“Do you know the rules of the road?” Irate cyclist brands radio DJ a “f***ing idiot” for arguing he “has to cycle in single file” and claiming she pays ‘road tax’ to “drive on the roads” – as motorist asks “Am I in the wrong here?” + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
To Dauphiné or not to Dauphiné, that is the question
ASO’s controversial rebranding of the Dauphiné has made one thing very clear: cycling fans hate change. So what chance do breakaway leagues and calendar overhauls really have?
That’s the question I asked this morning, while also calling for the revival of Omloop Het Volk. Come on Flanders Classics, you know it makes sense…
> I’ll still be calling it the Dauphiné… Do pro cycling’s rebrands ever work?
Why don’t cyclists use the bike lanes? Glasgow edition
[credit: sturmyarcher3, Bluesky]
Speeding driver who broke cyclist’s back while trying to overtake handed suspended sentence and four-year driving ban
The motorist was found to have been driving with defective tyres, as well as having no insurance or tax, and claimed he had to pull out of the overtaking manoeuvre on a bend due to an oncoming van.
Read more: > Speeding driver who broke cyclist’s back while trying to overtake handed suspended sentence and four-year driving ban
Geraint Thomas abandons Tour de Suisse as a “precautionary measure” after twisting knee in crash, as final Tour de France ride now in doubt
Some worrying news from the Tour de Suisse, which Geraint Thomas – on the eve of his final ever Tour de France – has been forced to abandon after crashing heavily on a tight corner during yesterday’s third stage to Heiden, won by American champion Quinn Simmons.
The 2018 Tour winner, who is set to retire after this year’s Tour of Britain, which is expected to finish in his hometown of Cardiff, struggled to get back on his bike after the crash, sitting on the ground for over a minute before eventually continuing the descent.
The 39-year-old managed to regain contact with the peloton, but ultimately finished 133rd, alongside fellow British Tour-winning veteran Chris Froome, over 15 minutes down on Simmons.
“I just hit a lip on the side of the road, really,” Thomas told reporters at the finish.
“It was my fault, but then I just kind of got my foot caught behind me and I just twisted all my knee and my hamstring – it was just a dead leg.
“I struggled to bend it for the first minute or so, but then once I got on the bike and got rolling it freed up a bit. It’s just a bit sore – the muscles and stuff are a bit strained, but it’s all OK.”
However, this morning, the Ineo Grenadiers confirmed that Thomas will not start today’s mountainous stage to Piuro, sparking concerns about the Welshman’s participation in next month’s Tour de France.
“Following a crash during stage three of the Tour de Suisse, Geraint Thomas will not take the start today as a precautionary measure,” the team said in a statement.
I’m sure most British cycling fans will be hoping it’s nothing more than a precautionary measure and Thomas will be fit enough for one last lap of France before retirement.
Afghanistan women’s road championships set to take place for first time since 2022, as UCI announces “act of solidarity” to be held during this month’s French nationals
The UCI has announced this morning that the Afghanistan women’s national road championships are set to take place later this month for the first time since 2022, during the French national championships.
No Afghan women’s national champion has been crowned since 23 October 2022, when 50 refugee athletes competed in a one-off road race in Aigle, Switzerland, organised by the UCI World Cycling Centre and won by future WorldTour pro Fariba Hashimi.
That event formed part of the UCI’s efforts to support the Afghanistan Cycling Federation, particularly its female riders, following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. That year, several evacuation operations were carried out either by the UCI or its partners, enabling 165 Afghan citizens to leave the country.
Sisters Fariba Hashimi and Yulduz Hashimi representing Afghanistan at the 2024 Paris Olympics [Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com]
And this month will mark the long-awaited return of their women’s national championships, which will take place on 26 and 28 June in Les Herbiers, in the French department of Vendée, as part of France’s annual road champs.
Fariba Hashimi, her sister Yulduz Hashimi, and Zahra Rezayee are set to compete for their national champion’s jersey in two events, a 26.5km time trial and a 116km road race, while Samira Ehrari and Mahnaz Mohammadi will take part in just the road race.
These five riders will compete in both events alongside their French counterparts, with a separate classification determining the outcome of the 2025 Afghan national championships.
“The 2022 Afghan Women’s Road Championships in Aigle marked the start of my professional cycling career at the highest level,” Ceratizit rider Hashimi (below) said in a statement today.
Ed Sykes/SWpix.com
“After winning the Women’s Elite race, I had the opportunity to join a UCI Women’s WorldTeam. So it’s with great emotion that I am preparing to defend my title. I obviously hope to win, but I also hope that the event will allow other athletes to shine.
“I would like to thank the UCI and the FFC for making this new edition of our national championships possible. It is a wonderful demonstration of the solidarity that drives the international cycling community.”
Have you been injured by a close passing driver? BBC’s Morning Live wants to hear from you
You’ve heard of Morning Live, the daily magazine-style programme on the BBC, hosted by the likes of Gethin Jones and Helen Skelton? The one that’s not This Morning?
