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  • News
Beryl bikes and cars blocking pavement
Beryl bikes and cars blocking pavement (Ross Hodder) (Image Credit: Ross Hodder)

“But parked cars are perfectly acceptable”: Cyclists slam “irony” of drivers claiming hire bikes “blight our pavements”; Council claims pothole-laden road “does not require immediate attention”; “Scandalous” Tour Down Under sprint + more on the live blog

It’s Wednesday and Ryan Mallon’s back with more cycling news, views, and the occasional rambling anecdote on the midweek live blog
  • by Ryan Mallon
Wed, Jan 22, 2025 10:03
14

SUMMARY

  • I’ve seen the future of race bikes… Or have I?
  • Oi UCI, get the yellow card out again!
  • How to get dropped by Mathieu van der Poel
  • It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for – it’s time to finally crown our road.cc Recommends Bike of the Year
  • Cue the ‘Gravel bikes are just 1990s mountain bikes’ comments…
  • “You took offence, abused your power behind the wheel of that car, and what followed was pure bullying”
  • Are old gear levers-turned-door handles the latest must-have fashion accessory for your bike shed?
  • The bikes of the men’s WorldTour, 2025 edition
  • “Does the UCI really care about safety?” Cycling fans call for sprint rule change after “scandalous, ultra-dangerous” move by Red Bull-Bora lead-out rider Danny van Poppel tees up teammate Sam Welsford’s second straight victory at Tour Down Under
  • Tom Pidcock set for another crack at Liège-Bastogne-Liège after Q36.5 invited to monument for first time
  • They’re noice, they’re different, they’re unusual
  • No wonder Mr Pothole has called it a day: Council claims pothole-laden road “does not require immediate attention” following multiple complaints from cyclists and assertions road had been “fixed”
  • “No doubt parked cars are perfectly acceptable”: Cyclists slam “irony” of drivers claiming hire bikes “blight our pavements”, as Beryl pulls out of area where “many people ride their own bikes”
Beryl bikes and cars blocking pavement
Beryl bikes and cars blocking pavement (Ross Hodder) (Image Credit: Ross Hodder)
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22 January 2025, 10:03

I’ve seen the future of race bikes… Or have I?

The recently released – and aesthetically divisive – Ridley Noah Fast certainly stands out from other pro bikes with its radical front end… but is that a good thing? Jamie offers his take on the pros and cons:

> Five reasons why we hope this isn’t the future of race bikes (and five reasons we like it)

22 January 2025, 10:03

Oi UCI, get the yellow card out again!

These dangerous sprint deviations at the Tour Down Under are getting out of hand – even Skippy’s at it now:

“In all the years, I’ve never seen that.” – @PhilLiggett 😂🦘#TourDownUnder 📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/k37gX6tbHH

— NBC Sports Cycling (@NBCSCycling) January 22, 2025

22 January 2025, 10:03

How to get dropped by Mathieu van der Poel

Cycling YouTuber Artem Shcherbyna – the guy who follows pro cyclists around during their Spanish training camps, clinging grimly to their back wheels while shouting nonsense about hairy legs at them – is at it again.

And this time, he’s been busy getting dropped – going both downhill and uphill – by a certain Mathieu van der Poel:

While we can all grumble about his content-creating methods, Shcherbyna’s videos do give some startling insights into the staggering ability and bike handling skills of the best riders in the world, especially in this case the ease with which Van der Poel and his colleagues dropped the Ukrainian amateur on the descent of the Coll de Rates.

And that’s before we get onto the former world champion’s power output during his interval efforts uphill, which to be fair to Shcherbyna, the YouTuber was able to match for a few minutes at least.

I’d be happy just to let him blast by and offer a polite wave, if I’m honest…

22 January 2025, 10:03

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for – it’s time to finally crown our road.cc Recommends Bike of the Year

I can’t stand the tension, it’s all too much for me. Anyway, drum roll, please…

roadcc recommends awards 2024-25 - Bike of the Year
roadcc recommends awards 2024-25 - Bike of the Year (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
roadcc recommends awards 2024-25 - Bike of the Year
roadcc recommends awards 2024-25 – Bike of the Year (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

> We reveal the road.cc Recommends Bike of the Year 2024/25

22 January 2025, 10:03

Cue the ‘Gravel bikes are just 1990s mountain bikes’ comments…

 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Justin Abbott (@ghostfacekillahjoules)

