Same cycle lane, different driver, same near miss…but The Sun asks “who’s in the right?”; Reaction to Ed Laverack’s Sa Calobra-conquering KOM; “I started to hyperventilate”: Remco relives Liège; One week ’til Giro time + more on the live blog

39 thoughts on “Same cycle lane, different driver, same near miss…but The Sun asks “who’s in the right?”; Reaction to Ed Laverack’s Sa Calobra-conquering KOM; “I started to hyperventilate”: Remco relives Liège; One week ’til Giro time + more on the live blog”

1. Mark Hodson

   Mark Hodson

   “The Sun is good for 2 things, and 2 things only as long as you get a free copy , lighting fires with and if you run out of toilet paper… regards the later your arse may protest but needs must “

    

   LICENCE !

    

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2. Surely the DfT should be

   Surely the DfT should be writing to the editor of the Sun, demanding a correction and an apology?

   Just when you think the gutter press can’t get any lower, they keep digging, and they wonder why their sales keep dropping.  We should all go Liverpool on this rag.

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   • Of course we actually have an

     Of course we actually have an official body that might have been able to the Scum with their question. I wonder if they contacted the DVSA for comment? Stupid question.

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3. the Scum living up to its

   the Scum living up to its name again. 
    

   there is no “debate” here

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4. I honestly don’t understand. 

   I honestly don’t understand.  How is it ‘open to debate’?  Cyclist on cycle path, therefore having priority; motorist approaches ‘give way’ lines.  Motorist doesn’t give way, either through a conscious decision or because they just weren’t looking.  Either way, motorist at fault  End of discussion.

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   • The “debate” is whether

     The “debate” is whether cyclists should be allowed anywhere roads – or indeed at all.

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     • chrisonatrike wrote:

       The “debate” is whether cyclists should be allowed anywhere roads – or indeed at all.

       — chrisonatrike

       You joke, but there’s a regular commenter on the Bristol Post BTL who insists that bicycles should be banned…

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       • brooksby wrote:

         The “debate” is whether cyclists should be allowed anywhere roads – or indeed at all.

         — brooksby

         You joke, but there’s a regular commenter on the Bristol Post BTL who insists that bicycles should be banned…

         — chrisonatrike

         That twat who calls himself Ferry1. Bristol Post BTL does seem to attract the most miserable and stupid people in the entire city.

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   • Surely the fault lies with

     Surely the fault lies with the heretic who violated the natural order by designing the road so that cycles were given priority over motor vehicles?

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     • { Obligatory Roads Were not

       { Obligatory Roads Were not Built For Bicycles link }

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   • Exactly. It is more than

     Exactly. It is more than alarming that a newspaper can completely ignore fact/law and get away with it. Even more worrying is the picture the Sun uses in its tweet proves beyond any doubt who is in the right. 

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     • Er, what? Doesn’t the Sun,

       Er, what? Doesn’t the Sun, Daily Mail, Express, Telegraph ‘ignore fact’ and misinterpret and misrepresent every single day of the year? That’s what they do. I don’t know who owns these media but it will probably give you a good indication of their stance knowing who does. These media complain about the ‘cancel culture’ and ‘wokeism’ but they have spent decades and vast fortunes cancelling anything their billionaire owners disagree with – Labour govts, climate change, immigrants . . . . . You name it and they’ve cancelled it. What’s a cyclist to them? 

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5. Before the A38 route was

   Before the A38 route was opened, the council announced in the media that cars would have to ‘give way’ when crossing the cycle route (as if one could ever just swing across the Bristol Road!). It caused fury online as per usual “causes more pollution for me to idle my engine” etc. It is a great route but always heart-in-the-mouth moments at those junctions; a pity as it’s one of the few places in Brum where you can pick up a bit of speed.

    

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   • I remember a similar argument

     I remember a similar argument for this section of the A34 one. Car driver was predicting deaths because a car coming off the 40mph central section would have to negotiate traffic coming down from the island, the buses AND the cyclists if they wanted to take the left turn. Not the cyclists deaths mind, the drivers deaths because they would be forced to slow down so much…….

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     • AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

       I remember a similar argument for this section of the A34 one. Car driver was predicting deaths because a car coming off the 40mph central section would have to negotiate traffic coming down from the island, the buses AND the cyclists if they wanted to take the left turn. Not the cyclists deaths mind, the drivers deaths because they would be forced to slow down so much…….

       — AlsoSomniloquism

       That’s reminded me of this scene from Expanse Series 3 (blood, gore and spoiler warning): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGmTZeiCmJY

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6. On a similar note, I was

   On a similar note, I was approaching the A34 Cycle path here on my way home Wednesday. The turning from the main road has been “blocked” for 18 months and since the Streetview, official bollards and fixed signs have been put in place rather then the temp barriers and signs. I was at the spot shown when a Taxi pulled in on the wrong side, and barged over the Ped crossing which had two people using it at the time. It is with the local rozzers but I won’t know if actioned. So who was in the right….. you decide?

