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Painfully bad cycle lane makes us laugh (you'll cry if you don't); Jackass does cycling; Santander Cycles seen in Jamaica and Australia; Bike shop celebrates 100th birthday; Irn Bru gels; Bike rack fail; Helicopter bunny-hopping + more on the live blog

Dan Alexander is back in the live blog hot seat ready for whatever Highway Code silliness is probably going to come flying into our lives today...
26 January 2022, 17:44
Twelve Bath residents without "ingrained opinions" on transport will help shape city's walking and cycling plans
Bathwick Hill Bath (Wikimedia commons/Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC BY-SA 3.0)

Hardly the 12 disciples, but Bath's active travel future will be informed by the 12 without "ingrained opinions"...

That's according to the Bath Echo who say the council and University of Bath have stumped up £30,000 to establish an independent citizens' panel for members tasked with deciding the most appropriate and safe strategic cycle routes into the city centre, university and Claverton Down.

Bath and North East Somerset Council leader Kevin Guy told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The panel will have nothing to do with people with ingrained opinions. Britain Thinks will do a thorough selection process.

“It’s not abdicating responsibility – it’s about instilling confidence that decisions are made fairly. There’s a feeling that decisions are made behind closed doors by a small clique of people. You can’t get any fairer or more transparent than a citizens’ panel.

"Allowing residents to help make decisions is democracy in action."

26 January 2022, 16:46
But cyclists...
26 January 2022, 16:21
Bristol GPs to prescribe cycling to obese and lonely patients
Cyclist in traffic (copyright Simon MacMichael)

A new programme backed by metro mayor Dan Norris could soon see doctors in Bristol prescribing walking and cycling to treat patients. The GP Prescribing Programme will link NHS patients to cycle loan schemes, and walking groups, to tackle health issues such as obesity, inactivity and loneliness.

£170,000 of funding for a trial project has been secured for Bristol and Bath and North East Somerset.

> Government set to enable GPs to prescribe cycling to tackle obesity and coronavirus (+ video)

West of England Mayor Dan Norris told the Bristol Post: "Going for a walk or getting on your bike are good for both your physical and mental health, so this could be just what the doctor ordered.

"This is an innovative plan to help make local people healthier and happier."

26 January 2022, 16:06
If you need a laugh to get you through Wednesday?

26 January 2022, 14:30
How deep is your wallet? Pas Normal Studios releases first gravel collection
2022 Pas Normal Studios gravel collection

Danish cycling apparel brand Pas Normal Studios has launched its first line of gravel gear with the new 15-piece Escapism Collection. The cycling-specific pieces are offered in men’s and women’s fit, while the off-bike styles have been designed with a more relaxed unisex cut.

2022 Pas Normal Studios gravel collection

“This hybrid collection is dedicated to gravel rides and multi-day bike touring adventures while remaining highly suitable to everyday off-the-bike applications,”  Pas Normal Studios (PNS) says.

“Each piece is designed to be versatile and easily packable to keep the wearer well-equipped in the face of uncertain conditions over multi-day adventures,” says PNS. 

2022 Pas Normal Studios gravel collection

The jackets, vests, and all other outer layers are finished with a C0-rated DWR treatment, which the brand claims is the most environmentally-friendly water-repellent coating available on the market. 

The collection includes a Down Jacket (£340), Down Vest (£225), Performance Fleece Zip (£200) and Vest (£160) , Stow Away Jacket (£170), Fleece Gilet (£150), Bibs (£225) as well as Knit Arm Warmers (£50) and Leg Warmers (£70).

The Bibs, for example, feature four pockets which have been integrated into the design on the thighs and back straps, providing easy-access storage solutions for your on-the-go essentials.

The high wool content used throughout the Performance Fleece Zip is said to give this piece remarkable thermal properties. “Defined by the open-grit structure of the wool blockings on the fabric lining, this garment is highly breathable while delivering warmth at the same time,” says PNS. 

Smaller accessories such as bandanas have also been included in the collection to “accent your cycling kit by adding a touch of individuality”. 

26 January 2022, 14:19
Even more colourways from Brooks
Brooks colourway Yorkshire

Brooks England is launching three new limited Cambium C17 colourways that take inspiration from the hues of landscape explored in last year’s Whatever the Road project. 

“From the seaside towns along England’s western coast come the cool colours of the C17 Yorkshire; the rolling hills and wide skies of Dartmoor National Park inspire the dark, earthen tones of the C17 Devon; lastly, the C17 Arizona can trace its inspiration to the sandy, cactus-lined tracks of the American Southwest,” Brooks says. 