22 January 2025, 10:03

“You took offence, abused your power behind the wheel of that car, and what followed was pure bullying”

Bridgewater Avenue and Lomax Way, Bolton (Google Maps)
Bridgewater Avenue and Lomax Way, Bolton (Google Maps) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Bridgewater Avenue and Lomax Way, Bolton (Google Maps)
Bridgewater Avenue and Lomax Way, Bolton (Google Maps) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

> “Pure bullying”: Driver who close passed cyclist before deliberately ramming him jailed for 18 months for using “vehicle as a weapon”

22 January 2025, 10:03

Are old gear levers-turned-door handles the latest must-have fashion accessory for your bike shed?

You’ve installed the turbo trainer, your n+1 bikes all have their own spot, and the Marco Pantani and ‘Pain Cave’ posters are hung up pride of place. So, what finishing touches could you add to make your new bike shed stand out from all the rest?

Well, road.cc editor Jack’s mate Tom has come up with a novel, groundbreaking door handle design that could – ahem – shift the parameters of shed aesthetics for years to come:

Bike shed lever door handles (Tom)
Bike shed lever door handles (Tom) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Bike shed lever door handles (Tom)
Bike shed lever door handles (Tom) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Tom, who built the new shed – or “bike dungeon”, as he calls it – to host his Ribble cyclocross and Dolan time trial bikes, as well as a few project builds, tools, and indoor training equipment, fashioned the revolutionary door handles from the shifters on his first ever racing bike, a Fausto Coppi replica.

He says he had the bike for 25 years before finally salvaging the levers and repurposing them for his shed. Well, at least they’re still being used, I suppose.

What do you reckon? Has Tom’s unique shed door inspired you to glance at your decades-old rusty winter bike and think, ‘You could be of use again someday’? And has he revolutionised bike shed design with one simple update? Or were you rocking the lever door handle back in the ‘90s?

Or maybe you’re not convinced and believe brifters should remain brifters to the end? Let us know in the comments…

22 January 2025, 10:03

The bikes of the men’s WorldTour, 2025 edition

Bikes of the WorldTour 2025
Bikes of the WorldTour 2025 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Bikes of the WorldTour 2025
Bikes of the WorldTour 2025 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

> Your definitive guide to what the top pro cycling teams are riding this year

22 January 2025, 10:03

“Does the UCI really care about safety?” Cycling fans call for sprint rule change after “scandalous, ultra-dangerous” move by Red Bull-Bora lead-out rider Danny van Poppel tees up teammate Sam Welsford’s second straight victory at Tour Down Under

Sam Welsford’s started 2025 in decent form, hasn’t he?

After nabbing his fourth career stage win at the Tour Down Under on the race’s opening day in Gumeracha, the Australian sprinter made it two from two in Tanuda this morning, continuing his almost perfect start to the year on home roads (with the exception of his DNF at the Aussie road championships, Welsford’s won every race he’s started so far in 2025).

However, the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe had to work for his stage win in the ochre jersey, crashing in the first five kilometres before being distanced on the third steep ascent of Menglers Hill with 25km remaining, prompting a tough, frantic 10km-long chase back to the bunch.

Sam Welsford wins stage two of the 2025 Tour Down Under after crashing (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
SWpix (Image Credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
Sam Welsford wins stage two of the 2025 Tour Down Under after crashing (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
SWpix (Image Credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

But, after being dragged to the front by Danny van Poppel (more on him in a minute) and given a sniff of the victory in Tanuda, Welsford didn’t disappoint, easily accelerating clear with 100m to dispatch Arne Marit and Bryan Coquard and take his second consecutive win at the race.

Not that the sprint itself wasn’t without controversy, however.

As Van Poppel – widely regarded as one of the best lead-out riders in the business – pulled off after teeing up Welsford perfectly, the Dutch rider then swiftly and clearly made a sharp move to his right, closing the door on Picnic PostNL’s Tobias Lund Andresen, whose own reaction forced Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious) to slam on the brakes to avoid the barriers.

A well-oiled machine with no faults today. From the lead-out, to the sprint, no one could have stopped 🧡 🇦🇺 @sam_welsford (RBH) today!

