“It’s a fantastic pension scheme”: Chris Froome branded “the worst signing in cycling history” and a “half-time clown” by former pro after “undignified, meagre” season; Froome admits “I’m not looking for victories” + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
The waiting is the hardest part, every morning reading one live blog card…
As you may have noticed, the live blog’s been a bit slow in waking up today. That’s because we’re experiencing some behind-the-scenes gremlins across the whole site (I promise I wasn’t just out partying too hard on a Tuesday night).
Apologies for that, but everything should finally be back up working now – so let there be normal live blog service…
Looks like Jai Hindley’s taking Movember very, very seriously
Ouch. These trips to Turkey are getting out of hand…
90% scared of cycling in UK cities — new research suggests fear of collisions, road rage, and theft putting people off
A new survey has put the percentage of Brits who are scared of urban cycling at 90 per cent, with fears over being hit by a driver, experiencing road rage, and the threat of theft topping the list of factors contributing to the concern.
Read more: > 90% scared of cycling in UK cities — new research suggests fear of collisions, road rage, and theft putting people off
Are you the next Wout van Aert (literally)? Belgian cycling’s secret cloning programme appears to be ticking along nicely
Eschewing the age-old Belgian tradition of signing an old pro’s son or daughter, the Turnhout-based Kempen junior squad appear to have gone down the cloning route when it comes to developing the latest cycling talent:
Or maybe this is a Football Manager regen-style situation, and there’s been a glitch in the database?
See, this is the kind of stuff you waited with bated breath for when the live blog was down this morning…
You know it’s a rainy week when road.cc busts out its guide to the best waterproof trousers on the market
Now how’s that for perfect timing?
> Best waterproof cycling trousers 2024 — make winter and wet weather riding more fun and less dirty
Melbourne bike shop destroyed after bursting into flames twice in one day following arson attack by ram-raiders in allegedly stolen BMW
A small, family-run e-bike business in Melbourne has been left decimated after it was engulfed in flames twice in one day following an arson attack by ram raiders driving a suspected stolen BMW – with Australian police even suggesting that the bike shop wasn’t even the intended target of the attack.
Cargocycles, in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Brunswick East, was destroyed after a group of unknown offenders rammed an allegedly stolen BMW into its garage door at around 2.55am on Tuesday morning, before entering the shop and setting it, along with the car, alight.
Police have been told that one of the attackers also accidentally set his own arm on fire, and was spotted by witnesses running from the scene.
(David Crosling)
Sky News reports that emergency services quickly gained control of the fire, moving the shop’s array of now-destroyed e-bikes – which also included those belonging to customers that were in the process of being serviced – into a pile outside.
However, while checking the bikes to ensure all the flames had been extinguished, a lithium battery belonging to one of the e-bikes exploded, setting off a second fire.
“We were devastated to be targeted by ram raiders and firebombed last night,” Cargocycles posted on Facebook following the attack, which destroyed their entire shop.
“Police, arson chemists and insurance are investigating so we will keep you posted on socials. We are a small family-run business and are passionate about cycling and will reopen as soon as we can. Thanks for your support during this difficult time.”
Cargocycles in Brunswick was unfortunately burnt down in this ram raid. My friend’s cargo bike was in for servicing and was completely destroyed. ☹️ https://t.co/7DXJ45vgNf pic.twitter.com/Bn9v67avmr
— Stephen B (@BicycleAdagio) October 15, 2024
9News has since reported that the bike shop, however, was not the intended target of the attack, with local police reporting that the gym upstairs – which has links to a prominent criminal underworld figure and which only moved to the area in April, after it was gutted by another fire – appears to have been the focus of the arson attack.
“For far too long, the term ‘accident’ has masked accountability and allowed society to dismiss the daily tragedy of road deaths and serious injuries as inevitable”
> National Highways to stop calling collisions ‘accidents’, as campaigners welcome “significant step” in recognising crashes are “not random events, but preventable incidents caused by human actions”
The Cycling Wilburys
So, for reasons unbeknownst to even myself, after falling down an internet music rabbit hole late last night, I stumbled across quite possibly the oddest website I’ve ever seen (even counting the road.cc live blog)… a little page called the ‘Time Traveling Wilburys Generator’.
The generator does what it says on the tin – based on the respective ages of Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, and Jeff Lynne at the time the Wilburys were founded in 1988, it allows you to form your own equivalent supergroup from any year of your choosing.