Well, they’re planning on taking a brief break from wheeling out an obscure Strictly Come Dancing pro for a morning work-out session and telling us about the latest scam to focus on cycling – and in particular the close passes we receive from dangerous drivers.
The show’s producers got in touch with us this week as part of their work on a film exploring cyclists safety, which will feature footage of police officers on patrol and cracking down on close passing drivers, as well as raising awareness of the real-life impact of dangerous driving around people on bikes.
And that’s where you come in – Morning Live says it is looking for cyclists who have been injured by a close passing drivers to get in touch, to potentially appear as a case study in the film.
“BBC’s Morning Live are developing a film on cyclist safety, with a particular focus on raising awareness around the rules of safe overtaking distances,” the show’s assistant producer Sara Brownlow told us.
“We are looking for anyone who may have been hurt or injured whilst cycling, as a result of a driver passing too close, who might be happy to tell their story via a pre-recorded chat.
“We are also looking to collect footage of cars overtaking at a dangerously close distance to a cyclist, to be used within the film.
“If you have a story you’re willing to share on this subject and/or are happy to provide some footage related to this, please contact Sara: sara.brownlow.ext@bbc.com.”
And you thought Near Miss of the Day was your only shot at fame…
Northern Ireland’s Seth Dunwoody sprints to biggest win of his career at the Giro Next Gen
Remember the name.
Seth Dunwoody was one of the most highly rated junior riders in the world, winning last year’s E3 Saxo Classic, the Chrono des Nations time trial, and a number of stages in UCI Nation’s Cup events, as well as finishing second at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, 12th at Paris-Roubaix, and fifth in the world junior time trial.
And now the Northern Irish rider teenager has made his mark at U23 level, winning today’s fourth stage of the Giro d’Italia Next Gen (or the Baby Giro, as my stubborn head continues to call it).
The 19-year-old from Co. Armagh, in his debut year at U23 level riding for Bahrain Victorious’ development team, made his way into a nine-rider breakaway group that contested today’s finish in Salsomaggiore Terme, after a tough 134km stage.
As the group fanned out across the road in the closing stages, Dunwoody powered clear in the final 150m to take a very impressive victory ahead of Lidl-Trek Future’s Dane Patrick Boje Frydkjær and Decathlon’s big French hope Aubin Sparfel.
Dunwoody has already tasted success as an Espoir, on the last stage of April’s Circuit des Ardennes, but today’s win, at one of the biggest U23 races on the planet, cements his status as one of the sport’s brightest prospects.
And after Darren Rafferty’s great ride at the elite version of the Giro last month, it’s exciting times for Northern Irish cycling right now – the future is looking very bright.
What do you get when you cross Tom Pidcock, a massive descent, a Dakar Rally champion, and a tow rope? Red Bull’s latest video, of course
I bet Pidcock wishes he had been able to use that tow rope during a few of the big mountain stages at the Giro – what, too soon?
Keep this up Tom, and not only will you be giving Q36.5’s sports directors restless nights, but you’ll be also inspiring the UCI to come up with even more rules and regulations.
I can see it now: ‘Riders are forbidden from attaching themselves to former motocross world champions during races’ – always sucking the joy out of everything, the UCI is.
Anyway, the full video is out on Red Bull’s YouTube channel now, featuring Pidcock tearing down the descent of the Rossfeld Panoramastrasse pass in Germany at a staggering 95kph, followed, filmed, and roared on by Dakar Rally champion Matthias Walkner:
The man can certainly ride a bike downhill very, very quickly. Bloody ‘ell.
João Almeida kicks off his Tour de Suisse comeback with 49km solo victory, narrowing gap to yellow jersey Romain Grégoire to just over two minutes
It was always going to happen, wasn’t it?
João Almeida – who entered this year’s Tour de Suisse as the big GC favourite – endured a disastrous opening day in the rain in Küssnacht, shipping over three minutes to race leader Romain Grégoire.
So, it was no surprise, then, when – during an explosively fast day across the border into Italy – UAE Team Emirates led out their Portuguese leader on the stunning 8km Splügenpass climb, the first big mountain test of this year’s Tour de Suisse, the first salvo in what will inevitably prove a prolonged bid to recoup Sunday’s losses.
After Jan Christen cleared the way, Almeida ramped up the pace towards the top, dropping Oscar Onley, Ben O’Connor, and Felix Gall, the last three able to cling to his wheel, in the final two kilometres of the climb.
The 26-year-old then took advantage of a lack of co-operation in the group behind to secure a 40-second advantage at the line, as Picnic PostNL’s British climber Onley attacked clear with O’Connor in the final seven kilometres.
Yellow jersey Grégoire was dropped on the climb, suffering under UAE’s sustained pressure, but managed to regain contact on the descent, finishing fifth on the day, a minute behind Almeida.
The 22-year-old is now 2.07 ahead of his Portuguese hunter on GC, 25 seconds ahead of his current closest rival, fellow Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin, and 29 seconds clear of Julian Alaphilippe. O’Connor’s late attack also means he’s now within a minute of the yellow jersey, as the GC pack was shuffled once again.
