Frustrated breakaway contenders miss out on Giro d’Italia stage win after bizarre finale; Stop Killing Cyclists co-founder slams “entitlement” of complaining drivers; “Bycles” is no more; Your stupid cycling moments; Hi-vis + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"Miracle I'm still alive": Most stupid moment you've ever had on a bike?
Most stupid moment youve ever had on a bike? Ill go first. mudguard rubbing against tyre around front fork. Thought “a good knock will probably line that back up” so thumped the front mudguard behind the fork whilst cruising along. A miracle im still alive. Your turn.
— Stephen (@NorthRoadSte) May 26, 2022
Let the floodgates open…
Not zipping up my back pocket with a buff in it… pic.twitter.com/GieQWwWZp0
— Phil B (@phil_b) May 26, 2022
Went to hold on to a bollard at a set of traffic lights to save unclipping. It was one of the flexi ones.
Need I say more?!— Liz (@misslizmanning) May 27, 2022
Hmmm, the difficult thing for me is deciding which one counts as most stupid…
There was the busy commute unclipping fail, but that was more a result of stubbornly avoiding buying new cleats until the old ones couldn’t…well, unclip…
Somehow getting a ball bearing in my frame is up there too…that’s a rattle that’s hard to get rid of…
Or how about as a very young kid, having just learnt how to ride a bike without stabilisers when I decided trying to cycle with my eyes closed would be a good idea…*narrator: “It was not a good idea”*…our neighbour’s hedge never was the same again…
Riding home from lacrosse practice. My mate told me to watch out because I might get my lacrosse stick stuck in my spokes.
“Don’t be daft” I said, “It’ll never fit in between the spokes. And jammed it at the wheel to prove my point.Lacrosses sticks will fit between the spokes.
— Jon (@Jontafkasi) May 26, 2022
Forgot I was wearing cleats. Forgot to unclip at a red light, on a main road under spaghetti junction in Birmingham. It was rush hour and I fell off to the side. I can still hear the lads in the white van behind me howling with laughter. 🤪
— Peter Bailey (@FWPeterBailey) May 26, 2022
Thought if I carried on towards the badger that was crossing the road it would scurry out the way before I got there, and save me swerving to avoid. It didn’t. Just stared at me as I ran over it, then chased me down the road. Scared the shite out of me.
— Marc Ruse (@marcruse) May 26, 2022
Come on, don’t be shy… get your most stupid cycling moment in the comments…we promise not to laugh too much…
24 hours is a long time on Twitter...Peter McKinnon changes his tune
Yesterday, Peter McKinnon asked: “Question. Why do cyclists think they’re vehicles?” and got the educational response you’d expect…
By the evening he’d changed his tune…
My bad guys 🚴♀️🚴🚴♂️❤️☺️ pic.twitter.com/9iif4Gji8k
— petermckinnon (@petermckinnon) May 26, 2022
"The entire story is lengthy, but riding into the back of a Vauxhall Viva and causing my love plums to explode would be a particular low point": We have a new clubhouse leader...
“I’ll get the milk”
ride the 1/4 mile to the petrol station, pop a wheelie over a kerb when i remember i hadn’t done up the front wheel after the bike had been on a roof rack… got the milk and a broken wrist https://t.co/KGmUXbZduG— Jo Burt (@VecchioJo) May 27, 2022
road.cc contributor Jo should have taken a horse to the shops…ask Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority if you have no idea what I’m talking about…
Brace yourselves for the most eye-watering reply I think I’ve ever put on the live blog…
The entire story is lengthy, but riding into the back of a Vauxhall Viva and causing my love plums to explode would be a particular low point.
— Dirk Kildair (@Dirk_Kildair) May 27, 2022
On the funnier end of the scale…
Noticed a bar plug was sticking out so walloped it back in with palm of my hand and steered off the road into a hedge…
— Plastik Edukator (@ManyFacedTMan) May 27, 2022
Trying to extract a crank that was still very firmly bolted to the bottom bracket. @aweepedal knows about this. https://t.co/bnnlESKC3G
— 𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 (@overlandertheb1) May 27, 2022
My seat snapped off just as I left work with 19 miles still to go…
— Lennie: always Antifa 🇺🇦 (@drgs100) May 27, 2022
Here on the live blog, you commenters have had your fair share…
Steve K said: “In the days when I thought it was ok to chuck banana skins into hedgerows, I tried to do exactly that with a good hard throw, whilst completely forgetting about Newton’s Third Law, and only just managed to keep the bike upright.”