📺 Stream the race now on 7plus:https://t.co/k2Exq3FDwl

Health Partners | @santosltd#TourDownUnder #CouchPeloton pic.twitter.com/670q43l0Rw

— Santos Tour Down Under 🚴🚴‍♀️ (@tourdownunder) January 22, 2025

Van Poppel was promptly issued one of the UCI’s new-fangled yellow cards for his dangerous sprinting, and relegated from eighth to 118th on the day.

According to the UCI’s new rules on sanctions, introduced last autumn and made permanent for 2025, if Van Poppel receives another yellow card during the Tour Down Under, he’ll be disqualified from the race and receive a seven-day suspension.

Meanwhile, three yellow cards over a 30-day period will lead to a two-week ban, and six over the course of a season will result in a month-long suspension.

However, the Dutchman’s antics during the hectic run-in in Tanuda – which, at the end of the day, contributed significantly to Welsford’s win – prompted fans on social media to vent their frustrations at the UCI’s current rules on safety during sprints, with some calling on the governing body to introduce measures that would also penalise teams (and the victorious sprinters themselves) for dangerous lead-out practices.

“Danny Van Poppel didn’t even make it subtle and just jumped across the road in front of Lund after finishing his job AND looking behind,” wrote Mihai Simion. “Not cheeky, straight dirty.”

“Tobias Lund could very well have won if Danny van Poppel had not been so creative,” said Danish journalist Mathias Fisker Mundbjerg. “It is clearly a problem that you can make it ‘nice’ for your captain, who then wins without problems.”

Sam Welsford wins stage two of the 2025 Tour Down Under after crashing (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
SWpix (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Sam Welsford wins stage two of the 2025 Tour Down Under after crashing (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
SWpix (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“It’s been happening for years, but Van Poppel’s movement in today’s sprint was deliberate,” argued former British champion and Eurosport commentator Brian Smith. “This will continue if relegation is the only deterrent.”

“Oh, Danny. Not cool. I do wonder if sprinters should be relegated from victory if their lead out so obviously blocks behind. A relegation for Van Poppel and yellow card only does so much,” wrote Dan Deakins, while Thomas described Van Poppel’s move as “clearly intentional and disgusting”.

Duluc Jean-Baptiste added: “Scandalous move by Van Poppel in the sprint… Typically the kind of move that should make his sprinter lose the victory. Really shameful and ultra-dangerous. You have to downgrade the lead-out AND the sprinter in this kind of situation. Otherwise, they will never learn.

“It would be shameful to give the victory to Red Bull-Bora given Van Poppel’s (clearly voluntary) move. If the UCI really wants to care about the safety of sprints, they must stop awarding a victory obtained (in part) illegally and dangerously.”

“Need team penalties for stuff like this. Relegate all of them,” concluded Joe.

> UCI considering use of “rider airbags” and gear restrictions to “enhance safety”

However, not all fans were jumping on the ‘relegate them all’ bandwagon, of course.

One user, All About Bora (which may give you an indication of where their allegiances lie in this debate), said: “Change in the rules is necessary, alright! But relegate all of them? Come on. The Van Poppel move was not okay, but it’s a move we see 10 times a year. No need to hyperventilate…”

Sam Welsford wins stage two of the 2025 Tour Down Under after crashing (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
SWpix (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Sam Welsford wins stage two of the 2025 Tour Down Under after crashing (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
SWpix (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

And, after a tough and complicated day in the saddle, I’m not sure the flying Welsford was paying too much attention to yellow cards, UCI rules, or social media debates either, taking time to praise Van Poppel for his excellent, if controversial, work at the finish.

“Bloody hell – it was bike off in the first 5k to the race, and that was less than ideal,” the 29-year-old, jersey and shorts torn to shreds, told reporters in Tanuda. “It was a pretty hard day out there. The break of three came back quite early, and then everyone started getting quite nervous, then last time up the climb I was on my limit.

“I think it’s always hard to win again, everyone looks at you even more. The parcours didn’t suit us as well as yesterday, but we made it our race. I think it’s a really dream start for us here.

“Oh, man, I don’t think I can describe how [Van Poppel] was. He pulled me back on after the climb, and then still managed to do that 20-second lead out at God knows what power. That was amazing. I’m just happy to finish it off for him, and Laurence [Pithie], Ben [Zwiehoff], Ryan [Mullen] – all the guys came back on the climb and tried to help me get back on.”