Asked if he was now the favourite after his stunning performance on the Splügenpass, Almeida said at the finish: “I have to disagree because for me, it’s up to me to take time back and it’s going to be a super hard task, but we never give up. Well, I need to try. If I don’t try, we will never know.
“There’s still a long way to go, a lot of time to get back, but I’m happy with the stage win and we will go and enjoy this one.”
In any case, with a brutal mountain stage to come tomorrow – featuring a 4.5km, 10 per cent climb to the finish – and a tenacious Almeida breathing down everyone’s necks, the overall battle at the Tour de Suisse is shaping up to be cracker.
More on that record number of close pass reports I told you about earlier...
> Cyclists submit record number of close pass videos, as road safety charities warn over half of drivers still don’t know the Highway Code’s minimum passing distance
“Oh, it’s about Jeremy and his hobbies again. The man is obsessed”
Sticking around in Vine land for a moment, and the presenter has responded to news of the latest, record-breaking close pass footage data by running a segment on it during his Channel 5 show, asking whether these “cyclist vigilantes are snitches or superheroes”.
We should probably address the ‘vigilante’ description first, Jeremy, before we get on to any other labels…
Anyway, the comments under Jeremy Vine of 5’s Facebook post consisted of the usual wide range of social media takes.
We had cyclists point out that people with bike cameras “aren’t vigilantes, they just want to be able to reach their destination safely”, and that they’re “no different to dash camera drivers reporting drivers”.
“Don’t put my body in danger and I won’t put your bank balance in danger. Simple!” wrote Anna, for example.
Others, meanwhile, opted for the anti-cycling angle, bringing up cyclists who ride through red lights, don’t wear helmets, and “ignore cycle lanes”, while calling for the introduction of bike registration plates and a law that would penalise cyclists for ‘close passing’ a car within 1.5m (yes, really).
And then, there was a third, arguably more interesting group – viewers bored with Vine’s cycling fixation.
“Oh, not bikes again – we all know Jeremy Vine is a cyclist, but really!” wrote an exasperated Dianna.
And Claire said: “Oh, it’s about Jeremy again.”
“I reckon of the three main questions asked, Jeremy gets to write one of his choice and it’s always about bloody cyclists versus car drivers. The man is obsessed. Give it a rest,” wrote Andy.
“Change the title of the show to Jeremy talks about his hobbies,” added Mel.
I’d tune in for that – it would be just wall-to-wall penny-farthing chat. What’s not to love?
Apparently a record number of cyclists are submitting videos with funky graphics, slow-mo shots, and voiceovers to the police – well, that’s according to the Telegraph anyway…
Data obtained by IAM RoadSmart has revealed that the number of clips submitted to police forces in England and Wales of drivers close passing cyclists, captured by bike and helmet cameras, is at an all-time high.
According to the road safety charity’s FOI request, 15,779 clips of alleged dangerous driving around cyclists were submitted last year, more than double the 7,249 reported in 2021.
We’ll have more on this story later, but let’s first check in on how the Daily Telegraph, that bastion of balance when it comes to cycling, approached it this morning:
“Jeremy-Vine style videos” – hmmm…
Ignoring the glaring typo, which turned the broadcaster’s name into a compound adjective, perhaps IAM RoadSmart limited their request to videos featuring weird angles, voiceovers, music, and funky graphics?
Or maybe the Telegraph were just desperate to shoehorn Jezza into their headline? That’s probably it.
Driver asks social media: “Am I in the wrong here?” after two abreast row… and dozens of cyclists (and even some drivers) respond: “Yes, you are”
It’s fair to say that Chellce AJ’s interrupted social media rant about two abreast cyclists didn’t go quite as she planned.
Following her run-in with two cyclists on a rural road – who had the audacity to ride in a perfectly legal and safe manner – the Strawberry Radio presenter took to her social media platforms to ask: “Am I in the wrong here?”
And the responses, from people who appear to have read the Highway Code, were telling.
“You’re technically in the wrong,” said Luke. “See rule 66 of the Highway Code. It can also be safer for the cyclists, probably particularly on a country road.”
“Yes, you are in the wrong here, added Ian. “Cyclists riding two abreast is legal and can be safer – go and read the Highway Code.
“Paying ‘road tax’ doesn’t give you more rights – you have to pay it because you have fewer rights. It doesn’t pay for roads – drivers are heavily subsidised.
“If it’s a two-lane road you need to use the other lane to overtake, so riding two abreast makes no difference to you. If it’s a single-track road, it’s not wide enough to safely pass a single cyclist so riding two abreast makes no difference to you.”
> The Highway Code for cyclists — all the rules you need to know for riding on the road explained
Meanwhile, Jane described the radio DJ as “so confidently loud and wrong. They can ride in twos, and it can make them easier to pass.”
“Two cyclists take up the same space as a car,” noted Martin. ”They are legally allowed to go side by side.”
“Actually you are in the wrong, cyclists can ride two abreast, cyclists have as much right to use the road as you are,” said Chris.
“Yes, you are wrong. You may have been driving for years but you haven’t refreshed your Highway Code knowledge in years,” noted Liz. “Riding side by side is safer, it makes the overtaking distance shorter and therefore easier for a car to overtake.
