Wannabe TikTok star sends cyclist sprawling; Alexandar Richardson rides London to Brighton + back at 39.5km/h; Kenny considering retirement; Khan warns of huge cuts to London cycle schemes; Manchester ‘UK cycle commuter capital’ + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Strava pronounces Manchester as UK capital of cycle commuting
Data released by Strava Metro has found that Manchester records the most cycling commutes per capita in the UK.
While Londoners are the most likely to record their commuting data in Europe and have far more cycle commuters overall, it’s Manchester where there are the most compared to the general population with 400,000 cycle commutes recorded this year already. Strava reckons that the next-most popular cycling cities in order are Bristol, Newcastle, London and Cardiff.
Strava estimates that in Britain, 13,000 carbon tons have been saved by cycling commuters in 2021, which is a carbon offsetting equivalent to planting 650,000 trees, or to taking 6,500 cars off the road for a year.
The data also generated heatmaps to show the most popular areas for cycling. In Manchester, those were Oxford Road, Manchester Road and the Bridgewater Canal.
Cycling legend Chris Boardman, who is of course now the Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, commented: “It’s fantastic to see Greater Manchester leading the way on the number of commuters who chose to travel by bike and that’s before we have wide scale provision of connected routes. It’s no coincidence that the current number one route is Oxford Road which is where we have quality, segregated lanes in place. The appetite is clearly there to ride when it feels safe.
“As we roll out the UK’s largest cycling and walking network, we’ll be enabling even more people to leave the car at home and get to schools, shops and workplaces under their own steam. I’m looking forward to seeing the numbers rocket.”
Reckon you could beat this? Alexandar Richardson rides London to Brighton and back again at 39.5km/h (not a bikejacking in sight)
The last time Alexandar Richardson made the news round here, it was because he had been violently robbed of his bike in Richmond Park… this time he ensured no thief would be able to catch him by riding from London to Brighton and back in a little over four hours, at a phenomenal average speed of 39.5km/h (24.54mph).
> What can be done about the latest spate of bikejackings? Episode 9 of the road.cc Podcast
For most of us, London to Brighton is enough (this journey even has its own very popular sportive)… but for the Alpecin-Fenix man it was straight back to London again, with the total elapsed time on his Strava file revealing that he only paused his Garmin for ten minutes during the whole ride; that could well have just been the time waiting for lights, so it’s unlikely he stopped for a quick lunch. His loop made the trip a total distance of 178.7km (111 miles).
In the comments, Alexandar confirmed that the ride was solo and definitely not motor paced; in the past some pros have had their suspiciously fast rides (even for pros) flagged by Strava sleuths who suspect motor pacing. He added: “…this ride was not motor paced nor with other riders and was on a road bike in a conventional position. You’ll have to work the rest out yourself ! Happy riding”
He also says that his power averaged 303 watts, with a normalised power of 332 watts. Ready to claim your free meal? See you back in London in four and a bit hours!
Wanna try Everesting without descending? Race Republic indoor training platform launches with Everesting challenge
Aiming to shake up Everesting, Race Republic has launched its indoor training and event platform with its first challenge which takes riders on a straight uphill “photo-realistic journey” up Mt. Everest. Yup, there’s no descending, or recovery.
With 29,032 feet of vertical gain over 100 miles at an average grade of 6%, it’s certainly a tough workout, but Race Republic does give riders the ability to toggle the gradient to allow each rider to fine-tune the event to their energy level and fitness.
Riders can register for the Everest Challenge here.
Race Republic are also offering an equal purse $5,000 cash prize for the first man and woman who break the existing record, which stands at 6:40:54 for the men and 8:33:47 for the women. Tour de France champion Floyd Landis and stage winner Dave Zabriskie will be joining riders in attempting to break the record.
Incoming! New spare parts for Koo’s Demos and Spectro sunnies
Koo Eyewear is now offering spare variable tint Photochromic lenses (£79.99) and an Optical Clip attachment (£49.99) for use with its Demos and Spectro sunnies.