22 January 2025, 10:03

Tom Pidcock set for another crack at Liège-Bastogne-Liège after Q36.5 invited to monument for first time

After two top tens in a row, including a second-place finish behind Remco Evenepoel in 2023, Tom Pidcock is now set for another crack at breaking his monument duck and winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège this year, after his new Q36.5 team secured an invite to the hilly Belgian classic.

As well as securing a wildcard slot for Liège, ASO have also invited Q36.5 to La Flèche Wallonne, where Pidcock finishes sixth in 2021, for the third straight year.

Q36.5’s status as a second-tier ProTeam means Pidcock will be reliant on invites to the sport’s biggest one-day races – his main aim on the road for the moment – in his first season since moving from Ineos at the end of 2024.

Tom Pidcock, 2024 Amstel Gold Race (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
SWpix (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Tom Pidcock, 2024 Amstel Gold Race (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
SWpix (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

The 25-year-old is set to start his season at the AlUla Tour in Saudi Arabia, before potentially riding Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, during the classics season’s Opening Weekend, and Strade Bianche, which he won in 2023, ahead of a packed cobbled classics campaign.

However, Q36.5’s place at this season’s grand tours remains up in the air, though it is expected that they won’t be invited to the Tour de France, while it is also uncertain whether Pidcock will be able to defend his Amstel Gold title.

22 January 2025, 10:03

They’re noice, they’re different, they’re unusual

Decime que sos australiano y corres en Australia sin decírmelo 😅🦘

El corredor Luke #Plapp lució unas zapatillas especiales para el #TourDownUnder. pic.twitter.com/ulLuin4xqt

— ESPN Ciclismo (@ESPNCiclismo) January 21, 2025

Crikey, Luke Plapp sure doesn’t look like a bogan in those shoes, they’re bonza!

After breaking them out for the first time at last year’s Giro, the Jayco-AlUla rider has, predictably, decided to give The Most Australian Cycling Shoes Ever™ another airing at this year’s Tour Down Under.

The custom sand shoes feature his country’s colours and cartoon depictions of some Aussie staples, like boxing kangaroos, bush hats, meat pies, Victoria Bitter beer, and Vegemite. We just need Kath and Kim on there and we’d have the full set.

Look at me, Plappy, look at me… Now I’ve got one word to say to you Luke: Nice shoes.

22 January 2025, 10:03

No wonder Mr Pothole has called it a day: Council claims pothole-laden road “does not require immediate attention” following multiple complaints from cyclists and assertions road had been “fixed”

Last week on the live blog we reported that, on National Pothole Day no less, Mark Morrell – better known to all of us as the hi-vis wearing Mr Pothole – revealed that he was calling it a day and stepping back from his 12-year campaign to fix Britain’s battered roads.

Announcing the decision on Good Morning Britain, Morrell cited family reasons for his decision to halt his campaigning efforts, but also expressed his disenchantment with the governmental apathy that greeted his pothole pleas over the years, admitting: “I’ve lost faith completely in any government or political party really wanting to do something”.

Ford Road potholes, Hinton
Ford Road potholes, Hinton (Image Credit: Tass Whitby)
Ford Road potholes, Hinton
Ford Road potholes, Hinton (Image Credit: Tass Whitby)

And based on a recent council response to road.cc’s very own Tass Whitby, who complained about a particularly hairy, pothole-laden road near Bath, only to be told it didn’t require “immediate attention”, I don’t blame him.

Tass first reported the shockingly bumpy and dangerous Ford Road, just south of Bath, between Wellow and Hinton, to Bath and North East Somerset Council last year – and was told in November that the issues had been “fixed”.

However, while cycling on the road last week, Tass discovered its cratered surface was as bad as ever.

Ford Road potholes, Hinton (Tass Whitby)
Ford Road potholes, Hinton (Tass Whitby) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Ford Road potholes, Hinton (Tass Whitby)
Ford Road potholes, Hinton (Tass Whitby) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

“After reporting this to you last year, I had an email from you saying this had been fixed in November. It clearly hasn’t,” Tass wrote in her latest complaint to the council.

“Can you claim back any payment you made to the contractor who said it had been fixed? Or send them back to do it properly… If I damage my car, or fall off my bike because of this, how will that reflect on the council?”

And this morning, after what appeared to be a ‘thorough’ investigation – which I imagine did not take place by bike – the local authority got back to Tass with a bafflingly nonchalant response.

