Kensington High Street cycle lane blocked by vans (again); Harder than the Angliru? Dan Martin finds 34% Andorran climb; Cabs not as covid-safe as cycling shocker; Jesus-approved folder with SRAM eTap and Stages power meter + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Royal Parks Police apologise for driving in cycle lane
What hope is there? This @MPSRoyal_Parks van uses the mandatory cycle lane to avoid the motor queue. Demonstrating to other drivers that solid lines no longer mean what you thought they meant.
We are grateful for the morning ticketing of parked cars but this is very poor. pic.twitter.com/mZA6ophGuh
— Michael (@baoigheallain) November 24, 2020
The phrase ‘do as we say, not as we do’ comes to mind with this one. Cyclists in Regent’s Park found their progress halted by a van using the cycle lane. Worse still a Royal Parks Police van. Michael, who shared the picture on Twitter, wrote: “What hope is there? This Royal Parks Police van uses the mandatory cycle lane to avoid the motor queue. Demonstrating to other drivers that solid lines no longer mean what you thought they meant. We are grateful for the morning ticketing of parked cars but this is very poor.”
The Royal Parks Police Twitter account responded: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This will be looked into by a supervising officer. We are all accountable for our driving.”
In October the same police force were criticised for ‘targeting’ cyclists in Regent’s Park.
That first bike ride feeling
That first bike ride feeling 😍🤩
Hope this brightens your Tuesday like it did ours!
Thanks for sharing Matt and Jett, see the full video ⬇️https://t.co/NTxnuxWfsn pic.twitter.com/88g5L5XP0w
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) November 24, 2020
The most ridiculous bike you've ever seen?
On the fifth day God created… a super strange yet alluring custom Bike Friday folder with SRAM eTap, a 55-tooth chainring and Stages power meter. We can’t decide if this is genius or a crime against cycling. In the words of the creator it is: “Actually my most ridden bike. I also have a Giant Propel, Kona Jake, and TT bike at home, but they aren’t as fun.”
Posted on a Reddit thread under the name e_pilot, the bike packs away into a 33″ suitcase and has even collected a few KOMs. Its owner and creator Tom, a pilot from California, explained the work that’s been done on the bike: “It’s been a slow moving process over the summer.
“It was a real fixer upper when I got it, it had beat up paint, some surface rust, and an absolutely ancient 8-speed 105 group. Near as I can tell judging from the group it had when I got it, the frame is about 30 years old.
“I originally rebuilt it with a 1x r7000/GRX mishmash group which was pretty good, but i ended up riding it so much while I travel for work I wanted to make it better, I just put the full 2x eTap group on it this month. It’ll have the carbon Red crank soon I’m still waiting for it to be delivered.
“I’ve dumped 1500w sprint efforts into it (yes it has a Stages power meter) and it handles it with ease. The small wheels actually accelerate really fast. It has a 55/42 chainring and 9-32 cassette, that gives it about the same range as a 50/34 and 11-34 on a normal sized bike. I’m looking forward to things getting back to normal post COVID so I can show up to some random crits and group rides around the country with it.”
Bike Friday make some of the fanciest folders and collapsible bikes out there, all hand made in the USA since 1992 – check out the range here.
Councils urged not to forget rural communities
Cycling UK has urged councils not to forget about rural communities when planning new cycling infrastructure. Their online tool, ‘Missing Links’, allows the public to identify missing links such as footpaths suitable for cycling, disused railway lines or other routes that could be made accessible to cyclists to help make active travel safer travel in rural areas.
Cycling UK’s off-road campaigns officer, Sophie Gordon, said: “The surge in cycling has largely focussed on towns and cities, with rural opportunities frequently being overlooked. Many rural traffic-free routes don’t join up, requiring riding on stretches of busy road. Having to cycle with fast moving traffic can be intimidating, especially for those who are less confident or new to cycling.
“But there is so much we could do to change this. From upgrading existing rights of way, rejuvenating disused railway lines or introducing traffic calming on some rural lanes, it is possible to create networks of traffic-free trails which everyone can enjoy and use.”
