Ye Olde Watte Byke? Antique 19th century stationary bike appears on Facebook Marketplace for £480; “Sometimes I wonder how we achieve these levels of stupidity”: Baffling Facebook photo of Trek bike built ‘upside down’ + more on the live blog

I present to you for your entertainment and fascination… the upsidedownhill mountain bike, a new frontier for cycling…

Deary me. Once your brain works it out it’s obvious there was simply just “a fork in the decision-making process”, as one bemused commented suggested on Facebook where this image has been doing the rounds on various cycling pages. No, we’ll stop you there before you say anything about it being a Tour Down Under edition, or the work of a certain retailer, the comments over on Facebook have already done it. Very extensively.

There’s part of us that really hopes this was just some mischievous mechanic at a loose end looking to mess with the sort of people, like us, who sit and see these things on the internet. That must be the optimistic side of my brain, really hoping beyond belief that this wasn’t actually the result of anything other than a joke, or asking an AI image generator to mess with cyclists.

We’re not volunteering, but we’d love (for research purposes) to see how/if it rides, maybe perched precariously near the front of the downtube and pedalling somewhere behind your back. Okay, maybe best we don’t try that one. Of the non-Australia-related or *insert retailer here* gags in the comments, here’s a few people trying to work it all out.

“Well, that’s fork’d.”

“I had a little trouble with the instructions, they only came in a language I couldn’t read…”

“Something is wrong… can’t put my finger on it.”

“Forget ‘don’t drink and drive’… don’t drink and assemble.”

“That ain’t no bike, that’s an ekib.”

“That’s a plum cutter model.”

Now the silliness is out the way, any volunteers to try this at home and see what happens? Maybe we should send Jamie to the track to give all the YouTube subs a laugh?

Another day, yet more sprint controversy and the UCI’s yellow card system again facing questions in Australia. On Wednesday, we saw Danny van Poppel handed a yellow card for his dangerous sprinting in setting up teammate Sam Welsford’s victory. As per the rules, made permanent for 2025, if Van Poppel receives another yellow card during the Tour Down Under, he’ll be disqualified from the race and receive a seven-day suspension. Meanwhile, three yellow cards over a 30-day period will lead to a two-week ban, and six over the course of a season will result in a month-long suspension.

It was to that context that today’s sprint unfolded, Bryan Coquard taking the win for Cofidis.

🇫🇷 He got his maiden WT win last year here in Australia, @bryancoquard (COF) goes for the back to back with a very close win today ahead of 🇩🇪 @PhilBauhaus

📺 Stream the race now on 7plus:https://t.co/k2Exq3FDwl

Hahn | @santosltd#TourDownUnder #CouchPeloton pic.twitter.com/lF4K3UEEXQ

— Santos Tour Down Under 🚴🚴‍♀️ (@tourdownunder) January 24, 2025

Laurence Pithie finished fourth but was relegated to 72nd for his sprint (seen in the clip above when he almost pushes Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Henri Uhlig into the barriers. Pithie did not, however, get a yellow card, only a hefty 500 Swiss franc (£446) fine and some points deductions, along with the relegation. Should the Frenchman have received a yellow card? Is the UCI being consistent? We’ll have more on this as the reaction rolls in.

Elsewhere in the drama of the sprint, Jhonatan Narváez was left frustrated in third place after feeling he was blocked off by an incident separate to the one that saw Laurence Pithie relegated. The Ecuadorian picked up four bonus seconds for his efforts but was, in the words of his team, “inadvertently blocked off” as stage winner Bryan Coquard and second-place Phil Bauhaus jostled for position and the shortest line.

The team has graciously admitted “the move was legal”, just frustrating for their rider who believed he had the momentum to win the sprint. Narváez had raised his arm in protest after the finish, but team sports director Fabio Baldato accepted the result soon after.

“With the finish turning to the right, it is normal that the rider in front tried to take the shorter line,” he said. “I have spoken to the jury and the president two or three times, and I trust them in the end. They are expert guys who I know well and it is not the case that we look to fight this decision.”

Bryan Coquard emerged late into Stage 5 to take his first win of 2025 at the Tour Down Under 👏 pic.twitter.com/3GRShzcLUn

— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 24, 2025

Narváez too was ultimately content with his day’s work, the four bonus seconds taking him to four seconds behind current race leader and stage four hero Javier Romo.

> “Mickey Mouse” wiggly cycle lane branded “Balamory from hell” set to be removed next month – to be replaced by loading bays, car parking, and vehicle access

The Evening Standard has published some big London cycle scheme news this morning, the newspaper reporting that Human Forest, one of the main players in the bike hire game, is to roll out bikes with child’s seats, and others with a second seat for a passenger.

Earlier this week the shared bike operator reported it had secured £13m in new funding, investment that will boost the brand’s fleet and support technology for “sustainable and responsible growth.

“Backed by this new financing, Forest will contribute significantly to widening access to shared schemes and reducing car dependency by launching ForestCargo, ForestDuo and ForestKid. With these new vehicle types, the company is aiming to achieve gender parity among its riders by 2027,” a press release stated, noting a move into the cargo bike sector too.