The Photochromic lenses are designed to quickly change to match varying light conditions (69 to 12%) while offering 100% UV protection.
“When exposed to the harshest of light, the lens provides a light reduction effect, turning a dark pink,” says Koo. “Under low level light conditions, the lens fades, offering a brilliant increase in contrast and clarity.”
Then there’s the Optical Clip which is designed specifically for riders to attach prescription lenses to the Demos and Spectro sunglasses. Constructed using 3D printing technology, Koo says this allows for a flexible and discrete form, barely visible through the sunglasses, and it weighs just 1.8g.
“It is quick and easy to install and allows those with ophthalmic lens needs to use single lens sunglasses and experience the same world class ergonomics, precision Zeiss lenses and incredible debris protection,” says Koo.
Bioracer UK launches to roll out custom cycling apparel direct to UK consumers
Belgium-based sports apparel brand Bioracer has announced the launch of Bioracer UK to provide UK cyclists with a seamless journey to custom cycling gear.
Founded 35 years ago in Belgium, over the past 20 years the custom clothing has been distributed in the UK by Onimpex, but now in collaboration Bioracer UK Ltd the custom apparel will be rolled out directly to consumers in the UK.
Now launching as a limited company, Bioracer UK says its looking to grow their community whilst ensuring that Bioracer ‘In House’ production delivers fast premium quality kit in a reliable manner at a great price. The team says it will also be focusing on a smooth and simple customer journey, together with enhancing all pillars of sustainability.
This news follows on from Bioracer’s recent announcement of becoming the performance apparel provider for Ineos Grenadiers; the Bioracer UK team will be helping to fit the team in-person and provide custom, tailored kit to ensure maximal performance.
Head over to the Bioracer UK site here.
Beware, the mythical yet very prolific cyclist dressed all in black with no lights
Who is this mythical cyclist who rides at night wearing black with no lights? He comes up in every article and comment section. pic.twitter.com/JArBkcZgzm
— Phil Gaimon (@philgaimon) November 18, 2021
You know how it goes… a news website publishes an article about cycling/cyclists or someone says something about cyclists on social media, and countless stories of the cyclist dressed all in black with no lights start to appear. It’s something the former pro cyclist turned popular cycling Youtuber Phil Gaimon has spotted; and with Gaimon being on the other side of the Atlantic, this stealthy cyclist certainly gets about.
Here’s how this works. Every driver has, at least once in their life, come upon a cyclist who was hard to see. That’s the one they remember. All the people on bikes that were easy to see and rode correctly don’t merit remembering.
— What if (@trix_polly) November 18, 2021
I see the odd cyclist who rides in the evening without lights & dark clothing. But it is a very rare occurance. I would say I see more drivers who have forgotten to turn their lights on driving along the road.
— Tynmar (@storey966) November 18, 2021
Could it perhaps just be that on the rare occasion a cyclist is spotted without lights or safety gear, these are the ones that stick out in the memory? You could try telling that to the folks in the comments section of your local paper’s website, probably to little avail unfortunately…
The devil's in the details
As many of you will know, when you create an account on road.cc we ask you what bike(s) you ride – not so we can gather user data on you – but as an easy way to check you’re a genuine person and not a robot who’s trying to spam us.
We receive a whole hosts answers and this one from earlier today really captured our attention.
Huge kudos to the person who filled in such a detailed reply, and we have to say, we’re more than a little jealous of your collection!
If you could only pick one of those bikes, which one would you go for?
Your reaction to Alexandar Richardson's incredible London to Brighton escapade
Blimey, you’re a tough bunch!
Thanks a lot for giving us your reaction to Alexandar Richardson’s epic ride from London to Brighton AND BACK at a blistering average speed of 39.5km/h (24.54m/h) – see that story in the thread below.
We may now need to call a steward’s enquiry about its eligibility after a few of you raised concerns over its starting point, and the fact the Ditchling Beacon ascent didn’t feature on the return route:
@Rendel – We’re sure Alexander would be up for it if you fancied a head-to-head battle for ultimate bragging rights?
@alexuk we’re with you. Beast mode indeed!
