Cancel all group rides; Poll: How is social distancing affecting your riding?; French Open tennis shows cycling how to cancel events; TdF T-Rex; Wiggo asks why Paris-Nice went ahead; Arnie on his bike; Hazmat cycling; Audax events suspended + more
SUMMARY
A brief history of Schwarzenegger on a bike
- Arnie spotted cycling on wrong side of road in Edinburgh
- Arnie’s bike ride through German train station terminated by police
- Arnie’s repeated refusal to wear a helmet in Australia
- Arnie joins Sagan in urging commuters to swap cars for bikes
- Arnie’s security guy pulls a taser on a man suspected of trying to steal the Terminator star’s bike
- Arnold Schwarzenegger goes riding with his ‘friend and hero’ Greta Thunberg
Schwarzenegger getting out on his bike – “it’s the only way I’m leaving the house” – people ask why he isn’t wearing a helmet
Arnie’s getting out and about.
“I just had a fantastic workout at the house, in my home gym,” he says. “Now I’m out on a bike ride because it’s the only thing you can still do outside the house with no social contact.
“Doctors recommend it’s the only thing you should do. Don’t get out of the house if you’re past 65, other than going for a walk or a bike ride or something like that.”
He says he won’t be stopping.
Doctors say that riding my bike outside is OK so it’s the only way I’m leaving the house, but if you do ride your bike or go for a walk, don’t stop, avoid social contact. Apologies to everyone but I won’t be stopping on my rides for selfies. Stay positive, stay safe. pic.twitter.com/WAb4h57VAZ
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 16, 2020
Predictably enough, the majority of replies seem to be about him not wearing a helmet.
The criticism was led by Alyssa Milano, who looks to have been fielding rebuttals ever since.
Helmet! Where’s your helmet, fake dad from commando?
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) March 16, 2020
All Audax UK events, competitions and awards suspended
The Audax UK board has suspended recognition of all calendar, permanent and DIY events, with immediate effect, until further notice.
This means that AUK will not validate any rides until the decision is taken to lift the suspension.
Anyone undertaking such rides will not be allocated AUK points or AAA points, their rides will not be counted towards Mileater or Randonneur Round the Year awards, and they will not be covered by AUK’s insurance policy while riding.
In a statement, Audax UK chair Chris Crossland said: “We appreciate that many members will be working towards our various points-based championships.
“Given the suspension of events, the points-based championships will be suspended for this season. The Mileater Awards will be frozen at their current state and, while annual totals will be recorded, the mileater championships will be suspended for this year.
“To ensure that the progress of riders towards The Randonneur Round the Year Award is recognised, validation of qualifying rides for it will be suspended immediately and will restart on the same date as calendar events, perms, and DIYs.
“RRtY riders who have already ridden their March events will be given due credit; those who have not yet completed a March event will be allowed to, in effect, have their suspension backdated to the end of February so that they are not penalised.
“More information for members and specifically for event organisers will follow during the next few days.
“We will keep the position under review and inform members of any changes as appropriate.
“I would like to thank all the Board members who have contributed to these difficult decisions, and hope that Audax UK, all our members, all our event organisers, and all our supporters are able to return to our normal activities at some point in the future when the outlook for everybody is much better.”
Hazmat cycling
It doesn’t really need saying, but this kind of measure isn’t necessary.
Outside, alone, there’s no real risk of virus transmission.
"Social distancing rig"
How are you coping, road.cc readers? How are current circumstances going to affect your cycling?
Going to build yourself a “social distancing rig”?
Built a new social distancing rig and hit some local trails. from r/bicycling
This is how he gets on and off.
Poll: How is social distancing affecting your riding?
Please fill us in on the finer detail in the comments below.
Crap bike lanes: a very sharp left to turn right
Wiggo asks why Paris-Nice went ahead
Speaking on his Eurosport podcast, Sir Bradley Wiggins said: “[Coronavirus crisis] has escalated every day, and it has got to a point where they cancelled the last stage [of Paris-Nice].
“It did seem odd that, with everything going, and the crisis in Italy, and the outpouring of love for Italy, we were going very close to there in Nice with a massive bike race almost celebrating that, when it was getting quite serious all around us.