Rendel Harris commented: “Most stupid moment on a bike: coming off the Col de Madone on a hire bike, having pompously drilled into Mrs H ad nauseam that they were a continental setup with the front brake on the left, leaning it into the first hairpin, overcooking it slightly and promptly forgetting myself, grabbing a handful of what I thought was front brake and going into a big sideways drift as the back wheel locked up. Managed to get it upright just in time for Mrs H to coast by on my inside, murmuring, ‘Forgot, did we?’.”
Keep ’em coming…
Curiously this happened on the very same street...
"Most drivers wait until the bike is sold": Toronto motorist smashes into bike shop
Even in the supposed safety of a retail establishment it seems bicycles are not safe from harm…
All our staff are ok and it appears no one was injured. I’ve always wonder how a driver hits a building? Now I can ask one who’s done it. pic.twitter.com/UxEFAo1jc5
— Sweet Pete’s (@SweetPetesBikes) May 26, 2022
Toronto drivers crash into buildings on a semi-regular basis, but it’s a little on the nose to crash directly into a bike shop. pic.twitter.com/PMveu4sQiq
— Alex Mather (@AlexDRMather) May 26, 2022
Toronto-based Sweet Pete’s at least tried to see the funny side (if you don’t laugh you’ll cry, and all that)…
And in case you weren’t sure our shop in limited to a speed of 0.0kph
— Sweet Pete’s (@SweetPetesBikes) May 26, 2022
If only Sweet Pete’s was using the cycle shop lane then none of this would have happened…
Most drivers wait until the bikes are sold.
— Medium Rick (@e46rick) May 27, 2022
Yes, should have had some @Bontrager day time running lights flashing on the front of the shop.
— Sweet Pete’s (@SweetPetesBikes) May 27, 2022
Sorry, but I have to ask – was your shop wearing appropriate reflective clothing?
— Mississauga’s #1 Mantis Fan (@DuncanIdunno) May 27, 2022
"Peak irony"
Cargo bike car valet in Hackney. Peak irony. Kudos pic.twitter.com/cyouoWzvvw
— Bob From Accounts 🚲 (@BobFromAccounts) May 27, 2022
road.cc at the Giro
Live blog favourite Ryan is on his honeymoon so, naturally, has taken the lucky lady to watch the Giro d’Italia…no, really…
Here are some of his snaps from yesterday’s stage finish in Treviso…
There's racing closer to home today too
📸 The peloton moves through the beautiful Essex countryside in the early stages of Stage One
Follow the action on our live blog: https://t.co/Ah8DKbhZQ1#RideLondon | #RideLondonClassique pic.twitter.com/nfPgvR9fkW
— RideLondon (@RideLondon) May 27, 2022
It’s not just the Giro today. The Women’s WorldTour peloton are rolling through the Essex countryside on stage one of the RideLondon Classique. 100km to go until the stage finish in Maldon: British champ Pfeiffer Georgi, world champ Elisa Balsamo and Lotte Kopecky are just three of the names competing.
There’s another stage in Essex tomorrow, before the central London circuit race finale on Sunday…
Stop Killing Cyclists co-founder slams "entitlement" of drivers complaining about 20mph speed limits during Good Morning Britain debate
‘Is it just a money-making ploy?’
Donnachadh McCarthy. co-founder of ‘Stop Killing Cyclists’ says it is entitled for drivers to go over 20mph in certain areas and safety has to come first. pic.twitter.com/kTeGS2ygis
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) May 27, 2022
Co-founder of Stop Killing Cyclists Donnachadh McCarthy was on Good Morning Britain this morning to take part in a debate about 20mph speed limits, which was framed as: “Are 20mph cameras a war on drivers?”
On the ITV morning show, McCarthy was making the case for the cameras, while broadcaster Edward Adoo argued there is “no logic” to 20mph cameras being live in the early hours of the morning when “there is no-one around”.
