- News

“It just needs a tune up…”: Bike shop shares rust-ridden “tetanus express” that no amount of WD-40 could cure; Jeremy Vine engages stealth mode; Groundhog Day GPS art; Hedge cutting “a danger to cyclists”, council warns + more on the live blog
SUMMARY

"Bit of T-cut & that'll be as good as new..."
Bit of T-cut & that’ll be as good as new…
— Mark H (@MarkHYorkshire) February 2, 2023
Jeremy Vine engages stealth mode
Saw @theJeremyVine on Tuesday, and he was so alert. He knew exactly what I was doing so only waved and didn’t call out so as not to alert the two drivers I was about to catch. I love that cycle lane, btw. It’s excellent. I’m only out of it because of catching phone drivers. pic.twitter.com/1cIJsePvN2
— CyclingMikey (@MikeyCycling) February 2, 2023
Don’t tell Jo about this…
Anyway, cyclists recording law-breaking road users has been a hot topic this past week, with an Edinburgh rider who caught 12 drivers in one hour subsequently deactivating his social media accounts due to abuse. Well, we spoke to Mikey about the issue and he told us “people need to see justice being done” and the abuse only comes because some motorists “feel they have the right to drive how they want”.
What happens on team training camp... goes on social media
Yesterday at #EDB2023 @Joshytarling and @mleonard04 got a lesson in crosswinds from @LukeRowe1990.
But back at our winter training camp they got a lesson in… forfeits 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/4wa7QZU1MH
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) February 2, 2023
Admittedly probably the most sober a British male forced to do a swimming pool forfeit at a hotel by the beach in Spain has ever been…
Groundhog Day GPS art
*Will Phil see his shadow?#PunxsutawneyPhil! #GroundhogDay! #stravaart #GPSdrawing #GPSbaltimore! pic.twitter.com/zr3LazZVQo
— WallyGPX (@WallyGPX) February 2, 2023
Hedge cutting "a danger to cyclists", council warns
Potholes, dangerous driving, broken glass, ice, dodgy infrastructure, invisible dog leads etc. etc. you’ve heard almost just about every possible danger to people riding bicycles — until now…
Well, according to the East Anglian Daily Times concerns have been raised about the cutting back of a Suffolk hedgerow that may be endangering cyclists and damaging valuable habitat for wildlife.
The worry is the cut hedge in Goldings Lane may cause punctures and increase the debris along the route.
However, nobody seems to know why the hedge was trimmed, with residents and the council unsure of the culprit. Not sure the BBC will be after a six-part mystery crime drama, but still, frustrating for those involved…
“It appears to be a mystery. Whether it is tidying up in terms of hedge trimming or whether there are any plans for that site. There is certainly nothing that the town council is aware of,” Cllr John Last said.
Ethan Hayter to miss European Track Championships and other early season targets due to fractured collarbone


[📷: SWPix.com/Zack Whitehead]
Ethan Hayter has undergone successful surgery in Australia for a fractured collarbone sustained at last weekend’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. The talented young Brit will now travel home but will not be competing at next week’s European Track Championships in Switzerland, Ineos Grenadiers confirmed to Cyclingnews.
The 24-year-old’s wins have been getting steadily bigger during his WorldTour career. Last year he added a British national TT championship and the Tour of Poland to his growing palmares and finished fourth in the World Championships TT.
"As long as the wheel goes around when I pedal" and more of your maintenance philosophies
Just serviced my niece’s bike which had been outdoors in Oban for a year. Chains, cables and freewheels are consumables.
OK that hub needs work but rust always looks a lot worse than it is. Takes more than this to really kill a bike. https://t.co/a5dwJ5gVBn
— 𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 (@overlandertheb1) February 2, 2023
Patrick9-32: “As someone who has four bikes, three of which currently have punctures I haven’t got round to fixing yet, I don’t appreciate the poor maintenance shaming.” You’re welcome, Patrick. If it’s any consolation, I’ve only got one but still haven’t got everything under control. Give me some sunshine for motivation…
JustTryingToGet…: “If it makes you feel better, I rarely bother sorting mine now unless it’s urgent, I wait for issues to accumulate and then get the whole thing sorted… I’m so lazy someone comes to my house to collect the bike! I quite like this maintenance shaming as I’ve never let a bike get that bad!”
