Surrey traffic cops tell driver spouting Highway Code whataboutery to return licence; Chad Tavernia racks up more saddleless miles; Southeastern angered by “reckless” rider crossing; Road safety main concern for female cyclists + more on the live blog

A study by cycling insurance providers Laka found that 42 per cent of women do not feel comfortable riding a bike on UK roads. Almost half of women (45 per cent) added that well-lit cycle lanes would encourage them to use their bikes more.

Laka surveyed more than 2,000 female cyclists, male riders and non-cyclists from across the UK about issues around cycling, including areas concerning alternative sustainable transport such as cargo bikes and e-bikes. 

The results showed that 48 per cent of women surveyed own a bike, however 42 per cent do not feel confident riding on UK roads. Despite this, 36 per cent still said they are more likely to change their primary modes of transport post Covid and said that well-lit cycle lanes (45 per cent), increased infrastructure (27 per cent) and government grants (21 per cent) would encourage them to cycle more often.

When looking at motivation for picking one mode of transport over another, ease of travel (43 per cent), time taken to travel (42 per cent), cost (42 per cent) and safety (42 per cent) were the main factors. Only 14 per cent said they would consider the impact on the environment when choosing how to travel.

“Whilst Covid has made many of us more introspective about our role in the environment and our lives in general,” Tobias Taupitz, CEO of Laka said. “These will only be adopted in volume when women’s concerns about safety and facilities are properly addressed, as well as perceived barriers in terms of time and cost.”

Sorry for the moan, but don’t throw your f**king gel wrappers in a random hedge in bike races. Lad today did it in Ryedale GP. Asked him why and he genuinely couldn’t see anything wrong with it… Seems common sense isn’t very common nowadays

— Cameron Jeffers (@Cameron_Jeffers) August 22, 2021

Network Rail released this clip of a man riding a bike and woman jogging both ignoring a red light to nip across the tracks ahead of an oncoming train, saving themselves at most ten seconds.

I’ll leave it up to you to decide if this belongs in the ‘idiot who just so happens to be on a bike’ genre…but ‘cyclist’ makes for a far less clunky headline. The CCTV footage is from the end of July in Canterbury and shows the pair jumping across the tracks as soon as one train has passed, narrowly ahead of a second’s arrival moments later.

Southeastern’s Head of Drivers Jim Maxwell slammed their actions as “reckless” and said: “Incidents like this can have a profound effect on our drivers’ mental health and wellbeing, and I fully support our colleagues at Network Rail and the British Transport Police in trying to identify and pursue the culprits.

“Our drivers are critical workers delivering a very important service, and don’t deserve the extra stress that these types of incidents cause.”

Network Rail’s Head of Route Quality Health Safety & Environment added: “It’s really important to remember that when one train passes, another one may be coming the other way. In this case the jogger and cyclist had a red light to warn them, and they still walked out in front of a train.

“This adult pair’s behaviour, apparently putting their desire not to interrupt their exercise to cross the railway safely, nearly cost them their lives and is a clear example of how you put your life at risk as soon as you ignore the red light warning at level crossings.”

Network Rail occasionally highlight particularly bad incidents to try and educate the public. Back in March, the rail provider slammed a group of “senselessly idiotic” mountain bikers who dipped across the tracks while the light was red, eight seconds before a train passed.

Good news for Forest of Dean mountain bikers…Countdown and Launchpad’s £77,000 refurb has now been completed and both  the downhill trails are open again. Our friends over at off-road.cc are almost certainly more qualified for this one, so check out their story for all the details.

Question of the day:

If you were stopped by Police and asked 10 random questions about the Highway Code, do you think you’d get 8 or more right?

— Roads Policing Unit (RPU) – Surrey Police – UK (@SurreyRoadCops) August 22, 2021

 Yesterday, the famous Surrey Roads Policing Unit asked a question along the lines of something I’m sure many of us have at one point or another wondered, especially given the context of the recent uproar at the proposed Highway Code changes. ‘If you were stopped by police and asked ten random questions about the Highway Code, do you think you’d get eight or more right?’

32 per cent said no, 62 per cent backed themselves…six claimed not to know what the Highway Code is. The main story however was one reply which caught the attention of everyone’s favourite traffic cops…

This cyclist needs to learn the highway code. Rule 66 should not be riding two abreast on busy/narrow roads. Shocking behaviour by the cyclist, the van had clearly left enough space and was going to pass wide and slowly. pic.twitter.com/3LsJoSDKHE

— Anon (@Simon47724687) August 22, 2021

 Living up to their online reputation, Surrey Police replied telling the driver to return his licence…

If you think that type of behaviour by the driver is acceptable then you need to return your licence to the DVLA immediately as you’re not of sound mind to drive.
The driver should be charged with assault
A road user owns the lane they are in.
A motorist has no priority. pic.twitter.com/UdA2mkXVfe

— Roads Policing Unit (RPU) – Surrey Police – UK (@SurreyRoadCops) August 22, 2021

It’s the latest act of the Surrey traffic cops sticking up for cyclists on Twitter and challenging trolls. In 2017, they told another motorist to feel free to return his licence, saying he was “too childish to drive” in response to an especially eloquent “F*** the cyclists” tweet.