“You should give at least 1.5m when you overtake a single bike rather than squeeze past. My school friend was passed too close by a lorry, knocked off and killed instantly because the driver couldn’t wait.”
Even those commenters who would place themselves firmly in the anti-cycling camp admitted that AJ’s knowledge of the rules of the road was faulty.
“The Highway Code has changed. It now gives pedestrians and cyclists (who pay nothing to use the road) more rights than car drivers which boils my piss. But technically he is right,” one said.
“The Highway Code changed to treat cyclists like cars. They can go two abreast and you must let them out at a junction too. Rule stinks but you’re in the wrong here, unfortunately,” noted Danny.
However, the verdict wasn’t a unanimous one, highlighted by the fact that over half of those who responded to a poll posted by AJ disagreed with the claim that she was wrong.
“You are 100 per cent right,” one Instagram user said in the comments. “Cyclists don’t care about anyone but themselves.”
“You are in the right. Cyclists live to yell at all car drivers,” wrote Emily.
“His mouth says it all for me, you don’t speak to people like that and especially a woman,” said Clare. “Yes, there are rules around over taking them, but they should be in single file for everyone’s safety!”
> Why do cyclists ride two abreast?
Helpfully, Perdie summed up these two warring schools of thought: “Look at all the people pointing out, yes, you are wrong and actually referring to the Highway Code.
“Then the others who say yes, you’re right and just say they hate cyclists.
“You’re wrong. Likely the cyclists will pull out of your way WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO, but they won’t immediately get out the way just because you want to come through – ‘road tax’ and all!”
“Alright Clarkson, I didn’t realise you ran the roads!” Irate cyclist brands radio DJ a “f***ing idiot” for arguing he “has to cycle in single file” and claiming she pays ‘road tax’ to “drive on the roads” – as motorist asks, “What do you want me to do?”
Reading the Highway Code – it’s not for everyone. Especially when it comes to cyclists riding two abreast.
According to the updated version of the Highway Code, cyclists “can ride two abreast and it can be safer to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children or less experienced riders. Be aware of drivers behind you and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping) when you feel it is safe to let them do so.”
Of course, the nuances of Rule 66 haven’t caught on everywhere.
Last Christmas, everyone’s favourite Conservative London Assembly leader, Susan Hall, was criticised after responding to a video of a shockingly close pass on a group of cyclists by claiming the people on bikes were at fault – “because they should be single file”.
Even Mr Loophole himself, Nick Freeman, demonstrated his loose grasp of the Highway Code back in 2021, by claiming a video of a group of cyclists riding safely along a narrow, twisting country road showed them doing something “completely illegal”.
> Why do cyclists ride two abreast?
And the latest motorist to fall victim to the two abreast trap is Stockport-based radio DJ Chellce AJ, the co-founder of Strawberry Radio, where she’s also the drivetime presenter.
But all that drivetime knowledge hasn’t appeared to sink in – after AJ posted a video on Instagram yesterday from her car, after an apparent confrontation with two cyclists who were… shock, riding two abreast on a rural road.
“I’m literally shaking and I’ve had to pull over,” she says in the video, though the circumstances which prompted her to pull over and press play are unclear.
“Am I in the wrong here? I’m on a country lane and there’s a guy cycling and someone cycling next to him. So there’s two of them, literally in the middle of the road.”
At that point, one of the cyclists in question can be heard shouting through the window: “Fucking idiot!”
“Pardon?” the radio DJ, social media monologue interrupted, responds.
“Do you know the rules of the road?” the cyclist asked.
“Do you know the rules of the road? You’re cycling in a two – you have to cycle in single file. I don’t understand what your issue is. You’re on a country lane,” she hits back.
“Just because you’re in a big flashy car, do you think you can take the whole road…” the cyclist can be heard saying.
“It’s absolutely nothing to do with that – take the whole road up?” a clearly confused AJ says. “It’s a country road. It’s a single file country road and you’re cycling in a two. Everyone knows you cycle in single file, I don’t understand what your issue is.”
Then, remarkably, things get even more Daily Mail-esque.
“I’ve been riding on this road for years!” the cyclist shouts back, to which AJ responds: “Okay, well I’m glad you’ve been riding the road for years – I’ve been driving the road for years, because that’s what I pay road tax for, to drive a car on the road.”
“Alright, Jeremy Clarkson, I didn’t realise you ran the bloody roads!” the exasperated cyclist says.
“Actually, you think you run the roads!” AJ replies. “Two of you like this, what do you want me to do?”
And with that, she teed the cyclist up perfectly… “Drive safer on the road, you head the ball, you f***ing nutter!”
Cue baffled expression – and the abrupt end of the clip.
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Latest Comments
I see LLMs as returnung the internet to its proper form. We had stage 1, where we could use the internet to dodge human interaction. Result! Then stage 2, social meeja, where suddenly the internet was about interacting with more people. Boo! Now stage 3: we can dodge the humes again and instead prattle on to chat bots and ask them to plan bike rides.
