“These children have every right to be on our roads”: More videos of kids cycling (and more motorists getting angry); Tadej Pogačar shoots some hoops; Bike cop works overtime; Cycling insurance searches up 600% since Panorama doc + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Weekend round-up: Road tax, mud baths and cyclists ticketing the police
It was a busy weekend over at road.cc headquarters, so grab a coffee, sit back, and catch up with the latest two-wheeled news…
It turns out that ‘road tax’ – an imaginary tax used by fact-adjacent motorists to bash people on bikes – is coming… but not for cyclists.
Nope, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will reportedly use Thursday’s Budget to change the current Treasury rules and require owners of emission-free vehicles to pay vehicle excise duty (or VED, to give it its proper name) for the first time in a bid to plug a projected £7 billion shortfall.
The news comes as the Bank of England warned we could be facing a two-year recession, the longest on record, but is likely to be controversial as it will be a disincentive for motorists to switch to electric vehicles.
> ‘Road tax’ is coming… but not for cyclists
Meanwhile, two favourites from last week’s live blog continued their spell in the spotlight, as the outrage that erupted in Brighton over a cyclocross event – which left a local park “a dangerous mud bath”, drew the ire of local councillors and put the following weekend’s Park Run in jeopardy – was swiftly expunged, as the ground recovered thanks to the recent dry weather. Who knew grass could grow back, eh?
Sticking to Brighton, and just days after the council said it would investigate the placement of a new cycle hangar that parking permit holders claimed was “deliberately” blocking two car spaces, another resident told the local press that she did not want one of the “giant ugly objects” outside her house (apparently, she was talking about the hangar, and not a 4×4).
I sense a theme emerging…
> NIMBY locals “concerned and distressed” by “giant ugly” bike hangar
Here’s what else you may have missed over the weekend:
> Cyclists ‘ticket’ police after officer doors bike rider (+ video)
> London Conservative group accused of scaremongering over anti-LTN video
> Round-the-world cyclist has bike stolen in Cambridge
> Near Miss of the Day 834: Punishment pass on cyclist lands driver in court
‘The cup final? Sure, send the two bike cops down on their own, it’ll be grand…’
Derry City & Shelbourne fans clash in Ringsend ahead of the FAI Cup final in Aviva Stadium this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/k1h0NLaRc0
— RM.tv🇮🇪 (@RealMessageEire) November 13, 2022
“Luka climbing the mountains like he’s Tadej Pogačar”: Two-time Tour winner referenced in NBA commentary
In what I’m sure is one of the very few basketball-pro cycling crossovers to have graced our screens in recent years (did Bix Tex ever shoot some hoops back in the day?), Tadej Pogačar’s name cropped up in commentary during the Dallas Mavericks’ 117-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
Confused?
Well, not being the biggest NBA fan by any stretch of the imagination (it’s basically netball with fewer tactics, isn’t it?), so was I, until I learned that the two-time Tour de France winner’s fellow Slovenian Luka Dončić is currently tearing up the court across the Atlantic.
Dončić, who is just five months younger than the UAE Team Emirates sensation, already has three NBA All-Stars to his name, as well as the league’s Rookie of the Year award (the NBA’s equivalent to the white jersey) in 2019, and has been touted as the sport’s best offensive player and compared to LeBron James.
I’m not sure what they were putting in the water in Slovenia in the late 1990s, but it seems to be working…
Komentator iz Dallasa ob Lukovem sinočnjem zabijanju: “Luka se vzpenja na gore tako, kot da je Tadej Pogačar.” 🚴♂️😁👏 pic.twitter.com/OPGM0QA9Zr
— Matej Sportinfo (@MatejSportinfo) November 13, 2022
Anyway, the 2.01m-tall Dončić’s latest points-scoring showing for the Mavericks prompted the commentator to exclaim, “Luka climbing the mountains like he’s Tadej Pogačar”… much to the bemusement of his colleagues in the box.
“I was broadcasting for a small audience there,” the man with the mic clarified, offending every cycling fan tuning in.
