Journalist Ash Sarkar abused for posting learning to ride vid; De Gendt claims it’s easier to drop TDF riders than win on Zwift; Vogue’s cycle clothing guide; Niche cycling COVID meme; Weymouth seafront bike ban + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Top-earning cyclists
💵 El diario @lequipe publica el salario anual de los ciclistas mejor pagados:
1️⃣ Sagan 5M€🇸🇰
2️⃣ Froome 4’5M€🇬🇧
3️⃣ Thomas 3’5M€🇬🇧
4️⃣ Bernal 2’7M€🇨🇴
5️⃣ Aru 2’6M€🇮🇹
6️⃣ Kwiatkowski 2’5M€🇵🇱
7️⃣ Alaphilippe 2’3M€🇫🇷
8️⃣ Valverde 2’2M€🇪🇸
9️⃣ Nibali 2’1M€🇮🇹
1️⃣0️⃣ Carapaz 2’1M€🇪🇨 pic.twitter.com/LNNg5xGSCn— COPEdaleando (@Copedaleando) May 19, 2020
L’Equipe’s round-up revealed that Peter Sagan is the highest earner, raking in €5 million a year, with Chris Froome second on the list with €4.5 million and Geraint Thomas third on €3.5 million.
Re that little Strava debate from yesterday...
A life.
(joking, OK?)
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) May 19, 2020
Yesterday’s live blog was dominated by the news that Strava is putting a number of features behind a paywall, so we asked Twitter if they had any alternative recommendations. Looks like Mr Boulting has answered that question once and for all…
Cycling banned on Weymouth promenade
Dorset council have announced that cycling will be banned on Weymouth’s seafront between 10am-5.30pm from 22nd May to 31st October. No further reasons have been given for the enforcement of the Public Space Protection Order, with some questioning the move and asking for alternatives.
A similar ban has been previously discussed in Bournemouth, with leader of the council Vikki Slade saying that they would consider a ban unless their 10mph speed restriction was adhered to by cyclists, report the Bournemouth Echo.
She said: “We are asking that the Prom is used sensibly. There have been issues with cyclists going too fast and their being too many of them.
“We want to give it one more weekend to see if people can behave fairly and responsibly and I have asked police to carry out a few more patrols in spots where people have been cycling in groups and cycling too fast.
“It’s frightening for people if you are cycling along at high speed and there have been accidents. I don’t want to have to take cyclists off the Prom.”
The ultimate Strava alternative
For anyone out there griping about paying for Strava, just ping me after every ride and I’ll remind you that you suck for free.
— Bike Snob NYC (@bikesnobnyc) May 19, 2020
Thomas de Gendt claims dropping world class riders at the Tour is easier than winning a Zwift race
It’s easier to drop worldclass riders in a TDF stage than to win a zwiftrace. That says it all.
— Thomas De Gendt (@DeGendtThomas) May 20, 2020
The Belgian has been getting himself stuck in to Zwift racing since the lockdown began… but could Mr De Gendt be insinuating that this futuristic new cycling world is actually operating more like a 90’s peloton in this tweet? It’s thought that ‘cheating’ on Zwift is rife – made possible by inputting a lower weight to make watts go further or lowering height to make the avatar more aero – and De Gendt claims it’s easier for him to drop riders on the Tour de France than it is to win a Zwift race at the moment.
It’s not the first time the Lotto Soudal rider has had trouble with the platform, after he was actually banned from a race because Zwift identified his numbers as suspicious; eventually his results were reinstated after he called it out on social media. Maybe everyone else just has ‘superhuman power’ too?
Behind the scenes of Fabio Wibmer's Home Office
The lockdown video to end all lockdown videos wasn’t quite done in one take, as the Austrian trials and stunt specialist shows us in this behind-the-scenes video. Here’s the finished edit if you missed it first time…
LCC's infrastructure campaigner talks through the latest developments on London's new cycling developments
In the video above, Simon Monk discusses London’s Streetspace campaign and what else is going on to make cycling better and safer in London.
Specialist cycle insurers get £1.8 million in funding "to support global cycling boom"
Bikmo have announced their the huge funding boost is led by Development Bank of Wales, alongside specialist global insurer Hiscox, plus existing and new angel investors. This will support their growth across the UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria.
