“We all hate cyclists, but is violence the answer?” Aussie Daily Telegraph’s inflammatory headline; Owen Jones takes on cycling Twitter; Design the USA’s new jersey – and get one free; Where do you store your bike?; I’m Cavendish! + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Design the USA’s new cycling jersey – and receive one free kit for your trouble
As far as botched social media campaigns go, this is right up there.
Last night USA Cycling announced that it was giving ambitious bike-loving creatives the opportunity to design the country’s new member kit for 2022.
We want YOU to design the 2022 USA Cycling Member Kit! 🎉
If your design is selected, Cuore will bring your design to reality and you’ll receive one for FREE.
Start Designing: https://t.co/LS2G8WXxds
*Designs must be submitted by March 31st! pic.twitter.com/x0ovbIwrfZ— USA Cycling (@usacycling) March 21, 2022
Sounds pretty cool, right? That’s until you see USA Cycling’s proposed compensation for the time, effort and skills of the successful designer – one, yes one, free kit. The kit that they designed… They get one of those. Yep.
Understandably, social media was not happy with this, and told USA Cycling so:
Hang on, all you get for doing the work for them for free is one free kit? pic.twitter.com/A8GZmB6tDW
— Dave Amirault 🏳️🌈 (@ozskier) March 21, 2022
So what you’re saying is you don’t want to pay to have your kit designed. Got it.
— Craig Harrison (@harrisoncreativ) March 21, 2022
Let’s just say, the ratios weren’t great (that’s how the kids speak nowadays, isn’t it?).
Faced with the first stirrings of a public backlash, USA Cycling swiftly prevented anyone else from replying to the tweet, while an Instagram post was also quickly deleted.
That hasn’t stopped people from criticising the governing body in the quote tweets, creatively using the kit design template to condemn USA Cycling’s apparently lax attitude towards labour rights:
Well, @usacycling took $1,000,000 in relief funds to pay its CEO $400,000+ and Comms Director $200,00+ and US cycling remains in complete shambles so here’s my submission: https://t.co/ny6S2Ok5Xx pic.twitter.com/SvsWcKEnbD
— Ride Fast | Drive Slow (@tlongpine) March 22, 2022
@usacycling here’s my design. Vote for me!!!! https://t.co/nBfkheohLA pic.twitter.com/tpzTF2WbnC
— Bike_Things (5G+) (@Andy_likes2bike) March 22, 2022
Some took the opportunity to criticise the body’s reaction to anti-trans activists protesting at the national cyclocross championships in December:
OK do mine !!! https://t.co/m8tiOEQ5FD pic.twitter.com/DpuIDxk5xf
— no war but class war (fox) (@____ecc) March 22, 2022
While others just had a bit of fun with it:
https://t.co/Aslywfb0Wl pic.twitter.com/wU5pWRZZek
— Josh Owen Morris (@JoshOwenMorris) March 22, 2022
I reckon Dave Zabriskie might be up for wearing that one…
Sick of the ‘cycling salsa’? Campaign encourages cyclists to share the awkward places they store their bikes
The Clean Cities Campaign has launched a new initiative encouraging cyclists to share the weird and wacky places they store their bikes, in a bid to highlight the lack of secure bike hangars in London.
According to a Freedom of Information request, there are currently 60,715 people on a waiting list to hire a bike hangar across London’s 32 boroughs, a figure that has risen by 28 percent in the last six months.
With only 22,592 spaces available, you get the picture.
According to Transport for London’s analysis, more than half of Londoners view the lack of secure bike parking as a key deterrent to cycling in the city.
To highlight this lack of bike parking space the Clean Cities Campaign, a European coalition of organisations aiming to encourage cities to transition to zero-emission mobility, is encouraging cyclists to share images of their creative bike storage facilities on social media with the hashtag #ThisIsAwkward.
So far they’ve received images of bikes stored extremely close to beds (for extra comfort I assume?), precariously hung over a balcony, and even crammed next to a toilet.
Nice campaign from @cities_clean #Londoners! Sick of doing the ‘cycle salsa’ to pass bikes in your home?
Join the #ThisIsAwkward campaign. Post a pic of where you’re forced to keep your wheels. We’re calling for bike storage across the city! Send to https://t.co/BhWPfQOq0i pic.twitter.com/Z9ojJ0D4sn
— Love Your Bike (@gmloveyourbike) March 21, 2022
The UK’s Head of the Clean Cities Campaign, Oliver Lord, said: “More than 60,000 Londoners are waiting for a bike hangar space – and that is just the people lucky to have the time and energy to put their name forward.
“If councillors want to help Londoners jump on a bike and use their car less then they have to make it as easy as possible. Forcing people to do the ‘cycle salsa’ at home isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s utterly unfair given the abundance of space set aside for cars on our streets.
“By not delivering the secure bike parking we need, London’s councillors are failing residents who want to do the right thing and neglecting their duties to reduce air pollution, tackle the climate crisis and help prevent the 400 bike thefts that occur every week.”
So, who stores their bike in the most awkward – or more to the point, funny – place? Let us know in the comments!
“We all hate cyclists, but is violence the answer?” Australian Daily Telegraph criticised for inflammatory headline after cyclist is attacked on the Gold Coast
This headline is just…wow. pic.twitter.com/61plLsQcl2
— Stephen B (@BicycleAdagio) March 21, 2022
Now that’s a headline that will grab your attention.
It’s also – predictably – drew the ire of cycling Twitter, who have described the headline as ‘irresponsible’, ‘disgusting’, and ‘hate speech’.
The article appeared yesterday in the Murdoch-owned Sydney Daily Telegraph, after a cyclist was brutally attacked and robbed at a busy junction on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Police say the cyclist was hit in the head by an object thrown from a passing vehicle. When the cyclist approached what he believed to be the offending SUV, a passenger jumped out of the car before punching the cyclist and shoving him towards oncoming traffic.
The passenger then allegedly threw the cyclist’s bike at him before stealing his bag. The rider was left with minor injuries.
That shocking incident provided the context for Ann Wason Moore’s column, which was originally published in the Gold Coast Bulletin, also owned by News Corps, under the headline ‘Cyclists deserve safer roads and better protection, not an alleged punch in the head’.
In the columnist’s defence, the article appears to be a much more nuanced appraisal of the need for safe cycling infrastructure than the inflammatory headline suggests.
Moore starts the article by writing: ‘The cycle of abuse never stops on Gold Coast roads, but our cyclists deserve better protection – not a punch in the head and definitely not to be robbed.’ Hard to argue with that.
However, because both versions of the column appear behind a paywall – and even if you want to subscribe, you must have an Australian postcode (believe me, we’ve tried) – the divisive and misleading headline is unfortunately all that many cyclists and motorists will read.
Would the real Mark Cavendish please stand up?
On the subject of misleading captions, I’m not sure who signed off on this one for eyewear giant Oakley, or what that model told the photographer at the shoot…
At risk of shaming a sunglass company’s PR firm, I just don’t believe that caption. pic.twitter.com/SldDMY0mX2
— Iain Treloar (@IainTreloar) March 22, 2022
That’s Cark Mavendish
— Francisco Araujo (@_chicoaraujo) March 22, 2022
In any case, it’s at least treated us to a round of cycling Twitter Spartacus:
Mark Cavendish pic.twitter.com/I3mYPBq1zt
— ☠︎𝔸𝕕𝕒𝕞☠︎ (@RideMelburn) March 22, 2022
Fabian Cancellara pic.twitter.com/rQPKyEf1F7
— Nick Squillari (@N_Squillari) March 22, 2022
Pantani pic.twitter.com/0cYdoY6qT8
— Jon (@Jontafkasi) March 22, 2022
Alaphilippe pic.twitter.com/OdSiLCJPZv
— Dave Everett (@ShoddyCycling) March 22, 2022
— Eemeli (@LosBrolin) March 22, 2022
Lachlan Morton pic.twitter.com/kDaGwDz9dn
— soxiam (@soxiam) March 22, 2022
Lance Armstrong pic.twitter.com/puBXxXqj8l
— Iain Treloar (@IainTreloar) March 22, 2022
Okay, that’s enough for now…
The real Cav will be hoping he can continue his sparkling early-season form (which has seen him net prestigious wins at the UAE Tour and Milano-Torino) as he leads the all-powerful Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl sprint train at tomorrow’s Classic Brugge-De Panne.