And, when I gave 1992 a whirl in the generator, look who popped up in the line-up – only Britain’s most famous long-distance e-bike cyclo-tourist and one-hit wonder, Timmy Mallett…
I can picture the scene now:
Altogether now – ‘Well, it’s all right, cycling around in the breeze…’
Yeah, it’s that time of the week, alright.
Here at road.cc, we ask the really important questions, like: If you had £500 to spend on a bike, what would you buy?
Buy new, second-hand, or build up a frame with components of your choice? That’s the eternal question for budget-conscious cyclists pondering a potential purchase.
So, if you’re currently mulling over whether to buy a new (or old) bike for the winter, we’ve compiled a few, hopefully inspiring, suggestions from the road.cc tech team and beyond on how you could you get the best bike for your buck on a budget…
> You’ve got £500 to spend on a bike: what would you buy? Here are the choices of the road.cc Tech Team
Bridge “as big as a bus” installed to help divert traffic-free Strawberry Line cycle route over busy road
A bridge “as big as a bus” has been installed in the Somerset market town of Shepton Mallet, offering cyclists a traffic-free path over the busy B3136 as part of the local council’s plans to provide a 30-mile active travel route between the market town and Clevedon.
Known as the Strawberry Line, taking its name from a section of the Great Western Railway famous for transporting strawberries to London markets, Somerset Council says the project “encourages people out of cars, reducing congestion and pollution, while promoting active travel and a healthy lifestyle”.
The double-decker bus-sized bridge, lifted in by crane yesterday, will also provide a safe passage for locals to the town’s football club, which residents say has been “cut off” by the busy main road.
“It’s a really big day for the Strawberry Line and it’s a big day for Shepton,” Mick Fletcher, chair of the Strawberry Line Society, said.
Further works are also underway to connect the bridge to new and existing paths, which together will create a safer route for residents in South Shepton to cycle or walk to the playing fields, scout hut, football club, and towards Shepton Mallet Community Hospital.
“It’s exactly at the point where the section of the Strawberry Line runs out of Shepton and towards Wells,” Mr Fletcher added. “We’ve got two sections working towards each other.”
Announcing the bridge’s installation, Richard Wilkins, the council’s lead member for transport and waste services, said: “A huge thank you to our community groups and volunteers for progressing work, your efforts have transformed the disused railway into a vibrant pathway for everyone to use. We have been honoured to support you in making the Strawberry Line a success.”
The bridge, which will be officially opened in November, and the Strawberry Line will eventually form part of the larger Somerset Circle, a 76-mile traffic-free circuit which aims to link the north Somerset coast with Bristol, Bath, the Mendip Hills, and Cheddar.
Israel-Premier Tech’s Corbin Strong unleashes long and powerful sprint to win sodden Giro del Veneto
The track worlds may be just about to start, but the European road season is still clinging on, as Corbin Strong built on his second place at Gran Piemonte last week to secure victory number two of the season with a powerful, long-range uphill sprint at a sodden Giro del Veneto.
With the end-of-season Italian classics ending as they started – in foul weather – Strong capitalised on a perfect lead-out from Israel-Premier Tech teammate Marco Frigo at the bottom of the final hill to see off Xandro Meurisse and Romain Grégoire, while the uphill sprinter of the moment Marc Hirschi was forced to settle for fifth.
A FULL GAS FINISH! 🔥Corbin Strong takes the win at Giro del Veneto! 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/07CuGbWAi7
— Eurosport (@eurosport) October 16, 2024
Well, that’s one rider IPT won’t have to worry about justifying his contract, eh?
“Couldn't you have mentioned that people driving badly and causing crashes is the key reason for high insurance premiums?” Transport Secretary Louise Haigh criticised for “backing drivers” and claiming that “owning a car is a lifeline, not a luxury”
Less than a week after earning plaudits from cyclists for accusing the previous Conservative administration of pursuing “poisonous culture wars against road users of all descriptions”, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has been criticised by road safety campaigners this afternoon, after penning an article supporting lower car insurance premiums, in which she argued that “owning a car for most people is a lifeline, not a luxury”.
In the article for the Mirror, titled “When people are priced out of driving it risks holding them back”, Labour minister Haigh wrote that “car insurance is an essential for millions up and down the country”.
“It’s not just a legal requirement, but something that protects all of us on the road. Yet, in recent years, millions of responsible drivers have seen a hike in premiums far outstripping rises seen in other countries,” she said.
