“Making cycle paths safe AND fun?”: BMX-style bike lane with bumps in the Netherlands to encourage children to cycle; Tom Pidcock calls Paris Olympic MTB track “bland”; Is Jennifer Lopez the perfect advocate to normalise cycling? + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"Anti-tank" obstacle to be removed for a walk/cycle friendly alternative
You should know by now that I won’t give up any opportunities to flood the live blog with any and all Cardiff news…
Some great news for cardiff east this anti tank obstacle is finally being removed for a walk/cycle friendly alternative @CdffCycleCity @CDFSocialCycle @CyclingUK_Wales @cardiffrivers #rymneyrivertrail #ncn pic.twitter.com/gZ8QnMDbPL
— rhymney river community (@RhymneyR) July 26, 2024
“The joy of walking or cycling is fading away, replaced by an everyday fear”: Campaigners urge local leaders to declare a “state of emergency” on Birmingham roads after three cyclists killed last month
It’s almost has become like clockwork, and I mean it in the most unfortunate and tragic way — cyclists have been dying for far too long on Birmingham’s roads and streets. Over the last few years, we’ve reported multiple such instances and in response, cyclists, activists, and campaign groups coming together to fight for safety and call on the council for some action to keep themselves and their peers alive.
Last year in June, hundreds of people came together to protest the increasingly dangerous state of roads in Birmingham, with things coming to a head after seven hit-and-runs, with four cyclists, including a 12-year-old boy, “killed by motorists” in just over three weeks.
The protest was marked by emotionally charged people chanting “Shame on you” at drivers overtaking dangerously, speeding, changing lanes — all behaviour that lead to deaths on streets, Paul Manzotti from Better Streets for Birmingham told road.cc.
Now, after three cyclists were killed in collisions last month, taking the tally of people killed this year to 10 and those seriously injured in collisions to 23, Better Streets for Birmingham have written an open letter urging city and regional leaders to declare a state of emergency for road safety in Birmingham, with the group holding its eleventh demonstration to turn the tide on reckless driving tomorrow.
The group pointed out that despite the Council Leader committing to reduce speed limits on 40mph roads and above to 30mph and to triple the number of speed cameras, neither of these have been implemented yet.
Mat MacDonald, Chair of Better Streets for Birmingham said: “Momentum has tailed off quickly. Progress on rolling out average speed enforcement cameras has run aground, many roads are still above 30mph, and Neighbourhood Policing Team participation in Operation Triton has been inadequate.”
We’re now learning of a man killed last night while sitting outside a pub in Boldmere. Our hearts go out to their family who received the unimaginable news.
Our message to our leaders is clear: declare a road safety emergency and act now.https://t.co/UtUFl342sN https://t.co/cuYDSSt7B0
— Better Streets for Birmingham (@for_birmingham) July 26, 2024
The active travel and road safety campaigners had sent their first open letter in June last year, and they said that since the first letter, at least 23 people have been killed and 34 seriously injured on the city’s roads.
In their most recent letter, they have laid out 10 actions for the city and region’s leaders to tackle road safety, which besides declaring a state of emergency, include demands to immediately recruit the next Cycling and Walking Commissioner following Adam Tranter’s resignation in May, as well as suspending the licences of those arrested for dangerous driving offences to ensure that they do not endanger other road users whilst awaiting trial.
Every two weeks, a vulnerable road user is being killed on our streets. How long is it until its your father on the way home? Or your daughter walking home from school? Or your grandfather getting the bus?
It must stop. #SaferRoads #Betterstreets pic.twitter.com/ymk1DGMFtE— Better Streets for Birmingham (@for_birmingham) July 25, 2024
The letter, shared with road.cc, reads: “When a child dies in such a way on our streets, we have failed as a society. And while we can never bring Mayar back, or fill the void that now sits at the heart of her traumatised family, we have a duty to learn from this failure and to ensure we do everything possible to prevent such a senseless loss.
“Road safety is a statutory duty and basic human need, not a nice-to-have. Safe travel and welcoming streets form the bedrock of any thriving area, and our region’s success depends on having them.
“The situation as it stands continues to be untenable. If we don’t take urgent and sustained action, more people will be killed and seriously injured.”
