Campagnolo launches “groundbreaking” second front disc brake; Regent’s Park velodrome; National Supertuck Champs; Around-the-world cyclist reunited with stolen bike two years later; High traffic neighbourhoods; April Fools gags + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Regent's Park to be turned into traffic-free velodrome April Fools' Day joke
Exciting news from the @theroyalparks about the traffic free Regent’s Park and Outer Circle velodrome proposals. What a fantastic #cycling resource for London. @RPcyclists @BritishCycling @cyclingweekly @Cyclingnewsfeed @HamandHigh @HerneHillVel @IsopenLondon pic.twitter.com/Zcx2Fr6wbQ
— Islington Cycling Club (@IslingtonCC) April 1, 2021
That’s a strong start to April Fools’ Day from Islington CC. 9/10. The MailOnline story is a really nice touch. Perhaps ‘Outrage as Royal Park stolen by Lycra louts riding 17 abreast on taxpayer-funded velodrome’ might be more believable. Plenty of love for the edited banking on the bends too. Great work Islington CC…
Top work @IslingtonCC, hope your social media manager has plenty of coffee today… https://t.co/JePfjBbLzA
— The Royal Parks (@theroyalparks) April 1, 2021
First thing this morning it got me. For 5 seconds I got excited. Nice one whoever thought of this
— stealfwayne (@stealfwayne) April 1, 2021
High traffic neighbourhoods
A scheme to ban bikes and pedestrians and make more space for cars? 🚘🚳
We’ve obtained leaked proposals for new ‘High Traffic Neighbourhoods’, which are to be designated in towns and cities across the country.
Read the story: 📄 https://t.co/gNDwajmoZD pic.twitter.com/0XbLz8zj2P
— Cycling UK (@WeAreCyclingUK) April 1, 2021
This is all fun and games until it turns up as a genuine suggestion from a local councillor in a few months’ time…Cycling UK has put some very believable details in this one. The high traffic neighbourhoods will give “cars total priority over other road users. The HTN scheme is believed to be a reaction to complaints in the media about pop-up traffic lanes and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), which aim to encourage cycling and walking by taking back space from motor vehicles.”
We’re talking: removal of grass verges and footways to allow an extra lane of traffic, at least 30 per cent of urban parkland to be paved for parking, abolition of 20mph speed limits with 30mph limit to be “reviewed” and best of all…
Fines for cyclists in HTNs, and for pedestrians unless they can demonstrate they are on the way to or from their vehicle…Brilliant.
London Cycling Campaign go for a Kensington High Street wand shop selling off parts of the old cycle lane
NEWS: Council opens ‘wand’ shop on High Street Kensington to recoup cost of scrapped cycle tracks https://t.co/ZO3aKGkCzS pic.twitter.com/ga5qffbeIo
— London Cycling Campaign (@London_Cycling) April 1, 2021
British Cycling announces National Supertuck Championships
British Cycling can today announce that the inaugural @HSBC_UK | National Supertuck Championships 🇬🇧 will take place on the 31st June 2021 🗓#NatSupertuckChamps
🔴⚪️🔵 pic.twitter.com/lVWrC0Msuo
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) April 1, 2021
Here we go…It’s the big one, forget the Tour de France, there’s a new king in town. In a huge bit of news, conveniently released on April 1, British Cycling are up for some UCI rulebreaking. We imagine all the British riders will exit the Tour after its first week to race at this prestigious event…The early market from the bookies has Chris Froome favourite…
World record-breaking Schindelhauer Wilhelm with 252 gears
The big news keeps coming this morning. This time it’s a world record breaker from Schindelhauer with 252 gears. The custom model from Berlin-based bicycle manufacturer has a record 3350% gear ratio made possible by a 14-speed Rohloff Speedhub gear with 526% spread. At a relaxed cadence of 60rpm the top speed is 84.4km/h but has broken the 126km/h mark…
Head of Design and co-founder at Schindelhauer Stephen Zehren said: “In the development team, we always wanted to build a bike that has the right gear for every situation. Finally, we can make our community in the UK happy, who can now tackle the Hardknott Pass in the Lake District in Yorkshire (gradient up to 33%) in a relaxed manner.