The Manx Missile is aiming for his fourth win of the season after surprisingly getting the nod over teammate Fabio Jakobsen, who was originally scheduled to ride the windy Belgian one-day race.
Let’s just hope Oakley’s model doesn’t show up instead.
Lachlan’s tour continues
In the early hours of yesterday morning, EF Education-EasyPost’s resident adventurer Lachlan Morton completed his 1,000km-plus trip from Munich to Poland’s border with Ukraine, after 42 hours of non-stop riding.
Morton’s latest epic ride was organised to raise funds for refugees fleeing Ukraine following Russia’s invasion over three weeks ago.
He’s currently raised over £173,600, well above his initial goal of £40,000.
As well as raising funds, since arriving at the Korczowa-Krakovets border crossing yesterday, the Australian has trained with a group of teenagers who fled Ukraine and are currently being hosted by the Polish cycling federation, as well as paying a visit to his Ukrainian teammate Mark Padun’s former coach.
Lachy found @markpadun96 first coach. Gave him some swag! pic.twitter.com/VQBVUcpc8f
— Jonathan Vaughters (@Vaughters) March 21, 2022
Today, Lachlan visited a group of young Ukrainian cyclists who have had to flee their homes and are now being hosted by the Polish cycling federation.
Between the ages of 14 and 17, most of them have had to move there alone leaving parents and older siblings behind. pic.twitter.com/48rDdwDLVN
— EF Pro Cycling (@EFprocycling) March 21, 2022
You can still donate to Morton’s ‘One Ride Away’ fundraiser here.
Owen Jones takes on cycling Twitter
Two weeks ago, we reported that a cyclist was issued with a Notice of Intended Prosecution after holding up a van driver for nine whole seconds, while attempting to capture footage of a phone-using motorist.
Well, that story has gained traction in the national press over the last couple of days. Mr Loophole himself, Nick Freeman, has even weighed in, praising the police for taking action against “vigilante cyclists”.
The incident was also featured in a segment on Jeremy Vine’s Channel 5 show yesterday, where Guardian columnist and left-wing activist Owen Jones inadvertently initiated a backlash from cycling Twitter after referring to the helmet camera-wearing cyclists as “a snitch”:
Sure, I was being overly flippant here – but he’s submitted over 500 police reports, which I just think is completely OTT given the scale of crimes the average individual is likely to encounter in their lifetime https://t.co/1j6YvRDOjj
— Owen Jones 🌹 (@OwenJones84) March 22, 2022
I’m a very committed cyclist, I just don’t think over 500 police reports is proportionate, sorry!
— Owen Jones 🌹 (@OwenJones84) March 22, 2022
Then I’m obviously not enduring enough incidents which are worth reporting to the police, by definition!
— Owen Jones 🌹 (@OwenJones84) March 22, 2022
After batting off a seemingly endless barrage of tweets criticising what he called a ‘light-hearted’ and ‘flippant’ comment, Jones questioned the attitudes exhibited by some cycling activists on Twitter, which he claimed could potentially deter people from taking to two wheels:
I really do think Cycling Twitter need to consider how much they are deterring people from cycling by overhyping dangerous incidents on the roads, when cycling is overwhelmingly safe. https://t.co/hyZOcZMze9
— Owen Jones 🌹 (@OwenJones84) March 22, 2022
Cycling is a very safe pursuit overall. It’s not true cyclists are killed every day – in 2020 it was 141 cyclists – which is horrible, but shouldn’t make people think cycling overall isn’t very safe. Cyclists aren’t an oppressed minority and it’s offensive to say this
— Owen Jones 🌹 (@OwenJones84) March 22, 2022
The point I’m making is cycling is very popular in London despite better alternatives than most, and I don’t think so many would be cycling if it was as unpleasant and dangerous as much of Cycling Twitter – who disproportionately seem to be Londoners – make out
— Owen Jones 🌹 (@OwenJones84) March 22, 2022
My flippant aside has upset some fellow cyclists, but I really have to take issue with some of the responses.
You’d think from listening to some cyclists that cycling is like navigating a war zone every day. It isn’t! Cycling is overwhelmingly safe and more people should do it! https://t.co/3IDgdb0mCv
— Owen Jones 🌹 (@OwenJones84) March 22, 2022
What do you think? Does Jones have a point?
Women’s team NXTG by Experza joins forces with Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl
We are proud and happy to announce a new partner and title sponsor today. Please welcome AG!
And that’s not even all! We join forces with the Quickstep-AlphaVinyl Wolfpack with big ambitions for the years to come.
Together we become AG Insurance-NXTG! #supporterofyourlife pic.twitter.com/3In9Pf1pZL
— AG Insurance – NXTG (@aginsurancenxtg) March 22, 2022
Controversial Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl boss Patrick Lefevere today confirmed his commitment to developing women’s cycling, as his team joins forces with NXTG by Experza.
The Dutch women’s team also announced the addition of AG Insurance as a title sponsor, with the squad now known as AG Insurance-NXTG. The team’s first race in its new livery will be on Thursday at the World Tour Classic Brugge-De Panne.
Lefevere, who infamously denounced women’s cycling as a charity case last September, confirmed his backing of the NXTG team in December when his recruitment agency Experza was brought on board as a sponsor.
The squad, which until now had focused on developing younger riders, hopes to move up to the World Tour for 2023, and will form part of an expanded structure of teams based around the men’s Quick Step squad.
Recent reports in the Belgian media suggest that the Tormans cyclocross team, home to junior world champion Zoe Bäckstedt, will also come under the Quick Step umbrella as continental feeder squad in the near future.
> Netflix Tour de France documentary could take sport “to next level” says Patrick Lefevere
NXTG’s manager and founder Natascha den Ouden today outlined her vision for the team under the new setup.
“When we turned into an elite women’s team in 2019 after the U19 year, we continued to build on that basis. When you build a house, you don’t start with a roof but with the foundations,” she said.
“We aim to provide young female riders with a professional set-up where they can realise their dreams of being a professional cyclist.
“This dream started in 2019 with our first ever elite race at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and continues to grow every day and from tomorrow with AG Insurance and Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl by our side.
“Our philosophy is to work on the development of the next generation, the foundations, in women’s cycling. We are firmly committed to creating a successful and sustainable sport with the solid support of AG Insurance.”
Speaking at the press event, Lefevere added: “As I have discussed when we first got involved with the NXTG team, we were looking to work with a women’s team, to help from the ground up and build real foundations, and the project of Natascha is the perfect fit.
“During my time in cycling, we have a track record of working with young riders and helping them to develop. We will apply the same philosophy with this team, giving young, talented riders a clear and sustainable progression path under the spirit, the culture and philosophy that leads the day-by-day operations of the Wolfpack.
“It is a unique project within women’s cycling, and we are very happy that AG Insurance shares our vision and we look forward to seeing our athletes and the team progress.”
Van der Poel aims to be pretty in pink in Italy
After impressing on his surprise, last-minute return at Milan-San Remo on Saturday, Mathieu van der Poel is aiming for more success in Italy this season.
The Dutchman told AD.nl that he hopes to take part in – and complete – both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France this year.
“The Giro is definitely an option,” he said. “It’s not 100 percent sure yet, but the combination of Giro and Tour is definitely in my head.”
📊🇳🇱Mathieu van der Poel aims to ride (and 🏁finish) both 🇮🇹Giro d’Italia and 🇫🇷Tour de France.
⏩21 cyclist started both GT’s in 2021, 8 of them finished both.
🏁Starts / finishes in both GT’s
2021: 21 / 8
2020: 12 / 6
2019: 22 / 16
2018: 14 / 10
2017 21 / 15
2016: 21 / 13— Cycling Statistics (@StatsOnCycling) March 22, 2022
With his eyes firmly set on the Giro’s punchy opening stage in Budapest, van der Poel added: “The first week is very attractive with a chance at the pink jersey. That is the main reason.”
The Alpecin-Fenix rider also confirmed that he would attempt to finish both grand tours, after pulling out of the Tour last year – after blowing the race apart for over a week – to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics.
