Alan Sugar shows off custom Union Jack Pinarello Dogma; Canyon speak over Van der Poel’s broken bars; Mayoral Press Office own Daily Mail anti-cycling rant with epic reply; The only pro racing we could do; Alex Dowsett’s priorities + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Warwickshire Police prosecutes 61 motorists for using phones while driving during two-week campaign
61 people were prosecuted in #Warwickshire between 8-21 February for using their mobile phone whilst driving as part of a national campaign aimed at changing driver behaviour & highlighting the consequences. #Standingupforhangingup @OPUWarks https://t.co/0euLPkOfUi
— Warwickshire Police (@warkspolice) March 2, 2021
Warwickshire Police prosecuted 61 drivers for using their mobile phone while driving during a two-week campaign aimed at changing drivers’ behaviours. Of the 61 offenders, 19 were HGV drivers, 22 were van drivers and 20 were driving cars during the campaign which ran last month. The force says they hope taking the time to educate the drivers, as well as the £200 fine and six points, will make them reconsider. County data shows the risk of using a phone while driving: five serious collisions in 2019 and two in 2020 were contributed to by a driver using their phone behind the wheel.
Inspector Jem Mountford said: “I find it shocking that so many drivers are willing to risk their life and the lives of others by using their mobile phone whilst driving. The results are due to a tremendous effort made by all front line officers from all departments including our Commercial Vehicle Unit, Operations Patrol Unit, Safer Neighbourhood Teams and the Special Constabulary all working together.
The campaign also coincided with another operation which saw the force using an HGV supercab to observe drivers’ speeds and behaviour on the M40 and M42.
The only part of pro racing most of us could do...
Post-race hydration #LeSamyn pic.twitter.com/DFnBeYCbgn
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) March 2, 2021
'World's first performance cycling clothing company for a personalised fit' exceeds £100,000 crowdfunding target
Staark is a new premium clothing company that aims to make performance cycling clothing that “fits actual humans, not just elite cyclists.” The company has raised almost £114,000 via 165 investors and smashed their £100,000 target on Crowdcube. Staark uses their own ‘Staark Dimensioning Techonolgy’ to create the perfect fit and use sustainable fabrics too.
They say they are unique by making clothing specifically targeted at the 80% of cyclists who aren’t necessarily ‘elite’ shaped, instead making top end cycling clothing accessible to everyone.
Alex Dowsett has his priorities right...Who needs to do 500 watts anyway?
These youngsters maybe able to ride at 7w/kg for 20mins, but I bet they can’t eyeball setup a set of speedplay cleats perfect first time pic.twitter.com/ujvmGYKrfS
— Alex Dowsett (@alexdowsett) March 2, 2021
POC will release the first bike helmet featuring the new MIPS Integra
MIPS renamed its entire product line last month and divided it into five new classes to make it easier to understand the range. MIPS Integra is designed to be the lightest, slimmest and, well as the name suggests, the most integrated. The other three classes relevant to cycling helmets are the MIPS Essential, Evolve and Air. That said, Met released its new Manta MIPS helmet (pictured above), as we reported earlier this week, with the C2 brain protection system, which isn’t any of these names.
POC and MIPS, the two Swedish companies, are now working on a range of helmets which will feature Integra for the first time.
Mason Cycles' limited edition Resolution model in new colourway and with optional Campagnolo Ekar
Mason Cycles’ Resolution model is now available in a limited edition ‘Vela’ colourway and with a Campagnolo Ekar build option. Maybe, Lord Sugar’s Union Jack frame isn’t for you…let’s face it, it probably isn’t…But Mason’s Columbus steel Resolution2’s Vela colourway offers a more subtle, classy look.
The ride is made for covering long days in the saddle with comfort prioritised and the robust steel frame is deisgned to be a frame for life. In line with the theme of a smooth ride, the Resolution has clearance for 32mm tyres with mudguards or 35mm without.
LTN stats from Brixton
The first monitoring report from Lambeth Council on Railton LTN in Brixton has found that car traffic reduced by 31 per cent across the area, while HGV traffic reduced by 23 per cent. Cycling was the big winner from the scheme, with a 32 per cent increase in people cycling across the area and a 51 per cent increase within the LTN.
