Challenge dangerous driving or silently report? Driving instructor Ashley Neal weighs in on cyclist debate; Local angered by parking tickets vows not to drive, starts cycling; Bike lane removal protest; Cyclocross in a nutshell + more on the live blog

Liverpool-based YouTube driving instructor Ashley Neal, has come out with his take on what should cyclists do when on the receiving end of dangerous driving, and it's one for you all to discuss.

Replying to a tweet by road.cc about the news of a motorist avoiding jail for deliberately ramming cyclist who questioned close pass, the son of former Liverpool and England footballer Phil Neal tagged the Detective Chief Superintendent of Met Police Andy Cox and asked: "Could this incident have ended without problem if your advice on challenge was different? Would you like to clarify what you think cyclist should do in these confrontational situations?"

@AndyCoxDCS could this incident have ended without problem if your advice on challenge was different? Would you like to clarify what you think cyclist should do in these confrontational situations?

— AshleyNealDrivingIns (@AshleyNealDI) October 30, 2023

When another Twitter user pointed out that this was a bad take by Neal, he countered saying: "Andy thinks challenge is acceptable, I disagree. Just report to the Police and that’s the end of it."

> CyclingMikey wishes Ashley Neal would "leave me alone" as YouTube driving instructor uploads another video criticising his approach

The back and forth went on for quite a bit, another cyclist pointing that "as a society we should be able to hold each other to account" and that it should be acceptable to tell somebody they’re wrong, adding that "the law should protect that, not treat it as antagonistic".

Neal responded saying: "He [Andy Cox] only thinks of things from the Police perspective. Imagine if I challenged every single person who treated myself and my learner drivers anything but perfectly. What message does that send to novice drivers?"

And I’m telling Andy he’s wrong. He only thinks of things from the Police perspective. Imagine if I challenged every single person who treated myself and my learner drivers anything but perfectly. What message does that send to novice drivers?

— AshleyNealDrivingIns (@AshleyNealDI) October 30, 2023

> “I wholeheartedly disagree with his approach” – YouTube driving instructor Ashley Neal on CyclingMikey

It's not like Ashley Neal hasn't tried to get his foot in cycling debates previously, saying that cyclists like CyclingMikey, who confront law-breaking drivers, actually create many road rage incidents.

In what in my opinion has turned out to be a quite meta and somewhat ironic discussion, should cyclists, who are actually the ones endangered by dangerous driving, be fearful of the fact that pointing it out to the drivers can lead to further escalation and thus, simply resort to 'silent reporting', hoping that the police would do their job and make the driver realise of the consequences of their actions?

Well, I don't think there's a right or wrong approach here per se, but as usual, we are interested to hear what you think about it...

Chairwoman of the Cyclox campaign group Dr Alison Hill is being treated for a serious leg injury following last week's incident involving a coach being driven in the city centre...

Cyclist safety concerns have again been heard in Oxford after five police cars and an ambulance attended the scene of a collision at a notorious roundabout, where a university academic was killed last year, after another collision, yesterday's just days after the chairwoman of an Oxford cycling campaign group was left hospitalised with a serious leg injury after a further collision in the city centre.

> Safety concerns after cyclist collision at notorious roundabout, as cycling campaigner remains in hospital after separate incident

The hype was good until it lasted. After much talk of being hard as nails, the NK Tegenwindfietsen, or the Dutch Headwind Cycling Championships, has in fact, been called off because it's *checks notes* too windy.

Earlier in the day, we reported the organiser of this crazy time-trial said that the conditions were "bleak, wet and incredibly windy" — perfect for the one of the most bizarre races of the cycling calendar when cyclists ride their sit-up-and-beg fixies facing gusts up to 120 km/hr for almost 9 kilometres.

"It's not called the NK Tegenwindfietsen for nothing!" were the words from the organiser. However, with a Code Orange in place due to the current Storm Ciarán in western Europe, the Championship has after all, been cancelled.

The Dutch National Headwind Cycling championships were due to take place today but have now been CANCELLED due to strong winds.

(Video from a previous event) pic.twitter.com/yiyIKxZWq3

— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) November 2, 2023

"We had prepared everything, everything is in the starting blocks. The weather is insane, but too intense. The peak speeds are too intense," said the organisers, adding that the average wind speed was still tolerable (I mean not for your average live blog host), but the gusts could have compromised the safety of the participants who would've had to ride their bikes along the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier in south-eastern part of the Netherlands.

The organisers added: "And of course we don't want that. Safety is at the top."

The participants, however, are of course disappointed. Roald from Brielle, one of them, said: "It seems like a bad joke. The NK Tegenwindfietsen has been cancelled by strong winds."

Omroep Zeeland reports that Roald was already ready with his bicycle when the event was called off. "It's a shame, because I was confident that I would make it. I had taken time off work, but then I think I'll get started anyway," he said, adding that he would have to take the bus back home now.
 

"It's not called the NK Tegenwindfietsen for nothing!"

The NK Tegenwindfietsen, or the Dutch Headwind Cycling Championships, is a bit of a crazy affair. Riding along the 8.5 km course against the wind on typical Dutch upright, single-speed bikes on the Oosterscheldekering (Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier, that's a mouthful), it's absolutely one of the most bizarre, yet delightfully wholesome and very normal thing to do.

