Snake Pass: Cycling UK to challenge council decision; Cyclists – defeating traffic; ‘If you have to ring your bell too much, you’re in the wrong place for bikes’; Remco and the peloton’s law-breaking motorists; The cost of cycling + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Snake Pass: Cyclists – defeating traffic for over a century (until the council steps in…)
On Monday’s live blog, we featured a very dramatic tweet from everybody’s favourite billionaire Elon Musk, in which he claimed that “defeating traffic is the ultimate boss battle. Even the most powerful humans in the world cannot defeat traffic.”
Alright Elon mate, whatever you say.
To prove the Tesla CEO wrong, one cyclist filmed a wonderful video of his ride up the Peak District’s Snake Pass while it was closed to motor vehicles thanks to ongoing works on the landslide-affected road.
The glorious A57 Snake Pass…
Cycles killing traffic for a 100+ years… pic.twitter.com/5TQqOTqXZx
— Mark Hipwell (@markhipwell1990) March 9, 2022
Sunshine, great roads, remarkable scenery, cyclists of all types, walkers, no cars (alright, one…) – pure bliss.
The video even ends with a pointed message for Mr Musk – “get a bike, you absolute spoon Elon”. Turns out cyclists are the most powerful humans in the world after all. I knew it.
Of course, as we saw yesterday, those delightful images are now a thing of the past, after Derbyshire County Council decided to extend the temporary ban on motor vehicles to include cyclists and walkers as well.
Maybe Elon had a word with somebody at the council…
Cycling UK set to challenge council’s decision on Snake Pass
Some potentially good news on the Snake Pass front, as national cycling charity Cycling UK looks set to challenge the council’s decision to close the road to cyclists and walkers:
Thanks to all who flagged #SnakePass with us. Our campaigns team has looked at the Traffic Regulation Order and is drafting a letter to the council outlining our concern about their decision to close the road to cycling and active travel. More updates to follow.
📸: @panniercc pic.twitter.com/qfIFdKX77s
— Cycling UK (@WeAreCyclingUK) March 10, 2022
The cost of cycling
While fuel prices skyrocket, the cost of riding a bike stays the same. pic.twitter.com/WkY9fYlzRf
— Michael Tomalaris (@miketomalaris) March 9, 2022
A neat pro-cycling line in the midst of the current fuel crisis (from the former host of SBS’s Tour de France coverage no less) – though some were quick to suggest that riding a bike perhaps wasn’t quite the money-saving panacea they hoped it would be…
This is inaccurate. I spend almost all of my disposable income on bikes…
— Russell Gowers (@RussellGowers) March 10, 2022
True Mike, however we all know how much cycling really costs us 🤣😂 pic.twitter.com/hAZ7Z6qJ3y
— Marc A (@Marcb2gc) March 10, 2022
Mullen and Bennett – the new Yates twins?
Whilst @Sammmy_Be and I operate on a very similar IQ level, I’ve signed Sam’s autograph more times than my own this week. I’d like to point out to fans of Paris Nice I’m unfortunately not Sam. I wish I was, but sadly I’m not.
(I’m more disappointed than you are trust me.)— Ryan Mullen (@ryanmullen9) March 10, 2022
For years cycling fans (and some commentators) grappled with one of the sport’s toughest questions – which Yates twin is on the front?
That eternal conundrum was finally solved when Adam moved across to Ineos Grenadiers last year, leaving brother Simon at BikeExchange.
But it seems as if autograph-hunting followers of the sport have been stumped by another puzzle as they mill around the team buses before races: ‘which Irish Bora-Hansgrohe rider am I looking at?’
Bora-hansgrohe DS says Sam Bennett and “super big” Ryan Mullen will “fight any team” https://t.co/JjcCvN0Ura pic.twitter.com/BsAVYr6MPO
— StickyBottle.com 💚 🚲 (@sticky_bottle) January 18, 2022
In fairness, with their full kit on it’s easy to mistake sprinter Sam Bennett and time triallist Ryan Mullen. It used to be simpler when both men rode for different teams, but since Mullen joined Bennett as the Tour de France green jersey winner returned to his old stomping grounds at Bora, the task of distinguishing between the two has been made somewhat more difficult.
And if you don’t keep up with your national championships, that fact that Mullen wears the Irish bands on his kit probably only serves to further confuse matters, rather than work as a handy identifier.
