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Bike hangars are "woke" (apparently) as car parking row rumbles on; Parody Hot Fuzz police force dupes public over cyclist licence and mandatory helmets; Your reaction to Adam Blythe's gold Genesis; If the World Cup was pro cycling + more on the live blog

Dan Alexander is back on the live blog for the rest of the week, trying hard to keep you distracted from work and the World Cup... (it's a tough ask).....
23 November 2022, 10:30
Bike hangars are "woke" (apparently) as car parking row rumbles on

Someone told The Sun about the Brighton bike hangar row...

The Sun bike hangar coverage

It's an 'exclusive' don't you know... I think that must mean a week later than road.cc and local press' coverage, with a couple of new quotes from locals. Sorry, I'll play nicely from now on...

> NIMBY locals "concerned and distressed" by "giant ugly" bike hangar

Anyway, the newspaper spoke to a couple of locals, one of whom called the bike storage hangars a "cynical ploy" by the "woke Green council".

"These hangars are a cynical ploy to raise more cash for council coffers. It is a perfect example of yet another pet project by our woke Green council that doesn’t make sense," Ellie Reid suggested.

Laura King added: "This seems to be another weapon in the Greens' aim to push motorists out of the city. These hangars are too large for the parking spaces, making them unsafe for pedestrians, especially wheelchair users and the visually impaired."

Interesting take there, Laura. If correct then presumably parked cars and larger vehicles would also be unsafe for pedestrians? 

23 November 2022, 16:54
Take a ride in your city's newest door zone cycle lane

Despite the derisive questions of 'is this the before pic?' we're sadly going to have to confirm... it's not...

23 November 2022, 15:58
If Spain vs Costa Rica was cycling...
Spain vs Costa Rica (Procyclingstats)

Well worth the Procyclingstats digging into Movistar's 2019 season...

23 November 2022, 15:13
Parody Hot Fuzz police force dupes public over cyclist licence and mandatory helmets

"How was work?"

"Oh, pretty good actually, I spent the afternoon writing about how someone pretending to be Sandford Police from Hot Fuzz tricked loads of people into thinking cyclists would need licences, registration, mandatory hi-vis clothing and helmets..."

"You need to get a proper job..."

It's all for the greater good you see...

Who said Twitter was dead? 

23 November 2022, 14:41
Are expensive carbon road bike wheels worth the money?

Does more expensive necessarily mean faster? Jamie and Liam real-world tested eight wheelsets to find out whether money can buy speed... 

> Are expensive carbon road bike wheels worth the money?

I've definitely missed the point of the feature if this is my main takeaway, but I'm most impressed by how much work went into the vid! Eight wheelsets set up with discs, tubeless and cassettes + eight efforts each (Jamie's at 300w in November). Fair play lads, we can't say you didn't put the work in...

23 November 2022, 12:29
Inside knowledge and wider issues about bike hangars... your thoughts on that "woke" bike storage

Plenty of discussion in the comments this lunchtime about The Sun's woke bike hangar story...

The Sun bike hangar coverage

Rendel Harris gets us started with some investigative work...

"Laura King's complaint about the hangars being 'too large for parking spaces' presumably refers to the fact that most of the designs have the nearside feet on the kerb to facilitate door opening; I've glanced at the one in our street and it takes about six inches maximum off the pavement.

"Our Laura also made it into the Daily Mail with the same story and complaints (I read it so you don't have to), adding 'They also have no reflective strips on them to make them visible at night making them dangerous for motorists.' If any readers happen to own large shiny metal green cars in Brighton, I suggest you find a private parking space for them because if Laura's driving around at night she won't see them when they are parked."

brooksby questioned the logic of the complaint: "If Brighton has a Green council then doesn't that mean that more people voted for the Greens? So, liked their policies? Isn't that how our democracy (currently) works, so why are people complaining?"

Pub bike: "Bike hangers are a symptom of a failed (and failing) planning system that hasn't ensured buildings have sufficient bike parking since the dawn of time.  Bikes and cycling are not new, and predate the motor car, so this is absentmindedness on a stick from our brain-dead local government.

"Sufficient cycle parking provision should have been and should be a planning condition on every S106, just like bin storage, fire access etc.

"So bike hangers it is then — a sticking plaster."

hawkinspeter: "Woke hangars? I can totally see how storing your bike in a semi-secure location is hitting back at systemic racism." You and me both, you and me both...