Their CEO David George commented: “We are here to support people’s active lifestyles, and we want riders to know that we can cover them, plus their bike and equipment, whether on road or trail. This investment will enable us to grow and support the recreational riders as we always have, plus the new riders we can all see rediscovering the freedom and utility of riding a bike in the fresh air.
We are all riders at Bikmo so we understand that cyclists need to know that they are protected if something happens, and we see that the vast majority of home insurance policies aren’t adequate. Cycling is more important than ever for our physical and mental health, and as a practical mode of transport for us all to remain safe and socially distanced.”
Bikmo also recently partnered with Cyclescheme, and recruited Gareth Mills from Strava as their Chief Marketing Officer.
Man cycling with knitted boobs on to raise cash for breastfeeding support groups
This cyclist is completing his daily exercise with two brightly-coloured knitted boobs tucked in his jersey to help raise funds for a local breastfeeding charity. 🌈https://t.co/nSYRnOSTrw
— ITV News Border (@ITVborder) May 20, 2020
After being forced to abandon his plans to ride Land’s End to John O’Groats due to the pandemic, Andy Bruce is now completing his daily exercise by cycling with a pair of knitted breasts tucked into his jersey. He’s doing so in aid of the South Cumbria Breastfeeding Support charity, hoping to raise £1,000.
He told ITV News: “All my cycling holidays that I’m running this year have been cancelled but I still need to cycle for my own sanity so instead of the Land’s End to John O’Groats trip that I was due to run, I’m cycling for 15 days and taking these fabulous knitted boobies to help raise funds for a local and national breastfeeding charity.
“When I started this the weather was slightly hotter than this and they did get a bit on the warm side.”
Let’s hope for Mr Bruce’s sake the weather stays a bit nippier so he doesn’t overheat…
Vogue's guide to what to wear for 'every type of bike ride this summer' has some interesting choices
These outfits to have you cruising in style, even if you have nowhere to go. https://t.co/ShlO6xcsh8
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) May 19, 2020
When Chris Boardman notably said he wanted to see more “normal people in normal clothes” riding bikes, it’s questionable whether he was referring to £300 designer shirts and floral swimsuits… but nevertheless, the world’s foremost fashion magazine have put together a guide to cycle-friendly gear that’s a bit less Lycra-heavy than your typical cycling apparel buyer’s guide; after all, cycling shorts have been bang on trend for at least a couple of summers now, and it’s refreshing to see cycling hit the fashion mainstream if it encourages more people to ride.
Whether it’s beach cruising or city slicking Vogue have a number of choices that might not strike you as typical pieces that would be found in a cyclist’s wardrobe; although for the ‘road warrior’, they’ve recommended the road.cc-approved Salsa Journeyman all-road bike and some BOA-equipped Giro Espada shoes, even if we’re not too sure about the other picks of a leopard-print belt bag and $160 Stella McCartney running jacket.
For some slightly less glam recommendations, check out our buyer’s guides section.
Journalist Ash Sarkar receives shocking racist abuse after posting video of her learning to ride a bike
The wheels of progress 😩😩😩 pic.twitter.com/1DlshF6bw2
— Ash Sarkar (@AyoCaesar) May 18, 2020
The right way to go, of course, is tweeting abuse from an account using your real name linked to your business as well. I’m sure this kind of thing goes down really well with prospective clients! https://t.co/lBifowPzOB
— Ash Sarkar (@AyoCaesar) May 20, 2020
Whenever I feel down, I remember that by just living and thriving I’m spiting this guy. That’s power. pic.twitter.com/9fGnrYWCfB
— Ash Sarkar (@AyoCaesar) May 19, 2020
Now you should try on a motorway. Right hand lane preferably.
— Lilith Black (@LilithBlack18) May 19, 2020
The Novara Media editor and political activist posted the video of her learning to ride a bike (above) on 18th May; and although she has got plenty of encouragement from followers, a number of the comments are abusive, threatening and racist from accounts that have made little attempt to hide the identity of their owners. Nigel Ward – who made the first comment from the horrendous selection above – has even had his place of work and the address identified in the comments section underneath his post.