I noticed this phenomenon first-hand at the soaking wet road worlds in Harrogate in 2019. While standing outside the Irish team’s campervan, a knowledgeable fan posed for a photo with one of the riders.
“Good luck, Sam”, she told him.
“Thanks, but I’m Ryan,” came the bemused reply.
I suppose it could be worse for Mullen. About a decade ago, someone congratulated me after hearing that Ryan Mullen (not Mallon) had ridden well at the Irish nationals. Evidently, that particular person hadn’t been paying close attention to my TT times…
British cyclist sets new Everesting world record
He’s only gone and done it… it’s a new World Record!! 🏅 🍾
Incredible ‘Everesting’ effort from Nima Javaheri, climbing the La Croisette mountain over 50 times in 4 days. All in support of our friend David, who has CML, with over £10.5k raised for blood cancer research ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Rs6tmIMKQt
— Blood Cancer UK (@bloodcancer_uk) March 7, 2022
My legs hurt just thinking about this…
Over the weekend, British rider Nima Javaheri set a new Everesting world record of 38,703m – the equivalent of four Mount Everests – by climbing the Col de la Croisette side of Mont Salève, located on France’s border with Switzerland, 57 times over five days.
Taking minimal breaks as per Everesting rules, Javaheri rode for almost 114 hours in total and covered 848 kilometres. He is only the fourth person ever to complete a quadruple Everesting.
As part of his attempt, Javaheri raised over £10,000 for cancer research charity Blood Cancer UK, in support of his friend David Rogers, who has lived with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) since 2013.
Fair play. Kind of puts my Sunday spin into perspective…
The Race to the Sun or the Hunger Games?
Paris-Nice has turned into Hunger Games.
The winner will be the last man standing. #ParisNice https://t.co/slyb2qdjG6
— Sadhbh O’Shea (@SadhbhOS) March 10, 2022
Even though the road only starts to tilt upwards in earnest today, the crashes and the wind has made the opening section of this year’s Paris-Nice particularly brutal (not that the Jumbo-Visma riders have noticed).
18 – 18! – riders who finished yesterday’s time trial failed to take the start this morning, including Matteo Trentin, who seems to be suffering from symptoms of concussion suffered after a crash on stage two, Quick Step’s classics men Yves Lampaert and Zdeněk Štybar, and BikeExchange sprinter Dylan Groenewegen.
According to the Twitter page Domestique, today’s stage features the highest recorded number of DNSs on a single day at a WorldTour stage race. 15 riders failed to start stage 10 of the 2020 Giro d’Italia, while 13 riders registered a DNS before stage 6 of the Tour of the Basque Country in 2015.
Only 126 riders remain in the Paris-Nice peloton, with four days to go – already one fewer than the number which finished the race last year (though, as cycling writer Sadhbh O’Shea pointed out, still some way off the 61 who finished the Covid-hit 2020 edition).
And with snow forecast as the riders enter the mountains, expect the DNS and DNF tally to continue to creep up…
Another bike chain statue for the collection
In the market for a life-sized human figurine made entirely from bike chains? Brilliant, because I have just the thing for you.
Human Figures Formed by Bicycle Chain Contemplate Our Relationship Within the World
https://t.co/XoYAlQSQci— Vanessa Champion (@DragonflyComms) March 9, 2022
Apparently these figures, made by South Korean artist Young-Deok Seo, represent – I think – the striking dichotomy between the things that can both restrain us and also help set us free (think Bruce Springsteen’s The River album but with bike parts, not Cadillacs).
According to the artist, “the figures are completely bound, both literally and figuratively, by a type of chain that typically represents choice and freedom (of travel, of movement)”. Hmmm… yep, I see.
And I’m sure they’ll go well in the living room next to the other bike chain statue you were gifted last Christmas…
Like father, like son
First senior National medal in the team pursuit with the boys 🥉🙌 Bosh pic.twitter.com/aI0CquTHTp
— Ben Wiggins (@benwiggins05) March 9, 2022
Want to feel old? Ben Wiggins – son of Sir Brad – picked up a bronze medal in the team pursuit at this week’s British national track championships.
The 16-year-old was riding for the Fensham Howes–MAS Design team, alongside Alex Beldon, Matthew Brennan and Jed Smithson.
Young Wiggins also clocked a 4:29 in his first crack at a four-kilometre individual pursuit, though hit the deck during the points race.