“In addition, we are already setting the mobility trends of tomorrow by creating new incentives to switch to cycling, especially for commuters. On rural and federal roads, they are literally on a par with car drivers and no longer have to put up with overtaking manoeuvres. I even dare to predict that many of our customers will checkmate their four-wheeled colleagues with Wilhelm CCLII.”
Who needs spokes?
While I can’t promise this is the last April Fools content on the blog today, we should be moving on to some proper news after lunch…First, meet the monospoke, a 52mm deep rim wheel with a single spoke. Coming in at just 1003g for the pair, the rim brake, tubeless ready wheel has all the aero properties to rival disc brake models and all the stiffness you could ever need. They’re not cheap at $1888 but you’ll be promptly refunded as they don’t actually exist….Just the thing for riding around the new velodrome in Regent’s Park…
Julian Alaphilippe admits he struggled in the heat too at Dwars door Vlaanderen
Loulou is home 👍#DDV21
Photo: @BeelWout pic.twitter.com/xKHhZxd6mz— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) March 31, 2021
Okay, let’s do some proper news this afternoon…It wasn’t just Mathieu van der Poel who seemingly had a bad day in the heat at Dwars door Vlaanderen yesterday, Julian Alaphilippe says he wasn’t great either. The Frenchman finished 22nd, safely in the peloton, but wasn’t as prominent as you might expect in the final race ahead of the Tour of Flanders this Sunday.
“From a personal point of view, I didn’t do much,” he told L’Equipe. “We really felt the heat, I tried to help the team as best I could. We had Florian in front, but when I blew up on one of the climbs, I didn’t have much information about what was going on. I didn’t ride economically today. I wanted to see where I was, how I had recovered from the Italian races which really tired me.”
Alaphilippe also admitted he hasn’t felt good in training recently either. “When I started training again, the feeling was not incredible. That’s why I was here without stress, without pressure. But it was OK. I enjoyed myself, even if there was no result at the end. I hope to have better feelings on Sunday.”
Muc-Off launches high-pressure quick drying degreaser to remove grime without having to rinse your drivetrain
After a morning navigating April Fools press releases we’ve got something genuine for you…Muc-Off has a new high-pressure, quick drying degreaser designed to clean your drivetrain straight out the can and without any need for rinsing. The heavy-duty degreaser is meant to cut through dirt and grime in seconds with a ‘zero residue’ formula meaning it evaporates after application to leave your drivetrain clean and dry.
Alex Trimnell, Muc-Off’s CEO says: “It’s epic to be able to release an innovative new product that makes light work of tough maintenance tasks that can be messy and time consuming. We pride ourselves on creating highly effective, premium cleaning products and this is no exception.”
Andy Murray talks about new-found love for road cycling
Andy Murray used cycling to stay active during lockdown last year, getting out for some rides in the Surrey Hills. He told Gentleman’s Journal, “I was doing a lot of cardio work and, for the first time, I did some road biking. I really enjoyed it, actually. I think, when I finish playing tennis, cycling is something I want to do more of. I live 20 minutes south of Wimbledon, in Surrey. So I cycled around Box Hill, where they did some of the Olympic road racing.
“I had two or three routes I was doing consistently. And, because I’m competitive, I was seeing if I could beat my times each week, to see if I was getting fitter. I enjoyed going up the hills—so tough, but I really loved it.”
British around-the-world cyclist reunited with his stolen bike two years after it was nicked
Charlie Condell was 102 days into his cycling world record attempt, trying to become the youngest person to cycle solo across the globe, when his bike was stolen. He was left with just the clothes he was wearing when his bike, kit and passport were all taken from the hostel in North Queensland he was staying at. However, Charlie, who is now 21, recently found the bike on a Townsville buy, swap and sell Facebook page…
“I joined that when the bike first got nicked, but I’ve been on that group ever since it seemed … I never got rid of it and the bike came around. It popped up and I sent it into the police and they sent an officer around and I believe it’s all looking good, so I must say I was over the moon,” he told ABC.