“That’s why this government stood on a manifesto commitment to tackle the rising cost of car insurance. We promised to back drivers and today, we’re making good on that promise.”
Launching a new taskforce this afternoon, which will include Which? and Citizens Advice, along with representatives from the insurance, price comparison, and car industries, Haigh says she will “bring together industry experts and consumer champions with a simple aim: to reduce high premiums and get drivers a fair deal”.
“I know insurance is a complex market, with many factors affecting prices. But this government was elected to serve working people, and fix parts of the economy that had stopped working for them,” she continued.
“That’s why we’re determined to take action. Because owning a car for most people is a lifeline, not a luxury.
“When people are priced out of driving it risks holding them back from accessing work or medical services; visiting family and friends; or even being able to drop the kids to school.
“It means harder times for families already struggling to get by. I won’t let that happen. That’s why delivering a fair deal for drivers is central to this government’s mission to grow the economy and create opportunities for everyone, wherever they live.”
> Labour government to invest “unprecedented levels of funding” in cycling
Haigh’s ambition to stop people being “priced out of driving” hasn’t gone down too well, however, with cyclists and road safety campaigners.
“A politician could show leadership qualities by explaining that a key reason for high premiums is that drivers are NOT DRIVING AS WELL AS THEY SHOULD BE,” Robert Davis, the chair of the Road Danger Reduction Forum, wrote on social media this afternoon in response to Haigh’s new taskforce.
“Louise Haigh, couldn’t you have mentioned that people driving badly and causing crashes is a key reason – if not THE key reason – for high insurance premiums?”
Turning his attention to the Transport Secretary’s claim that owning a car is a “lifeline, not a luxury”, Davis continued: “Half the households in my borough in London do not have access to a car. Do we not have ‘a lifeline’?
“Do you want us to have cars and add on to the number of car journeys which the Mayor of London is – correctly – trying to CUT?
“If you want to make things cheaper for the poorest (who in urban areas are in households unlikely to have access to a car), how about shelling out billions for housing etc. etc. first?”
On the list of tasks Haigh implied was impossible without a car, Davis added: “So how do you think those without cars do these things?
“And don’t you want us to be able to do these things by using active travel and public transport? Do you want us to all have cars and INCREASE the amount of motor traffic making decarbonisation targets and much else impossible?
“We thought that you were interested in kids going to school (and much else) by active travel or public transport – please don’t disappoint us!”
I think after last week’s cycling PR boost for the Transport Secretary, we’ll call that one a score draw.
“Majority of cyclists are reasonable people and will dismount”: More from Bedford’s notorious PSPO
> Cycling campaign opposes controversial town centre cycle ban which has seen “738 cyclists fined in last few months”
Josh Tarling set to miss track world championships after breaking ribs in Tour of Croatia crash
The world track championships are underway in Ballerup, Denmark – kicking off with an almost immediate crash for China’s women’s team sprint squad – but the GB team will be missing Josh Tarling, whose turbulent 2024 has made room for yet another setback.
The 20-year-old, who had been set to make his track worlds debut in Denmark, teaming up with Mark Stewart in the Madison, crashed earlier this month at the Tour of Croatia, suffering broken ribs.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
And today, British Cycling confirmed that Tarling, after two excruciating medal misses in the time trial at the Olympics (where he was denied bronze due to a puncture) and world championships, has been “medically withdrawn” from the squad due to his injuries, and will be replaced by Ethan Hayter for the Madison.
“No track worlds for Josh having suffered broken ribs during his crash at Tour of Croatia,” his dad Michael tweeted today. “Luck in 2024 has been bad or missing, so on to 2025.”
“Realistically, I’m not looking for victories myself”: Chris Froome offers honest take on current status in the peloton and says he’s “incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved”
Chris Froome may be the current favourite punching bag of the ex-pro punditry clique, but the four-time Tour de France winner is at least realistic and honest about his own standing within the peloton of 2024.
Speaking to Wielerflits at the Tour of Guangxi, 39-year-old Froome admitted that he’s no longer aiming for individual victories on the road, as he enters what is expected to be the final year of his career at Israel-Premier Tech.
Froome’s last pro victory came at the 2018 Giro d’Italia, which he won in dramatic fashion following a breathtaking long-range attack on the Colle delle Finestre on stage 19.
