“I think we have bigger problems than people on bikes”: Petition demanding cyclists have number plates and insurance branded “nonsense”; “Ban TT bikes and run all time trials on road bikes”; Team 7-Eleven is back + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"Ban TT bikes and run all time trials on road bikes": Would it make amateur events more accessible and racing "more interesting"?
Here’s a social media post that’s got people talking…
Now, I guess there are two parts to this: professional racing and amateur events. Here in the UK, Cycling Time Trials (CTT), the governing body of time trialling, was widely praised for introducing a road bike category to all its TTs in a bid to make the discipline more accessible, especially to newcomers.
So perhaps the point is less valid within a British context? Those who want to ride TT bikes, can; those who might be put off doing a TT if it’s just a load of very serious people riding rocket ships that cost extra thousands of pounds (on top of your road bike), are still told ‘come along, do this road bike time trial, we’ve got a category for you’.
> Irish police pull over cyclist riding at “62km/h in a 50 zone” for “reckless cycling”
Cycling Canada recently banned TT bikes in junior events, another move that was widely praised. One person replying to Nik’s post at the top said they fully support that approach (after all riding your bike as a junior should be about having fun and learning, not who has got the best kit), but also made the case for keeping them around for the adult ranks.
“Canada banned TT bikes for junior racers for 2025 purely based on cost reasons,” they began. “I’d support other countries doing the same for juniors. For adults however, I love them. I’ve never owned one because there aren’t any local TTs and they’re expensive but I really want one. I love watching the pros ride them. Cutting-edge design, huge chainrings, disc wheels. It’s like Formula 1 with bicycles.”
The impact on bike tech and, as one person put it, “stunting the evolution of the sport” was another concern with the idea that TT bikes could be banned and all events run on road bikes instead.
Explaining his accessibility point a bit deeper, Nik later added: “A road bike with clip on aero bars will still never compete with a fully aero optimised TT bike and rider. A TT bike will set you back north of €6k, for a bike that you only ride in a very specific circumstance, and that’s not including aero testing etc, which makes it a rich man’s sport. Oh, and quite a lot of people in the sport would like racing to be slowed down a little.”
We’ve touched on the club side of things, but what about the pros? There was plenty of discussion about this exact topic not so long ago, in the aftermath of Egan Bernal’s horrific training crash when he hit a parked bus at high speed while riding a TT bike.
Funnily enough it was actually Bernal himself defending the use of TT bikes, while others, such as Chris Froome (whose dreadful Dauphiné crash was on a TT bike too) led the calls for TT bikes to be banned.
> Time trial bikes now too dangerous for training on public roads, says Tom Pidcock
The four-time Tour de France winner said: “Given the dangers involved with training and racing on time trial bikes, and given the discrepancy in equipment in terms of time trialling, would it not be a lot more uniform to have time trials done on road bikes?
“Without a doubt I think it would make it more of a level playing field, and it would make it a lot more about the skill of the individual riders, as opposed to so much about aerodynamics, time in the wind tunnel, and basically the funding that goes into a project.”
Froomey agrees with you Nik, here’s what some other people had to say on the Threads post…
“I don’t ride a TT bike myself but I wouldn’t ban them, no one wants slower racing.”
“Errr. No. Stupid idea. It stunts the evolution of the sport. There’s a road bike category for a reason.”
“Ban all F1 cars in F1 and run all the races in a Ford Focus instead. Same argument.”
“It would be cool to run them with twists and turns and everything. See riders actually giving it some action in corners.”
“Run it all on cyclocross bikes. More masculine.”
“Could be beneficial to the industry. One less bike to design and create and stock. Wouldn’t hurt the racing either, especially if the course features any climbs.”
It seems like an absolute no-brainer to promote road bike use in grassroots events but, personally, I wouldn’t go as far as Nik and ban TT bikes (except potentially taking the Canadian approach in the junior ranks). After all, TT bikes are part of the sport’s history and there are plenty who still want to use them and the road bike category is there to cater for everyone else. But what about in pro races? Would Grand Tour time trials be more interesting if everyone was on road bikes? Would it improve safety too? Get your thoughts in the comments…
When Falcon Cycles soared high — remembering this legendary British bike brand that once ruled the club ride
Here’s Steve Thomas’s latest piece, featuring an extra wee tribute to Barry Hoban too, well worth a read this morning…
Biggest increase in cycling in London's Square Mile since records began, with people cycling now making up 56 per cent of all traffic during peak commuting hours
New data published today by the City of London Corporation shows that cycling levels in the Square Mile have experienced their biggest increase since records began. The official count for October 2024 saw a record 139,000 people cycling a day across 30 locations, up 50,000 from 89,000 in 2022. The 50 per cent jump is the largest on record, since the data was first collected in 1999.
