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“It’s s*** you can’t trust anybody to do the right thing”: Independent cycle shop forced to massively discount custom bike frame after being “completely stuffed” by customer who failed to pay; Reaction to Louise Haigh resignation + more on the live blog

Just a normal Friday, no capitalist sinisterness associated to it… Adwitiya’s on duty to bring you the latest cycling news and views (and deals, if the sinister overlords compel him to)
29 November 2024, 09:35
Feather Cycles custom frame head tube (@feathercycles on Instagram)
“It’s s*** you can’t trust anybody to do the right thing”: Independent cycle shop forced to massively discount custom bike frame after being “completely stuffed” by customer who failed to pay for it

An uncannily on-point story for this Black Friday — the only thing is that this discount isn’t born out of a place of corporate greed or any capitalist shenanigans.

Ricky Feather, the craftsman behind Feather Cycles from York known for making custom frames and winner of Bespoked Bristol, has shared the story of how he was duped for the third time this year by a customer who failed to pay for the frame, after all the fabrication was completed.

Despite having a pre-fab payment system in place, Ricky thought he would start building the frame as it was for someone he knew, giving them the benefit of the doubt. His goodwill didn’t pay much dividends unfortunately, as it marked the third time he was left “completely stuffed” this year.

> Meet the Maker: Ricky Feather video

Bespoked Bristol 2022 feather cycles head tube

“This frame is a perfect example of why around two years ago I was forced into a corner to not start any work without full payment for fabrication,” he wrote on social media. “It was a decision I didn’t take lightly as I really feared it would affect business.”

“The decision came after I was left broke, three Christmases in a row due to customers not paying invoices on completion of their frame.

“Luckily, my customers have been really understanding of the situation. Without cash flow, it’s impossible for small businesses to exist.

“Over the last 15 years, I have overcome a lot of hurdles and have had to make changes accordingly. It’s been tough, but I’m super stubborn and don’t let anything stop me. After all, I have no degree or qualifications to fall back on, no money sat in a pot, this is it for me. For nearly three-quarters of my working life, all I have known is Feather Cycles. I work way too much. It affects me both physically and mentally, it affects family life, even on holidays I don’t relax. It’s the first thing I think about in a morning and the last thing I think about at night.

“For the third time this year, I have been completely stuffed by a customer. I started this frame without the fab fee being paid, I gave it the benefit of the doubt as it was for someone I know and thought he was good for it.

“I want to use this as an opportunity to point out how important it is for independent businesses to be paid when invoices are raised. I don’t care if it’s me or the local seamstress, I’m speaking for all of us. I’m talking for everyone who builds bikes, it’s an incredibly hard business to sustain no matter how talented or resilient you are.”

> No discounts! Bike shops boycott Black Friday as majority of independent bike shops 'believe event negatively impacts their businesses'

Feather Cycles is now selling the frame at a massive discount, if anyone would like to purchase it and have the remaining work on it be finished by early spring. Ricky wrote: “It would normally retail for £4260 plus paint. £2500 plus paint and it’s yours.

He added: “It has tons of extras, including integrated headset, carbon ISP, T47,integrated flat mount bosses, hooded dropouts and custom stealth Di2 routed rear dropout. I can make an ISP topper tailored to your position on the bike, 0-25mm setback. It is designed around the new Columbus integrated cockpit (not included in the price).”

Several cyclists commented on Ricky’s post, offering him consolation. One person wrote: “There are some real tossers around but thought the cycling fraternity were ok. How wrong I am. Hope it works out on this frame for you. It’s s*** that you have to go through this. Your work is just the best and worth every penny,” while another added: “It's s*** you can't trust anybody to do the right thing.”

Here’s the dimensions for the frame if anyone’s interested in a little Christmas N+1 gift for themselves (or someone beloved). According to Ricky, the frame should be good for 5’8” - 5’10”-ish…

Feather Cycles frame dimensions (@feathercycles on Instagram)
29 November 2024, 16:36
No Go to Jail card from us on this one… Bringing back Heidi Alexander’s Monopoly bike ride

Shhh… Don’t let any of the national newspapers find out that the newly appointed Transport Secretary came under fire from social media users in 2020, when she along with her husband, completed a fun bike ride around the streets that feature on the Monopoly board.

>  London deputy mayor under fire for Monopoly bike ride... at 2.5mph?

Heidi Alexander's Monopoly bike ride (@Heidi_Labour on Twitter)

The then Deputy Mayor of London under Sadiq Khan tweeted pictures from her ride, holding up Monopoly title deed cards from some of the locations she visited, such as Euston Road and Pentonville Road.