Not to be outdone, however, Pogačar abandoned his training ride yesterday to find the nearest rustic-looking basketball court, to prove that he too can “score baskets like Luka Dončić”:
Zabijam koše kot @luka7doncic pic.twitter.com/nLflcCaJQG
— Tadej Pogačar (@TamauPogi) November 13, 2022
Get me Disney+ on the phone, I have another Space Jam sequel ready to pitch to them…
Searches for cycling insurance up 600 percent since BBC Panorama’s ‘Road Rage: Car v Bikes’ episode aired
With all the furore surrounding that viral video of the close passing driver and the five-year-old cyclist, we’ve almost completely forgotten about the previous week’s big news story: BBC Panorama’s ‘Road Rage: Cars v Bikes’ episode.
But, according to data from Google Trends, online searches for ‘cycling insurance’ increased by 582 percent compared to the week before in the seven days since the controversial episode aired on 2 November.
The number of searches related to terms such as ‘Highway Code for cyclists’ also rose by 185 percent, while searches for ‘cycling road safety’ increased by 95 percent.
Paul Williams, the CEO of bike insurance company Cycleplan (who, understandably, has a vested interest in this recent jump in insurance-related Google searches) said in a statement: “The BBC documentary was probably a real eye-opener for most people and it’s no surprise to see reaction since. Every road user has a duty to ensure they’re doing everything they can to keep the road safe for others, regardless of vehicle.
“Of course, like drivers, cyclists also have responsibilities on the road. We all know how they’re often perceived – things like jumping lights, weaving through traffic, and disobeying the general rules of the road can often fuel the feud with drivers but ultimately, everyone has a responsibility to respect each other to make the roads safer.
“While it’s indeed great to see so many areas in the UK investing in cycling and encouraging people onto bikes, more awareness is needed of the dangers and associated safety precautions.
“Cycling is a healthy, sustainable, and environmentally friendly mode of transport. We should be encouraging more people to take it up – not scaring them off.”
Welsh government signs four-year deal with Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour organisers
The 2023 Tour of Britain will finish in Wales as part of a new long-term agreement between organisers SweetSpot and the Welsh government.
The four-year deal will also see the stage race set off from Wales for the first time in seven years in 2025, while the Women’s Tour (also organised by SweetSpot) will feature its first ever Welsh start in 2024. The agreement will conclude with Wales hosting the final stage of the Women’s Tour in 2026.
Credit: SWpix.com
This year’s Women’s Tour ventured to Wales for two stages, with Grace Brown taking a small group sprint in Welshpool, before Elisa Longo Borghini won atop Black Mountain in the Brecon Beacons on her way to a thrillingly tight one-second victory over the Australian Brown on GC.
In 2021, the men’s peloton witnessed similar drama in Wales, as eventual overall winner Wout van Aert beat world champion Julian Alaphilippe in an epic, wheel to wheel duel on Great Orme.
@WoutvanAert wins stage four of the @AJBell Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 atop the Great Orme!
📺 Watch the stage live on ITV4#TourOfBritain 🔴🟢⚪ pic.twitter.com/EUVoPpFn7M
— AJ Bell Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 (@TourofBritain) September 8, 2021
More of the same over the next four years would be great, thanks.
In a statement released this morning, Mick Bennett, race director of the Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour, said: “We are delighted to be extending our partnership with the Welsh Government and to be bringing the final stage of the 2023 Tour of Britain to Wales.
“The long-term support of the Welsh Government is invaluable in allowing us to plan for future stages of the races in Wales. Together we are working to reach as many parts of Wales as possible with both races over the next few years in order to give as many fans as possible the chance to see the Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour.”
“We’re looking forward to welcoming the Tour of Britain back again next year, and to our longer-term partnership with the Tour,” the Welsh government’s economy minister Vaughan Gething said. “Wales’ credentials for hosting cycling events is now well-established. The Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour are the perfect showcase for our landscape and the welcome we provide to the competitors and spectators and we look forward to working with our Local Authority partners as the Tour of Britain continues to reach all points of Wales.”
Anne Adams-King, Welsh Cycling’s CEO, added: “It’s great news that the Tour of Britain will visit Wales again for 2023 and that the race and the Women’s Tour have secured a longer-term partnership with Welsh Government. We hope this news will help boost the popularity of cycling in Wales and help inspire the younger generation to take up their bikes.”
