Cyclist hospitalised after crashing into garden waste “maliciously” dumped on cycle path; No sticky bottles for Bardet Jnr; Arsenal’s squad cycle to work; Is it time for a grey jersey at the Tour de France?; New LEJOGLE attempt + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
The Next Generation in Training: Bardet Jnr takes on the dreaded feed zone (with no hint of a sticky bottle in sight)
After storming up the Puy de Dôme on Sunday, three-year-old Angus Bardet – the real star of this year’s Tour de France, I’m sure you’d all agree – spent yesterday’s rest day practising his bidon-grabbing technique, thanks to a cross-peloton souvenir from Lidl-Trek:
Bardet junior in training with his new @LidlTrek bidon! What a Lidl legend 😂👏🏼 @romainbardet #TDF2023 https://t.co/4FUu08d2aB pic.twitter.com/N5rCTqhmLg
— Team dsm-firmenich (@TDSM_Firmenich) July 10, 2023
Judging by that clip, it seems as if young Angus hasn’t inherited his father’s penchant for super sticky bottles, anyway…
> Stickiest of ‘sticky bottles’ gets Romain Bardet kicked out of Paris-Nice
I for one can’t wait for the 2043 Tour, when Bardet Jnr will be battling for the yellow jersey against Macs Thomas and Lev Roglič, while Casper Cavendish is busy mopping up the sprints…
Terrible football team arrives at training camp in style for once (wait, what do you mean this headline is “biased”?)
If you’re even an occasional viewer of Sky Sports News, you’ll be aware that most footballers turn up for training in their flashy supercars or enormous, atrocious-looking SUVs.
But that wasn’t the case yesterday for Arsenal’s squad, who – I will grudgingly admit – rocked up to their German training camp at the Adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach in some style, for once…
Arriving in style 😎🚲😍 https://t.co/DZKmxg1Zuf
— London Cycling Campaign (@London_Cycling) July 11, 2023
After that brief spin to training, poor Dan may have to find some additional room on the bench for his star-studded Footballers Who Cycle XI…
Or maybe they’re all just trying out the club’s new cycle to work scheme?
And… we’re back!
Apologies for the technical hiccups this morning, everyone, we’ve just been trying to get to grips with having two live blogs on the site at the same time.
(Two live blogs, Jeremy, two? That’s insane.)
And speaking of that pesky second blog, why not take a quick glance at all the admittedly decent deals on cycling kit and accessories going on at the mindlessly materialist capitalism fest that is Amazon Prime Day…
> Best Amazon Prime Day cycling deals live blog
Right, that’s that bit done, I’m off to my local bike shop (oh look, 30 percent off a Garmin – where’s my log-in details?)…
Is it time for a grey jersey at the Tour de France?
With Tadej Pogačar all but certain to add a fourth white jersey to his collection at this year’s Tour de France, eclipsing Jan Ullrich and Andy Schleck as the most successful ‘young rider’ in the race’s history in the process, it’s fair to say that the debate over the relevance of that particular competition in the modern era isn’t a new one.
And with potential GC contenders getting younger and younger – don’t be shocked if Juan Ayuso inherits his UAE Team Emirates mate’s white jersey next year – there is a strong case for a rejigging of the Young Rider’s category (which is currently for whipper snappers under the age of 25) to better reflect the changing tides of grand tour racing and pro rider development.
Or, if you’re listening to Geraint Thomas and the Watts Occurring podcast, ASO should – instead of tweaking the white jersey – simply throw a bone to the old fogies and introduce a Masters-style category for GC men in their 30s…
It's official: we're starting a Watts Occurring campaign! It's time for a grey jersey at the #TdF2023
Who fancies designing one for us? 🎨 pic.twitter.com/O5U3EJFvAK
— Watts Occurring (@Watts_Occurring) July 11, 2023
‘And collecting the first ever grey jersey, and his prize zimmer frame, it’s Geraint Thomas!’