Ford Road potholes, Hinton (Tass Whitby)
Ford Road potholes, Hinton (Tass Whitby) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Ford Road potholes, Hinton (Tass Whitby)
Ford Road potholes, Hinton (Tass Whitby) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

“After investigating, we have concluded that your issue does not require immediate attention,” the council said, bizarrely. Are we sure they got the right road?

“However, we have included this issue in our plans for future works. This means that your issue will be resolved during routine works scheduled for the area.”

Ah, perfect. So it’ll be fixed by 2040 then?

22 January 2025, 10:03

“No doubt parked cars are perfectly acceptable”: Cyclists slam “irony” of drivers claiming hire bikes “blight our pavements”, as Beryl pulls out of area where “many people ride their own bikes”

The news that hire bike company Beryl is set to pull out of the east Dorset area at the end of February – citing low demand for the scheme in an area where “many people are riding their own bikes” – has been met with glee by some local motorists, who have branded the bikes a “trip hazard” and a “blight on our pavements”.

This morning, Dorset Council confirmed that their partnership with Beryl – an extension of the ongoing, successful hire bike scheme run by Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council – will come to an end next month in West Parley, Colehill, Wimborne, and Ferndown, where the construction of a new protected cycle lane has been the subject of hostility in recent months.

According to the council, Beryl’s decision was a purely commercial one, with the service – first started in August 2022 – simply not attracting enough customers to use the electric bikes, and riding their own instead.

Beryl Bike
Beryl Bike (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Beryl Bike
Beryl Bike (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

> Cyclists want to “control the roads” through lower speed limits, claims driver – who asks: “What right does a cyclist have to tell anyone what to do?” amid call for cycling insurance and number plates

“Dorset Council has been informed by Beryl that they intend to close the east Dorset section of their bike hire service at the end of February,” Jon Andrews, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Place Services, said.

“This is a commercial decision, as the number of people renting bikes isn’t enough to maintain the service without additional funding.

“Evidence suggests that, in this particular area, many people are riding their own bikes and therefore wouldn’t choose to rent one, with around 500 people a day using the new cycleways in favourable conditions.

“We are currently exploring options to keep the service in some form, including looking at whether local businesses are interested in subsidising a similar local scheme. We will also continue to work with Beryl on their well-received Dorchester, Weymouth, and Portland bike-hire scheme.

“Dorset Council remains committed to the development of active travel options in the Ferndown, West Parley, Colehill, and Wimborne area. Sustainable travel remains a top priority for us as we continue to respond to the climate and nature crisis in Dorset.”

Meanwhile, councillor Ray Bryan, who was the local authority’s highways and climate portfolio holder when the bikes were introduced, said he was disappointed by Beryl’s decision, especially in the wake of the council’s recent investment in protected cycling infrastructure.

> “Not everyone has the option to drive”: Council addresses backlash over controversial cycle lane projects, including row over ‘driveway-blocking wands’ and ‘Britain’s biggest bike lane’

But while councillors have expressed their disappointment with Beryl’s withdrawal of its 43 parking bays from east Dorset, it’s clear that more than a few local motorists are delighted.

“On the bright side, less to trip over as they won’t continue to be dumped on the pavements and roads, so less of a hazard to the visually impaired,” Ian, a member of the BCP and Dorset Motorists Facebook group, said in response to today’s news.

“It does though beg the question of whether there is sufficient demand to justify new cycle infrastructure already completed and under construction? It may also call into question the viability of any future 15-minute-cities.”

“Looks like maybe fewer Beryl bikes to blight our pavements as potential trip hazards,” added Alison.

> Lime hire scheme under fire as residents claim e-bikes “deliberately” left in “dangerous places”

“Good! Sick and tired of sights like these all over the county. E-scooters next please!” said Colin, alongside a photo of some Beryl bikes tipped on their sides on a pavement.

Beryl Bikes
Beryl Bikes (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Beryl Bikes
Beryl Bikes (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

> Controversial cycle lane wands go viral as furious residents lash out at “blocked” driveways, but local cyclist suggests outrage “overblown” and bike lane bollards only necessary because drivers park in it

“I have long wondered how all those parked bikes ever make any money to pay, they must have been heavily subsidised,” wrote Steven.

“Rarely seen any in use in Poole. People are using their own cycles? There has been minimal visible response to Active Travel, they just won’t admit it!”