Brooks colourway Devon

The new special-edition Brooks Cambium saddles which can be bought on the Brooks England website are:

C17 Devon: Sand top, Octane rivets
C17 Yorkshire: Navy top, Electric-blue rivets
C17 Arizona: Mud-green top, Bronze-orange rivets 

Which is your favourite?

26 January 2022, 13:53
Kenny Belaey opens CX Worlds by...*checks notes* riding out a helicopter

Call me harsh but when I heard he had bunny hopped out a chopper I was expecting something a bit... higher?...But hey, still pretty cool.

It's 'cross world champs this weekend so we'll be keeping you up-to-date with all the pre-race build up on the live blog, before keeping a close eye on Mr Pidcock's progress come Sunday.

26 January 2022, 13:18
NewsThump's on fire...Audi drivers are next on the satire hit list

NewsThump got a shoutout on yesterday's live blog for its take on the Highway Code changes...'New Highway Code rules ‘could see cyclists lording it over drivers in further brazen attempts not to be run over’

Well, they're getting another shoutout today...this time for: 'Audi driver repeatedly fails Captcha test after failing to identify images with cyclists' including such gems as: "Every single square is a road that you could just drive down or a junction where you can pull out whenever you feel like it.  Is it some sort of trick question? Am I taking part in a Turing test?"

And..."We have been trialling a new Audi-driver-friendly version of our Captcha solution, using images of tiny tiny gaps in traffic, barely big enough a car, as they seem to have no trouble whatsoever spotting those."

Bravo, NewsThump...Bravo.

26 January 2022, 12:11
Brompton-only lane? We all have a laugh at bring your kid to work day...

You lot have been on form this morning...is it a Dalek? Or the fifth member of Led Zeppelin perhaps? Whole lotta love for the suggestions coming in on Twitter...

Some have been saying it must be a Brompton-only lane, while Steve Douglas imagined the conversation back at base...

Jon Tyler commented: "I get it now.. crop circles are just cosmic cycle lanes!"

26 January 2022, 11:21
Bike rack fail
26 January 2022, 11:06
Santander Cycles spotted as far away as Jamaica and Australia
Santander Cycles (press release)

Jamaica, Australia, Romania, Gambia and Turkey are some of the locations London's Santander hire cycles have ended up, according to Transport for London. Responding to a Freedom of Information request from MyLondon, TFL revealed 4,259 bikes have been lost since 2013, and on "very rare occasions" have been reported outside the UK.

Of the 71,747 bikes which went missing for more than 24 hours since 2013, 67,498 were recovered. In 2020, 12,448 bikes went missing, of which 950 were not found.

Vandalism and theft sometimes seems an unfortunate inevitability of city centre schemes...

Nextbike recently resumed its Cardiff cycle hire scheme following a two-month suspension due to a "staggering" level of vandalism, thefts and threats against employees.

Meanwhile in Manchester, ahead of the latest fleet of hire bikes being made available, Andy Burnham urged people to not chuck them in the city's canals...

He didn't say if sneaking them out to Jamaica was allowed...although I reckon we can guess the answer...

26 January 2022, 10:50
Irn Bru gels

Happy Burns Night for yesterday to any readers north of the border.

Wiggle clearly got the message...

Where's the  Buckfast though?

26 January 2022, 10:41
Ipswich bike shop Elmy Cycles celebrates 100th birthday
Elmy Cycles Ipswich (Facebook/Elmy Cycles)

A bike shop in Ipswich turns 100 this week and is inviting customers to celebrate the milestone. Elmy Cycles was opened on 30 January 1922 and will turn 100 this Friday.

The shop has been owned by Steve Grimwood for the past 30 years, who said it is "fantastic" to still be serving the community all these years later.

"It's a dedication to all the staff who have worked for me over the years, our customers - we often see the third generation of a family coming in to buy their bicycles - and being part of the heart of the community," he told the BBC.

"Being part of Ipswich really means a lot to me, we could've moved out of town many years ago when the trend was to move to out of town stores and centres but we stuck to our guns and the support we've had from the local community has really paid dividends."

26 January 2022, 09:48
Jackass does cycling

 "The faster you pedal your bike, the faster the other guys hand goes back," is one way to motivate your monotonous turbo sessions...