Global Nomad’s got a simpler outlook on maintenance… “As long as the wheel goes around when I pedal.”
Ruben Guerreiro claims first win for Movistar, coming out on top on Saudi Tour queen stage
🥇 Stage win
📈 Into the GC lead
1️⃣ stage left to defend the green jerseyWhat a day for @Movistar_Team and Ruben Guerreiro 🙌#SaudiTour | @Rguerreiro94 pic.twitter.com/3FXTuohayb
— Eurosport (@eurosport) February 2, 2023
Ignore the flat finish, there was a tough ol’ climb to the plateau at the top where Davide Formolo, Santiago Buitrago, Felix Großschartner and Ruben Guerreiro did battle for the stage win and control of the race.
As you’ve probably gathered, Guerreiro got the victory, his first for Movistar and leads Formolo by eight seconds on GC.
Not sure much more needs to be said, it’s Saudi Tour after all…
Why Are UK Bike Prices So High!? Is Brexit to Blame?
Crash chaos neutralises Étoile de Bessèges stage two
Holy moly that’s a big crash…
Les commissaires neutralisent la course à 22km de l’arrivée après une importante chute dans le peloton des piégés. Plusieurs coureurs sont encore à terre. #EDB2023 pic.twitter.com/EY99BxkK1H
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) February 2, 2023
The stage has been neutralised while the race staff, doctors and riders pick through the pile of bikes and bodies. Let’s hope everyone is as well as they can be after a pile up like that.
Horrendous scenes at the #EDB2023, hopefully everyone is safe, including the Total Energies rider literally hanging on to a bridge 🙏🙏
— Guillaume (@GuillaumeWatt) February 2, 2023
La position de Valentin Ferron sur le pont au moment de la chute. 😳#EDB2023 pic.twitter.com/qowreJ6MKP
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) February 2, 2023
We’ll bring you more details as we get them here on the live blog…
Stage cancelled
#EDB2023 Both of the race ambulances had to attend to crashed riders so the race cannot continue. The peloton will gently ride to the finish.
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) February 2, 2023
"If I'm shoplifting, is it the shop owners responsibility to have adequate security?": Village police force's much-criticised response to another bike theft
Crime Alert – Theft of cycle On Wednesday 18/01/2023 between 09:10 hrs to 10:00 hrs unknown suspect stole victims bike with large black saddle bags locked and secured to bike rack O/S,BLAGDON ROAD,MALDEN CENTRE,NEW MALDEN,KT3 4TA #community #Lock #Secure https://t.co/Ch9ZsDDrOO pic.twitter.com/1dKS47R6fO
— New Malden Village Police (@MPSVillageSW) January 19, 2023
We are noticing an increase in theft of bikes secured and unsecured . It is solely the owner’s responsibility to insure they secure and lock bikes to bike rack using a good D locks rather than a cheap basic padlocks which thieves can easily cut through. Regards PCSO Griffith
— New Malden Village Police (@MPSVillageSW) January 20, 2023
Unsurprisingly the have a pop at victims approach to tackling crime didn’t go down spectacularly well…
If im shoplifting, is it the shop owners responsibility to have adequate security?
— Bike Rogers (@bike_rogers) February 2, 2023
So it is the cyclist’s fault? With rechargeable grinder cutters now, even Good d-locks are easy meat, it seems. But hey ho, it is our fault for having expensive bikes (not). Yet again ‘blame gaming’ in Action!