The ‘debate’ came after a 20mph camera in Plymouth detected more than 23,500 speeding drivers before it was officially switched on — including 1,100 in the first 24 hours alone.
McCarthy said Adoo’s claim the cameras should be switched off during quieter times was “the voice of entitlement”.
“We’re listening to the voice of entitlement,” he said. “He talks about families. What about the family of kids who are being killed? The idea that we put the idea of a £100 fine against saving lives is shocking to me. At night time there will be nurses coming home from the night shift. There’ll be parents going to work on the Good Morning show.”
At this point the host interrupts to make the point…”But they’ll be in cars. They won’t be at risk of being hit, one would imagine”…erm, right…okay…because nobody in a car has ever hit another vehicle…
Showing the patience of a saint, McCarthy corrects: “Sorry, they could crash into another driver. This is actually safety for everybody. The idea that we have not enforced 20mph zones is a disgrace. Five times more people will be killed at 30 (mph) than 20 (mph). Why have the police not enforced it up to now? This is good news for families, good news for kids.”
‘There’s no logic.’
Motorists have reacted with fury to the appearance of 20mph speed cameras catching thousands out.
But are these cameras a ‘cash cow’ or much-needed to keep us safe? pic.twitter.com/qpENIoYPkO
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) May 27, 2022
Cycling is weird
@mathieuvdpoel we are waiting for you!! pic.twitter.com/Jw8Vsg8cIN
— Svit Kramar Ros (@ros_svit) May 27, 2022
Left the original tweet in so you can see your stage 19 breakaway — KOM jersey holder Koen Bouwman has to be the heavy favourite if it goes the distance. Teammate, and yesterday’s second place, Edoardo Affini is on the front powering the miles away…
The break has nine and a half minutes with 105km to go…looking good for Jumbo-Visma…
Alessandro De Marchi visits his hometown during Giro d'Italia stage 19
Amore Infinito 🥰@ADM_RossodiBuja
🇮🇹 #Giro pic.twitter.com/KCs25NltDZ
— Israel – Premier Tech / Israel Cycling Academy (@IsraelPremTech) May 27, 2022
Time for some more of your most stupid cycling moments
When I was a kid I was flying down a hill in a mates cul de sac, and I pulled the back brake hard to skid it round in front of his house. Turned a bit too hard, ended up facing the opposite direction and going over the back wheel.
— Oli (@dudeoli) May 27, 2022
Kapelmuur nominated a friend with some extraordinary tales of cycling stupidity: “This reminds me of an accident prone chap I met on a ride a few years ago. One of his collisions with a parked car resulted in him crashing through the rear window and landing in the back seat.
“He also got his front wheel stuck in a cattle grid and was catapulted over the bars, I couldn’t work out how that was possible. His best was setting up rollers in his living room, riding off the end of them, sweeping a clock, ornaments and photos off the mantelpiece and wrecking the coffee table he landed on.
“He has survived though, I still see his name on Strava.”
Cycling into a @WorldBollard I’m still blushing at the thought.
— Birdy (@BiddyBike) May 27, 2022
nosferatu1001: “Cycling along a new path I’ve not been down before, looked back for a second to shout about how good a path it was, look back to see a hidden collapsed bit of path down into the river right in front of me. About 3 feet across and too close to avoid. Just managed to hook the front wheel up and kept speed up so it made the other side. Bit of a bump but otherwise ok…. Timing was immense.”
I lost a vital gear component off my bike, as I fixed a puncture, 40kms into a 4,000km ride
Found the component after an hour of frantic searching through long grass…still having flashbacks 😱
— Kris (@climb8b) May 27, 2022
PRSboy added another second-hand tale: “Back on the ‘stupid things on bikes’ theme, a friend was in a group in a sportive, when a bloke decided he’d remove his gilet, pro style, whilst pedalling along at 40kmh. All was apparently going well until he got the garment stuck on the left brake hood as he packed it up…”
😬
I have too many of these tales to tell 😵
— Mike Anton (@M1ke_A) May 27, 2022
Cycling UK unveils new long distance cycling route through Kent
Cycling UK has launched its fifth route: 145 miles (234km) through Kent starting in the village of Wye, near Ashford. The loop was launched on Kent Day, yesterday, as part of Cycling UK’s EXPERIENCE project and the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.