Painful. But has Steve-O ever commuted into a headwind before sunrise in the depths of winter? Fair enough, that would make pretty terrible TV...

26 January 2022, 08:54
Painfully bad cycle lane makes us laugh (you'll cry if you don't)

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a painted bicycle...apparently.

 Maybe we've got it wrong and it's actually a lane for spectacle wearers or weightlifters? Paul Baker's replies are now full of people telling him their interpretation of the marking...

 Others wondered if it was an ancient code that needed breaking? You wonder why Dan Brown never wrote 'The De Rosa Code', a thriller about an infrastructure bodge job holding the key to the discovery of an invaluable Italian bicycle? I'll sell the rights to that if you're reading, Mr Spielberg.

To be honest the state of the 'cycle lane' (or maybe designated paint strip would be more accurate) is probably more concerning than one person's ability to paint a bicycle...I reckon I'd do much, much worse...

Anyway, if you're already looking to run the clock down at work...here's how it's done properly...

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

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62 comments

Avatar
Awavey | 2 years ago
3 likes

I get prescribing cycling for health issues relating to inactivity and even mental health issues, but loneliness ?

one of the things I adore about cycling is its loneliness, the ability to get away from everyone, be self reliant, or is that just me ?

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to Awavey | 2 years ago
2 likes

Awavey wrote:

I get prescribing cycling for health issues relating to inactivity and even mental health issues, but loneliness ?

one of the things I adore about cycling is its loneliness, the ability to get away from everyone, be self reliant, or is that just me ?

Me too, or at most with Mrs H and the odd mate, but I do know more than one person who's gone from beginner cyclist in middle age to a keen member of their local club with all the socialising that involves, so it works for some. 

 

Avatar
andystow replied to Awavey | 2 years ago
4 likes

They're lonely because they don't have anyone close to them. Taking up cycling, they will get to experience motorists getting close to them every day. That, plus the constant friendly and encouraging hooting, and they'll really feel the love.

Avatar
Jenova20 replied to Awavey | 2 years ago
1 like

Awavey wrote:

I get prescribing cycling for health issues relating to inactivity and even mental health issues, but loneliness ?

one of the things I adore about cycling is its loneliness, the ability to get away from everyone, be self reliant, or is that just me ?

I have it on good authority that it can be hard to get a doctors appointment if you frequently eat apples...

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Jenova20 | 2 years ago
1 like

Jenova20 wrote:

Awavey wrote:

I get prescribing cycling for health issues relating to inactivity and even mental health issues, but loneliness ?

one of the things I adore about cycling is its loneliness, the ability to get away from everyone, be self reliant, or is that just me ?

I have it on good authority that it can be hard to get a doctors appointment if you frequently eat apples...

Avatar
mdavidford replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
3 likes

Well the apple has all the core skills, ripened over time, and reliably rates as a solid 'A', whereas the doctor is still practising, so I'm going to say the apple would just pip them.

Avatar
Rendel Harris | 2 years ago
1 like

Nice looking saddles from Brooks - puzzled as to why Devon, "inspired by the dark earth tones of Dartmoor," is sand coloured whilst Arizona, "inspired by the sandy tracks of the Southwest" is muddy green?

Avatar
mdavidford | 2 years ago
3 likes

At the risk of having my citizenship taken away, I much prefer the Arizona to either of the UK-based options pictured.

Avatar
Miller | 2 years ago
3 likes

Elmy Cycles is a lovely shop, I highly recommend it, so Happy 100th to them.

They had a display of retro classic bikes when I visited last August.
//live.staticflickr.com/65535/51362107639_41476eef70_c.jpg)

 

Avatar
stonojnr replied to Miller | 2 years ago
1 like

Agreed, me too, glad they are still thriving in the town, they've serviced my various bikes for the last 12 years and I hope for many more years to come, theyve got a good history website to mark the 100 years too. https://ourstory.elmycycles.co.uk

GCN Tech filmed a video about retro bike tech in the shop with those classic bikes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYezaJNVXxg

Avatar
kinderje | 2 years ago
4 likes

Which geographically challenged ad exec wrote Brooks spiel?

How many seaside towns does Yorkshire have on its western coast???

Avatar
CyclingInGawler replied to kinderje | 2 years ago
0 likes

I hear they originally planned on calling it after "Lancashire" until they actually saw the colour of the sea off Blackpool then had a change of heart, but forgot to update the description.

BTW I lived in Lancs for 25 years; fantastic variety of countryside for cycling in.