A 46-year-old man was charged for being in possession of the bike as well as possession of drugs and carrying a knife in a public place. At the time of the theft, an inspector started a fundraiser to buy him a new bike so he could finish the challenge before his 19th birthday, covering 30,000km in 248 days.
Paris-Roubaix officially postponed until October
Thanks to effective and rapid collaboration with the Union Cycliste Internationale and the local authorities concerned, the new dates fixed are the 2nd October for Paris-Roubaix Women and the 3rd October for Paris-Roubaix. pic.twitter.com/gd1hMMhOTP
— Paris-Roubaix (@Paris_Roubaix) April 1, 2021
We thought it was postponed, then it wasn’t, now we’ve got official confirmation that Paris-Roubaix will be held in October…
There were strong suspicions this would be the case when the Prefect of the Hauts-de-France region last week said he wouldn’t let the race go ahead with the region in lockdown…
Those comments were taken further by a report in Le Parisien which said the race would be delayed until October. However, a conflicting story in L’Équipe disputed this and said a decision would not be made until this week. Now we’ve got the official verdict…There’ll be no Paris-Roubaix next Sunday. The inaugural women’s edition has been pencilled in for Saturday 2 October with the men’s race a day later on Sunday 3.
We’ll have the full story shortly…
2,000-mile cycling route to link all 42 Church of England cathedrals from Newcastle to Truro
The British Pilgrimage Trust, Cycling UK and Sustrans have come up with a new 2,000-mile Cathedrals Cycle Route linking all 42 Church of England cathedrals between Newcastle and Truro. If you fancy a pilgrimage with a difference or just want to get some post-covid mega miles in, the route will be launched fully with a relay ride starting at Newcastle Cathedral on May 30 as part of Cycling UK’s Bike Week.
Pray you’ve got good legs if you want to ride between all 42 or take a shorter route between two or three. One member of the relay team, Shaun, thinks the route is exactly what people need after the past year. “The Cathedrals Cycle Route is about connecting our historic cathedrals and enjoying the spaces between them.
“Now more than ever, after a year of living with the coronavirus pandemic, this is a way to support people’s mental and physical health and promote the mission of England’s cathedrals through pilgrimage, wellbeing and heritage.”
Campagnolo SmartDisc Technology: because two disc rotors are better than one
Another incredible announcement saved for April 1…SmartDisc Technology takes the innovative step of allowing a rider to add or remove a second front disc brake to the bike for when your route requires extra braking power. Designed in collaboration with Team UAE Emirates and Colnago, the SmartDisc will feature on the new V3RS DV (Double Ventoux) model and should come into its own at the Tour de France on the double ascent of the legendary mountain where riders will reach frightening speeds on the downhill. The logical choice, Campag says, is “to add a second front disc brake for incredible braking power”.
“We’ve invested years of research into improving performance on the climbs and in TTs but perhaps we’ve been missing the bigger picture,” they continued. “We’ve always neglected the downhills, where bigger time gaps are possible nowadays. So we’ve worked hard all winter with Colnago and Team UAE Emirates, both on the road and in the lab. The result: the groundbreaking SmartDisc Technology that we are pleased to present today.”
Campagnolo changing the game forever…Now check the date.
1 April 2021, 08:01
1 April 2021, 08:01
1 April 2021, 08:01
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Latest Comments
@jackcycles Oh! Is that the Michelle Dewberry that won "The Apprentice", one time Brexit Party ( now Reform UK) candidate and host on GB News? The one that questions whether benefits, free school breakfasts etc are a good idea? Lovely girl. I bet the pair of them have terrific post coital chats.
@mdavidford indeed - while the charity formerly known as Sustrans went through a "get cosy with the councils" effort, they are still just a charity. A maintaining some distance from councils would be a good idea also... (Yes, we do have some very tightly integrated charities - RNLI / mountain rescue spring to mind).
