Unimpressed TikToker films penny-farthing rider apparently holding up bus driver…even though the lights are red; “Come on, kids, queue for your bike lane ice cream”; Hour Record reaction; Mountains! Giro queen stage; Sign banter + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Unimpressed TikToker films penny-farthing rider apparently holding up bus driver...even though the lights are red
@1965davemac1965 No wonder buses are always late 😅
“No wonder buses are always late,” one TikTok user joked, uploading this footage, possibly filmed from the middle seat of a van (we’d hope not from the driver’s side)…strangely, there aren’t any TikToks we’ve seen of snarled up urban high streets congested with vehicles carrying the same caption…funny that…
MyLondon shared the clip with a story headlined: ‘London bus gets stuck behind man on a penny-farthing bicycle going very slowly and it’s painful to watch’ and explaining that “the man wobbled from side to side as he battled to control the bike moving at a snail’s pace”.
Did he?
Maybe I’m wrong, but to me, at least, it looks more like the rider is stalling riding up to the red traffic lights so they can roll on through easily when they turn green again?
This possibility got a grand total of one sentence in MyLondon’s reporting, while the rest talks of “the biker wobbled from left to right as he appeared to struggle to manoeuvre the high wheeler on a busy London street.”
What do we reckon?
If we’re talking penny-farthings we’d be remiss not to mention Jeremy Vine’s high-wheeler adventures…
Perhaps most notably, it’s almost two years to the day when he rode up Park Lane on a penny-farthing… and was, naturally, wrongly ‘accused’ of not wearing a helmet...
"Time started to tick down really really slow": Reaction to Ellen van Dijk's stunning Hour Record
Ellen van Dijk, take a bow…
WE DID IT!!! pic.twitter.com/kCD3YcwUIM
— Ellen van Dijk (@ellenvdijk) May 23, 2022
The Trek-Segafredo rider smashed Joss Lowden’s previous record, set at the same Swiss velodrome last September, of 48.405 kilometres, adding an extra 800m to the benchmark which now sits at 49.254 kilometres…
Afterwards, Van Dijk said she had “done exactly what we wanted to do” and suffered through the pain barrier as time seemed to stand still in the closing 15 minutes.
“In the first half-hour, I was around 18.1-18.2 [seconds per lap) and that was well under the pace I knew I needed to ride, so I thought if I don’t slow down too much and don’t go over [18.5] then I should have it. I don’t think I was ever over 5, maybe sometimes, but I couldn’t hear everything,” she said.
“If I felt great I wanted to accelerate in the second part. At 45 minutes I thought ‘Okay, I need to accelerate’ and I thought I was accelerating, but I was actually slowing down. Then the time started to tick down really really slow. I have to say!
“Everything became a little blurry, especially at the end, and I was not so straight anymore. I was just so happy when I heard that it was over. This was all I had for today and I am very happy I broke the record! This whole project has been so amazing for me, the whole build was such a great experience. I couldn’t wish for more support from Trek, it was really, really the best I have ever had.”
Compatriot Annemiek van Vleuten was one of the many pro riders to congratulate Van Dijk on her monumental achievement…
49.254km/hour! HUGE congrats @ellenvdijk new world hour record holder. So much respect! Must have been so hard to keep riding on the black line with the head down in that aero position. Also congrats to whole @TrekSegafredo support team and special shout out to @BenjaminBruijn pic.twitter.com/gQ7ZFxKruj
— Annemiek van Vleuten (@AvVleuten) May 23, 2022
Congrats to our new Hour Record Holder @ellenvdijk !! Big respect, such an impressive ride 💪🏻 @TrekSegafredo pic.twitter.com/8W3DAgpuco
— Pellaud Simon (@PellaudSimon) May 23, 2022
Mountains galore! Giro queen stage
One of them, today. pic.twitter.com/3ksVWJOJTC
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) May 24, 2022
5,000m of climbing…three first-category climbs, one unclassified climb of 5km at 8.7 per cent… Mortirolo (although admittedly not the infernal ascent from Mazzo), an undecided GC battle…today’s going to be a huge day over in Italy…
So…how are the sprinters feeling this morning?
