- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Tubeless valves
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
news
Cyclists "maim thousands a year", apparently; A whole lotta love... for cycling: Robert Plant on why he loves his bike; Bernal back riding outside; Active travel funding cut for tory councils; "Today's nonsense" from Jeremy Vine + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
No cycling (copyright Simon MacMichael)28 March 2022, 16:10
The silliest anti-cycling comment ever? Cyclists "maim thousands a year", apparently
Cyclists injury & maim thousands of people a year,usually the elderly,and they are normally never ever traced having no numberplates,and even if they are they at most get a small fine,but have no insurance for the injured person to claim against, often for life changing injuries.
— Stupid shit people say on Facebook about cycling (@AntiCyclingFB) March 28, 2022
The Twitter account 'Stupid shit people say on Facebook about cycling' scans the world's largest social media site for anti-cycling drivel so you don't have to... but even so, we thought this gem was worthy of some attention.
It's a big claim indeed that cyclists "injury [sic] and maim thousands of people a year" - and one that probably can't be true even accounting for a lot of under-reporting, being as there were only 616 reported incidents of a collision between a pedestrian and pedal cyclist in an entire year according to the Reported Road Casualties Great Britain Annual Report 2020.
Some other observations have been made about the absurd rant too, here are our favourites so far...
No wonder the hospitals are so full, they had to open special wards just for the casualties from cyclists nearly incidents 😳 pic.twitter.com/LRRLrs8ncS
— Andrew 🏳️🌈 🇪🇺 🚲🏂 💙 (@monsieurballard) March 28, 2022
Must have been using this pic.twitter.com/XoDLgsoQ1t
— Mark (@Mark65589699) March 28, 2022
Took out roughly 20 on my way to work this morning. Some of them are surprisingly agile given their age.
— Dan (@DBirchett) March 28, 2022
28 March 2022, 15:46
Snake Pass to reopen to motorists, but with 20mph speed limit and weight limit for larger vehicles
After the last three weekends have seen cyclists take to the temporarily traffic-free climb in Derbyshire, local news outlets are reporting that the road will reopen to motorists, but with temporary lights controlling traffic and a 20mph speed limit. HGVs over 7.5 tonnes will have to continue to follow a diversion - we'll have a full story on this soon.
28 March 2022, 14:23
Jeremy Vine shares latest "nonsense" from his London commute... only to be told it was his fault
Today's nonsense. pic.twitter.com/cfXnOW6ZQ6
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) March 28, 2022
The presenter shared this shocking piece of driving, accompanied by some very hard braking and shouting on his behalf, as the driver pulls out from a side road, completely oblivious to the presence of Vine on the main carriageway.
Hi Philippa,
The car breaches the Give Way lines (offence) the cyclist moves out and away from danger (correct) the driver keeps going (new offence), the cyclist sounds his horn (legal), the cyclist moves to nearside to avoid collision.
To use your wording - what are eyes for?
— Roads Policing Unit (RPU) - Surrey Police - UK (@SurreyRoadCops) March 28, 2022
As Vine noted, the first reply blaming him for the incident arrived "within 2 minutes", with Surrey's Road Policing Unit chipping in to explain why this person was so very wrong. This person then continues to argue with the actual road police about road policing openly on social media, which is too toe-curling to share any more of really...
28 March 2022, 16:06
28 March 2022, 14:06
Lloyds CEO John Neal involved in a collision while riding his bike
According to a source, Neal was involved in a collision with a car driver, sustaining "serious injuries". He is undergoing treatment in hospital, however he is expected to make a full recovery.
28 March 2022, 14:37
You've heard of that one beginning with Z, now get ready for...
28 March 2022, 14:03
Niche Robert Plant/Led Zep cycling jokes
I'll admit we were stuck for puns and imaginative headlines on this one, but cheers to Secret Squirrel and mark1a for coming up with the goods down in the comments.