Have you ever attempted London to Brighton? How did you find it, and could you do muster the strength to do a return trip? If so, how long do you think it would take you?
TikTok tumble: Wannabe social media star wipes out cyclist
Potholes, grates, pedestrians… all things we’re used to avoiding whilst we’re out on our bikes, but now maybe ‘TikTokkers’ need adding to that list 🤦…
If you listen with the sound on you’ll hear the girl has ‘done her cheek’ after the crash, but we hope the totally unsuspecting cyclist was also OK!
@lucasmcmillan1
Not surprisingly, the majority of the comments are in favour of the cyclist who was wiped out. Here are some of the most popular:
@arunmason: If you don’t think it’s her fault you’re tapped
@heatherachus: 100% her fault. How would the cyclist know she was gunna run backwards? And why would you without looking anyway
@jackybrown194: Always ALWAYS blame the cyclist NO MATTER WHAT
@pokemizz.gc: Anyone who says it’s the cyclists fault (unless they’re joking), is an absolute fool
@primeescobar: cyclists fault
@commentor88: Although it’s her fault, the cyclist couldn’t have been paying too much attention either
What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Reunited relatives getting set for the Somme
We wanted to give a shout out to Michael and Johnathon Bulleyment this evening who are training to ride 350 miles next year in the Big Battlefield Bike Ride (BBBR) to raise money for Help for Heroes.
The father and son, who are both wounded veterans and ride recumbent bikes, had lost contact until cycling brought them back together again five years ago, and are now preparing to undertake this mammoth trek which them down the ‘Old Front Line’ – the Western Front during the World War I.
As well as them being only recently reunited, the ride will have even more poignancy as it takes them past the war grave of Michael’s great uncle George, who lost his life in The Great War.
It will be the first time in BBBR history that a father-and-son, wounded-veteran pairing will be taking part together and Johnathon said: “The BBBR is one of the best events I’ve done. When I look back to where I was at the beginning of my recovery journey to now, I can’t believe the difference in me.
Michael added: “When we realised BBBR 2022 was going to the Somme we were delighted. I have got George’s medals and to be able to visit his grave will mean a lot to both of us.”
Find out more about the Big Battlefield Bike Ride here
Kenny 'not optimistic' of competing at Paris Olympics
Jason Kenny has revealed he’s “not very optimistic” about adding to his record-breaking Olympic medal haul at Paris 2024.
The 33-year-old track cyclist, who has seven gold and two silver medals to his name, can’t remember the last time he trained without it “really hurting” in his knees and his sole focus at the moment is on being able to train.
He told the PA News Agency he “might not have a choice” when it comes to calling time on his illustrious career and will “give it to the end of the year […] before we re-evaluate. It is very much all up in the air.”
Kenny does have previous experience on the retirement front. He walked away from the sport without telling anybody after the 2016 Games, meaning his comeback a year later was greeted with very little fanfare.
We wish him all the best in the months to come!
Huge cuts on the cards for London cycling schemes
It’s been a day to forget for cyclists in London after Sadiq Khan warned all new cycle schemes could be ditched as part of the transport crisis facing the English capital.
On Wednesday evening the UK Government published a 15-page briefing setting out the projects that could be affected, and the “Healthy Streets” cycling and walking schemes were among them. There was also the unwelcome news that the Boris bikes scheme will not expanded and e-Boris bikes will be limited to a 500-bike trial.
How much of a backward step do you think this will be for cycling in London?
Your reaction to the TikTok tumble
It’s been great to read your differing thoughts and opinions on our TikTok wipe-out story.
Like some of you say, we can only guess at the situation from that grainy clip, but do keep your comments coming as we read every one.