“LEGAL FLY TIPPING,” added Nick. “We’ve had one in our road, dumped for nearly two weeks. When we’re cycling in the dark, they are a huge hazard when dumped and on their side across the cycle paths.”

“To be fair, it just confirms what most people know – the cycling fad is dying out and that millions of pounds have been wasted on the unused cycle lanes,” one Daily Echo reader said on the site’s comments page. “Hopefully BCP will also lose their Beryl bikes and scooters.”

Pavement parking (WMP/Twitter)
Twitter) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Pavement parking (WMP/Twitter)
Twitter) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

> Cycling campaigners paint fake “free parking” signs on pavement to protest against “anti-social” illegal parking in Dublin… but drivers continue to park over painted signs

However, the jubilant motoring response has been criticised by cyclists in the area, who claim that the ‘blocking the pavement’ argument is seldom used when it comes to parked cars.

“Oh my word – the irony that Beryl bikes are a ‘blight on pavements’ but no doubt parked cars are perfectly acceptable,” said Andy on the local active travel page.

“Someone post a few pics of the thousands of cars blocking every road and street,” added Andrew.

“No need: they’re everywhere you look, particularly right in front of you,” replied Philippa. “We need the cycle lane network completed to pass them more safely.”

Nevertheless, Ross duly obliged, posting the following photo with the caption: “Bloody Beryl Bikes”:

Cars blocking pavement (Ross Hodder)
Cars blocking pavement (Ross Hodder) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Cars blocking pavement (Ross Hodder)
Cars blocking pavement (Ross Hodder) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

 

“Such a shame that Beryl are pulling out of East Dorset (essentially Ferndown, Wimborne, and Colehill). Their BCP operation is working well but they say there is just not enough use in East Dorset to make it viable,” said Lucie.

“I just wish Beryl would also put bike stands where their bike are so that they stay upright in all weathers” added Sue.

I wonder if that would appease the anti-hire bike brigade? I wouldn’t hold my breath, to be honest…

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  • BCP Council, Beryl, Beryl bikes, cycling live blog, dorset, Dorset Council, live blog, Potholes, road.cc live blog, Tour Down Under, uci
Ryan Mallon
After obtaining a PhD, lecturing, and hosting a history podcast at Queen’s University Belfast, Ryan joined road.cc in December 2021 and since then has kept the site’s readers and listeners informed and enthralled (well at least occasionally) on news, the live blog, and the road.cc Podcast. After boarding a wrong bus at the world championships and ruining a good pair of jeans at the cyclocross, he now serves as road.cc’s news editor. Before his foray into cycling journalism, he wallowed in the equally pitiless world of academia, where he wrote a book about Victorian politics and droned on about cycling and bikes to classes of bored students (while taking every chance he could get to talk about cycling in print or on the radio). He can be found riding his bike very slowly around the narrow, scenic country lanes of Co. Down.  

14 Comments

14 thoughts on ““But parked cars are perfectly acceptable”: Cyclists slam “irony” of drivers claiming hire bikes “blight our pavements”; Council claims pothole-laden road “does not require immediate attention”; “Scandalous” Tour Down Under sprint + more on the live blog”

  1. Rendel Harris
    January 22, 2025 at 11:55 am
    0

    It seems obvious common sense

    It seems obvious common sense that a sprinter should be demoted if their win was clearly assisted by a teammate blocking a rival. It’s akin to “crossing” in rugby, if a runner without the ball blocks a defender who could otherwise have made a tackle on the try scorer the try isn’t allowed, no matter whether the scoring player did anything wrong themselves. Team sport, team penalties.

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    • mctrials23
      January 22, 2025 at 12:04 pm
      0

      Exactly. Happens far too

      Exactly. Happens far too often in pro cycling. The team couldn’t care less if their sprinter wins and the guys who got them there get a penalty. Just a cost of doing business as they might call it in the banking world. 

      The person who breaks the rules should be demoted to the back and the winner should be demoted 10 places or something to make sure there is little benefit to this sort of cheating. 

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  2. Bigfoz
    January 22, 2025 at 12:12 pm
    0

    Is there a formal rule /

    Is there a formal rule / protocol for pulling off? If not, why not? If everyone was aware that all leadout riders will pull off to the right, for example, then that can be avoided. Though that would n’t then stop sprints up the LHS for the pull off to drift across the whole peleton 🙂 .  If that were the rule, then anyone getting trapped by the pull off has only their own reacecraft to blame.