Nine News was at SA District Court for the guilty plea arraignment of Rohan Dennis, in relation to his charge of one aggravated count of creating likelihood of harm in relation to the death of Melissa Hoskins.

In December, Dennis appeared in court to answer charges of dangerous driving causing death and an aggravated charge of driving without due care, charges which were dropped and replaced with the new one.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail and a five-year loss of driver’s licence, judge Ian Press today adjourning proceedings until April 14, when sentencing submissions and victim impact statements will be heard.

York Cycling Campaign has set up a partnership to tackle bike theft in the city, bringing together North Yorkshire Police, British Transport Police, the city’s council and local bike shops.

Leah Bennett from the campaign told The Press: “We aim to develop a plan that can be implemented quickly within existing budgets, helping to deter thefts through a combination of raising awareness of how to keep your bike safe, improved detection and better prevention.

“We have already had the backing of Jo Coles — York and North Yorkshire deputy mayor for policing, fire and crime, and we plan to work with her and local authorities as well as police, local business and community organisations.”

The campaign has already run ‘pop-up supervised cycle parking’ events in York city centre, notably around the Christmas Market, with members keeping lookout at designated bike parking spots. Further events are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the Minister Refectory between 10am and 5pm, the campaign hoping it will deter theft and give cyclist confidence to leave their bikes.

The news comes at the end of a week when the British Transport Police admitted that bike thefts are “unlikely to ever be solved”, those comments coming after a spoof sign at one West Sussex station renamed the bike parking facility a “Bicycle Redistribution Point”.

> Controversial cycle lane ‘opposed’ by David Attenborough to go ahead after extremely narrow vote – as council says trees at centre of heated row are only being felled as “last resort”

Valtteri Bottas’s budgie smugglers were worn on the warm-up event for RADL GRVL (which is of course legally obliged to be spelt that way due to it being a gravel race). When it came to the real thing we have it on good authority (his Strava pics) that the kit was all back on and the smugglers back in the draw at home. Another famous face on the start line was Lachlan Morton, whose decision to end his ride on 99.83km wound up a few of his Strava followers.

“Mate, 200 more metres”

“Didn’t feel the need to round up?”

Sorry chaps, don’t think he cares about ticking off 100km rides any more… clocking 500km days in a record-breaking trip around Australia will do that for you.

> 450km a day, sweltering heat and headwinds, and dodging kangaroos and truck drivers: Lachlan Morton completes epic 14,210km lap of Australia by bike in 30 days and 10 hours – over a week faster than previous record

> Campagnolo debuts “unprecedented double-height profile” on updated Shamal wheels, now complete with on-trend wavy profile

Cycling in London couldn’t wait to get back to this comment about nobody cycling when it’s cold and raining, the scenes the following morning?

Here we go, Marcus!

Decent turnout of morning cycle commuters I’d say? https://t.co/tnkZ9D6pyt pic.twitter.com/RYgYqq5NVL

— Cycling in London (@Cycling_In_LDN) January 22, 2025

On a similar note, over on Bluesky, Utrecht-based cyclist De Filmende Fietser shared a video of business as usual on the cycling front over there. We’d share the video but Bluesky doesn’t seem to want to play ball, so here’s the link and some pics instead.

“The past few weeks have been cold and dark with limited visibility due to persistent fog, but that doesn’t stop Dutch people from cycling,” they explain. “The key? Good, safe and attractive infrastructure which prioritises cycling over driving.”

The reaction to British Cycling’s selection for cyclocross worlds next week is rumbling on.

> “It can’t just be about medals”: British Cycling under fire for “disgraceful, sexist” failure to send elite women’s squad – including national champion Xan Crees – to cyclocross world champs, but governing body says omitted riders failed to meet criteria

road.cc contributor Matt Page added to the discussion in the comments yesterday: “This isn’t just about the rider’s sex; it is a problem across the board with British Cycling and specifically in off-road disciplines.

“British champions should have an automatic right to represent their country. Perhaps some criteria can be put in place regarding funding, but if a rider can self-fund the trip, they should be able to race. For the road World Champs you can guarantee that a full roster of riders will be sent, when the chances of winning a medal are usually slim.

“It doesn’t send a good message to the younger riders who are training and racing hard to know they probably won’t go to a World Championship even if they are the best in the country.”

> road.cc Recommends 2024/2025 awards round-up — all the very best bikes and cycling equipment we reviewed last year

You can keep your Zwift, smart trainers and the rest of it. Facebook Marketplace has delivered the goods and for $600 you can bin all that new 21st century tech and train like a Victorian instead.

The listing from near Pasadena in California, amusingly states it’s in “used – good” condition. It apparently dates to the late 19th century (1890s) and is a heavy-duty cast iron bike that “moves well and functions as should be”. “A great addition to any antique exercise equipment collection, gym, or unique oddity for your home,” the listing perhaps somewhat optimistically concludes.

“Made by the Narrangansett company of Providence Rhode Island, the seat and handlebars are adjustable for the size of the rider. The leather strap has come off and would need replacing to cause resistance. One of the original pedals is also missing. Bike measures 26″ wide by 36″ deep by 41″ tall.”

It could be yours for $600 (and whatever it costs to get it to where you live from California). Tempted?