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"Bye bye family cycling": Disappointment as council brags of "exciting new plans"... only to rip out cycle lane segregation; Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert join public roasting of Adam Levine; One of the best sprints you'll ever see + more on the live blog

Dan Alexander is in position, ready to get your weekend started with Friday's live blog...
23 September 2022, 15:31
Annemiek van Vleuten WILL start World Championships road race
Annemiek van Vleuten crash World Championships Wollongong 2022 mixed relay

After the mixed relay crash which put her participation in tomorrow's road race in doubt, the Netherlands cycling federation has confirmed Annemiek van Vleuten will be on the startline after all.

Very nice news from Wollongong: Annemiek van Vleuten will ride the road race at the World Cup on Saturday. In a final test today, the recovery turned out to be sufficient to be able to participate

The hints were all pointing towards the all-conquering star of the sport taking part, with national coach Loes Gunnewijk yesterday saying Van Vleuten had been able to get out the saddle and can "make the best of" the situation.

23 September 2022, 14:16
More bike lane silliness

It's a bike lane kind of day on the live blog. Brace yourselves for this one...

If you don't laugh... and all that.

23 September 2022, 14:07
Why Silca is at the cutting edge of cycle tech
23 September 2022, 12:23
He's off again...
23 September 2022, 12:05
Police search for owners after 44 stolen bicycles recovered
Stolen bike (Hertfordshire Police)

Hertfordshire Police are appealing to theft victims after a cyclist tracked his bike's location to a property where officers then found a further 44 stolen bicycles. A 53-year-old man from Bushey was arrested on suspicion of theft and has been released under investigation, the Islington Gazette reports.

Investigator Kay Leverton said: "We are releasing the images of these bikes that were recovered as we suspect they may also have been stolen and are hoping to reunite them with their rightful owners.

"If you think one of the bikes may belong to you, or if you have any further information you think may assist with our investigation, please get in contact with me via email."

Images of the stolen bicycles...

23 September 2022, 10:43
World Anti-Doping Agency to ban tramadol in-competition from January 2024

As expected: World Anti-Doping Agency set to ban painkiller tramadol 

23 September 2022, 09:25
"Bye bye family cycling": Disappointment as council brags of "exciting new plans"... only to rip out cycle lane segregation

Council: Listen up everyone, we've got some exciting new plans about your high street. We know how important this is for you so we've thought long and hard and can't wait to tell you...(drumroll please)... we're going to rip out the cycle lane segregation to make it a more people-friendly area...

Local cyclists and families:

Newcastle City Council broke the news with a tweet promising "exciting new plans" before, in the press release, adding: "Plans would see improvements made to Gosforth High Street to make it a more people-friendly area, with widened pavements, green infrastructure, seating and cycling parking, as well as measures to prioritise public transport.

"This includes bus lane provision extended on the approaches to Gosforth High Street, with the current bollards removed and replaced with widened pavements for seating and planting to improve the attractiveness of the area.

"The intention to reclaim the space permanently for people who are walking or wheeling will mean this High Street, which currently has some of the narrowest footpaths of any comparable shopping street in the city, would be a nicer place to be."

Here's what the previous lane looked like — although far from perfect, I'm sure some would argue — and how it enabled children and families to access the route by bike...

But hey, cheer up everyone, at least "reclaiming the space permanently for people who are walking or wheeling" will "make it a nicer place to be"...

23 September 2022, 10:03
2023 UCI Road World Championships road race routes revealed — Loch Lomond and Edinburgh to host starts
2023 UCI Road World Championships routes

Edinburgh and Loch Lomond were today unveiled as the official venues and starting locations for the elite and U23 races at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. 

The men's route will take the riders 277km from Edinburgh to Glasgow with 3,167 metres of climbing, while the women's race ascends 1,930 metres during the 157km route from Loch Lomond.

The majority of the races will be around a 14.4km "technical circuit" in the centre of Glasgow, comprising of punchy short climbs and a finish at George Square. 

Full details can be found here...

23 September 2022, 08:24
One of the best sprints you'll ever see

The junior men's road race had a dramatic finish overnight...

Both go to Hagens Berman Axeon for next season, the team responsible for developing João Almeida, Jasper Philipsen, Neilson Powless and Tao Geoghegan Hart. Two new names for the future.

In the U23 race, Kazakhstan's Yevgeniy Fedorov won, with Samuel Watson Great Britain's highest finisher, in 14th. Tomorrow morning the elite riders join the party, beginning with the women's event before the men follow on Sunday morning.

Set your alarms bright and early and get some pre-ride inspiration over your porridge...

23 September 2022, 07:57
Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert join public roasting of Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine's alleged affair

2022, eh... what a weird time. A time when professional cycling teams now take to social media to score meme victories against celebrities. Following on from Lotto-Soudal's Leonardo DiCaprio 'banter'... Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert have joined the celebrity-roasting party, editing this leaked message from Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine to someone other than his wife...

Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Adam Levine

Clarification time (mainly for if you're, quite reasonably, currently sat there wondering who is Adam Levine and what is a Maroon 5?)

1. Adam Levine: lead singer of American 'pop rock' band Maroon 5.

2. Maroon 5: aforementioned American 'pop rock' band. Not worth your time, I promise...

3. Leaked messages: Levine's leaked messages with a TikTok star (god help us, this is peak internet age), named Sumner Stroh, have become a viral meme template sensation this week, with football teams, airlines... and now cycling teams using the 'scandal' for social media points.

4. Levine denies allegations: despite the leaked DMs — which will probably have your head hurting through sheer cringeworthy terribleness — and more women coming forward with similar allegations, Levine says: "I used poor judgement in speaking with anyone other than my wife in ANY kind of flirtatious manner. I did not have an affair; nevertheless, I crossed the line during a regrettable period in my life."

2022 Biniam Girmay @cyclingmedia_agency - Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert January Training Camp - L'Alfàs del Pi, Spain_2022-706

[Image credit: @cyclingmedia_agency]

Anyway, the damage has been done — a Belgian World-Tour cycling team has taken the piss out of him... While Levine was left to wonder 'how will I ever recover from this cycling team roasting?', Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert's admin bathed in the applause...

Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.

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30 comments

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
5 likes
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NOtotheEU replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
4 likes

The increase in size seems to be directly proportional to the increase in ugliness.

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Awavey replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
0 likes

but is the car on the left the same model as the car on the right though ? lets face it when the car on the left was the model of choice for Gordon Gekko, the car on the right was an estate

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Awavey | 1 year ago
1 like

This is probably a more representative one. The 3 series now bigger then the 5 series back in the day. 

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NOtotheEU replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 1 year ago
0 likes

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

This is probably a more representative one. The 3 series now bigger then the 5 series back in the day. 

It's also longer than the original X5 and taller than the 2nd generation 7 series.

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ktache replied to NOtotheEU | 1 year ago
0 likes

I saw a Renault twizy the other day.

That's a small car, for the 21st century anyway.

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brooksby replied to ktache | 1 year ago
0 likes

ktache wrote:

I saw a Renault twizy the other day.

That's a small car, for the 21st century anyway.

I often see one of those on my commute, in black with a yellow batman symbol stencilled on the back.

On electric microcars, have you see a Citroen Amo?

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ktache replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
0 likes

It featured on 5th Gear, maybe Fully Charged.

Small electric cars make sense, and the ones I see are getting HUGE.

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marmotte27 replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
0 likes

That's what extraneous energy does, stuff gets larger, heavier, design principles like making things as light as possible without impairing function get thrown overboard.
People have to carry laptops and phones so they get lighter. Bikes suddenly get a lot heavier when you add 250W more power. And let's not talk about cars where everything unreasonable comes together to negate and undo all and any progresses made on energy consumption.

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chrisonabike replied to marmotte27 | 1 year ago
0 likes

Just this - we carry phones, we are carried in cars!  Over time all technological artifacts embody more energy.  Or rather the requirements of the sum of processes needed to make and use them.  It's the things you don't see - the complexity of the components and the materials used - and the technologies needed to make the tools for those.  Necessary tolerances decrease and material purity increases.

This is why cycles are great - 80% of the technology was in place 100 years ago.  Also why disc brakes ruin a good bike *ducks under parapet*.

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TheBillder replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
3 likes
chrisonatrike wrote:

;Also why disc brakes ruin a good bike *ducks under parapet*.

*pops head up* Come and try mine (cable operated) on a wet day - you're not very far from me and you might be surprised - the braking is decent, I can use wide tyres on the crappy roads we both know, and my rims aren't getting ground away. And on a wet day, you can play tunes!

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chrisonabike replied to TheBillder | 1 year ago
0 likes

Thanks!  I was actually 50:50 on my bikes - rim cantilever and mechanical disc.  However I just pulled the trigger the other day on a replacement hack / commuter which is - mostly - modern: hydraulic discs and belt drive (not to mention Alfine)!  I will certainly be riding that in all weathers so we'll see.

In turn if you ever want to corrupt yourself by turning to the dark side happy to facilitate - that is a fair weather bike for me though!

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ktache replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
1 like

Please keep us informed how you get on with the eccentric bottom bracket.

Horizontal dropouts on my rohloff/chain setup. Always wondered how the eccentric BB would work in "real life"

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chrisonabike replied to ktache | 1 year ago
0 likes

Will do - I'd have preferred the dropout solution if there was one handy (Shand Levret looks the business) but this one appeared and "just get it done" kicked in.