It’s also evident that a number of the abusive comments come from accounts that share content related to far-right nationalism and Britain’s relationship with the European Union, such as these charmers,…
Hope she falls off numerous times 😉👍 pic.twitter.com/fckOjepXMn
— WhyMeWhyToon9🇬🇧🏴⚫️⚪️ (@WhyMeWhyTheHel1) May 19, 2020
Please fall
— Alex Sweeney 🇬🇧 (@Alex_sweeney91) May 18, 2020
Sarkar was also questioned for walking with the bike while in a seated position; however according to Cycling UK’s video guide on teaching adults to ride a bike, this is best practice for learning. Sarkar also went a sensible step further by removing the pedals, presumably to ensure her ankles don’t knock against them while walking with the bike.
Sarkar says she was never taught to ride as a child because her mother didn’t have the time to teach her, commenting: “Here’s why I didn’t learn: my mum was a working single mum, and my sister had a really bad respiratory illness. Mum was almost always working or caring – she didn’t have the time, tho (sic) she wanted to.”
Since posting the video other adults have contacted Sarkar to say they too are learning to ride. She said: “One of the really nice things these last few days is grown ups (mostly women, but not sure how representative that is!) telling me they’re learning how to cycle for the first time too.”
A bike rental company owner confirmed he had come across many adults who were learning to ride a bike after not getting the opportunity to learn as youngsters.
Aside from their pound shop racism, they’re reinforcing a ridiculous stigma about adults who can’t ride a bike. I have a bicycle rental company, and believe me, there are *tons* of adults who never learned to ride for one reason or another. It’s normal.
— jared (@jared_za) May 19, 2020
20 May 2020, 08:50
Shiny new storage options from the folding bike maestros
Brompton add to luggage range with commuting as the focus
Each new bag is designed to work with Brompton's front rack system
20 May 2020, 08:50
RideLondon has officially been canned for 2020
RideLondon cancelled - all entrants to receive full refund
Organisers are looking at ways to mark event weekend of 15 and 16 August
20 May 2020, 08:50
Are some CX-specific power pedals on the way from Garmin?
Is Garmin about to release a Vector power meter that can tell if you’re clipped in?
This US patent suggests that Garmin is working on Vector power pedals for cyclocross and mountain bike riders
20 May 2020, 08:50
20 May 2020, 08:50
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Latest Comments
Shurely (given the next para) this should read *not* the "most proportionate..."
Lots of lovely new boulders in Camden, London If they aren't equipped with steel anchor rods and cemented in, they're going to be nicked/ moved!
@wtjs If you think this is just me placing items you've all seen before in a convenient and relevant topic handy for future quotation, you're right. This is Stagecoach following the police example at the same spot. The Stagecoach excuse for these 'alleged close-passing incidents' is that the driver 'had to pull in because of oncoming traffic'.
officers investigating submitted video “must not undertake forensic analysis of footage, but should carry out a triage function using investigative, non-analytical viewing of the footage alongside the evidence supplied by the person reporting the incident” Classic police Bollocks-Speak. What they mean is: we have made sure that we have no officers who have completed the 3 Year Police Course on Tape Measuring. This is Lancashire Constabulary overtaking me in a 2021 Peugeot 308 (width to mirrors 186 cms) while staying within the 370 cm left lane
Ward says he has been unable to obtain any documents from that meeting and is considering a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office Good luck to him, but they have numerous dodges on standby to stop him. The problem with such an FoI request is that the police and other authorities determined to 'Sod the Cyclists' are not at all concerned by that threat, as they are well aware that the Information Commissioner is really the Restriction of Information Commissioner and is very successful in that aim. The first dodge from the police is that the cyclist is a witness, not a Victim. Then it's invariably 'it's personal information about the driver' etc. etc. I have been trying since the incident below occurred to find what actually happened when they claimed they were taking action. On 1.9.26 ICO declared that it's taking 7 months from the receipt of a new complaint before it's even allocated to a case officer. Even for long established complaints they're on a really determined go-slow: just like the police, it's 'whinge, whinge, we're so terribly busy'. This is how they're killing off the FOIA. The last letter from ICO was really an incitement for me to drop the complaint: (direct quotation) "If you can’t wait, we understand. You can withdraw this complaint at any time, just let us know". The police know this and refuse any information about anything. My concern was 'what can I do if the police just lie about what they did?' I have no doubt that they would if they thought they could get away with it.