However, since his career-threatening crash at the 2019 Critérium du Dauphiné, the British rider has experienced a dramatic dip in form, his third-place finish on Alpe d’Huez at the 2022 Tour de France, behind winner Tom Pidcock, remarkably remaining the only top ten he’s recorded since joining Israel-Premier Tech the previous year.
(ASO/Pauline Ballet)
When asked by Weilerflits for the one goal he hopes to achieve during the final year of his contract at IPT, Froome laugh: “Good question, good question! I’m going to sit down with the team at the end of the season and figure out what next year looks like, and get stuck into it.”
Are you still looking for results yourself, the Dutch cycling site asked.
“No, no,” Froome quickly responded. “At this point, I’m looking to just do what I can in the sport, and realistically I’m not looking for victories myself. I love the sport, I love riding my bike, that makes it a lot easier.”
When asked if he’d settled into a new domestique role at Israel-Premier Tech, the kind he was accustomed to before his dramatic emergence at the 2011 Vuelta, Froome added: “I don’t know if it’s a new role, I’ve always done a job if I can help a teammate to try and win, and I’m happy to do that.”
Britain’s Joe Blackmore sprints alongside Remco Evenepoel at the 2024 Tour of Britain (Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)
One of those riders currently being helped by Froome, of course, is Joe Blackmore, the 21-year-old British pro who won the Tour de l’Avenir in the summer before finishing fifth overall at the Tour of Britain, and who is currently racing in Guangxi with Froome.
“In terms of the future for Britain, I think he’s got a great chance of developing into a very big rider,” the 39-year-old said. “I’m not necessarily looking for their respect, but I enjoy working with youngsters and sharing all the experience I’ve had over the course of my career.”
Asked about his own legacy in the sport, Froome continued: “Obviously I’ll be able to reflect a little bit more when I finish my career, but I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved and happy to still be doing what I love most.”
Froome during his final Tour win in 2017 (Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)
And, even if he’s not aiming for big wins anymore, Froome can at least enjoy some of the perks of being a pro cyclist for another year, including trips to far-flung places in October.
“Discovering new cultures like this has become a big part of professional cycling, I think, getting to travel the world and see places you’d normally never get to see,” he said.
“I have definitely been to places this season that I haven’t expected, or been to before. Rwanda was on the programme out in Africa, I’ve been to Romania this year, and now to Guangxi.”
Well, I suppose that’s one way of looking at prolonging your cycling career past the point of it being professionally viable, the free trips…
“It’s a fantastic pension scheme”: Chris Froome “the worst signing in cycling history”, blasts former pro Michael Rasmussen, as four-time Tour de France winner branded a “half-time clown” after “undignified, meagre” season
Tom Pidcock’s future at Ineos is up in the air, Mark Cavendish has been busy receiving knighthoods and chatting about future plans, and even Bradley Wiggins has been floating around, riding charity events and hanging out with Pete Wicks and Kate Garraway on Celebrity Catchphrase.
So, it was only a matter of time before Chris Froome’s name popped up somewhere.
The four-time Tour de France winner is currently racing in China at the Tour of Guangxi, where he managed to infiltrate the strong morning break of eight riders on today’s second stage, alongside the likes of Dries De Bondt, Daan Hoole, and Taco van der Hoorn.
However, with around 40km to go on the day’s only categorised climb – a Cat 3 ascent averaging 3.3 per cent – Froome drifted off the back of the breakaway, which managed to hold on until the final kilometre as Soudal-Quickstep’s Warre Vangheluwe won a chaotic sprint.
Despite its abrupt and early end and an ultimate 106th place finish, that 142km stint in the break today by Froome arguably represents the 39-year-old’s most impressive performance of what has been an almost completely anonymous 2024.
The Israel-Premier Tech rider’s best result this year so far was a 21st on stage six of the Tour du Rwanda, while his brief forays into elite European stage racing (what used to be his bread and butter during the glory years at Sky), at Tirreno-Adriatico, the Critérium du Dauphiné, and the Arctic Race of Norway yielded nothing higher than 70th.
Which is all probably why Froome – who remains one of the highest earners in the peloton – has this week been branded the “worst signing in cycling history” by former Danish pro-turned-journalist and pundit Michael Rasmussen.
Speaking to Viaplay’s cycling show, Rasmussen – who famously also had a habit of mysteriously disappearing (during training in Italy while trying to elude the anti-doping authorities, though, not at races) – once again pulled no punches when it came to evaluating the seven-time grand tour winner’s career swansong.