Well, a win’s a win, as G says himself…
Get the TV on, the start of today’s Tour stage could be feisty…
You know it’s going to be a 🌶️ start when the guys are on the rollers before neutral ⚡️#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/xW1sPJfv84
— Team dsm-firmenich (@TDSM_Firmenich) July 11, 2023
A pre-stage roller session means only one thing: a big fight for the breakaway on today’s lumpy, and therefore break-favouring, jaunt to Issoire. Get the popcorn ready…
Bristol-based cyclist aims to break female LEJOGLE record
When you head out for a leisurely post-work spin this evening, spare a thought for Louise Harris, who is now on the sixth day of her mammoth attempt to break the Guinness World Record for riding from Land’s End to John O’Groats… and back.
The Bristol-based endurance cyclist is aiming to break the LEJOGLE record of 11 days, 13 hours, and 13 minutes, set by 54-year-old Marcia Roberts, who battled through Storm Francis and saddle sores to become the first woman to officially record a time for the long ride south to north and back again in January 2022.
Louise reached John O’Groats, her halfway mark, just before 11pm last night, after four days and 17 hours in the saddle. According to her live tracker, she’s currently making her way back down the A9, approaching Brora, on her way to Inverness.
As well as the record attempt, Louise is putting herself through days of pain and suffering on the bike to raise awareness and money for the charity Galgos Del Sol, which rescues, rehomes, and rehabilitates Galgos, a Spanish breed of hunting dog. You can find more information about her attempt and the charity on Louise’s JustGiving page.
I told you it was going to be good…
So, to say the start of stage ten of the Tour de France has been frenetic would be an understatement…
🤩 You missed them? They’re back in action! Jonas Vingegaard and @TamauPogi are part of a group in pursuit including also @romainbardet and the Yates brothers.
🤩 Ils vous avaient manqués ? Jonas Vingegaard et @TamauPogi sont partis en contre dans un groupe.#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/4Y7nCUkvPh
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 11, 2023
The opening, hilly kilometres out of Vulcania have been absolutely chaotic – attacks are flying everywhere, a group containing Vingegaard, Pogačar, and the Yates twins briefly slipped up the road, Bora and Ineos were forced to chase like the clappers, and GC contenders David Gaudu and Romain Bardet (who had previously been joining in on the attacks), as well as Wout van Aert, are now suffering off the back, almost two minutes down on the rest of the favourites.
And with Matej Mohorič and Julian Alaphilippe driving it on at the front at the moment, the pace won’t be relenting anytime soon.
How good is this?! #TDF2023
— Daniel Lloyd? (@daniellloyd1) July 11, 2023
I’ll see you all in three hours… (I’m joking – kind of.)
Mark Cavendish’s Tour de France bikes through the years
From the Giant TCR and Scott Addict of the late 2000s, to the ultra-modern Specialized Tarmac SL7, take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about Mark Cavendish’s record-equalling Tour de France career, by way of the Manx Missile’s stage-winning steeds…
Things you see at the Tour de France…
Joli geste des assistants de la @LidlTrek qui occupent notre après-midi en fanfare 🫶🏻 #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/OewRhjOoZ3
— Gabriel (@GabDeix12) July 11, 2023
Encouraging banana that vaguely resembles Tom Pidcock. Because of course 😁 #TDF2023@OutOfCycling pic.twitter.com/cgJzyaaXV6
— Katy M, Tour Edition (@writebikerepeat) July 11, 2023
And in 40°C heat too, fair play.
Oh wait, there’s more…
Everyone celebrates the Tour in their own way. This chap dresses as a fish with a Pinot sign 😅🇫🇷#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/CrfaISye8s
— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 11, 2023
I reckon the Pinot-supporting fish beats the Banana-wearing Pidcock lookalike in the crazy fan stakes, but that’s just me (and if you couldn’t tell already, things have calmed a bit in the actual race. Just a bit, mind you).
Future of cycling hub and café secured after council agrees freehold purchase
The future of a much-loved cycling hub and café in Greater Manchester has been secured after Manchester City Council agreed to purchase its freehold.
The purchase of Station South, located on Levenshulme’s Stockport Road, means that the active travel hub will be able to continue to provide a dedicated space for cyclists, as well as the wider community through its café and bar.
Very relieved and pleased to see this development and the #communityinvestment secured into the long term.
Well done @manchestercitycouncil @bevcraig for securing this asset into the long term and showing faith in the @stationsouth vision and progresshttps://t.co/BdDvNH2Rk6
— Pauline Johnston (@civicandsocial) July 11, 2023
Following the purchase, Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Embedding ideas around sustainable travel within our communities is a key part of fulfilling our ambitions around encouraging more people to cycle.