More recently they slid into the DMs of one angry cyclist-basher to educate them on why you might ride in the middle of the lane.

GOLD for @bethanyshriever ! 🇬🇧

Olympic Champion and UCI BMX World Champion in the same year 🔥#Papendal2021 pic.twitter.com/lTycrHakeD

— UCI BMX Supercross (@UCI_BMX_SX) August 22, 2021

Team GB’s BMX racing Olympic gold medallist Bethany Shriever added a world championship rainbow jersey to her growing honours list. The rider who worked as a teacher to fund her training in the run up to Tokyo beat home favourites Judy Baauw and Laura Smulers in front of a Dutch crowd in Papendal, the Netherlands yesterday afternoon. Defending champ Alise Willoughby crashed out at the opening turn.

“I’ve been riding consistently and I just wanted to go out there and have a good time, like I did in Tokyo,” Shriever told the BBC. “I went in gate eight, I was relaxed and happy. I had an alright start and just managed to dig in and take the win. Another gold medal — I can’t believe it.”

Are these just intended as an art installation, @MiddlebrookRLP? As cycle parking they are practically useless. Far too close together and far too close to the wall. pic.twitter.com/7pXw40jMCc

— Bicycle-Riding Motorist (@MrHappyCyclist) August 23, 2021

Oh dear… 

Could you ride 100 miles out the saddle? Chad Tavernia can, and he’s doing it again to prove it. Chad’s lined up a December date on Zwift to silence the noise once and for all. He was out yesterday on a comparatively short 39.62km spin without his seatpost, but all while still maintaining a 31.1km/h average speed.

In the comments he was asked if no saddle training is part of his regular training programme. Chad replied: “Yea. Obviously riding with no saddle at all is not easy. So therefore I feel it is good training. Forces you to adapt to the situation.”

I’m pretty sure the Cycling world should be talking about Ethan Hayter more than it is. That is all.

— Alex Dowsett (@alexdowsett) August 20, 2021

Ethan Hayter followed up his Olympic silver medal in the Madison with two stages and the GC at the Tour of Norway. It takes his road race wins tally to six for the season. Add to that one youth classification, an overall win and an Olympic silver medal and you’ve got quite the season for most, let alone a prospect who only turned 22 last week. One to keep a close eye on… 

pic.twitter.com/fyGBlhcj5l

— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) August 23, 2021

Congratulations @cameronwurf on a tremendous Ironman performance 🏊🚴🏃

He wins Ironman Copenhagen in a new course record, 7:46:05 ⏱️🔥

📽️ @IRONMANtri pic.twitter.com/4z9DvOZ0gE

— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) August 22, 2021

Obviously unsatisfied by the simplicity of racing your bicycle for a few hours, Ineos Grenadiers pro Cameron Wurf has been racing (and winning) an Ironman Traithlon. That includes: 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles on the bike topped off with a marathon run…Wurf clocked 7:46:05, just shy of a normal 9-5 office shift. 

“I haven’t been in this much pain for a while, but the Danish crowd was amazing, it feels like the world is back to normality after the pandemic,” a shattered Wurf said afterwards.

Pacenti has agreed a five-year deal to supply wheels to Saint Piran. The Devon-based wheel brand joked they’d have to avoid mentioning the cream teas but are happy to be supplying the UCI Continental team from Cornwall with their hoops for the foreseeable. The Tour of Britain is the next big goal on the team’s radar and will give Pacenti the opportunity to see its wheels being raced against the big boys.

The team’s star rider Steve Lampier took the brand’s Picco wheels for a spin at the Tour Series recently and said: “I ran 60psi last night and they felt amazing, really great wheels.”

“Until recently I would have said that we weren’t ready to support a team like Saint Piran. We wouldn’t want to let a team down, as we love cycling and cycle sport too much to allow ourselves to fail,” Luke Humphreys, the brand’s CEO explained in a refreshingly honest manner. 

“Fortunately, Saint Piran use disc brake bikes, a basket in which we put our development eggs three or four years ago. We are delighted to build wheels for riders to race at such a high level. The feedback received from them so far gives credibility to our years of dedication and hard work. 

“We have always worked on the key principles of building wheels that perform and are durable. We build wheels for riders because we are riders as well and we know what a good wheel feels and looks like. To attract a team like Saint Piran is the ultimate validation of the quality and performance of our product.”

Steve Lampier’s not the only one. Our tester Stu loved them too…check out his 9/10 review for the Pacenti Picco 46mm Disc Clincher Wheels here…

What it’s like in this sector sometimes. pic.twitter.com/NGeLusero4

— London Cycling Campaign (@London_Cycling) August 23, 2021