"Exceptional circumstances" - presumably after the devil is observed buying snow chains, or Ryanair investing in a new fleet of pigs ...?
@Benthic "just go round - be reasonable it's only for a minute every once in a while" / "we have to trust people to be sensible and most are" / "how else are shops going to get deliveries?" / "we need taxis" / "what about the disabled?" And the honest answer, not heard: "look, we know everyone does at some point, and while most people at some point get annoyed with *others* doing that they'd see this as a massive imposition / loss if we stopped *them*. If I tried to get (the existing...) laws enforced the police would mostly ignore me, I'll get death threats then be booted out of office. And even if not we'd run through the budget in a month or two trying to enforce things"
@Paul J Van Thourenhout's bringing back the Eli Iserbyt vibe we've not been missing in CX.
“Ideally we would like to get to a point where a national approach is implemented, but we are still a long way from that becoming reality, so we are trying to provide some consistency through national guidance.” He added he believed Derbyshire Constabulary’s policy appeared in line with the guidance Yes, that's what they want, ALL forces to adopt the Derbyshire approach: essentially, abandon the concept of non-contact close-passing, reduce whatever you're doing (which is generally very little anyway) so that it's only a very occasional joke advice letter that drivers can safely ignore. Forces need little encouragement to follow this advice! It is no doubt tedious to read this yet again from me, but it's true: the police attitude is 'get yourself KSI'd and we'll see what we can do'. The police really are b******s.
@Paul J yeah the comment in X summed it up nicely "a frustrated bully". Vanthourenhout should be assured a warm welcome at the Glasgow CX World Cup round at least 😆
11 thoughts on “Journalist Ash Sarkar abused for posting learning to ride vid; De Gendt claims it’s easier to drop TDF riders than win on Zwift; Vogue’s cycle clothing guide; Niche cycling COVID meme; Weymouth seafront bike ban + more on the live blog”
Does “Weymouth promenade”
Does “Weymouth promenade” mean the shared-use footpath-y bit or the actual road along the seafront? (might be a stupid question, but curious).
I think just the shared-use
I think just the shared-use footpathy bit (see https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/your-community/community-safety/community-safety-pdfs/pspo-schedule-5-map-cycling-weymouth-06072018.pdf)
Someone correct me if I’m
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but the esplanade (shared use part) has always had a summer ban on cycling. May bank holiday through to Oct/Nov. I used to lifeguard the beach (20+ years ago), and it was definitely the case back then.
Aru’s salary….
Aru’s salary….
His agent did well for him
His agent did well for him there – and Alaphilippe’s probably needs a kick up the arse.
Equally notable is that 5 out of the Top 10 are on the Ineos roster
Bournmouth prom “It’s
Bournmouth prom “It’s frightening for people if you are cycling along at high speed and there have been accidents.”
I’ve heard this claim of accidents before, but is there any evidence to prove it?
There’s a distinct lack of
There’s a distinct lack of reported incidents – e.g. time, date, place, people involved. Maybe there is this information and it’s “below the radar”?
if it’s busy down there, you ride to the conditions – right?
two i have heard of in the
two i have heard of in the last two years. The ”high speed” could of course refer to genuine bicycle high speed, 30 mph or so, but to a pedestrian moving at 3 miles an hour, even a leisurely 15 mph could appear fast.
david rides wrote:
That’s anecdote, is there any actual hard evidence?
I haven’t played the Simon
I haven’t played the Simon Monk video – does he start by saying “well, off the top my head…”
On the Ash Sarkar story: I
On the Ash Sarkar story: I have a copy of Richard Ballantine’s ‘City Cycling’. The first section is ‘how to buy a bike’. The second section is ‘how to learn to ride a bike’. So, I don’t think that adults learning to ride is an unusual occurrence.
(Not that the mouth-breathers commenting on her twitter feed are really all that concerned about bike riding).
Good luck to Ash, and I hope she keeps at it!