“Station South has already proven its value to residents in Levenshulme, acting as a hub where people can meet likeminded people who can act as torchbearers for cycling across the wider community.
“We look forward to growing our relationship with Station South ensuring their long-term sustainable future.”
“After a period of uncertainty about who our future landlords would be, we are delighted with the news that Manchester City Council are taking ownership of the freehold,” Abigail Pound, Station South’s managing director, added.
“This is a huge vote of confidence in what we’ve achieved so far and the potential for the future; ensuring that the investment that has been made will continue to benefit the community in the very long term.”
Why don’t cyclists use the cycle lane? Eh, because I can barely see it: Cyclists slam overgrown bike path now “less than half its original width”
Overgrown cycleways are becoming a bit of a theme this summer, it seems…
After this morning’s complaints of a narrow, ill-kempt off-road bike path in Bury St Edmunds, cyclists in Oxfordshire have complained to the local council about the cycle lane on the A40 between Witney and Oxford, which they say has become overgrown with grass and weeds, reducing it to “less than half its original width”.
“It is now very dangerous to pass oncoming cyclists and pedestrians safely,” Witney cyclist Paul Elliott told the Oxford Mail about the untidy bike lane.
“The grass and weeds have encroached onto the actual path making it less than half its original width. I’ve reported this several times over the last few years to FixMyStreet, each time being told this complaint is closed or already reported by someone else.
“This is a complete joke. If the maintenance was kept up it would cost less in the long term.”
Other residents using Fix My Street have also raised concerns about overhanging trees on the cycleway, with one noting that “it is not possible to cycle along this stretch without having to lower your head”.
“This stretch of the cycle path is sloped and consequently is a fast section when travelling towards Oxford with no barriers between the cycle path and major trunk road,” the local said.
“If a cyclist were to collide with this tree branch, the cyclist would fall into the traffic lane of the A40 with traffic arriving from behind with the potential for very serious injuries.”
Another added: “The footpath around the pull-in at the bus stop is so overgrown that it is now almost impassable. This is dangerous for pedestrians and cyclist alike as it forces them to proceed onto the highway, in the opposite direction to the traffic flow.”
In response, Oxfordshire County Council said that work was carried out on the path in June, but following another inspection last week, further trimming will be commissioned – despite the authority’s claim that the path is still “able to be used”.
“Cold blooded” Pello Bilbao takes emotional stage win and surges up GC on frantic, scintillating day at the Tour de France
Pello Bilbao dédie sa victoire à Gino Mäder sur le podium. #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/BuqmBoIisa
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) July 11, 2023
On a baking hot day in central France Pello Bilbao proved he possessed the breakaway’s coolest head, refusing to panic during a chaotic finale before outsprinting Georg Zimmermann in Issoire to secure his first ever Tour de France stage win, 13 years into his pro career.
The 33-year-old Basque climber’s tactical nous not only netted him the emotional victory – which he dedicated to Bahrain Victorious teammate and friend Gino Mäder, who died following a crash at last month’s Tour de Suisse – but also saw him vault up the GC to fifth place, following one of the most anarchic Tour stages in recent memory.
The constantly lumpy 167km across the Massif Central, played out in stifling 35°C-plus heat, had everything you could possibly want from a Tour de France stage.
A frenetic opening hour saw the big two, Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, skip up the road in an early break, forcing the teams of other GC contenders, such as Ineos and Bora, into a desperate chase.
Even once that plucky move was extinguished, the relentless pace, and perhaps a touch of post-rest day lethargy, saw French hopes David Gaudu and Romain Bardet stranded out the back, two minutes down. After another fierce chase from behind, a gathering of Jumbo-Visma riders finally restored a semblance of order by the stage’s halfway mark.
(A.S.O./Charly Lopez)
Not that that message was relayed to the riders who eventually constituted the breakaway, however, with different groups coalescing and fracturing in equal measure throughout the hilly finale (nor was it passed onto perennial rivals Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, who briefly – and rather mysteriously – launched a joint attack, for the iconic imagery it would generate if nothing else).
