Bike shorts in January? Cold cycle lane clip sparks clothing debate amid motorist meltdown over “Lycra clad speedsters” riding in “wrong lane”; London “world’s slowest city for drivers” study slammed; “Disrespectful” cyclotourists + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Your morning Near Miss of the Day
For those perpetually perplexed drivers, such as this morning’s batch of Cycleway 4 etiquette critics, still struggling with the difference between being ‘close passed’ by a cyclist and a motorist, here’s a handy reminder…
Read more: > Near Miss of the Day 886: Fast close pass at pinch point – but driver only gets warning letter due to stretched police resources
Mountain biking in national park “condemned”, as “disrespectful” cyclo-tourists have their bikes confiscated while riding on restricted trail
Over in New Zealand (like Scotland, but further), two Swiss cyclists have been criticised for “disrespecting” the fragile environment and cultural significance of the country’s Tongariro National Park, after they were filmed riding their mountain bikes through the restricted Dual World Heritage site.
Located in the central North Island, the Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand and includes three active volcanoes and a number of religious sites sacred to the Māori people. Under the park’s laws, it is an offence to use any vehicle, including bikes, off-road in the park.
But in November, two Swiss tourists were filmed by bemused hikers on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing – deemed one of the world’s best one-day hikes – riding their mountain bikes through the park.
The oblivious tourists’ bikes were subsequently confiscated by the Department of Conservation (DOC), who returned them after the weekend, and the pair were fined $400 each, reports Stuff.
DOC Tongariro operations manager George Taylor told reporters that to get to the point where they were filmed, the cyclists had to pass signs warning mountain biking was not permitted in the area, as well as climbing hundreds of steps and pass numerous walkers, while not encountering any other person on a bike.
Taylor also said their ride was “an affront to those working to protect the fragile environment and cultural significance” of the Crossing, and that they “deliberately disregarded the rules and clear communication of those”.
“Bicycles on walking tracks can damage sensitive alpine environments, present a safety risk to trampers [hikers], and are generally disrespectful of this taonga national park,” he said.
The DOC added that the tourists booked their trip through the crossing and would have “received confirmation emails containing safety and cultural information to perhaps avoid their embarrassing mistake”.
Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro spokesperson Te Ngaehe Wanikau added: ““The use of mountain bikes on a track created solely for pedestrian use, places both the users of the crossing, and the unique environment of Tongariro at risk.
“Ngati Hikairo ki Tongariro condemns mountain biking and any other non-pedestrian activity compromising the safety and well-being of people and Tongariro.”
Now That’s What I Call a Cycling Kit: Canyon-Sram unveil the jersey of the year
10/10. No notes.
And, thankfully, no boring, indistinguishable-from-a-helicopter blue and white variation (I’m looking at you, Bahrain, Decathlon, Soudal Quick-Step, Israel-Premier Tech, Alpecin, Jayco, Groupama-FDJ, Movistar – I’m sure Rob Hatch is buzzing at the prospect of telling all those teams apart…).
Instead, Canyon-Sram’s look, as ever, is what all cycling kits should be – bold, brash, and cool. Oh, and with black shorts, too.
“This is enabling active travel”: Council praised for swift clean-up of flooded bike routes
HUUUGE thank you to @myworcester @MalvernHills_DC and @WorcsTravel for the prompt cleaning of the paths following the recent floods, notably riverside and Hams Way Bridge.
This is enabling active travel.
@activetraveleng
https://t.co/5qkehL8ivQ— SHIFT (@goSHIFTscheme) January 10, 2024
While last week’s live blogs tended to focus on the slow, lethargic response from some local authorities when it came to dealing with the plethora of flooded cycle routes across the UK, over in Worcester – where one cycle path is under water an astonishing 20 days a year on average, according to the local cycling campaign group – the council has earned praise for its swift clean-up operation.
According to Bike Worcester, last week’s Storm Henk-induced bike path cleaning took place “just hours” after the roads were dealt with, and the group’s chair Dan Brothwell tweeted this morning: “HUUUGE thank you to Worcester City Council, Malvern Hills District Council, and WCC Highways for the prompt cleaning of the paths following the recent floods, notably riverside and Hams Way Bridge.
“This is enabling active travel.”
Nevertheless, despite the good reactive work from the council, Bike Worcester also noted that “while the routes are great for a safer route from the south of the city, they’re the first to close when floods occur.
“If Worcester City Council are to meet the aims of their ambitious Active Travel Plan by 2030, we need better infrastructure that doesn’t spend so much time underwater.”
But at least cleaning the paths is a start I suppose…
What were the best road and gravel wheels of the year, I hear you ask? Well, wonder no more, as the road.cc Recommends Awards committee has all the answers…
> Check out the road.cc Recommends Wheels of the Year 2023/24
No, I don’t know what’s going on at Groupama-FDJ’s team presentation either
#CyclismActu : à la prez de l’equipe @GroupamaFDJ avec ses 5 leaders 😇🚴🏻♂️
A retrouver sur https://t.co/hItDtvxPXA / @CyclismActu #GroupamaFDJ #Madiot #Madouas #Gregoire #Martinez #Gaudu #Kung #Cycling #Cyclisme #TDF2024 #Giro #LaVuelta pic.twitter.com/qQuDrUCSez
— Cyclism’Actu (@cyclismactu) January 10, 2024
Ah, professional cyclists, always the most fashionable and smooth of sporting stars. That snazzy blazer, white t-shirt, jeans, and white trainers combo – a very French chef’s kiss.