Mario Kart x Zwift: Now there’s an idea…
Mario Kart x Zwift is what the people want, surely? 😍
— Katy M (@writebikerepeat) November 13, 2022
“Something to stop those pesky cyclists filtering”
Something to stop those pesky cyclists filtering. pic.twitter.com/4n6FmlP1gd
— Naughty Drivers (@NaughtyDrivers) November 13, 2022
Nicolas Roche hits back at criticism of gravel worlds participation, which he says “didn’t cost Cycling Ireland a penny”
Retired pro Nicolas Roche has hit back at critics of his participation in last month’s gravel world championships, which he insists “didn’t cost Cycling Ireland a penny”.
The finances and priorities of the governing body for cycling on the island of Ireland have come under scrutiny in recent months, particularly after the controversial decision to decline to send a team to the road world championships in Wollongong, Australia in September (despite high hopes for, among others, Jumbo-Visma’s new sensation Archie Ryan, who finished fourth at the Tour de l’Avenir in August and won a stage of the Tour of Slovakia a week before the worlds).
Presumably some of the frustration directed at Cycling Ireland has also been aimed towards Roche and his brother Alexis, who lined up in Irish colours at the inaugural UCI gravel world championships in the Veneto region of Italy at the start of October.
However, the former Team Sky and BMC rider – who retired from professional cycling at the end of 2021 – insisted this morning that he travelled to and raced the gravel worlds using a combination of his own money and funds from private sponsors.
Didn’t cost @CyclingIreland a penny.
i have absolutely nothing to do with the fed not sending a team to road words and definitely didn’t take any of the feds racing budget for my gravel racing at worlds. Got a jersey to race. I believe i can have that ! No?— nicholas roche (@nicholasroche) November 14, 2022
“After spending the weekend in Ireland, some comments came to my ears regarding the gravel worlds,” the 38-year-old, who also criticised the UCI’s decision to place non-gravel riders at the head of the pack on the start line, ahead of specialists such as Adam Blazevic, tweeted this morning.
“I was disappointed by those trolls who disrespected me! For information I fully paid for my expenses and those of my brother and was supported by my sponsors with staff and equipment.
“Didn’t cost Cycling Ireland a penny. I have absolutely nothing to do with the fed not sending a team to road worlds and definitely didn’t take any of the fed’s racing budget for my gravel racing at worlds.
“Got a jersey to race. I believe I can have that! No?”
Running Up That Hill (with a bike on my shoulder)
Fun fact: Tom Pidcock shares a birthday with Kate Bush. I badly hope that “Running Up That Hill” is on his cyclocross pre-race playlist 🏃🏼🎶
— Andy McGrath (@Andymcgra) November 14, 2022
How to deal with Ronaldo and Roglič: Jumbo-Visma head coach talks tactics and benching star names with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag
Another pro cycling crossover story for you this afternoon on the live blog, and a fairly topical one at that (I know, even I’m shocked)…
Just as the footballing world begins to gear up for the great month-long sportswashing exercise in Qatar – sorry, I mean World Cup – its attention has been briefly diverted by, of all people, Piers Morgan.
Morgan’s “explosive” interview with Manchester United’s prodigal son-turned-moping ornament Cristiano Ronaldo – set to be aired later this week – has dominated today’s sports pages, and centres on Ronnie’s disgruntlement that he no longer commands an automatic starting place in United manager Erik ten Hag’s team, despite (at 37 years of age) possessing the speed and mobility of a local authority obliged to introduce safe cycling infrastructure.
So, in short, the toys are well and truly out of the £500,000 a week pram.
(‘Well, that’s all well and good, but what’s any of this got to do with cycling?’, I hear you cry. Hold on, I’m getting there…)
As Dutch coach Erik ten Hag – who joined United in the summer with a sparkling reputation as Ajax manager in the Netherlands – deals, rather successfully, with a temperamental former star, another of the great Dutch teams, Jumbo-Visma, is looking on with keen interest.
Jumbo-Visma won this year’s Tour de France by perfecting a delicate balancing act of egos and individual ambition, as Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert shared the yellow, polka dot and green jerseys between them while the injured Primož Roglič – a three-time grand tour winner – gave his all for the cause.
This balancing act will get even tougher next year, as Wilco Kelderman and Dylan van Baarle join to add even more grand tour and classics depth to the yellow and black ranks.
A.S.O./Pauline Ballet
So who did Jumbo-Visma’s Merijn Zeeman call for advice on dealing with controversial and delicate team selection choices and managing a squad full of talent and egos? Why, Erik ten Hag of course.