“Actually, last year I wanted to finish the Tour. I have indicated to the team that I am not going to dismount again after ten days. I have the intention to finish the Giro and the Tour both this year.”
Van der Poel took to the start line of the five-stage Settimana Coppi e Bartali today, as he looks to build his racing form ahead of the classics, after recovering from a lingering back injury that delayed his start to the season.
If his third place in San Remo is anything to go by, MVDP’s classics rivals may be in for a rude awakening in April…
“I’m fine! I’m fine, just give me a bike!” Mattias Skjelmose Jensen emerges unscathed from dramatic fall in Catalunya
Mattias Jensen goes over the side in a crash at the Volta a Catalunya.
Responds by climbing back up and saying “I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine!” pic.twitter.com/GGmz3ZRbye
— Robyn (@robynjournalist) March 22, 2022
Shades of Hinault here from the young Trek-Segafredo rider… and he still managed to make the front split!
“I’m fine, just give me a bike”@skjelmose_ had a scary moment today at Volta A Catalunya! pic.twitter.com/gsCsJAVK0g
— GCN Racing (@GcnRacing) March 22, 2022
Now, there’s an idea…
I suggest installing some bike lanes.
You’ll recall we have some great designs that would enable a safe east/west route enabling thousands of people to cycle safely to enjoy the shops, museums etc in the area. https://t.co/h7ogSrDFPA
— Will Norman (@willnorman) March 22, 2022
Crashes, wind and drama in Catalunya, as Yates loses time - and three riders end up on the wrong side of the motorway...
If you’d only tuned in for the final kilometre of stage two of the Volta a Catalunya, you would be forgiven for thinking that you were watching a replay of yesterday’s race, as a rider each from BikeExchange-Jayco and Bahrain Victorious lunged at the line.
But instead of Michael Matthews and Sonny Colbrelli (who is currently in a stable condition in hospital after collapsing following yesterday’s stage), today’s finish was a battle between the sprinters Kaden Groves and Phil Bauhaus, with the Australian team once again coming out on top, as Groves shot off the German’s wheel in the final 50 metres to take the win from a reduced group.
In a day of crashes, mishaps and drama, it wasn’t all plain sailing for BikeExhange, as their leader Simon Yates shipped over 30 seconds after getting caught up in a crash just as the peloton began to split under pressure from Movistar and Cofidis inside the final 20 kilometres.
Ineos’ Australian rider Richie Porte fared even worse, abandoning the race after feeling unwell and being dropped 60 kilometres from the finish.
In happier news, Trek-Segafredo’s Mattias Skjelmose recovered from his earlier off-road expedition to take an impressive tenth on the day, showing his sprinting chops are up there with his mountaineering skills.
Even more bizarrely, with 35 kilometres to go, Joe Dombrowski, Mikel Bizkarra and Cesare Benedetti were caught on the wrong side of the motorway (with oncoming cars passing them, only separated by cones), and were forced to jump over the central reservation to rejoin the race.
Great scenes in Catalunya as Mikel Bizkarra, Cesare Benedetti and Joe Dombrowski get caught on the wrong side of a motorway (into oncoming traffic!) and then have to climb back onto the right side pic.twitter.com/6Xqp0it0rx
— adam becket (@adambecket) March 22, 2022
As Brian Smith said in commentary, Peter Sagan would have bunny hopped that…
Meanwhile, at the first stage of the Settimana Coppi e Bartali, Quick Step’s Mauro Schmid beat Ineos’ Irishman Eddie Dunbar in a two-up sprint after the pair broke away with 27 kilometres to go. Ethan Hayter beat Mathieu van der Poel into third in the reduced group sprint behind.
Retired pro Dan Craven sets up new steel bike company based in his hometown Omaruru
I’ve spent the last 15 years of my life chasing the professional cyclist dream in Europe, but as my first career has come to an end I’ve been asking myself, what was the point of becoming a pro in the first place? Did it matter? What can I do now? What must I do now?
— Dan from Nam (@DanFromNam) March 21, 2022
39-year-old former pro Dan Craven has ventured into the bike business with his new company, Onguza, with the aim of producing hand-built, world-class, steel bikes from his hometown of Omaruru, Namibia.
Craven, who represented Namibia at the 2016 Olympics and rode for Rapha-Condor, Israel Cycling Academy and Europcar during his nine-year professional career, announced the news on his social media yesterday, which was Namibian Independence Day.
He had initially intended to launch the new bike at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, but had to withdraw from the road race after contracting Covid.
Craven said on Twitter: “It would be easy for me not to use my privilege, influence, and visibility for good. But if I don’t, why did I gain these things in the first place? Back in 2010, I had an idea. It has taken 12 years to realize, but it is finally happening and it’s time to share it with you.”
“Does the world really need another bicycle brand? No. But my hometown, Omaruru, does,” Craven added.
“Namibia is a country of talented makers stuck in low-value jobs. Many struggle to find work aside from farm labour. Building world-class steel bicycles is a high-value trade that matches the quality of their workmanship.”
And I need your help, so please follow along on this journey with us @onguzabicycles pic.twitter.com/nxIaWlR5Ug
— Dan from Nam (@DanFromNam) March 21, 2022
Onguza’s steel bikes are built by Petrus Mufenge and Sakaria Nkolo, and will be made in small batches and shipped worldwide. The first drop is expected in April.
Road and mountain bikes the most valuable resellers on eBay
Ever looked at the old winter bike rusting away in the shed, and wondered how much it would fetch on eBay?
Well, the good people over at golfsupport.com (something to do with golf, I guess) conducted a study to work out which type of sports equipment had the highest resale value on the internet auction site.
Surprisingly, both racing and mountain bikes come out on top, both fetching a mean price of £200, ahead of rowing machines, treadmills and, of course, golf clubs.
Here’s the full top ten, and their mean resale prices:
1. Racing bike, £217.15
2. Mountain bike, £206.06
3. Rowing machine, £199.86
4. Treadmill, £164.91
5. Motorbike Racing suits, £105.40
6. Golf clubs, £82.42
7. American football helmet, £79.67
8. Gymnastics mat, £78.27
9. Motorbike racing helmets, £76.88
10. Ice hockey goalie equipment, £76.19
Now, point me in the direction of the £200 racing bikes…
Tuesday roundup: Owen Jones, the ‘Terrorgraph’, and Matej Mohorič at the Winter Olympics…
Before we all go off to enjoy this delightful evening, here’s a quick roundup of your reaction to some of the stories on the live blog today…
Plenty of you had your say on Owen Jones’ declaration that cycling is “overwhelmingly safe”:
Clearly Owen Jones doesn’t realise that if you cycle every day in an urban area, you can easily see five hundred incidents which could be reported to the police and which should attract a FPN at the very least…
Which is why I find his “I cycle every day in London and have doone for 13 years” bizarre.
On my commute, it’s about one a day I could report which is 500 over two years – the same as bugbrand.
He does cycle a lot though, he obviously decides that he must be at fault if a car close passes him, or he stays only on shared paths or other ways not to mingle. But even then, if he looked at each car he would see mobile use.
I agree with Owen Jones that cycling is an inherently safe activity, however it is because of people like Tom and Mike who keep it safe by getting the Police to remind drivers of their responsibilities. He reported 500 and supposedly the Police took action on 475 of them. So they obviously thought they were a danger in some way.
I think that the point Jones is missing is that, while cycling might be overwhelmingly safe, with ‘only’ 141 deaths in a year (and many more injured, but lets let that slide), for each of those pieces of bad driving that results in a death, there are hundreds more that didn’t, but could have but for dumb luck. And you can’t tell until it’s too late which are the ones that will have a tragic ending.
On top of that, there are many more again where there’s no, or limited, chance of a bad outcome, but they’re indicative of driving habits that are likely to cause danger at other times, so need remediating or removing from the road. So the implication that the number of incidents that are worth reporting is of the same order as the number of deaths is entirely misguided.
On the subject of the Sydney Daily Telegraph’s ill-judged headline, road.cc contributor John Stevenson shared an article he wrote for Cyclingnews back in 2005, after a cyclist was killed in a hit-and-run in western Sydney.