One of the most Dutch events on the sporting calendar, the national headwind cycling championship (NK Tegenwindfietsen), takes place in Zeeland today. Some 300 brave souls are expected to take part. https://t.co/fEJXj16rQP

— Gordon Darroch (@GordonDarroch) November 2, 2023

Contested by 300 riders every year during the autumn/winter season, with winds speeds possible over 120 km/hr, who wouldn't like to have the bragging rights of being the most gung-ho cyclist in the Netherlands?

But this year, with the incoming Storm Ciarán resulting in a Code Orange being declared by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, the event is still on track to take place later today.

"It's perfect conditions here. Bleak, wet and incredibly windy," said organizer Robrecht Stoekenbroek in the radio program Zeeland Wordt Wakker. "It's not for nothing that it's called the NK Tegenwindfietsen. It's on the verge of a bit of craziness. It's part of it that where everyone goes in we go out."

However, if the safety is at stake, the event will be cancelled, he added. "We are keeping an eye on it very closely. If it were to become unsafe somewhere, we would act accordingly. So far, they are dream conditions. We start nicely at noon and then just keep an eye on it."

It's not like the event hasn't been cancelled due to well, dangerous headwinds. In 2020, the full-force of the Storm Ciara (ominously close-name to the current storm) forced the organisers to abandon the sixth edition of the championships.

Now you won't catch me in this time-trial ever (I'm ashamed but the Cardiff headwinds often get too much for me), but I hope those going out in the championship today have fun, and well, can just manage to move forward.

Portland, Oregon. One of the few American cities with a decent cycling infrastructure, and cyclists from the city were hoping to pave the way towards a greener, more inclusive urban future and bucking the trend of uber-American motonormativity.

However, they were met with an obstacle in the shape of a truck sent to strip down a cycle lane Northeast 33rd Avenue, only installed a month ago, now slated for removal by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) without any notice.

Why? Because the Bureau deemed it as a "mistake" because they didn't do "enough public outreach". That is, despite the bike lane being a part of a plan that went through a 2-year public process, before being adopted by council by a 5-0 vote, with 4 of those council members still sitting today.

Thankfully, the cyclists weren't quick to give up. Yesterday, concerned Portlanders took to the street to physically block the truck from going about with the stripping down.

"If people didn’t show up this morning, the bike lane would be gone," wrote Jonathan Maus, cycling campaigner and editor of Bike Portland.

In fact, the information about the removal of the bike lane wasn't even announced publicly by PBOT. Maus said: "We only found out because PBOT staff warned BikePortland anonymously that it was imminent."

Concerned Portlanders are physically blocking a @PBOTinfo truck that had begun removing the bike lane on NE 33rd. pic.twitter.com/fxElXFNgfZ

— BikePortland (@BikePortland) November 1, 2023

Local bike advocacy group BikeLoud PDX responded by telling members to show up at the site yesterday morning. The idea was to take a closer look at the bike lanes in advance of a planned strategy session later this morning.

However, crews had already begun removing the bike lane as the activists showed up. One of them, former BikeLoud PDX Chair Kiel Johnson, rolled up to the scene and immediately stopped his bike in front of the oncoming truck. The truck driver stopped and Johnson stood there with his arms crossed.

Maus added: "It is clear that PBOT wanted this bike lane removed. Their statement to BikePortland yesterday was unambiguous. It said, “This segment of bike lane was installed by mistake and will be removed."

Once the truck operator left the corner of the street, he simply moved to another section of the bike lane a few blocks south and started the grinding-off process again. Activists then hopped on their bikes and stood in front to stop forward progress.

Several minutes passed and the truck was driven away once again. Eventually the contractors left for the day, but BikeLoud volunteers still stood their ground, staying in shifts to make sure it didn't return.

The @PBOTinfo crews have left. People are volunteering for shifts to remain at the site in case they return. pic.twitter.com/8diDPw5t79

— BikePortland (@BikePortland) November 1, 2023

PBOT's Deputy Chief of Staff Cynthia Castro said" "PBOT is not continuing with removing the bike lane today, but we do need to have further conversation about this particular stretch."

But PBOT Director Millicent Williams isn’t on that page. Based on PBOT statements and that letter given to residents this morning, Director Williams did not plan to have any further conversation. The order was to remove the bike lane and it would be gone if not for the timely protest organized by BikeLoud PDX

Maus later provided an update saying: "Stalemate on 33rd. Crews said they are just modifying the bike lane. @PBOTinfo said yesterday it would be removed."

While this seems like a classic case of "confuse them with misinformation", cyclists have come together to slam the authorities' behaviour.

Cyclist Matthew Lewis wrote on Twitter: "So many city public works/transportation departments are fully rogue, and harbour so much animosity toward residents, this is only way forward.

"Until city councils get the courage to clean house, everyone should block their trucks & make it impossible for them to do more harm."

And Bike PDX member Ike said: "Why do the people have to fight for fucking bike lanes? @PBOTinfo needs to explain itself. And also GTFO with this waste of time and resources. This is the opposite of productive. We want more bike lanes, safer streets, more walkable neighborhoods, less dirtbag drivers."

the optics of a DOT removing safe streets infrastructure amidst a climate crisis, and growing deadly streets crisis - is... yikes! https://t.co/IaFgfrbPSb

— Mike Eliason (@holz_bau) November 1, 2023

Something tells me we haven't seen the end of this stand-off yet...