POV: sprinters looking at today’s @giroditalia stage profile 😭😂 @alberto_dainese
#Giro pic.twitter.com/9mM8mljSjQ
— Team DSM (@TeamDSM) May 22, 2022
😬
I’m not saying anything…
> Where’s the pineapple? Mathieu van der Poel offends Italy AGAIN
Sign banter
Another one for the @RantyHighwayman collection of road signage! 😅 pic.twitter.com/pElKEFLvIv
— James Lyon (@jameslyon77) May 23, 2022
"I gave this challenge everything I physically and mentally could": Chris Hall finishes seven Everests challenge on 56,496m
Chris Hall didn’t quite reach 61,936m but 56,496m is more than we could ever do, and, in his own words, “We may not have hit the full elevation for 7 Everests but that’s not really the point. Support really is everything.”
“I gave this challenge everything I physically and mentally could. I’ve persisted and suffered through this week managing 56,496 meters over 92 hours of ride time. Thank you everyone for the messages and support. It really means a huge amount. If you are able, please donate to the incredible work Movember carry out in supporting mental health awareness.”
The challenge wasn’t without setbacks and bizarre twists…
On day two it appeared Chris’ box of supplies — bottles, energy products, food — had been stolen…although it later emerged a well-meaning passer-by had stumbled across the box and taken it to the local foodbank…
“A lady from the foodbank saw the post, got in contact and turned up to bring it all back. Thank you so much to the staff and to everyone who got in contact to offer help,” he wrote on Instagram during the week.
“The fact that there’s some very well-intentioned, kind-hearted person in Snowdonia unintentionally scuppering cyclists’ Everesting attempts at Stwlan Dam is brilliant.”
Even the pros stop for a picture up here
Second time Mont Ventoux, via Malaucène. Should I go for 3?
Deuxième fois Mont Ventoux, via Malaucène cette fois-ci! pic.twitter.com/fyYzlR4NUq— Philippe Gilbert (@PhilippeGilbert) May 23, 2022
"We need less entitlement, less 'them vs us', less victim-blaming, and so much more focus on getting from A-B safely, in an environment where everybody is respected": DCS Andy Cox addresses reaction to Jeremy Vine video
The continued unhealthy nature of replies to this reinforce the need for a substantial road danger mindset change. We need less entitlement, less ‘them vs us’, less victim blaming, and so much more focus on getting from A-B safely, in an environment where everybody is respected. https://t.co/Db55X2BEtF
— Andy Cox (@AndyCoxDCS) May 23, 2022
Over the weekend, Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Cox reminded motorists that they have “a responsibility to protect vulnerable road users”, after footage posted by broadcaster Jeremy Vine showing a lorry close passing a police officer received a backlash from angry drivers.
Today, DCS Cox added to his comments, in the tweet above, summing it up nicely: “The continued unhealthy nature of replies to this reinforce the need for a substantial road danger mindset change. We need less entitlement, less ‘them vs us’, less victim-blaming, and so much more focus on getting from A-B safely, in an environment where everybody is respected.”
So how's the Giro going, Alex?
Explosive start rips Giro d'Italia to shreds
🔥A group of riders with some big names is taking a slight lead ➡️ https://t.co/aT8ArGdZ12
🔥Un gruppo di corridori con nomi importanti stanno prendendo un leggero vantaggio ➡️ https://t.co/fXV9eXe6s2#Giro pic.twitter.com/4KU1pqipPr
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia) May 24, 2022
Some start at the Giro…you’d think the stage was nearly finished, let alone still got 155km to go…
Wout Poels, Wilco Kelderman, Lennard Kämna, Guillaume Martin, Hugh Carthy, Lorenzo Fortunato, Koen Bouwman, Alejandro Valverde, Simon Yates, Giulio Ciccone, Davide Formolo are all in the 22-man group up the road. You know it’s hard when the pace causes Mathieu van der Poel and Thomas De Gendt to sit up…
Cav was also on the move trying to build an advantage ahead of the big climbs. He’s now back in the peloton and facing a long day to make the time cut in Aprica…
£1 million target for Cure Leukaemia as The Tour 21 returns this summer
The Tour 21 is back this summer and will see 19 amateur riders form a team to ride the entire route of the Tour de France one week ahead of the professionals. The goal is to raise £1 million for Cure Leukaemia, the official charity partner of the Tour de France in the UK.
And once again this year NBC Sports will share a five-part documentary series on its YouTube channel, beginning on June 24.
“It’s great to once again have the support of the NBC Sports team as we head towards the final phase of training and fundraising before the event gets underway next month,” commented James McLaughlin, Chief Executive of Cure Leukaemia.
“Capturing the highs, lows and emotions of the ride in this format is a brilliant way of telling the world just what the riders put themselves through in order to reach the finish line in Paris for a great cause.”