The Cantii Way is designed to be “a perfect introduction to multi-day cycling and can be ridden in one go over three to four days as it passes through Canterbury, Whitstable, Folkestone, Dover and Dungeness.”
“Using a combination of quiet ways, country lanes, byways and bridleways the route is designed to be manageable by anyone of reasonable fitness on most types of bike. Making use of part of the North Downs Way Riders’ Route that Cycling UK launched in 2018 in collaboration with Kent Downs AONB, the Cantii Way takes riders deep into Kent’s rich history, vibrant modern culture and natural beauty,” Cycling UK says.
Richie Porte abandons Giro d'Italia — final Grand Tour ends with illness
🇦🇺 @richie_porte drops out of the Giro 🙁
🇦🇺 @richie_porte abbandona il Giro 🙁#Giro
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia) May 27, 2022
Richie Porte’s final Grand Tour has ended, with an illness seeing the Ineos Grenadiers pro dropping out the race with 80km to go on stage 19. Eurosport and GCN+ on-motorbike reporter Sir Bradley Wiggins said he had seen the Australian throwing up, and shouted “gastro” to him — suggesting a stomach problem.
Ba Dum Tss
Anybody with a pulse can do it…
— Peter Brommer (@pbro48) May 26, 2022
> Tyre Extinguishers target SUVs on home turf of the ‘Chelsea Tractor’
😬
This is a nuts final kilometre 🥴 pic.twitter.com/ptWVmkEc3u
— Tilda (@matildaprice_) May 27, 2022
Local knowledge suggests there’s a pretty testing 8 per cent gradient before the sharp bend, which might make things a little safer…
That didn't last long..."Bycles" warning is no more
Shout out to road.cc reader Dougie for delivering the goods…
> “Did a car write this?”: Bizarre anti-cycling paintwork warns ‘no bycles’ allowed
The bycles warning is no more…”the spelling bee champion is out to fix it” he reported live from the scene…
The content we've waited all week to see...
It has finally happened. pic.twitter.com/oACBAUrQYf
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) May 27, 2022
What's all this then? road.cc goes riding in mysterious attire
All shall be revealed next week!
Frustrated breakaway contenders miss out on Giro d'Italia stage win after bizarre finale
From contending for a Giro d’Italia stage win to riding face first off the course in a matter of seconds…
🚴🇮🇹 | Haha, wow… Wat een ontknoping! De halve kopgroep schiet rechtdoor in de laatste bocht… en dus wint Bouwman?! Was dit legaal, is dit oké? 🙌💙 #Giro
📺 Koers kijk je op discovery+ pic.twitter.com/ooqP7llS36
— Eurosport Nederland (@Eurosport_NL) May 27, 2022
Reporting from the finish area, Bradley Wiggins said there had been a few angry words exchanged between the breakaway riders after this bizarre end to today’s stage. Approaching the sharp final bend, eventual stage winner Koen Bouwman accelerated past Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s Mauro Schmid, narrowly avoiding his front wheel as they rounded the bend.
Schmid locked up, moving across into the path of Andrea Vendrame, who in turn dominoed towards Atilla Valter. The two unfortunate riders were sent straight towards a run off area, thankfully unbarriered, but were left extremely frustrated at having missed their chance. Schmid, Valter and Vendrame all crossed the line gesticulating their disgust…
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) May 27, 2022
This could be very interesting to keep an eye on…
In the GC group, once again, nothing changed…despite the attacking efforts of Richard Carapaz, Jai Hindley and Mikel Landa. Hindley and Carapaz are seperated by just three seconds ahead of tomorrow’s final mountain stage…
Agree?
I get Schmid’s frustration, but come on. Has he never seen a criterium? You can’t complain about a rider not holding their line in a sprint when there’s tight lefthand turn in the final 100m. It’s a fight for the inside line. Bouwman won that fight. #Giro pic.twitter.com/Kuez3xa9ox
— Neal Rogers 🇺🇦 (@nealrogers) May 27, 2022
Lorena Wiebes wins opening stage of RideLondon Classique
🚴♀️ 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 🚴♀️
1️⃣ @lorenawiebes
2️⃣ @Elisa_balsamo
3️⃣ @emmanorsgaard1 #RideLondon | #RideLondonClassique pic.twitter.com/Ni7IRZJQdK— RideLondon (@RideLondon) May 27, 2022
Lorena Wiebes was the winner of the opening stage of the RideLondon Classique in Essex this afternoon. She beat world champion Elisa Balsamo and Emma Norsgaard to the line and takes the leader’s jersey as a result. Tomorrow looks like another Essex sprint stage, before Sunday’s central London circuit race.