It all means there are now nearly twice as many cyclists as there are cars on City streets during the day and people cycling now make up 56 per cent of all traffic during peak commuting hours.
City Corporation said it has hit three of its key traffic targets six years ahead of schedule and that since 2017 cycling has increased by 70 per cent. The target had been 50 per cent by 2030, and during the same timeframe, motor traffic has reduced 34 per cent.
"Can you put a new cable in? It's not changing gears.."
Can you put a new cable in? It’s not changing gears.
byu/TrojanGoldfish inJustridingalong
Personal highlight was the comment… “Where was that parked? The promenade deck of the Titanic?”
Team 7‑Eleven is back! Uno‑X Mobility to wear iconic '80s throwback at Liège-Bastogne-Liège
At Liège-Bastogne-Liège this weekend Uno-X Mobility will be rocking a throwback to the iconic 7-Eleven team of the ’80s. For one race only, out goes the usual red and yellow, in comes the green, white, and red.
It’s a celebration of 7-Eleven’s success in the 80s, from American underdogs to Giro and Tour de France stage winners, and Andy Hampsten’s 1988 maglia rosa. As a Scandinavian team, Uno-X announced the throwback kit by making a special note of Dag Otto Lauritzen having claimed Norway’s first Tour stage in 1987, a moment that inspired a generation in the famous green, white and red, a kit they will pay tribute to at Liège.
The link between Uno-X and 7-Eleven is that Uno-X is a service station operator in Norway and Denmark, with 107 of those stations featuring… you guessed it, a 7-Eleven store.
General manager and legend of the sport Thor Hushovd explained how his cycling journey began “watching Dag Otto – also from Grimstad – win Norway’s first Tour de France stage in that jersey”.
“Seeing our riders wear it now is truly something special,” he said.
It’s also a celebration of Eddy Merckx’s 80th birthday, with the team to ride a special edition of the Ridley Noah Fast 3.0, provided by manufacturer Belgian Cycling Factory, which owns the Eddy Merckx bicycle brand.
“This is more than a limited edition bike or jersey — it’s a heartfelt tribute to Eddy Merckx for his 80th birthday and to the legacy he’s built over eight incredible decades,” Frank Symons, the marketing director of Belgian Cycling Factory said. “By bringing the iconic 7-Eleven team back to life at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, together with Uno-X Mobility and our amazing partners, we’re reviving a piece of cycling history in a way that’s never been done before.”
The kit is on sale for 10 days, priced at €145. Be warned, most sizes are already saying ‘few in stock’ so get involved quick if you’re interested. Once the racing’s done, the race-ridden 7-Eleven Noah Fast models will be listed on Ridley’s site, including a signed race jersey, helmet, and bidon, as well as “scuffs, race numbers, and even dirt still”.
What's the cycling equivalent of running a marathon?
Another debate we saw knocking about on social media. Get your suggestions in the comments… it’s a tricky one but my first thought is 100 miles?
Have we reached peak cycling computer? Some of the latest features are failing to catch on, but perhaps there's still more to come
Angus Young sets fastest known time for Yorkshire Dales-traversing ultra cycling route... (yes, you read that right)
Poor Angus Young. He rides 600km across England, winning the Dales Divide and setting the fastest known time for an ultra-cycling event that tackles a crazy near-10,000m of elevation… and the first reaction in the road.cc office was an immediate descent into… AC/DC puns, of course.
Highway to Hell was a tap in (although a bit harsh on the lovely finish village of Arnside). Hopefully the Yorkshire weather didn’t leave him Thunderstruck and there was no High Voltage involved in his choice of ride. Anyway, he arrived Back in Black (ish maybe navy) bib tights around 34 hours later and took the record.
Wheel brand Hunt gave us the shout about Angus’s epic day out and achievement, Young having ridden the British brand’s Proven Carbon XC Dynamo Wheelset during the Dales Divide over the Easter Bank holiday weekend.