18 November 2021, 09:44
18 November 2021, 09:44
Orbea are trying to find new ways to get around chronic shortage issues in the bike industry
Bike shortages: Orbea launches Rider Connect tool to help consumers hunt down available bikes
New feature allows customers to check the current and future availability of Orbea bikes, and reserve them too
18 November 2021, 09:44
Read this review if you're looking to beef up your bike security over the winter
AlterLock Anti-Theft Alarm & GPS Tracking Device
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Latest Comments
@Smoggysteve overall I'm with you here and the stats in from other places show this isn't an issue in the long term (eg. IIRC the Netherlands is the safest country for pedestrians). However to get there is "change". Since we don't all get courses in new infra / rules that certainly means "confusion" and "concern". After all people still make mistakes with car infrastructure, which we've had decades of very bitter experience to learn. The UK is only at the start of a transition (well, a few parts, hopefully...). Not only do people "not expect" cyclists (because few) but UK authorities make this needlessly harder by a) "building" cycle infra by mixing modes (eg. putting up signs on pedestrian infra / directing cyclists into bus lanes) and b) when making the "actual" built cycle infra it's non-standard. (As well as inconvenient and sometimes dangerous for all). Particularly it's not clearly marked. Contrast eg. NL - while not all separated cycle infra there is the same, it is normally pretty standard and clearly marked (red asphalt most places). And their road safety / design system includes the principles of *predictability* and homogeneity. So everyone knows where to expect cyclists. And they aren't likely to design a major cycling through route down the middle of a narrow / busy shopping street.
Kingston upon Thames, one of the most prosperous shopping towns, has no problem with cyclists going through a very busy pedestrian zone. I notice that the cyclists automatically ride slowly and carefully in the pedestrian area.
Would a penny farthing (or other tallbike) be better at scaring off bears ("bigger") or would that just be an invitation to a game of human pinyata?
@mdavidford apparently even Svalbard has more days with >= 12 hours of daylight than not (although the weather might not help with this). I guess it depends what time they're setting off across the ice to work. Of course Svalbard is apparently the "regular" place (eg. not Antarctic research station) with the longest period without any sunlight. Also some thought to what colour is less likely to attract polar bears might come into it also.
@chrisonabike Perhaps they've confused the UK and Svalbard - easily done - both islands off the northwest of Europe.
@cardch To think that the colour of one's backpack will make any difference is insane. If you don't have adequate lights and reflectives, that's insane, if you do and a car driver can't see you it's because they are not looking and the colour of your backpack won't make the slightest difference.
@Mr Blackbird It would probably form part of it, especially if footfall in the highstreet is dropping. when you read "Amos, a regular on these pages due to his vociferous anti-cycling stance, said he was “horrified” by the council’s proposed TRO review, claiming that it would transform a “safe and welcoming area where pedestrians can shop and walk” into a “dangerous and unwelcoming place”, solely to appease a “handful of lazy, selfish cyclists” who “routinely flout the law”." shows how ignorant the council has previously been Selfish and lazy - Yes im selfish for removing another polluting car off the road and lazy for using own energy to propel myself. It shows the stupidity of their previous argument. And I still see no explanation of what 'danger' they propose cyclists bring.
When I had a longer commute, I'd always wear cycling gear and shower/change in work due to sweat. But weather is also an issue. I have mudguards, but I'd frequently see people cycling in 'office' clothes on with a mud stripe up their back from the back wheel.
Presumably the removal of the cycling ban is being driven by a requirement to increase city centre footfall? The final decision will no doubt be a commercial one. Re the reference to Cambridge allowing cyclists in the city centre. I have seen this at first hand and it seems to work well. Most of the cyclists are suitably cautious and most pedestrians appear to have waived their right to be gormless and aren't totally focussed on getting to the next shop or fast food outlet.
@Aluminium can The description on Lezyne's website says it "Includes a versatile silicone rubber mounting strap that securely mounts on both round and aero bars or compatible components." So it's definitely "meant" to be mounted on handlebars if you want and would seem to be the default location. Yes it can be mounted in other places too, and the review does note it can also be mounted on the fork. Just from the pictures, I'd be surprised if the strap was long enough to go around a typical headtube.
61 thoughts on “Wannabe TikTok star sends cyclist sprawling; Alexandar Richardson rides London to Brighton + back at 39.5km/h; Kenny considering retirement; Khan warns of huge cuts to London cycle schemes; Manchester ‘UK cycle commuter capital’ + more on the live blog”
Is strava only counting rides
Is strava only counting rides classed as commutes. I very rarely do that although occasionaly Strava challenges or Love to Ride competitions mean I do.