28 March 2022, 14:05
Holy cow, it's one heck of a prize we've got for you this time! Make sure you get your entry in for the chance to win this mega trip in July
28 March 2022, 13:24
Rock stars who love riding: a quick additional round-up
A fleeting mention of other musicians who cycle on our post about Robert Plant further down the page quickly turned into a discussion about who we missed out, so here's a quick round-up...
Bono (above) was known to enjoy a bike ride... that's until he had a bike crash in 2015 that shattered his arm, leaving him unable to play guitar, which we reckon might have put him off somewhat.
Richard Coles, once of the Communards and now a vicar, once told the Guardian that he "always loved cycling" and often goes exploring by bike. Other mentions go to Mick Jagger (who apparently didn't talk about his love of cycling much in the 60s because it wasn't considered very groovy), Madonna, Nigel Blackwell of Half Man Half Biscuit, Usher... and of course this mini list would not be complete without mentioning Ralf Huetter and Florian Schneider of techno pioneers Kraftwerk, who made an entire song and then album dedicated to the Tour de France - they also collabroated with Canyon for a rather fetching special edition bike to mark the race departing from their home city of Düsseldorf back in 2017.
Perhaps the most dedicated of all the rock star bike riders is Housemartins and Beautiful South icon Paul Heaton, who twice passed on a tour bus to cycle between gig venues instead. The original Pedals and Beer Pumps tour covered around 750 miles, but for his next in 2012 he was said to have covered 2,700.
28 March 2022, 13:14
Tony Martin is auctioning off his Olympic medal to help children in Ukraine
The German is auctioning the silver medal he won at London 2012 (with the gold going to a certain Bradley Wiggins) with the current highest bid at 10,000 euros already.
Martin says: "It's not easy to separate me from the biggest trophy I could win in my career but considering the fact that millions of people lost almost everything, it is something I really want to do!"
Check out the auction here.
28 March 2022, 12:33
[YOUR NAME HERE] - Gazprom-RusVelo change name to 'Professional Cycling Team'
CORVOS/SWPix.com
The Russian-registered team, Gazprom-RusVelo, has today changed its name to Professional Cycling Team, with the Russian state-owned energy corporation stepping aside as title sponsor.
While this has left the team, which has rebranded on social media as simply ‘Professional Cycling Team’, with a sizeable €3.5-€4m gap to fill in its funding, the departure of Gazprom has not meant that the team is able to return to racing.
We will continue searching for a new title sponsor. Together with a new team partner we will be able to immediately come back to racing under a new name and together decide which country our international team will be representing. pic.twitter.com/K9jrimhD6P
— Professional Cycling Team (@RusveloTeam) March 28, 2022
As the UCI has banned all Russian and Belarusian teams from racing, the team’s Russian-registered licence means that even a move to a blank team kit and neutral team status couldn’t sway the UCI.
The team's management released a statement on Monday that read: "We will continue searching for a new title sponsor. Together with a new team partner we will be able to immediately come back to racing under a new name and together decide which country our international team will be representing."
Thanking Gazprom, who had sponsored the team since 20216 through subsidiary Gazprom Germainia, the statement continued, pointing to numerous successes. “Throughout the years, we achieved numerous victories, became highly recognisable in the world of cycling and helped many riders to become professionals. Now it is time to move further.”
Towards the end of the statement, the management sought to distance the team, which has riders and staff from numerous countries, from the invasion of Ukraine, going further to suggest that the team could be a tool for peace.
We are certain that politics should be kept away from sport and sport should be a platform for unity of nations.
Cycling and our team, in particular, could be a messenger of peace. We stand for peace in the world and do not support any wars. pic.twitter.com/7PYVd3rLVC
— Professional Cycling Team (@RusveloTeam) March 28, 2022
"We are certain that politics should be kept away from sport and sport should be a platform for unity of nations," the statement read. "Cycling and our team, in particular, could be a messenger of peace. We stand for peace in the world and do not support any wars.”