The constant chaos of the stage’s opening portion gave way to an equally chaotic and delicately poised three-tier pursuit match towards the finish, as Israel-Premier Tech’s incredibly strong Krists Neilands forged ahead alone into a strong wind, in a bid to hold off a group containing Bilbao, Zimmerman, Esteban Chaves, and a resurgent Ben O’Connor.
Behind that group, an intimidating quartet of Mattias Skjelmose, Julian Alaphilippe, Warren Barguil, and Michal Kwiatkowski lurked menacingly but ultimately toothlessly in the background.
With Neilands eventually brought to heel, the closing kilometres were exhilaratingly fluid, as attacks formed and evaporated in the scorching heat like a distracted child’s ice cream.
But amidst all the chaos, Bilbao remained present and cool, following Zimmerman’s late attack, before taking advantage of the German’s involuntary lead out and shockingly large gear to seal an emotional, and perfectly executed, win.
Pello Bilbao judged the finale to perfection 💪
The Team Bahrain Victorious rider wins Stage 10 of the Tour de France from the breakaway and dedicates the victory to Gino Mäder ❤️️
______________
🇫🇷 #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/xVG60sHEZL— Velon CC (@VelonCC) July 11, 2023
“Neilands did an impressive attack. I think he was the strongest one but he spent a lot of energy with a hard wind in the face,” Bilbao, whose win and three-minute advantage over the peloton also saw him move up to fifth on GC and firmly enter the battle for an overall podium place, said after the stage.
“In the back group, we collaborated and in the last 3km I knew I was probably the fastest man in the group. I took the responsibility, I closed the gap to O’Connor first, then with cold blood let Zimmermann make his sprint and got on the wheel, and then went full in the last 200 metres without thinking of nothing.”
Dedicating his victory to the memory of Mäder, an emotional Bilbao added: “I crossed the line and just put out all the anger I had inside, remembering the reason for this victory. It’s a special one for Gino. It was the only reason. It was hard to prepare the last two weeks with him in mind. I put all my positive energy to do something nice in the Tour.”
Cyclist hospitalised and left coughing up blood after crashing into garden waste “maliciously” dumped on cycle path
We’re kicking things off on today’s blog with a rather unusual, and extremely dangerous, example to file in the by-now bulging ‘Why some cyclists don’t use cycle paths’ folder…
Last month, a pensioner from Bury St Edmunds was seriously injured after crashing into a pile of garden waste that had been dumped across a rural off-road cycle path.
Ted Saunders, who’s in his 60s, suffered two broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a collapsed lung in the crash, and was coughing up blood during his four-day stint in West Suffolk Hospital, Suffolk News reports.
The cyclist’s wife Liane said the decision to dump the waste at the end of a popular cycle path – either through “thoughtlessness or maliciousness” – “is beyond my comprehension”.
At around 7.45am on 25 June, during an early morning spin, Ted was riding along National Cycle Route 13 when he collided with the garden waste, which was obscured by both the direction the cyclist was travelling from and the overgrown nature of the route.
“Because of the time of year, the cycle path was a bit overgrown anyway, that’s why he was concentrating on avoiding the brambles and the overhead, by the time he noticed the debris it was too late to do anything,” Liane said. “He went over and his bike went after him.”
After Ted was released from hospital, Liane noticed on a local Facebook group that another resident had posted a photograph of the fly-tipping and reported it to West Suffolk Council, who removed the waste.
> Popular walking and cycling path “(almost) inaccessible to motorists” blocked by crashed car
“I just thought this is unbelievable,” Liane continued.
“Someone has either been very, very thoughtless or they’ve made a conscious decision to put a whole load of garden waste at the end of a very narrow, dark, rural, cycle path. Then I got a bit annoyed.
“It could have been worse, he could have been knocked out and nobody would have known where he was.”
Liane, who reported the incident to the council and the police, says: “I just don’t understand why they did it there, and when I have shown other people they have said ‘that looks deliberate, that looks malicious’.
“We know that fly-tipping happens, you see it as you go past and it is unsightly and hazardous. But to put it at the end of a cycle path, something that people are using, it is beyond my comprehension.”
According to Liane, over two weeks after the crash Ted remains in “a great deal of pain” and is struggling to sleep.
“The result of this accident is that he won’t be able to go to the gym for a while or cycle,” she says. “That’s the big downside of it, just from someone’s thoughtlessness or maliciousness.”