We are told day in day out that AI is the future, mankind's only way forward. One step at a time, the environmental damage and human costs of AI start to surface. Mega data centres require plenty of electricity to power servers and gazillion of cubic meters of water for cooling, each year. This means more atmospheric pollution and respiratory diseases and less water for humans, animals and agriculture.
It seems we hardly hear of doping cases involving women conti and pro cyclists. Here is the latest data : Of the 20 total professional doping cases recorded in 2025, four involved female cyclists.
I think people are making errors deliberally now!
LLMs help pets to create games: https://www.calebleak.com/posts/dog-game/ I'm coming around to thinking that LLMs are like some kind of fancy gambling machine - creating a prompt is like pulling a lever on a slot machine and hoping you get a dopamine releasing result.
No-one expected that :) On the other hand (according to said LLM) the carbon footprint of a drive to the shops is 100–500 ChatGPT responses. Also, LLMs are nice and help kittens cross the street.
72 thoughts on ““Do you know the rules of the road?” Irate cyclist brands radio DJ a “f***ing idiot” for arguing he “has to cycle in single file” and claiming she pays ‘road tax’ to “drive on the roads” – as motorist asks “Am I in the wrong here?” + more on the live blog”
Why would she be shaken when
Why would she be shaken when she was safely in her metal cage (car) and the incident involved cyclists (vulnerable road users)?
And this is why I suggest that cyclists should carry a copy of the Highway Code so when faced with crap like this, pull it out and ask the driver to show where it says their nonsense.
Well, gosh, she might have to
Well, gosh, she might have to run them over and that would upset her very much. /sarcasm.
So someone in a motorised,
So someone in a motorised, 2000kg metal cage, with internal locks, capable of accelarating from 0 to 60mph in a few seconds, and who instigated the whole incident, is somehow the victim and shaking as a result of someone wearing 2mm of lycra responding to her aggression? And then has the temerity to ask the internet if she is the one in the wrong!
War on motorists, innit?
She’s clearly in the wrong,
She’s clearly in the wrong, not defending that. But people can still actually be shaken, whether or not it’s rational or they’re the victim – it’s just how some people react to conflict.
quiff wrote:
Sure, she can be shaken. But it is a reflection of her (and wider society’s) attitude to cyclists, that she can instigate the whole incident, demonstrate her complete ignorance of the law, be completely unaware of the basic physics and biomechanics of being on a bike versus being in a car in terms of physical danger from a collision, but still consider herself the victim.
quiff wrote:
Unless she’s actually shaking because of something aggressive the cyclists have said or done, which seems highly unlikely because she surely would’ve mentioned it immediately or in her subsequent “I’m right aren’t I?” social media posting, one presumes she’s shaking with anger, having got so furious that she judged herself incapable of safely driving her car. In one respect, fair play to her, if more drivers – and indeed cyclists – disciplined themselves to pull over and calm down when emotions are starting to get the better of them the roads would be a safer and more pleasant environment. However, somebody who has such a little control of their mental equilibrium that they start shaking with anger at the sight of two cyclists legally riding side-by-side really needs to ask themselves if they are a fit and proper person to be in control of 1.5 tonnes of potentially lethal metal on the public highway.
Far more likely she was
Far more likely she was unjustifiably frustrated at being “held-up” by cyclists riding two abreast, unjustifiably sounded her horn at them or somesuch, and they justifiably gave her a well-deserved earful to point out the error of her ways. The sole point of my post was to say it’s human nature that you can have an adrenaline reaction even if you’re objectively the one in the wrong, which she clearly was – you can chastise her without doubting that her reaction is genuine, even if it’s arguably irrational and karmic.
Yes, I entirely agree that
Yes, I entirely agree that her reaction is genuine and that this is indeed possible whether you’re in the wrong or not and whether or not it is actually justified. I still think that that if the cyclists had displayed aggression towards her she would most certainly have mentioned it as part of her justification for her emotional state.
Careful – that’s the argument
Careful – that’s the argument the bridge dweller deployed re: the van incident.
quiff wrote:
Well not quite, Trolly was asking why the cyclist in the van incident didn’t call it at the time even though he then mentioned it when sharing the video. I could accept that the lady was too confused or upset to mention any aggressive behaviour, if there was any, at the time but not mentioning it in her subsequent “please tell me I’m right” social media posts makes me think it is unlikely to have happened.
Rendel Harris wrote:
— Rendel HarrisJust being on a bike in front of her counts as aggression in her view.
I feel it is more likely it
I feel it is more likely it was her who has done someting naughty, hearing the cyclist calls her “nutter”.
“Shaking” with anger/rage
“Shaking” with anger/rage probably
It’s even easier than that,
It’s even easier than that, it’s available online in word-searchable format.
chellceaj wrote:
I wonder where she pulled over on a narrow country road that enabled the cyclists to pull up on her leftstupid selfie cameras – left is right and right is left.
I think her phone is in
I think her phone is in mirror mode, so she’s on the RHS of her car and they are at her RHS window.
mitsky wrote:
I have found, particularly with dog walkers on shared paths, that they’re not interested in facts.
don simon fbpe wrote:
I know where you are coming frpm, but oddly, almost all shared paths are not “shared paths”, in the formal sense. Local councils have to designate a path as being a “shared path” using a legal instruments. So most shared paths, which have cycle signs, and share the path notices on them, aren’t legally “shared paths”.
