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Councillor admits "large wagons" keep hitting cycle lane wands... then claims painted segregation works "extremely well"; Baffled local questions where Clean Air Zone will go "when the wind blows"?; Lefevere's €100m Remco price tag + more on the live blog

Happy Thursday everyone... Dan Alexander is back on the live blog for your penultimate one of the week
29 September 2022, 16:16
Police hunt ladder thief with great balance
Ladder thief (Nottinghamshire Police)

Plead guilty, lad. It'll spare you the embarassment of climbing down when you see what evidence they've got...(I don't know, it worked in my head, it's been a long day)...

Nottinghamshire Police are appealing for witnesses to help find a man on a bike spotted on CCTV carrying stolen ladders. The suspect left the scene, a property in Queensway, Worksop, at around 12.30pm on 7 September 2022, admittedly showing quite impressive balance, if a quite unimpressive disregard for respecting other people's property...

29 September 2022, 15:41
Sexy saddle appreciation post

Trench Tales is your one-stop Instagram shop for all the mechanical mishaps and tales of woe from working in a bike shop. They were the guys who brought you this all-time classic...

> Can it be real? Mechanic shares double cleat horror set up

29 September 2022, 15:31
Ban sale of substandard e-bike chargers over fire risk, London council says
Twinnell House

Hammersmith & Fulham councillor Frances Umeh has called on the government to ban the sale of substandard e-bike chargers, saying they "should never have been available for sale". An investigation by consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First found that dangerous e-bike chargers were widely available online.

> Fatal Bristol flat fire was caused by "homemade electric bike"

So far this year there have been 57 e-bike related fires in the capital, an increase on the 47 fires last year, 13 in 2020 and 10 in 2019.

"We're calling on the government to ban the sale of these dangerous chargers," Ms Umeh told the BBC.

e-bike fire (London Fire Brigade)

 

29 September 2022, 15:28
Jonas Vingegaard back winning bike races

This guy looks good, wonder if he'll ever win a big one? 

29 September 2022, 12:52
Councillor admits "large wagons" damaged cycle lane wands... but claims painted segregation works "extremely well"

Here's a brainteaser for your Thursday afternoon: if drivers of "large wagons" keep getting so close to a cycle lane that they knock down the wands segregating riders from other road users, how would a return to an unsegregated painted bike lane work "extremely well" and keep cyclists safe?

That's the puzzle we're trying, and failing, to find the answer to after a councillor's response to a local rider suggested exactly this.

First, some context...

This is Vauxhall Road in Liverpool where the cycle lane wands are sparse and the parked vehicles are plentiful...

Concerned about the situation, Mersey Road Watch got in touch with Liverpool councillor Joe Hanson whose interesting response has since emerged on social media...

"I agree with you the cycle lanes are in poor condition and part of the problem is large wagons hit the bollards, knocking them off the ground," he said, presumably meaning the drivers of large wagons.

'How about proper segregation then?' I hear you ask... nope, there's only one thing to blame here... yep, it's those bloomin' cycle lane wands getting themselves hit...

"I have questioned the wisdom of placing them on Vauxhall Road when the painted cycle lanes that existed before seemed to work extremely well," the councillor concluded.

We got in touch with Mersey Road Watch who called the response "disappointing".

"I reported to the council that the Vauxhall Road cycle lane, every day, has vehicles parked, driving in it, and all the wands are smashed and broken," they told us.

"The councillor did not care and seems like he is actually happy with how the infrastructure is being used. Disappointing."

We've approached the councillor for a comment on the situation...in the meantime here's how the debacle has gone down on the blue bird app...

29 September 2022, 13:31
Taking the piss
29 September 2022, 11:10
Make it stop

Anyone else now feel slightly ill? 

29 September 2022, 10:23
LIVE: Remco hears about Lefevere's €100m price tag comment

Lefevere:

 

Remco:

Remco Evenepoel wins 2022 World Championships in Wollongong (@cauldphoto/Specialized)

 

29 September 2022, 10:11
Government accepts feedback, pledges to refer to collisions rather than accidents in statistics and data tables in line with road collision reporting guidelines
Richmond Park crash (via Twitter Royal Parks Police)

In response to feedback the Department for Transport has pledged to follow a proposal to "change the terminology used throughout the statistics publications and data tables to refer to collisions, rather than accidents."