Though surely they could have managed to put together a stage big enough for a handful of spindly climbers and Marc Madiot? Or make sure their new Wilier bike could stand up on its own without the help of Stefan Küng? And why did it take place in what appears to be the abandoned basement of a new university? So many questions…
“Crackpot conspiracy theory” led to government slashing active travel funding
A “crackpot conspiracy theory” that misrepresents the urban planning concept of the 15-minute city led to the government slashing funding for active travel and pledge to review measures aimed at curbing the use of private motor vehicles, it has emerged.
The Guardian’s Peter Walker reports that documents obtained by the Transport Action Network (TAN), which has brought a legal challenge to the swingeing cuts imposed by Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt last year, reveal that conspiracy theories were partly responsible for the change in tack by the government.
Criticising the “absurdity” of ministers being “swept away by hysteria about 15-minute cities, at the same time that other government departments were defending them”, TAN’s director Chris Todd noted that the “shocking revelations show Rishi Sunak was more concerned with crazy conspiracy theories than helping people travel safely and cheaply”.
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Read more: > “Crackpot conspiracy theory” led to government slashing active travel funding
‘Alright Pogi, can we just make it through one training camp ride without you popping a wheelie and dropping us? Cheers mate’
Pogacar sendo Pogacar pic.twitter.com/RiBXrA11oO
— O País Do Ciclismo (@opaisdociclismo) January 9, 2024
Rumours that Pogačar is intent on wheelieing his way around the Giro d’Italia this year remain unconfirmed.
Julian Alaphilippe set for Giro d’Italia debut this season – and confirms he will miss the Tour de France
While most of the focus come May will be on Tadej Pogačar’s first crack at the Giro d’Italia, as the Slovenian aims to secure the first Giro-Tour double for 26 years, another one of the sport’s biggest names is also set to make his Corsa Rosa debut this year: Julian Alaphilippe.
In an interview with L’Équipe ahead of the Tour Down Under, the two-time world champion confirmed that he will target stage wins at the Giro this year, after a spring campaign focused on Strade Bianche, Milan-Sanremo, and the Flemish classics, as part of his desire to “change” things up.
(Alex Broadway/SWpix.com)
However, the 31-year-old’s revamped schedule means he won’t be lining up in Florence for the start of this summer’s Tour de France and will therefore miss out on Soudal Quick-Step teammate Remco Evenepoel’s long-awaited debut at the race.
“It’s by no means a punishment or a non-selection,” Alaphilippe said of his decision to target the Giro rather than ride in support of Evenepoel’s GC hopes at the Tour. “Doing the Giro has been at the back of my mind for some time now.
“The question was more to do with ‘when shall I decide to go?’ and I thought ‘why not this year? Looking at [races in] Australia, the classics, and the Giro, I felt like a change.”
(Cor Vos/SWpix.com)
The flamboyant Frenchman – who counts six stage wins, a mesmerising spell in the yellow jersey, and a King of the Mountains title among his list of successes at the Tour – also said that when he suggested the idea of racing the Giro to Patrick Lefevere, the team boss agreed, apparently claiming that he did not want to see Alaphilippe sacrificing his Tour de France by riding purely in the service of Evenepoel.
“It’s neither my remit nor my full worth to do that,” Alaphilippe said, before noting that he would have had no problems working for Evenepoel – as he did during the Belgian star’s successful tilt at the Vuelta in 2022 – and that the decision was based purely on a desire to streamline the team’s goals in both races.
“It’s my decision,” he insisted. “I designed my programme and it was confirmed by the team so that way we’d go for stage wins in the Giro and then the GC [with Evenepoel] in the Tour.”
“This is not the end for Orange Bikes”: Popular mountain bike manufacturer releases statement after filing notice of intention to appoint an administrator
Four days after the news broke that pioneering mountain bike manufacturer Orange Bikes has filed its intention to appoint an administrator – a development itself emerging just weeks after the company’s racing team was wound down, citing the current “uncertainty” in the bike industry – the Halifax-based brand this morning a released a statement on Linkedin, assuring customers that “this is not the end for Orange Bikes”.
“We appreciate all the kind words and encouragement we’ve received from our loyal customers and fans. It’s heartwarming to see the continued support and passion for Orange Bikes,” the statement said.
“While we can’t provide many details at the moment, we want to assure you that this is not the end for Orange Bikes.
“We are committed to delivering high-quality bikes and maintaining our strong presence in the industry. Thank you again for your support, and stay tuned for more updates from Orange Bikes.”
> Orange Bikes – the story of Britain’s most iconic bike brand
For the day that’s in it: 15-minute city pioneer Carlos Moreno announces he’s set to lecture at Oxford University on the controversial and misrepresented urban planning concept
Big news and very relevant today: Carlos Moreno is giving a public lecture in Oxford about what 15 min cities actually mean and why it might be quite nice for local residents to have shops nearby to them. https://t.co/ovGZhwCCgs
— Cllr Emily Kerr 💚 (@EmilyKerr36) January 10, 2024
Hmmm, I wonder if any government ministers will keep 29 February free for an informative trip to Oxford?