The top ten of stage 1️⃣! 👇#RideLondon | #RideLondonClassique pic.twitter.com/ivnfMtCc9i
— RideLondon (@RideLondon) May 27, 2022
27 May 2022, 08:00
27 May 2022, 08:00
27 May 2022, 08:00
27 May 2022, 08:00
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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.
68 thoughts on “Frustrated breakaway contenders miss out on Giro d’Italia stage win after bizarre finale; Stop Killing Cyclists co-founder slams “entitlement” of complaining drivers; “Bycles” is no more; Your stupid cycling moments; Hi-vis + more on the live blog”
Most stupid moment on a bike:
Most stupid moment on a bike: coming off the Col de Madone on a hire bike, having pompously drilled into Mrs H ad nauseam that they were a continental setup with the front brake on the left, leaning it into the first hairpin, overcooking it slightly and promptly forgetting myself, grabbing a handful of what I thought was front brake and going into a big sideways drift as the back wheel locked up. Managed to get it upright just in time for Mrs H to coast by on my inside, murmuring, “Forgot, did we?”
Descending a massive hill at
Descending a massive hill at about 35mph and realising halfway around a left hand bend that it was much sharper than I thought; ended up on the wrong side of the road, but fortunately there was nothing coming.
The mention of just learning
The mention of just learning after stabilisers off. After mine came I decided to fall to the right into the hedges along the road for a “soft” landing. Did that a few times and realised my hand was stinging. Looked down and wondered what that white spot on the skin of my knuckle was. Then the blood came rushing in from the remaining skin to cover the exposed bone.
That was six months before I played “Kick Start” with two planks over a brick. I decided to upgrade to a two brick high centre column which promptly toppled on my first attempt and threw me into a wall. I ran in to get my mum, screaming about the three spots of blood on my hand. She was more interested in the weird angle my arm was at which turned out to be a broken arm. I always blame that incident for why I write like a left handed person with my right hand which was because I had a wacking great cast on my arm when learning so naturally rested the whole arm on the table.
In the days when I thought it
In the days when I thought it was ok to chuck banana skins into hedgerows, I tried to do exactly that with a good hard throw, whilst completely forgetting about Newton’s Third Law, and only just managed to keep the bike upright.
Just fitted new mudguards to
Just fitted new mudguards to my bike. Doing a little trackstand while waiting for lights to change to avoid unclipping. Did not realise new mudguards now mean there is toe overlap. Lights change; I start to straighten handlebars; mudguard hits foot; I hit floor. New mudguards bent.
Most stupid recent thing…
Most stupid recent thing… Riding straight into the back of a stationary car whilst pointing out a nice classic car in a petrol station to my friend cycling behind.
Luckily the car I hit was owned by the nicest bloke I’ve met for some time, who said the scratch on the back of his car would polish out, and offered to buy me a coffee to settle my nerves!
I habitually unclip my left
I habitually unclip my left foot. There was a very slow/stationary lane of traffic that I was filtering past The other side of the road was clear and so this was straightforward, until a police car – one of the big, fast ones came screaming aournd a corner, blue lights and siren on. No problem – I’d masses of time, so I pulled in behind a white van and unclipped my left foot. My error was to lean to the right to look around the van to see how far away the police car was – the answer was very and, dear god, that was close…
A long time ago, as I kid i was rolling along with my hands on the bars just each side of the stem. I wondered idly what would happen if I swapped my hands over. left to right and vice versa. The answer is that you crash. I still occasionally wonder if I’d crash now but i haven’t been stupid enough to experiment
I did that too nniff, and
I did that too nniff, and ended up in patch of nettles, stung to bits
Apparently you can learn to
Apparently you can learn to do this – but if you do you might get stuck that way:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzDaBzBlL0
Noticed my quick release
Noticed my quick release skewer on my front fork was loose.