Strava says: “We have
Strava says: “We have developed a model to detect and identify commutes, which uses the commute tag used by Strava members as a ground truth. In our model, “commuting” refers to all non-leisure trips.”
So it should identify those activities as commutes and form part of the Metro dataset without you having to tag it as a commute, although going off that explanation it’s not 100% accurate.
I’m always sceptical of
I’m always sceptical of conclusions from data that I cant review myself, and we shouldn’t forget Strava is only a subset of (keen) cyclists, and those that record commutes,tagged or otherwise, an even smaller subset of that Strava community.
I’ve seen councils produce cycling strategies based on Strava metro data that completely ignores what cyclists really need from those routes, and it’s very easy for councils to claim the data shows their existing rubbish shared cycle routes are working, even when a majority of cyclists stick to the road still, because just like with segments Strava wont always record accurate position data. And there could be a world of difference between what you are actually riding on and what they think you rode on.
However so these factors will
However so these factors will apply everywhere, so ranking cities on commute per capita should be accurate. Most places will either under read or over read by the same percentage.
But are they ? Because we
But are they ? Because we dont know if its just raw numbers or an estimated number based on sample size and some funky survey style maths they are using.
And they are quoting against ‘general population’, which is what kind of metric anyway ? For instance Manchester is generally believed to have a population of just over half a million people, Greater Manchester, which is considered to be the metro county and includes surrounding places like Stockport, Salford,Bury, Trafford and a host more, 2.75million. It’s why Chris Boardman is the Greater Manchester transport commissioner, not just the Manchester one.
Now Old Trafford, in Stretford Greater Manchester,not Manchester, is only about a 3mile cycle ride away from the city centre, easily commutable distance and youd probably use the Bridgewater Canal,one of Stravas top 3 popular commuting routes, rather than the A56 to do it. But are cyclists travelling
between Greater Manchester & Manchester, being counted against a Manchester or a Greater Manchester population? Or just excluded completely?
Those are rhetorical questions btw, but that’s why I’m sceptical of data presented this way, and we know the purpose really is Strava trying to promote themselves and jusy monetise the information they have.
As an (occasional) commuter,
As an (occasional) commuter, from the outer reaches of GM into the city – I can assure you commuting figures are extremely low outside the city centre/Chorlton bubble.
For all Boardman’s trumpeting of the infrastructure put in place, I basically take my life in my hands on my route in – there’s essentially a north/south divide in GM, when it comes to cycling provision.
Wow, 4:31! BEAST MODE!
Wow, 4:31! BEAST MODE!
Superb effort from Richardson
Superb effort from Richardson which makes the thighs ache just to read it. However, he started from Wimbledon, not central London, didn’t do the Beacon coming and going, and didn’t stop for a pint and chips on the promenade, so I’m afraid my 9:37:26 must still be considered the official record.
No Ditchling Beacon? FAIL
No Ditchling Beacon? FAIL
Secret_squirrel wrote:
He did it N/S but avoided it S/N by going over Devil’s Dyke, thereby saving himself at least 30m of climb, the slacker.
Rendel Harris wrote:
There’s more to it than that. Leaving Brighton and going north over Devils Dyke is a much more gradual climb than any other way I can think of, so his average speed for that section would be way higher than on any other direct route out of the city. Might be more exposed to wind though…
Daveyraveygravey wrote:
I find that maximum average speed is best with steep climbs and long gradual descents.
Riding up a steep hill and then down the long gradual hill on the other side is always quicker than climbing the gradual hill and descending the steep one.
wycombewheeler wrote:
Ah, I hadn’t thought about the descent part though. The South Downs geography makes the north faces steeper than the south faces…but he went a different way back. If he had gone back the way he came, it’s a harder climb, and the descent of Ditchling is much more technical than that of DD.
wycombewheeler wrote:
Definitely in this case, Ditchling N/S is a lungbusting shortish period of hell followed by a lovely long coast downhill, coming back it seems to go on forever, a real grind, then the descent is over in the blink of an eye, doesn’t really feel like one’s had value for all the climbing. The only plus is there’s usually an onshore breeze, which helps.