FroomeDog versus the Chicken, part two
“He has almost become a half-time clown who tours around to all kinds of small races. It simply has to be the worst signing in world history for a cycling team,” the spindly climber known as ‘the Chicken’ said.
“Not for Froome, though. Because it is a fantastic pension scheme that he has started there.”
Ouch.
“It is undignified to look at,” Rasmussen, who was kicked off the 2007 Tour de France while on the cusp of winning the race after he was found to have lied about his whereabouts for testing, continued.
“The wild thing is that it is his own decision. You can say that for five million euros a year you can probably take a few defeats along the way. Sportingly, it’s pretty meagre. It is an undignified end to a career like his.”
Of course, Rasmussen isn’t the first to question Froome’s position at Israel-Premier Tech, the squad he joined in 2021 after a hugely successful decade-long spell at Team Sky/Ineos.
Even IPT’s co-owner Sylvan Adams last year publicly stated that Froome did not represent “value for money” for his team, after the British rider claimed he felt “let down” after being omitted from the squad’s 2023 Tour de France line-up, and that his form had suffered from “frustrating” equipment issues.
(ARN/Aurélien Vialatte)
When asked on the Radio Cycling podcast whether Israel-Premier Tech’s deal for Froome – reported to be worth around €5 million a year – represented value for money, Israeli-Canadian billionaire Adams said: “Absolutely not. How could we say we had value for money? We signed Chris to be the leader of our Tour de France team, and he’s not even here. So that cannot be considered value for money.
“This is not a PR exercise. Chris isn’t a symbol, he isn’t a PR tool, he’s supposed to be our leader at the Tour de France and he’s not even here, so no, I couldn’t say he’s value for money, no.”
This week’s rant isn’t the first time that Rasmussen has publicly criticised Froome’s current form, either.
Last November, the four-time Tour winner made the now-infamous claim that his recent bike set-up at Israel-Premier Tech – including his reach and saddle height – was “centimetres” off from his Pinarello-riding, grand tour-dominating position at Team Sky, a claim dismissed as “bullshit” by Rasmussen.
Responding to our story on Froome’s comments (cheers Michael!), the Dane wrote: ““What a load of BS from Froome. Any pro cyclist who has done 1,000s of hours on a bike will instantly feel a change in the set-up.
“Froome could ride his Pinarello from 2015 and he still wouldn’t crack top 20 in Tour du Rwanda with his current level.”
To be fair, the Chicken was right – Froome only managed 27th overall in Rwanda this year…
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So I found a video and a picture of it inflated on BikeRumor: https://bikerumor.com/soudal-quick-step-castelli-ragaz-team-up-to-get-cyclist-airbag-into-pro-peloton/ It's fairly low-profile, so the jersey has enough give to accommodate it without damage. However, it does look like it's going to be difficult to remove and replace all that without removing the jersey. Unless you can swap out the activation unit separately from the bag, which might make it possible. It also looks like it'll give you a fair old kick in the backside when it goes off. And you're carrying the bag in a fairly wide strip up your back the whole time, which doesn't look great for ventilation.
Most of them are at least choices you can make when you buy a bike. Internal routing isn't really avoidable. It offers me nothing except a pain in the arse. Bikes are harder to maintain, harder to transport, and all for an aero gain I'll never get and a 'clean' look I don't care about And the manufacturers all proclaim it like it's a good thing, and we're all out there racing and with our 400w FTP :(
It was pointed out on the TNT commentary that the organisers had said people living on or near the course were still welcome to attend, and that presumably included people staying in campsites, hotels and holiday rentals, so the number who were actually ignoring the request to stay away was probably considerably lower than it might have appeared.
@mdavidford But if an air bag, which presumably inflates to some considerable size if it's going to provide any meaningful protection, goes off in a pocket of your jersey isn't it going to rip up the jersey?
It does say that it's fully removable for washing, so depending on how quick and easy that process is it may just be a case of whipping out the discharged one and inserting a spare into the pouch, without needing to remove the jersey.
@Sredlums But presumably you're going to be left with a big flap of deflated airbag trailing behind you, so your jersey will need replacing at some point (and if the UCI makes them mandatory, you'll need a fresh air bag as well). Given that it's not permitted to remove one's helmet whilst in motion, this is going to involve a pretty substantial stop.