And what did the Telegraph do that very week? They published an article headlined ‘Hell on Wheels’, describing cyclists as “idiots on two wheels”, “two-wheel maniacs” and “dangerous”. Of course.
You can read John’s article in full here.
On a lighter note, Rendel Harris had this to say about bike storage:
When Mrs H and I first started cohabiting more than 20 years ago she wasn’t the keen cyclist she is today and my suggestion that it would be nice if at least my best bike was allowed to live in the bedroom was vetoed with a firm, “This is a home, not a bike shop.” Fast forward two decades and her ebike lives in the hall, her MTB in the conservatory and her road bike proudly hangs from the ceiling in the bedroom…
And finally, there were some top-notch additions to the cycling Spartacus game…
Tim Declercq:
Matej Mohorič:
22 March 2022, 09:58
Some promising news about Sonny Colbrelli after his collapse at the Volta a Catalunya yesterday…
Sonny Colbrelli in stable condition in hospital after collapsing at Volta a Catalunya finish
Race officials confirm Paris-Roubaix champion lost consciousness and went into convulsions before suffering a cardiac arrest
22 March 2022, 09:58
Speaking of Murdoch-owned media companies…
Fox News meltdown as Joe Biden goes for a bike ride
Donald Trump's son Eric appeared on the TV channel to blast the President for "riding a beach cruiser" despite threat of "world war three"
22 March 2022, 09:58
22 March 2022, 09:58
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Latest Comments
Jetmans Dad "Food delivery riders in particular are riding overpowered 'eBikes' that are basically mopeds … powered only via the throttle without pedalling at significantly more than 15mph. Problem is they look like normal bikes/ebikes and not like mopeds so that is what people describe them as." Indeed, mistaken identification of e-motorcycles as bicycles is a significant problem because different regulations and training apply, so different enforcement. Even worse are the illegaly modified e-motorcycles that are not operated as such, without training, insurance and compliance generally. Zero hour employment contracts and employers taking no practical responsibility make it worse yet. Then there's the health impacts on customers that fall on taxpayers through the NHS.
I might be cynical about Police re-organisations but how many new senior officer posts will be created in this re-organisation.
I have to put it back into mode eight so rarely that I will have to open up the manual. Normally when I stick it on the bars when I had to send my r4 back to Hope. Or if it seemed to go a bit weird. Can't remember the last time.
I have nothing but praise for my helmet mounted Exposure Axis, running eight years now. Battery only does two and a bit commutes now, so I'm going to either upgrade to the Diablo or see if they will upgrade the battery. If they'd released their STVZo road/4k lumens when your giving it some going downhill off road light I would have bought it first day. Mode 8 for me, low low, good mid and top high, decided after a couple of weeks of use and I've never changed. I use the button or the tap function (Tap 2 for me) to cycle through the power levels. Exceptional helmet light. The button is it's weak point, but very livable, I am glad of the tap function. It can sometimes take a few presses to get the flashing bit with its press and hold, but not for too long because that's off.
Hard to see who replies on any thread. I only visit the site a couple of times a week as it is not usable.
People who want to travel safely in a 20 mph area, so that no motor vehicle tries to overtake them, need to be capable of 20 mph so get no assistance at all from a legal e-bike that provides 15.5 mph. So the e-bike regulations are broken because they encourage unsafe overtaking by impatient drivers (5 mph). In 30 mph roads, the 10 mph difference would still allow safe overtaking to be completed in short distances. So the low speed 15.5 is less safe in practice not safer.
I have been doing some cross-checking between my records and the police dataset How do you do that? The spreadsheet has been designed to ensure that you can't. There's no unique code for each incident, so why haven't they included that? There are many incidents dated from the same location on the same day by the same despised reporter category (cyclist) for the same offender category (such as 'car'). The great majority of intended (as usual in these misleading 'databases', it's not the real outcome) outcomes is the entirely useless 'warning letter'. Is there anybody out there who believes that the average police officer could rouse either the wit or the willingness to determine whether the offender has received a warning letter previously?! Some people will be receiving numerous such letters to throw in the bin, which encourages them to repeat the offence. As for the claimed 'positive outcome'!- only the most deluded could believe that
I pretty much have stopped bothering. I also find when I come to the site it loads the previous days page and I have to refresh to see today’s front page.
I regularly submit reports to A&S Police, and keep detailed records of what I have submitted, and the responses. I have been doing some cross-checking between my records and the police dataset. I'm afraid correlation is patchy at best. So, I am not confident in the dataset's accuracy. Further, where I can be fairly certain of a correlation, it's been largely warning letters issued for very clear video evidence of hand-held mobile phone use whilst driving. No wonder I see so many doing so. They have nothing much to fear. :o( Should I keep bothering?
That was a reply to Hirsute by the way, which I naïvely assumed would appear on the thread underneath his comment given that I clicked the reply button on his comment. The Admins really need to sort this, and various other problems, out before people stop bothering.
110 thoughts on ““We all hate cyclists, but is violence the answer?” Aussie Daily Telegraph’s inflammatory headline; Owen Jones takes on cycling Twitter; Design the USA’s new jersey – and get one free; Where do you store your bike?; I’m Cavendish! + more on the live blog”
Where were all the complaints
Where were all the complaints when Blue Peter launched its Christmas Stamp competion?
I guess that US Cycling were
I guess that US Cycling were Blue Peter fans. So that’s all right, then.
Or the heavily-promoted
Or the heavily-promoted Countryfile calendar.
GMBasix wrote:
In my day if you won you got to meet Lesley Judd, a prize beyond rubies…
Well, now that you remind me.
Well, now that you remind me…
Can’t be bothered to fit this
Can’t be bothered to fit this into the template, but I think this could work for the U.S.
Being a creative is
Being a creative is exhausting – a market scarce of actual jobs, plenty of young people out there desperately seeking employment and/or experience, and organisations like USA Cycling feeding on that need by making these farcical “paid in exposure” campaigns. They’re not the only ones doing such stuff, but should 100000% be called out for it.
Looking at it from an
Looking at it from an alternative perspective… I would estimate that the charge the kit provider (is it Cuore?) would ask to design the jersey would range between £0 and £100 – talking from direct experience in the industry. That potential cost is pretty much in line with the offered compensation.
Clothing suppliers have art departments and jersey design is generally all part of the service… this isn’t US Cycling trying to save a buck, because there is no buck to be saved.
“We all hate cyclists, but is
“We all hate cyclists, but is violence the answer?”
I’m quite new to the road.cc comments section but reading a lot of comments recently I think there are a some Australian Daily telegraph readers on here. The only difference being their mantra is “we all hate OTHER cyclists, but we’re stuck behind this keyboard so violence isn’t an option”.
Just saying, we all hate rain, punctures and dangerous drivers so we’ve got a lot more in common than that which divides us.
YEStotheEU.
YEStotheEU.
NOtotheEU wrote:
In the interests of harmony then, you might consider changing your username to one that isn’t guaranteed to instantly annoy everyone who regrets the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Something cycling-related, perhaps?
I am making the assumption
I am making the assumption that they are based in the UK, but yhe individual concerned seems not to have noticed that we have left the EU and that there is no meaningful suggestion that we return any time soon. I wonder if I should change my name to ‘Ban4starleadedpetrol’…?
On a totally unrelated note,
On a totally unrelated note, but when someone “voluntarily asks for all posts to be removed by the site admins”, do site admins have the ability to keep tabs on IP adresses used to ensure they “voluntarily stay away”?
Of course they can be changed (by ISP over time or by VPN) but it would be nice to know that these people who “voluntarily leave” permanently via Admin intervention find it harder to come back.
Or maybe don’t be triggered
Or maybe don’t be triggered so easily? My username is the one I’ve used for 20 years on all my online activity so why should I change it? Just accept we have a different view on one particular point and in no way can you assume any other of my political views from this one. I’m happy to accept our differing views and be polite and respectful of yours. Also since 2016 my username is politically redundent so why does it even matter?
How about a wordplay on Nigel
How about a wordplay on Nigel Farage?
That would be quite funny but
That would be quite funny but I think if my current username triggers people that would cause a tsunami of nasty comments.
Of course some people would
Of course some people would question the “new” part. But can you point to the comments on the Mantra of “we all hate OTHER cyclists, but we’re stuck behind this keyboard so violence isn’t an option”.