“There is no toilet roll anymore, no paracetamol, and this massive bike race is going on.”
Speaking about what the suspension of the racing season means for riders, he said: “If something like the Tour de France – God forbid – was to go at the expense of this virus, then for someone like Mark Cavendish – who’s the only one I’ve spoken to – it would be a great shame considering the amount of work he’s put in.
“This is their livelihoods. We keep saying it’s only sport, but, for these guys: the financial implications for the sponsors and the teams, this could be devastating for them.”
Video: biking to work
No prizes for guessing how this one pans out.
decided to bike to work today pic.twitter.com/EwJDYrVZcN
— COLiN “VOTE FOR BERNIE SANDERS” BURGESS (@Colinoscopy) March 16, 2020
Cycling UK says cancel all group rides – but carry on riding
In a statement, Cycling UK said: “As the national cycling charity, Cycling UK’s aim is to support the UK’s population to cycle. This stays true during this period of Covid-19 affecting the UK. Above all, the safety and welfare of Cycling UK’s staff, volunteers, participants at our rides and events, beneficiaries of our cycling programmes and the general public is always our main priority.
“Therefore, Cycling UK is now advising the cancellation of all group rides and activities following the latest Government advice and is urging everyone to follow best practice to minimise risk.
“Cycling UK are constantly monitoring the situation and taking advice from the Government, health sector and partners.”
They say this means that people should not take part in club runs or any group activity until further notice.
However, a spokesperson added that, “people should not avoid cycling altogether as it remains a great way to keep fit and active and is a good way to boost immunity.”
Tandem round-the-world record attempt set to scrape home
Think you can probably give this pair a pass for one more day of group riding.
Travel ban in France from 12pm today 😱 – but made it to the ferry. Should be back in the UK tonight having cycled more than 18,000 miles. Hope to cross the finish line in Oxford tomorrow completing our world record ride around the world 🚴♀️🚴♀️.
— Tandem WOW (@TandemWoW) March 17, 2020
From the comments: racing while keeping your distance
Time trialling first came about because racing was banned on British roads.
With group riding off the menu and time trials cancelled, technology means people still have an option.
You can race Strava segments while maintaining considerable (temporal) distance from other people.
Updates on Indian Pacific Wheel Race and other bikepacking events
The Indian Pacific Wheel Race is still on.
For more info on the status of bikepacking events, see this Dotwatcher page.
The Milano-Sanremo virtual experience
In the absence of Milan-Sanremo, Garmin Edge and Tacx have got together to off a virtual version of the last 57km on the day the race would have taken place (Saturday March 21).
You’ll need Garmin Edge bike computer (such as the Edge 520, Edge 530, Edge 820, Edge 830, Edge 1000 or Edge 1030) and a smart trainer.
Tacx Desktop App users can import the track onto their platform and ride in front of their screen (on computer, tablet or smartphone).
The stretch in question, from Alassio to Sanremo, includes the route’s most famous climbs – the ‘Tre Capi’, the Cipressa and the Poggio – before arriving at Via Roma in Sanremo.
You can find registration and a tutorial here.
Sorry, we haven’t found an English version of the page.
Video: Trying to find a bit of balance in our cycling news output
Here’s some.
Aretha serving as my Catalyst. pic.twitter.com/B7emqg4IMq
— AlecBriggs/ Pedaler (@Alec_Pedaler) March 17, 2020
Paris-Roubaix's off
ASO have said La Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege are off too.
Technically, they’re postponed rather than cancelled at this stage.
⚠ POSTPONEMENT OF THE 2020 PARIS-ROUBAIX ⚠
As part of the fight against the spread of Coronavirus (COVID19), Amaury Sport Organisation, with the agreement of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), has decided to not organise Paris-Roubaix (12th April) on its scheduled date. pic.twitter.com/LRMhYRXwvB
— Paris-Roubaix (@Paris_Roubaix) March 17, 2020
Tennis French Open shows decisiveness bike race owners lack
Grand Slam tennis tournament Roland Garros – better known outside its home country as the French Open – has been postponed until the autumn, its owners displaying a decisiveness in rescheduling the event, due to have been held in Paris from 24 May to 7 June, that has been lacking among the organisers of some of cycling’s biggest races who seemed determined to press ahead until government lockdowns made it impossible to continue racing.