While the Russian team begins the search for a new backer, the UCI continues to allow Igor Makarov to sit on its committee. Russian riders on German teams, such as Aleksandr Vlasov, continue to race without issue and Vladyslav Pohorelov, a Ukrainian pro on the banned Belarusian Continental team CCN Factory Racing, is unable to race.
28 March 2022, 11:23
Robert Plant says cycling with his dad helped them to "discuss the meaning of life together"
Lead image: Licenced under CC BY 3.0 by Egghead06 on Wikimedia Commons
Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant sure does have a silky smooth voice and a way with words, and we've just been alerted to some of the best ones we think he's ever said that happen to be about cycling... yes this episode of Desert Island Discs was published a week or two ago, but we'll just pretend the blog isn't so 'live' for a moment to recap on Plant's wise words.
As presenter Lauren Laverne mentions that Plant is known to have a love of cycling, he replies: "My father before the war he did several tours of the British isles.
"He had this deal about cyclocross, so he would cycle and then carry his bike. He would take photographs of the most amazing chains of hills and across the Pennines and into Cumbria.
"As I got older I used to cycle alongside him and he taught me how to conserve my strength. I started track racing, which was fixed wheel racing and it was really good.
"To share the same fascination and attraction to something when you have this generational thing which was radical then, but not so much now between me and my kids at all. But it did help us to discuss the meaning of life together as well."
A bike ride where you discuss the meaning of life certainly sounds like a peaceful and joyous one, and a lot less hectic than Plant's rock and roll lifestyle during his Led Zeppelin heyday. He's not the only rock star who loves cycling either: Rush drummer Neil Peart was known to like a bike ride, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons was spotted riding an e-bike in Las Vegas a couple of years ago and David Byrne of the Talking Heads even penned a book about cycling.
What bike do you reckon is at the end of Plant's Stairway to Heaven? Something steel and handsome from back when he was a lad, or perhaps a roomy cargo bike to collect up all the TVs he lobs out of hotel windows? Maybe those wild days are behind him, who knows...
28 March 2022, 11:03
They've begun...
good morning pic.twitter.com/cldXl02mxT
— Robyn (@robynjournalist) March 28, 2022
I won't go trying to explain why Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars. Instead, I'll make it today's mission to bring you all of the best memes.
28 March 2022, 09:53
Just two months after being in intensive care, Egan Bernal is back riding his bike outside
In what is proving to be at least as remarkable as the recovery of his former teammate Chris Froome, Egan Bernal has gone from intensive care and saying he had a 95% chance of becoming paraplegic to being back out on the bike in just two months.
Bernal suffered a fractured vertebrae, fractured right femur, fractured right patella, chest trauma, a punctured lung and several fractured ribs in the collision with a parked bus while riding his time trial bike in late January of this year. The latest unfortunate incident in which a pro cyclist has suffered potential life-threatening injuries led to a debate about the use of increasingly aggressive time trial bikes on open roads, with Chris Froome calling for a time trial bike ban in pro cycling. We also discussed this on the road.cc Podcast, with no less than the current LEJOG record holder Michael Broadwith joining us to discuss.
> Are time trial bikes safe to ride on open roads?
Of course, we haven't seen all the painful rehab Bernal has had to go through to get to this point, but the post above from a couple of weeks ago gives you an idea in cartoony sketch form.
Bernal's full words to accompany the pics of his return to the roads translated are:
"The happiest day of my life.
"After 2 months and 20 broken bones, here I am, and I want more! See you guys on the road."
28 March 2022, 09:50
And from the man himself...
He has no words, but this picture says it all. Could Girmay's victory herald a new era of African champions in professional cycling?