> Cyclist seriously injured after wire stretched across bike path
A spokesperson for West Suffolk Council said: “Those who illegally dump waste or allow others to do so on their behalf are criminally liable and can cause harm to others as well as the local environment.
“We are sorry to hear of the injuries to the cyclist caused by the illegal and thoughtless acts of others and wish him well in his recovery.
“We removed the fly-tipping as soon as we were able and would warn people that they cannot only be prosecuted for fly-tipping but can be liable if they have their waste taken away and it is dumped as they need to take reasonable steps to check if the people they are using are registered waste carriers.”
And just when you thought upended cars were your only worry on off-road bike paths…
11 July 2023, 10:06
Does this road count as a gravel route now?
"Embarrassing and dangerous": Cyclists' disbelief at road resurfaced with sea of loose chippings
Aberdeenshire Council responds to cyclist's claim he's "genuinely never seen anything quite like it"
11 July 2023, 10:06
Help us to bring you the best cycling content
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.
44 Comments
Read more...
Read more...
Read more...
Latest Comments
Same here. I have a helmet with built in front and rear lights and have a red light clipped onto my bag plus lights attached to my bike front and rear but still have drivers putting me in danger. My commute is about two miles and I normally have around four incidents a week where I have to brake hard or take other evasive action to avoid being hit by distracted drivers. A big percentage of these are drivers coming on to roundabouts when I am already on them.
Glasgow's South City Way sounds great, does it not? As a user from before and after I wholeheartedly welcome the construction of the segregated route, but so much of the detailed construction is poor, if not unsafe. I provide a link to a presentation I made when construction was half complete (a personal view) and the construction errors remain outstanding to this day: crossed by high speed flared road junctions, poor colour differentiation, car door zone risks and so on. And yet cyclists come because they feel safe. It's a complex subject but IMHO the feeling of safety (or lack of) is a critical component. https://drive.proton.me/urls/B67AK44G90#CFueBGjscoWr
I can only conclude that you haven't been into a city in the last few years. Food delivery riders in particular are riding overpowered "eBikes" that are basically mopeds ... powered only via the throttle without pedalling at significantly more than 15mph. Problem is they look like normal bikes/ebikes and not like mopeds so that is what people describe them as. My reading of the article is that it is those vehicles that are being talked about here.
I have the Trace and Tracer, which have essentially the same design, albeit smaller and less powerful. The controls are a little complicated but only because there are loads of options. In reality, once you've chosen your level of brightness, you'll only cycle through 1 or 2 options and it's dead simple. The lights are rock solid, bright, with good runtimes. The only thing I find annoying is charging them - if your fingers are slightly wet or greasy, getting the rubber out of the way of the charging port is a pain in the arse.
Dance and padel is all very well, but when is Strava going to let me record my gardening?
You can use it to check whether it's raining.
If it's dusk, i.e. post-sunset, then the cyclists should have lights on and thus the colour of their top is irrelevant. If you want to complain about cyclists not having lights when it's mandatory then by all means do but their top has nothing to do with it.
All of my Exposure lights with a button allow cycling through the modes with a short press. I have five of those; it would be odd if Exposure didn’t allow this functionality with the Boost 3. I also have two Exposure Burners if I remember correctly: they are rear lights for joysticks that clip on and are powered through the joystick charging port. They don’t have a button. None of my Exposure lights have failed. I looked at the Boost 3 review photos but none showed the button, so far as I could tell. I also have Moon lights. Good experience generally. One did fail, possibly because it was so thin it used to fall through the holes in my helmet onto the ground. Also, the UI and charge indicators vary for my Moon lights. Perhaps the latest ones are more consistent. My worst lights ever were from See.Sense.
Steve really doesnt like exposure products does he? Boost and Strada marked down for being too complicated. While the Zenith and Six Pack reviewed by his colleagues give them rave reviews (as most exposure products have on road.cc), the Zenith even touted as 'even more intuitive to use' with the same controls.