Go Outdoors aims to resolve national shortage of cycle mechanics by offering apprenticeships to store staff
> Go Outdoors aims to resolve national shortage of cycle mechanics by offering apprenticeships to store staff
(Featuring some insightful contributions from our regular live blog commenters – cheers!)
Mark Beaumont and Davy Zyw organise Edinburgh ride for Doddie Aid
If you’re knocking about the Scottish capital this weekend, make sure to pop down to Holyrood on Saturday at noon with your bike.
Because, as well as taking in the majestic scenery (and the not-so-majestic Scottish parliament), there you’ll be able to join round-the-world cyclist Mark Beaumont and author Davy Zyw for three fun laps around Arthur’s Seat – all in the name of Doddie Aid, a virtual mass-participation exercise event that kicked off on New Year’s Day and raises funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, the late Scottish rugby hero Doddie Weir’s motor neurone disease charity.
Saturday 13th at midday – muster at Holyrood car park, just off Queen’s drive with yer bikes for 3 laps of Arthur’s Seat – all miles, fundraising and smiles for @doddie_aid – with @DavyZyw and yours truly pic.twitter.com/3Ns2ij2yrN
— Mark Beaumont (@MrMarkBeaumont) January 10, 2024
Now that sounds like a great – and worthwhile – way to spend a weekend in Auld Reekie.
“Are TomTom really advocating for 50mph limits in built-up areas?” Study claiming London is the “world’s slowest city for drivers” slammed
A recent study from Sat Nav company TomTom – which claims that London is the world’s slowest city for drivers, apparently due to the widespread use of 20mph speed limits – has been fiercely criticised by active travel campaigners and politicians, who have branded the study’s findings “misleading” and “disingenuous”.
According to TomTom’s analysis, journeys of 10km in central London took an average of 37 minutes and 20 seconds last year, the longest time of the 387 cities, from 55 countries, assessed.
“London really is the slowest place in the world to drive a car,” TomTom’s Stephanie Leonard said.
“Especially in the core city centre, you don’t have maximum speed limits of 50mph or higher, it’s a maximum of 20mph. You don’t have the infrastructure for driving very quickly.”
Ah yes, it’s the lack of 50mph speed limits that are the main reason everyone’s not buzzing around London in their cars. Makes sense…
Naturally, TomTom’s rather shaky analysis has been skewered by people who actually know a thing or two about what they’re talking about.
“It’s that time again when private traffic companies disingenuously mix up correlation and causation to secure headlines,” West Midlands Cycling and Walking Commissioner Adam Tranter tweeted this morning in response to the study.
“Are TomTom really advocating for 50mph limits in built-up areas? Consistently lower speeds aid traffic flow and reduce congestion. 20mph saves lives.”
Replying to Tranter’s tweet, Rebecca wrote: “It’s partly thanks to TomTom that every single side street and through road is now a dangerous ratrun. So TomTom can go twizzle on themselves.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “This study is misleading as it only includes analysis from a very small part of the city centre, not the whole of London.
“Roadworks are the biggest cause of congestion in cities, which is why the mayor’s infrastructure co-ordination service is working with boroughs and utility companies to reduce delays caused by roadworks, helping to save London road users over 1,250 days of roadworks since 2019.”
“We disagree with this analysis of road speeds and believe it is not representative of London as a whole,” TfL’s director of network management and resilience Carl Eddleston added.
“This report only looks at data collected up to 5km from the centre, regardless of the city’s overall size and density, which means that fair comparisons with other cities cannot be made.”
“People need to stop gatekeeping what others wear. They’re not your legs”: Reaction to the great shorts debate
Turns out people can get quite riled up by a tongue-in-cheek blog story about cyclists in shorts, can’t they? I know, I know, it’s the internet in 2024, I really should know better by now.
“People need to stop gatekeeping what others wear. If someone is comfortable in shorts then let it be. They’re not your legs,” Gaz wrote on Twitter, that renowned breeding ground of thoughtful, conscientious debate.
Even those bike riding naturists, the Free Wilders got involved, which was an interesting turn of events, to say the least. “We are cyclists and body freedom campaigners,” they said.
“Wear what you’re comfortable wearing and accept us when it’s warm and we wear nothing on our tandem bike.”
Fair point!
> Naked tandem couple hit by driver in Scotland make it to Land’s End
However, others were less concerned with gatekeeping and freedom of choice as they were about freezing tendons.
“Unlike muscles, tendons have no direct blood supply. In cold weather they can stretch and snap. Keep your knees warm,” said Adespoto.
Meanwhile, Robert Davis agreed with Gaz’s initial comment “in principle”, but added “I would note that the only people I have known who regularly did long rides in sub-five degrees with knees uncovered developed knee problems.
“A lot of newbies (blokes especially) are used to school football with shorts and think that’s the same with cycling, not realising that there is a thing called ‘wind chill’.”
In the blog comments section, IanMK said: “I was actually lectured on the subject of knee problems by an old pro I cycled with on a cold April morning. He actually said that just because it was spring didn’t mean that I should have my knees out on a ‘training ride’.