I think Thorn have been doing them on tourers for time - albeit their bikes are very different beasts!

Would love a Rohloff on a tourer - they make even more sense on recumbents IMO for the "dumping gears after a sudden stop" factor.  I always baulked at paying the cost of a bike before you've even bought a bike though.

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
1 like

Rebuilding Shattered Lives
Cyclist who lost leg in lorry collision.
https://mobile.twitter.com/APIL/status/1572534249257078784

Wonder if she will cycle again (they have all sorts of devices in Paralympic cycling for limb loss )

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Flintshire Boy | 1 year ago
0 likes

.

Newcastle City Council is the local government authority for the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne. The council consists of 78 councillors. It is currently controlled by the Labour Party,'

.

A Lay Bah council, a LAYYY Bah council!

.

Shurely shumfink ronk?

.

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Hirsute replied to Flintshire Boy | 1 year ago
5 likes

Flintshire Boy wrote:

Shurely shumfink ronk?

Yes. It is obvious to everyone else but escapes you.

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chrisonabike replied to Flintshire Boy | 1 year ago
2 likes

.

A Koan precis:

.

"Last winter you said the same;

.

Pointless even then."

.

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brooksby | 1 year ago
0 likes

https://metro.co.uk/2022/09/23/liverpool-car-free-day-ends-in-disaster-f...

Quote:

A ‘car-free day’ in Liverpool has been branded a ‘disaster’ and forced to end early amid chaos, congestion and bad weather in the city centre.

The city’s council had closed off large parts of The Strand yesterday in an attempt to encourage people to seek alternative means to travel around the city.

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Sriracha | 1 year ago
0 likes

45 bikes nicked, only one of them the owner has bothered to make it somehow traceable. I guess you can't blame the police for not rushing to locate stolen bikes, when they know it's going to take even longer to locate the owners.

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hawkinspeter replied to Sriracha | 1 year ago
1 like

Sriracha wrote:

45 bikes nicked, only one of them the owner has bothered to make it somehow traceable. I guess you can't blame the police for not rushing to locate stolen bikes, when they know it's going to take even longer to locate the owners.

To be fair, how many of your possessions are traceable? If your house was burgled would you be castigating yourself for not recording the serial numbers of all your devices?

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number9dream | 1 year ago
1 like

As a regular cyclist through Gosforth i would never take the High Street with or without that recent cycle lane. There is a very quiet cycle route alternative on the next parallel street along, literally 30 seconds away, which is clearly marked and with calming measures (and one way only traffic). It's about time they updated the high street as it hasnt really changed since the 70s and these measures are aimed at reducing traffic - the local motoring lobby are up in arms blaming cyclists even though it's not to our benefit either! Local papers are hilarious indecision

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HoarseMann replied to number9dream | 1 year ago
0 likes

Same. But whilst I did everything to avoid cycling on the High Street (basically the old A1), I never once thought the pavements were a bit on the narrow side!

Whilst there are alternatives to skirt around the High Street, that's not much use if your destination is somewhere on the High Street. But this might be better achieved by using some of the back lanes behind the shops as cycle routes and perhaps make a cycle track through the central park, linking with Moor Rd., along with better cycle parking provision.

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Patrick9-32 | 1 year ago
0 likes

On the news on the banning of tramadol: Its been around for a long time and easily available over the counter, it is surprising that if it does offer a competitive advantage it has not been banned before now?

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HoarseMann replied to Patrick9-32 | 1 year ago
2 likes

Patrick9-32 wrote:

On the news on the banning of tramadol: Its been around for a long time and easily available over the counter, it is surprising that if it does offer a competitive advantage it has not been banned before now?

It's not easily available over the counter in the UK, it's a class C controlled drug!

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Patrick9-32 replied to HoarseMann | 1 year ago
1 like

Sorry, you are right, I meant on prescription rather than over the counter. As someone fortunate enough to not yet need regular pharmacutical care those two terms often jumble up in my head. 

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kil0ran replied to Patrick9-32 | 1 year ago
2 likes

It's only performance enhancing in the sense that it stops you from caring how much pain you're in.

Had it prescribed once, high quality gear but horrible to get off of after a week or so. Max strength co-codamol FTW.

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Gkam84 | 1 year ago
1 like

That "best sprint" in the junior race is tinged with dodginess for me after their interaction a few km from the line when they seemingly agreed who would win.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/gkam84/2933308393640901280/

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Awavey | 1 year ago
8 likes

I've always thought if the explanation of the "joke" takes longer than the punchline, it's not a joke, it's not at all because I'm out of touch with it,whatever it is thesedays.

Do a Holly/Phil queue jump meme instead, like they were just filtering  1

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the little onion replied to Awavey | 1 year ago
11 likes

I've rapidly entered the "old man shouts at cloud" stage of my life

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