However, a good ol’ Twitter kerfuffle was in the waiting, with people accusing Alexander of breaking the lockdown Tier 4 rules… despite there being no  limits on time spent exercising such as riding a bike, and Park Lane, the furthest point west on the board, is within easy reach by bike of her home.

Along with that, another person estimated that five miles on the bike was “excessive” and would take over two hours on the bike, indicating that cyclists travel around the city at the scary speeds of 2.5mph. At least she wasn’t accused by The Telegraph of riding over 50mph…

29 November 2024, 15:35
“It’s about freedom, opportunity, and connection”: South Yorkshire’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner Ed Clancy launches Barnsley Refugee Bike Project to refurbish and donate used bikes to those that need it the most

The Barnsley Refugee Council’s new Bike Project workshop has been officially opened by South Yorkshire’s Active Travel Commissioner and triple Olympic gold medallist, Ed Clancy OBE. The inauguration ceremony celebrated the contributions of volunteer mechanics and residents with refugee backgrounds who are building their lives and supporting the community in Barnsley.

The Barnsley Refugee Bike Project awarded a grant of approximately £20,000 from the National Lottery, transforms pre-loved bicycles into vital tools for affordable transport. By refurbishing and donating over 450 bikes so far, the project provides people with a means to commute to school, college, work, or enjoy the freedom of cycling. In its upgraded workshop, participants are also gaining hands-on experience in bike maintenance and repair, equipping them with valuable skills for the future.

South Yorkshire’s Active Travel Commissioner, Ed Clancy OBE, said: “The Barnsley Refugee Bike Project’s brilliant work is helping hundreds of people to build new lives.

“The scheme’s bikes and training are making a huge difference to those that need it the most, giving people the freedom and choice to travel and opening up more opportunities to connect with support and the community.

“I'm honoured to help celebrate the new workshop with the project’s amazing volunteers. It’s another great step forward in helping even more people have the means to move about, and towards a healthier, happier, more equal South Yorkshire.”

Last year, Ed Clancy and Alex Simon presented the 100th refurbished bike to 10-year-old Amina, while others, like 30-year-old Tamru and siblings Ibrahim and Kaddi, also received bikes. Tamru, who fled Eritrea, now rides his bike to Barnsley College, where he is pursuing his studies—a testament to how the project helps residents access opportunities while easing financial pressures.

Founded by the Penistone Refugee and Asylum Seekers Support Group in collaboration with local volunteers, the project began in a small bike shed and has now found its first permanent home. The initiative is not only reducing landfill waste but also helping people rebuild their lives in Barnsley by connecting them with education, work, and leisure opportunities.

Barnsley Refugee Bike Project, launched by South Yorkshire’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner Ed Clancy

Barnsley Refugee Bike Project, launched by South Yorkshire’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner and triple Olympic gold medallist, Ed Clancy

Anna Hartley, Director of Public Health at Barnsley Council, added: “This project is a shining example of how community initiatives can support health and wellbeing, providing opportunities for active travel while fostering inclusion and environmental sustainability. Seeing people learning new skills and gaining independence through cycling is fantastic

“It’s about freedom, opportunity, and connection. This project combines all that while giving old bikes new life, reducing waste, and building a stronger, more inclusive community here in Barnsley.”

Barnsley Refugee Bike Project Founder, Alex Simon, said: “It started when somebody asked for a bike, and I had a spare bike, and it snowballed from there. Other donations quickly followed. Now here we are in this fantastic workshop, with support from the National Lottery Community Fund, with a great team of people that’s growing all the time, including our friends from the asylum seeker and refugee community who are learning new skills and helping to refurbish the bikes. 

“The generosity and kindness of people and organisations in Barnsley has been amazing, enabling us to recycle over 450 bikes and organise regular bike rides to the beautiful places around Barnsley. To have our supporters and friends here today is very special and I want to thank everyone who has helped us.”

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, added: “What we’re hearing today is a remarkable story about those that are welcomed and those that do the welcoming. It tells a story about how we can reach across divides to support each other because we see our collective humanity and our common spirit. The welcoming that is taking place through this project and the ripples it has, is remarkable.

“It’s in community work like this that we cross divisions, that people create shared understanding and that we create a United Kingdom which is about inclusion, which is about a shared humanity and which is about supporting everyone, regardless of their background, to fulfil their potential.”