They are more interested in dog shit. https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/people/lancaster-police-launch-search-for-person-who-sprayed-dog-faeces-with-pink-paint-5605519
44 thoughts on “Cyclist hospitalised after crashing into garden waste “maliciously” dumped on cycle path; No sticky bottles for Bardet Jnr; Arsenal’s squad cycle to work; Is it time for a grey jersey at the Tour de France?; New LEJOGLE attempt + more on the live blog”
Quote:
Unless they have started DNA-registering hydrangeas, they forget to mention that there is not a chance in h*ll of them finding who dumped a big pile of garden waste.
(Household waste, with old labels or letters in with it: now that they can trace).
That all being said, that is one of the most overgrown cycle paths I’ve seen in a while, and they are right that it does look like the waste was piled right there on purpose.
A-barrier I looked at this
A-barrier I looked at this morning on the side of a cycle path!
I have no idea what was there when it was installed 25 years ago.
(No subject)
If the story about riding
If the story about riding into the fly-tipped waste was intended to generate sympathy for the rider then it hasn’t worked for me. How on earth does anyone riding appropriately crash into that without seeing it? On a daily basis we lambast car drivers that try the ” I couldn’t see you because of the bright sunlight/overgrown foliage/distractions on the pavement etc etc”, yet here we are trotting out exactly the same excuse! It’s a good job the waste wasn’t a small child, elderly person on a mobility scooter or the like! The waste pile is only yards from a bollard that presumably marks the transition to a different type of road/junction – why would anyone be riding at a speed from which they couldn’t stop when they are approaching that or have just come through it????
Always travel at a speed in
Always travel at a speed in which you can stop in the distance you see is clear.
We have to be honest with
We have to be honest with ourselves. In night without artificial lighting and using only the vehicle’s light, I believe around 90% of both drivers and cyclists traveling at their normal cruise speed cannot stop in time if there is a dark wall in the middle of the road around 3 feet tall. Things for cyclists may be even worse given the poor lights many have. I see drivers in unlit motorways speeding at 120mph and imagine how could they possibly stop in an emergency and the same goes for skinny tired caliper brake bikes with insufficient lights.
The big difference is that cars are much more likely injury to themselves or others by such an accident compared to cyclists. Cyclists vs pedestrian accidents for me is in the sticken by a lightning probability area, so better not exaggerate.
You read the bit about this
You read the bit about this happening at 7:45am in late June, right? It’s been light for about 3 hours by that time!
Even in broad daylight, there
Even in broad daylight, there is so much shrubbery both to the sides and overhead that a decent amount of natural light will be blocked. Weather conditions at the time could also play a part.
Okay, so we’ve established
Okay, so we’ve established that visibility may have been reduced, so why wasn’t the speed reduced to match?
I’m always banging on about how drivers should be following HC rule 124, and that this rule should actually take precedent over the posted speed limit. So I can’t exactly not hold cyclists to the same standard. If you’re riding so fast that you can’t react to a large, stationary obstacle; that’s on you.
<pedant> I think you mean Rule 126 (Rule 125 also very relevant). Ironically enough, Rule 124 is about following the posted speed limit. </pedant>
OnYerBike wrote:
You’re right, I typed the wrong one. I meant 125 (also 146, 154). Basically, driving to visibility/weather/surface conditions, not just blindly ploughing on at whatever the speed limit is. A particular bugbear of mine out here in the countryside where most of the “roads” are glorified footpaths, all signposted at NSL.
BalladOfStruth wrote:
yes, if there are no lights national speed limit applies, no matter how unsuitable. Obviously we can just leave it to the discretion of drivers, what could go wrong after all?
OnYerBike wrote:
You realise you are making the HC sound like Space Corp Directives…
I agree with you that rule
I agree with you that rule
124<correction as per OnYerBike – 126*> should absolutely be first point of call, however, if it were to be applied strictly everyone would be going nowhere. If something looks like the road surface bacause its colour somewhat matches that surface you naturally ajudge it to be safe.Potholes whilst driving in any conditions outside of clear visibility will look deceptively innocuous for their size right up until the point you can’t avoid it.
The distraction of the overgrowth encroaching onto the space riders take up will also add to the ability to misjudge anything. Being, as per article, on a section of path hidden from view until very close, your suggestion would mean everyone would have to creep around the corner. No bike has a bottom gear small enough for a comfortable cadence at that speed. Are you telling me anyone has the patience and balancing skills to effectively go sub 1mph round a semi-blind bend?