Comment of the day
Slightly more concerned that a 57 year old called Dave is a TikToker – that’s a far bigger crime 😆
— Mark (@Mark65589699) May 24, 2022
"Come on, kids, queue for your bike lane ice cream"
Can something be done about these ice cream trucks illegally parking on Westminster Bridge? There has been, and will continue to be, accidents caused by this. @Westminster_LCC @LambethCycling @CityWestminster @Lambeth_council @MetCC pic.twitter.com/lgLsYrBlf2
— Travis and Sigrid (@sigirides) May 21, 2022
We had Travis on the road.cc Podcast back in October to talk about cycling in London with his co-pilot Sigrid the cat…
Travis’ latest video has got some traction on social media and shows Westminster Bridge’s latest attraction — the queue for a 99…
“There have been, and will continue to be, accidents caused by this,” he suggested.
LITERALLY luring kids into a busy street with ice cream. I mean come on.
— Travis and Sigrid (@sigirides) May 21, 2022
The clip also brought the usual ‘no profile picture accounts’ out for a moan…
Don’t pedestrians have priority over cyclists?
I don’t think there are excetpions for pedestrians buying ice cream.
BTW. Great observation on pointing out “it’s a cycle lane”. Perhaps you can try out the same powers of observation on red traffic lights?— Islington Resident (@IslingtonResid3) May 22, 2022
Would we ban cars from the bridge as well with this plan?
— Travis and Sigrid (@sigirides) May 23, 2022
Mortirolo mayhem
The one positive of ascending the Mortirolo’s ‘easy’ side was that the riders just had to descend its fearful steep side…*Jaws theme*…
🦈 SHARK ATTACK 🦈#Giro @AstanaQazTeam pic.twitter.com/hANNPOA0KV
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia) May 24, 2022
Unfortunately, the pressure preceded a crash by Dominico Pozzovivo in the group of GC favourites, although he was quickly up and back on his bike. Ahead, in the breakaway, Hugh Carthy clawed his way back to the front of the race. I say clawed because…well…
Hugh Carthy’s disc brakes 🙉 pic.twitter.com/bRa4B5RIBo
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) May 24, 2022
Others just seemed to be having a blast…
HAMILTON JUST GOT AIR!!
— nyvelocity (@nyvelocity) May 24, 2022
Carthy, Alejandro Valverde, Koen Bouwman, Wout Poels, Lennard Kämna, Jan Hirt and Thymen Arensman are the remaining escapees at the head of proceedings…
TikTok reaction...
Time for some of your thoughts…
In reference to my line: Maybe I’m wrong, but to me, at least, it looks more like the rider is stalling riding up to the red traffic lights so they can roll on through easily when they turn green again?
brooksby commented: “But that’s not how many motorists drive, so they can’t get their head around it. Many motorists seem to be foot-to-the-floor until they have to brake hard, then foot-to-the-floor again. The idea of easing off the accelerator or lightly applying the brakes, for a smoother drive and to avoid coming to a complete stop, seems to pass them by…”
IanMK added: “Weird how the driver filming the ‘slow-moving’ cyclist is travelling at the same speed despite not being held up by him. How does that work?”
Anyone else?
Darth Vader dust caps?? TAKE MY MONEY
While usually the Facebook algorithm doesn’t always do its magic when road.cc ed Jack is leafing through the newsfeed (various types of ridiculous NFT, suede boots, expensive gins) sometimes you have to hand it to Mr Zuckerberg, who has nailed it with a well-placed ad for the marvellous Brick Caps.
Apparently these have been around since Christmas just gone, and come in various flavours such as Lego, The Simpsons, Minecraft and a number of Marvel characters – you can also design your own.
Prices start from £4.49 each for Batman up to £12.99 for a Snowtrooper, and you can get them to fit Schrader or Presta valves – the website is here.
Oh and if you’re worried about any lost watts, Brick Caps are fairly confident it’ll be grand…
Jan Hirt wins Giro d'Italia stage 16 — Carapaz retains GC lead by three seconds
JAN HIRT WINS STAGE 16!!!!!!!!!! #GIRO pic.twitter.com/rXjzjc70P8
— Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert (@IntermarcheWG) May 24, 2022
It was a stage of last man standing: Alejandro Valverde, Hugh Carthy, Thymen Arensman and Lennard Kämna all tried their best to be the breakaway success story, but it was Czech rider Jan Hirt for Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert who was the eventual winner after nearly six hours of mountain action.