29 November 2024, 14:59
The cursed cycle lane saga might be heading towards its conclusion...
Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough (Kevin Marks, Twitter)

“The people and businesses of Middlesbrough deserve better than these drawn-out delays,” Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said ahead of next week’s vote to remove the controversial Linthorpe Road bike lane.

> Is this the end for Britain’s most controversial bike lane? Mayor calls on council to scrap “hated” cycle lane and end “ridiculous saga once and for all” – costing local authority £3 million

29 November 2024, 13:51
Cycling UK welcomes the appointment of Heidi Alexander as the new Transport Secretary and urges her to put cycling “front and centre” of the new Integrated Transport Strategy

Following Louise Haigh’s resignation as Secretary of State for Transport and the appointment of Heidi Alexander to the role, Sarah McMonagle, director of external affairs at Cycling UK, said: “We’d like to thank Louise Haigh for her outstanding work in championing active travel during her time as Secretary of State for Transport, and prior to that, as Shadow Secretary. Louise clearly understands the role that cycling can play in achieving the government’s missions, particularly its role in improving public health and tackling the cost-of-living crisis. 

“We warmly welcome Heidi Alexander to her new role. She brings a wealth of experience as the former deputy mayor for transport in London and is a cyclist herself. We urge the new Secretary of State to ensure we maximise the enormous range of benefits that come when more people cycle by putting cycling front and centre of the new Integrated Transport Strategy. Heidi has actively engaged with Cycling UK for many years, and we look forward to building on that relationship as she takes forward her new brief.”

29 November 2024, 13:27
Heidi Alexander on her bike (@Heidi_Labour on Twitter)
Heidi Alexander becomes the new Transport Secretary, and yes, she is a champion for cycling!

After Louise Haigh’s resignation from Starmer’s Cabinet, Heidi Alexander, MP for Swindon South has been appointed as the new Secretary of State for Transport. And there’s some good news, she is already a cyclist who has been advocating for two wheels for quite some time now!

Alexander served as a Member of Lewisham London Borough Council for Evelyn from a by-election in 2004 until 2010. In May 2018, Alexander resigned her seat in the Parliament to become Deputy Mayor of London for Transport under Sadiq Khan. She served as Deputy Chair of Transport for London in her role, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, she took up cycling and worked to promote active travel as a viable mode of transport.

London Cycling Campaign wrote: “Sorry to see Louise Haigh resign as Transport minister, she's been really good on vision for integrated transport & building blocks of future. Congrats tho also to Heidi Alexander! Great choice to replace her.”

Here’s her enjoying some safe, segregated cycling infrastructure in London in 2020.

Heidi Alexander tweet about cycling (@Heidi_Labour on Twitter)

She even posted in length about her experience as a “45 year old, overweight woman cyclist” in May 2020, writing: “As some of us start to think again about how we might in future make the trips we used to do on the bus, tube and train, please, please, please think about making them on a bike.

“I am no Victoria Pendleton but it’s amazing how far you can go, how quickly and actually how much better it makes you feel. And you save money on your bus and train fares.

“I live in Zone 3 of London — between Lewisham and Hither Green. It takes me about 40 minutes to cycle into work in central London through parks and on quiet roads. I feel safe and it means I switch off from emails and my phone.

“At the weekend, I cycle into Lewisham (and further afield!) when I go to the shops and I stick things in my bike basket (amazing how much you can get in there). Sometimes I go out for longer rides — down the Thames Path, out into the leafy bits of Bromley.”

Heidi Alexander cycling with Will Norman (@Heidi_Labour on Twitter)

"On yer bike!" — Heidi Alexander riding with Will Norman, London's Cycling and Walking Commissioner (@Heidi_Labour on Twitter)

She continued: “I know lots of people think cycling is not for them. That you have to look good in Lycra (believe me, I don’t) or you have to be capable of doing the Tour de France (believe me, I’m not).

“But, please, give it a go. Those of us who are able, need to do it to ensure there is space for those who can’t on public transport. And stick with it, you’ll feel fitter and stronger within a few weeks.

“Life is going to be pretty different for a while. We are going to need to change how we move around the city. I’d love this horrible period to lead to hundreds of thousands of women (and men!) in London taking to their bikes — being healthier and happier as a consequence.”

29 November 2024, 11:42
Labour shadow secretary for transport Louise Haigh riding a bike
“It’s a shame that she is resigning over something so trivial”: Reactions to Louise Haigh’s resignation as Transport Secretary

If like Grant Shapps, you also didn’t receive a BBC news alert about Louise Haigh resigning from the post of Transport Secretary for some reason… well, you know it now.