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
Don’t agree with this at all. If it’s a winding, narrow road with poor visibility, I don’t think that asking people to drive to the conditions is unreasonable, and I don’t think it means that nobody would get anywhere. I live in rural Carmarthenshire, most of my driving is on glorified NSL footpaths that are winding, blind and poorly surfaced. I have no trouble getting about by doing 35-45 on the windy bits instead of 60. The hot-hatches I have to dig out of my boundary hedges on a near-weekly basis because people think that they can just do 60 regardless, they’re not getting anywhere.
Right. But obvious obstacles, like giant, fuck-off piles of fly-tipped garden waste don’t. Again – I’ve always lived in remote countryside and I’ve always been wary of stuff like shed-loads, downed trees, escaped cows/sheep. I’ve always thought it best to navigate poorly-visible stretched of road at a speed where I can deal with these obstacles instead of, y’know, dying.
Not sure I’m with you on this one either. The interior of potholes are usually cast in shadow (especially at night) and usually stick out as a big black spot in the road. I’ve never once, in 18 years of driving, had an issue avoiding one. Even when I lived in rural Gloucestershire where the potholes occasionally have road around them.
Okay, so slow down. That’s my whole point.
Not “creep”, just a speed where you can stop within the amount of path you can see to be clear – on a blind, sweeping corner, this could be 5-8mph with the brakes covered, instead of 15mph.
I don’t care. Coast.
Where are you getting sub-1mph from? What situation would ever require that? Just a reasonable speed that allows you to avoid unforeseen obstacles instead of ploughing into them.
Came home by car about 10
Came home by car about 10 years ago. Went around a double bend to find an ambulance parked outside one of the few houses.
Could not get past immediately and spent the next 15- 20 seconds looking in the mirror waiting to be hit.
Still get twitchy when I see drivers ahead taking that bend too fast
That means you slow down then
That means you slow down then.
Otherwise it is just drivist excuse levels.
Like I said. Does everyone
Like I said. Does everyone have the balancing skills to effectively trackstand at sub 1mph round a bend? Not likely. To go slower than 5mph in a car you have to ride the clutch, or the brake pedal in an automatic. But cars have four contact points and are stable when stationary. Bikes are not. I thought that was infant school science.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
C’mon, this is slightly ridiculous now – where are you getting sub 1mph (or 5mph in a car) from? The average walking speed is nearly 4mph, what’s your stopping distance on foot?
It is absolutely, perfectly, totally reasonable to expect cyclists (and drivers) to navigate corners at a speed where they can stop in the amount of road (or cycle path) that they can see to be clear, and that won’t ever require “track-standing round corners”. If it’s a blind, sweeping corner, just 5-8mph with the brakes covered instead of 15mph. Is that honestly such a big ask?
Also, the bloke is “in his
Also, the bloke is “in his 60s”. I doubt at that age he was even travelling at any decent speed. Such information has not been disclosed. Everyone’s acting like he took the path like Tom Pidcock descending Ventoux and yet he could have been going little over walking pace. Serious injuries become increasingly likely even when normally innocuous accidents occur. Or are we all fast approaching that age so we are all in denial as such?
Throwing the “drivists excuse” stance back at you, old people sould stop cycling as well as driving for their own safety as they are no longer fit to do either, is that what you’re saying? Because let’s face it, it really sounds like it.
You’ve gone off at some
You’ve gone off at some tangent here. I haven’t made a comment on fitness and age.
Older drivers go slower to compensate for their slower reactions. I guess cyclists do too. I’ll let you know in 20 + years time.
The adage remains to be able to stop in the distance you can see to be safe. Options are scooting or walking if your balance at a low speed is an issue.
Ah yes. As a bloke in his
Ah yes. As a bloke in his sixties I always carry a zimmer frame with me when I go for a bike ride. Just in case.
Well that sounds inconvenient
Well that sounds inconvenient. What about these instead?
That will do nicely, thankyou
That will do nicely, thankyou.
This forum has a lot to
This forum has a lot to answer for! My first thought on seeing that picture was that there was a squirrel’s tail coming out of the chainring.
Seems to be here. If so, one
Seems to be here. If so, one of the most pointless path cut-throughs imaginable. That can be blamed on the council for creating it and/or not maintaining it, or the rider for actually using it!