Arensman came closest, frustrated to cross the line seven seconds back. In the GC group Jai Hindley outsprinted Richard Carapaz for the four remaining bonus seconds and cuts the Ineos rider’s lead to three seconds…
João Almeida battled admiarbly to limit his losses on the final climb where he was distanced early, but never gave up, holding his loss to 14 seconds. Almeida is third on GC at 44 seconds, while Mikel Landa is fifth at 59 seconds. Vincenzo Nibali lost 40 seconds, yet still rose to fifth overall due to Domenico Pozzovivo, Emanuel Buchmann and Pello Bilbao sliding backwards.
Bala not tired enough to say hello to Wiggo. Class is class. #Giro pic.twitter.com/9vECvC7yS3
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) May 24, 2022
The time cut is a little over an hour. It remains to be seen if Mark Cavendish or Arnaud Démare will make stage 17…
Mark Cavendish MAKES Giro d'Italia time cut
53 minutes and 11 seconds after Jan Hirt crossed the line in Aprica, so did Mark Cavendish…
He’ll have another mountain day tomorrow before the final opportunity for the sprinters at this year’s race in Treviso on Thursday. Arnaud Démare and Fernando Gaviria also made the cut…
Man of the match today? The lad from Lancashire…
🚴🇮🇹 | Carthy is klaar met zo’n maffe meerenner en doet dan dit… mep! 🤡🤡 #Giro
📺 Koers kijk je op discovery+ pic.twitter.com/cegKtaaTGf
— Eurosport Nederland (@Eurosport_NL) May 24, 2022
24 May 2022, 08:07
24 May 2022, 08:07
24 May 2022, 08:07
24 May 2022, 08:07
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Latest Comments
@Rendel Harris I get close-passed by more riders than cars in Richmond Park. Maybe I should ride faster.
@perce I'm normally a big fan of your excellent posts perce but I must take issue with this one. The idea that Lord Khan of Tooting would ever, in any circumstances, have been friends with Nigel is surely beyond the bounds of even your fertile imagination?
Not to downplay the seriousness of bikejacking, but Mr.Taylor might want to consider that fact that many riders have been put off using the park at weekends due to the aggressive, intimidatory behaviour of members of his own club, who are notorious for riding as if the park is a private training facility just for themselves, and that's a pretty sad state of affairs as well.
In Wiggle/CR's absence, what are people using nowadays? I've been out of it for a while, but now returned.
I did a multi-day ride many years ago with someone who was a better cyclist than me by every conceivable measure but this one. I remember watching them up ahead on a quiet road trying to teach themselves - snatching brief seconds with their hands off the bars before losing balance and grabbing on again. 'Watch this' I said to the rest of my group, before I accelerated to catch them, then nonchalantly sailed past them uphill riding no hands. Very satisfying. I've been able to ride most of mine hands-free, but had a Specialized Allez that really didn't cooperate. Haven't been brave enough to try it on a Brompton or cargo bike though. And still can't do a wheelie, or any of the other things on Jo's palmares.
@Hamster now that is an exciting development. I do remove/amend signs but reporting them for flyposting is much more satisfying.
@Slartibartfast If the sign-maker can be caught in the act then the council Environmental Health can get a report for littering/fly-tipping. Hours of endless fun for that person trying to explain away a conviction. Don't report unless you're prepared to go to court though. Or remove the litter and put in the nearest bin with a sticker explaining how littering is a crime.
What would make driving safer for motorists is if they stopped driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and driving faster than the speed limit.
Some good ideas there. One point tho. Whilst I love those Wera Allen keys for steel bolt heads, they can be risky on alloy socket screws. Not ideal, IMO, for Rochshox fork axles as they eat into the alloy and lock into the socket. Play soon results. The hex+ system seems to be based on an inside out adaptation of the Snap On “Flank Drive” spanner or socket - and that’s a great idea, but sadly the design seems to overstress alloy socket head screws. Could it be that the profiled section on the end of the tool doesn’t have enough penetration on a fork axle? Maybe. All I can say is my axles last a lot longer using a regular Allen hex key. (Ideally on a torque wrench I guess). Ooh and ChrisA is right - a “Vernier Caliper” relies an a sliding scale more like a slide tile. Digital is way easier, but battery dependent.
@Rendel Harris - ginger ale can be alcoholic when it's traditionally brewed. Not nearly as strong as mead, though.
21 thoughts on “Unimpressed TikToker films penny-farthing rider apparently holding up bus driver…even though the lights are red; “Come on, kids, queue for your bike lane ice cream”; Hour Record reaction; Mountains! Giro queen stage; Sign banter + more on the live blog”
I thought that was just Jacob
I thought that was just Jacob Rees-Mogg out for a morning constitutional on his velocipede (my mistake – no top hat…).