Pro peloton pleased to see Fabio Jakobsen back on the bike
🙌🏻 put your hands up if you’re happy to see @FabioJakobsen back on the bike💪🏻🤩 https://t.co/2f7zwvYios
— Elia Viviani (@eliaviviani) November 24, 2020
This is so far the best news of the month! So happy to see this guy back on the bike! https://t.co/sbzut6w8My
— Matteo Trentin (@MATTEOTRENTIN) November 24, 2020
Taking a cab not as covid-safe as cycling shocker
A London black cab advert exaggerated how effective the vehicles were in reducing the spread of Covid-19, a watchdog has found. According to the BBC, the radio advert misled listeners saying: “Sat on the back seat, they’re over two metres from me. And with contactless payments, it’s even safer. I’m a black cab customer and I’m confident I’m safe.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled the message was “misleading” and “exaggerated the extent to which features of a London black cab would reduce the spread of Covid-19.”
The London Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) had said that black cabs were one of the safer modes of transport during the pandemic “particularly when compared to some other forms of public transport – with the partition, plenty of space and contactless payment.”
Rochelle Gilmore has close encounter with Australia's most venomous snake
I just showed a local guy this video & he put his hand out to shake mine…. I shook his hand as he said ‘congratulations… you’ve just had an encounter with Australia’s most deadly snake!’ #EasternBrown
All part of the adventure! #lovingit pic.twitter.com/oJkhxtJTxG
— Rochelle Gilmore (@RochelleGilmore) November 25, 2020
Rather you than us Rochelle. At least this didn’t happen…
what would you do at this moment? pic.twitter.com/Jwx8FdjJv4
— Awesome Cycling 🚵♀️🚵♂️ (@AwesomeCycling) November 17, 2020
Harder than Angliru? Dan Martin finds 34% climb in Andorra
Hiked up pic de Carroi from home. Considering starting a petition for it to be paved although perhaps wait until I have retired 🙈 5km average 16% and no idea how steep the final ramp is pic.twitter.com/2IzT5q79HD
— Dan Martin (@DanMartin86) November 25, 2020
Anyone for a Vuelta summit finish up here? Topping out at 2,222m, Pic de Carroi in Andorra is 7km at an average of 14% with a max gradient of 34%. For context Angliru’s maximum gradient is 24%, while Muro di Sormano from Il Lombardia peaks just north of 25%.
Pro rider Nathan Haas replied to Martin’s tweet saying: “I’ve done it on my gravel bike. I can attest to it being the stage for the most insane final on cycling history.” The Aussie admitted even he had to walk stretches of the punishing ascent.
The climb’s max gradient is 34%, according to climbbybike and the profile below, which would make it by far the steepest climb in pro cycling and a ridiculous test, even for the pros. The final 5km average a calf shredding 15.5%…
Yikes pic.twitter.com/a7w6NKb3bL
— Mark Paris (@geneman10) November 25, 2020
Kensington cycle lane blocked by parked vehicles... as Tory MP says it's "not an appropriate location for a cycle lane"
Kensington High Street cycle lane this morning full of parked cars @betterstreetskc @RBKC pic.twitter.com/iVgsnJUKkG
— MJ (@MichielJoseph) November 25, 2020
I wonder if Nigel Havers went for his morning stroll down ‘gridlocked’ Kensington High Street this morning… It looked pretty empty from these videos, except for the line of vehicles parked in the cycle lane.
These scenes come on the same morning Conservative MPs Tony Devenish and Felicity Buchan released a statement saying the temporary cycle lane had ‘failed in its objectives’ and that they would ‘advocate for its removal’.
The statement read: “Now that Phase 1 of the cycle lane is in place and has had a fair chance to operate, it is apparent to most people who use the High Street to travel, whether on a bike or other form of transport, that Kensington High Street is not an appropriate location for a cycle lane, either for cyclists or all other road users.”