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7. Interesting long read in the

   Interesting long read in the Gadurian

   ‘It’s just more and more lanes’: the Texan revolt against giant new highways

   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/29/texas-highway-expansions-project-displacements-protests

   Texas, with its wide-laned roads and supersized highways, seems like an unlikely place for a rebellion against the supremacy of American car culture.

   But last week a band of residents from across Texas descended upon the state’s department of transportation (DoT) to voice fury over new highway expansions that are set to displace thousands of people and raze hundreds of businesses, schools and churches. Meanwhile, the state is actively crushing local plans to encourage more cycling and walking as an alternative to driving.

    

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   • brooksby wrote:

     Interesting long read in the Gadurian

     ‘It’s just more and more lanes’: the Texan revolt against giant new highways

     https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/29/texas-highway-expansions-project-displacements-protests

     Texas, with its wide-laned roads and supersized highways, seems like an unlikely place for a rebellion against the supremacy of American car culture.

     But last week a band of residents from across Texas descended upon the state’s department of transportation (DoT) to voice fury over new highway expansions that are set to displace thousands of people and raze hundreds of businesses, schools and churches. Meanwhile, the state is actively crushing local plans to encourage more cycling and walking as an alternative to driving.

     — brooksby

     That sounds like just the logical conclusion of designing cities and transport around personal cars. It’s inevitable that high population densities will just require more and more road space.

     However, with it being Texas, I do wonder whether racism is a motivator as well

     Ramirez said repeated expansions of highways in Houston have invariably destroyed homes in Black and Latino neighborhoods like his. “All of these Black and brown neighborhoods are being attacked by this expansion,” he said. “I should be able to enjoy being Mexican in Houston in 2022 without somebody trying to push me out of my neighborhood.”

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   • But “guardian … leftist

     But “guardian … leftist propaganda … ” etc.  Aside from “yes that’s the kind of thing they may pick up on” it is interesting to me that even Texans are starting to say “enough”.

     For transport infrastructure from the perspective of financial sustainability NotJustBikes has you covered:

     Getting about Houston is barely possible without a car – even for short distances

     The capacity and financial folly of adding more roads (Canada)

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     • Texas, out of all the places

       Texas, out of all the places in the world I have driven which admittedly is not a representative sample but includes a lot of north america and europe, is the place I think I would be least likely to get on a bike. Not only are the roads designed only with cars in mind but the drivers, in my experience, are some of the most aggressive around.

       I quickly learned not to try to indicate when changing lanes on the highway as, without fail, the driver behind would close the gap you were planning to move into as soon as your indicator went on. 

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       • Texas supplies the most oil

         Texas supplies the most oil for America so don’t want to encourage anything that would reduce their “honeypot”. 

          

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       • I was in Seguin, Texas for

         I was in Seguin, Texas for work a couple of years ago. From my hotel, I wanted to walk to a restaurant that was 0.6 miles away. It was over a two mile drive, but since the hotel was basically on a highway on-ramp I ended up driving it.

         Google Maps walking directions suggested a 1.8 mile route.

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         • NotJustBikes on Youtube has a

           NotJustBikes on Youtube has a massive amount to state about American designs to accomodate cars and the inability to walk within 1 mile of a hotel to anywhere else safely in some places. 

         • Not just the US. In Melbourne
           Not just the US. In Melbourne pre-pandemic for work and it took me 20 mins to walk 300 yds from my hotel to a restaurant. Top of St Kilda Rd by Albert Park. Ended up getting Deliveroo the next night. Two tram lines, four lanes of traffic, and three pedestrian crossings. Just awful design

         • Yes, same here. I tried to
           Yes, same here. I tried to walk to a restaurant from the my hotel on a business trip to the USA. All of half a mile. Hotel receptionist recommended I drive. I could see why.

       • Patrick9-32 wrote:

         Texas, out of all the places in the world I have driven which admittedly is not a representative sample but includes a lot of north america and europe, is the place I think I would be least likely to get on a bike. Not only are the roads designed only with cars in mind but the drivers, in my experience, are some of the most aggressive around.

         I quickly learned not to try to indicate when changing lanes on the highway as, without fail, the driver behind would close the gap you were planning to move into as soon as your indicator went on. 

         — Patrick9-32

         Texas has one of the worst records for road safety of any US state. It has the highest rate of driving uder the influence of any US state. The NHTSA website has a full breakdown of the stats. It is not a place I’d choose to cycle.