“He actually set the temp at 15°C. I did go and buy some knee warmers and I still pretty much stick to this advice.”
Ah, a knee! Put it away!
While brooksby brought up another potential issue related to clothing choice on the way to work: “Now the weather has (finally?) got cold, I’ve had my own sartorial problems. I had my heating fixed before Xmas, so my house is properly warm. And my office is properly warm. But the journey in between is bloody cold.
“Obviously I can take a layer off when I reach the office, but if I dress up for the journey I’m sweltering before I’ve left the house.”
And on Facebook, Igenlode had a similar problem: “I was out on Sunday and had to start stripping off as per usual once I hit the uphill – I’m currently cycling in shirtsleeves *under* a coat, with the option to open the coat/take off gloves in order to regulate body heat. With a heavy bicycle it’s amazing how much sweat you can work up.”
Also, on Facebook, at least Dave took the story in the manner it was intended, writing “spot the northerner”.
Yes, that’s more like it.
Anyway, here’s the bottom line – wear whatever you want on your bike. Even wear nothing, if that’s what you fancy.
And never – ever – listen to some smartarse writing a tongue-in-cheek story on a cycling live blog…
Bike shorts in January: A good idea? Cyclists debate January clothing choices in cold cycle lane clip – while motorists have meltdown over ‘dark’ cycling kit and overtaking riders in “wrong lane”
To layer up, or not to layer up, that was the question raised by a brief clip of yesterday’s morning commute on London’s Cycleway 4, thanks to the presence of a tough/foolhardy [delete as appropriate] cyclist making his way to work with his knees firmly on show as the temperature barely nudged above zero.
With the mercury rapidly plummeting this week, the clothing choices of the cyclists around us can certainly divide opinion.
And while we’ll never tell you what to wear while on your bike (it’s up to you at the end of the day), I’ve always been in the ‘more layers the better’ camp – and, in my wilder, youthful days, have been known to express derision towards the ‘hard men’ in the group ride steadfastly intent on donning shorts as ice glints in the background (wearing shorts throughout winter is not a personality trait, alright?).
Cycleway 4 this morning. Bit nippy at 2C. Kudos to the guy in shorts 🥶 pic.twitter.com/AWrK9F5ctw
— Greenwich Cyclists (@GreenwichCycle) January 9, 2024
Anyway, off my soapbox I go, and back to Greenwich Cyclists’ clip, which the OP captioned with “Bit nippy at 2C. Kudos to the guy in shorts.”
Others, such as Clare, were also impressed by our Le Col shorts-sporting friend’s attire:
Chapeau to the shorts guy. Serious effort that. pic.twitter.com/kp7K8Obs8o
— Clare McMenemy (@highpoh) January 9, 2024
And Pablo even said he “saw a guy in a t-shirt on his bike today”. I’m cold just thinking about it.
However, others weren’t as impressed. “Saw two or three in shorts on my way in this morning. Far too cold for me to be doing the same!” wrote Clarissa.
“Yes and, er, no,” road safety guru Bob Davis replied. “The only people I have known who went out with uncovered knees at temperatures below 5 Centigrade developed knee problems.”
“Steep learning curve for a few gloveless Lime users yesterday,” added Guido.
2C? It was -8C here this morning. My Shimano hub gears had frozen, I only had 1st gear & the onboard computer controls also solid (water from rain last 3 weeks behind buttons) – bike thawing out in the office.
— David Wright 🐧😈🤦♂️😎 (@wright_de) January 9, 2024
However, since the clip was posted on Twitter, we also had the usual hordes of commenters moving the conversation away from the important stuff – like whether shorts in winter is a good idea – and criticising instead the cycling on display on Cycleway 4.
“Oh yes indeed passing the cyclists decked out in black, they’ll be finishing work before it gets dark,” Nigel chipped in with the obligatory dark clothing remark.
Meanwhile, most of the other anti-cycling snoopers were intent on criticising the decision by a number of the riders to overtake the FedEx delivery cyclist.
“Why are cyclists riding on the wrong side of the cycle way? Cyclists coming the other way (correctly) had to move out of the way,” said Tony.
“Is that bad cycling in an oncoming cycle lane?” asked Ian, while Oliver wrote: “Some pretty impatient cyclists there including the camera crossing hard white going on the wrong side and almost clipping oncoming just to get a few yards ahead.”
Looks safe and considerate pic.twitter.com/d46u2jX1rY
— Mr Biggun (@Mr_Biggun_) January 9, 2024
“And ‘kudos’ to you for showing all the cyclists who don’t know how to ride on the left of a two-way bike lane, but would scream if a car did the same thing,” added Xuan.
“Look at how they use their own cycle lines,” said Lucian (and I assume he meant ‘lanes’). “Close passes, dangerous overtaking, inconsiderate, wrong side, almost head-on collision. Then they take this onto the real roads and always claim that it’s the motorists that are the danger.”
Finally, the very observant Ged wrote: “If car drivers are supposed to give cyclists 1.5 metres when they pass so the cyclist feels safe, shouldn’t cyclists also give 1.5 metres? I think if I was out cycling and one the lycra clad speedsters hurled past me too close I would feel very unsafe.”