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    • Rendel Harris
      January 22, 2025 at 12:22 pm
      0

      The problem here is not the

      The problem here is not the pull off, which was legitimate, it was the fact that having begun to pull off VP quite deliberately changed course back onto the sprinters’ line to block. 

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    • rjfrussell
      January 22, 2025 at 12:54 pm
      0

      the embedded clip starts too

      the embedded clip starts too late to show the real problem.  VP pulls off to the left- he is almost on the white line- but then looks over his right shoulder and veers hard right squeezing the chasing pair.

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    • the little onion
      January 22, 2025 at 2:16 pm
      0

      Bigfoz wrote:

      Is there a formal rule / protocol for pulling off? 

      — Bigfoz

      generally not on a first date.

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      • antigee
        January 22, 2025 at 11:39 pm
        0

        Puts a whole new meaning to
        Puts a whole new meaning to “Tour Down Under day 2”

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  3. brooksby
    January 22, 2025 at 2:42 pm
    0

    Whether Ford Road needs

    Whether Ford Road needs resurfacing or not*, surely the reply ought to be addressing why they told her in the first instance that it had all been fixed rather than announcing that it’s all fine and no work needs to be done at present.

    It’s not good enough for them to say it has all been fixed, someone to point out that ‘no it hasn’t’, and then they simply reply as they have.

     

    *It clearly does.

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    • stonojnr
      January 22, 2025 at 4:29 pm
      0

      Road like that probably gets
      Road like that probably gets fixed multiple times, suspect they quoted the previous fix first, then reviewed the later report and chose no action required yet.

      And not wishing to start a who has the worst potholed road contest, so lets just say there’s plenty of roads in worst conditions than that across the UK

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  4. mark1a
    January 22, 2025 at 4:46 pm
    0

    Love the bike shed door

    Love the bike shed door handles, I’m going to have to try harder. I have this coat hook on my garage door:

     

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  5. mdavidford
    January 22, 2025 at 5:01 pm
    0

    Re. the shed – sad to say,

    Re. the shed – sad to say, but I think that’s probably a good way of making it a prime target for bike thieves – “ooh look – this person obviously loves bikes – bound to be something worth breaking into there for.”

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    • Rendel Harris
      January 22, 2025 at 5:14 pm
      0

      Something similar occurred to

      Something similar occurred to me, although on reflection I thought that probably, assuming the shed is in the back garden, once the thieves get to it they are going to break in anyway, I doubt they’re going to say “No fancy handles, probably nothing worth nicking, let’s try next door…”

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  6. Chris RideFar
    January 23, 2025 at 8:02 am
    0

    The only difference between

    The only difference between that YouTuber and the pro’s that he gets dropped by on the downhill is probably body position – the YouTuber needs to learn how to use his drops and get lower down, then he’ll probably gain the 5 km/h that the pros have on him. There’s nothing special there.

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  7. brooksby
    January 23, 2025 at 8:56 am
    0

    “Bloody Beryl Bikes” – wow,

    “Bloody Beryl Bikes” – wow, that is some next level Selfish Parking 

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Latest Comments

StevenCrook 3 hours ago

Omata. Don't get it. Cool way of displaying the information and neat hardware integration. But you could have done that display with no moving parts using a touchscreen instead of the mechanical display and kept the electronics. Been less than half the price too, and just as cool tbh.

in: Check out Silca’s retro-looking bike computer, the AI coaching system that promises real-world rewards, new shoes to keep your feet comfy this winter, and the rest of the week’s bike tech news
chrisonabike 3 hours ago

@mdavidford using a "Bath cap", you mean?

in: “I wish this was a joke”: Motorists told to stop driving on cycle path during roadworks, putting children “at serious risk”
mdavidford 4 hours ago

For a moment there I thought that said Silca were going retro and bringing back omerta...

in: Check out Silca’s retro-looking bike computer, the AI coaching system that promises real-world rewards, new shoes to keep your feet comfy this winter, and the rest of the week’s bike tech news
mdavidford 4 hours ago

Would they have been able to finish that bit properly if they hadn't lopped a couple of grand off the budget to get it under £500k?

in: “I wish this was a joke”: Motorists told to stop driving on cycle path during roadworks, putting children “at serious risk”
Backladder 4 hours ago