For the individual roads, Railton Road saw car traffic reduce by 75 per cent, while cycling increased by 65 per cent. Nearby Shakespeare Road also saw a significant switch as cycling increased by 84 per cent in comparison to a 60 per cent reduction in cars…
Bauke Mollema wins Trofeo Laigueglia
🇳🇱@BaukeMollema of 🇺🇸@TrekSegafredo wins 🇮🇹@il_Laigueglia #TrofeoLaigueglia (📺@RaiSport) pic.twitter.com/8uDmyjxIEe
— World Cycling Stats (@wcsbike) March 3, 2021
Trek-Segafredo’s Bauke Mollema bagged his second win of the season this afternoon, winning Trofeo Laigueglia solo ahead of a group stacked with talent. Egan Bernal won the sprint for second ahead of Mauri Vansevenant in third. Clément Champoussin, Mollema’s teammate Giulio Ciccone and Mikel Landa completed the chasing group. Mollema maintained his gap on the steep final climb of the day as Bernal and Landa attacked behind, before extending it on the flat run to the finish.
Deceuninck-Quick-Step’s British climber James Knox was seventh at the first Italian race on the calendar ahead of Saturday’s much-anticipated Strade Bianche. Ineos Grenadiers’ former winner of the race famous by the white gravel roads, Michal Kwiatkowski, crashed today and said at the finish that he hopes it is just bruising and not any broken bones.
Alan Sugar shows off custom Pinarello Dogma with Union Jack paint job
Now back in Florida just completed a 40 mile ride . Wearing my new Spurs cycling shirt. Nice to be on my custom @Pinarello_com again. pic.twitter.com/mHmkrHHydr
— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) March 2, 2021
The Apprentice boss Alan Sugar likes to unwind from the stress of firing business hopefuls by getting out on the bike. And, in his case, it’s an eye-catching custom Pinarello Dogma complete with Union Jack paint job that’s his ride of choice. In 2019, Lord Sugar used an e-bike to recover from a knee replacement and has since been able to get back on his usual unassisted machine, sharing his support for Tottenham Hotspur with the people of Florida as he goes…
Sugar said the best thing about the custom Dogma was that when he pulls up at traffic lights, other riders don’t ask if he’s Australian…
Whyte Bikes gets investment from Cairngorm Capital Partners LLP
British bike brand Whyte Bikes has received investment from Cairngorm Capital Partners LLP. Bicycle Retailer and Industry News reports the terms of the investment will not be released but that the investment will be used to develop Whyte’s product portfolio, including broadening its range of e-bikes. Cairngorm Capital’s expertise in international sales will also be tapped into by the brand who has been making bikes since being founded by the Farrant brothers in 1990. The move represents Cairngorm Capital’s first forray into the bicycle industry.
Whyte Bikes’ co-founder Derek Farrant said it is an exciting time for the brand: “This is a new chapter for Whyte and represents a natural progression for me. This is an exciting time for all involved in Whyte’s future.”
Sadiq Khan's Press Office deals with the Daily Mail...
Yes, because more people cycling is a good thing. https://t.co/JsXR1u6ryY
— Mayor’s Press Office (@LDN_pressoffice) March 2, 2021
Sadiq Khan has today asked for the Kensington High Street cycle lane to be reinstated after a survey revealed huge local backing. His Press Office have been on the attack too…This was their reply to a Daily Mail Online story titled: ‘Sadiq Khan’s cycling tsar brags of plastering capital in SIXTY MILES of bike lanes across London in last year’…
Glorious weather contributes to record breaking weekend for Santander Cycles
🥳Another record breaking weekend for #SantanderCycles. 🥳Saturday was the best February day ever. Last weekend was the best Feb weekend ever. And on its own Saturday was the 11th best day of any month ever.🚲 It’s glorious to see so many people enjoying cycling in London 🚲@tfl pic.twitter.com/JiRm3rKzUx
— Will Norman (@willnorman) March 3, 2021
Here are some numbers to back up the pictures and videos from the weekend of thousands of cyclists out enjoying the sunshine…Last weekend was the best February weekend in Santander Bikes’ history with Saturday coming in at 11th in the most popular days for the scheme…The usual taxi accounts on Twitter have taken the news well…
Taxileaks, which claims to be Londons number one taxi news website, accused the statistics of being faked and from Sadiq Khan’s PR team…
Cabbie London also said: “Non essential travel….Stay at home, save lives? Not exactly getting the right message across whilst this pandemic is on is it?”
Not much love for Lord Sugar's Union Jack Pinarello Dogma
In the ridiculously expensive world of cycling, it’s reassuring to know that money can’t buy taste.
