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Clip of Jeremy Clarkson berating pro cyclist for riding in lockdown surfaces; 'Road tax' debacle; Reaction to 'unpuncturable' inner tube; Pogacar sandwiches; Tacks discovered on London 'cycling bottleneck'; The dog ate my GPS + more on the live blog

It's Tuesday, and Jack Sexty will be live blogging you through the day before normal service/Dan Alexander resumes again tomorrow. Phew...

SUMMARY

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15 June 2021, 16:22
Clip of Jeremy Clarkson filming new show in lockdown shows him berating cyclist for making non-essential journey... who happens to ride for Trek-Segafredo

Remember that time that began in March 2020, and then again a bit more between roughly January-March of this year when some people thought recreational cycling was against the lockdown rules? Well it turns out that the motoring journalist and notable morality specialist Jeremy Clarkson was one of them, moaning that the cyclist in this clip - filmed in the Cotswolds during lockdown for the new Amazon Prime series 'Clarkson's Farm' - was making a non-essential journey: 

"Everyone's told to stay at home unless their journey's essential. That doesn't apply to cyclists, obviously!", says Clarkson. 

Even if Clarkson was correct, unfortunately for him the man riding past happened to be Charlie Quarterman, a professional cyclist from Oxford who rides for Trek-Segafredo. One follower added: "...not sure what’s more awkward, him owning himself while being a smart-arse as per or the fact he’s pretty much in cardiac arrest putting up a small sign." 

The eight-episode first series of Clarkson's Farm sees Clarkson trying to run a 1000 acre farm, hitting various hurdles along the way. Reviews have been mixed so far... 

15 June 2021, 15:27
Derbyshire Police slammed for focussing on cyclists' helmets in tweet about collision

More from Derbyshire, this time it's the county's Road Policing Unit that has attracted a lot of criticism for the post above about a collision between a driver and a cyclist. 

One said: "What? That's your take? How about 'drivers, please double check for vulnerable road users, and drive with care'", while another added: "It would be more useful to know what action was taken against the driver for their selfish and reckless behaviour than blame the innocent party. Expected better of a police RPU, very disappointed."

Not everyone thought the tweet was problematic, with one saying: "It prevented more injury than necessary for the type of collision, glass embedded in the cyclists head, cuts and bleeding etc…… which is what they are designed for so yes they should recommend wearing a helmet." 

In its defence, Derbyshire Roads Policing Unit added: "It goes without saying that drivers must ensure their path is clear before proceeding. That's the law and we are dealing with the driver as such. But this is a road safety tweet highlighting how helmets can prevent a serious injury should a cyclist be involved in a crash.

"The cyclist suffered a minor injury. His helmet will require replacement as it took the impact." 

15 June 2021, 14:53
Supercar problems: when there's nowhere sensible to rack your bike

With no space inside the Lamborghini and a soft top roof, it looks like this supercar owner had no choice but to rack their mountain bike on the car's windscreen... well I suppose the other choice would be to avoid being stupid and not do this, but it is what it is. 

Cervelo R5 x Lamborghini 2

A safer option would have been to combine the two by purchasing one of these Cervelo x Lamborghini R5 road bikes. We're sure the culprit wouldn't have any problems affording the £18,468 price tag, unless the impending legal troubles clear their account... 

15 June 2021, 12:44
Tacks found on 'cycling bottleneck' in London's Hammersmith

Leo Murray discovered the pins on what is described as a 'narrow corridor' next to the A4, with some suggesting that the act is a warped protest against the narrow width of the pavement that is meant to be shared by pedestrians and cyclists. 

Mr Murray added: "While I was picking them up I was passed by a flower delivery cargo cyclist, mum and small kids in bucket bike, dad and larger kids on bikes and a disabled cyclist on a trike, all funnelled through this busy narrow corridor where this kind of sabotage is easy." 

Another said: "Imagine hating cyclists so much you can't remember that dogs exist."