> "Language matters" – Road collision reporting guidelines launched

The department noted "no opposition to the proposal" and said it would implement the change from the 2021 annual publication onwards to "refer to collisions rather than accidents wherever possible".

29 September 2022, 09:55
Annemiek van Vleuten admits "doubts" over 2023 retirement
Annemiek van Vleuten wins World Championships (Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

[📷: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com]

Annemiek van Vleuten has admitted having "doubts" over her planned retirement at the end of next season. The all-conquering star of the sport won all three of the women's Grand Tour editions this year, plus last Saturday's World Championships road race.

> From Coppi to Van Vleuten: Cycling's greatest ever seasons

"Sometimes I start to have doubts, yes," she told Jinek. "I would prefer to retire if I think 'I'm starting to get weaker now.' But this is really my best year ever. I will be 40 next week, which is really unbelievable. But it's my driving force to get better. It’s not about winning, but the urge to improve myself.

"After that crash, I had completely said goodbye to the idea that I could become world champion, I had set myself 100 percent to be a servant for Marianne. It wasn't until the last kilometre that I thought there might be a chance that I could go home with this jersey with my broken elbow. The first thing I felt the next day was 'what have I done with my elbow?' But then I thought, 'yes, that elbow, but I am also world champion'.

"There's still disbelief. I had completely parked the belief that I could win."

29 September 2022, 07:53
"Are they going to put a big dome over Bradford?": Baffled local questions where Clean Air Zone will go "when the wind blows"?

Two days late, but this is too good not to share...

We've got another elite video to add to the pantheon of all-time viral sensations — Ronnie Pickering, clown takes a pratfall...you've got company... this lad from Bradford has delivered a belter...

10/10. Absolute perfection. Everything about it is golden, from the conviction of the delivery to the fantastic final enquiry..."are we going to put a big dome over Bradford?"

 

 Surprisingly, it seems the council has neither the budget nor the desire to build a dome to... 'keep the clean air in?'

The Clean Air Zone, which came into effect on Monday is, the council says, "designed to improve air quality in areas where it’s worst and where poor air quality is impacting the most on people’s health. It will help people to breathe better and reduce other health risks too." Shocking.

So why are some people upset? Well, you guessed it..."You will need to pay a daily charge to drive in the Bradford Clean Air Zone (CAZ) if your vehicle does not meet required emission standards and is not exempt."

It won't affect private cars but will see taxi drivers pay £7 per day, while non-exempt buses, coaches and HGVs will have to pay £50 to enter the city Clean Air Zone. 

Anyway, the clip has gone viral and brought back memories of this classic...

29 September 2022, 08:10
Lefevere sets €100m Remco price tag

Your move, Ratcliffe...

> If you can't beat them... pay them extraordinary amounts of money to join you — Ineos Grenadiers reportedly interested in signing Remco 

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

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47 comments

Avatar
Bungle_52 | 1 year ago
1 like

Re removing the wands being safer. The councillor may be correct. Removing the wands means that cyclists will be able to follow Mark Hodson's advice (on his twitter feed) and ride just outside the lane (murder strip) which will improve the safety of those brave enough to do it.

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Bungle_52 | 1 year ago
3 likes

"Government accepts feedback, pledges to refer to collisions rather than accidents in statistics and data tables in line with road collision reporting guidelines"

Brilliant news. A small but signifcant step moving away from the notion that collisions are "accidents" and therefore unavoidable. Just need to wait a few decades now while this controversial idea becomes accepted in the courts and drivers are held reposible for their actions. A step in the right direction for a change.

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chrisonabike | 1 year ago
5 likes

That lad with ladder - looks like a rung'un.  With balance, strength (aluminium there, not carbon fiber) and tolerance of discomfort like that though surely a future in cycling sport beckons?  EDIT - looking at that again I think he'd steal it as a climber.

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
2 likes

chrisonatrike wrote:

That lad with ladder - looks like a rung'un.  With balance, strength (aluminium there, not carbon fiber) and tolerance of discomfort like that though surely a future in cycling sport beckons?  EDIT - looking at that again I think he'd steal it as a climber.