I assume you’re referencing a
I assume you’re referencing a previous user called Nigel I’ve been accused of being recently? I can give you my word i have visited road.cc regularly over the years but only registered a few months ago. If I remember correctly it was to comment on my experiences reporting dangerous drivers to West Midlands Police and their feedback. I certainly have no wish to troll anybody nor do I enjoy talking politics over the internet, face to face and with mutual respect is always better.
I was careful to say ‘some’ users hate OTHER cyclists. The way some recent disscusions have turned into very rude and disrespectful political rants is dissapointing. i recently posted a joke about the cyclist holding up the truckers convoy and recieved multiple comments missing the joke, insulting my intelligence and accusing me of being a previous user who has just changed their username. I even fell into the same trap and started arguing with some of them when I should have just posted “It was a joke, sorry you missed it”. well, live and learn.
And I have actually defended
And I have actually defended that it probably isn’t you in other posts. But then I also gave the benefit that Nigel wasn’t “voluntarily left” boo until he showed his true nature, so apologies but I wil be wary for now.
I didn’t see your post on WMP, can you point me towards it as I report to them so would like to read your experience as feedback has been non existant for me.
As for the username, just because you have used it previously for 20 years, it does seem weird to keep on using it when all it will do now is cause “politics over the internet”.
Edit: Also realised I hadn’t queried on the reply to my question. Your wording was SOME users on here have a mantra of “we all hate other cyclists” and insinuated they would like to cause or see violence to other cyclists. I was querying that part to see the posts. If you had said some users state ” we all hate car users” I would have agreed that some people do on here and yes, not a healthy attitude to have for either party.
But the weird thing on what you wrote is that it defined “voluntarily left” nigel to a tee. He would post things which was a dig at most other cyclists on here, deliberately misconstrue videos to attack the cyclists version, propose violence against cyclists (Mikey should have been punched by Eubank, Cyclist brought the violent confrontation on themselves by shouting out after a close pass), and would denigrate other cyclists weight or looks or speech. So you probably have seen his posts, but might have been under one of his changes pseudonyms as he has posted on here for the last few years.
Your apology is gratefully
Your apology is gratefully accepted, thank you.
I’ve basically repeated my original post again in this thread so it should be near the top. Mikey is the reason I now run cameras all the time, I love his Gandalf Corner videos!
Nigel sounds like the typical Youtube troll i see a lot of commenting on cycling videos, thankfully i’ve never noticed much of that sort of thing on here. I Can’t imagine why anyone who doesn’t love cycling would waste their valuble time creating an account on here but it takes all sorts I guess.
That user changed their name
That user changed their name about 7 times and should have been banned.
There have been a few short lived trolls too in the last few months leading to a handful of long term posters taking a respite break.
Unfortunately (but understandably) , new posters tend to get over scrutinised as a result.
“Sick of the ‘cycling salsa’?
“Sick of the ‘cycling salsa’?” – I’m not allowed to bring my bike into the house. Under Any. Circumstances.
(Luckily, we do have a shed.
Although not a shed with enough room for me to actually do any work in, if needed.
My bike fettling is all outdoors.)
Yup, me too. And I had to
Yup, me too. And I had to spend a LOT of time, money and effort to ensure the shed was sufficiently secure and watertight to make it suitable for bike storage.
Tim Declercq
Tim Declercq
Matej Mohorič
Matej Mohorič
Is violence the answer? I’ll
Is violence the answer? I’ll allow myself a wistful daydream where I swing a D lock through the window of a motorist who’s poor driving has put my life in danger before snapping back to reality. No of course it isn’t, but it is a highly effective headline for generating BTL hate.
Ah the Sydney Terrorgraph
Ah the Sydney Terrorgraph,easily one of the nastiest media outlets in the world. Here’s something I wrote when I was at Cyclingnews in 2005:
I would like to store my bike
I would like to store my bike (well at least one of them..) next to our bed, but for some reason my wife isn’t keen on the idea??
When Mrs H and I first
When Mrs H and I first started cohabiting more than 20 years ago she wasn’t the keen cyclist she is today and my suggestion that it would be nice if at least my best bike was allowed to live in the bedroom was vetoed with a firm, “This is a home, not a bike shop.” Fast forward two decades and her ebike lives in the hall, her MTB in the conservatory and her road bike proudly hangs from the ceiling in the bedroom…
Rendel Harris wrote:
I think that’s quite enough of that sort of talk here, thank you!!
Maybe because its a little
Maybe because its a little gremlin and it needs degreasing.
I agree with Owen Jones that
I agree with Owen Jones that cycling is an inherently safe activity, however it is because of people like Tom and Mike who keep it safe by getting the Police to remind drivers of their responsibilities. He reported 500 and supposedly the Police took action on 475 of them. So they obviously thought they were a danger in some way.
I think that the point Jones
I think that the point Jones is missing is that, while cycling might be overwhelmingly safe, with ‘only’ 141 deaths in a year (and many more injured, but lets let that slide), for each of those pieces of bad driving that results in a death, there are hundreds more that didn’t, but could have but for dumb luck. And you can’t tell until it’s too late which are the ones that will have a tragic ending. On top of that, there are many more again where there’s no, or limited, chance of a bad outcome, but they’re indicative of driving habits that are likely to cause danger at other times, so need remediating or removing from the road. So the implication that the number of incidents that are worth reporting is of the same order as the number of deaths is entirely misguided.
Clearly Owen Jones doesn’t
Clearly Owen Jones doesn’t realise that if you cycle every day in an urban area, you can easily see five hundred incidents which could be reported to the police and which should attract a FPN at the very least…
Which is why I find his “I
Which is why I find his “I cycle every day in London and have doone for 13 years” bizarre.
On my commute, it’s about 1 a day I could report which is 500 over two years – the same as bugbrand.
Bugbrand was 500 last year
Bugbrand was 500 last year and 200 so far this year I thought. The main point Owen should have looked at is not the amount he reported, but the amount actioned by the Police. And I’m aware that actioned could just be a warning letter, but we’ve seen bad incidents seemingly ignored by Police before so either the ones he has caught are significantly bad, or the officers involved are more dilligent in their responsibilities. (compared to some forces).
Edit: And yes, 1 a day is guranteed and that is without specifically looking for Mobile use.
I posted 2 close passes in
I posted 2 close passes in the blog on Friday both awful and both occured on Friday.
hirsute wrote:
I wonder if it’s equivalent to “As a cyclist myself…” or “Some of my best friends are Black…”?
He does cycle alot though, he
He does cycle alot though, he obviously decides that he must be at fault if a car close passes him, or he stays only on shared paths or other ways not to mingle. But even then, if he looked at each car he would see Mobile use.
I agree completely. I could
I agree completely. I could report 20 drivers a day on my 25 minute commute in Birmingham and I don’t even look for phone use because I have enough trouble navigating the traffic as it is. I only reported around 200 last year because I only have time report the worst slam dunk guilty drivers. the Police don’t give individual results but they have told me they take action on the vast majority and have encouraged me to continue although I’ve never been called to court as a witness so who knows what ‘action’ they take?
He also suggests cyclists are
He also suggests cyclists are not an oppressed minority. Sure, we at least have the option of choosing not to be cyclists as opposed to misogyny or racism, but today I think I had 6 incidents where motorists went out of their way to shout and swear at us (for example, slowing with window down, shouting, with no traffic being impeded in either direction) and after Sunday’s coaling, in retribution for failing to evaporate from the road, today had another car who came within a foot of me pulling up to an obvious traffic queue where he decided that as he deserved to be in front, he did not need to account for my presence.
So, we are actually an oppressed minority by any reasonable assessment, we are the publicly acceptable substitute outlet for racism – the abuse of someone simply because you’ve decided they are inferior.
I am gay and grew up in the
I am gay and grew up in the 80’s/90’s, educatued under Thatchers section 28, with nowhere to turn. Hitting low points of suicidal thoughts, thinking of endless ways to end myself. Eventually accepting myself, the saving grace was I am a white English man and introvert that doesn’t draw attention, but that has drawn attention of homophobes who don’t think I am gay. Sitting in a pub having someone tell me they think “all gays should be strung up” and countless other conversations. I could go on, but no when when I am cycling I am not an “oppressed miniority” SMDH. I face issues but to make that comparison to the genuinely oppressed is insulting. I am not sure any countries will execute someone for being a cyclist. There are I believe 13 countries where I would be put to death for who I love.