Yes, because those two things are exactly the same… Can’t we just have a nice debate about cycling shorts for once?
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Latest Comments
When they're not simply using the terms interchangeably, most sources seem to consider the [publicity] 'caravan' to be a subset of the 'convoy', which starts with the police riders ahead of it. A couple even consider there to be multiple 'caravans' within the 'convoy' (the publicity caravan, a caravan of race-related vehicles ahead of the race, another caravan of race-related vehicles behind the race). Given that the words are roughly interchangeable in English ('convoy' just having a slightly more 'organised' connotation to it), plus the element of translation across languages, it's perhaps not surprising if there's no hard and fast rule about how they're applied.
I cannot edit my post; the need for a clear distinction between the two is not for semantics, but for those of us who are convoy drivers, who are licensed for that role. We take it very seriously and can incur fines and punishment from the UCI for wrongdoing. Those in front, in the caravan, are just normal everyday drivers and do not have the experience of driving in a race convoy, sometimes at speed, with riders all around us. Therefore, should not be taking risks on any part of the route.
Your wording on this needs to be clear, you've mixed up two different parts of the race. The vehicle was from the publicity caravan (Out in front of the race), similar to what you get at the Tour de France, they throw out merchandise to roadside fans, but later in the article, you say "Tour du Rwanda’s official convoy". The convoy on a UCI race is the vehicles which travel behind the race "in convoy" which include the team cars, officals cars, neutral service...etc. You need to have clear distinction between the two. This was not a convoy vehicle, it was a caravan vehicle.
“when the government confirmed that Nottinghamshire County Council will receive £6.7 million for active travel over the next four years, with part of this funding to be used to repair the greenway” Wow - 6.7 million for the WHOLE council for a WHOLE four years for active travel. And once this one shared route has been repaired and the barriers paid for, there could be a WHOLE five million left for the rest of the county. For four years! Astonishingly generous. Imagine how much excellent infrastructure they will build.
Standard journalist protection against any possible action for libel or defamation when mentioning any accusation that hasn't been proven in court. Obviously it's pretty unlikely that an unidentified person (it doesn't even say in which country the incident occurred) would be taking legal action over this but it's good practice always to include it. While there is no reason to believe Swenson has made up the story there are always different perspectives: the driver or passenger might well claim that the door was already open before he arrived and he wasn't paying attention. Unless/until a case is proved in court or by admission it remains an allegation and so it's safest to add the "allegedly" proviso.
Swenson was hit by "a motorist’s car door, which was 'allegedly' swung open into his path." Allegedly swung open? Is there some reason to believe Swenson is making up this story?
And to show the sleeves with the dummy in the riding position.
The people who would listen to them aren't much of the problem. What're needed are for [insert high profile sportsball people of your choice] to do this.
Get some help you tedious fool.
No, now everybody can see the space after your opening bracket!
69 thoughts on “Bike shorts in January? Cold cycle lane clip sparks clothing debate amid motorist meltdown over “Lycra clad speedsters” riding in “wrong lane”; London “world’s slowest city for drivers” study slammed; “Disrespectful” cyclotourists + more on the live blog”
https://www.theguardian.com
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/10/shift-from-15-minute-cities-in-england-partly-due-to-conspiracy-theories
It’s particularly great to see that it’s important you can walk or cycle safely, but only if that doesn’t inconvenience drivers.
Yes, reallocating road space
Yes, reallocating road space is essential if quality cycle networks are to be created.
With luck it should be less than a year before the current rabble are booted out of government.
On “Bike shorts in January: A
On “Bike shorts in January: A good idea?” – now the weather has (finally?) got cold, I’ve had my own sartorial problems. I had my heating fixed before Xmas, so my house is properly warm. And my office is properly warm. But the journey in between is bl00dy cold. Obviously I can take a layer off when I reach the office, but if I dress up for the journey I’m sweltering before I’ve left the house
I’m going to sound like a bit
I’m going to sound like a bit of a dick saying this but, hell, let’s go for it anyway:
Turn off your heating an hour or two before you leave home / office and don’t turn on your heating at your destination before you arrive.
(I’d guess that everyone else who lives / works there won’t be on board with this idea!)
The rest of my family
The rest of my family complained when I set the heating to come on later.
I just put on my top layers
I just put on my top layers right before I leave, other than a short sleeved base layer, and take them off once I get to my desk. I’m dressed to be a little cool in the first mile. I’ve never noticed a problem being too hot before I go out the door, but I am removing layers as fast as I can at the end of the trip.
Rocky, who seems to be
Rocky, who seems to be placing himself as a flabby 40 something, has come back with his fact-free butenlightening views on who should cycle. (I think he lives near Derby from comments in his feed).
IanMSpencer wrote:
the average age of riders on Paris Brest Paris was 50. so approximately half of the 7000 riders will have been over 50. All of them would have been riding considerably more than 70 miles a day.
I don’t think many of any age
I don’t think many of any age could do 25+ on the flat without a good tail wind.
Hirsute wrote:
this is also true. I might manage it on a still day for a 10km time trial, but not for any length if time.