[/quote]
[/quote]
There’s more to it than that. Leaving Brighton and going north over Devils Dyke is a much more gradual climb than any other way I can think of, so his average speed for that section would be way higher than on any other direct route out of the city. Might be more exposed to wind though…
[/quote]
very likely I’d say if his lead out rider had the egg sandwich instead of pasta
Rendel Harris wrote:
More to the point, he didn’t have to watch a dire 0-0 draw at the Amex stadium and get kettled after the match like last time I cycled to Brighton and back.
Steve K wrote:
Each man chooses his own form of punishment
Beats my best time by 2 and a
I’ve got 7:05:05 (moving time), coming from North of the river (just – Fulham), went over the Beacon and stopped on the beach for fish and chips. Kudos to Richardson who somehow managed to best my time by 2 andf a half hours!
Should the offcial BHF ride
Should the offcial BHF ride be renamd Clapham to Brighton seeing as it hasn’t started from Westminster Sq in 4 decades?
I was having bit of a wee
I was having bit of a wee joke old son, I didn’t really think his effort should be struck off for not having a pint and chips either.
Mind you, if you started in Coulsdon, still technically in London, and turned back as you reached the northern boundary of Brighton, I reckon you could cut the roundtrip distance to about 120kms whilst still technically doing a London-Brighton…sadly I don’t think even that would get me within range of Alexandar…
Rendel Harris wrote:
Gauntlet thrown down to road.cc readers there, Rendel.
The RRA official record is 4:15:08 (male) / 4:55:28 (female), which seems to be from Marble Arch, turning at the Aquarium in Brighton. The proliferation of obstructions and new roads means many of the place-to-place records are difficult or impossible. That’s probably why the RRA have created a set of circuit records in sparsely populated corners of this island. I like riding circuits, I could probably create my own loop or find ones done on Strava by local cyclists, though any I won’t be clocking 177km in a single ride!
@Secret_squirrel – strava shows he rode over Ditchling southbound and took the KOM on the ‘Ditchling Beacon Up and Over’ segment, among others.
Cycle Ninja!
Cycle Ninja!
“Tour de France champion
“Tour de France championConvicted drug cheat Floyd Landis andstage winnerentertaining self confessed doper Dave Zabriskie will be joining riders in attempting to break the record.”FTFY
Greater Manchester needs to
Greater Manchester needs to sort out the yobs mugging people on the Fallowfield loop. Was mugged on it February last year. Went on it this week for the first time because i was fed up with the busy alternative and and saw a cyclist walking along it without a bike, with 6 policemen appearing at the next access point. Depressing that a perfect cycling route is unrideable unless you accept that you will get jumped for your bike at some point.
Sub5orange wrote:
This is part of the answer to the astonishment from some non-cycling transport planners that indirect, wiggly routes away from key arterial roads are somehow a suitable proxy for direct, segregated cycle infra along the routes people already travel in their metal boxes.
The Floop is acutally an amazing network. Just a pity that you need to be tooled up and, ideally, not alone to use it.
GMBasix wrote:
It’s very sad though because completely segregated cycling infrastruture is much more pleasant, riding away from the noise and the fumes. So in an ideal world with no bike muggers, it actually makes sense
Maybe it’s better to divert the cars down the wiggly indirect routes (safe from muggers inside their locked metals boxes), and then remove motor vehicles from the high streets with shops and people.
Can’t argue with that the
Can’t argue with that the need for pleasant, pollution-free routes. But we also need routes to go the places people want to go, and to target the popular commuter routes. That is part of the way we can have modal shift for utility journeys. The more successful that is (and as the motor fleet shifts towards EV and regen braking), the AQ along those routes will improve.
Quote:
Every driver has seen him. Loads of times, apparently.