Tried to kick it back in as thought this would be quicker than pulling over, but it didnt move.
Tried to give it a harder kick, but missed and put my foot into the spokes, braking about 14 spokes and bringing the bike to abrupt stop, sending me over the handlebars.
Had to walk the bike the rest of the way to work, so definitly wasnt quicker.
Hmm, quite a few to choose
Hmm, quite a few to choose from, but I’ll mention hammering down the narrow, twisty and steep road towards the old Cramond Brig on my 10 speed Falcon and rounding a corner to see a JCB trundling up the hill towards me. Quite how I managed to squeeze past it on its left side while my back wheel was locked up I’ll never know. There was about a hand’s width from my bars to its bucket on one side and to the stone wall on the other. I do remember seeing the driver’s shocked expression as I shot past.
It was most definitely my fault, not his. Blasting full pelt down a narrow and twisty road when there might be oncoming traffic isn’t smart. But I was just 17.
Banging on the side of a 4×4
Banging on the side of a 4×4 that passed too close, forgetting Newton’s 2nd law (?) and the reaction putting me into a ditch.
Also on holiday in France in 2012 after Wiggins had won the TdF, buying a Union flag jersey to annoy the locals then falling off in front of a cafe full of them when forgetting to unclip. Then having to pedal away one legged as blood streamed down my leg from a damaged knee.
Racing and not remembering
Racing and not remembering the route. To this day I don’t know who was wrong, just that a friend turned off towards a junction, just as I was passing him at full pelt. Net result a bike crash and one ruined Peugeot bike. I did learn how to fly though.
Oops – looks like the Emily
Oops – looks like the Emily Bridges article has closed for comments. From what I saw, it was like watching a slow-motion train wreck.
It did get a bit partisan.
It did get a bit partisan. Alot of assumed outrage
Although it gave a chance for
Although it gave a chance for PBU to pop up again with a new name and be the most offensive of the lot.
Who was that ?
Who was that ?
CycleSmurf or similar name.
CycleSmurf or similar name.
All the hallmarks of him anyway.
I see comments have now been
I see comments have now been disabled on the article about Emily Bridges. I’m kind of glad…
I was just wondering if they
I was just wondering if they would get up to beyond 300!
I just stay away from those sorts of discussions – whatever you say will offend someone.
hirsute wrote:
I was tempted to address some of the comments that demonstrated child-like understanding of biology, but thought better of it.
I started to, as some showed
I started to, as some showed their usual pre1960s knowledge and misogyny, but glad they got closed.
hirsute wrote:
Yep. And it’s also one of those times where the perspective of a straight, white, CIS male is really not that relevant in the scheme of things.
A LOT of assumptions made
A LOT of assumptions made about the posters there.
sparrowlegs wrote:
I was explaining why I don’t post on those discussions. I’m pretty sure I’m not making any assumptions in saying that I am a straight, white, CIS male.
That’s ok then. Carry on.
That’s ok then. Carry on.
Driving home last night in
Driving home last night in the 20mph zone in my village, and I was overtaken by another driver (this always happens when I cycle there, but this was only the second time when I’ve been driving). I caught up with the car at the traffic lights. I was very tempted to try and get in front again when the lights changed, but he had stopped with his front wheels well over the stop line, so it would have been dangerous to do so.
My favourites are the ones
My favourites are the ones who overtake going through built-up areas, despite there being a parked car or something they will have to stop behind, literally 50 yards away.
I had a fella do that the other day and overtook him again, only for him to pass me again then immediately stop to turn right.
Quote:
And nobody would ever be going to work on foot, or by bike…
mdavidford wrote:
And nobody would ever be going to work on foot, or by bike…
I enjoy the “logic” of turning the cameras off as there’s no-one around. If there’s no-one around then who would the cameras be catching? If a tree speeds through a forest, would a squirrel still live in it?
hawkinspeter wrote:
Dunno, you tell us!
SimoninSpalding wrote:
They (squirrels) can run at up to 20mph, so I’d say yes.