23 November 2022, 12:24
Comment of the day...
Live blog comment 23/11/2022

Looks like they've nabbed the drivetrain and finishing kit, but left the rest...

Bike at Bedtime Genesis Adam Blythe Photo_ Adam Blythe_Instagram (1)

> Bike at Bedtime: What do you think of the head tube on Adam Blythe’s gold Genesis? 

23 November 2022, 10:18
Do not adjust your screens, it's real...
23 November 2022, 08:59
From golden toilets to a wet bag of sugar... your reaction to Adam Blythe's gold Genesis (+ that rather strange head tube)

Apparently this is what listening to too much Spandau Ballet leads to... a gold leaf-finished frame and what can only be described as an unusual head tube...

Tech editor Mat has taken a proper look at the bike, so I'd recommend starting with his expertise, and then rejoining me for the part where we all laugh about what mean people are saying about it on the internet...

> Bike at Bedtime: What do you think of the head tube on Adam Blythe’s gold Genesis?

Anyway, if you've already seen enough of that head tube for one lifetime, join the party...

Freddy56 compared the head tube to a "wet bag of sugar", while the Twitter talk was even less kind...

IanMSpencer was more concerned about the saddle than anything else, "That seat looks a tad too aero to be comfy to me"...

Not everyone's upset though. bobrayner enjoyed the "slightly marbled" texture and wondered if you "could you achieve the same in your shed with a tin of Hammerite?"

Anyway, I guess all that matters is Adam is happy, which he is...

23 November 2022, 09:27
Explaining the world cup in cycling terms...

I get it... not everyone wants to watch one, let alone four football matches a day. And while many of you will probably have zero care for how the football World Cup is unfolding, here are the cycling comparisons that might just help you relate to the action...

Oh, and poor Australia...

And for more round ball content...

Footballers who cycle

> Footballers who cycle XI — the World Cup stars who love life on two wheels

Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.

Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.

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72 comments

Avatar
brooksby | 1 year ago
2 likes

"Ignore false claims and bad journalism – most LTNs do reduce traffic" - Andrew Gilligan

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2022/nov/24/ignore-fal...

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levestane | 1 year ago
3 likes

Drivers - fuming; very good!

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
3 likes

Another woke hangar, time for cargo bikes and it has a bollard.
https://mobile.twitter.com/HarryHamishGray/status/1595406034071330818

Don't get me started on a disabled astronaut - how woke is that ?

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NPlus1Bikelights | 1 year ago
0 likes

Wow a video from CycleGaz where a justified shout of idiota is absent. Rare stuff.

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brooksby | 1 year ago
5 likes

https://metro.co.uk/2022/11/23/dad-spared-road-ban-after-saying-he-drank...

Quote:

A businessman found drunk at the wheel of his Tesla has been spared a driving ban after insisting he was only swigging whisky in the car to avoid bumping into his estranged wife at home.

Simon Hayes, 50, blew nearly three times the limit when police turned up to a car park around a mile from his £500,000 property in Wilmslow, Cheshire, after reports he was asleep in the driver’s seat.

He pleaded guilty to being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle at Crewe Magistrates’ Court, where JPs decided to impose 10 penalty points instead of a disqualification.

Avatar
Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
12 likes

Laura King's complaint about the hangars being "too large for parking spaces" presumably refers to the fact that most of the designs have the nearside feet on the kerb to facilitate door opening; I've glanced at the one in our street and it takes about six inches maximum off the pavement.

Our Laura also made it into the Daily Mail with the same story and complaints (I read it so you don't have to), adding "'They also have no reflective strips on them to make them visible at night making them dangerous for motorists." If any readers happen to own large shiny metal green cars in Brighton, I suggest you find a private parking space for them because if Laura's driving around at night she won't see them when they are parked.

Avatar
IanMK replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
2 likes

Rendel Harris wrote:

Laura King's complaint about the hangars being "too large for parking spaces" presumably refers to the fact that most of the designs have the nearside feet on the kerb to facilitate door opening; I've glanced at the one in our street and it takes about six inches maximum off the pavement.

I hadn't thoought of that. If that's the case then possibly a bit of a design error. If they weren't stood on the pavement would they stick out?  I'm pretty sure if Laura addressed what might be a genuine concern in some areas to Council they might be able to find a welder to raise the height so it didn't have to sit on the kerb. I do not believe that any scheme like this can't be improved upon and constructive criticism from the public should be welcomed.