Now, I’m not recommending it – I’m lit like a Christmas tree and I’m only sitting at my desk right now! – but if everybody sees him, isn’t the point that “I didn’t see him” is as fake an answer as a Boris comment from the dispatch box?
Don’t hide behind what the cyclist should have done, or what the pedestrian was wearing. Your job, motorist, is to take effective observation. If it’s more difficult because it’s darker, or raining, slow down and look harder.
GMBasix wrote:
Every driver has seen him. Loads of times, apparently.
Now, I’m not recommending it – I’m lit like a Christmas tree and I’m only sitting at my desk right now! – but if everybody sees him, isn’t the point that “I didn’t see him” is as fake an answer as a Boris comment from the dispatch box?
Don’t hide behind what the cyclist should have done, or what the pedestrian was wearing. Your job, motorist, is to take effective observation. If it’s more difficult because it’s darker, or raining, slow down and look harder.
It’s important to distinguish the two kinds of invisible cyclist. There’s the one that drivers can’t see that they often tell you about, dressed in black, no lights, ninja skills of blending into the background and being exactly where motorists would least expect. Then there’s the even more sinister kind that motorists don’t see, normally to be found exactly in the correct position on the road, frequently wearing hi-vis, carrying lights, appearing on long straight roads in daylight and yet so utterly invisible that often drivers get all the way home without having noticed that they hit them.
chrisonatrike wrote:
… should be looking because, y’know, responsibility.
Fiends!
Tragically true, but I take
Tragically true, but I take the view that (a) I’d rather give them every chance to see me from a long way off and (b) if [insert preferred deity] forbid, one of them does hit me, I don’t want them to be able to use my clothing etc as mitigation.
The tik-tokker needs a few
The tik-tokker needs a few more brain cells in her little head. All that self-centredness must be really hard work.
Hope the cyclist is ok and the video doesn’t start some viral craze.
Lovely show of sympathy for
Lovely show of sympathy for the young lady.
I see lot of kids filming these things. its a thing they do. prop the phone up do a lttle dance or take a pose.
And it could well have been on a footpath.
nicmason wrote:
‘Youth of today’, eh? Constantly looking at their phones, presuming everyone else will look out and avoid them. In my day… 😉
Owd Big ‘Ead wrote:
Teenager in not-paying-attention-to-surroundings shocker
It’s kind of what teenagers do, and indeed is one of the factors leading to ped/car collisions being the biggest cause of deaths in young people. Personally, I’m always cautious around peds, as they are somewhat unpredictable (when I’m paying attention to my surroundings that is….)
I hope the riders ok too, but I think you’re being a little harsh – eg in spite of being self-centred, she fairly promptly enquired after the rider.
Captain Badger wrote:
I took that to be Tik Tokker’s off-camera friend enquiring after Tik Tokker’s cheek, but maybe I’m being uncharitable.
quiff wrote:
Cynic
Edit: ok, cynical, but probably correct
Bloody tiktokkers, hanging’s to good for’em
By some huge co-incidence
By some huge co-incidence Stolen Goat have also announced their Custom Kit service today.
(SG kit is made by Bio-racer to SG designs)
SG custom has been available
SG custom has been available for a while, as has BioRacer anyway for individuals. This BioRacerUK setup is more to do with them leveraging the links of their new kit deal with Ineos Grenadiers to push to UK cycling clubs custom kit market, with a look how you can get the same style,quality of kit as your favourite Ineos Grenadiers riders but now in your own club colours.
Maybe its been in Stealth
Maybe its been in Stealth mode? This blog suggests its just launched.
I suspect SG took the opportunity presented by BioRacer UK.
its not something they
its not something they promoted that heavily, because they were focussing on the main kit lines to build up the business first, but its been something you could certainly ask from them directly, and theyve been promising to expand the custom setup for a while, thats why I dont think its necessarily related to the BioRacerUK thing.
25mph across London and
25mph across London and Brighton on open roads is amazing… there must have been plenty of waiting at junctions, lights etc. A great example of Pro cyclist vs amateurs…
I remember the first (and as it turned out last) time I managed 25mph on a road bike over a 10m TT, I felt like I’d won a tour stage! I don’t think I will be troubling Mr Richardson to settle my Happy Meal receipt.