15 June 2021, 12:42
Froome confirmed for Tour de France

Israel Start-Up Nation has confirmed the four-time champ will go as the team's road captain, supporting Michael Woods as the team leader. 

15 June 2021, 11:20
Thames Valley Police appeal for witnesses after cyclist hit by van driver dies
Police tape (CC licensed by freefotouk on Flickr)

Police say that the incident occurred at 8.15pm on 13th June on a dual carriageway section of the A4130 between Lower Assendon and Bix, near Henley-on-Thames. Both the cyclist and van driver were travelling westbound, and following the collision the cyclist, a 45-year-old male, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The van driver, a 57-year-old man from Wallingford, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving and driving whilst unfit through drugs, and has since been released under investigation.

Investigating officer PC Julia Stroud of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has very sadly died.

“I am appealing for any witnesses to this collision, or who saw the van or cyclist before or at the time of the collision to please get in touch.

“I am especially keen to hear from anybody who has dash-cam footage to please check this and contact police if it has captured anything that can assist this investigation.

“You can do so by making a report online or by calling the 24-hour non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 43210259113.

“For 100% anonymity, you can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

15 June 2021, 10:46
The Wahoo Clagr?
clag-o-gone

Every now and then, a solid gold archive excerpt from Viz - self-proclaimed as 'Britain's third or fourth funniest magazine. Possibly fifth' - does the rounds... and when it's cycling-related we're particularly interested, of course. 

This stationary bike is for "when wiping simply isn't enough', allowing the rider to get a workout while giving their behind a more thorough clean than traditional methods. Some folks on the Zwift Riders Facebook group think it's a little reminiscent of the Wahoo Kickr Bike, with name suggestions including the Wahoo CLAGR and the Wahoo SHITR. 

Another couldn't help but norice some flaws with the workings of the contraption, noting: "I'm most bothered by the fact that the back wheel is somehow spinning the wrong way... It doesn't appear to be a fixie, and appears to have a derailleur... so it should be flinging those winnits and dangleberries at his feet." 

viz.co.uk

15 June 2021, 09:05
Slovenians can now eat Tadej Pogacar sandwiches

The 22-year-old is obviously a hero in his homeland after that Tour de France victory last year... and now if his fellow Slovenians want to grab a quick lunch on the go, they can stare at a very quick cyclist before tucking into their tasty sub rolls. 

There appears to be turkey, ham and cheese options, and according to our translations the text on photo number two says something along the lines of: "Now Pogacar can overcome hunger." 

Any Slovenian natives able to translate, and confirm or deny if these are tasty? For the rest of us who won't get to see Pogacar on our sandwich packaging, we'll definitely be seeing him on the 26th June when he will begin the defence of his Tour de France yellow jersey. 

15 June 2021, 08:23
"Farmers in September cutting hedges be like..... hold my beer": reaction round-up to Tubolito's 'unpuncturable' inner tube claim
2021 Tubolito X-Tubo City-Tour inner tube - 3.jpeg

Tubolito, who previously made specialist inner tubes with a focus on weight saving, has launched what it claims is an 'unpuncturable' inner tube, with a one year warranty just in case you don't believe it. Priced at £22.99 each, they're only suitable for tyres between 30mm-50mm in width and fit 700c wheels. 

tubolito comments 1.PNG
tubolito comments 4.PNG

Still, plenty of our readers on the site and across social media are having a hard time believing that an inner tube can be completely indestructible. 

Velophaart_95 commented: "I'd like to know where they tested them..... it seems far too good to be true. However, I may be tempted to buy a pair later in the year." 

Bruce Laidlaw appeared to be concerned about the business model, adding: "Great idea if you are in the business of making and selling inner tubes! What happens once we all own one (or two) = no sales & no business!"

Not forgetting some inner tube-related puns, Declan Mcgee observed: "I think they are just blowing it out of all proportion", while Matt Attonic says: "You forgot to mention the inflated price."

What do you reckon? Of course road.cc will be testing as soon as we can get our hands on some, so watch out for a full review soon. Well, perhaps in a few months and a few rides through some thorny country lanes to really put those claims to the test...