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   • The States is just so screwy

     The States is just so screwy in so many ways when it comes to car culture that a facepalm doesn’t even cover it. 

     Some friends of mine were travelling there a few years ago, and stayed a couple of nights in a self catering place (I forget which state but I think it was in the South somewhere) situated right by the roadside (not a freeway, I don’t think, just the equivalent of a large dual carriageway in this country). 

     Almost immediately across the road was a large supermarket and, wanting to get some food, they decided to cross over and take a look. They were stopped by the receptionist who informed them they couldn’t cross the road there because of the jaywalking laws, and there wasn’t anywhere they could cross legitimately nearby.

     The only way to access the supermarket legally was to drive 2 miles down the road to the next junction, take the exit, two left turns to come back the other way and in. Leaving the supermarket then meant a 3 mile drive down the other side of the road to the previous exit, cross over and come back. 

     A 10 mile drive was literally the only legal alternative to a 200m walk across the road. In. San. I. Ty. 

     They got pizza delivered instead. 

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   • I’ve been in Dallas Tx a few

     I’ve been in Dallas Tx a few times for work, most recently in 2019. On the Sunday I hired a bike and went for a ride, off to the NW of the Frisco area. It’s flat and dry and once you’re away from urbanisation the roads were close to deserted. The bigger roads were very wide. You know, it wasn’t too bad. Drivers were polite, inasmuch as I had any interaction with them, though intersections were a little alarming just by being so BIG. OTOH the roads are very straight and long and windy so although I had a decent ride, it really wasn’t the most scenic area. I did see a small handful of other road riders so there is something of a scene there.

     

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     • More defence of Texas (for

       More defence of Texas (for cycling, not politics). I rode all the way across it once, as part of big bike trip in the U.S.. I thought it was amazing. Away from the cities there was so little traffic that drivers would wave to each other (and to me) as a matter of course.

       Some parts are so barren that all you could see was a straight road going from horizon to horizon and flat scrubland in every other direction. Not the most thrilling landscape, but for someone like me who grew up in the UK it was like nothing I had ever experienced before.  Other parts, such as Big Bend national park, are genuinely spectacular.

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       • I remember the first time I

         I remember the first time I went to Australia, I got chatting (in the airport) with an Australian who was returning home after many years living in Europe. he told me that after Europe, going to Australia would be like ‘putting the lights on’. Not is any socio – political sense but just in terms of size and expanse. 

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8. RE Remco – did he go down two

   RE Remco – did he go down two teeth at the front or up two at the rear?

   And my countdown for the Giro is 14 days! Got to get through my niece’s wedding the day before in York, drive through the night and fly to Ancona at 6.30 Sunday morning.  The things we do for fun!

    

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   • I assume if it was a “high”

     I assume if it was a “high” cadence it was two down at the front ?

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     • I doubt he’s trying to be

       I doubt he’s trying to be that technical. “Two teeth smaller” probably just means two gears lower, which could be 2-4 more teeth on the back.

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   • I once went round a corner

     I once went round a corner too fast; when I got up again I was 4 teeth lighter. Is that what he meant?

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9. This one could appear as

   This one could appear as double near miss of the day.

   NSL, blind bend, chevron signs, SLOW on the road.

   M/c easily doing 50, car driver 25-30

   I am just left of centre lane.

   Brown trouser moment all round

    

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   • Ooof. There’s a short section
     Ooof. There’s a short section on my regular ride where I have to join the A338 (single carriageway, 40mph limit). S bend, double whites. 4 cars overtook me and I was doing an easy 18mph this morning. It’s the same every time. I’ve even had them overtake me when I’m driving and sitting behind a cyclist. MGIF

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10. .

    .

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11. CyclingMikey has put the

    CyclingMikey has put the Frank lampard video up on his YouTube channel, don’t know if it had been mentioned before, I hadn’t noticed anyway.

    Very short bit of lawbreaking for a Mikey vid, but if he hadn’t been able to employ our favourite troll’s favourite safety campaigner, he’d have been banged to rights.

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    • ktache wrote:

      Very short bit of lawbreaking for a Mikey vid, but if he hadn’t been able to employ our favourite troll’s favourite safety campaigner, he’d have been banged to rights.

      — ktache

      Though it wasn’t actually a triumph for Mr Poophole as the CPS decided to drop it before it reached court, saying they couldn’t prove that he was using the ‘phone for “interactive communication.” Under the changes in the law that wouldn’t matter of course, the clear proof that he had it in his hand would suffice. A ridiculous decision in any case, surely the fact that he was driving with coffee in one hand and ‘phone in the other should be enough for a “without due care and attention” charge, regardless of whether he was actually communicating. 

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