So Rocky underestimates the ability of the average rider to travel distances, while also overestimating the speed people can ride at.
wycombewheeler wrote:
Yep. I can comfortably manage 70 miles a day. I cannot do 25 mph on the flat (except in a very short burst).
I am 54 at the end of the month.
I did a 177 mile (285 km) day
I did a 177 mile (285 km) day six months ago at age 52, with a touring load. On a wind free day, I can do maybe 18-19 MPH on the flat for a while on my non-aero gravel bike. I imagine on a tri or time trial bike with a skin suit and aero helmet (none of which I’ve ever owned or tried) I could get closer to 25 MPH, but then Rocky Wright would presumably criticise me for “thinking I’m in the Tour de France.”
I won’t bore you with quoting
I won’t bore you with quoting any further pokings at Rocky, but we have now established that his health expertise (& he only talks what he knows about) asserts that cycling is bad for anyone over 50 and it is still the case that nobody over 50 can cycle above walking pace. We should all be out walking and pushing weights down the gym apparently. Oh, and cycling is bad because you eat.
The great thing about Twitter
The great thing about Twitter is that the more illogical they are, the more they reveal. We share the roads with these people.
Freeman of the land nutter as
Freeman of the land nutter as well.
https://www.theguardian.com
Yes, the government is exactly as populated by swivel eyed loons as you thought it was.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/10/shift-from-15-minute-cities-in-england-partly-due-to-conspiracy-theories
I am always amazed at the
I am always amazed at the logic of these conspiracy theorists.
Building a shop near your house – so you don’t have to drive there – is some kind of way to track and minimise your movements.
The government gving a contract to a company owned by a government minister, is just a coincidence and doesn’t need any further inverstigation.
They are trying to monitor
They are trying to monitor our every move then herd us like sheep. I learned of this from Facebook on my mobile.
I wouldn’t say the government
I wouldn’t say the government has been influenced by conspiracy theorists, I think they’re intentionally appealing to said groups for votes in the next election…it’s just similar to brexit – stirring things up and appealing to the Daily Mail reading vocal minorities. In my opinion.
NotNigel wrote:
That makes sense to me. If you’re doing a bad enough job that anyone with half a brain can figure out that literally anyone else is better, then you’re going to have to target the delusional and hard-of-thinking to garner any support outside of the far right racists.
hawkinspeter wrote:
There are a huge number of people who would never vote tory even if they presented a well costed plan to give each person in the country everything they want within a 3 year period. There is no point campaigning to them.
There are also a huge number of people who would vote tory even if Rishi came round and personally shit through their letterbox. There is no point campaigning to them ether.
The only people worth campaigning to are people who don’t know who to vote for, and, unfortunately, a huge proportion of those people are lunatics and conspiracy theorists.
Patrick9-32 wrote:
I thought the point of the likes of Monster Raving Loony Party and Reform Uk was to attract the nutters and ensure their votes don’t pollute discourse and stop the UK from progressing. How did we end up here?
The Transport Minister
The Transport Minister explicitly justified his withdrawal of support for LTNs on the basis that they can be about banning cars.
“In an interview with The Telegraph, Mark Harper said he had put an end to Government funding for projects “that are about… banning cars or making it difficult for motorists”.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/07/08/mark-harper-transport-secretary-review-ltns-net-zero/
I’m not sure that the Govt
I’m not sure that the Govt are swivel-eyed loons, but they definitely want the votes of the swivel-eyed loons.
brooksby wrote:
I think in response to that statement, I need only say:
Sunak, Braverman, Cleverly, Hunt, Boris, Patel, Cameron, Rees-Mogg, Gove, Gove, Gove. Need I go on?
Oh no, sorry, Gove’s a bug
Oh no, sorry, Gove’s a bug-eyed loon, not a swivel-eyed loon. My bad.
MattieKempy wrote:
You’re right. I stand corrected <wrist-slap>
https://www.theguardian.com
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/10/family-of-couple-killed-by-80-year-old-call-for-elderly-drivers-to-face-retests
A less well known road safety
A less well known road safety expert on Twitter was incensed that someone should go to prison for simply failing to look at a junction.
Until drivers accept that not looking properly is dangerous driving, and dangerous driving kills people we will continue to have the main body of drivers believing that careless driving is socially acceptable – mistakes happen, so what?
Another fine example of the courts failing to treat this as death by dangerous driving. I mean if you make mistakes that can kill people, then surely that ought to be the measure of “dangerous” rather than courts pretending that this can’t be proven to be far below the standard of a reasonably careful driver.
IanMSpencer wrote:
Ah – but they’re throwing themselves in the roads! My driving was perfectly safe and considerate – not my fault lemmings have invaded “our” roads (hello Dr. Helen Measures).
IanMSpencer wrote:
That’s “failing to look” like a bank robber claiming they “got deposit/withdrawal confused”
IanMSpencer wrote:
One of the reasons I tend to avoid twitter nowadays.
Firstly, I think it is perfectly reasonable to send someone to jail if they have killed two people through their deliberate actions.
Secondly, it’s a suspended sentence, so the driver is not, in fact, going to jail. It’s not stated what conditions were attached to the suspended sentence, but many of the normal options (such as a curfew) seem unlikely to be hugely punitive to an 80-year-old.