As an apology for all the tired puns he’s probably heard 100 times before, go give Angus some kudos on Strava, if that ride doesn’t deserve it then what does?
Cyclists told to slow down in London parks as new cycling code of conduct launched – after 86% of Londoners said 20mph speed limits should apply to bikes
Your thoughts on the marathon equivalent on a bike
So, what is cycling’s equivalent of running a marathon?
thereverent: “For working out the cycling equivalent of running a marathon, maybe a distance the top level do in two hours and a decent rider could do in four? Would probably be an odd distance, just like the marathon.”
Kapelmuur: “I rode my first (and only) century 30 years after running my last marathon. Despite being in my early 70s the bike ride was much easier, I actually covered 115 miles and could have gone further.”
Maybe we need to give Tom Dumoulin a ring for his thoughts? The tricky thing I’m trying to work out is how elevation-dependant a bike ride can be. Maybe I’m wrong, and excluding extreme events like fell running, most marathons (especially the ones on roads in major cities) are relatively flat meaning the distance is the main factor. On the bike, however, 80km with 2,000m of climbing might feel much harder than 160km/100 miles with less than 1,000m. So, it’s hard to put a distance as the sole cycling ‘marathon’ challenge.
"Signs of recovery" for Shimano as component sales jump by 16% at start of 2025 – but Trump tariffs hitting consumer confidence in US, brand says
Thymen Arensman wins stage four of the Tour of the Alps, takes race lead
Thymen Arensman ends a three-year wait for victory with a stunning Stage 4 performance at the Tour of the Alps — and takes the GC lead! 👏 pic.twitter.com/8CRdHGxczq
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) April 24, 2025
Solo victories in the mountain rain… the Giro’s not far away, is it? With one more lumpy day to go Ineos Grenadiers’ Thymen Arensman is the new leader of the Tour of the Alps, the Dutch climber pulling off a quite incredible solo move, leaving only Derek Gee and Michael Storer within three minutes of him on the stage. It’s blown the GC wide open too, Arensman taking an 11-second lead into tomorrow’s final stage, a ding-dong head-to-head with Storer expected.
Excuse me, sir, Bianchi would like a word
Professional footballer jailed for 14 months for killing cyclist in "avoidable" crash after failing to give way at junction
"I think we have bigger problems than people on bikes": Petition demanding cyclists have number plates and insurance branded "nonsense"
A petition has been launched on Change.Org appealing for society to “set a new standard for our streets” by “demanding our local government to implement regulations requiring all cyclists to have number plates and insurance”.
We weren’t going to mention it, to be honest. These sort of petitions pop up all the time. Anyone can start them and they mean very little. Even if the official ones hit 100,000 signatures they are only considered for a debate in Parliament or, at 10,000, some bored government spokesperson has to put out a statement saying that, like last time, and the previous government, there is no intention to follow through with such measures.
After that the petition’s done and nobody hears of it again until the next one pops up. That’s also if it manages to hit 10,000 or 100,000 in the first place, the vast majority of petitions sink without a trace and are never heard of again. So, yeah, we weren’t going to mention this one… until we spotted some Facebook reaction to news website Joe writing about it.
Asking the people of Facebook for their views on cycling, cyclists and cycling policy is usually an easy way to get a quick game of anti-cycling bingo on the go, but these ones left us pleasantly surprised…
“So my five-year-old needs a license and insurance… will never happen.”
“Honestly, I think the Brits have bigger problems than people on bikes.”
“What a pile of crock! Soon you can’t even ride your bike for free? No thanks, not in my name. And I’d love to see a list of all the ‘Brits who demand’ this. It doesn’t exist.”
“In a time when they want people out of their cars, why would they do something to take away any incentive to cycle?”
“Let’s be like North Korea, the only country where cycles have to be registered.”
“Slow news day…let’s go after bikes.”
“Next it will be a walking test and walking insurance because of all the mobile phone zombies not looking where their going.”
“Imagine your four-year-old getting pulled by the pedal police ‘son where is your insurance and I hope that the company is aware of these modifications’ (stabilisers and a bottle in the back wheel so it sounds like a motorbike.”