The gridlocked streets of Kensington right now on this Wednesday morning, choking with fumes. Carnage. Carnage I tell you…#Kensington #Traffic #ltn pic.twitter.com/78JxPh1cir
— Alastair Hilton (@London_W4) November 25, 2020
A joint statement on Kensington High Street Cycle Lane with @FelicityBuchan. pic.twitter.com/aMYhiz8ZyQ
— Tony Devenish (@Tony_Devenish) November 25, 2020
Fife ultracyclist successfully completes challenge to virtual Everest on Zwift every day for two weeks
Aiming to become the first person to complete the climbing challenge on consecutive days (14 of them no less), Ross Duncan now claims he is the new world record holder for the most consecutive Everests, and also for the most elevation gain on Zwift in a week… 62,441 metres, which he says is almost 1.5x the elevation of an average Tour de France route.
In total Duncan virtually climbed 124,817 meters over the two weeks, burning 95,000 calories and covering 3,031km on his Tacx Neo 2T. He added: “Sleep-wise the minimum I was getting was 3hrs, most probably 5hrs [per night].”
Duncan was raising funds for the Children’s Hospices Across Scotland and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation – if you want to send a donation his way in appreciation of this monumental effort, the Virgin Money Giving page can be found here.
Cycling UK express disappointment at government Spending Review
Cycling UK has expressed disappointment at today’s Spending Review after cycling and walking projects saw their budget cut by 15%. Cycling UK’s head of campaigns, Duncan Dollimore said: “The Government’s ‘Gear Change’ document released in the summer set out a bold vison for cycling and walking in England, but neither that nor the promised ‘Green Revolution’ can be delivered without substantially increasing investment.
“The £257 million set aside for active travel next year is less than 1% of the £27.4 billion roads budget the Government remains stubbornly wedded to. Reducing next year’s funding by around £45 million makes the delivery of the Government’s own targets to increase levels of cycling and walking almost impossible, without the radical shift in transport spending priorities required to decarbonise transport.
“The Government’s vision and stated ambition for active travel are impressive, but this spending review takes us backwards when it comes to delivery.”
More scenes of 'empty' bike lane and 'gridlocked' traffic on Kensington High Street
It’s a matter of time before Kensington High Street in @RBKC will transport more people by bicycle than by motor vehicle! Footage from today. @betterstreetskc pic.twitter.com/aTVBzpbl9H
— MJ (@MichielJoseph) November 25, 2020
When its not being blocked by vehicles (see further down the page) the temporary cycle lane on High Street Kensington looks like it has made cycling in the area largely more pleasant recently. Unfortunately though, there’s a chance the road won’t be transporting more cyclists than motorists any time soon, after the decision to remove the lane when Lockdown 2 ends was strongly suggested earlier today by the local Conservative MP Tony Devenish (details of which are also further down the page).
25 November 2020, 09:05
25 November 2020, 09:05
25 November 2020, 09:05
25 November 2020, 09:05
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Latest Comments
@perce I'm not sure I agree with that. I think thats just confirming that he is take fully responsibility and recognises that the cyclist could have done nothing to mitigate it.
If we don't fight it now, we'll all end up forced to wear baggy shorts!
@Rendel Harris Agree, I am baffled that the 84 year old who is now banned from driving for year can then start driving again without a retest. We should be re-tested regularly.
@mitsky Just checking the figures and apparently the 2026 average cost is £58,000 per year per prisoner; worth noting that is only the direct cost, you then have to factor in ten years of lost tax income from the prisoner, ten years that the prisoner is making no contribution to society as a worker or as a consumer, plus the fact that if they were the primary breadwinner very likely the costs will include benefits for their family as well. None of which should be a reason for keeping violent recidivists out of prison of course, nor drug/drink drivers who kill, but it is a factor worth considering for lower-level offences.
@Surreyrider I ride in Surrey a fair bit and absolutely many do look like that but the point is they all *think* they're driving perfectly reasonably (as one discovers when remonstrating with someone who's skimmed one by 30cm, "I gave you masses of room") so deterrent penalties have little effect. That's why we need to strike at the root cause and actually train drivers properly and test them stringently (and more than once over the course of a potential 70+ years of driving, it's absolutely absurd that competence and knowledge in what for most people is the activity in their life that will run the biggest risk of killing people you never have to have your qualifications renewed).