Last week, Better Streets for Birmingham held two demonstrations, including a cycling solidarity ride to remember people recently killed in Highgate and Edgbaston.
Four-year-old Mayar Yahia was killed on Sunday 14 April, in a collision walking back to her home in Highgate with her mother, who was seriously injured. A 50-year-old man was killed on Tuesday 9 July while cycling at the junction of Chad Road and August Road in Edgbaston, with the driver being later arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Tomorrow, Saturday 27 July, we will gather at Midday on Old Snow Hill to call once again for the change we so desperately need.https://t.co/5hCAju8l1P
— Better Streets for Birmingham (@for_birmingham) July 26, 2024
Babiker Yahia, father of Mayar who was tragically killed in Highgate this April, said: “We need immediate action to stop dangerous drivers and make safer roads. Last Saturday we gathered on upper Highgate Street where my daughter was hit by a dangerous driver and passed away, and we absolutely sent our voice to leaders and people in office, but we need more demonstrations, and leaders with love in justice and humanity.”
Ayesha Mahmood, Highgate resident, said: “We have lost one of our angels. She was a little angel and she didn’t deserve to die this way. The morning I found out, I remember us mothers crying all the way to school, and our children looking up at us and asking us what had happened. We were so upset we couldn’t get our words out. The school has supported us more than anyone else. But unfortunately where is everyone else? Where are our public services?”
Naomi Fisher, mum of 3, said: “As a parent myself, the joy of walking or cycling in this city is fading away, replaced by an everyday fear that when we say goodbye in the morning, one of us may not return safely.”
David Cox OBE, veteran active travel activist, said: “The city and region have had good strategies and plans on active travel for over 10 years. There has been some progress but implementation has been much too slow leaving us still without a safe network. Meanwhile road danger has been increasing with more traffic and too much careless, dangerous and reckless driving.”
"Good luck to him": Josh Tarling reacts to Wout van Aert's double disc wheel setup for Olympic time trial and talks about his love (and craving) for a McDonald's and some chocolate
If you missed this on yesterday’s road.cc live blog, Wout van Aert was seen training for tomorrow’s opening day individual men’s time trial for the Paris Olympic on a Cervélo with both disc wheels at the front and rear, harkening back a relic from the past that is barely seen anymore.
Josh Tarling, the 2023 and 2024 British time trial champion and looking to bring home a medal in his maiden Olympic appearance by beating the likes of Wout van Aert, Stefan Küng, Filippo Ganna, and current men’s world TT champion Remco Evenepoel, gave his honest opinion on the Belgian Visma-Lease a Bike rider’s choice.
“It’s a course where you do need the absolute watts. Good luck to him [talking about Van Aert’s front disc wheel]. I’ve never ridden one outside but I’m sure the corners won’t be amazing on it either,” he told Cycling Weekly.
Tarling also shared his thoughts about the race course, saying: “I don’t love it, but there’s nothing to dislike about it. I think for it to be really perfect for me, it would be good to be twistier, but there’s nothing to dislike,” he said.
“It’s fast and on flowing roads, it’s quite bumpy at the start and finish, there’s been a lot of resurfacing and so some potholes but it’s gonna be fun.”
He also talked about his love for McDonald’s, and how he and his dad would stop at McDonald’s on the way home from a mid-week club 10-mile time trial. “I’d perhaps be a bit skinnier if it wasn’t for that,” he joked.
Tarling said that he’s already seen there is a French McDonald’s near the Team GB accommodation on the outskirts of Paris but he is pining for another treat after weeks of disciplined training. “I haven’t had chocolate in a long time. It’s not really a meal, but I’d love some of those red Lindor chocolate balls,” he said.
Thanks Josh for reminding me of the Lindt chocolates by the way, there goes my diet plan for the weekend…
"It's bland... they could've done a better job": Tom Pidcock unimpressed with Paris Olympic mountain bike race course
It’s one day until the Olympic and Tom Pidcock, Great Britain’s current men’s world mountain bike champion is already not pleased with French hospitality, and by that I mean, the mountain bike course hat Paris has to offer.