Zeeman told the Dutch magazine Helden that he has travelled to the north-west of England to discuss these issues with ten Hag, who has been widely praised by United fans for dropping Ronaldo after an earlier show of dissent and appearing to put the team’s progress first ahead of any individual’s own ambitions and personality.
A lot like managing a successful cycling team, then.
“He’s someone from a completely different sport, but I wanted to understand from him: how do you come up with tactics? What is the essence of your sport for you? Before you make a game plan, what’s behind it? I had the opportunity to talk to him about that a few times,” Zeeman, who has identified ten Hag as an influence on previous occasions, told Helden Magazine.
On the subject of dealing with unruly stars and tough calls, the Jumbo-Visma coach said: “Because Erik ten Hag also had to deal with that at Ajax and now he also has that at United, I talked to him about this.
“As a coach, how do you deal with players who have won everything and suddenly find themselves on the bench? In the past, athletes had to accept that. There was also less for the human approach, I think that is not just in this time.”
Ex-Isle of Man rider jailed for dealing cocaine
Chris Whorrall, a British Cycling Academy graduate who trained and raced with Mark Cavendish in the early 2010s, has been jailed for four years for dealing cocaine.
The 31-year-old, who raced alongside Cavendish for the Isle of Man at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and was even once touted by the Italian press as the former world champion’s ‘pupil’, was found with £12,000 worth of cocaine stashed in a red rucksack in Douglas on 22 July, the BBC reports.
A search of his car found six “dealer amounts”, along with £513 in cash, while police uncovered a further £1,390 along with tick lists and other drug paraphernalia at Whorrall’s home.
The former Team IG-Sigma Sport rider was serving two suspended sentences for cannabis offences at the time of his arrest.
After pleading guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply, Whorrall’s defence advocate said that he had turned to alcohol and drugs after the collapse of his fledgling pro career due to injury.
He said he had found himself in “way over his head” after becoming trapped in a “vicious circle of drug dependence, debt and, in turn, drug dealing. Today represents his rock-bottom.”
Whorrall was sentenced to 42 months in prison for the cocaine offence and another six months following the activation of his suspended sentence for cannabis dealing last year.
But can he still do it on a wet, windy Sunday in Flanders? Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert ‘announce’ Ronaldo signing
Intermarché’s social media admin strikes again… though I’m not sure Biniam Girmay will be too pleased with this vanity signing:
Cristiano Ronaldo: “I want to revive my career. I have decided to join Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux.”#Parody pic.twitter.com/Ad7UF8qsQQ
— Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert (@IntermarcheWG) November 14, 2022
“Cycling all over the road!”: Meanwhile, in the Netherlands…
With the internet all ablaze over the thought of children cycling on the road, reader hirsute has flagged another example of “terrible” parenting, this time from the Netherlands:
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands https://t.co/EMBd3ay2uA pic.twitter.com/xnrMryhpge
— Hackney Cyclist (@Hackneycyclist) November 14, 2022
“These children have every right to be on our roads”: More videos of kids cycling (and more motorists getting angry)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week – or trying desperately to reality TV-wash your failed political career in an Australian jungle – you’re bound to have formed an opinion on that viral video of the five-year-old cyclist and the close passing driver.
The contentious clip, which is approaching three million views on Twitter, has been featured on Jeremy Vine’s Channel 5 show, several Tory WhatsApp groups, and even an Ashley Neal YouTube video (more on that soon).
Since that particular video has attracted quite the online backlash, I thought I’d kick off this week’s live blog with a few wholesome clips of children enjoying riding their bikes safely on the road:
On Friday morning, Cycling Scotland joined the Shawlands Primary School bike bus. Launched last year in the south-east of Glasgow, the Shawlands Bike Bus is believed to be the first such initiative to trial new ground-breaking technology which allows its members to control traffic lights so every child can safely pass through a busy junction.
> “Game changing” device allows cyclists to control traffic lights so children stay safe
“It’s amazing to see how they’ve grown in just over a year!” Cycling Scotland said of the popular bike bus on Facebook.
“Until we have more dedicated cycle lanes separate from traffic, bike buses like this are a brilliant way of supporting and encouraging primary-school children to cycle to school, giving them the experience of cycling on roads with the safety of being directed by adults and surrounded by others.”