Along with his track racing, Ben – born almost a year after his dad took three medals, including a gold, at the Athens Olympics – has been trying his luck racing in Europe this season. After struggling at the junior Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, he heads to Nokere Koerse this weekend hoping to build on his track success.
Wait until he grows his first sideburns…
Paris-Nice: Brandon McNulty solos to stage win, while Jumbo-Visma finally show weakness
The quick look at the camera and the celebration 😏
It’s the biggest day of Brandon McNulty’s career – who wins his first ever World Tour stage in style at Paris-Nice 🙌#ParisNice | @BrandonMcNult | @TeamEmiratesUAE pic.twitter.com/O5H1iirnpI
— Eurosport (@eurosport) March 10, 2022
Up until today, the Paris-Nice peloton had been decimated by two things: the flu and Jumbo-Visma.
Well, the flu may still be rampaging around the bunch – a remarkable 22 riders either failed to start or abandoned today’s stage – but Jumbo-Visma’s iron grip on the Race to the Sun was loosened quite dramatically on the roads to Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut, despite Primož Roglič pulling on the yellow jersey at the finish.
There were whispers this morning that the jersey’s previous incumbent, Wout van Aert, could possibly hold on to Sunday’s finish in Nice, especially with bad weather expected to play havoc with the higher and harder climbs over the weekend.
But at the bottom of the day’s last categorised mountain, the Cat One Col de la Mure, van Aert was dropped swiftly and definitively, though whether the cause for this surprise and sudden collapse owes to illness or different goals further down the line is unknown (his team says the latter).
🇫🇷 #ParisNice
Work done for @WoutvanAert. He saves some energy for the things to come.
— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) March 10, 2022
In any case, Jumbo-Visma, the undisputed team of the race, suddenly looked fallible, and their leader Roglič – especially once Rohan Dennis’ spirited stint at the front was up – ominously isolated.
On the final uncategorised climb to Saint-Vincent-de-Durfort, attacks from Dani Martínez, Aleksandr Vlasov and Simon Yates duly followed, though Roglič being Roglič, the Slovenian also put in a few short digs of his own. He takes over yellow, but suddenly the race seems more open than ever.
Ahead of the emerging GC battle, UAE Team Emirates’ Brandon McNulty emulated his leader Tadej Pogačar by soloing away on the Col de la Mure, putting nearly two minutes into his breakaway companions Franck Bonnamour, Matteo Jorgenson and Harm Vanhoucke.
The American’s spectacular lone win, his first WorldTour victory, makes up for a poor start to the race which saw him drop out of the race for yellow.
Remco caught speeding: a short history of the peloton’s law-breaking motorists
It must be tough sometimes being Remco Evenepoel. The latest in the long line of Belgian riders labelled ‘the next Eddy Merckx’, the Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl rider – who has just turned 22 lest we forget – has had the spotlight relentlessly shone on him since he burst onto the scene as an all-conquering junior.
His otherworldly talent has never been in question (as we can see at this week’s Tirreno-Adriatico, where he looks best poised to challenge Tadej Pogačar for the win), though he’s also had to constantly fend off accusations that he’s cycling’s ‘enfant terrible’, a disruptive presence in both his Quick Step team and the Belgian national squad.
This morning’s news – that Evenepoel was fined and banned from driving for three weeks after he was caught speeding at 125km/h (almost 80mph) in a 70km/h zone – certainly won’t dissuade anyone sceptical of the young Belgian sensation’s attitude.
Oh Remco. Not cool. You deserve a longer ban as you should be more aware of the danger posed by asshole drivers than most. https://t.co/Poto3GpuwW
— Journal Velo (@JournalVelo) March 9, 2022
However, Remco certainly isn’t the first high-profile pro cyclist to be caught speeding behind the wheel.
In 2008 Tom Boonen – the original celebrity poster boy of Belgian cycling – lost his driving license for 14 days after his was similarly caught driving at 120km/h in a 70km/h zone.
The speeding offence for Boonen – arguably Belgium’s biggest sporting star at that time – came either side of two positive out-of-competition tests for cocaine in 2008 and 2009 (and another earlier cocaine positive in 2007).
An altogether different character, 2010 Tour de France winner Andy Schleck, successfully appealed a one-month driving ban in 2017 after he was clocked driving at 52mph in a 30mph zone in his native Luxembourg.