And the reason for that is the abundant gravel that the organisers have put together in the track. Speaking to Cycling Weekly, the 24-year-old Ineos Grenadiers rider said: “It’s bland and I think they could have done a better job of making a more mountain bike course,” he said. “It’s not the best course in the world, but its the same for everyone so…
“We love mountain biking for the reasons that drive us to enjoy it for what it is. That’s the courses you get to ride, the places you get to go to. When you just have gravel over a nice hillside, it’s not really mountain bike.”
His Team GB teammate Evie Richards shared similar thoughts, saying: “I wouldn’t say it’s not hard enough. I think, just as mountain bikers, a natural course which changes with the conditions is quite a cool thing, that’s what we love to race. But I think they’ve done the best they’ve done, being how close it is to Paris. I suppose it’s not the easiest thing to do to just pop up a mountain bike course anywhere.”
"Imagine going through this everyday when there is a faster and more efficient way of travel available"
What a miserable way of commuting driving is. Imagine going through this everyday when there is a faster and more efficient way of travel available. If only Galway city council had the will to build safe active travel infrastructure instead making the lives of drivers a misery. pic.twitter.com/PCTKHqKPyQ
— Cycling For Mind (@CyclingForMind) July 25, 2024
Is Jennifer Lopez the perfect advocate to normalise cycling? Former Walking and Cycling Commissioner for the West Midlands Adam Tranter thinks so...
If you have been too busy reading the road.cc live blog and haven’t got the time to keep with the tabloids, let me break it down for you. So, American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, apparently likes riding bikes, with recent paparazzi pictures showing her cycling on her 55th birthday in a shirtdress.
However, her recent picture, and a few others, have been picked apart by Glamour magazine, who published an article titled: “Jennifer Lopez Has a Wildly Impractical but Adorable Bike-Riding Fit”.
Hold on, this is about to get more tabloid-y. The article reads: “Even though she looks exactly like the lead in a romantic comedy, riding her beachcomber bike in a two-piece floral skirt and crop-top set. Because, sure, a flowy skirt doesn’t seem like it would be the most practical choice for riding a bike, but it definitely looks cute, and that’s all that matters.”
Jennifer Lopez is the perfect advocate for normalising cycling.
Glamour magazine claims J.Lo’s outfits are not practical for cycling, but with a comfortable step through bike, chain guard and mudguards, you can very easily dress for the destination, not the journey. pic.twitter.com/i7SafmHcJY
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) July 25, 2024
Enter, West Midlands’ former Walking and Cycling Commissioner, who disagrees with Glamour magazine, instead claiming that JLo and her choice of casual, everyday, even chic outfits is the perfect way to normalise cycling.
“Glamour magazine claims J.Lo’s outfits are not practical for cycling, but with a comfortable step through bike, chain guard and mudguards, you can very easily dress for the destination, not the journey,” wrote Tranter.
I’ll leave this to you all to discuss now, I’ve done enough dipping my feet into tabloidy territory for the day…
One bike to rule them all — are lightweight aero bikes the ultimate race weapons for the pros?
> One bike to rule them all — are lightweight aero bikes the ultimate race weapons for the pros?
“Making cycle paths safe AND fun?”: Dutch build bike lane with ramps and bumps that’s a cross between “BMX track and skate park” to encourage more children to cycle
Gather round for a tale of two countries.
Here in the UK, we moan about bumps in the cycle lane, disconnected routes, not proper segregation, lack of space, uneven tarmac, potholes… the list goes in. In the Netherlands, apparently bike lanes work so well that they’re having to intentionally build bumps and ramps into the paths to make it exciting for children.
Dutch news website OmroepGLD reports that in Apeldoorn, a city in the province of Gelderland, a new cycle lane has appeared, described as the “funnest” cycle path ever that’s basically a cross between a BMX track and a skate park, in order to encourage more children to cycle to school and become proficient in riding bikes.
Making cycle paths safe AND fun?! https://t.co/4H7ah4vH3z
— Redkite_Traveller – sugar is caning the UK 325.13 (@Redkitetravell1) July 26, 2024
The Pump Factory, a company set up by Joos Wichman, men’s world mountain bike champion in 2013 and founder and team manager of the Radon Flow Team, was behind this genius contraption. His company had already made a pump track in the Zuidbroek district of Apeldoorn.