@mitsky Imprisonment currently costs over £50k p.a. per prisoner and obviously that will rise over the course of a ten-year stretch with inflation. Regarding culpability and mitigating sentences etc, of course I'm not against condign punishment for drivers who kill (and cyclists on the tiny, tiny handful of occasions when this happens), including prison as appropriate; I was objecting to the ridiculous and oft-repeated demand of MM that drivers who kill cyclists must get ten years, "no excuses, no exceptions".
Hey, but their wool blend cycling adjacent t-shirts are/were fantastic.
@Surreyrider Still the boss. Ride one, you'll see why
@Smoggysteve "Most would happily ride on the roads and be treated with respect by drivers". But people aren't - and as far as I can see they won't be. Not until there is a lot less driving and it's slower around cyclists, and far more people driving have "skin in the game" eg. they sometimes cycle and their friends and family do also. That's what leads to the model - which is perhaps most advanced in NL - where cycling, walking and driving are all seen as separate normal transport modes. Their needs, vulnerabilities and any dangers to others are considered. And *that* leads to "mix / share when possible, separate when necessary". But "possible" is "where your 10-year old would be safe to cycle unsupervised" - so very few motor vehicles, going slow! And AFAICS everybody - even "existing cyclists" - is happy with the result. (I dunno about a few pro cyclists - but don't they tend to have training camps in different counties anyway?)
@quiff as an Edinburgh resident I can confidently say he's speaking without moving his lips in one sense: - while as I noted in a separate comment there *is* now some real separated cycle infra, all the examples i can think of have *at least as much space* for pedestrians. The rest of the "cycle infra" is essentially similar to the situation in the rest of the UK: eg. bus lanes*, cycle lanes and shared use paths (eg. "build" infra by sticking up a sign). Edinburgh is one of the places with a moderately extensive network of former railways which have been converted to "shared use" paths (completely motor traffic few). However though shared they are not narrow by UK standards. And this is all effectively a "free extra" for all non- motorised users, not like the "sign a cycle path" where pedestrians do lose space. I think this all comes from the "popular understanding" of cycling in which ultimately cyclists are the "other". They don't fit "motor vehicle" or "pedestrian" (including wheelchairs on the very rare occasions people think about that). Thus "cyclists are cheating" in multiple ways! They shouldn't get their own space as "there aren't enough" of them. And "they can just use the road / path". But being able to *choose* "on the road" or "on the footway" (shared use path) is clearly unfair - nobody else gets to do that! BUT of course even if they did pick just one of road OR pedestrian space it's still not fair anyway because they're "too slow" for the road (don't pay "road tax" etc...) and "far too fast" for pedestrians... * Though some existing cyclists may appreciate them when there are few buses, buses and bikes are a very poor mix for several reasons.
46 thoughts on “Kensington High Street cycle lane blocked by vans (again); Harder than the Angliru? Dan Martin finds 34% Andorran climb; Cabs not as covid-safe as cycling shocker; Jesus-approved folder with SRAM eTap and Stages power meter + more on the live blog”
Well, to be fair, the Royal
Well, to be fair, the Royal Park police are merely following the lead given to them by the management; cyclists can eff off, cars, cars and more cars. That’s what parks are for.
The police should be allowed
The police should be allowed to go about their business unhampered by the petty complaints of lycra-clad wannabes, indeed that cyclist in the picture is very lucky not to be charged with wasting police time by obstructing them in the course of their duties.
There you go SocraticCyclist, saved you the effort. You’re welcome.
Rendel Harris wrote:
Chapeau, my friend, chapeau.
Chapeau, my friend, chapeau.
I had to check the username twice to see that it wasn’t SC.
At first I thought your
At first I thought your account was hacked then I reached the post script. Chapeau my friend. Very well played.
The Royal Parks Police
The Royal Parks Police Twitter account responded: “…. W are all accountable for our driving.”
Oh really? and how does that accountability manifest itself? Will the officers be dealt with the same way as a member of the public for committing a similar offence?