Later that year another Tour winner who arguably failed to fulfil his early promise, Jan Ullrich, was handed a £7,700 fine and a suspended 21 month prison sentence after he crashed into two cars in the village of Happerswil in Switzerland.
The German, who has had a number of well-publicised problems with drugs and alcohol, was found to be ‘heavily drunk and medicated’ at the time of the crash. Luckily there were no injuries, despite Ullrich driving at over 130kmph in an 80kmph area before the incident.
Ullrich’s personal demons were certainly not an anomalous feature within the peloton of the 1990s, with some of the sport’s most tragic stars committing driving offences as they struggled with addiction, depression and the after-effects of the sport’s toxic atmosphere in those years.
The mercurial and troubled Belgian star Frank Vandenbroucke, the subject of Andy McGrath’s new book God is Dead, reviewed by road.cc today, was twice stopped by police in 2002 while under the influence of alcohol behind the wheel.
In November 2000, the Giro and Tour winner Marco Pantani damaged eight cars while speeding the wrong way up a street in Cesena. The Italian climber, who by that point had already succumbed to cocaine addiction, despite winning the Ventoux stage of the Tour four months before, was involved in three separate incidents involving cars that day.
The a-Pog-alypse continues at Tirreno-Adriatico
Se acaban los adjetivos para Tadej Pogacar. Es de otro planeta. pic.twitter.com/1F8743Yh7X
— Alfonso Hernández (@AlfonsoH) March 10, 2022
He just can’t help himself, can he?
Tadej Pogačar backed up a potentially generation-defining win at Strade Bianche on Saturday with an almost nonchalant display of power to win stage four of Tirreno-Adriatico today, ahead of Jonas Vingegaard, Victory Lafay and Remco Evenepoel.
A frenetic stage saw Donald Trump’s cycling ambassador Quinn Simmons take the mountains jersey with a strong ride from the break while Ineo Grenadiers rider Richard Carapaz was dropped surprisingly early on.
The final rise to the line in Bellante featured attacks from Evenepoel and Richie Porte, before Pogačar decided to put the hammer down, almost cruising home after the damage was done.
The Slovenian superstar now takes over the blue leader’s jersey from Filippo Ganna, leapfrogging Evenepoel in the process, who remains in second.
With a potential third monument win in less than a year at Milan-Sanremo looming ever larger on the horizon with each passing display of dominance, it’s no surprise the puns are coming in thick and fast:
The Pogalypse is Pognevitable
— Cillian Kelly (@irishpeloton) March 10, 2022
The Poggio has his name on it.
— Daniel Lloyd (@daniellloyd1) March 10, 2022
Weird to think that in only a few years’ time, Eddy Merckx will just be the old Tadej Pogačar.
— G a r y F a i r l e y 🏴🇪🇺 (@TheGaryFairley) March 10, 2022
The laidback, easy-going character of Pog’s dominance on the road is matched only by his post-race interviews. When asked who he was watching during the race, the 23-year-old simply replied: “My team, riding at the front”.
However, interview of the day goes to second-place Vingegaard, who had to ask his interviewer what competition the blue jersey was for, and referred to double world TT champion Ganna as “what’s his name”.
Kids, eh?
Do your self a favour & watch Jonas interview, if you haven’t already.
“Errr what is his name?”
Ganna, his name is Ganna. 🤣brilliant
— Anna Mac (@AnnamacB) March 10, 2022
Tributes pour in for former world junior sprint champion John Paul, who has died suddenly, aged 28
John Paul, a British track cyclist who twice represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games, has died in his sleep aged 28.
Inspired by Chris Hoy’s performances at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Paul (known affectionately as JP) was part of British Cycling’s Olympic Development Programme.
He became junior world and European sprint champion in 2011, and won the junior European title in the keirin in 2011 and 2012.
He placed fourth in the team sprint and 16th in the sprint for Scotland at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Four years later, at his home games in Glasgow, he finished 11th in the keirin.
Glasgow Track Racing Club, who will hold a memorial service for John, said in a statement: “There will be talk of the once in a generation talent that John possessed on a bike, but his ability to inspire, encourage and joke around off the bike was where we valued him most.
“JP was a truly remarkable man, with a love and passion for the sport that he used to help those around him. As a man he was also someone who cared so deeply for his family and took great pride in telling us stories about them.