He said that they were already talking to Amsterdam about this idea, but that all took a very long time, so they decided to build this in Apeldoorn. Now, he believes this is the He “funnest cycle path” in the Netherlands.
Wichman said: “This is the first of its kind in our country. Elsewhere in the world I haven’t seen it yet either. The goal is to convince as many children as possible that exercise is fun. We challenge them to go back to school on the bike, scooter, skateboard or roller skates instead of by car.”
He believes the children would become more resilient in traffic by using this cycle path. “Through the waves you go faster and faster. You then learn to correct with your bike, in a fun way. As a result, you learn to react quickly in busy traffic situations,” said Wichman.
Pupils of the adjacent dalton school De Zonnewende were more than delighted to have this bumpy cycle path, according to the kindergarten teacher Marieke Vermeij. She said: “The children were already stuck to the fence during construction to look. Sometimes we play outside in the park. This is really an enrichment.”
9-year-old Tijn told OmroepGLD: “I think it’s a nice job. I especially like the hills… I don’t often go to school by bike. But that’s going to change”.” His little brother, 6-year-old Noud agreed. And if it were up to another 9-year-old, Felicia, all cycle paths in Apeldoorn will soon look like this. “Then everyone has fun while cycling,” she said.
Meanwhile, here in the UK, residents in Folkestone, Kent, complained about a school’s bid to build a £150,000 BMX cycle track, claiming that the “noisy bikers” will disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the neighbourhood and it will be like “living next to a motorway”.
Turner School Trust, which overlooks Folksetone Academy, said in a statement that it hopes to address neighbours’ fears about the proposed scheme. A spokeswoman said: “We are very excited at the prospect of bringing the sport and exercise opportunity this development would provide to our students and the community, encouraging healthy lifestyles and active travel.
“The mountain bike track would be used by both primary and secondary pupils in supervised sessions covering PE lessons and lunchtime, after school and Saturday morning clubs. We also propose that it be made available for managed, wider community use, much like our other sporting facilities.
However, Kevin Black, who has lived in Grasmere Gardens for 20 years, said: “I don’t think the impact on the community has been considered — it really is the wrong area for it.
“You might as well build a motorway back there with all the noise it’ll create. This is a very quiet area, but now we’ll have a BMX track 20 metres from our house. Not enough thought has gone into this.”
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Do give this nonsense a rest.
Ironic that this was exactly where Sadiq Khan was cosplaying the other day at being a cyclist, with his silly photo-op on a brand new road bike. Still, I guess when you have an entourage of security men and a cavalcade of bullet proof range rovers behind you, the chances of being bike-jacked decrease somewhat... What a shame that he doesn't bother doing anything about crime in London, other than kludging fake figures together to provide a fantasy that it's somehow declining, despite everyone's eyes and ears proving the opposite.
I am yet to see a good argument for not riding footpaths if it doesn't impact others. "It's the law" isn't a good argument if the law doesn't make sense. I ride footpaths all the time near me other users don't care as long as you're respectful. Many are as wide as bridleways (and vice versa); it's often entirely arbitrary. My favourite local one is the one which has half a mile of double track bridleway then 100m of footpath at the end in order to get to the village. There is a sign on every gate saying "NO BIKES OR HORSES" with no good reason other than it's what the map says. No one in the village seems to care other than the one person who keeps putting the homemade signs up.
But, my goodness, they have a lot of stuff.
Where reasonable to do so and you have a reasonable belief that the classification is wrong you can fairly state that "I believe higher rights exist for this route and that I am entitled to exercise them until the matter is settled at a Public Inquiry". If the land owner (or authorised representative) requests you leave you do so in the intended direction of travel politely. Events are a different argument as someone is using the access rights on someone's land to make a commercial profit and enters a grey area whether agreement of the landowner should be sought. Large events on the highway would normally be expected to get permission of the local authority.
I miss wiggle. They were like Amazon without the ethical concerns...well, unless you really liked and wanted to support your local bike shop. St. Johns Cycles is great with knowledgable staff, but I think they aim at a slightly different type of rider.
