful motor too.
Those bar mitts are not
Those bar mitts are not homemade, you too could have toasty warm hands for just £20 off amazon…
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZCGBX87/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_e8EiEbPWDR3YR
They do a road bike variant too!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZHW8MYY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_t.EiEbVSPNCAJ
Tour de Yorkshire looks like
Tour de Yorkshire looks like at least 2 days of Classics style racing. Will be brutal!
On the subject of
On the subject of pedestrianised city centres. In my younger days a group of us would gather regularly in Stuttgart – either by car or train. Once there the car would be abandoned and we would spend all our time walking (our friends’ place was just outside the city centre) The large city centre was totally pedestrianised and access into it was either by crossing a ring road or going under it via well lit, mall like u bahn subways. The whole thing was very sixties / seventies so ‘ahead of its time’ if you will. Now the main advantage – all those years ago – was at night time. We, and others, could get ‘merry’ in the local clubs and bars untroubled by motor traffic; no road danger, no fumes, no noise. Just people moving from one venue to another by foot. Almost a paradise.
I was back in Stuttgart last summer. Too old for merry making but still happy to walk around the city. And I noticed two things – lots of older people cycling eBikes dressed ‘normally’ and pootling along (because they could) and lots of hire bikes (and not fallen on the pavement types) including cargo bikes for people to use to shop and carry their kids.
I was there for about 5 days and once the car was parked I didn’t touch it again until I left because the public transport is so quick and cheap around greater Stuttgart and the centre is only accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. It just seems so obvious and easyily achievable.
I’m not leaving bed, still
I’m not leaving bed, still less the house, and certainly not getting on a bike in -32C
——
That tri bike could probably do with some spokes too, unless those are some kind of fancy magnetic floating wheels or something.
mdavidford wrote:
reminds me of something a comedian once said on his Australian tour – God loves Australians, he put you in paradise. God loves Canadians too – he put us in the freezer for later…