I think we need some more
I think we need some more “Charlie says…” type advertising. Because clearly there are many people who still have no clue about the “recent” changes to the HC.
Including driving instructors
Including driving instructors, however might have uncovered part of the reason there, apparently fake driving instructors is now a thing.
That might be beacuse it was
That might be beacuse it was left to the meeja to inform everyone. Which the usual rage bait types did with their usual degree of balance & objectivity.
I’m still waiting for cyclists & pedestrians to be throwing themselves in front of cars, which we were promised. Along with being rear ended every time I slowed to let a pedestrian cross at a junction….. still never seen it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSTBFZ-To2E
I’m familiar with Charlie’s
I’m familiar with Charlie’s promotion of bass but what has he got to say about driving?
[EDIT quiff beat me to it!]
chrisonabike wrote:
First time for everything!
The issues with the 2 vs 1
The issues with the 2 vs 1 abreast debate (also road positioning).
Cyclist option – ride close to kerb, ride in centre of lane.
Possible outcomes:
1. Driver tries to squeeze through and succeeds, saving driver 2-5 min.
2. Driver tries to squeeze through and fails, cyclist dies.
3. Driver waits; driver delayed 2-5 min.
4. Driver intentionally rams cyclists.
4 is position independant and extremely rare.
1 and 2 are only possible if the rider rides close to the kerb and a lot more common than 4.
Hence without very good evidence (i.e. video with a rider deliberately swerving across 2 lanes to block an overtake – I have seen this a grand total of once) the cyclist should ALWAYS be assumed right in these debates – because the ‘cost’ of them being wrong is tiny, while the cost of the driver being wrong is huge…
My rule – you are only
My rule – you are only allowed to make a comment about the injustices of cyclists riding two-abreast if you are in a car that is narrower than two cyclists abreast. Given that most cars can fit three passengers abreast in the back seat, that would be a tiny number of instances.
Drivers with just themselves
Drivers with just themselves in their cars telling cyclists they are taking up too much road space!
qwerty360 wrote:
Is it even that? You’re still moving when stuck behind cyclists so being there for e.g. 2 minutes does not increase your journey time by 2 minutes… And of course even in the countryside, you may spend a variable (and possibly significant) fraction of a given journey sat at junctions etc.
I’m not sure many people are capable of controlling themselves for more than one minute while driving quite a bit less than the speed limit “says you should be doing” …
Your right, it should
Your right, it should probably be 0-2 minutes…
(See driver ranting about me delaying them on my cycle into work… A cycle that takes ~7 minutes; Or 3 minutes moving… If the route didn’t have a narrow bridge with no footway I would seriously consider occasionally jogging instead of cycling… (Not even considering part of the route is dual carriageway so drivers are never following for the entire thing…)
And around the next corner
And around the next corner they may find a slow moving tractor or livestock in the road or horse riders.
Fallen tree?
Fallen tree?
Chellce AJ: Dunning-Kruger
Chellce AJ: Dunning-Kruger personified.
Comedy. I know it’s not nice,
-deleted-
anke2 wrote:
Deleted as original comment now withdrawn.
Liked for the deletion, not
Liked for the deletion, not what preceded it!
I may have mentioned
I may have mentioned elsewhere that people don’t understand how to drive single track lanes, the lady DJ has demonstrated this perfectly. Even at single file she shouldn’t have been overtaking (assuming she was overtaking as it doesn’t seem too clear). But I do feel her trauma and am glad that neither her nor her 2 ton protetcive box were hurt in this darmatic incedent.
Today’s singletrack lane
Today’s singletrack lane shenanigans on Mynydd yr Hôb include me waiting for a farmer to ensure I didn’t hold him up at the start of one climb, one car coming to a complete stop, one woman barking some shite at me and a couple of other cars refusing to reverse to the suitable passing places and the rest executing slow drive bys (risking their wing mirrors). I wonder whether the story would have been different if I were in my truck…
Lady Dj spends the time
Lady Dj spends the time making a video of how flustered she is when she could have spent the same amount of time just chilling behind the cyclists and not got said cyclists backs up who would have in turn probably politely pulled over to let her passed thus actually saving her time without all the drama…
You mean she could have spent
You mean she could have spent the time reading the Highway Code after pulling over obvs.
What she is trying to say in the video is “get out of my way – I’m entitled to drive as I please because I pay road tax”. None of which is true.
“they should be in single
“they should be in single file for everyone’s safety!”
Of course, if they are 2 abreast I am at risk in my 2T metal cage.
Time for cycling to be part of a driving test.
I’ve said for a long time, no
I’ve said for a long time, no one should be able to obtain a car licence until they have passed both a cycling test and the motorbike CBT. If they lose their car licence, then they should have to start again on two wheels.
essexian wrote:
With suitable carve outs for those with disabilities who should still have to do theory.