@Daveyraveygravey cycling UK have got a good guide with a list: https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-guide/where-can-i-cycle-off-road …and whilst it's a 'no' for cycling on public footpaths, it's not illegal like riding on a pavement alongside the road - so I do sometimes do it where it's not going to upset anyone.
I was hoping to find a succinct list at the end of this article! Bridleways - yes. Restricted byways - yes again, I think (?) Footpaths - no. I'm usually on my own, in the South Downs, not racing or shredding or jumping off drops. Trying not to frighten walkers horse riders or wild life.
I think the fact checking and verifying boats long sailed from this port.
@HoarseMann if you look further up the road you can see where the cycle path crosses a junction with what looks like two bollards and give way lines. So if you're riding on it you have to slow down and possibly stop at every side road. Doesn't seem any safer than the road to me.
33 thoughts on ““Making cycle paths safe AND fun?”: BMX-style bike lane with bumps in the Netherlands to encourage children to cycle; Tom Pidcock calls Paris Olympic MTB track “bland”; Is Jennifer Lopez the perfect advocate to normalise cycling? + more on the live blog”
Quote:
That’s very unfair – it’s not just on Birmingham roads…
brooksby wrote:
This is so true, sadly. I’m nearly 60, have been cycling for 55 years, and although my heart is fighting it, my head is saying it won’t be long before I abandon road cycling. And most of my cycling is in rural Sussex!
Until this country stops
Until this country stops treating speeding as something every one does nothing will change, scrap the driver awareness course and just give points out. My neighbour just been caught doing 43 in a 30 mph zone and thinks its funny and now awaiting her speed awareness course. She is hoping to complete it online what a farce.
scrap the driver awareness
scrap the driver awareness course and just give points out
That would require a fundamental change in the attitude of the police.
My brother did a speed
My brother did a speed awareness course and he back evangelical about 20mph speed limits. I’m sure it did him more good than 3 points and a fine.
Meanwhile, I was speeding on the motorway and saw police with a speed gun on a bridge too late. No ticket came through my letter box, but I spent the following fortnight+ in a state of anxiety, which was heightened when the post was due. I fully accept I would have deserved a ticket, which was the worst part (even though I could convince myself it was safe for the conditions). The mere thought of the shame of a speed awareness course/points may have done more to teach me a lesson than actually getting the punishment.
However, I accept they are of limited deterrent to some, and there is a point at which meaningful fines (linked to wealth/income) and bans are required. I can’t believe they are allowing them to be done remotely. Surely the inconvenience of attending and the shame of having to look people in the eye, and being forced to pay attention is what would make them effective for those who aren’t pscyopaths.
If you’ve done one before then I’m not sure you should be allowed another, and definitely not remotely.
It’s 25% to 175% of weekly
It’s 25% to 175% of weekly income, but capped at 1000 or 2500 in your case.
Your parents obviously raised
Your parents obviously raised you and your brother well so you have a sense of moral obligation. Not everyone was raised that well. Those people can only be persuaded to obey the law if there are real repercussions for breaking it.
I’m sure it did him more good
I’m sure it did him more good than 3 points and a fine
We woud have to agree to disagree on that.
I know there are people
I know there are people driving with over 12 points on their licence, but maybe it’s time for points and a speed awareness course to be attended.
That much over the speed
That much over the speed limit she should not be eligible for SAC. You can only avoid points by taking a course if you were within 10% +2mph of the enforcable limit. This will vary as different teams and cameras have different margins of error before starting prosecutions, but say she was caught with the maximum margin of error for prosecution at 10%+1mph as per current guidelines. You will receive an NIP for going over 34mph but you should only be eligible for a speed awareness course if caught going less than(34+3.4+2=) 39.4mph. SACs are a joke. The whole process needs to be standardised and margins of error reduced, then enforced properly.
brooksby wrote:
A cycnic might agree and say the whole of Birmingham should be a state of emergency, not just the roads
How the F do you get a bike
How the F do you get a bike through that gate??
It looks like you are expected to throw it in the air, dash through, and catch it.
Use a brompton and push it
Use a brompton and push it through the dog bit.
Collapse your pram and push it through the dog bit.
Collapse your wheelchair and push it through the dog bit. At this point you are now stuck – try thinking outside the box.