“We cannot begin to imagine their loss and grief and can only send our love and condolences their way.”
Tributes have poured in from across British and Scottish cycling, with leading riders such as Katie Archibald and Sir Chris Hoy paying their respects to a “much-loved teammate and friend”:
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Great Britain Cycling Team academy rider John Paul.
JP was crowned junior world champion in the sprint in 2011, and was a much-loved teammate and friend to many.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/QsENH2EVIX
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) March 9, 2022
Painfully sad news. I looked up to John Paul – a Scottish rider who made it in the big leagues. Can’t imagine the agony his family feels to have lost him so young. My heart aches to consider it. Rest in peace JP. https://t.co/k0lgFiEsEi
— Katie Archibald (@_katiearchibald) March 10, 2022
Awful news. Rest in peace JP. https://t.co/P8CbvqJnbx
— Sir Chris Hoy (@chrishoy) March 9, 2022
More bells and whistles: ‘If you have to ring your bell too much, maybe you’re in the wrong place for bikes’
Last bit of bell chat, we promise!
We received the following email earlier today, which attempted to place the debate over bell use by cyclists in a rural, horsey context:
The problem with bells is that they are harsh and received as aggressive i.e. ‘get out of my way’.
There is the very real problem, in rural areas, that the sudden and unexpected sound of a bell from behind startles horses with potentially serious implications.
Far better, in most circumstances is a gentle, friendly ‘Hi’, well in advance, and repeated slightly more loudly as required. In the case of horses it is unfamiliar sounds from the blind areas to their rear that is most problematic, so keep making gentle conversation as you pass carefully alongside until the horse can see you.
If you are having to do this often enough that it becomes a pain, maybe you are in the wrong place for bikes.
Some sage and sensible advice concerning behaviour around horses on the road, for sure, and to which I imagine most rural cyclists adhere.
However – just playing Devil’s Advocate here – I wonder how his ‘if you use your bell too much, you’re in the wrong place for cycling’ line would work if applied to motorists and car horns? Just a thought…
Cue the Jaws theme...
We’re pleased to welcome the 2020 winner @mathieuvdpoel in @Stad_Antwerpen next month 🙌 #RVV22 pic.twitter.com/y7dSCZBPBs
— Ronde Van Vlaanderen (@RondeVlaanderen) March 10, 2022
10 March 2022, 09:37
10 March 2022, 09:37
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Latest Comments
@chrisonabike all active travel money should be immediately reallocated to fixing potholes and trimming hedges/vegetation. A lot of the reason why cycling and/or jogging is so difficult in my area is due to road surface quality and getting artificially narrowed by poor maintenance. That way, no more terrible, unpopular "active travel"/segregation decisions that need to be overturned
@jackcycles "a stark throwback to the days just after COVID when the lunatics were briefly left to run the asylum" You mean the Conservative government of Boris? Not a fan of him or Matt Hancock either, but I thought eg. Jonathan Van-Tam did a pretty good job? "All people want is a joined up travel experience where cyclists can use the road – along with all other forms of transport – to get from A to B with the least fuss." I tried that but I found the canal wet, being held up by rollerskaters vexing, dodging the passing lorries at 60mph scary, before I was run over by the train... "Absolutely scandalous waste of taxpayer money"... I quite agree, what on earth are they doing wasting active travel money to make active travel less pleasant (and indeed places less pleasant) and convenient?
Absolutely scandalous waste of taxpayer money that the road was originally shut to cars... A stark throwback to the days just after COVID when the lunatics were briefly left to run the asylum, when activists and agitators ran amok against all rationality and economic sense. How many (less than) useless LTNs and no-car zones were set up at this time, under a supposed free market Tory government, costing countless hours of congestion and destroying livelihoods and town centres? Whilst it's great that the cheque book has been removed, there are yet more brainless initiatives today, such as pointless "20" zones (er, just enforce the existing 30 please). All people want is a joined up travel experience where cyclists can use the road - along with all other forms of transport - to get from A to B with the least fuss. This country isn't set up to remove long-established road infrastructure, and as recent figures revealed countries that have spaffed countless millions on cycling infrastructure (such as the Netherlands) actually have *worse* KSIs than the UK, despite our potholed, shoddy roads.
@mark1212123 "One solution states removing bias in a human being requires a pause before a decision is made." Was the other solution to remove their brain and replace it with something more rational, efficient and dependable?