According to the very sad
According to the very sad report the 80-year-old has superhuman powers.
I was a bit surprised that
I was a bit surprised that the occupants of the Tiguan came off that badly when hit by a Golf. I suppose it depends on what hit them in the other lane.
Does show that the Huge is always better is not the hard and fast rule that most of those in vanity behemoths think it is
SUVs more prone to roll-over
SUVs more prone to roll-over and a roof isn’t crash-protected?? Also the occupants were old and might have been air bagged to death – those things aren’t designed not to injure, they are designed to stop you being killed – as long as you fit their model of deployment. Obviously just speculating, but it is clearly a fallacy to think car crashes are survivable just cos you are in an SUV.
“Oh yes indeed passing the
“Oh yes indeed passing the cyclists decked out in black, they’ll be finishing work before it gets dark,” Nigel chipped in with the obligatory dark clothing remark.”
Assume Nigel has nothing against black cars?
If only motorists showed the
If only motorists showed the same consideration to cyclists coming the other way when they needed to cross the centre line and make me get out of their way to avoid delaying their journey by 0.5s!!!
“London is world’s slowest
“London is world’s slowest city for drivers, study finds”
No mention of how this compares to previous years (prior to implimentation of 20mph limits).
Nor any consideration given to traffic volumes which have been seriously affected by private hire vehicles and online deliveries.
(Though I’m glad to see smaller bicycle based delivery vehicles becoming more common.)
Or the fact that so many cars on the road now are larger than before (ie SUVs) which are difficult to drive in small spaces and mean other drivers may not be able to squeeze past.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67916773
mitsky wrote:
Bristol is fourth slowest in the UK: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-one-slowest-cities-uk-9022893
After a bit of internet sleuthing, I’ve found that the data comes from TomTom
https://www.tomtom.com/newsroom/explainers-and-insights/tomtom-traffix-index-2024-london-is-slowest/
It’s just a publicity stunt –
It’s just a publicity stunt – the numbers are pretty much meaningless.
That said, the actual report does make some reasonable points, such as comparing London to Amsterdam and suggesting that Amsterdam achieves a better score (less congestion) precisely because it has excellent active travel and public transport and therefore far fewer cars on the road.
Which is of course what the evil cycling lobby has been saying all along – providing viable alternatives to driving actually makes driving easier and faster for those who really need to do so.
mitsky wrote:
I would have thought that this is a way more important factor than 20mph speed limits.
I wonder, if TomTom were to
I wonder, if TomTom were to somehow manage to include data from cyclists too (Strava? Google?), would the average speed of road users in general show a slight increase?
A bit of (half hearted)
A bit of (half hearted) defence of Tom Tom.
The blaming 20mph zones is plain weird, especially when the average speed is so far below 20mph. (I think they point to the average speed getting slower, but then they also say that’s true for most cities.)
However, on the 50mph point, I think they are just making the comparison with other cities – they do say that London doesn’t have the infrastructure for driving quickly.
And, most positively, their actual recommendation is “At the same time, local authorities must put support behind programmes that encourage cycling, public transport and other modes to take a larger share in transportation.”
Other cities? Motor-normative
Other cities? Motor-normative cities like Houston I suppose.
Mrs HawkinsPeter and I did
Mrs HawkinsPeter and I did the Tongariro Alpine crossing a few years ago – it’s a tough walk and definitely not suitable for bikes. The weather itself is a challenge as you need to be prepared for hot and sunny at the low levels and freezing winds at altitude. We chose to do it as Mrs HawkinsPeter was enamoured by the Emerald and Blue Lakes, but once we got up to altitude where you get all the magnificent views, the fog descended and we could see nothing. Luckily, there’s so many tourists going along there, that you can just follow everyone else and don’t need to see where you’re going.
Ther bikers must have been determined as there’s so many warning signs along the route – they mostly detail how many hours walk it is to get to the end and recommend turning back if you are struggling at all as once you get around half way, there’s no turning back and nowhere for helicopters to land to rescue you.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Like many drivers.
it’s a tough walk and
it’s a tough walk and definitely not suitable for bikes
These cyclists were definitely in the wrong, but sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, and ‘not suitable for bikes’ is a good challenge when nothing’s being damaged. It was a 6 hour carry up the snowfields to the Theodulpass from Zermatt on the crossing to Cervinia. You’re overlooked by the cablecar to the Klein Matterhorn, and jeered at by the occupants (I recall being sure at the time that it was jeering rather than cheering).
https://metro.co.uk/2024/01
https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/10/gran-sending-christmas-cards-killed-driver-skipping-roundabout-20091387/
brooksby wrote:
That is yet another travesty. Lots to hate about this, but the nissan navara is certainly right up there.
I think the biggest thing is
I think the biggest thing is how, in the context of the city being a prosperous, pleasant, human place to live, higher average speed of car traffic is actually a bad thing. Nobody looks at the side of a motorway and thinks, “man, I wish I had a house on the hard shoulder and I could open a shop there!” Being able to drive through a city quickly is only useful if you don’t want to stop there.
“According to TomTom’s
“According to TomTom’s analysis, journeys of 10km in central London took an average of 37 minutes and 20 seconds last year”
Considering a lot of cyclists could do 10km in less than 30 minutes even in a city environment on flat terrain, the answer is glaringly obvious, and yet nobody sees it.