Hirsute wrote:
Don’t think that’s a bad idea but I don’t think it would do much for cyclists and cycling in general. People are taught and examined on the correct way to drive but that goes out of the window for most once they’ve passed *.
What does make a difference – the “refresher training” we get every day on the roads. If “drivers” aren’t cycling there expect even earnest understanding to disappear pretty quick.
What might change that? Many more people cycling – but it’s the “chicken and egg” problem again.
Why would that help? If many / most people cycled then other road users would be “trained” to look out for them every day by being constantly reminded they exist. And a much larger fraction of people who drive might have a) better understanding of how it is to cycle with motorised road users (because occasionally cycling themselves) b) skin in the game because their relatives and friends might be cycling out there. (And more of the police might cycle, and lawyers / judges, politicians … indeed potential jurors!)
* The bit about adhering to speed limits (and certainly the crazy notion they’re not a target) is ignored some of the time by all of the people (almost). The law on not driving on footways / cycle tracks or parking where not allowed are sometimes ignored by at least a large minority.
I stick to 30 in a 30 as I
I stick to 30 in a 30 as I have been on the wrong end of drivers when on a bike and on foot. I think it would help with those who are inept or ignorant of the danger they present. Not sure it is something so easily forgotten once you have been badly close passed or left hooked.
It would make a huge
It would make a huge difference. Drivers would have an appreciation of how vulnerable cyclists are and they would be educated as part of their training on why cyclists behave like they do. Perhaps they would understand why cyclists don’t cycle in the gutter, use bike lanes, take the lane or get a little pissy when someone overtakes far too closely.
Most drivers never cycle. Most of those that do, don’t do it in an serious capacity on our roads. The more people who had to cycle and appreciate what we go through every time we go out the better.
mctrials23 wrote:
Perhaps … I mean, I wouldn’t mind an experiment. BUT … I just doubt much would stick without a) continued practice and b) lots of cyclists out there.
For one – quite a few folks learned as kids (it was RoSPA for me etc.). Not a few will have cycled e.g. as a student. But if those folks haven’t cycled since I bet lots don’t necessarily drive carefully around cyclists.
Even in NL I think there’s some dodgy and indeed dangerous driving – although perhaps some of that is the opposite e.g. familiarity leading to a lack of special care?
(What’s different there is that often does attract a lot of negative attention – including in the media – and the police may be a bit quicker to take action and that may even lead to actual improvements).
Cycling safety should return
Cycling safety should return to being part of the school Curriculum. There was a time when most, if not all schools, taught road safety to children and part of that was bike handling skills. Maybe then in the future they might remember how to treat other road users and be more consciencious drivers.
I would like to see more of
I would like to see more of it but I suspect it will be “marginal gains” – not sure of the proportion but quite a few kids already get to do this (charity-supported – Scotland, England). So even if we did this:
Utrecht’s “traffic garden”
And/or this:
“Taking the cycling ‘Traffic test’ of my childhood again”
(And apparently some of the former do exist in the UK)
… I think we’d only see much difference if those kids kept cycling into adulthood and thus a sizeable fraction of trips were done by bike ( > the 1 – 2% we do currently). And probably driving would need not to be by far the default mode (after walking, for very short distances).
Quote:
Ignoring the glaring typo, which turned the broadcaster’s name into a compound adjective
Seems to me they’re not referring to any road traffic offences here – rather they’re talking about people doing video breakdowns of Jeremy’s crimes against fashion.
11 broken ribs… plus other
11 broken ribs… plus other bones, organ damage and a TBI.
Is that a close enough pass for the BBC?
How is the recovery going,
How is the recovery going, mate?
And how are you dealing with The Fear?
Ktache…
Ktache…
The recovery is tooling along thanks. I’m currently benefitting from the nerve damage in my leg as I’ve got some gravel rash from a spill when riding at the weekend … and thankfully I can’t feel it 🙃
The Fear … that’s a different beast altogether.
Being hit – and the subsequent 18 months off full time work – meant a re-evaluation of how I ride, especially solo on the road.
I found that 2020 to about 2023, I was very aggressive and hyper aware.
Now … I’ve relaxed the aggression, although I’m determined to keep my space and not be crowded out.
I’m now less inclined to argue – online or in person – and have accepted that the as far as Police Scotland are concerned, the best I can hope for is the video evidence will make it easier for my wife to pursue a private prosecution should it happen again and be fatal.
I’ve also found that I’m spending less time solo road … I look at my friends and they are all flying along, riding at the pace I would have been at, had August 2018 not happened … and even on the ebike, I just feel in slowing them down.
But… I’m still riding between 70 and 100 miles a week, still loving the freedom.
How’s things with you?
“Have you been injured by a
“Have you been injured by a close passing driver? BBC’s Morning Live wants to hear from you”
This may be semantics but I would wager that most who’ve been injured by a driver have had a collision, not just a close pass. I hope they don’t limit themselves to those who are actually injured, but also look at the discouraging effect on others. But then if long-form Panaroma can’t manage it, what hope is there for a magazine show.
quiff wrote:
The real damage from close passes (or “near misses”) is with all the people that are too scared to cycle in motor traffic. I wonder how many premature deaths have been caused by our lackadaisical approach to road crime.