In his profession he'll work hard, and he'll never stop, he'll climb his blinking ladder till he gets right to the top.

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
2 likes

"These cycle lanes are a woke scheme, wasting tax payers money and will hardly be used. Utter nonsense and sheer stupidity."

Daily Echo Bournemouth/Poole.

Made me laugh.

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eburtthebike replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
5 likes

hirsute wrote:

"These cycle lanes are a woke scheme, wasting tax payers money and will hardly be used.

I find it interesting the way that "woke" has been appropriated as a term of abuse.  It actually means that you're aware of discrimination and abuse and oppose them, but it now seems to be an insult of some kind.

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Roulereo replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
2 likes

Sure, like Progressive or Liberal, who are really in fact bedwetters calling for all sorts of harsh laws, banishment by cancel culture, Social media bans for any opposing opinions or "disinformation", enforcement of Lockdowns and punitive measures for wearing masks, police resourcing to attend to people who post memes on Facebook, etc.

You must be the last one who thinks that is what Woke means now. 

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Hirsute replied to Roulereo | 1 year ago
3 likes

Harsh laws like abortion laws.

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chrisonabike replied to Roulereo | 1 year ago
3 likes

Yes, #FakeNews by bedwetters / banishment by cancel culture, enforcing lockdowns and wearing masks...

What did woke originally mean, could you remind us?

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Roulereo replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
0 likes

Is this Godwin's law in 2 steps? 

Not at all unexpected, leaping to being labelled as KKK by one of the several Extreme Left posters who seek to dominate on this site. 

What Fake News are you talking about anyway? 

I use and support more bike lanes and infrastructure etc. btw. 
 

 

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to Roulereo | 1 year ago
3 likes

Roulereo wrote:

You must be the last one who thinks that is what Woke means now. 

I know what it means, and I'm interested in why you think differently, and define it as completely the opposite of its actual meaning.  Would you care to explain your lack of comprehension?

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Flintshire Boy | 1 year ago
2 likes

.

'Councillor admits "large wagons" damaged cycle lane wands... but claims painted segregation works "extremely well"'

.

A Lay Bah councillor. A LAYYY Bah councillor!

.

Shewly shumfink ronk here.

.

 

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brooksby replied to Flintshire Boy | 1 year ago
5 likes

Like

.

your spelling and

.

formatting,

.

perchance?

.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
2 likes

Same with his misspelled swears he used to do. At least we know the "boy" in his username is actually related to his mentality. 

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HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
8 likes

When discussing trivia like is Ratcliffe going to buy Evenepoel or not, don't forget more important facts about where his money comes from.

3.2 million tonnes of CO2 emitted from Grangemouth alone in 2019.

Avatar
HarrogateSpa replied to HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
6 likes

1) Yes I know there are other unethical cycling teams, but this is the British one that constantly gets coverage on road.cc and elsewhere.

2) No, individual choices, 'there's no such thing as society', Loadsamoney won't solve global heating.

3) We are either at or past the point of doing irreparable damage to the Earth's climate.

4) Apologies for wanging on about this.

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levestane replied to HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
0 likes

17 months old now but gives the basics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvD0TgE34HA

 

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Jumbotron replied to HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
2 likes

No apologies required - thank you for raising awareness. 

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Clem Fandango replied to HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
7 likes

Feel free to wang away. 

Sponsoring a cycling team is just basic attempted green washing for this lot

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bobbinogs replied to Clem Fandango | 1 year ago
3 likes

To be fair, there's a lot of it about.  It seems to be a growth industry in itself, from Persil banging on about 'saving the planet' by using their washing tabs to Amazon having the odd solar panel on a warehouse whilst Bezos blasts into space on a vanity project, etc., etc.

My own pet peev is the companies who like to appear to be an on trend green champion whilst selling their products wrapped in film that goes in the bin or in pouches that need to be sent around the country by mail in order to be recycled.

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Sniffer replied to Clem Fandango | 1 year ago
1 like

Clem Fandango wrote:

Feel free to wang away. 