“Strava estimates that in
“Strava estimates that in Britain, 13,000 carbon tons have been saved by cycling commuters in 2021, which is a carbon offsetting equivalent to planting 650,000 trees, or to taking 6,500 cars off the road for a year.”
In reality I reckon it’s far more than that….assuming they are getting their data from people who mark their rides as a “commute” – I’ve never seen anyone do that personally.
More people need to link
More people need to link their Strava account to Commute Marker – it automatically tags your regular route to and from work as a “commute”. And whilst I’m at it, myWindSock is very useful as it adds data about wind strength and direction into the ride description.
mpdouglas wrote:
That’s easy for me – whichever direction I’m riding in, there seems to be a headwind…
Been thinking about
Been thinking about Everesting for a while (mainly in terms of what charity ride I could do on a trainer Christmas Day if we’re locked down again), so that Race Republic offering looks great…then found that it’s $200 minimum to join it. The cost of a whole year on Zwift for one route?
Not sure the wifey would
Not sure the wifey would appreciate it though if you decide to share the challenge.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
Yes, she calculated that realistically a shared turn and turn about Everest (as we did our 200 miles last Christmas day, thanks again to all the generous folks on here who sponsored us) would take us in the region of twenty hours, so that’s been vetoed. Pretending to give in reluctantly whilst internally breathing a massive sigh of relief…
Quote:
I found the mythical cyclist! Just did a little non-scientific survey on an evening walk. Of the 8 cyclists I saw:
Must be some subtlety in
Must be some subtlety in there for it to add up to 9 or is it one of those riddles:
I went to st ives in the dark and met a ninja cyclist – how many ninja cyclists were going to st ives ?
Ahem. No subtlety, just crap
Ahem. No subtlety, just crap maths. Of the 9 cyclists I saw…
Obviously the one in black
Obviously the one in black with no lights was the one quiff didn’t see.
That bit about asking about
That bit about asking about which bikes you ride as part of the account sign up process. Maybe you could show a video of a blameless cyclist being close passed and ask who was to blame as a way of weeding out trolls.
You can’t Everest a video
You can’t Everest a video game.
You can’t Everest anything
You can’t Everest anything except Everest.
mdavidford wrote:
Some don’t even Everest Everest…
mdavidford wrote:
Fit the best…..
Captain Badger wrote:
Organon wrote:
https://everesting.cc/virtual-everesting-rules/
I used to commute through
I used to commute through Hyde Park every single day, twice.
At least once a week I was meeting some guy on some junk bike, dressed black, hood on, staring at his phone, at night (~ 10 or 11pm). No lights, of course. Literally every. Single. Week. Different people.
I love Phil, but booooy he’s wrong.
“Huge cuts on the cards for
“Huge cuts on the cards for London cycling schemes”
Now I see why the UK government corruptly banned cycling, walking and public transport from COP26. Along with opening new coal mines and drilling for oil, their plans for climate change aren’t just a farce, they are an utter disgrace.
This won’t affect just London, it will be everywhere, and I can see that all sustainable, low cost, low climate change effects, transport will be cut, and all the while our glorious leader is gloating about how good we are at reducing CO2 emissions. My MP will be getting another letter from me, pointing out that you can’t spend £27bn on road schemes while simultaneously cutting funding for environmentally friendly transport and still pretend that you’re actually interested in reducing climate change. They should cut the roads schemes entirely and double funding for cycling, walking and public transport.
I’ve got another small bet that the msm won’t pick up on this either, not while there’s a much more important story about a celeb or minor royal.
EDIT; Reading the linked article in preparation to writing to my MP, it turns out that much of this story has been exaggerated or even invented, rather surprising road.cc! I’m all for bashing the government, as they rarely get a lick amiss, but making up stuff about them weakens your case when you do attack them for the real things they’re doing.
e.g. “On Wednesday evening the UK Government published a 15-page briefing….” No, it was TfL.