Also, 10km in 37 minutes is
Also, 10km in 37 minutes is approx 10mph so how would increasing the limit from 20 to 50 mph help if they’re not going anywhere near 20mph anyway?
But if there was a highway
But if there was a highway through the centre of the city which cut the place in two, caused a lot of noise and pollution and allowed people to easier avoid visiting the parts of the city which actually make money the speed of cars would be increased and that would be a good thing…for some reason.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
Right. “I can’t average more than 10 MPH because the speed limit is 20, not 30 or 50” is all kinds of stupid.
“Yes and, er, no,” road
“Yes and, er, no,” road safety guru Bob Davis replied. “The only people I have known who went out with uncovered knees at temperatures below 5 Centigrade developed knee problems.”
I was actually lectured on this subject (knee pronblems) by an old pro I cycled with on a cold April morning. He actually said that just because it was Spring didn’t mean that I should have my knees out on a “training ride”. He actually set the temp at 15°C. I did go and buy some knee warmers and I still pretty much stick to this advice.
I’ve always been a reluctant
I’ve always been a reluctant knee uncoverer – my personal theory being that knees need all the tlc they can get. Interesting to see someone else loves knees too.
Was given the same advice for
Was given the same advice for when training (or just bimbling), ‘below 15 degrees, cover the knees’
I can’t work out if these
I can’t work out if these people are stupid, WUMs, or genuine – certainly ignorant of the HC.
https://twitter.com/stuartj0hnson/status/1744619650107723837
Loads of comments about there being enough room and it was easily 1.5m
Oh and “The bike in front needs to get in more!”
They must hit a lot of parked cars as they clearly can’t judge distance.
I think I made a similar
I think I made a similar comment during the pandemic. If drivers think that’s 1.5m how will advising them to keep 2m social distance actually help contain Covid.
If drivers think that’s 1.5m
If drivers think that’s 1.5m how will advising them to keep 2m social distance actually help contain Covid
This nutter BMW driver of PK14 HLW had learned the number, but didn’t think it actually applied. He said ‘I gave you 1.5 metres’, along with threatening to ‘knock me off’ and ‘fucking flatten me’. After much effort by me, the police were eventually persuaded to ‘have a word with him’, but that was only for the threats. The close passing was ignored.
“This is enabling active
“This is enabling active travel”: Council praised for swift clean-up of flooded bike routes
“Nevertheless, despite the good reactive work from the council, Bike Worcester also noted that “while the routes are great for a safer route from the south of the city, they’re the first to close when floods occur.”
The bike paths are close to the river Severn where further upstream numerous areas of flood plains have been built on and flood barriers push more water dowwnstream. Not easily going to stop it from happening.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
— Matthew Acton-VarianThe idea that recent housebuilding and the flood barriers in places like Shrewsbury and Ironbridge are making the problem in Worcester much worse is incorrect. There is virtually no housebuilding on the floodplain areas that could (and do) ease the problem. The barriers protecting vulnerable locations don’t make any difference to river levels further downstream. Look at the vast area submerged at Melverley last week, to name just one of several floodplains:
https://twitter.com/ShropshireMatt/status/1743250491314733508/video/1
The issue is that the bike paths are placed beside or close to the longest river in the country, which is flooding and more and more frequently with the trend towards milder, wetter winters.
I reckon about half the road
I reckon about half the road space in London is used to store empty cars, and most of what is left has one person per car traffic taking up most of the road space. The problem of low traffic speeds in London is caused by too many cars – not 20 mph speed limits.
What is really striking
What is really striking walking back through somewhere like Kensington is just how many cars parked on London streets haven’t moved for months. Cars don’t go green and slimy in a few weeks.
15-minute city pioneer Carlos
15-minute city pioneer Carlos Moreno announces he’s set to lecture at Oxford University on the controversial and misrepresented urban planning concept
I’ll be sending that to my MP, Mark Harper, suggesting that he attends: he really needs educating on his brief.
I’m wondering if Tom-Tom have
I’m wondering if Tom-Tom have bought into the crackpot theories about 15 minute cities or whatever. Or perhaps they’re just short of publicity and think that being disingenuous will endear them to drivers. Well it might, but only the stupid ones.
““Oh yes indeed passing the
““Oh yes indeed passing the cyclists decked out in black, they’ll be finishing work before it gets dark,” Nigel chipped in with the obligatory dark clothing remark.“
Bit ironic that one, given that when it is dark the colour of your clothing doesn’t matter a bit. Black, white, blue, yellow, polka dot – doesn’t make a blind bit of difference because…. it’s f’in dark. Lights and reflectives are the relevant factors in the dark – and can make you far more visible at night while wearing an all black ninja suit than you would be in a hi-vis workman’s jacket during the day.
Is there even a proper
Is there even a proper definition of what Hi-Viz is in a cycling context? Hi-Viz in snow is black, in the dark, reflective (or very light), in the countryside, multi-colour but not green-based.
Tom tom need to go drive in
Tom tom need to go drive in manila. Then complain about long journey tiems.
Took 3hrs to do the a 12mile trip there once.