If Ian had said that cyclists
If Ian had said that cyclists are oppressed as badly as homosexuals, I would absolutely agree with you that that was insulting and indeed ridiculous, but he didn’t. There are different levels of oppression and it is certainly arguable that cyclists do suffer from oppression; I’ve been spat on, sworn at, threatened with violence, had full beer cans and coffee cups thrown at me, had pedestrians leap out and attempt to push me off and had cars deliberately driven at me, all in incidents in which I have had no previous interaction with the assailant, simply because of my chosen mode of transport. I’m sure many others have experienced the same. Is that as bad as the oppression LGBTQ+ people have faced historically and continue to face? Not in a billion years. Is it still oppression? Certainly feels like it.
Lovely nuanced answer Rendel!
Lovely nuanced answer Rendel!
LOL!
LOL! There is about as much nuance here in drawing parallels to genuine oppression as Boris Johsons parralels with war in Ukraine and Brexit.
Also add national newspapers
Also add national newspapers and public figures running campaigns against cyclists, publishing “jokes” about ways to kill cyclists and denigrating when money is spent on cycling provision and you can see what would be termed “oppression” if angled at other communities. As protections are rightly brought in for some sections, the arseholes who want to target people who are different to them will choose different targets. And it will sadly be the same people Adam hears in the pub in most cases.
No Rendall, he didn’t, but he
No Rendall, he didn’t, but he did make comparisons to racism and misogyny something as a white bloke I can’t really comment on, hence drawing the parallel to my own life experience as a member of a minority group.
As a cyclist I have experienced many of those things myself. I don’t chose to go so far as staking a claim that makes me “oppressed” but thanks for proving my point in doing so yourself. SMDH.
Worth pointing that
Worth pointing that oppression is very much in the eye of the oppressed, something that you, a gay man, and I, an Asian queer man, might see ourselves. I’m not sure what your point is, Adam, but from you claiming that a group of people ‘haven’t got it as bad as some others’ it just seems like you’re downplaying what other people feel like.
Should every oppressed person remember how someone who is worse off feels like? Of course not.
Adam Sutton wrote:
I agree with not trying to belittle the meaing of “oppression”, but cyclists have been killed due to their means of transport, so maybe “abuse” is a better word to use.
Meanwhile, we have IEA’s 10 point plan to reduce oil usage (https://www.iea.org/reports/a-10-point-plan-to-cut-oil-use) including ideas such as car-free Sundays and what’s the UK’s plan? Reduce fuel duty by 5p!
“abuse” would be the more
“abuse” would be the more appropriate. Trying to spin cyclists as an oppressed group is TBH eye-rollingly cringy as well as insulting.
Sorry, but there are people who depend on cars. Not every driver does so for mere convenience and laziness. Arguably many of these are being hit hard in the wallet for various reasons and a fuel duty cut will be a massive help to many in financial hardship. There are about three points in that IEA report that have any semlance of common sense, the rest is embarressing.
Adam Sutton wrote:
The problem with cutting fuel duty is that it won’t even necessarily reduce forecourt prices – that’s down to the whims of the oil companies. I’d say that reducing household gas/electric bills would be of far more use in actually helping the poorest.
I disagree about the IEA points being embarrassing – they seem like reasonable small steps to take. However, I’m likely an outlier and would probably go along with getting pitchforked mobs to line up all the oil company execs and toady politicians up against the wall and shoot them (with pitchforks?).
hawkinspeter wrote:
You mean like they’ve passed the (very) recent drop in wholesale oil prices on to the customer?
Oh, waitaminute…
Reducing household gas
Reducing household gas/electic should happen alongside a fuel duty cut. We haven’t waved a magic wand and made the internal combustion engine dissappear, and those on lower wages, night workers, nurses etc will be the ones far less likely to be using new EV’s or able to use public transport. They’ll be struggling to make ends meet while wondering how to fill the tank of a 10 year old fiesta to get to work.
My issue with things like the IEA plan is they often are enaceted as a one size fits all. Take public transport which is key to any progress. Stating it should be made cheaper is great, but it needs to work. 20 miles out of London I can’t rely on the trains at the weekend and bus services are even worse, people in rural locations are more often than not even worse off.
Adam Sutton wrote:
Personally, I don’t want to encourage anyone to continue using a 10 year old Fiesta. Assuming that a bicycle can be obtained, then I’d be pushing for that to be used instead, which is going to be cheaper and healthier. (Of course, I can easily state that as I’m sat here working from home, but when I do go into the office, it’s a 37km ride each way).
I can sympathise with the poor state of public transport, but that’s what happens when all our transport acorns are put into the private car basket. If we design society around the private car, then naturally the private car seems to be the only choice.
We’re in the middle of a climate emergency, so it’s about time we started acting like it.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Driving a 10yr old fiesta is a reality for a large number of people though. Yes we are in a climate emergency but rushing through ill thought out plans that will harm the worse off isn’t an answer. We cannot expect to effect positive change overnight with knee jerk policies. Public transport needs to be run as a service for public and if we want people to cycle more we need proper infrastructure that will take time. I would love to encourage my sister to cycle to work, but know here commute of around 5 miles is impossible to achieve in a manner I see as safe at this time by bike.
In 2018 I started cycling to the next station on the line due to timetable changes messing things up at my closest station. That was 2 miles and I thought I was going to collapse at the end of if for the first few weeks. A year later I rode London to Brighton and today I am considering cycling all the way to work, a round trip of over 50 miles. I will encourange anyone to cycle as I have seen the benefits myself.
IMHO though the kind of attitude prevalent here and in many cycling forums and online in general is not one to encourage people out of cars and to cycle, it more often than not comes across as berating anyone who doesn’t cycle. Just commenting the way I have here I am liable to be told by some that I am not a cyclist, I don’t understand, my comment and attitude is tantamount to “I have black friends, so I can’t be racist”
I just can’t get onboard with
I just can’t get onboard with reducing fuel duty as that’s sending entirely the wrong message. It’s been frozen for longer than my memory functions and certainly here in Bristol we have illegally high levels of air pollution. If now isn’t the time to address climate issues, then when exactly?
And yes, I’d be happy for public ownership of public transport but I’d rather it didn’t just turn into a way of enriching the current shareholders which would seem to be the way that our government functions.
Maybe another idea would be to encourage the use of e-scooters by decriminalising them, but that’s only going to help shorter journeys. Reducing fuel duty is pretty much encouraging the use of cars for shorter journeys.
hawkinspeter wrote:
I live near the Dartford tunnel, so am fully aware of pollution. A 5p drop in duty is hardly going to encourage driving when you look at the way prices have escalated in recent months. https://www.racfoundation.org/data/uk-pump-prices-over-time
It may help ease the financial burden on some though who have no choice but to drive.
Personally I think one thing the IEA state that the govt should get behind is working from home and hybrid working. They don’t want that though, clearly they want people back in the office, back in towns and cities spending money. If people are only in the office two or three days a week they’d be more likely to try cycling or other means than driving. Being back two days a week myself is why I’m seeing cycling the distance as worth trying.
You don’t know the
You don’t know the communities I’m involved in.
I’ll give you another trivial example. My ex-wife was extremely ginger-haired. It was not do long ago that there was a comedian who made being ginger oppression a running joke on their sketch show. While the comedian was trying to be clever making analogies, the actual result was an increase in nuisance from other people teasing and commenting, joining in the joke.
What the comedian probably didn’t know of was the experience of visiting Northern Ireland in the 1980s with ginger hair and a seemingly Catholic name – it could have had extremely serious consequences if the wrong thing was said to the wrong person.
I’m grateful for Rendel’s thoughtful reply. I thought I was quite clear, that there is a fundamental level of oppression. I don’t agree with playing games of your situation is worse than mine, and I reject the assertion that it is not possible to understand the travails of one group unless you are a part of it.