@mdavidford thanks for the tip on replying to the thread! It would seem odd for his brother (thank you for the correction) to mention that he wasn't able "to brake in time" because he was in the TT position if he otherwise would have been able to apply the brakes. Perhaps it wouldn't have avoided the crash entirely, but it seems likely that it would have at least lessened the impact. It therefore seems entirely reasonable to conclude from this that TT bikes are more dangerous. That takes no blame away from the driver, as a rider should not be forced to brake to avoid a collision caused by a driver turning into their path.
@the little onion I'd agree that would be a sensible way to go. I don't think it's currently feasible for Sustrans / NCN, though, because they don't have the necessary powers to make it happen. It needs a local authority, who can drive the planning, land acquisition, etc. And actually there are much larger sums earmarked for local and regional authorities to improve provision. (Whether they actually end up using that effectively is, of course, another question.)
@Steve K My sister taught a kid who came up through Crystal Palace youth system then left for another club at 16. Jordan classily traduced him and his family in some friendly newspaper.
@Terry Hutt Thing is, I've yet to come across a silent ebike, so all you have to do to check legality is ride it, keep an eye on your own speedo and listen to hear if the motor's still running when you get over 15 mph.
@Rendel Harris This would probably be better than their current "tests" if the e-bike has a cadence sensor and a non-GPS speed display. If it has a power sensor (proportional assistance) or no speed display you're back to square one. Mind you, if the bike is doing 30mph on the flat and the rider isn't pedaling furiously, I say crush it with the rider still attached.
@the little onion AFAICS the notional cycling network is best seen as a "national sign network". An impressive mapping effort to catalog what infra there is and *suggest* places for cycling. But no guarantee it will be suitable for all cyclists. Or even any specific cycling purpose. Unless possibly you're into a kind of "adventure racing". It certainly bears little resemblance to the numbered junction network ("knooppunt") in NL. *That* is a genuine "help you navigate" system - but that goes everywhere, on at least "good enough" infra.
@the little onion Yes. One of the many great features of cycling-as-transport is that you can start local. Then concentration (of money, then infra and cyclists) is effective. That's how eg. Seville did it. And (I think) Paris. And much of how NL has got there I suspect. OTOH there are some potential blockers at bigger scales. Perhaps a Reform regional mayor decides they *will* implement the national policies - win the war *for* the motorist? Or good infra or transport reorganisation gets tangled up in national legal regulation. Or the money is suddenly shut off (or redirected to fill half-a-mile of potholes for motorists for a year).
@mdavidford I get your argument, but why spread it thinly on stuff that plainly doesn't work, rather than concentrating it on good stuff which does, in the right place? If given the choice of a national network of rubbish, or small localised patches of well-maintained excellence that does a great job within individual towns and cities, I'd go for the latter every time.
29 thoughts on “Campagnolo launches “groundbreaking” second front disc brake; Regent’s Park velodrome; National Supertuck Champs; Around-the-world cyclist reunited with stolen bike two years later; High traffic neighbourhoods; April Fools gags + more on the live blog”
I think we can Park these
I think we can Park these stories in the same folder as Shimano offering a reverse gear on the new Dura Ace.
You mean it’s not true?
You mean it’s not true?
Trouble is the HTN gag is no
Trouble is the HTN gag is no April Fool’s day. It is a 365-Day joke on millions of people across the country.
https://www.instagram.com/p
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNHQTiwLVpe/?igshid=151d8mnsuk8le
“Fines for … for
“Fines for … for pedestrians [in HTNs] unless they can demonstrate that they are on the way to or from a parked vehicle”
I loved that!
Cllr Child explains that the
Cllr Child explains that the shop is located in a prime high street position outside Boots who had confirmed to the Council they were quite happy to see the wands once more. “We are thinking of making the whole shop drive-through so that customers don’t have to get out of their vehicles at all.”