28 March 2022, 08:01
The first of many, we hope
28 March 2022, 07:42
Girmay wins - the reaction
If you were busy actually riding a bike, doing a bit of gardening or just soaking up the sun on Sunday, then you might have missed the news that Biniam Girmay won Gent-Wevelgem. In doing so, he became the first African rider to win the race and many believe that this could be a turning point for men's pro road cycling.
Anyway, while my heart continues to melt, here's some of the reaction...
this is how eritrean celebrate https://t.co/5ddpA46YIW
— Team BIKE AID (@bikeaid) March 27, 2022
See the magic happen @GrmayeBiniam 🇪🇷😍 #GWE22 pic.twitter.com/KnqFQfOuUf
— GentWevelgem (@GentWevelgem) March 27, 2022
Any possibly the most important thing...
Xylon van Eyck on Biniam Girmay's win: 'This win is significant because there are so many bike riders watching this who will see a rider like them, at the top of the sport, and from today they’ll believe that they can do it. He will be relatable to them. It’s so significant.'
— Daniel Benson (@dnlbenson) March 27, 2022
28 March 2022, 07:07
Funding withheld for Tory some councils as one councillor says "the car is king"
If you ride to work, take the kids to school by bike, or just prefer to cycle for short trips then you might not like the news coming out of some Conservative-controlled councils this morning.
The Guardian reports that the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead lost funding for cycling and walking infrastructure plans last year after two proposed low-traffic neighbourhoods were sidelined.
Just this month, the borough said that it was set to scrap pavement widening schemes in favour of increasing space for car parking and in a Town Forum, which you can watch at your leisure, a councillor declared that "the car is still king" in Maidenhead.
West Sussex, meanwhile, has also had funding withheld. The council made headlines for all the wrong reasons after the council's cabinet member for highways, Roger Elkins, decided that a cycle lane should be removed despite it having yet to be completed.
> Cycling UK heads to Court of Appeal over scrapped Shoreham-By-Sea pop-up cycle lane
The decision was taken in spite of a 6:2 vote from the scrutiny committee in favour of him reconsidering. Insult was added to injury when it emerged that Elkins had never actually been to see the cycle lane in question, which linked five schools and had been used for 30,000 cycle trips.
Though the evidence points to the contrary, both councils have made noises about being supportive of active travel measures.
Add new comment
44 comments
IanGlasgow
|
2 years ago
2 likes
How can we have cycling rock stars but no mention of Peter Gabriel?
Here he is performing Solsbury Hill on a Moulton (he arrived on stage by cycling through the audicence on it).
I really can't believe that no one mentioned Ginger Baker in the list of cycling rockers!
Several people were about to but he hit them first. Some drummers were famed for their fast feet, others...
(I agree but I think after the initial cycling he was more into polo).
Hirsute
|
2 years ago
3 likes
Anyone seen this ?
https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/local-transport-today/news/70...
Smartphone app to provide evidence of speedsters.
Not applicable in Lancashire
spen
|
2 years ago
2 likes
Don't forget the late, truely great Neil Peart was an avid cyclist in his younger yeatrs and wrote a couple of books about his travels. Incidentall Geddy Lee (he's god man!) first met Robert Plant in a hotel on Morocco when he and his wife were on a cycling holiday.
Fruitbat, from Carter USM, was a bit of a cyclist IIRC...
I once saw Carter play in a back garden in Beckenham. (This is of no relevance to the rest of the discussion, I just like to mention it whenever I get chance)
I used to drink in the same pub as Carter USM. I felt the need to mention that in response to your need to mention your story 
IanMK
|
2 years ago
0 likes
I know Rock Music fickle business but don't forget Joe Talbot:
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife/idles-frontman-jo...