@mdavidford Hmm, if comparing designs where the load is "between the wheels" (2-wheel "bakfiets" style and 8freight) as opposed to having the load higher (longtail) I wonder? Also unless you're really shifting heavy stuff the main mass is the rider. But I've never ridden a two-wheel front-loader cargo bike (brief use of a 3-wheeler, but that's a different thing again...). I have used some indirect linkage-steer bikes (recumbents) and they all seemed easy enough to learn and manage *. Many (all normal?) bike designs tend self- balance when moving - perhaps this applies to such cargo bikes also? * Aside from brief initial "don't look at the front wheel" confusion. And assuming steering is not loose/faulty, which is likely rarer but still possible with a more direct system. And once you realise your turning circle is more like "car"...
@chrisonabike "Don’t rely strongly on “rules” great point. "How to avoid conflict on the roads?" Not possible. Expecting conflict is the daily for me on uk roads.
@mark1212123 make sure you instruct it that you need your answer in ternary, starting from 1. How to avoid conflict on the roads? Don't travel! How to reduce that but some travel has to happen? Reduce the number of interactions, reduce mental workload, increase the time to detect and deal with conflicts (your "pause"), work *with* human mental architecture (energy-saving behaviours, emotions, strong feelings about "fairness" and "cheating", in-group/out-group effects). What that implies? Don't mix modes of travel where they have very different speeds/mass/behaviour patterns. Mixing *can* occur where you can ensure that modes are more similar (eg.slow down drivers...) Don't rely strongly on "rules" or (signed) instructions for safety - because humans.
@mdavidford "let me know which side the bias is on, and I can start automatically fixing it"...
@qwerty360 Things the Dutch did/do which are not often hailed but are probably crucial: a) many years of recategorising all the roads in the country in terms of a single function. Is this a through-route (which they've also spent years diverting *around* urban areas not through them)? Is it a distributor, or is this a street / place? If like so often in the UK "all of the above" that was fixed. b) The way the various parts of government (and the legal system) work together to deliver all this, and crucially the feedback mechanisms. Apparently they are remarkably light on regulating exactly what can be built, BUT if people are injured using it / there are environmental consequences (including noise!) then people can be held accountable. That means that there is some flexibility to eg. innovate but motivation to voluntarily adopt the (centrally maintained) best practice guidelines. Presimably there is at least a belief that they may have to defend their actions in court.
@qwerty360 it's all tricky in the UK - even ignoring "popular" outpourings about "but my route / parking space!" - since much of the government machine is still set up to work effectively "for" more driving. So "mixed messages"... I think Chris Boardman has been doing a very savvy job. However there are some difficult barriers to this in the UK. There's having "capacity" to make stuff eg. enough people who can avoid getting the details plain wrong / enough financial and political capital to get a project all the way to the end, mostly intact. In the UK with all the "but this local detail, but that requirement" and over 100 years of building in "transport is drive" it's not even simple for those *with* the knowledge to come up with a "good enough" solution that isn't "take up all the roads and let's rethink". (Not a bad idea but not practical).
23 thoughts on “Snake Pass: Cycling UK to challenge council decision; Cyclists – defeating traffic; ‘If you have to ring your bell too much, you’re in the wrong place for bikes’; Remco and the peloton’s law-breaking motorists; The cost of cycling + more on the live blog”
Mass “trespass” planned on
Mass “trespass” planned on Sat
https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/mass-trespass-planned-snake-pass-6779374
There must be millions of
There must be millions of miles of road in the western world that are inherently more dangerous and at much more risk of sudden massive bits of the earth sliding on to them than this infamous Snake Pass…
Old Mam Tor Rd?
Old Mam Tor Rd?
Exactly what I tweeted to
Exactly what I tweeted to Derbyshire CC….. hundreds possibly thousands walk and cycle the old road every week….
Well I for one am glad
Well I for one am glad CyclingUK have solved all of the rest of the UKs roads problems for cycling that they have the time to get involved in this, to write a letter to object about a road closure for safety reasons, of just, checks map, 26.1 miles of road.
Awavey wrote:
So what lengths of road and in what order of priority should CyclingUK be sorting out?
If it took them 30mins to write and send a letter that may open the road to active travel what is the problem? There are far more dangerous roads in the UK than this one for cyclists that are not closed for safety reasons.