@kingleo So by that logic, if they're forced to carry bottles of fulminated mercury in their pockets they will never crash? I think you just solved the problem!
@mdavidford No, you're confusing it with liquified steam.
@Zebra It's in the article. The airbag can be quickly deflated again.
The more safety gear the riders wear, the safer they feel, the more risks they will take, the more often they will crash.
19 thoughts on ““It’s a fantastic pension scheme”: Chris Froome branded “the worst signing in cycling history” and a “half-time clown” by former pro after “undignified, meagre” season; Froome admits “I’m not looking for victories” + more on the live blog”
Did anyone catch the bit on
Did anyone catch the bit on BBC Breakfast this morning about floating bus stops?
They had a rep from CUK and one from a guide dog charity.
I had previously asked the RNIB for the stats on visually impaired people affected by collisions with different vehicles.
They couldn’t provide them but I guess we can work out where the majority of the danger lies.
Edit to add:
The only reason we have these at all is to “protect” cyclists from motorists.
With motor traffic being relatively slow in towns and cities particularly during rush hour, even in post-Covid times… cyclists should be able to navigate around stopped buses without fear of drivers.
If that wasn’t an issue, then we wouldn’t even need these.
Yep, a bit of chat about it
Yep, a bit of chat about it buried in the comments on yesterdays blog:
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-15-october-2024-310783#comments
“Fearing for their life” “Images so shocking” “Terrifying” ?
Duncan Dollimore makes a good point that people may not realise the significance of the crossings. You would hope so, but they are different to the usual zebra crossings. More like a supermarket car park crossing, which has no legal significance. But these cycle lane zebra crossings do have a legal status and cyclists giving way is mandatory.
Not all of them have Belisha beacons, as they are not legally required. Nor are there any zig-zags lines, which you can see why, as parking/overtaking restrictions would not apply. But perhaps adding the zig-zag lines and Belisha beacons to these crossings would increase their prominence to both cyclists and pedestrians, making the casual cyclist more aware they must give way and encouraging pedestrians to cross at the proper place.
I think reduced height
I think reduced height Belisha beacons could be a good thing.
I understand the need to
I understand the need to avoid whataboutery but they showed several collisions with apparently sighted pedestrians. They suggested the cyclists were liable, even though the ped simply stepped in to the cycle lane NOT at the designated crossing point. I know we have the hierarchy but we don’t have presumed liability and if a ped stepped out on to a road I think attitudes would be different. They also suggested that the cyclists hadn’t slowed down but there’s no way of telling that from the short clip.
Duncan Dollimores point was well made, that without some form of education how do people know how to use these facilities .
Presumed liability is another
Presumed liability is another tool but it’s also something that comes after the fact (the bad thing already happened). Unfortunately I don’t think that’s a great comfort to pedestrians any more than it is to cyclists…
Also note in NL AFAIK it only applies in civil matters e.g. compensation claims.
TBH if you blindfolded me and then sent me through e.g. part of London with all the “new cyclists” that the infra has helped facilitate I’m not sure I’d be overjoyed… nor mollified by the promise that – at some point (long) in the future everything would get better overall. Or that “don’t worry, people will learn” (how)? I think that’s the hard sell here.
Sadly RNIB – though they’ve
Sadly RNIB – though they’ve got a thoughtful policy on some changes – seem to have taken a view against these.
I think it’s a problem of “we have just got used to it being bad (because that is the “normal”). We find that change is generally worse and particularly for our members”.
I’m not sure this is one that’s easily countered with “statistics” (I’m not aware of these from NL where such infra is completely ubiquitous – usually in what appears to be a very good design). Particularly because I think there probably is some truth in “gets worse before it gets better” simply because it takes time for the social norms of how new systems operate to bed in, like what happened with motor traffic.
Unfortunately this leads to more “can’t get there from here” effects e.g. a desire to put pedestrian crossings or even traffic lights on cycle paths. That actually works against one of the “pull factors” of cycling e.g. it can be made more convenient than driving as few if any traffic lights are required [1] [2]. As far as I’m aware once mass cycling is established these simply don’t turn out to be necessary.
I was struck when the guy
I was struck when the guy from RNIB suggested that one of the hazards was being dropped off/the bus stopping in the wrong place. This as you say is presented as normal. However, if this is disorienting, why wouldn’t it be, and can lead to greater risk then that would be bad practice. The bus company (and driver) surely have a duty of care to all their passengers so they have a responsibility not to do that.