The oiks on the omnibus ought to be doffing their caps in deference.
The anti-cycling media will
The anti-cycling media will take anything, literally anything, involving a cyclist and put a negative spin on it, including an Ordinary rider not holding up a bus. As for the wobbling side to side and struggling to manoeuvre it, sheer imagination and malice.
They completely ignore that the video appears to have been shot by the driver on a mobile phone; illegal, dangerous and stupid, but not even mentioned.
eburtthebike wrote:
From the very high position and flat windscreen, looks to me like the driver was filming from an HGV.
Quote:
But that’s not how many motorists drive, so they can’t get their head around it. Many motorists seem to be foot-to-the-floor until they have to brake hard, then foot-to-the-floor again. The idea of easing off the accelerator or lightly applying the brakes, for a smoother drive and to avoid coming to a complete stop, seems to pass them by…
Weird how the driver filming
Weird how the driver filming the ‘slow moving’ cyclist is travelling at the same speed despite not being held up by him. How does that work?
IanMK wrote:
That’d be the strobe effect from the camera – it just looks like the driver’s going the same speed
Didn’t want to speed whilst
Didn’t want to speed whilst filming as well.
Should have followed Police
Should have followed Police advice to “cycle like you drive”.
So, fail to look further up the road than the end of the bonnet / your mobile phone, whichever is closer.
Approach stationary queue of traffic at lights at above the posted speed limit. Extra credit for pointlessly overtaking a cyclist whilst doing so.
Apply brakes as late as possible to narrowly avoid collision.
Grumble about cyclists holding you up.
And the cost of fuel…
And the cost of fuel…
I say this a lot, but I feel
I say this a lot, but I feel like my driving is so different now that I more usually cycle everywhere. Anticipating hazards, foot off the gas and rolling while covering the brakes before coming to a stop, actually stopping at junctions, shoulder checks….
I mean, these are all very basic driving skills but seem to have all but disappeared from everyday driving practice for some reason.
I’m guessing you really don’t
I’m guessing you really don’t want to be stopping on the ordinary, looks like a fast one too, with that gearing. Long trackstand would be properly skillfull though.
It’s not quite trials yet or
It’s not quite trials yet or “do a wheelie” but:
Penny Farthing stunts
Regarding the pineapple on a
Regarding the pineapple on a pizza story, my local pub had an Italian evening, with two choices of typical Italian food; ham and pineapple pizza and lasagne and chips. It wasn’t very busy.
Is the ordinary the SUV of
Is the ordinary the SUV of bicycles? (Big tyres, “unnecessary”, “toff associations” etc.)? Not sure if even the new ones have pneumatic tyres though…
chrisonatrike wrote:
Not really, as they’ve got less features.
If you want to compare a bike with an SUV, I’d vote for the extra fat tyred e-bikes although I think they do look cool (as opposed to SUVs).
I vote for the abolition of
I vote for the abolition of me and my kind!
EDIT – I’d forgotten – the previous examples are dangerously underequipped!
https://www.recumbent.news/2010/01/07/computer-recumbent-bike-by-steve-roberts/
chrisonatrike wrote:
They look fun.
Go for fat tyres on them and we may have a winner
As you like it:
As you like it – go Full Fat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEYl_OdaTf4
Not in relation to anything
Not in relation to anything above, but a line in a newspaper report in Ireland today caught my eye , in relation to an incident last night in the south of the country –
” The cyclist, a 19-year-old woman, was removed from the scene by ambulance to Cork University Hospital. Her condition is understood to be critical, gardaí said.
The driver of the car did not require medical treatment. ”
I wish that last line was included in every serious bike vs motor vehicle collision, in perhaps the optimistic hope that people re-reading that line many many times would realise the great disparity in the levels of vulnerability for different road-users.
Jar jar Binks valve caps for
Jar jar Binks valve caps for the irony, but for some reason, some of the most expensive…
I ride a 50″ Penny-Farthing
I ride a 50″ Penny-Farthing (yes even in big cities like London) and we slow-peddle as we approach red lights to avoid delaying trails motorists having to remount from a halt. It’s also more dangerous mounting when traffic is zipping along next to you. And the reason the PF rider is in the center of the lane is because if he were on the margin, the trailing motorist would just race past him, braking at the light causing him to dismount. We also slow-pedal our approaches to right turns to stage the turn in relation to traffic passing in the opposite lane. There is indeed a method to our madness although it’s not apparent to other road users