Actually, probably yes. No action
Love that folder, and
Love that folder, and anything else remotely ridiculous like that!! The fact that he enjoys riding it so much is more than enough justification for what he’s added to it (not that he or anyone else needs justification to what they do to their own bike)
IMO he’s a bit overdressed
IMO he’s a bit overdressed for a folding bike…
brooksby wrote:
Is there any particular item of clothing that you would like to see him remove?
Captain Badger wrote:
<shudder>
Royal Parks Police apologise
Royal Parks Police apologise for driving in cycle lane
The Royal Parks Police Twitter account responded: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This will be looked into by a supervising officer. We are all accountable for our driving.”
Is it just me who can’t spot an apology there?
OnYerBike wrote:
They’re just following the lead of their boss, Priti Vacant – sorry if I’ve upset you snowflake…
Didn’t upset me, of course if
Didn’t upset me, of course if you’d come up with similar childish abuse against a left-leaning successful woman of colour you’d have rightly been called out for racism.
Nigel Garrage wrote:
Not sure that the comment was because she is a right-leaning successful woman of colour. I think it’s cos she’s a bullying fascist crook….
Captain Badger wrote:
Not sure that the comment was because she is a right-leaning successful woman of colour. I think it’s cos she’s a bullying fascist crook….
— Nigel GarrageAh, but she’s a right-leaning bullying fascist crook, so you’re not allowed to call her Priti Vacant.
I find it hilarious when right-wingers deploy false “wokery” as whataboutery. Astounding cognitive dissonance.
Hahaha, I’m visualising your
Hahaha, I’m visualising your eyes bulging out of their sockets with incandescent rage at the audacity of Priti Patel pushing ahead with bold, brave and entirely correct policies against the poor advice of dusty old white male civil servants.
“Ugh fascists, priti vacant, bully, crook”, lol!
Nigel Garrage wrote:
Almost had me, thought you might actually be taking a principled stand. But no, just Pritti fan-boi…
Word to the wise, think you might be aiming a bit high….
Yep, she’s Priti AWESOME!
Yep, she’s Priti AWESOME!
And – as far as I’m aware – hasn’t run over a cyclist in a 4×4 performing a U-turn, on her way to the tailor! Woman of the people, a shining beacon for all young women to aspire to.
Nigel Garrage wrote:
Apart from the bullying.
Apart from the bullying.
And the getting sacked, sorry, forced to resighn, for breaking the ministerial code previously, for lying to the Prime Minister.
Arsepirational…?
Ughh.
Ughh.
Captain Badger wrote:
Not sure that the comment was because she is a right-leaning successful woman of colour. I think it’s cos she’s a bullying fascist crook….— Nigel Garrage
Spot on sir, it’s hilarous to watch these rightist bigots suddenly becoming PC to attempt to stifle any criticism of Patel, Sunak et al. I’m sure they were all rushing to the defence of Dianne Abbott of course…
Rendel Harris wrote:
Oh didn’t they just, I remember it clearly….
She and what’s happened to
She and what’s happened to her are what you get when you take a load of bigoted bar-room talk from Conservative clubs up and down the land and try to make it into official policy.
The police will perform due
The police will perform due diligence and make an evidence-based conclusion. They aren’t going to just jump in and apologise to the Mob are they?
Nigel Garrage wrote:
Mob?? You mean the witness that reported Police illegally driving in a mandatory cycle lane?
That folder is awesome, how
That folder is awesome, how could it not be, it allows a travelling person to ride as he wants wherever he goes 🙂
peted76 wrote:
I’d love to see more performance-oriented small wheel bikes (folding or not). Small wheels are much better aerodynamically, though they probably suffer a bit with our pot-hole infested roads.
Small wheels were
Small wheels were spectacularly good in the velodrome, till they were banned for being too fast. Moulton did a custom track bike a while ago.
https://www.bikebiz.com/moulton-track-bike-gets-olympic-velodrome-try-out/amp/
Drinfinity wrote:
Be interested to know exactly why they are that much faster?