Meanwhile in London over the weekend, children were out on their bikes as part of a Kidical Mass-organised ride through the city’s streets, cycle lanes, LTNs and parks:
🌅It was a stunning cycle home through #Islington, #Hackney & #Haringey’s high bike neighbourhood! If you can, I’d highly recommend exploring them.
Initiatives like #LTNs, and the introduction safe #cycling infrastructure make riding around #London 👌 pic.twitter.com/WTdRowu21r
— Francesca Savage 🚲💕 (@francesca_kms) November 12, 2022
Today with @KidicalMassLond we cycled through parks, #LTNs, main roads & #cycle lanes. For the avoidance of doubt, these children have every right to be on our roads; if hit by a vehicle which wasn’t driven responsibly it wouldn’t be the fault of the children or their parents. pic.twitter.com/2osWFbJ84W
— Harith Canna حارث (@hcanna1) November 12, 2022
Joyful. ❤️
— Railton LTN (@RailtonLTN) November 13, 2022
However, after last week’s seemingly endless ‘child versus car’ debate, it’s perhaps no surprise that it didn’t take long for the usual suspects to have their say:
That’s irresponsible to place children in that position and the drivers too if they need to swerve to avoid a collision
— Steph Teague (@Mad_Steph) November 13, 2022
You’re ridiculous. To put a young child on the roads with even a medium weight of traffic is folly. Saying that it would be the fault of the driver is no comfort when a child is killed or injured. You seem quite prepared to trust that drivers are scrupulously paying attention.
— Alix Traynor (@AlixTraynor2) November 13, 2022
Ok lovely to see kids on bikes but not on a road!!!!! Seriously???? And what happened to cycling in single file???
— Beth Hamilton (@BethHam68127802) November 12, 2022
Not related to Ronnie are you, Keith?!
— Magnumificent ✊ (@MagnumificentTT) November 13, 2022
14 November 2022, 09:56
Ashley Neal weighs in on everyone’s favourite debate…
"Only road user to come out with any credit is the child": Ashley Neal reacts to "terrible driving" in viral video of five-year-old cyclist
YouTube driving instructor critical of motorist and the child's father, but said there was "nothing wrong" with the child riding on the road
14 November 2022, 09:56
14 November 2022, 09:56
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Latest Comments
@perce I'm normally a big fan of your excellent posts perce but I must take issue with this one. The idea that Lord Khan of Tooting would ever, in any circumstances, have been friends with Nigel is surely beyond the bounds of even your fertile imagination?
Not to downplay the seriousness of bikejacking, but Mr.Taylor might want to consider that fact that many riders have been put off using the park at weekends due to the aggressive, intimidatory behaviour of members of his own club, who are notorious for riding as if the park is a private training facility just for themselves, and that's a pretty sad state of affairs as well.
In Wiggle/CR's absence, what are people using nowadays? I've been out of it for a while, but now returned.
I did a multi-day ride many years ago with someone who was a better cyclist than me by every conceivable measure but this one. I remember watching them up ahead on a quiet road trying to teach themselves - snatching brief seconds with their hands off the bars before losing balance and grabbing on again. 'Watch this' I said to the rest of my group, before I accelerated to catch them, then nonchalantly sailed past them uphill riding no hands. Very satisfying. I've been able to ride most of mine hands-free, but had a Specialized Allez that really didn't cooperate. Haven't been brave enough to try it on a Brompton or cargo bike though. And still can't do a wheelie, or any of the other things on Jo's palmares.
@Hamster now that is an exciting development. I do remove/amend signs but reporting them for flyposting is much more satisfying.
@Slartibartfast If the sign-maker can be caught in the act then the council Environmental Health can get a report for littering/fly-tipping. Hours of endless fun for that person trying to explain away a conviction. Don't report unless you're prepared to go to court though. Or remove the litter and put in the nearest bin with a sticker explaining how littering is a crime.
What would make driving safer for motorists is if they stopped driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and driving faster than the speed limit.