— Cyclist_With_Attitude (It/trouble/nutter/mad) (@CyclistAttitude) February 2, 2023
Do you say the same to car or homeowners when they are burgled, or to shops when a shoplifter robs them? 🤔
— Ryan D (@RWDWirralGreens) February 1, 2023
Is this @Sandford_Police ? pic.twitter.com/2wrALSFAKg
— Glasgow Fietser (@FietserGlasgow) February 2, 2023
Giulio Ciccone wins another bike race — and throws his shades away AGAIN
Remember Ciccone’s 2019 Giro win? Okay, fair enough maybe you’re not as nerdy as us. The one where he beat Jan Hirt in the sprint and lobbed his glasses away in excitement…
He’s done it again…
Cicco time at #VCV2023 🥳🥳🥳🥳
Watch him win stage 2 👇👇
Congratulations @giuliocicco1 👏👏👏pic.twitter.com/Pm0tAVx4dV
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) February 2, 2023
And if you want the blue bird app summed up in two embeds, here you go…
EPIC celebration by Ciccone!
— Simon Warren (@100Climbs) February 2, 2023
Spoiler alert – chucking your sunglasses when you win just makes you look like a spoilt brat!
— Ronan Mc Laughlin (@ronanmclaughlin) February 2, 2023
Seems there’s only one way to decide this…
"It just needs a tune up...": Bike shop shares the rust-ridden "tetanus express" that no amount of WD-40 could cure
As far as exciting names go, the “tetanus express” isn’t the most appealing for casual weekend spin. Also, as per a quick Google search, the ol’ tetanus/rust connection is apparently a bit of a myth, but hey, it’s a fun name, let’s not let the science get in the way of a good time…
As a long since departed Instagram user, checking Trench Tales’ brilliant documentation of life in a bike shop periodically for live blog crackers is just about it for that particular app. But if there was one account likely to keep me coming back, it’s them. Well worth a follow if you like your mechanical mishaps messy and just generally want to feel slightly better about the state you keep your pride and joy in.
Despite the bicycle abuse on show in every post, it’s really hard to look away…remember these?




> Can it be real? Mechanic shares double cleat horror set up
Yep, two Trench Tales classics. Anyway, today’s caused the page’s growing following the usual disbelief and amusement at what a mechanic is meant to do when an expectant customer arrives with THAT in tow…
One speculated the line delivered was: “IT JUST NEEDS A TUNE UP. I USED TO WORK IN A SHOP”
Another that it was just in for a “flat repair and rear brake adjustment. Only.”
Someone else asked if it had been salvaged from the Titanic. Well played…
2 February 2023, 09:02
2 February 2023, 09:02
Help us to bring you the best cycling content
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.

33 Comments
Read more...
Read more...
Read more...
Latest Comments
I have the Trace and Tracer, which have essentially the same design, albeit smaller and less powerful. The controls are a little complicated but only because there are loads of options. In reality, once you've chosen your level of brightness, you'll only cycle through 1 or 2 options and it's dead simple. The lights are rock solid, bright, with good runtimes. The only thing I find annoying is charging them - if your fingers are slightly wet or greasy, getting the rubber out of the way of the charging port is a pain in the arse.
Dance and padel is all very well, but when is Strava going to let me record my gardening?
You can use it to check whether it's raining.
If it's dusk, i.e. post-sunset, then the cyclists should have lights on and thus the colour of their top is irrelevant. If you want to complain about cyclists not having lights when it's mandatory then by all means do but their top has nothing to do with it.
All of my Exposure lights with a button allow cycling through the modes with a short press. I have five of those; it would be odd if Exposure didn’t allow this functionality with the Boost 3. I also have two Exposure Burners if I remember correctly: they are rear lights for joysticks that clip on and are powered through the joystick charging port. They don’t have a button. None of my Exposure lights have failed. I looked at the Boost 3 review photos but none showed the button, so far as I could tell. I also have Moon lights. Good experience generally. One did fail, possibly because it was so thin it used to fall through the holes in my helmet onto the ground. Also, the UI and charge indicators vary for my Moon lights. Perhaps the latest ones are more consistent. My worst lights ever were from See.Sense.
Steve really doesnt like exposure products does he? Boost and Strada marked down for being too complicated. While the Zenith and Six Pack reviewed by his colleagues give them rave reviews (as most exposure products have on road.cc), the Zenith even touted as 'even more intuitive to use' with the same controls.