Can’t seem to outrun our cats
Can’t seem to outrun our cats at the moment with the two recent corpses I have had to dispose mean anything.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
House cats can run up to 30mph apparently
Although ours are siblings so
Although ours are siblings so they might have done a wolf pack type chase and interception. Either that or an unfortunate squirrel was underneath were our most erm “fluffiest” cat fell off a fence.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
Well, that sounds to me like you’re just being fluffist (warning, word may not actually exist). I just hope your cats didn’t get a red squirrel – grey ones are fair game.
No red in the midlands
No red in the midlands unfortunately. Although my mrs does subscibe to the world domination theory well before Rick and Morty covered it. Started when they threw pine cones at her as she was on the way to her work.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
I think Antarctica is the only place that doesn’t have squirrels
hawkinspeter wrote:
Nearly all of Australia as well, just an artifically-introduced colony around Perth I believe.
Rendel Harris wrote:
Perth Zoo, I believe. (Most of Australia is pretty much uninhabitable apart from the coastal areas or for Aborigines who really know what they’re doing)
I’m surprised no-one’s tried to introduce squirrels into the forests of Queensland – they’d have a fighting chance of surving there.
Not the most recent data, but
Not the most recent data, but these statistics indicate the rate of fatalities (per mile travelled) is highest overnight and in the early morning when “there’s no-one around”. Obviously there are various potential explanations but I imagine a significant part of is people speeding because “there’s no-one around” until they hit someone (or something – 43% of car fatalities are “single vehicle accidents”).
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/448037/road-fatalities-2013-data.pdf
How many NHS staff were
How many NHS staff were knocked off when cycling to and from work in the shutdown?
I never understand why
I never understand why cameras etc are framed as a war on drivers.
Coming up next on Good Morning Britain; “are door locks and burglar alarms a war on petty thieves?”
Victimless crime …
Victimless crime …
That is, until someone gets killed, then it’s all “been telling *them* for years about this road” etc, etc.
Back on the ‘stupid things on
Back on the ‘stupid things on bikes’ theme, a friend was in a group in a sportive, when a bloke decided he’d remove his gilet, pro style, whilst pedalling along at 40kmh. All was apparently going well until he got the garment stuck on the left brake hood as he packed it up…
Cycling along a new path I’ve
Cycling along a new path I’ve not been down before, looked back for a second to shout about how good a path it was, look back to see a hidden collapsed bit of path down into the river right in front of me. Abiut 3 feet across and too close to avoid.
just managed to hook the front wheel up and kept speed up so it made the other side. Bit of a bump but otherwise ok….
Timing was immense
Enjoying the ride so much I
Enjoying the ride so much I went in to the back of a parked car.
Later the same year – pushing on so much I went into the back of a parked car.
Probably a good thing I didn’t drive back then. I’ve learned a little since.
Experiencing speed wobbles whenever I tried to brake going down a long hill in the the Scottish highlands. Took the bend at the bottom on the outside of the right hand side but kept upright, just. The timing was fortunate as the only car I’d seen in an hour or so – coming towards me – was just far enough back not to be a problem.
This reminds me of an
This reminds me of an accident prone chap I met on a ride a few years ago. One of his collisions with a parked car resulted in him crashing through the rear window and landing in the back seat.
He also got his front wheel stuck in a cattle grid and was catapulted over the bars, I couldn’t work out how that was possible. His best was setting up rollers in his living room, riding off the end of them, sweeping a clock, ornaments and photos off the mantelpiece and wrecking the coffee table he landed on.
He has survived though, I still see his name on Strava.
Nice! I was glad to find I
Nice! I was glad to find I wasn’t the only idiot unable to avoid stationary cars as a former flat mate managed to go so hard into one that they did exactly what your chap did, right through the glass.
Maybe it was really a dual purpose cattle-cyclist grid?
Many moons ago my younger
Many moons ago my younger brother and I were racing one another in the stupid way only siblings can. To this day I’m convinced I’d have won had I not ridden into the back of the stationary Police van….
#institutionallyanticyclist
#institutionallyanticyclist
My brother went into the back
My brother went into the back of a parked car. He was coming up to it and looked behind to see if any cars were coming but had totally misjudged distance/speed etc.