Haigh, the Sheffield MP who after becoming a cycling convert earlier this year hinted at long-term funding for cycling and walking this month, has announced her resignation this morning after a spent conviction over a misplaced phone was brought up following reports from Sky and The Times yesterday.

She wrote in her letter to the Prime Minister: “As you know, in 2013 I was mugged in London. As a 24-year-old woman, the experience was terrifying. In the immediate aftermath, I reported the incident to the police. I gave the police a list of my possessions that I believed had been stolen, including my work phone. Some time later, I discovered that the handset in question was still in my house. I should have immediately informed my employer and not doing so straight away was a mistake.”

When questioned by the police in the aftermath, she said that she was advised by her solicitor not to comment during that interview and that she regrets following that advice. She later pleaded guilty to making a false report to police at a magistrates’ court, six months before becoming an MP in the 2015 election, and received a discharge - the “lowest possible outcome”.

Louise Haigh, Labour shadow transport secretary (credit - Cycling UK)

> Is Labour’s shadow transport secretary cycling’s latest convert? Louise Haigh says e-bikes “make all the difference”, months after backlash over controversial cycling comments

Haigh, the youngest-ever woman to be appointed to the Cabinet, mentioned that the Bill  bringing the railways back into public ownership received Royal Assent and became an Act of Parliament yesterday, calling it a “once in a generation reform to our railways which will change our country for the better”.

Cycling UK commented on the news, saying: “Thank you Louise Haigh, for your support for all things active travel. Your commitment has been deeply appreciated. Wishing you all the best in the next chapter after stepping down - your impact will not be forgotten.”

Some reactions to this development from social media…

Owen Jones (journalist): “Louise Haigh was one of the only Labour ministers doing something worthwhile.

“Who knows why her spent conviction suddenly re emerged, but needless to say Starmer allies will be delighted she’s gone.

“Haigh already faced being purged for rightly slamming P&O Ferries.”

Karl Hansen (journalist): “Louise Haigh has accomplished more in her brief than any other government minister, bringing rail and bus services back into public ownership. It's a shame that she is resigning over something so trivial.”

Sangita Myska (journalist): “The way Louise Haigh MP is being treated by parts of the established media and political classes over a minor spent conviction is like watching a modern day witch trial.”

Peter Smith: “Good grief. Louise Haigh has resigned. Admirable in many ways but unnecessary and a waste of a huge political talent.”

David Osland (columnist): “Johnson and Sunak stayed in office as prime minister and chancellor despite convictions over Partygate. That puts Louise Haigh’s ouster from the cabinet for a minor offence before she became an MP in perspective… I wish I were more confident that Louise Haigh's sudden departure from the cabinet had nothing to do with her entirely legitimate criticism of P&O Ferries.”

> Transport Secretary wants end to "perverse half cycle lanes" and hints at long-term funding for cycling and walking

The above statement is in reference to Haigh’s recent criticism directed at P&O Ferries, calling them “rogue operator” last month and urging people to boycott the shipping operation. However, when its parent company DP World threatened to pull out from a major government investment summit in response, Starmer pulled support for her, saying Haigh’s comments were “not the view of the government”.

People have also noted Haigh’s former role as Vice Chair of Labour Friends of Palestine and her criticism of the Israeli regime in the past.

29 November 2024, 11:23
“There are a lot of people smoking cigarettes every day”: Jonas Vingegaard says carbon monoxide method is like “smoking one cigarette” and claims he “never knew” it could be misused
Jonas Vingegaard at 2023 Tour de France, stage 20 (Zac Williams/SWPix.com)

Jonas Vingegaard during stage 20 of the 2024 Tour de France (Zac Williams/SWPix.com)

Dr Ferrari and the orange juice, part two?

> “There are a lot of people smoking cigarettes every day”: Jonas Vingegaard says carbon monoxide method is like “smoking one cigarette” and claims he “never knew” it could be misused

29 November 2024, 10:43
“Looks like someone needs a new bike rack”: Remco Evenepoel gets himself a BMW M5

Pro cyclists and their love for cars… Never fails to baffle me. Anyway, after Mathieu van der Poel becoming an ambassador for Lamborghini and even saying that getting the €300,000 SUV Urus S felt “more special than testing a new bike” (tsk tsk, Canyon), it’s Remco Evenepoel’s turn to make use of that Quick-Step Olympic bonus and get himself a BMW M5.