That was a surprisingly pain-free comments-reading session. If only they were all like that…
Anyway, here’s what the petition’s creator said in their pitch for mandatory number plates and insurance:
I have a personal connection to the issue at hand. The feeling of sudden impact, discomfort, and anger rushing together in an act of callously reckless cycling – this has happened to me not once, not twice, but three times. Three separate incidents of being hit from behind by cyclists. This is not just about personal discomfort, but about the safety and accountability that should be inherent in shared public spaces.
Cyclists use the same roadways as drivers but currently aren’t required to have number plates or insurance. This lack of regulation obstructs the path for accountability when accidents like mine occur. In countries like Australia, specific insurance for cyclists already exists and is gaining a positive response (The Guardian, 2020). If it can happen there, it should happen here too.
Introducing a requirement for all cyclists to have fully visible number plates and insurance doesn’t just benefit pedestrians or drivers, it benefits the cyclists themselves. It solemnises their ownership of the road, gives them an identity, and makes everything smoother, safer, and more accountable.
Let’s set a new standard for our streets. Please sign this petition demanding our local government to implement regulations requiring all cyclists to have number plates and insurance.
The image accompanying the petition is an AI special, I wonder if those words are too?
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Latest Comments
My experiences of Sigma have always been positive both from personal visits to on-line purchases. My local shop's pretty much servicing only nowadays 'cos they can't compete with the web, when they inevitably don't have what I'm looking for Sigma or St. John's St. cycles are both terrific. It's good to see Sigma turning a profit, after all if they're not making money they won't be in business tomorrow...unless they're Rapha of course.
@Steve K I think we've mentioned before using e-moto for these electric motorbikes. Fits with the motocross styling of most of them.
@OnYerBike whatever the niceties, what we really need is a different term for the type of pedal assist e-bike that can be ridden on public roads without a licence or registration, and other bikes with electric motors. The conflation of the two is very damaging to the wider active travel agenda.
Good news about the UCI road champs being held in India. It should raise awareness of cycling and draw more South Asians into the sport. Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan athletes are starting to perform well at world level in several athletics track and field events, so hopefully the same will apply in cycling. Hopefully opportunities to take up and progress in cycling will apply to both males and females.
The ones they've been using in their trials appear to have a mount that goes under the saddle, and the unit then clips into that, so presumably you keep a mount on each bike, and if you have to change bikes you just unclip from one and clip on to the other (at the same time as you're transferring your head unit).
@jackcycles so the fact their quality has declined and other brands have caught up and become more fashionable has nothing to do with it? Must be all the wokeness.
So Fran was pushed by the board!! She didn't jump.
So it could be on the helmet and also record head impacts like they now do in other sports. But you may then be needing helmet change at some point in the race if it stops transmitting.... The Velon transmitter might do most of this but it's only on the primary bike, not the ones on the cars. There's no perfect solution available yet!
But those who experienced it in '22 or '24 are still good?
@OnYerBike there is, unfortunately, plenty of ignorance (and refusal to be corrected) out there
50 thoughts on ““I think we have bigger problems than people on bikes”: Petition demanding cyclists have number plates and insurance branded “nonsense”; “Ban TT bikes and run all time trials on road bikes”; Team 7-Eleven is back + more on the live blog”
What is the point of banning
What is the point of banning time trial bikes? They are an integral part of the sport and have been a significant investment for the majority of current time trialists. A major aspect of the sport is optimising power Vs aero position (for which good core strength is needed).
Most time trials already have road bike categories – my club time trial last night was an approximate 50/50 split between TT and road bikes.
The argument of accessibility is nonsense. Take a look at the cost of some of the better road bikes being used in TTs these days (many are more expensive than the combined cost of a cheaper TT bike and entry level road bike). If TT bikes were banned, it would lead to even more expensive road bikes being used
I used to have a TT bike but
I used to have a TT bike but now do road bike TTs. One of the things that gets underestimated is how big the difference is between a fully optimised TT set up and a bang average one. When I was using my old Planet X Stealth, the best guys at my club could put minutes into me with only marginally more power. It’s not just the bike, it’s the skinsuit, helmet, whether you’ve had the time / knowledge to get the most out of your £800 Aerocoach bars etc.
On road bikes, there simply isn’t that big a difference between OK and great, once you have the basic position sorted. It makes for a much more level playing field.
IMO, club TTs are much more fun when everyone rides road bikes, but I also understand for big events why you’d want the fastest set up.