Some good ideas there. One point tho. Whilst I love those Wera Allen keys for steel bolt heads, they can be risky on alloy socket screws. Not ideal, IMO, for Rochshox fork axles as they eat into the alloy and lock into the socket. Play soon results. The hex+ system seems to be based on an inside out adaptation of the Snap On “Flank Drive” spanner or socket - and that’s a great idea, but sadly the design seems to overstress alloy socket head screws. Could it be that the profiled section on the end of the tool doesn’t have enough penetration on a fork axle? Maybe. All I can say is my axles last a lot longer using a regular Allen hex key. (Ideally on a torque wrench I guess). Ooh and ChrisA is right - a “Vernier Caliper” relies an a sliding scale more like a slide tile. Digital is way easier, but battery dependent.
@Rendel Harris - ginger ale can be alcoholic when it's traditionally brewed. Not nearly as strong as mead, though.
@tomlew Don't disagree. That makes me at a system weight of 85kg more dangerous at 20mph than a 100kg rider on a 20kg eapc at 15.5mph! Except that I'm in control and only do that sort of speed on the road, not shared used paths etc
30 thoughts on ““These children have every right to be on our roads”: More videos of kids cycling (and more motorists getting angry); Tadej Pogačar shoots some hoops; Bike cop works overtime; Cycling insurance searches up 600% since Panorama doc + more on the live blog”
If you are not prepared to
If you are not prepared to share the road, keep off it. Roads are for all not just motorised vehicles. If you are not prepared to share then stick to a cycle lane or a motorway.
Cycle path, not cycle lane.
Cycle path, not cycle lane. Path being segregated, lane being magic-paint-separated. The tragedy of cycle lanes is that they are too often filled with stationary or moving motor vehicles.
Ahem, the actual term in the
Ahem, the actual term in the UK is a cycle track.
Is that the pedantry over for today?!
One hopes not.
One hopes not.
No, but get with the
No, but get with the sentiment, please.
One for wtjs to brighten his
One for wtjs to brighten his day.
https://mobile.twitter.com/WorldBollard/status/1592089760411144192
I didn’t realise how delicate
I didn’t realise how delicate cars had become, so much damage whilst undoubtedly driving within the clearly shown speed limit.
No doubt there will be a
No doubt there will be a (successful) campaign to have the bollards removed because they are causing accidents.
Maybe the driver had ,had to
Maybe the driver had ,had to suddenly swerve to avoid a five year old child on a bike sometime earlier in the day and had used up his daily sudden swerve quota so he was unable to avoid the bollards.
Welcome Browsie,
Welcome Browsie, congratulations to you on a perfect first comment.
Aaaaaah I used to live just
Aaaaaah I used to live just round the corner from there. People are always parking up on the bloody pavement on the zigzags outside that Sainsbury’s!
Terrible parent in the
Terrible parent in the Netherlands
https://mobile.twitter.com/Hackneycyclist/status/1592098990027415553
Cycling all over the road !
Riding in such segregated
Riding in such segregated infrastructure with only some well designated junctions with motor traffic, doesn’t seem dangerous indeed even for kids. But the original UK video actually seemed dangerous as the father eventually admitted making all this fuss, after having urged his son to proceed despite the apparent danger.
Let’s try stay safe until the infrastructure pops up. And we have to demand more persistenly for such infrastructure. But till then, no martyrs wanted, especially when talking about your own kid.
Form over function
Form over function
https://mobile.twitter.com/Suzanne_Heath/status/1591748577256259585
Not really sure what the bits in the middle are for. Perhaps for a 5 year old’s bike ?
Modern car designers are
Modern car designers are given control of design for a bike rack:
Takes up enough room for 8, only fits 2.
I think these are great. Not
I think these are great. Not wheel benders. Plenty of places to lock your frame. Why should bike infrastructure be ugly and utilitarian? It can be beautiful too
Not sure how you work that
Not sure how you work that out. Where do you lock your frame to the bits in the middle ? The ones that are on a slope are where you would bend your wheel.
They are also far too close the wall and too low. And only suitable for certain types of bike.
VanDerBike wrote:
Don’t disagree with this in theory, but it’s more that the above example is inefficient as f*ck. You can maybe get three bikes in it comfortably (plus an additional two if you only locked the wheel) but it takes up the same space as a normal 8-10 space rack.
In more enlightened countries
In more enlightened countries people have monitored bike storage, there are lots of bikes and they tend to have wheel locks built in to the bike. So the main point of a rack is to prop the bikes up and organise them a bit – oh and take up as little space itself as possible (LOTS of bikes…).