I’m not sure why this has upset you so much.
It’s because maybe I think
It’s because maybe I think there are more important things to be worrying about right now.
Maybe if I could not from a quick google instantly find multiple news stories of cyclists being killed, injured and attacked on UK roads on a near daily occurrence, I’d care more about the rights of a bunch of people who want to ride up a big hill because they like the view and the organisations facilitating that and not feel they were simply chasing social media likes, strava kudos and PR.
https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/home/170672/mystery-remains-over-why-experienced-cyclist-died.html
https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/police-hunt-hit-run-driver-6781078
https://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/news/19975422.cyclist-found-lying-borehamwood-street-seriously-injured/
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/cyclist-left-facial-injuries-after-23327579
But there we go, I’m sure there wont be any anti cycling backlash in the media from pursuing that important point of principal on access to Snake Pass whilst its closed or stories like this at all.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dog-leg-amputated-after-being-26429985
I think you’ll find that
I think you’ll find that CyclingUK are involved in a lot more than just this one issue. It’s good that they are taking the opportunity to raise their profile and the profile of cycling. Aside from their membership who pay for them (I assume you are a paying member), many more people benefit from their efforts.
My thoughts are that if the landsilde section is safe for cyclists and walkers to pass then why not open it and use the closure to motor vehicles as an opportunity to promote the area and to welcome people. If it’s unsafe then publish the reasons more clearly and barrier it off accordingly.
Quote:
Riveting stuff. I note they’ve followed artistic convention and so you can’t see the nude figure’s bushings.
Now we just need a bike chain made from hundreds of people.
chrisonatrike wrote:
I think the Tour de France has had that covered many times.
Just seen this on twitter
Just seen this on twitter
hirsute wrote:
Holding up traffic for 9 seconds (even if it was willful rather than accidental) seems a trivial offense for them to issue a NIP for. I don’t think it’s in the public interest for them to pursue it, I mean what’s the likely court outcome of that? Maybe 9 seconds of community service?
It’s actually worth going to
It’s actually worth going to court and risking a fine because the chances are the law breaking motorist will have nothing against them and the sheer embarrassment to the police as it becomes a national story, even for cycling hate clicks, will be a political embarrassment.
9 seconds, de minimis hold up. Amazed the CPS have allowed it to go ahead and bet it would get dropped
Legal advice from peppipoo.com should be good enough, but if you are a member of British Cycling, they might also be keen to support you. Probably a few barristers who would pro bono for you too.
So don’t panic. If it comes to it, I’d happily crowd fund a fine for them, I mean what’s it going to be?
IanMSpencer wrote:
Is that related to the Streisand Effect?
IanMSpencer wrote:
Thinking about this some more – maybe the police are simply writing up all the offences that they’ve seen on the video and issued NIPs for them all, knowing that the CPS will just drop the 9 second delay one.
Count me in for a
Count me in for a contribution too. Also consider Cycling UK.
On a different note, it’s interesting to note the priorities of our under resourced police force.
The next bit of that twitter
The next bit of that twitter thread goes on to say
Yes I saw that !
Yes I saw that !
This just popped up too
Hi Tom. It looks like this might already be in hand but if you need more support please contact RoadJustice@bristolcycling.org.uk for advice. We are in regular contact with AS Police and can escalate the issue.
So, just to make sure I’m
So, just to make sure I’m following recent stories on here. Drive into a cyclist, and you just get a warning letter. But a cyclist holds up traffic for nine seconds and they get prosecuted.
Yes, that makes sense. I hope he takes this all the way – I’d be happy to chip in on any necessary crowd funding to support.
‘The cost of riding a bike
‘The cost of riding a bike stays the same.’
“That’s not entirely accurate.” – bloke from Independence Day.
Are there any Councils out
Are there any Councils out there that activity encourage cycling? Here in East Cheshire they so anti cycling it’s unbelievable! Even though the leader himself “claims” to be one!
Greater Manchester? They’ve
Greater Manchester? They’ve had the good advice (Boardman) and seem to have the ambition. Although I’ve learned it’s a bit like London and they have to convince other authorities. Plus the government has held them up on a couple of points..
Re. ‘if you use your bell too
Re. ‘if you use your bell too much, you’re in the wrong place for cycling’ – that’s probably true. But that’s mainly because we generally don’t have a right place for cycling in our transport system.