The TT bike thing is just a
The TT bike thing is just a red herring. Look at most/all club TTs. There will be a real mix of riders on a real mix of bikes. My club even events see sveral of us oldies on cheap and relatively elderly TT bikes and youngsters on road bikes costing 5 or even 10 times as much.My Cervelo P2 cost me 280 quid 5 years ago. It is still faster than my fitness deserves . Our events are usually won by youngsters in their 30’s on road bikes.
If one wants to burn money in
If one wants to burn money in sports, let him/her burn it. Burning money seems super stupid to me, but as long as people have accepted that they don’t mind personal or government debt, I cannot do many things.
Regarding road traffic, TT bikes seem an accident waiting to happen with people tucked in a position where they are forced to see their front hub and running on 23c tires (at least modern bikes have disks). But there are so many other dangerous bikes such as fixed gear with no brakes or seriously underserviced on the road that the primary stakeholder is their own rider, so we cannot really worry about all the people taking a stake if they don’t harm other people.
cyclisto wrote:
I can’t think of any serious TT rider who uses 23mm (assume that’s what you meant) tyres, 25mm is now regarded as the absolute minimum and many pros are riding TTs on 28mm or a 28mm/25mm rear/front split.
In terms of position, when the hands are on the brake hoods the view is pretty much the same as on a road bike and that’s where any responsible rider would be in traffic. Yes you have to rely on them being responsible in the same way that you have to rely on other riders to be paying attention, not looking at phones etc. There’s nothing that makes a sensibly-ridden TT bike any more inherently dangerous than other bikes, it’s down to the rider.
Some people spend money on
Some people spend money on holidays, some on boozing, some on fags, some on PL football tickets, some on rubber bondage outfits…etc
I choose to spend some of my money on cycling. It is for me an enjoyable leisure activitity and source of achievement and pleasure.
Only a fool would look down at their wheel hub, while racing in unpredictable traffic. Most people who make this argument are not time trialists.
I don’t understand the argument about 23mm tyres, but many time trialists these days are moving to 25mm or 28mm at lower pressures because it gives reduced rolling resistance on many types of road.
Yes, correct, money can be
Yes, correct, money can be spend on any hobby. My problem is more philosophical and less cycling whether should we allow individuals and governments to get on debt for that something that gives nothing but pleasure. Beware, a commuter bicycle is a ninja tool that can save money on fuel and on long term from air quality improvement, therefore it is an investment.
I don’t trust skinny tires, only time I had a collision was when a road bike with 23c tires and calipers rear ended me. Still better thought than old style caliper brakes of the pre 90s bikes on steel rims where only hope could help you brake. Glad to hear that they moved to 28c
Regarding riding position, people I see on TT look their front hub too often for a public road.
I know many clubs in my part
I know many clubs in my part of Essex run weekly club TT’s with seperate TT and Road Bike categories, certainly Essex Roads CC do as a friend told me about it.
I’ve done one TT (run by my
I’ve done one TT (run by my club). Did it on my road bike. Most other competitors were on road bikes. I was happy with my performance (i.e. time), even if I came second from last (I at least beat the guy on the penny fathing!)
So as well as Sutton Hoo
So as well as Sutton Hoo having all that armour and stuff, there was a bike in there too?
“Fine example of a 6th
“Fine example of a 6th century Scandinaviden front mech”
“Shitty shifting”, thus the
With
Seamus Heaney’sSean Kelly’s translation of Bianchiwulf?“Shitty shifting”, thus the shop-smith;
“A manky mech – mechanical in waiting!”
Slung it in the skip, and Sora he fitted.
Basil Brown famously cycled
Basil Brown famously cycled the 32miles from his home to the Sutton Hoo dig everyday, just not as quickly as they portrayed in the Netflix drama
I’ve always seen Time Trials
I’ve always seen Time Trials as a test against myself, not anyone else. So if I use the same bike every time and adjust my position and impove my fitness to gain better times thats a bigger reward, for me, than spending thousands on a specific TT frame.
If the road is pan flat then the TT bike riders will always have the advantage. Thankfully, I know plenty of clubs that run hilly TTs that require more bike handling skills and good all round ability than just straight line speed.
I rode my first (and only)
I rode my first (and only) century 30 years after running my last marathon.
Despite being in my early 70s the bike ride was much easier, I actually covered 115 miles and could have gone further.