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Rendel Harris replied to IanMK | 1 year ago
11 likes

As I said, it's literally less than the width of the kerbstone that's taken up, no serious person could claim that it's going to cause the slightest obstruction or safety hazard and so I don't think it really comes under the heading of constructive criticism.

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IanMK replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
7 likes

Er No, absolutely no issue. I don't think that's even 2 inches. In your case it's obvious that the door mirror of the van overhangs the pavement by more than that.

I wasn't suggesting that Laura was giving constructive criticism only that if anyone did have a useful observation to make that might improve the scheme then that should be welcome.

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The Accountant replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
0 likes

So if that's the case, why do you get a parking ticket for doing that in London?

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Rendel Harris replied to The Accountant | 1 year ago
10 likes

Rakia wrote:

So if that's the case, why do you get a parking ticket for doing that in London?

Because as is well-known, if you give motorists an inch they will take a yard (why should I be fined when I was only going 2 miles an hour over the speed limit? etc). Clearly it's easier to have a complete pavement parking ban than it would be to waste taxpayer money on compensation for errors caused by poor cycling judgement arguing the exact distance somebody has parked over the kerb.

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chrisonabike replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
3 likes

You missed your cue - it's a simple "Can't park there, mate".

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ShutTheFrontDawes replied to The Accountant | 1 year ago
8 likes

Because it's illegal to park a motor vehicle on the pavement in London (as per Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1974, section 15).

You are displaying your usual deference for UK law, Rakia.

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a1white replied to The Accountant | 1 year ago
3 likes

Rakia wrote:

So if that's the case, why do you get a parking ticket for doing that in London?

You really are very unlikely to get a ticket for half of your tyre being on the kerb. Half of the cars are I see parked in London are too wide for the marked spaces now anyway - I've never seen these ticketed.

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IanMSpencer replied to a1white | 1 year ago
0 likes

Anything to do with Council enforcement can be fought on the obligation of their enforcement being reasonable including the de minimis principle - so overhanging a double yellow by less than a foot can normally be appealed, and being slightly over the pavement may also be deemed to be trivial - doesn't stop them issuing tickets and trying for the money, but it could be argued against. It's different to a speeding offence where if you tried to argue you were doing only 31 in a 30 so it wasn't really speeding would be an admission of the absolute offence.

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brooksby | 1 year ago
8 likes

If Brighton has a Green council then doesn't that mean that more people voted for the Greens?  So, liked their policies?  Isn't that how our democracy (currently) works, so why are people complaining?

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hawkinspeter replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
8 likes

brooksby wrote:

If Brighton has a Green council then doesn't that mean that more people voted for the Greens?  So, liked their policies?  Isn't that how our democracy (currently) works, so why are people complaining?

It's not the people complaining, but a couple of journalists hacks stirring up the carbrains.

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ShutTheFrontDawes replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
3 likes

It's spelled C-U-N-T-S.

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Awavey | 1 year ago
12 likes

Whilst everyone laments the Blythe bike appearance, is it not actually a genius move in that no one would dare want to steal it, to ever be seen riding it.

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Rendel Harris replied to Awavey | 1 year ago
4 likes

Awavey wrote:

Whilst everyone laments the Blythe bike appearance, is it not actually a genius move in that no one would dare want to steal it, to ever be seen riding it.

Also if he ever fancies taking up racing again his competitors would be so doubled up with laughter he'd be able to steal a march on the field.

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Pub bike | 1 year ago
6 likes

Bike hangers are a symptom of a failed (and failing) planning system that hasn't ensured buildings have sufficient bike parking since the dawn of time.  Bikes and cycling are not new, and predate the motor car, so this is absentmindedness on a stick from our brain-dead local government.

Suffficient cycle parking provision should have been and should be a planning condition on every S106, just like bin storage, fire access etc.

So bike hangers it is then - a sticking plaster.

Avatar
eburtthebike | 1 year ago
13 likes

Bike hangars are "woke" (apparently) as car parking row rumbles on

Couple of things intrigue me about this story, the first being the completely incorrect use of "woke" as an insult, and the second is the very generic sounding names of the two people quoted.