Face à la pandémie de coronavirus et l'arrêt des travaux depuis mardi midi, la FFT a reporté le tournoi de Roland-Garros du 20 septembre au 4 octobre https://t.co/3L4magB6xc pic.twitter.com/6yMqyz68BQ
— L'ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) March 17, 2020
The French Tennis Federation has said that the two-week tennis tournament will now start on 20 September, and admittedly there are other reasons behind the decision to announce the postponement early, with construction works now halted at the Roland Garros stadium complex in the French capital’s swishy 16th arrondisement.
But from a cycling point of view, one of the striking features of the evolving coronavirus crisis in Europe is that bike race organisers – and above all, the two biggest in the business, Tour de France owners ASO and Giro d’Italia organisers RCS Sport – have not been proactive in seeking to reschedule events.
It took a walkout from a number of leading teams, and emergency measures implemented by the Italian government, for the latter to decide, reluctantly, that this month’s three big races, Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Milan-San Remo, could not go ahead.
Similarly, with President Macron announcing yet more restrictions on movement of people and holding large events just last night, it seems astonishing that it was only this afternoon that ASO decided that next month’s major French races – Paris-Roubaix, the Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege – should not be held.
Commercial considerations play a part in that, doubtless – while not the money spinners in terms of media ownership rights that their respective three-week Grand Tours are, with the UCI unable to guarantee that the races can be held later in the season, both ASO and RCS Sport stand to take a hit to their bottom line this year.
Tour de France T-Rex spotted stockpiling at Tesco
Everyone’s favourite T-Rex has been spotted stockpiling at a supermarket in Ireland’s County Wexford.
We asked him to get out and get us some toilet roll. He told us he was self-isolating at home! 😡 https://t.co/NfXCaVm5Ta
— Beefeater Bend🎶🍻 (@tdfbeefeaters) March 17, 2020
If you’re struggling with the Tour de France reference, let us refresh your memory on one of THE highlights of last year’s race, together with some advice from our favourite Beefeaters.
Look after yourselves people & remember to keep doing the right thing by others.👍
And when this is all over…
Whenever that may be…
We’re going to party like it’s July 2019!!!. . .and then some!!!
❤️🍺🎶pic.twitter.com/iTlvZUFxlh— Beefeater Bend🎶🍻 (@tdfbeefeaters) March 17, 2020
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Latest Comments
Two car crashes, 12 motorists killed ..... but hey, cyclists are the big danger on our roads.
As an aside, Baroness Ludford's dramatic sensationalist language is perhaps an illustration of why many of our politicians are so useless. So much easier to utter eye-catching statements and headline grabbing soundbites, rather than quietly working, getting things done and making a positive difference.
Given there is a marked crossing there, I do think the cyclists should be stopping. That said, there is a reasonable argument that the marked crossing is not necessary. Bicycle Dutch has a good post on the subject (I'm not going to post a link as otherwise this comment may never see the light of day, but just google 'Bicycle Dutch How hard is it to cross the cycle path'). In essence, forcing cyclists to stop wastes a lot of energy compared to a pedestrian stopping, and it's generally not hard for a pedestrian to find a suitable gap in which to cross. So not having a marked crossing, and simply expecting pedestrians to cross when it's sensible to do so, normally works pretty well and keeps everyone moving better. That aligns with what we see in the video - in all cases, it is only a matter of seconds before the pedestrians are able to cross despite cyclists not stopping. If the pedestrians weren't expecting cyclists to stop (because there was no marked crossing) then the pedestrians would not feel endangered.
@Smoggysteve Yes - the infrastructure is designed in such a way that it encourages people to speed through and ignore pedestrians. Though that doesn't absolve those who do so of any blame.