For working out the cycling
For working out the cycling equivalent of running a marathon, maybe a distance the top level do in 2 hours and a decent rider could do in 4?
Would probably be a odd distance, just like the marathon.
Joe is a liberal news site
Joe is a liberal news site though. I know, I use it
I thought these days, whether
I thought these days, whether you’re running or cycling, a Marathon was now a Snickers?
“The 50 per cent jump is the
“The 50 per cent jump is the largest on record, since the data was first collected in 1999.”
Picky I know, but shouldn’t that be: ‘since the data were first collected in 1999?’ Data being the plural of datum and all that grammar nonsense that wordsmiths set so much store by: and I had beaten into me at school. (A long time ago now, but some l̶e̶s̶s̶o̶n̶s̶ beatings are not so easily forgotten.)
Merriam Webster wrote:
Data leads a life of its own quite independent of datum, of which it was originally the plural. It occurs in two constructions: as a plural noun (like earnings), taking a plural verb and plural modifiers (such as these, many, a few) but not cardinal numbers, and serving as a referent for plural pronouns (such as they, them); and as an abstract mass noun (like information), taking a singular verb and singular modifiers (such as this, much, little), and being referred to by a singular pronoun (it). Both constructions are standard. The plural construction is more common in print, evidently because the house style of several publishers mandates it.— Merriam Webster
Also, while we’re there…
Also, while we’re there…
I like that, and I think
I like that, and I think people should get fewer angry about the use of ‘less’ with countable nouns.
Badoom, tish! Good hit from
Badoom, tish! Good hit from Harlow Moor Road. (Yes, I do know my way around Harrogate.)
Sorry David, I won’t be taking style lessons from a US style-guide anytime soon. Not until I bag a US publisher, anyhoo.
Well, if you prefer,
Well, if you prefer, Cambridge Dictionary agrees with them.
Running vs Cycling – hour
Running vs Cycling – hour record for running is just over 21km (very close to half marathon distance), hour record for cycling is just over 56km. So in theory you’d be looking at roughly a 110km ride being equivalent to a marathon.
I don’t think that’s the whole story though. The training required for a marathon is quite considerable – at least 6 months (couch to 5K folowed by 16 week begineer marathon training plan) building up to around 6 or 7 hours running per week. You don’t need anything like that much training to cycle 110km.
I don’t know how to express
I don’t know how to express this but fatigue and energy depletion occurs sooner in running than cycling. A feature of a bike being such an efficient machine I guess.
I regularly ran 10 miles in 58/59 minutes which would theoretically give me a 2 hour 40 marathon. My best was 3 hours 15.
I’ve never done a marathon,
I’ve never done a marathon, but I did once walk 30 miles in 8 hours. I was more sore from that than the first time I rode 100 miles.
andystow wrote:
Yes, the first time I walked a marathon distance I was in bits, particularly from blisters, and went to bed pretty much as soon as I got home after a brief stop in the local for two pints; the first time I cycled 100 miles I went to a party that night and came home about 1AM! Both when I was considerably younger than today…but nowadays I’m still quite happy with 100 mile cycle rides but it would take a lot for me to walk 26 miles again.
I also stopped for a pint or
I also stopped for a pint or three about two miles from home.
I don’t recall blisters, but I do remember trying to walk down to the basement where my wife was watching TV, and looking like baby Bambi on the frozen pond.
.
.
‘the first time I cycled 100 miles I went to a party that night and came home about 1AM!’
.
LOL – many of us have been there, Rendel!
.
Maybe he was just an early
Maybe he was just an early start / finisher at Ride To the Sun? (Usually featuring a half-way cyclo-rave)?
(Early starter / late finisher when I did it – on my none-too-light recumbent. Went to bed after…)
Quote:
Calling Carlton Reid! Carlton Reid to the lobby!
Seriously – does this person not understand how roads are funded and who actually ‘owns’ most* of them?
*Yes, some roads are privately owned.
For number plates to be
For number plates to be clearly visible to a myopic, eye test refusenik, Daily Telegraph – reading motorist they would have to measure 2m x 2m ( similar width to a SUV) with 300mm high letters.
Not feasible.
There is something appealing
There is something appealing about having a razor sharp edged number plate that sticks out at least 1.5m from the side of the bike.