They are more interested in dog shit. https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/people/lancaster-police-launch-search-for-person-who-sprayed-dog-faeces-with-pink-paint-5605519
What is the point of the mirror? Are you supposed to check your hair when riding on the tops?
I can see the car (larger, lights etc) more easily than I can see a bike rider in a black or dark top. Therefore, at that moment of crossing the risk is greater. Try crossing Lower Richmond Road Putney or Battersea Park or Battersea Rise Clapham at dusk and see.
I can see the car (larger, lights etc) more easily than I can see a bike rider in a black or dark top. Therefore, at that moment of crossing the risk is greater. Try crossing Lower Richmond Road Putney or Battersea Park or Battersea Rise Clapham at dusk and see.




















33 thoughts on ““It just needs a tune up…”: Bike shop shares rust-ridden “tetanus express” that no amount of WD-40 could cure; Jeremy Vine engages stealth mode; Groundhog Day GPS art; Hedge cutting “a danger to cyclists”, council warns + more on the live blog”
as long as the wheel goes
as long as the wheel goes around when i pedal…..
sorry to reply to myself, but
sorry to reply to myself, but i just cleaned and lubed my chain this morning because it had been two weeks…
As someone who has four bikes
As someone who has four bikes, three of which currently have punctures I haven’t got round to fixing yet, I don’t appreciate the poor maintenance shaming. :p
Patrick9-32 wrote:
If it makes you feel better, I rarely bother sorting mine now unless it’s urgent, I wait for issues to accumulate and then get the whole thing sorted… I’m so lazy someone comes to my house to collect the bike!
I quite like this maintenance shaming as I’ve never let a bike get that bad!
Patrick9-32 wrote:
Oh, I was expecting this to be about effing hedge trimmers! My off road routes have been puncture heaven recently, as the local Farmer Giles seem to cut them back with a rusty tea spoon. They’ve now started doing some of the country roads just as badly too!
May I suggest that tubeless
May I suggest that tubeless is an answer to hedge cutting. It is at least on my plus, low pressures knoblies. Was out doing a nice daylong mostly off road ride, one farm track, didn’t even notice what must have been a recent hedge slashing, got to a right hander after a fast stretch of main road and could hear something in the tyre. Big twig attached to a large thorn which did the white bubbles when pulled out, then sealed, pulled a few more thorns out of both tyres, all sealed quick, and gingerly continued the ride. The sense of smugness and smile grew as I started to ride harder. Each of the thorns would have been a ride ruiner. Pulled at least another five more out of each tyre when did a proper inspection a few days later.
Maybe all from half a k of farm track.
It made all of the hastle worthwhile, for me at least.
If you haven’t seen it yet,
If you haven’t seen it yet, this feature on the history of the womens CX Worlds is a good read – https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/64453786
I cycle commute every weekday
I cycle commute every weekday. Today I got my first heckle of the year (“Get out the middle of the road, dickhead!”). 32 days isn’t too bad I reckon.
From yesterday’s blog I was
From yesterday’s blog I was surprised to find that codpieces are a thing again. Maybe I have not been watching closely enough.
Why? What’s wrong with the Linford Christie lycra-and-lunchbox formula? Is someone underequipped perchance?
https://twitter.com
https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk/status/1621046000763682817?t=1YlfRnwHAHVQ0FOpSkXy4Q&s=19
Man who deliberately rammed a police motorcyclist gets 4 years.
Motorist who deliberately rams cyclist gets no further action. (See multiple previous incidents).
Discuss. (Ducks & runs).
They like to look after their
They like to look after their own.
Not making judgement on the
Not making judgement on the rights or wrongs of this (or the stark difference in outcome) but committing an offence against someone providing a public service is generally an aggravating factor in sentencing.
Point taken, and I agree with
Point taken, and I agree with the principle, but doing the same to a vulnerable road user is also an aggravating factor (motorcyclists are of course included in this so that’s doubly aggregated in this case).