Hmm… isn’t Birmingham
Hmm… isn’t Birmingham bankrupt?
If so it would be a great advantage to them to stop chucking so much money at driving infra and start reaping the other economic benefits from fixing it to encourage active travel and less private motor vehicle use *.
Experience suggests however that one of the first items to be cut from the budget is anything with “active travel” in the title. Because we can’t afford to maintain all the roads…
* That’s not just building “cycling infra”. There are a whole bunch of relatively cheap ways of discouraging excessive driving and also encouraging active travel. Modal filters, road narrowing by creating some “disaster relief quality” cycle space with concrete blocks, sorting out parking, installing bus gates to improve public transport reliability, creating pedestrianised areas etc. Of course “junctions” are the difficult bit, and sometimes “main roads” as well.
I reckon the cheapest way of
I reckon the cheapest way of improving road safety is to just ban motor traffic from the roads that have a fatality caused by motor traffic. The ban can just remain until they have spare money to make it safe and in the meantime, the closed roads can be used for active travel instead.
That barricade is astonishing
That barricade is astonishing.
The only phrase I have is “cattle crush for giraffes” or “Stalag Luft III Entrance”.
According to the hashtag, it is on the NCN (!).
How much taxpayers’ money was pissed away installing THAT?
I think GCNs latest video is
I think GCNs latest video is well timed with that report from Better streets for Birmingham.
There’s nothing in it that we didn’t already know, but it’s good that theres a concise, well evidenced video that’s easily digestible to share and get our point across.
It’s also nice that GCN are getting back to making quality content after the parting with D-WB.
Yeah, a good watch, and a
Yeah, a good watch, and a reminder that GCN can do good content when they want. They should do more of this type of content, rather than the usual performance, expensive tech stuff.
Remember they’ve gone through
Remember they’ve gone through a bit of ownership change of direction lately.
i think we’ll see more of this stuff but, now it’s all on the YouTube algorithm you’ve got to like, comment, subscribe hit the bell for notifications, drive(sic) the viewer count up for it, so they can see what works and what doesn’t.
Unfortunately another death
Unfortunately another death this morning at the site of the top picture…
Sidewind increasing and
Sidewind increasing and decreasing as you enter and exit curve?
Quote: “While disc wheels, ..
Quote: “While disc wheels, … lower your aerodynamic and make you go faster from A to B, … they also reduce the downforce you need to turn your bike, making them especially tricky in windy conditions.”
What???
The first one’s OK, but the
The first one’s OK, but the second???!?
That’s why so many F1 drivers
That’s why so many F1 drivers are cyclists!
anke2 wrote:
I’m more bemused by
How does that work? Is it UCI legal?
Came here to make the same
Came here to make the same comment “they also reduce the downforce you need to turn your bike” – Uh, wha’? Someone in Road.cc mansions has had a brainfart there, or else needs to think about things again.
Even on an indoor track, a
Even on an indoor track, a front disc is twitchy AF, and it’s not the downforce that’s making it so. It’s non-uniform winds acting on a front end that turns easily.
How did he even get to the
How did he even get to the tunnel ?
Rendel, oldridgeback – any ideas ?
Holds up “driver”
Not necessarily lancs…
Not necessarily lancs…
Cycling for mind: Some
Cycling for mind: Some seriously shit steering there.
Just came across the below
Just came across the below post from York Regional Police on Facebook. Doubtless means well but not sure about the vibe it gives off, “There is no rule that you have to like cyclists” feels pretty close to “Yes we know cyclists are annoying but…” to me.
ETA Oops, looking at it more closely it’s York Canada – still a bit of an annoying tone but perhaps less relevant to British readers…teach me to post on a Sunday morning with insufficient coffee!
Thought there was something
Thought there was something off there …
… far too cycle-positive for Yorkshire! I think there’s a York in Lancs too but obviously again far too helpful to originate there.
There are also a smattering of Yorks in such cycle-friendly nations as the US and Australia. I wouldn’t presume to guess the helpful suggestions they might make!
“Imagine going through this
“Imagine going through this everyday when there is a faster and more efficient way of travel available”
Car manufacturers/advertisers have a lot to answer for, with their commercials showing empty/scenic roads which is not the every day reality.