I would happily have a number
I would happily have a number plate and insurance. In return I am going to sit smack back in the middle of every lane, never pull over to let any traffic pass me. Obviously I will follow all the rules of the road religiously like every other licensed and insured user of our fine roads because if I didn’t I would surely be banned after my 2000th infraction.
They likely do, but what this
They do. The real purpose behind this is to discourage people from cycling, so that drivers can have the roads solely to themselves for driving and the shared use paths for dog walking.
I’ve always felt the Ironman
I’ve always felt the Ironman Triathlon measures are quite a good reflection of the relative distances for equality between running and cycling – the original Ironman did of course originate from an argument as to what was harder, swimming, cycling or running and the distances are supposed to represent an equal effort in each discipline, so a 26.2 marathon is equated to a 112 mile cycle ride. I’ve never run a marathon – not my thing – but I’ve walked the distance several times and done quite a few century cycle rides, I’d say that 26 vs 112 miles feels about right.
I have an acquaintence who
I have an acquaintence who has done London to Brighton, but doesn’t cycle regularly otherwise.
He complains about cyclists a fair bit and says we should be registered etc.
I asked him which is the only country that has mandatory registration (answer, as above, North Korea).
His answer: The Netherlands.
Vehicular cycling chap? Avid
Vehicular cycling chap? Avid cyclist?
He is nearly right – NL had cycle registration … up ’till WW2. Several other countries / regions / cities had at some point (Poland is another example).
And the Swiss had this until 2011 i believe – and are thinking of bringing some kind of tax back (to pay for better infra) – story in road.cc :
https://road.cc/content/news/switzerland-considers-taxing-cyclists-fund-bike-lanes-312049
Google threw this up on the
Google threw this up on the search page https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c15v0j0n2kxo.amp
I for one look forward to the
I for one look forward to the technical innovation that will drive the development of aero number plates for bikes. It can only result in the growth the UK economy so desperately needs.
So if I pay due registration
So if I pay registration, drivers will afford me parity and patience, as I have solemnised my ownership of the road?
Will they fuck.
Up to life in prison for
Up to life in prison for killing a pedestrian while cycling?
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/apr/24/death-by-dangerous-cycling-crime-policing-bill
I’ll assume that motorists who kill cyclists will also be give similar sentences.
Or, will it continue to be a slap of the wrists and continue as you are?
Quote:
How, precisely, are number plates supposed to become “fully visible” when motor vehicle operators are constantly claiming that they are completely unable to even notice the presence of an entire adult human being riding a bicycle that is in the neighborhood of 6 feet long and 3 feet tall?
That is flatly impossible.
Cyclists who kill pedestrians
Cyclists who kill pedestrians could be jailed for life under new law in England and Wales
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/apr/24/death-by-dangerous-cycling-crime-policing-bill
But that’s a harsher sentence than motorists *ever* get!?
(edit) Even when they’ve been demonstrably aiming for their victim, they still don’t ever get life
Completely misleading BS from
Completely misleading BS from the Graun. The offense already exists – all that’s happening is a tweak to the language and sentencing guidelines to align it with Dangerous Driving. The life sentence option will likely be used about as proportionally as it currently is for driving. IE barely ever.
I don’t think “Causing death
I don’t think “Causing death by dangerous cycling” currently exists as a specific offence. “Dangerous cycling” is an offence (s28 of the RTA) but does not require anyone to actually be injured to be committed.
If I were forced to have a
If I were forced to have a number plate on my bike and have insurance (which I do already) to cycle on the road, then I will cycle in the middle of the lane same as any other vehicle. If I am to be treated the same as a car, truck, bus or motorcycle then I will cycle in the same manner as they drive. I have a right to use the whole lane so I will. What will people say when I am holding up the traffic? Im am insured, pay tax and am licensed. So go fuck yourselves!!
These idiots need to be careful what they wish for. because thats whay I would encourage every single cyclist to do.
This idea is completely
This idea is completely unenforceable for the simple reason that, unlike cars and other vehicles no records of bike ownership exist. Nor will there be in the near future as it will cost too much. It’s just pathetic anti-cyclist flatulence. So go out and enjoy your weekend rides and don’t worry about it.
Apparently ownership records
Apparently ownership records are of limited use with motorists anyway because “it’s a rental / fleet vehicle / I’ve no idea who was driving / lots of cloned plates about mate”.