The real definition of woke is that you are alert to others' problems and empathise with them; quite how that got to be an insult, I have absolutely no idea.  What I do know is that the people using it as an insult have no idea what it means, and I've asked several.

A long time ago, I complained about the local rag printing opinion as fact, and the PCC or whatever is was then agreed with me.  The editor got around this by using quotes from people, which could be factual if those people actually said them.  They were suspiciously common names though, but there is no way of proving that the reporter made them up.  Ellie Reid and Laura King from Brighton?  Hmmmm.  Added to the fact that no rational person would say what they are supposed to have said leads me to suspect that they might be fictitious.

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hawkinspeter replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
7 likes

eburtthebike wrote:

The real definition of woke is that you are alert to others' problems and empathise with them; quite how that got to be an insult, I have absolutely no idea.  What I do know is that the people using it as an insult have no idea what it means, and I've asked several.

According to Wikipedia, 'woke' means "alert to racial prejudice and discrimination", but also includes other forms of social inequalities (e.g. sexism). Its use goes way back and Lead Belly used it in his 1938 song Scottsboro Boys.

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Bmblbzzz replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
0 likes

Long time since I was listening to Lead Belly. 

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Bmblbzzz replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
0 likes

Okay, just listened to it. 

https://youtu.be/VrXfkPViFIE

"I advise everybody be a little careful when they go along through that, stay woke, keep their eyes open."

It's right at the end of that recording. I can't agree he's using it in the modern sense, he's telling people to stay alert – awake, even – to danger they themselves might face. 

But if anybody can find a Lead Belly song about bike hangars or even tofu... 

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hawkinspeter replied to Bmblbzzz | 1 year ago
1 like

Bmblbzzz wrote:

Okay, just listened to it. 

https://youtu.be/VrXfkPViFIE

"I advise everybody be a little careful when they go along through that, stay woke, keep their eyes open."

It's right at the end of that recording. I can't agree he's using it in the modern sense, he's telling people to stay alert – awake, even – to danger they themselves might face. 

But if anybody can find a Lead Belly song about bike hangars or even tofu... 

I don't know, it sounds like 'stay woke' is being used to be aware of the racism and lack of justice around there. considering the subject matter of the song.

Quote:

The Scottsboro Boys were nine African American teenagers, ages 13 to 20, falsely accused in Alabama of raping two white women on a train in 1931. The landmark set of legal cases from this incident dealt with racism and the right to a fair trial. The cases included a lynch mob before the suspects had been indicted, all-white juries, rushed trials, and disruptive mobs. It is commonly cited as an example of a miscarriage of justice in the United States legal system.

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brooksby replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
8 likes

The Sun?  Lying?  Say it ain't so... 

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IanMK replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
7 likes

There's certainly a lot to unpick.

I'm not sure why Ellie feels the ploy to be cynical and certainly I think a scheme that raises more money for the council whilst hopefully addressing polution and climate change does, in fact, makes total sense. 

Meanwhile I have bunch of questions for Laura. Is she suggesting that the council would like motorists to moving out of Brighton perhaps to properties that have a drive, for example? What constitutes too large for a parking space? I would have thought that was predicated by the size of the parking space. Also we really need to know how these are unsafe for people using a pavement?

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The Accountant replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
0 likes

eburtthebike wrote:

The real definition of woke is that you are alert to others' problems and empathise with them; quite how that got to be an insult, I have absolutely no idea.  What I do know is that the people using it as an insult have no idea what it means, and I've asked several.

Er no, that's the fake definition of woke. The real definition of "woke" is the following:

"A term used for white middle class people who superficially show an interest in social justice in order to capture the moral high ground (and the business and social opportunities that arise from it), while continuing to remain ignorant of any real social issues or the irrationality of their view points.

Extra points are awarded for any of the following:

  • writing he/him or she/her on email signatures and LinkedIn profiles.
  • pretending that you're an anti-racist
  • pretending that you're autistic
  • wallowing in self-pity
  • believing in equality of outcome rather than opportunity
  • being offended at virtually anything on behalf of a "marginalised group".

In this case, using "woke" to describe the bike eyesores is perfectly apt: you're pretending to be doing something for the good of society (capturing the moral high ground) while really doing it out of spite to deny the hard working local population somewhere to park their cars, because they are too poor to afford a nice middle class driveway and garage.

So now you have the real definition of "woke", make sure you use the term properly.

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