Avatar
brooksby | 2 years ago
4 likes

Quote:

“From the seaside towns along England’s western coast come the cool colours of the C17 Yorkshire;

Is there another Yorkshire?  All the Yorkshire seaside towns I know about are down the eastern coast...

Avatar
kinderje replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
6 likes

Sorry, you beat me to it by three minutes. How many times did you have to re-read the quote to make sure you were reading it correctly. And then how many times did you doubt yourself on which is East and which is West?? 

Avatar
brooksby replied to kinderje | 2 years ago
3 likes

"Never.  Eat.  Shredded.  Wheat."

(Several times...)  3

Avatar
joe9090 | 2 years ago
0 likes

So weird watching that CX video. I have spent much time in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and can recognise so much of the city there.

I wouldnt call it the most cycle friendly place in the US though...

Avatar
andystow replied to joe9090 | 2 years ago
2 likes

GCN just did a video there in the last couple of weeks. The rural roads around it look pretty sweet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgGMjad19DU

Avatar
mdavidford | 2 years ago
2 likes

Helicopter entrance - it's not exactly the 'cycling Bond' that was being floated the other day, is it?

Avatar
brooksby | 2 years ago
2 likes

That Allen-key cycle rack is nothing special.

I regularly see racks (particularly the wheel bender / toast rack style) bolted to the pavement with 'normal' bolts (you'd need a 15mm spanner, I suspect).

Avatar
makadu replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
4 likes

It's still a useful deterrent if it takes the scroats longer to twiddle a spanner/alan key than slice through the lock with an angle grinder.

After posting this I got thinking - maybe if the alan key/spanner does take a lot longer then perhaps that may be the best way to secure your bike - unbolt the rack put it through the frame of your bike and then bolt it back down!!

Avatar
tdw replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
2 likes

They're not quite as bad as they look (still not great though). The bolt goes through the box section to a nut and washer you could loosen it a bit with an allen wrench but once it's loose the nut spins freely and undoing it any further is tricky.
It could potentially be undone further by getting something under the head of the bolt to lift the nut and washer against the inside of the box section to create the required friction. So not really "safe" but safer than it looks.

Avatar
captain_slog | 2 years ago
1 like

Irn Bru energy gels? I'm surprised they even have to ask.

Although it's so long since I've had any I've no idea what it tastes like.

Avatar
mdavidford replied to captain_slog | 2 years ago
11 likes

captain_slog wrote:

Irn Bru energy gels? I'm surprised they even have to ask.

Although it's so long since I've had any I've no idea what it tastes like.

Girders

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to captain_slog | 2 years ago
8 likes

captain_slog wrote:

Irn Bru energy gels? I'm surprised they even have to ask.

Although it's so long since I've had any I've no idea what it tastes like.

In line with modern materials is the also an Alu Bru, Crbn Bru and perhaps even a Ttnm Bru?

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to Captain Badger | 2 years ago
6 likes

Captain Badger wrote:

captain_slog wrote:

Irn Bru energy gels? I'm surprised they even have to ask.

Although it's so long since I've had any I've no idea what it tastes like.

In line with modern materials is the also an Alu Bru, Crbn Bru and perhaps even a Ttnm Bru?

Crbn Bru claims it makes you faster but your eyes rattle. You can't improve on Irn Bru - much less shaking. Although I'm slower uphill after it and I've developed some discolouration this winter.

Avatar
Slappers66 replied to captain_slog | 2 years ago
2 likes

Vile thought... maybe I'm the only Scotsman that doesn't like Irn Bru

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to Slappers66 | 2 years ago
5 likes

Slappers66 wrote:

Vile thought... maybe I'm the only Scotsman that doesn't like Irn Bru

No Scotsman tru would eschew the Bru....

Avatar
essexian replied to Captain Badger | 2 years ago
0 likes

Is it just me that thinks that Irn Bru actually tastes better once north of Gretna? 

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to essexian | 2 years ago
3 likes

essexian wrote:

Is it just me that thinks that Irn Bru actually tastes better once north of Gretna? 

Irn Bru refreshes all Scots tru, from Timbuctu to Etna,

But without adu, they'll form a qu to drink it north o' Gretna

 

Avatar
Slappers66 replied to Captain Badger | 2 years ago
0 likes

Captain Badger wrote:

Slappers66 wrote:

Vile thought... maybe I'm the only Scotsman that doesn't like Irn Bru

No Scotsman tru would eschew the Bru....

Hmm....

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