In the UK there are not a lot of bikes. The (fewer) people with them tend to be more keen on them (a “cyclist”) so invest more in them. They stand out. Most bikes don’t come with wheel locks fitted. If you don’t lock the bike to something it’s gone. Lock only the wheel and the rest of your bike can be gone in 20 seconds (especially with quick-release wheels).
It is very unlikely anyone will intervene even if they notice and there is approximately zero chance of any recompense.
It’s a very low risk crime for a thief with a reasonable payoff if you pick a better bike. I’ve no idea how much people get and I’m sure it varies but for example mine stolen recently (2 “higher security” locks cut) was over 1000 quid. Not a super expensive bike as they go. Even if you got 10% of the value for that (looking online “reasonable” bikes tend to go for the low 100s of pounds) that’s a living.
So UK public racks need to be more sturdy and people need to be able to get the frame of the bike near them. This doesn’t stop someone with a portable angle grinder cutting the lock in about a minute – or the bike rack itself if it looks lighter! It is just slightly more of a deterrent for the more casual or opportunist thief / delinquent kids.
Daughter self-locked an e
Daughter self-locked an e-bike at a post office in Sheffield, in full view of the shop front. It lasted about 20 seconds before a scrote carried it off. She got it back by a quick viewing of CCTV to see which direction it was taken, spotting said scrote on the phone and then checking the alleys near by. Wheel did not enjoy the experience.
I’m not sure these qualify as
I’m not sure these qualify as “beautiful”. Possibly more “interesting” than a typical bike rack. The colour is nice but you could paint any old bike rack that colour.
Moreover, I think functionality needs to come first, and then you can think about how to make something look prettier. This one falls down on functionality.
I’m not sure how many bikes would actually fit in there, but I can’t imagine it’s as many as would fit in the same space with Sheffield stands. I also think it’s a problem that it’s not intuitive – if the “obvious” spaces (on the end) are occupied, would you know where to put your bike? Where can you lock both wheels and the frame to the rack? Even if you are only worried about locking the frame to the rack, how confident are you that it’s actually locked properly and can’t be defeated like an elaborate cracker puzzle?
Surely a 5 year old wouldn’t
Surely a 5 year old wouldn’t need this as they are only meant to cycle in parks…
“You seem quite prepared to
“You seem quite prepared to trust that drivers are scrupulously paying attention.”
They should be scrupously paying attention iaw the Highway Code and the law. Shouldn’t they!
I also enjoyed the “having to
I also enjoyed the “having to swerve to avoid a collision” which presumably means they drive around insisting that adjacent lanes are kept free incase Harry Potter apparates in front of them because otherwise swerving to avoid a collision is not going to work out well for things around them like HGV, van, car, cyclist of any age or pedestrian, not forgetting bollards, shop fronts and people’s homes. Indeed, the reality is that a lot of drivers swerve to avoid collisions and… …have collisions.
You’ll be telling me next
You’ll be telling me next that there is a whole thread on car crashes into building and then claim it has over 1500 posts.
Don’t understand the whole
Don’t understand the whole “swerving” thing. Manouvers should be planned and executed following proper and thorough observation and assessment of the conditions and situation. See Roadcraft the manual for police and advanced driving.
It is of course why cyclists
It is of course why cyclists hate motorists who have a knack for waiting till blind bends to overtake, because what is their solution when they will inevitably be caught out – they are unlikely to take one for the team.
A number of my submissions to
A number of my submissions to Essex police involve the same blind bend. The best result has been a letter. You’d think that their system would flag this up as a hot spot given their ‘vision zero’ of no ksi.
surprised no-ones mentioned
surprised no-ones mentioned its Road Safety Week this week, organised by the charity Brake, as no doubt we can expect at least one of UKs finest twitterers to tweet some inapproriate safety advice for cyclists at some point.
but I liked the Brake CEOs point here “Drivers can follow the Highway Code; slowing down and giving people space is vital for safety.” cant think where that might have been the better “hot take” to make recently.
https://www.brake.org.uk/how-we-help/raising-awareness/our-current-projects/news-and-blogs/road-users-urged-to-follow-the-changed-highway-code-says-charity-at-start-of-national-road-safety-week
This is why I am seeing stuff
This is why I am seeing stuff like this then