> From cobbles to asphalt? Van der Poel becomes Lamborghini ambassador (and gets one himself)

One person commented: “Shouldn’t it be in gold?”, while Seasucker, a US-based company that sells vacuum-mounted automotive racks, wrote: “Looks like someone needs a new bike rack.”

Anyway, repeat after me, sportspersons shouldn’t be your idols… In other news, Evenepoel was also spotted in attendance at his boyhood club Anderlecht’s Europa League match against Porto last night, along with Eddy Merckx as well as Anderlecht and Belgian legend Paul Van Himst.

Adwitiya joined road.cc in 2023 as a news writer after graduating with a masters in journalism from Cardiff University. His dissertation focused on active travel, which soon threw him into the deep end of covering everything related to the two-wheeled tool, and now cycling is as big a part of his life as guitars and football. He has previously covered local and national politics for Voice Wales, and also likes to writes about science, tech and the environment, if he can find the time. Living right next to the Taff trail in the Welsh capital, you can find him trying to tackle the brutal climbs in the valleys.

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68 comments

Avatar
BaselGooner | 1 week ago
0 likes

Evenepoel seems to support many a club.. 

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amartin | 1 week ago
0 likes

Vingegaard in yellow at the 2024 TdF? Someone get that picture editor a strong coffee now...

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Car Delenda Est | 2 weeks ago
3 likes

It seems Starmer takes differences of opinion quite personally

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brooksby replied to Car Delenda Est | 2 weeks ago
0 likes

Makes it a loyalty test, arguably 

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brooksby | 2 weeks ago
4 likes

I like the Yorkshire rose on the Feather headbadge  4

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Hirsute | 2 weeks ago
13 likes

BBC total fail on ebikes

Title: Police hunt mum's killer after e-bike hit-and-run

You have to read the story to find the victim was on an ebike, not that the rider used an ebike to kill somone one. The killer was a car driver.

Then it becomes apparent that this is an electric motorbike

"Alana Armstrong, 25, was a passenger on one of two e-bikes".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8107z61pno

Avatar
momove replied to Hirsute | 2 weeks ago
7 likes

Even the next paragraph makes it sound again as though someone riding a bike killed her: "The rider - a man in his 20s - was taken to hospital..."

BBC continues with this shit attitude to reporting traffic collisions involving cyclists.

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E6toSE3 replied to momove | 1 week ago
2 likes

Some time ago, I concluded BBC uses a very crude, badly set up form of AI or 14-year old work-placement schoolchildren to write lots of their junk non-main news reports and nobody previews or edits it. I knew someone who worked there briefly who was astonished at the type of people in management posts

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eburtthebike replied to Hirsute | 2 weeks ago
6 likes

The BBC is institutionally biased, both about cyclists and cycle helmets.

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Miller replied to Hirsute | 1 week ago
6 likes

That is an appalling article! You have to get deep into it to find out the e-bike riders were chased and rammed by someone driving a Landrover Discovery. Yet somehow the headline isn't 'Police hunt mum's killer after Landrover hit-and-run'.

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eburtthebike | 2 weeks ago
10 likes

"Heidi Alexander becomes the new Transport Secretary....."

When I heard that Louise Haigh was resigning, I was concerned that all the fine statements about Active Travel would go with her, but I am extremely chuffed about the new appointment.  At last, a Transport Secretary who really does ride a bike.

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E6toSE3 replied to eburtthebike | 1 week ago
0 likes

Ironically, we had a London Mayor and PM who really did ride a bike. The book, 'All the President's Men' describes how they didn't pay attention to one of the men because he rode a bike to work and Woodward and Bernstein assumed a bike rider was a good guy. Let's wait & see

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Oldfatgit | 2 weeks ago
11 likes

Louise Haigh: 4 years time, presidency of the USA becomes available... although she might have to boost her conviction rate.
🙃

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underworld99 | 2 weeks ago
0 likes

.

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chrisonabike | 2 weeks ago
3 likes

So it seems it's now Heidi Alexander.

Not sure how this will change things, but a) she's been a Shadow Secretary of State for Health b) has had transport experience in London c) there's this thread on the Platform Formerly Known As Twitter from 4 years back (which I therefore can't read all of).  I hope it ended well...

Heidi Alexander MP wrote:

A little thread on cycling in London. The experience of a 45 year old, overweight woman - ie me (inspiration provided by @peterwalker99in his article this morning) ...