However, as someone who has been assaulted, threatened, sworn at, put in fear of my life by people simply because I am on a bike, is like to ask what is your definition of oppression? As I say, I have the option of not cycling, so I do not have the inescapable consequences of,say, racism, but we are talking about a world where a rag like the Daily Mail use hatred of cyclists as part of their money-generating business.
Perhaps as a white middle class male my views don’t count, but then again, being driven to attempting suicide as a teenager over physical attributes that made me an easy target for bullying doesn’t count either.
You and others are doing
You and others are doing little more than continue to try and rationlise your missapropriation of the term “oppressed”, therefore diminishing its impact in real world terms.
There is little difference in this to those who cry racism, homophobia etc at every opportunity, which if anything contributes to people turning a blind eye to genuine racism etc.
Adam Sutton wrote:
I’m so sorry – I agree with you, but cannot resist posting this picture
I don’t think anyone need
I don’t think anyone need apologies for a Monty Python reference!
What does Some Mothers Do
What does Some Mothers Do Have’em have to do with any of this?
The hell you on about man?
The hell you on about man?
That’s all I could see!!
That’s all I could see!!
Adam Sutton wrote:
I think some of you have misunderstood Adams point. He simply states he alone does not feel part of an “oppressed minority” as a cyclist and illustrates this with his experiences as a gay man. At no point does he say cyclists are not an oppressed minority or claim to speak for anyone else. He is simply giving us his personal opinion on his own situation.
As a straight, white guy the only time I’ve occasionally felt part of an “oppressed minority” is when I’m on my bike being abused by entitled motorists, but that in no way diminishes Adams point of view as his does not diminish mine.
NOtotheEU wrote:
Well I read ‘not genuinely oppressed’ as exactly that: “I face issues but to make that comparison to the genuinely oppressed is insulting.”
Not sure why this has turned into a competition to find the most genuinely oppressed group. Isn’t any form of oppression bad?
I read that differently but
I read that differently but that’s a fair comment.
I completely agree that oppression is bad. It’s strange how any oppression we feel as individuals does not always make us more supportive of others suffering different forms of it, it’s human nature I guess.
HoarseMann wrote:
No one is trying to find the most genuinely oppressed group, but misappropriating the term diminishes it. As hawkinspeter said, I think “abuse” is the more appropriate term here. I honestly think making such ridculous statements about cyclists being oppressed does nothing to win people over to uderstanding the challenges cyclists face.
Adam Sutton wrote:
Well you’re not going to be sentenced to death for being a cyclist (a local councillor did actually call for that on our town’s facebook page though!). But when you’ve got authorities like the police demonstrating an anti-cycling bias by failing to take seriously incidents where a cyclist’s life has been put at risk. Or a justice system that fails to deliver justice when a cyclist’s life has been taken. It does seem a bit more than name-calling type abuse.
HoarseMann wrote:
And whatever you may think, that is still not oppression. None of it is right, but you are not being “oppressed”. Moreover in a court of law you would have a strong case.
Adam Sutton wrote:
Well it’s not on the same level as state persecution, but I do think hatred towards cyclists can be considered a form of social oppression. It can certainly feel oppressive to be on the receiving end of it, as it’s experienced so frequently.
Keep reaching.
Keep reaching.
Adam Sutton wrote:
Alright then!… State persecution is the ultimate manifestation of social oppression. It doesn’t come out of nowhere.
Digger deeper there’s another
Digger deeper there’s another straw to clutch somewhere.
Adam Sutton wrote:
You have inadvertently put your finger on the weakness of your argument here: “abuse” can mean many different things, from rape and murder to someone calling one a dickhead; similarly with oppression. Having suffered oppression (on a revolting and terrifying scale which I find it impossible even to imagine, in your case) does not make the oppressed gatekeepers of the term.
Wow, sure Rendall. That’s a
Wow, sure Rendall. That’s a new level of trying to excuse the nonsense here.
No, I am not trying to “gatekeep” the term “oppression” as a gay man. My comment on there being no competition, is that there is no competition between any minority group facing real oppression, day in, day out, 24/7.
If I’ve gained anything in life it is empathy towards the truly oppressed, be it race, religion, gender or any other inate inescapable part of a person’s being. Equally though is apathy towards people who want to cry oppression for something as mundane and totally legal as riding a bike or any negative experience whilst doing such a thing.
In simple terms my being a cyclist and yours, cycling is a minor part of life. Off the bike it is irrelevant. Every single day, every social interaction with new people, I ask myself whether to be my true self or hide “that” part of who I am. Other groups of oppressed people do the same, does a Muslim woman remove her hijab in situations for safety sake? When it comes to race that’s not so easy.
Adam Sutton wrote:
What?!!
HoarseMann wrote:
What?!!
— Adam Sutton
Burn him!!
[Wait – would that be oppressing him?]
mdavidford wrote:
If running him over for being a cyclist isn’t oppressing him then I don’t see how burning him for being a heretic can be!
You haven’t really dealt with
You haven’t really dealt with the fundamental principle though of what is oppression, you just say it doesn’t exist.
Similarly, you belittle me for suggesting that cyclists are subject to oppressive behaviour, I would add, not just from individuals, but from politicians – for example there enthusiasm for Draconian punishments after there was a single, highly published death by a cyclist who was foolish and careless, yet hundreds of cyclists die and motorists are often framed as victims of circumstance, having to live with the guilt of a momentary lapse; then there are the police who are unwilling to act on behalf of cyclists who have been attacked by motorists in their cars. In separate posts, I’ve mentioned on Sunday, I got coaled, on Tuesday at least 6 people shouted abuse simply for me being on a bike where no traffic was delayed or hindered – the greatest delay was slowing down to shout, and the sports car driver who decided that he should be next in line instead of a bike and drove accordingly, that’s ignoring the number of other incidents which I’ll put down to incompetence rather than malice.
Regardless of your claim to the word, it is oppressive to experience this treatment. I have to be careful what I say about my experiences because it upsets my wife when she hears what people do, and she can’t believe what some drivers do.
Just because the oppression of cyclists is 2/10 compared with the 20/10 of Ukrainians and the 10/10 of a Windrush victim, does not mean it isn’t a thing, nor should you assume it is unimportant. The attitude that cyclists are inhuman is observable, and it leads to the situation where motorists think it is acceptable to ram cyclists with their cars because they simply have disconnected from treating them as people.
And of course, if you are going to play the Ukraine card, then be prepared to justify your personal troubles with facing Russian shells – it is just whataboutery.
The reality is that humans are experts in spying differences and seem to have an instinctive desire to divide people into categories and assign those groups into friends or foe. Politicians, the press and plain old nasty people use those divisions for their own purposes. No group is safe from that behaviour. It would make the world a better place if nobody suffered abuse simply because of them being identified with a certain characteristic, wouldn’t you say?
IanMSpencer wrote:
I just looked up a definition of oppression and there’s a couple of different interpretations though I think this is most appropriate:
Now I totally sympathise with how you feel about the treatment of cyclists (obviously), but I don’t feel that the law courts and government are really crossing the line into oppression. Where people draw the line is down to interpretation, so it can be argued that the Alliston case was oppressive, but I don’t personally feel that my opportunities and freedom are particularly restricted by being a cyclist.
Looking at other groups that have been historically (and currently) oppressed, there’s a clear difference such as not being allowed to vote which quite clearly meet the definition that I used. I’d also consider that Ukrainians aren’t being oppressed so much as being attacked – their opportunities and freedom are certainly restricted, but not by their government.
hawkinspeter wrote:
What about not being allowed a McDonalds from a drive-through?
mdavidford wrote:
That sounds like a good health and safety initiative
Saw this in Birmingham City
Saw this in Birmingham City center today on my way back from Birmingham Bike Foundry (great shop and awsome wheel builders). For a second I thought “am I in the opposing lane?”
this is a clearer pic of how
this is a clearer pic of how this muppet chose to navigate a left turn.
Sort of thing that comes up
Sort of thing that comes up on UK dashcam videos.
Did he come past St Chads
Did he come past St Chads from the Childrens Hospital and make a very late turn, come down from Constitution/Great Charles and make a very early turn. Right outside the Cop Shop as well. Could have dropped your memory card directly in with a statement…..
If you are on the way home, you North Birmingam A34 commuter? I probably pass you on the way in / out if you are.