EddyBerckx wrote:
Small wheels were spectacularly good in the velodrome, till they were banned for being too fast. Moulton did a custom track bike a while ago.
https://www.bikebiz.com/moulton-track-bike-gets-olympic-velodrome-try-out/amp/
— EddyBerckx Be interested to know exactly why they are that much faster?— Drinfinity
Cos they are smaller
hawkinspeter wrote:
That’s a bit size’ist.. you’re all the same you squirrels.. always the aerodynamics this and that..where do I put my nuts… well what about big wheeled bikes?
hawkinspeter wrote:
Is the rolling resistance higher though due to wider contact patch? Or is that actually better?
ChrisB200SX wrote:
The area of the contact patch depends on the tyre pressure (and weight of bike+rider) so a smaller wheel won’t make much difference to that. As the tyre would have a bigger curvature lengthways, the contact patch would probably be slightly wider but I doubt if it’s a big effect.
Rolling resistance is going to be almost irrelevant compared to the aerodynamics at speed, so small wheels are a clear winner there.
If your rolling resistance is
If your rolling resistance is dominated by side-wall losses (e.g. hysteresis) then a wider, rather than longer, contact patch is most likely going to be ‘better’ in that sense. Quite how much that actually effects the ride – or the aerodynamics of a shorter but fatter tyre – is a trickier question…
This is mine. I bought it in
This is mine. I bought it in a Trek Store for about $250 in the middle of a three week business trip to Wuxi, China. I changed the front 46 tooth to a 58 and still spin out often, due to the 6-speed 14-28 on the back. It’s a threaded freewheel, so can’t go any smaller. I pretty much just start in 4th and immediately shift to 6th. Gear inches went from 25-50 to a more reasonable 31-63.
This bike has since flown to Islay and Glasgow with me, and did great. I’ve put 1600 miles on it so far. Very useful for riding somewhere local, meeting my wife there, then going home with her in the car after. Or riding 60+ miles to a wine festival and then riding back with friends in a van.
It fits in a suitcase to fly, no extra charges, and also fits in the boot of my convertible MINI (barely) if I fold it and pull the seatpost out.
You can get 11t freewheels
You can get 11t freewheels for ebikes now, probably need a 7s shifter as well.
ChasP wrote:
Still having no luck, maybe my Google-fu is weak.
This one has been around for a while, but has a solid reputation for being solid crap, unfortunately.
Bristol has a lot of that pop
Bristol has a lot of that pop-up protected parking, too.
(I’ve just emailed the council to politely suggest that if they’re going to put a row of wands over cancelled parking spaces then they need to follow it up with a bloke checking that nobody has decided to continue using said parking spaces…).
The London Taxi Drivers
The London Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) had said that black cabs were one of the safer modes of transport during the pandemic “particularly when compared to some other forms of public transport …”
Lol, in other words, “One of the safest modes of transport when compared to modes that are less safe”
I’m convinced…..
About as off topic as you can
About as off topic as you can get, but one for hawkinspeter:
Spirit animal: Minnesota squirrel gets drunk after eating fermented pears | Minnesota | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/25/minnesota-squirrel-drunk-after-eating-fermented-pears-video
brooksby wrote:
I did see that one. It’s not unknown for them to enjoy a tipple
road.cc wrote:
And he still didn’t win the Mielensteins!
That first bike ride feeling
That first bike ride feeling
”Big hands I know you’re the one”
Better Streets Kensington &
Better Streets Kensington & Chelsea has tweeted a great letter from Imperial College in support of the cycling infrastructure:
And in a reply to Peter Walker’s comment/RT of Devenish (here) someone has said that “The letter was ultimately triggered by a petition organised, meetings undertaken & mailbox-stuffing encouraged by just one person – Georges Assi, a former Lehman Bros director.”
Hmmm.
If Tony Devenish and MP
If Tony Devenish and MP Felicity Buchan want the cycle lane torn out so badly. Id say they can go for it, Providing they foot the entire bill for the work and disruption to local businesses to the last penny of it out of their own pockets rather than have it charged to the taxpayer.
Lets see how quickly vanish back into the woodwork without as much of a sound when faced with a shared £700k-1mil bill.