But then it is not the first time he has cycled into stationary objects. He came down a steep hill into the side of a our hired caravan at the start of a holiday once. Parents heard a bang and found the 5yo sprawled at the side of it. That might have been the same holiday were I went missing (at 6 months) and after frantic searching they had found I had crawled underneath it.
7 years ago I was doing the
7 years ago I was doing the Dartmoor Classic, which features lots of gorgeous roads and scenery. I’m on the moor somewhere past Postbridge, so roughly 3/4 of the way round. There’s a long descent with a left hander at the bottom and a climb out. I get up to about 50 mph, check in front and behind, nothing coming in either direction for miles, so I line the corner up for maximum speed and use of the road. I’m right on the right hand edge, but turn in slightly too late, so miss the apex anyway. I ran wide on the exit, on the grass, speed coming off quickly, get it back on the road, think Christ I’ve saved it… then not sure what happened but I am on the deck, most of my left leg grazed, my arse is hanging out what is left of my shorts, my shoulders are bleeding. Had to ride 20+ miles back to the finish.
I don’t approach downhill corners like that anymore…
Stopped facing out over the
Stopped facing out over the top of a flight of steps to take a photo. Then went to turn to the side and push off. Only at that point did I discover that a camera on a strap round your neck that suspends it at a perfect height for snagging the bars is a bad idea…
Can I ride cycling UK’s
Can I ride cycling UK’s newest route on a bike with disc brakes???
The government: “Hey, this is
The government: “Hey, this is the law, it is there to keep people safe”
Vulnerable groups: “Could you please obey the law, you are killing people”
Drivers: “Its ridiculous that people would even consider obeying the law. I am offended that you would even suggest it, you are the bad guy here.”
But but cycling through red
But but cycling through red lights / on pavements / wrong way / two abreast (?) / not pulling over to let faster vehicles through … and cyclists are killing people – although you might have to squint to see it.
Cyclist on crossing mowed
Cyclist on crossing mowed down by RLJ driver.
Driver claimed the cyclist was at fault because he wasn’t wearing Hi Viz and had headphones on.
Quote:
‘[Derek Hall] was jailed for
‘[Derek Hall] was jailed for three years and four months as well as banned from driving for three years, eight months’
It doesn’t say whether or not the ban is running concurrently with his sentence. What use is a ban if he’s going to be imprisoned throughout half-to-most of it?
zideriup wrote:
It doesn’t say whether or not the ban is running concurrently with his sentence. What use is a ban if he’s going to be imprisoned throughout half-to-most of it?— zideriup
They run consecutively, so the ban begins the day he gets out. This changed a few years ago.
Warning for the faint hearted
Warning for the faint hearted; don’t look at the picture of the driver.
If it had been reported in my
If it had been reported in my local rag the comments section would have been full of motorists defending the actions of the driver. Perhaps there’s more common sense in Birmingham than I imagined.
As ever it seems to be one law for the motorists and everyone else can go **** themselves.
Warning for anyone else
Double.
At least he stopped, rendered
At least he stopped, rendered assistance, attended the interview voluntarily and plead guilty to dangerous driving. I recall others who have killed a cyclist, fled the scene, refused to answer questions without a lawyer and plead not guilty or acceped careless driving and have got away with a lot less.
This seems to be entirely wrong to me.
PS Just seen the latest loophole created for people with a thick skin and no conscience. The rules have been changed so that ministers don’t have to resign for breaking the ministerial code.
The GMB thing reminded me of
The GMB thing reminded me of the time a few weeks ago when they had a climate protester on, and ridiculed her shamelessly. Presumably they hadn’t seen “Don’t Look Up” as they would have curled up and died at their complete crass ignorance.
Couldn’t see anything wrong
Couldn’t see anything wrong with Bouwman’s line watching it live, having watched multiple replays from multiple angles I still can’t. The guys behind made a spectacular misjudgment, only themselves to blame as far as I can see.
I’ll do a deal with the
I’ll do a deal with the driving lobby, get the people you represent to stop killing other motorists, motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians, damaging buildings and street furniture, and will lobby for the removal of speed limits based on the success in achieving it.
20mph limits are brought in because motorists kill and injure people with depressing regularity. They are not taxes on motorists, they are an attempt to staunch the KSI rate of driving.