Good spot. I wonder whether
Good spot. I wonder whether “vulnerable victim” in the sentencing guidance is intended to be something more than “vulnerable road user” though.
quiff wrote:
Regardless, these are guidelines, and not exclusive, so one would have hoped the unprotected nature of a cyclist, or indeed, pedestrian, would be taken into account, but it does seem courts get very confused when cycling gets involved in a case.
Favour to ask… anyone know
Favour to ask… anyone know where the thread is where one of the PBU temp identities was demolished by logic regarding bikes damage the road more than wankpanzers.
I need the maths. Ta.
Not sure but 4th power rule
Not sure but 4th power rule is used
https://camdencyclists.org.uk/2020/06/the-fourth-power-rule-cyclelicious/
and
sorry for lbs but brexit.
hirsute wrote:
bloody brexit 🙂
That’s great, thank you
That rusty hub reminds me of
That rusty hub reminds me of something from cookery. Does a pineapple have a ‘core’? Something like that…
Landowner blocks plans for
Landowner blocks plans for green walkway through Sussex estate
Sir Richard Kleinwort has not given permission for viable walking and cycling route between Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/02/landowner-blocks-plans-for-green-walkway-through-sussex-estate
Does anyone want to share local knowledge on this?
No local knowledge but we
No local knowledge but we have the same issue with the local toffs (Earls no less) here which force cyclists and pedestrians onto similarly rural roads and into lengthy diversions. Particularly annoying as there are estate roads better than most Sustran paths which would join up with a long distance cycleway and provide a 45 mile long traffic-free route.
Maybe the govt’s plan for everyone to live within 15 mins of nature by foot or by bicycle will change things. Oh, hang on a minute…
Two roads eh, how about
Two roads eh, how about making one road a walking and cycling route, the cars can all use the other route and everyone’s happy!
Quote:
I have a suspicion the journalist enjoyed writing that sentence.
I see the song Delilah has
I see the song Delilah has been banned from international rugby matches in Wales. Why? Why?
perce wrote:
I used to have daydreams that I was Tom Jones and having underwear thrown at me. I saw a doctor about it and they said that it’s not unusual.
Sounds as if you were smoking
Sounds as if you were smoking the green green grass of home?
Rendel Harris wrote:
It’s better than burning down the house
A man goes to the doctor and
A man goes to the doctor and say “I keep thinking that I’m Tom Jones”. The doctor replies “It’s not unusual”, to which the man replies, “Why, why, why?”.
It hasn’t been banned, but
It hasn’t been banned, but somewhere along the line they thought singing a happy song about infidelity, stalking and murder probably wasn’t very 21st century. It’s alright though, he got his comeuppance in Green Green Grass (got hung).
Meanwhile, Knock 3 Times, (stalking and harassment) and Tie a Yellow Ribbon (locked up for unspecified crime which should not be profiting from).
If I Fell – The Beatles hope the ex will cry when the singer goes off with the new girl.
Most 50s songs seem to be bloke stalking an ex-girlfriend trying to get her back once she realises the error of her ways or girls being grateful for boyfriend coming back after playing around for a while.
Best not to know, just whistle.
In that category you can add
In that category you can add “Baby it’s cold outside” – Man keeping woman in the house against her will so they have sex.
Then obviously later decades you have the songs about taking drugs or potential suicide (comfortably numb could go in either for example).
Myself, I’m abit like the old advert for dodgy music tapes. The music is the main thing and the lyrics just go how I think I heard them. My favorite two for that are “my ears are alight” and “Reverend Bluejeans.”
.
.
Good one. Used to think Bruce on BTR was singing ‘you and me on the streets at night never less than pissed’.
.
Correct words, of course, are ‘ever-lasting kiss’.
.
Hedge cutting “a danger to
Hedge cutting “a danger to cyclists”, council warns
Paging Awavey – oh, I think they are still walking home.
And this chain came through
And this chain came through our bike recycling centre attached to a beautiful old Bob Jackson that had been left in the damp for years. We got the bike scrubbed up at last but some effort.