Re. Tom Pidcock – meh –
Re. Tom Pidcock – meh – Hippolyte Aucouturier says hold my
lemonadebeer.“TfL issues fines for e-bikes
“TfL issues fines for e-bikes abandoned on roads
Transport for London (TfL) has started issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to bike hire companies Lime and Forest for e-bikes abandoned on the city’s roads.”
How will the companies enforce this on users, given that the user can leave the bike in a safe position but then anyone can pick it up and dump it somewhere else?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2lx5wy95go
You are supposed to take a
You are supposed to take a photo on the app when you park the bike.
Sure.
Sure.
Because taking a photo of the bike in a safe position is a 100% foolproof way to make sure it stays there untill the next use.
And will also prevent this:
–Lime bikes dumped in rivers ‘posing pollution risk’–
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8d1528yvy2o
“Have you been injured by a
“Have you been injured by a close passing driver? BBC’s Morning Live wants to hear from you”
Road CC, please ensure that you only agree to work with the BBC on this if they change the title to something like
“Cyclists injured by drivers.”
and they also start writing their reports correctly using the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines. http://rc-rg.com
Whilst most close passes happen without resultant injury but still have a negative effect this language needs to change.
Confirmation of why it isn’t
Confirmation of why it isn’t always a good idea to track your stolen bike down:
Cyclist shot after stolen bike Facebook trail led to door of gun-toting drug dealer
tarquin_foxglove wrote:
Well, certainly confirmation of why it isn’t a good idea, having tracked your stolen bike down, to tell the perpetrator you know it’s him and then turn up at their house mobhanded and try to take them out with a 2 x 4…
Presumably the thief’s line
Presumably the thief’s line of defence was “He just appeared out of nowhere, so I opened fire.”
Totally forgot to post
Totally forgot to post yesterday, but when doing the morning commute along the canal, I got the first whiff of the stench that is the spunk tree. Possibly the male flower of the sweet chestnut. But for some reason there are many species that exhibit this strange trait. Reason I mention it, but it a thing that seems to be getting earlier in the year, I seem to remember that in my youth, early 1990s, it was an early to mid July thing, especially at night. On the way home there were many.
Linden? https://youtu.be
Linden? https://youtu.be/aoqlYGuZGVM?feature=shared
DJs should stick to saying
DJs should stick to saying things like “That’s another Detroit classic from the Velvelettes, mate. And now, on the Breakfast Show, we are in the Soul Kitchen, with The Doors. Extra hash brown with my eggs, mate!”.
Personally, I tend to take a flexible approach to riding two abreast. If it is safe to do so and helps a driver to pass, I will change to single file. I don’t agree with the stance “The Highway Code says we can ride two abreast, so we will at all times.”
What annoys me is the ignorant or convenient assumption that cyclists do not pay road tax. In fact around 85% own cars.
All cyclists pay ‘road tax’,
All cyclists pay ‘road tax’, that being the various taxes that pay for the roads.
Agree with the “flexible”,
Agree with the “flexible”, but if more than two cycling I am not sure it even “helps” a driver pass. Apart from helping their expectations / ego / avoiding turning the wheel by another couple of degrees.
Working *with* the other fallible / less than competent road users though (and being a considerate often slower road user) – of course.
Finally everyone who pays tax pays “road tax” as I see it regardless of owning a car. Last last time I looked all the “motoring taxes” cover is the cost of road building – but not all the “externalities of motoring”.
Quite right. But I was
Quite right. But I was commenting on the lazy, flawed assumption that you are either a cyclist or a motorist. Culture war stokers hate grey areas and complications, because it prevents glib, soundbite arguments.
And with regard to single file riding, there are a lot of narrow droves and intermediate width roads where I live. In single file a car can pass safely, as long as it at is low speed. Drivers appreciate this and it allows us all to get on with our day.
.
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I started watching that woman
I started watching that woman’s Instragram post but gave up. She is so utterly wrong but doesn’t know it (the HC changes are, for her, an ‘unknown unknown’).
I’ll play devil’s advocate and say that I don’t believe that she is being malicious: she simply has some (typical motorist) assumptions and is ignorant of the fact that her assumptions are wrong.
For every person who posts something like this on social media, there are probably another hundred who make a similar rant to their friends or family over the kitchen table.
brooksby wrote:
You’re probably right but one suspects that deep down she knows she’s in the wrong but wants people to tell her she’s not. She could go online and in less time than it took her to make this video find the relevant highway code rules and if they proved she wasn’t wrong (which of course they don’t) she could post a video explaining why the cyclists were wrong. JK Galbraith famously stated that faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof; an updated version of that very truthful dictum might be that faced with a choice between researching whether one is right or wrong or going straight online to find a hundred people as ignorant as oneself to affirm that one is right, most people get busy on Instagram.
She, and many other such
She, and many other such amoebas, likely votes in local and parliamentary elections, but doesn’t even know what taxes she is paying. I wonder if she could explain all the items on a payslip.