Hirsute
|
2 years ago
2 likes
New camera coming to the market soon but £250
Would be interested in reviews, although maybe one for motorcyclists.
https://driftinnovation.com/collections/cameras-new/products/ghost-xl-pro
4K (4096 X 2160 17:1) 25 FPS
4K UHD (3840 X 2160, 16:9) 24 / 25 / 30 FPS
2.7K (2704 X 1520 16:9) 24 / 25 / 30 / 60 FPS
1080P (1920 X 1080 16:9) 24 / 25 / 30 / 50 / 60 / 100 / 120 FPS
720P (1280 X 720 16:9) 25 / 30 / 48 / 50 / 60 / 200 / 240 FPS
7 hours recording time in 1080p, or 4.5 hours in 4KUHD resolution
MicroSD up to 256GB
I had an earlier iteration of the Drift Ghost when I ran a motorbike. I really liked it and regret passing it to another biker when I stopped riding motorbikes.
I didn't realise that I would have more use for a helmet cam on a bicycle than a mororbike!
Image quality was really good, low light wasn't bad either. Mine could only do 1080 60 fps. So it could struggle depending on the relative speeds. 1080 at 120 fps on a abicycle should give you what you need.
I may needs to bite the bullet price wise and concider one of these.
Hirsute
|
2 years ago
5 likes
Another JV video
https://twitter.com/theJeremyVine/status/1508333627276468226
The number of comments based on "well, I watched the video, so I know what he should have done" are disappointing.
Apparently it is ok to ignore a give way if you are in a motor vehicle.
"What are brakes for? You clearly see a vehicle with its intention to turn right yet you move further right closer towards it. @theJeremyVine a Militant Cyclist on a ride to nowhere, fakes a narrative then tweet’s about it."
Reply surrey road cops
"Hi Philippa, The car breaches the Give Way lines (offence) the cyclist moves out and away from danger (correct) the driver keeps going (new offence), the cyclist sounds his horn (legal), the cyclist moves to nearside to avoid collision. To use your wording - what are eyes for?"
So at least I know that I shouldn't move right to make myself more visible if a car is at a side junction, but instead stop and wave them out as indicating to pull out take priority.
I also liked how someone stated he was "speeding" along on his bike.
Although looking at Pippa, is there any surprise that a cyclist is blamed (and she is happy enough to ignore Police advice on the wrongness of that) when she is also a climate change denier, atheist hater, NWO believer, conspiracy spreading, far right supporting, anti-"woke", Putin supporting "useful little idiot".
Global Nomad
|
2 years ago
3 likes
congrats to Biniam and look forward to the increasing steps to widen participation at all levels.
Somewhat ironic today to see the different stories here in the Tory councils compared to the pro peleton, not to mentioned Will Smith being a hypocrite in his speech when talking about love..and ticking so many cliche boxes that send society backwards not forwards....
Pages
Latest Comments
- imajez 4 hours 21 min ago
Likewise, I prefer a lower cadence when descending.
- cmedred 4 hours 50 min ago
101 hours? Peanuts. Drivers in Chicago, America's "Windy City,'' racked up 155 hours in 2022: https://i-290blueline.com/chicago-commuters-lost-more...
- cmedred 4 hours 59 min ago
Unbelievable. But the judge does deserve some sort of award for managing to make himself a giant gasbag of a hypocrite: You "would rather someone...
- Sriracha 8 hours 2 min ago
Taunton slider?
- Tomsmith90 8 hours 32 min ago
Ah ok that's great appreciate the condolences and thank you for your time
- Circles 8 hours 59 min ago
Funny how so many drivers bring up the point that they pay for insurance, implying that cyclists should too. One has always been a legal...
- Rendel Harris 10 hours 49 min ago
Othering of those in non-conformist outgroups. Lists of persons regarded as "villains" to be hated by society. Language comparing targets to vermin...
- lesterama 12 hours 54 min ago
There's a big difference between 54/11 and 56/10. Just sayin'.
- Dr Watson 13 hours 7 min ago
I’ll be playing all year again if it’s on. Pleeease.
- chrisonabike 16 hours 48 min ago
It would have to be the police's cars... although stealing bikes from a police station does seem to fall in to the "low hanging fruit" bracket for...