Looks like the kind of spot flytippers love, don’t think malice needs to be ascribed where laziness and stupidity explains more than adequately.
Anyway, hope the chap has a speedy recovery and gets back on his bike soon.
This sort of arrangement
This sort of arrangement (different entrances / exits for different directions of travel) is perfectly commonplace. To suggest it’s the rider’s fault for using a legitimate cycle route is pretty tasteless.
As someone else has written, fly-tipping is always malicious – perhaps not in the sense that they intend it to cause someone physical harm, but in the sense that it is an intentional act designed to avoid the hassle (and usually financial cost) of properly disposing of waste. People don’t do it just out of laziness or stupidity.
In addition, the fact that it
In addition, the fact that it is part of the National Cycle Route Network means that councils have an obligation to maintain them. This may have been a first instance of fly tipping at this spot, at which point the dangers are very much not expected, from anyone. But it had to become an attractive place to fly tip in the first place for someone to actually do it. If it has happened multiple times then the council are very much inclined to take preventative measures, otherwise face pressures from the NCN and the Government.
Either way, if the pathway was properly maintained, it is unlikely the waste would have been dumped there, unless it was specifically done as a malicious trap.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
Really? Someone had better tell Cambridgeshire CC.
I agree ties in with a report
I agree ties in with a report of waste blocking on the path reported a few days after the accident on the Suffolk report a pothole site.
garden waste is a weird one though, in terms of fly tippage, theres plenty of other rubbish that gets dumped on lanes like this, as we do have brown bins, even if some local councils do charge for their use
As I said yesterday, remember
As I said yesterday, remember the name, Angus Bardet. Definitely a future star in the making.
Bardet, bardet, ba wadlida
Bardet, bardet, ba wadlida day, ay, ay, bardet, bardet…
So much for global warming.
So much for global warming. Was overtaken at lunch time by a gritter actually gritting the main road. Must be a risk of snow, ice and hail in Essex !
That wasn’t gritting, that
That wasn’t gritting, that was pothole repairs if the ones round me are anything to go by.
EDIT: see, this is how this repair works: https://road.cc/content/news/cyclists-disbelief-embarrassing-and-dangerous-road-302487
Unfortunately my battery gave
Unfortunately my battery gave out on the way back so no photo to prove it !
Another beating and bike
Another beating and bike theft, this time in Gosport.
https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2023-07-10/cyclist-suffered-bleed-on-brain-after-group-of-teenagers-beat-him-up
Paris to charge SUV drivers
Paris to charge SUV drivers higher parking fees to tackle ‘auto-besity’ (Grauniad)
Size, weight and motor will be taken into account as councillors target ‘dangerous, cumbersome’ vehicles
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/11/paris-charge-suv-drivers-higher-parking-fees-tackle-auto-besity
Auto-besity: I’m stealing
Auto-besity: I’m stealing that.
Definitely time for a rethink
Definitely time for a rethink about the white jersey, which is clearly more or less worthless to the new young GC riders, indeed their body language at the presentations often seems to say they would far rather be getting on with their recovery then hanging around for a pointless jersey. Change it to best placed GC rider who’s been on the world tour two years or fewer?
Rendel Harris wrote:
Or lose it completely.
Quote:
I’d always assumed that was an intentional feature of most cycle paths.
Couple ordered to remove DIY
Couple ordered to remove DIY bike parking space on public road outside their home
They swapped their car for a big cargo bike more than a year ago but now the council claim someone has complained
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/couple-ordered-remove-diy-bike-8592300
Sigh. Well putting local
Sigh. Well putting local stuff in is always vexed. (Previous stories about cycle “garages” not compliant or somehow just not in keeping ad nauseam). And “change” and “difference” is enough to have the most reasonable of us in a vein-bulging rage about what seems nothing at all.
Thankfully it shows that the hard-pressed motorist “bullied” by the tax man, councils, police, cyclists and even pedestrians is … just a mirage. (Similar story here).
Still – the Guardian says this is “a thing” so I guess it’s just woke “signalling” by people who have time and money that hard-working folks don’t. The kind that right-thinking practical grown-ups should condemn.
They just need one of these:
They just need one of these:
(source: https://twitter.com/_wearepossible/status/1509808191953158152 )