And to reply on another post, I don;t submit that many but the lack of feedback from WMP is demoralising. I was shocked when they contacted me to state the submission form was corrupted on one earlier this year as it was the first time I even knew they looked at them. That was a particularly pointless extreme close pass when driver could have been in the other empty lane of the dual carriageway on approach to Key Hill Circus. Even more stupid when he exited the island in the other lane.
He came from the Childrens
He came from the Childrens Hospital and I guess missed his turn. i only realised the police Station was there when I watched the video back as I was editing it prior to reporting it. I haven’t ridden that way in years, I was trying to get across town from the abrupt end of the A38 blue cycle route to the A38 going out to Spaghetti Junction but they keep changing the roads!
I commute the other way on the A38 towards Castle Brom.
I would guess 50% of my reports are of drivers seeing an empty inside lane because all the traffic is in the right lane passing me safely at the speed limit and flying down between me and the traffic while speeding to undertake quickly! And more often than not they are Volkswagen Audi Group cars too.
Yep, they moved it when they
Yep, they moved it when they redid Lloyd house and closed Steelhouse. I reported my one and only collision there in 2017 (after continuing into work and getting a lift to City Hospital for a check).
I occaisionally go down Lichfield Road to Spaghetti Island when I do a longer ride home (did it on Sunday after the pics I posted above occurred). There was also an accident on Gravelly Hill where it joins the flyover exit which involved BMW and a Polo/Golf. (Rear ender).
Oh and I haven’t been to Bike Foundary but used to work with someone who initially set it up. However I do recommend Fabio whose workshop is based in the Old Print Works. He also works at Gorilla Cafe as well. (or he did before the Pandemic).
I have a friend who cycles
I have a friend who cycles into Brum from the Olton area and she has a long list of typical experiences, drivers queue jumping by driving fully along pavements, red light jumping, ignoring priorities on roundabouts, using the right turn only lane to overtake at traffic lights.
She was also bemoaning that in some current roadworks, her road is closed, and there is no alternative aside from the wrong way up a one way street or up one of the dual carriageways – we were talking about how our local council (SMBC) has no footpaths office and the M42 works has closed a network of footpaths with no viable alternative for several miles.
Drove into the Eye Hospital the other week, couldn’t believe the standard of driving. In Sparkbrook the local population seem to think the red lines by the side of the road mean double parking required – if it’s scary to drive into Birmingham, riding…
If you know Gorilla cafe you’ll know my friend Jo, who had a friend killed and started a campaign to remind motorists that cyclists are human beings, though I’m not sure the recipients found that plausible judging by soshall meedya.
All these are instantly
All these are instantly making me nervous! I regularly ride in from Balsall Common/Solihull way, through Sparkbrook to get the trains to New Street and it is calamitous. Pretty sure there were MASSIVE speed bumps on the ‘cycle way’ (i use the term loosely) near Smallbrook Queensway – I wonder, do these still exist?
On a standard commute (ie
On a standard commute (ie there & back) easily 5 per day reportable, and that’s 5 well within 1metre, & doesn’t account for mobiles or RLJs, just close passes. In addition 1 per week that falls under dangerous driving and usually 1 per month I label NDE, or near death experience. I don’t live in London.
If Owen is cycling every day
If Owen is cycling every day and isn’t seeing the incidents then he isn’t paying attention and is a danger to himself and others.
Backladder wrote:
indeed, I’m lucky to mostly be able to use cs3 for commute, however Wellington Arch has about 10 drivers sail thriugh the red every single trip past it (Hyde park side) – every day. Not even kidding.
nosferatu1001 wrote:
You’re certainly not, I have nightmares that one day I’m going to see somebody killed there. It’s just as bad on the Constitution Hill side, if not worse, riders come through or round the Wellington Arch, see the lights are red for traffic and go straight across without pausing, I’ve seen a number of near misses with RLJs there. A location (both sides) crying out for ANPR cameras, which would surely pay for themselves within weeks.
Alas the current cry is “hard
Alas the current cry is “hard-working people feeling the pinch” so along with the motoring subsidy being increased (sorry, fuel duty being decreased) I suspect anything like this will not find favour for a while. Despite better enforcement / safer driving clearly saving everyone money overall.
brooksby wrote:
Looking at the tweets quoted here, I wonder if he has bothered to stop and ask himself whether other people’s experiences differ from his own (and his perception). It reads as “I don’t see a problem therefore there is no problem”.
And quoting national annual death stats is a truly crap way to trying to persuade people that something is safe (or not).
And this is BMW VO13 VHT
And this is BMW VO13 VHT about to go through that red light at over 50 mph- when the lights turned red he was so far back from the lights he wasn’t on the frame. In the Wild North West traffic policing has essentially been abandoned off the motorways
Thought I would do my version
Thought I would do my version from Sunday when I was cycling back from dropping my clothes off at work.
Lights have just changed to orange, car is still behind but I hear it actually revving engine to accelerate.
4 Seconds later
4 Seconds later
Lights have just changed to
Lights have just changed to orange, car is still behind but I hear it actually revving engine to accelerate
So, what are your local Filth going to do about it? I’m pretty sure Lancashire are going for ‘words of advice’ no matter how bad the RLJ is- I will be making a mass-enquiry about lots of cases and when they refuse to tell me, I’ll know they’ve done Sod All
No idea, only submitted
No idea, only submitted Monday anyway but don’t get feedback unless it goes to court and I’m needed as a witness.
I can’t be bothered to wade
I can’t be bothered to wade through this Owen Jones stuff, but it is quite obvious to those of us in Lancashire, at least, that bad, dangerous and cyclist-hostile driving is increasing because of lack of police interest. Both of these are from yesterday. This is Audi VO10 MXF
Didn’t Jones snitch when he
Didn’t Jones snitch when he got chinned?
Cycling is inherently safe.
Cycling is inherently safe. Unfortunately the perception of danger is very high – and that is amongst ‘experienced’ cyclists too. As everyone knows, the Dutch experience is to dress for destination rather than for the ride. This is because people feel safe and comfortable. In London – which I know – there is lots of high viz, cameras, helmets . . . . In Paris – which I also know – that kind of dress is also non existent and there are lots of ‘normal’ people cycling. As there are in central London to be honest.
Lukas wrote:
Part of that is a function of London’s size, of course; Paris is only six miles north-south and seven east-west, so even if you live in the 18th and work in the 14th it’s half an hour’s gentle pootle (and have cracking segregated provision to do it on, it’s a route I know well), whereas if you live in, say, Enfield and work at Canary Wharf you’re looking at an hour plus, so more likely to want more cycle-specific clothing, faster bikes etc.
Lukas wrote:
I think for the every day person cycling is inherently safe… driving is inherently unsafe both for the motorist and other users. Tagging one demographic with the failings of another is one of the communication failings with transport strategy generally.
JustTryingToGetFromAtoB wrote
Cycling is inherently safe. Unfortunately the perception of danger is very high – and that is amongst ‘experienced’ cyclists too. As everyone knows, the Dutch experience is to dress for destination rather than for the ride. This is because people feel safe and comfortable. In London – which I know – there is lots of high viz, cameras, helmets . . . . In Paris – which I also know – that kind of dress is also non existent and there are lots of ‘normal’ people cycling. As there are in central London to be honest.
— JustTryingToGetFromAtoB I think for the every day person cycling is inherently safe… driving is inherently unsafe both for the motorist and other users. Tagging one demographic with the failings of another is one of the communication failings with transport strategy generally.— Lukas
Well put. Was having a lovely ride on Sunday, almost ruined by an awful driver. Was descending at a reasonable speed when I was overtaken by a car that had failed to see the approaching tractor. Cue their harsh braking and blocking the road. Even with my anticipation I barely had time to stop and avoid a collision.
Grahamd wrote:
I was riding home last night, was close-passed by a big BMW and thought to myself, “Gosh, that smells of weed!”. Almost immediately the driver braked very hard – luckily I was able to stop – and flung his car into a parking space outside a kebab shop (without indicating…).
True. People don’t read the
True. People don’t read the numbers, they go with their gut and / or what their friends or competitors do. Subjective safety ([1], [2]) plus as you allude to convenience.