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the little onion replied to chrisonabike | 2 weeks ago
8 likes

HELL YEAH! What's the opposite of "out of the frying pan, into the fire"? I'm sure at some point I'll be disappointed in her, but compared to Transport secretaries of recent decades who were either non-plussed or resentful of cycling, this is A Very Good Move.

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Adwitiya Pal replied to chrisonabike | 2 weeks ago
1 like

Good that we've got it on the blog for you to read all of it! 

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Hirsute | 2 weeks ago
10 likes

NSL, blind bend. 4 seconds later 2 vans came the other way !

My only hope is when the inevitable happnes that the one coming towards me ends up in the ditch and not spinning towards me.

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chrisonabike replied to Hirsute | 2 weeks ago
2 likes

Honestly, someone performs a perfect pass and you still complain...

(Also the folks doing the road markings could usefully have made that line "no overtaking" from that point or before.  But then you probably would have simply had a closer pass...)

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Shake replied to chrisonabike | 2 weeks ago
0 likes

I think this is a valid comment. I've had similar passes before, then something comes round the corner and the cut back in

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Hirsute replied to Shake | 2 weeks ago
2 likes

I suspect you may have missed the sarcasm in chris's post !

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eburtthebike replied to Hirsute | 2 weeks ago
1 like

Had the same thing happen to me a few years ago, but there was a vehicle coming the other way.  No injuries, but lots of damage.

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Paul J | 2 weeks ago
0 likes

"Pro cyclists and their love for cars… Never fails to baffle me".

Uhm, same reason the top pros are wearing ridiculously expensive watches while racing. Cause they're getting paid to. Lamborghini - and the specific Belgian dealer - are getting wads of free publicity in the Belgian press (and further afield) thanks to Matthieu. Who hasn't seen the photos of Matthieu rocking up to muddy cyclocross races in the Lambo and pulling his Canyon out the back? PR gold in cycling mad Belgium, where Pro cyclists are front-page news. BMW will get the same from Evenepoel.

They're not /buying/ these cars, you know that right?  1

Note that, AFAIK, it's really only Belgium where pros are being gifted the use of very expensive cars (+ whatever other money comes as part of what is effectively a sponsorship deal).

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stonojnr replied to Paul J | 2 weeks ago
0 likes

Well arguably Cav is no longer a pro rider, but I do believe he has been given a nice Aston Martin.

I know Skoda often lend cars to pro riders of all ranks, ie not just big name riders for column inches in media, too

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Surreyrider replied to Paul J | 2 weeks ago
3 likes

Didn't Ineos give out those horrific Land Rover lookalikes?

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Simon E replied to Surreyrider | 1 week ago
2 likes

Surreyrider wrote:

Didn't Ineos give out those horrific Land Rover lookalikes?

Yes, and Fran Millar made sure that David got one too. (reported here on road.cc).

I know he had been a naughty cyclist once but that was a long time ago; so what did the poor boy do to deserve that?!!

As for Louise Haigh walking the plank, I'm no conspiracy theorist but that's surely the result of her pissing off Starmer's fossil fuel puppeteers by talking up active travel. Heidi Alexander MP might be a great advocate but at this point I have zero hope of her actually making a difference.

Memo to Heidi: please, please, please don't prove me right.

 

Edit, just seen an apposite tweet:

Quote:

If only Louise Haigh had accidentally deleted 5000 WhatsApp messages just before they were needed by a public inquiry, nobody would have questioned her mobile phone usage

https://x.com/David__Osland/status/1862467122967847229

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E6toSE3 replied to Paul J | 1 week ago
0 likes

Pro bike riders more into need for speed than bicycle environment philosophy. T'was ever thus. They don't pootle.

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E6toSE3 replied to E6toSE3 | 1 week ago
0 likes

And years ago Laura Trott, Daniel King, Joanne Rowsell, as theyvwere after Olympic gold, got lots of being and Jaguars, when Jags were very desirable cars (to those who like cars). Nothing new under the sun

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dubwise | 2 weeks ago
0 likes

So, the transport secretary, Louise Haigh, has resigned.

Not because of policy differences but lying to police over a stolen work mobile in 2013.

Fkn politicians, all the same...

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EK Spinner replied to dubwise | 2 weeks ago
18 likes

a "mistake" that happened in 2013, investigated and charged at the time, pleaded guiilty, given a caution (lowest sentence a magistrate can give I believe) declared to autorities as required, "forced to resign" because someone in the media decides to make a thing of it.

This minor infraction has been in the public domain since before she was elected (if they had cared to look) and the elecotrate have been happy to vote her in several times over.
 

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