Sponsoring a cycling team is just basic attempted green washing for this lot

I don't agree that INEOS are paricularly interested in green washing.  Jim has so much money now he just pursues what he is intested in.

He likes running - sponsor Kipchoge and the Daily Mile

He likes F1 - Mercedes AMG

He likes cycling - Buy Brailsford's team

He likes football - that will be Nice

He iikes Land Rovers - build a car.

He likes sailing - America's cup.  Got him into NZ when we were all locked down.  Likes NZ that will be the All Blacks then.

'Sports washing' for UAE and Bahrain, almost certainly.  You don't need to like him or his company, but it is lazy thinking that he is doing it for 'green' credentials.

I don't think he cares what society thinks of him.  He is happy to be unpopular.

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Rich_cb replied to HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
0 likes

It's the 'wanging on' without suggesting any alternatives that is the issue.

What is your suggestion for replacing all the products that are manufactured at Grangemouth?

Even under current Net Zero targets we'll still be using those products in 30 years when/if we eventually reach Net Zero.

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chrisonabike replied to Rich_cb | 1 year ago
2 likes

What's "Other" - that seems to be an important one?  I'm guessing that's where squirrels hamsters in wheels are grouped?

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mark1a replied to HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
3 likes

The entire funding model of the sport is flawed and until that's changed, teams will be 100% dependent on sponsorship to function. Unless they're lucky enough to have a flooring company or supermarket, the alternative is dodgy nation sovereign wealth funds, petrochemical giants, or oligarchs that just want to ride in the team car at Paris-Roubaix. 

Many other sports' teams have income from gate receipts, stadium events, share of broadcast rights distribution and so on. With the TdF as an example, the ASO get the TV money, sponsorship for leader jerseys, the publicity caravan, town hosting fees, etc, the teams don't see a penny of it. 
 

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Rendel Harris replied to mark1a | 1 year ago
0 likes

mark1a wrote:

With the TdF as an example, the ASO get the TV money, sponsorship for leader jerseys, the publicity caravan, town hosting fees, etc, the teams don't see a penny of it. 

To be fair, out of the monies received ASO have to pay for all the organisation, security, prize money, TV crews etc for the race. Last time I looked they made about £10M in profit from the TdF, not small potatoes but even if they took no profit at all and gave it all to the teams that would be less than £500K each, hardly enough to pay a star rider's salary for the duration of the race, certainly not a whole team's. Sadly cycling just isn't popular enough globally to attract the big TV money, e.g. NBC only pay $8M for exclusive USA rights to the Tour. I can't see a time when World Tour teams are not primarily funded by sponsorship, nor a way it could be achieved.

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HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
1 like

Excluding private cars from the Clear Air Zone in Bradford reduces its effectiveness.

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P3t3 replied to HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
1 like

Indeed - reducing its effectvness to pretty much zero...

I can only assume this is some kind of box ticking excersise....

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hawkinspeter replied to HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
5 likes

HarrogateSpa wrote:

Excluding private cars from the Clear Air Zone in Bradford reduces its effectiveness.

Well, excluding private cars from the area would work well, but allowing them to continue using it with no penalty does seem self-defeating. Personally, it makes little difference to me if I'm breathing in private or business vehicle exhaust fumes.

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IanMK replied to HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
0 likes

Only Birmingham have introduced class D CAZ. True, this Class C+ won't make a big difference to improving air quality but it should at least see any polluting taxis removed from the roads and hopefully make freight companies think about how they cost effectively arrange drops in the area, which might have knock on benefits.

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Oldfatgit replied to IanMK | 1 year ago
0 likes

At £50 a pop, I wonder how many independent hauliers will accept loads in to the Zone.. which will lead to small business going under.
It will also be an additional tax on anyone that lives in the Zone as it will get added on to the delivery charge ...
It's likely to have far reaching unintended consequences.

When I was driving for a living, I'd refuse to take the Seven Bridge / Dartford (either way) / Forth Road / Skye because the toll was eye-watering for a C+E.
And that toll came out of my pocket and I then had to claim it back... and wait a month to get it back.
At £50 a pop, I'd certainly refuse to take a load in the Zone if I had to pay and claim back.

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