Except I'm not making that argument. I said exactly the opposite - that it's poor that people aren't giving the pedestrians space. 🤷♂️ And I agree that people should be moderating their speed on approach to the crossing and being prepared to stop if necessary. I was merely saying that the language of people being 'terrorised' and 'endangered' is, for the most part, hyperbole - they're being inconvenienced by having to wait a while for an opportunity to cross, but very rarely are they actually being 'endangered'. In fact, generally, when they do step out on to the crossing, people do slow or stop sufficiently to allow them to cross. And a number of those clips actually show people negotiating the crossing with no real problem, even while cyclists continue to make progress either side of them - unlike with a motor vehicle it isn't always necessary for a cyclist to come to a complete stop for both to navigate the crossing safely. [Edit: in retrospect, posting my comment as a reply to lesterama's may have been a mistake, as everyone tends to assume that on the internet a reply is always a challenge, so it might have read that I was contesting what they said, but it wasn't intended that way.]
I am not arguing against circuit racing. It is a good idea for less well resourced events. I am arguing that for better resourced events, the introduction of circuit racing would achieve no significant improvement as well as totally change their nature and appeal to television viewers.
@mdavidford But one is creating the conditions for the other to perpetuate. You could be pedantic and state that - even under the HWC - cars, cyclist etc are under no obligation to stop to allow pedestrians to cross - UNLESS they are already ON the crossing. In most cases here that rule is followed. I am highlighting that this is a situation where there is a high volume of cycle traffic moving steadily along this route. there is no means to stop it to allow others to cross other than courtesy (which we all know isn't exactly a common trait among many city folk especially London). So, infrastructure wise, there should be another method of allowing pedestrians to navigate this crossing since this is clearly insufficient
@Smoggysteve I disagree. Would you suggest the same thing for a zebra crossing because its a busy road full of cars? Its very simple, you stop for pedestrians. Sure you can argue that perhaps the infrastructure needs changing but until that happens you can't excuse bad cycling with "well the infrastructure should be different". It isn't at the moment. Surely you can see the irony of blaming everything but the cyclists here when we as cyclists have to constantly hear about how its not drivers fault when they put our lives/safety at risk. Its really simple, you see a crossing like that and you prepare to stop. You don't prepare to stop when the cyclist 2m in front of you stops, you prepare to stop because there is something that might require you to.
Both can be true at once: poorly designed infrastructure AND poor behaviour.
@Clem Fandango yeah, they're talking utter bollocks. If it wasn't culture war fuel then the DM wouldn't love it so much. If you want a pretty good litmus test on what is "culture war" BS, read the daily mail for a few weeks. Immigrants, Labour, cyclists. Thats their bread and butter.
11 thoughts on “Cancel all group rides; Poll: How is social distancing affecting your riding?; French Open tennis shows cycling how to cancel events; TdF T-Rex; Wiggo asks why Paris-Nice went ahead; Arnie on his bike; Hazmat cycling; Audax events suspended + more”
“I need your clothes, your
“I need your clothes, your shoes, and your bicycle. … Helmet? No, I do not need that. I’ll be back.”
.
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I think I speak for everyone
I think I speak for everyone at road.cc when I say “ha!” love it.
Cyclist in hazmat and gas
Cyclist in hazmat and gas mask is ripped from a Dafne Fixed youtube vid.
I did see someone in a similar outfit (except the suit was yellow & plastic) get off the tram here in Manchester last week.
Could have been one of my
Could have been one of my fellow minions
Social distancing isn’t a
Social distancing isn’t a problem, I go for a long fast ride before hitting the supermarket, the body odour makes everyone keep their distance if the perspiration doesn’t fool them into thinking I have a fever, and people offer me antiseptic soap from their shopping basket because they reckon I need it more than them
My club has cancelled all
My club has cancelled all club rides for the foreseeable as has every other club in the local area (Warwickshire/Midlands) .. the TT season has been cancelled..
I will be pedalling regardless, my own mental health dictates this, currently, a few of us are planning individual roadman TT’s on various segments so we can still keep each other’s competitive natures in play and keep the banter going 🙂
Update… I can’t take credit
Update… I can’t take credit for these but as my post seems to have made the blog…so far.. we’re deciding on calling the rides…. Herd immuniTT….. IsolaTTing .
Bike to work joke was about
Bike to work joke was about as funny as cancer.
Cancer tends not to be even
Cancer tends not to be even slightly amusing.
I smiled at the use of the kickstand.
Richard_pics wrote:
And both are funnier than you.