@chrisonabike "The countryside is difficult when it comes to transport choices. " You're not wrong. "Recreational cyclists – as evidenced by the folks on here – will likely cycle anyways, probably even if it was banned!" Twice.

in: “I wish this was a joke”: Motorists told to stop driving on cycle path during roadworks, putting children “at serious risk”
jackcycles 4 hours ago

@Rendel Harris whoa there son, put away that tinfoil hat. The Telegraph (a trusted broadsheet since 1855) was merely quoting home office figures, which shows knife crime rising steadily under Khan, even after 2019. By the way, on the off chance you're out tonight, make sure you keep your back to the wall on the way home? There's a good chap, despite our differences I'd hate for anything bad to happen to you.

in: Nigel Farage claims every bike theft will be prosecuted under Reform UK – months after ridiculing “north London cycling classes”
Rendel Harris 5 hours ago

@Nigel Garage Is that the Telegraph that has the same obsessive hatred of Lord Khan as yourself, doubtless for the same reasons (brown, Muslim, left wing, popular, successful, caned the Tories three elections in a row)? The Telegraph that in 2024 claimed London gun crime had risen 2,500% in a year when in fact it had risen by 1%? If the Telegraph says it's Monday I check my watch to see if it's true. Knife crime offences have risen under Khan, by about 50%, from 9,086 offences in 2016 to 13,850 in 2025. What the Telegraph doubtless failed to mention is that a large part of this increase is due to stricter knife laws having been brought in in 2019, so that many offences that previously wouldn't have been recorded as knife crime now are. They doubtless inadvertently failed to mention that the number of under-25s injured by knives has fallen 25% since 2016, and the overall number of hospital attendances for knife crime has fallen 50% in the same period. Probably also didn't mention that homicides have fallen to the lowest level since records began in 1990, despite the population rising by more than two million people over that period. One imagines they also failed to mention that the Tory governments from 2010 to 2024 slashed over a billion pounds from the Metropolitan Police Service budget? Thought so. "Just this evening it was reported that legendary comedian Paul Whitehouse was the victim of an attempted mugging in Islington while using a cash machine, it’s completely out of control." In 1995 I was mugged at knifepoint in Bath, does that mean knife crime in Bath was completely out of control then?

in: Nigel Farage claims every bike theft will be prosecuted under Reform UK – months after ridiculing “north London cycling classes”
chrisonabike 5 hours ago

@Backladder Do locals never drive to Thornhill for the cafe, community centre, school, vets etc.? Yes, this is "proper countryside" and maybe most people simply drive the fair ways to the big town (Dumfries!). The countryside is difficult when it comes to transport choices. I do know that in many places where it's made less unattractive people do choose the car less often. I'm not convinced more than a couple of the locals would walk on that road. Kids and older people cycling there seem rather unlikely also. But maybe they're hardy folk? Recreational cyclists - as evidenced by the folks on here - will likely cycle anyways, probably even if it was banned!

in: “I wish this was a joke”: Motorists told to stop driving on cycle path during roadworks, putting children “at serious risk”
chrisonabike 6 hours ago

@jackcycles I can hear the Pub Landlord - "I'm sick of all those cells going to foreigners! I want to see Great British bike thieves in Great British prisons!" Given Mr.Farage has made a big thing about security while simultaneously refusing the offer of it * ... ... I'm guessing he'll be for blaming his pet hates for "an epidemic" of bike theft. Then refusing to use the police budget to tackle cycle crime, taking a millions from some dodgy donor "to fix crime", after which he'll refuse to answer any questions about what it was spent on **... * Apparently because it wasn't commensurate with his ego - sorry, his public profile - because "I'm bigger than the leader of the opposition!" ** AFAIK the latest explanation for the donations is "none of your business". Looking forward to the next report of eg. a judge receiving a large "personal gift, no strings attached" from the mob and offering the same explanation!

in: Nigel Farage claims every bike theft will be prosecuted under Reform UK – months after ridiculing “north London cycling classes”
No Reply 6 hours ago

New Northwave winter boots, in Snow White? Don't they realise how filthy our roads are in winter?? Silca Omata, lovely retro computer, but about £400 too expensive.

in: Check out Silca’s retro-looking bike computer, the AI coaching system that promises real-world rewards, new shoes to keep your feet comfy this winter, and the rest of the week’s bike tech news

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