Is no pavement-riding rule for cyclists “nuts”? Campaigners in Australia fight to make it legal; Councillor blames police for victim blaming cyclists; Van der Poel wheelies on the beach; National Cyclocross Network; Dream SL8 build + more on the live blog

Campaigners in Australia are fighting to have a rule changed that they believe is "nuts".

Anyone over the age of 16 riding a bicycle on the pavement in New South Wales can be slapped with a $116 fine. In Victoria, the age limit is even lower, anyone over the age 14 can run a risk of being fined up to $182 if found cycling on the footpath. This means cyclists in some of the biggest Australian cities, such as Sydney, Melbourne and its capital Canberra are forced to ride on the roads in traffic due to a lack of segregated cycle infrastructure.

> Melbourne cyclists face £900 fine for breaking 10km/h speed limit in shared zones

All this could soon be set to change, accelerated by the recent decision of Wollongong City Council which officially proposed such a change this week — a move supported by Bicycle NSW, a campaign group which is lobbying for a statewide ruling.

"It has to happen because of the lack of support for separated bike lanes," Edward Hore, President of the Australian Cycling Alliance, told Yahoo News Australia, saying many cyclists are "terrified" at the prospect of using busy roads.

Hore said the areas of main concern is the vast suburban sprawl outside of the Sydney and Melbourne CBDs where there are minimal shared paths or designated bike lanes.

"In places like Blacktown in Sydney there are lots of areas which have high-speed cars and trucks sharing the road with cyclists and they're not allowed to ride on the footpath," Mr Hore said.

"That's just nuts because that's where the crashes happen."

Sydney helmet protest ride (via Facebook video)

> Aussie cyclists protest mandatory helmet laws with helmet-optional rides

Bicycle NSW chief executive Peter McLean also pointed to the successful co-existence of pedestrians and cyclists on footpaths in other states and abroad, stressing that pedestrians always have the right of way.

Hore dismissed concerns cyclists would cycle too fast on the footpath, saying riders are constantly maintaining a safe speed due to the amount of hazards such as cars exiting driveways. He argued cyclists would be going 20km/h at most, which is a "perfectly safe" speed.

WalkSydney spokeswoman Lena Huda has argued footpaths are already too congested, however, Mr Hore said the busiest footpaths are in the CBD where cyclists only use them once they've reached their destination.

Hmm, riding on the pavement, while illegal in the UK, seems like it would be welcome by cyclists in Australia. But is there a possibility that it could make matters worse with pedestrians and cyclists sharing the pavement? Or could this be the first step towards demanding better segregated infrastructure for cyclists? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Hope Technology (@hopetech)

What has a video of a bottle of Birra Moretti being opened got to do with Hope Tech you ask? Well, obviously Hope has released a limited edition "crank arm bottle opener" for £40.

Honestly, not a bad product to own or gift (obviously it's overpriced so be it as it may), but was the video really needed? 

road.cc regular Jo Burt, and a known aficionado of all things cycling, wasn't very pleased this morning with what he saw on Facebook Marketplace.

they’re asking waaaay too much for this but just look at it. i might crowdfund an intervention to reclaim this amazing lo pro Bob Jackson from it’s fixietwat transgression #facebookmarketplace pic.twitter.com/cTcNKSVo1O

— Jo Burt (@VecchioJo) November 17, 2023

A disgrace, some might even say an abomination! What has happened to the perpetually downhill-rolling, bigger wheel at the back, glorious reverse penny farthings today?

Famously, Francesco Moser, "Lo sceriffo", one of the all-time greats set the world hour record on such a bike, with two seat tubes, a 700c wheel at the front and a custom-built 1030c at the back. It's honestly quite enthralling to watch in action.

But of course, even this bike, is up for grabs at Steel Vintage Bikes.

If you've got the cash, send in an offer and see if that makes someone happy. Just please don't switch the giant back wheel for a regular sized one, and definitely keep UCI off your tail...

According to a report this morning, Rod Ellingworth, the Ineos Grenadiers’ deputy team principal and one of the British squad’s founding members, has resigned from his role amid rumours of internal tensions, according to reports this morning, marking the end of an era for an Ineos team struggling to break out of a prolonged transitional period in recent years...

Read more: > Ineos Grenadiers’ deputy chief Rod Ellingworth resigns from British team amid rumours of backroom tension, according to reports

Look away now Peter Sagan fans. Something something "wheelies for show, attacking with a broken shoe for dough"...

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by MVDP (@mathieuvanderpoel)

A cyclist who complained to the police after he was mistakenly pulled over by an officer for “using a mobile phone” while riding on the road – when, in fact, the cyclist was attempting to save footage of a close pass from a lorry driver on his bike camera – was later told that, though there is no specific offence for using an electronic device while riding a bike, his actions could still be deemed “careless and inconsiderate”.

During the incident, after stopping the cyclist the officer erroneously argued that it was illegal to use a phone or electronic device while cycling, telling the rider to “look it up”, said that he would have received a ticket – or been arrested or charged – had she not been on her own, and advised him that not wearing a helmet or hi-vis clothing could lead to him getting “killed or smushed”.

Read more: > “Can’t the police use Google?” Cyclist mistakenly pulled over by police and threatened with ticket for “using phone” – and then gets lectured by officer for not wearing helmet or hi-vis