15 June 2021, 08:18
The dog ate my GPS
chewed up wahoo

That's the situation road.cc Brad was faced with before heading out for a ride yesterday evening, leaving him computer-less. Irritating as this was, Brad says it's difficult to be too angry at the culprit...

brad dog.PNG

If you have a dog, has it ever chewed up an expensive cycling accessory and can you beat this? Let us know in the comments as always. 

15 June 2021, 08:10
Prendas receive "unprecedented" volume of orders following announcement retro specialists will stop selling jerseys
prendas forgotten jerseys

In our full story yesterday, we reported that Prendas' founder Andy Storey has announced the business will be greatly scaled back due to the impact of Brexit on the business - the company will only sell cycling caps and some accessories going forward. 

Since the announcement, Prendas says it is working through an unprecedented volume of orders as retro cycling fans scramble to get hold of their favourite replica jerseys. If you want to see what's left, the Prendas Ciclismo website is here

Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.  

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71 comments

Avatar
Jenova20 replied to Rich_cb | 2 years ago
1 like

Rich_cb wrote:

You've gleaned this information from their extensive previous broadcasts I presume?

It looks more like an assumption from a Guardian reader who can't tolerate other people having different opinions. This thread is littered with that, and it's detracting from the actual article about cycle regulation.

Avatar
brooksby replied to Rich_cb | 2 years ago
0 likes

Rich_cb wrote:

You've gleaned this information from their extensive previous broadcasts I presume?

I imagine that they've got it from the fact that the publicly stated aim of GB News is to become a British version of Fox...

Avatar
David9694 replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
1 like

I only get it for the articles.

Avatar
AidanR replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
4 likes

The provisional driving licence is required by the Government, but interestingly the registration plate is not - that's Lime's decision. I therefore wouldn't be too worried about registration plates.

Your point about ebikes is valid, particularly because there are plenty which aren't road legal (hello Deliveroo riders!).

Avatar
ChrisB200SX replied to AidanR | 2 years ago
2 likes

They aren't ebikes, they are unregistered motorbikes, entirely separate things which people on here should be intelligent enough to not conflate.

I believe the conflation leads better informed commentors to assume trolling.

Avatar
GMBasix replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
4 likes

The sun has risen in the west; the heavens are sky-blue pink; and I find myself defending Nigel on this thread.

Not in his choice of TV viewing (except for research or TV zoo purposes), of course.

But as an observation of how critics of scooters and cyclists might argue their banal approaches, Nigel may have a point here. As I speak. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to GMBasix | 2 years ago
4 likes

GMBasix wrote:

The sun has risen in the west; the heavens are sky-blue pink; and I find myself defending Nigel on this thread.

Not in his choice of TV viewing (except for research or TV zoo purposes), of course.

But as an observation of how critics of scooters and cyclists might argue their banal approaches, Nigel may have a point here. As I speak. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

I found myself doing the same a week or so ago. Don't worry. It'll pass.

Avatar
ChrisB200SX replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
1 like

ebikes are part of traditional cycling.

Cycling is entirely different to motorised transport... not that a large number of drivers are intelligent enough to tell the difference.

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swldxer replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
0 likes

LICENCE in the UK.

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Mary Willoughby replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
0 likes

The spillover is only a credible potential outcome if the eScooter controls are successful at ensuring safe and sensible use of the vehicles.  A quick look outside my window leads me to conclude that it's not the case.  Many users of eScooters are clearly too young to have a provisional licence, there's common use of pavements, multiple people on one machine etc. etc. 

A more likely outcome is that eScooters will give cyclists a good name. 

Avatar
Sriracha replied to Mary Willoughby | 2 years ago
1 like

Let's hope so. But I doubt this Nick Freeman is a fool - he's managed to get airtime for cyclist registration on Radio 4 prime time, as it so happens at the same time as escooter registration is in the news, just as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking (APPGCW) convenes. Lucky coincidence for him?

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