Should have added cyclists not allowed through. That would have been even funnier
If I was opening a wand shop
If I was opening a wand shop I would have gone for Diagon Alley.
meanwhile on the other side
meanwhile on the other side of town….
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1417307/Road-news-roundabout-Wirral-Merseyside-junction-looks-like-a-roundabout
I’m guessing the Campagnolo
I’m guessing the Campagnolo story is meant to be an April fool’s but is it just me who thinks it’s not a terrible idea? Two discs would reduce the risk of heat fade, increase pad + rotor lifespan (I would rather replace two sets half as often), and even out forces on wheels and forks. Sure, those advantages probably don’t outweigh the increased weight and drag (for pro-riders) or cost and complexity (for everyone else) but I’m pretty sure the bike industry has put far worse ideas into production!
Would be worth it just to see
Would be worth it just to see how much foaming at the mouth it would cause among the #savetherimbrake bridage.
discs great for wide tyres
discs great for wide tyres and grotty rim environments, otherwise it’s all negatives
Its happened in the MTB world
Its happened in the MTB world at couple of times.
A downhill version of Mazoccohi Bomber Suspension forks in the late-mid 90’swere one example.
Perhaps the synchronised
Perhaps the synchronised squealing from the pair of discs will be of opposite frequencies and cancel the noise out
“Campagnolo SmartDisc
“Campagnolo SmartDisc Technology: because two disc rotors are better than one”
Fake fake news… we’ve had the triple rotor with a centre disc for around 5 years now.
I saw this twin-disc bike the
I saw this twin-disc bike the other day and it’s not supposed to be an April Fool: https://newatlas.com/bicycles/ryuger-eidolon-carbon-ebike/
A pic of the bike itself
A pic of the bike itself
Liverpool council, after
Liverpool council, after stories of crime, corruption and nepotism, are taking over parliament.
BBC announces a prime time series about the benefits of cycling and another about the benefits of LTNs.
BBC to have factual programme about helmets.
Government announces they are taking control of Kensington and Chelsea council because of their total incompetence.
There must be lots more.
The idea of an April fool is
The idea of an April fool is that it suposed to fool someone. No one would fall for any those.
iandusud wrote:
Damn! I’ll try harder next year; maybe.
Interesting. In the
Interesting. In the Campagnolo post, the two brake rotors are in the same orientation, whereas in the UAE Team Emirates photo [currently] at the top of this Live Blog, the rotors are fitted in different orientations. Maybe there’s a pro-team marginal gain in flipping one of the rotors round. Helps to reattach airflow?…
I assume you’re joking, but
I assume you’re joking, but in case you’re not rotors are directional so both should be the same way round.
More pragmatically, the Campagnolo instagram pic is clearly photoshopped, while the UAE bike image is a still from the “promotional video” on their website. I would guess that as it’s harder to edit videos, they actually mounted a rotor to that bike and just chose a camera angle that makes it hard to see that it’s not really attached to anything. I also don’t think they actually bothered mocking up a 2nd calliper either for that video.
OnYerBike wrote:
The former
Who could have guessed that
Who could have guessed that Campagnolo has a sense of humor?
Quote:
Was this one an April Fools as well? Radio silence for the last hour…
One bit of real news…
One bit of real news…
Cycling UK have announced a cathedral to cathedral bike loop for Bike Week,
Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge | Cycling UK
2000 miles long if anyone wants to do the full length.
One for the ‘when I win the
One for the ‘when I win the lottery and can give up work list.
This bit’s a bit odd though:
Is it some sort of secret society? Would I need to learn a special handshake?
Maybe, I’ll be doing Cov to
Maybe, I’ll be doing Cov to Brum to Lichfield hopefully that week so can let you know if I need to do a handshake at any of them. Can’t see me doing the whole loop and the ones doing Truro to Wells need a chapeau.
Haven’t Campag rather cocked
Haven’t Campag rather cocked up on the April fool rules on their website?
https://www.campagnolo.com/UK/en/CampyWorld/Products/introducing_smart_disc_technology
Does that 252 gear bike beat
Does that 252 gear bike beat this