An appalling report by the
An appalling report by the BBC.
Leaving aside that they use videos fed to them by NFBUK (part of which looks speeded upafaics), the BBC push the fake “disabled people vs cyclists” narrative.
These are mobility tracks not cycle tracks, and are officially for use also by disabled or elderly people who use mobility aids – powerchairs and mobility scooters, in addition to cycles..
The RNIB should have been questioned on why they wish to force mobility aid users out into the motor traffic.
Agree – and as you say
Agree – and as you say powered mobility scooters can be used on cycle tracks:
https://www.gov.uk/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-rules/classes
I don’t know the motivations (is not stats driven…) but suspect it’s the “silent and *far* faster than 8mph and ridden by some antisocial types” aspect which really sticks in the mind when they’re talking about safety with respect to cyclists in this case. Sometimes you only need one striking image…
(IMO rather than a review of the laws on dangerous cycling we should have a look at sorting out those for “mobility” since cycles don’t count and there are some other oddities. I wonder if people are aware of any of this – maybe another public educating campaign?)
I’m aiming for that as a key
I’m aiming for that as a key part of the Road Safety Review, which also means things like tactile paving defintions (they are signs on the public highway after all) being moved into TSRGD, rather than being optional for Local Highways Authorities to follow or not as they choose.
Various charities are chiselling away at intutional level eg Wheels for Wellbeing put their agenda (including, for examples cycles being recognised as a valid mobility aid) in response to the Govt consultation back in March, but recognise it is a long-term game – although we can expect more movement under the new, governing, Government.
So someone (Adams) offered a
So someone (Adams) offered a very generous contract and someone (Froome) accepted it. Get over it.
The fact that he’s been pottering around off the back of the action for years is irrelevant (unless there were strict performace-related clauses in that contract, in which case he’s probably not being paid anywhere near as much as the media think).
“That’s why we’re determined
“That’s why we’re determined to take action.”
Louise Haigh’s conversion to the dark (car) side didn’t take long, but doubtless she’s still smarting from the dressing down she got for pointing out that P&O are a rogue organisation that illegally sacks people.
She could have announced extra funding for road policing, thus cutting the number of collisions and dangerous drivers that are the reason for high insurance costs, but no, it isn’t that. Intriguingly, as far as I can see the “action” she’s going to take remains unspecified, and it’s unclear what the government can do to reduce premiums, so this might just be complete BS, which makes me doubt whether anything she’s said can be relied on.
Disappointing after such a good start.
eburtthebike wrote:
In all fairness, she only said that because they are a rogue organisation that illegally sacks people.
It would be nice to have seen a Labour Govt finally call them out on it, IMO.
Spot on, but Labour appear to
Spot on, but Labour appear to be re-learning about the age old lesson that politics is trickier when you are in charge than when sat on the opposition benches. Sometimes the Government has to do deals with the devil for the greater good (the greater good) or just suck it up like the rest of us.
What do you mean – sometimes?
What do you mean – sometimes? The devil already has a parliamentary pass and is usually to be found helpfully suggesting policy direction!
eburtthebike wrote:
TBH I don’t think that’s
TBH I don’t think that’s quite fair.
I have no problem with their being a more efficient, competitive car insurance market, and her comments were about things that aren’t backwards of themselves – even though there are lots of things that could have been mentioned.
If there was specific measures targetting vulnerable road users or active travel I would be shouting very loudly.
As long as all the other stuff we need happens, especially the rewriting of the underlying assumptions which liue behind our institutional problems, I won’t worry about this.
Rather like in some we don’t need to worry about setups like IDS and the Telegrunt venying their spleens; it would be far better for all of us if they did not do so, but these are basically noises off – a small man sitting on a tree legged stool in the corner howling at the moon. And we can for the next few years focus 99% on moving forward, rather than having to fight random, lobotimised Conservative Party ministers and their lunatic policies.
Without the drugs from team
Without the drugs from team SKY, Chris’s abilities returned to normal. Too big to fail, this is why he was allowed to fade away at IPT. If he were a bank, he’d be Natwest. I feel bad for IPT, that’s a lot of money that could’ve paid for half a dozen riders for a couple years, maybe finding a new top-talent.
That’s a bad comparison as
That’s a bad comparison as NatWest’s share performance is up 38% over the last five years and 53% in the last year.