— El Chapo (@TheChap1) March 3, 2021
Well that’s hideous
— Jonno Page (@bmxjon) March 3, 2021
MVDP broken bargate: Canyon says all Canyon-sponsored pro teams will use previous Aeroad "until further notice" and issues 'stop ride' order for customers
Yesterday, a part of the bars on Mathieu van der Poel’s Canyon Aeroad appeared to break off… of course the Dutchman carried on and helped his teammate Tim Merlier to victory at Le Samyn anyway, but understandably it raised plenty of concerns about the safety of the bike Van der Poel was riding.
Canyon has now said all pros will ride the previous Aeroad or the current Canyon Ultimate until the problem is resolved, and all customers who have bought the Aeroad CF SLX and CFR models will be issued a ‘stop riding’ notice.
The statement begins: “On Tuesday 2 March, at one of the opening classic races “Le Samyn”, a part of the handlebar of our Alpecin-Fenix pro Mathieu van der Poel (NED) quite obviously broke off during the race.
“Experts from the Canyon development and quality management departments immediately began analysis and testing to understand the cause of this incident. The affected cockpits (CP0018 and CP0015) only installed on the current Aeroad models CF SLX and CFR. The Aeroad CF SL model is not in any way affected by this issue.
Canyon’s founder Roman Arnold said: “Mathieu fortunately did not fall. We want to ensure with absolute certainty that no one comes to harm before we fully understand the root cause.
Canyon’s CEO added: “We are doing everything we can to equip affected Aeroad models as quickly as possible with a cockpit that meets both our and our customers’ demands for total quality and safety.”
The statement ends: “It has already been decided that all professional teams will switch to alternative bikes with immediate effect. Until further notice, the pro sport athletes will be using the previous model of Aeroad or the current Ultimate.”
More on this tomorrow.
3 March 2021, 08:55
3 March 2021, 08:55
3 March 2021, 08:55
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@Smoggysteve "Most would happily ride on the roads and be treated with respect by drivers". But people aren't - and as far as I can see they won't be. Not until there is a lot less driving and it's slower around cyclists, and far more people driving have "skin in the game" eg. they sometimes cycle and their friends and family do also. That's what leads to the model - which is perhaps most advanced in NL - where cycling, walking and driving are all seen as separate normal transport modes. Their needs, vulnerabilities and any dangers to others are considered. And *that* leads to "mix / share when possible, separate when necessary". But "possible" is "where your 10-year old would be safe to cycle unsupervised" - so very few motor vehicles, going slow! And AFAICS everybody - even "existing cyclists" - is happy with the result. (I dunno about a few pro cyclists - but don't they tend to have training camps in different counties anyway?)
@quiff as an Edinburgh resident I can confidently say he's speaking without moving his lips in one sense: - while as I noted in a separate comment there *is* now some real separated cycle infra, all the examples i can think of have *at least as much space* for pedestrians. The rest of the "cycle infra" is essentially similar to the situation in the rest of the UK: eg. bus lanes*, cycle lanes and shared use paths (eg. "build" infra by sticking up a sign). Edinburgh is one of the places with a moderately extensive network of former railways which have been converted to "shared use" paths (completely motor traffic few). However though shared they are not narrow by UK standards. And this is all effectively a "free extra" for all non- motorised users, not like the "sign a cycle path" where pedestrians do lose space. I think this all comes from the "popular understanding" of cycling in which ultimately cyclists are the "other". They don't fit "motor vehicle" or "pedestrian" (including wheelchairs on the very rare occasions people think about that). Thus "cyclists are cheating" in multiple ways! They shouldn't get their own space as "there aren't enough" of them. And "they can just use the road / path". But being able to *choose* "on the road" or "on the footway" (shared use path) is clearly unfair - nobody else gets to do that! BUT of course even if they did pick just one of road OR pedestrian space it's still not fair anyway because they're "too slow" for the road (don't pay "road tax" etc...) and "far too fast" for pedestrians... * Though some existing cyclists may appreciate them when there are few buses, buses and bikes are a very poor mix for several reasons.
Whilst a shame for any employees, their bib shorts had the worst chamois pad I’d ever encountered, utter waste of my money. Even though they were Strava challenge discount purchases, still a waste of money.
Thanks, just going to have to suck it up. Got next week off and will take the easy, if expensive option...
@ktache Just go for the TNT Sports only package, £30.99 for a month. Alternatively have you considered experimenting with a VPN for a few pounds, allowing you to sign up for a free stream abroad, e.g. SBS Australia which streams the Tour live? If I didn't have a kind mate's login that's what I'd do!
So, it's now the month of July and I'm going to have to pay to watch the TdF, for one month only. On a tablet unfortunately, as I didn't manage to get a laptop to rig up to the TV, grrr. Just wondering, what package will I have to fork out for? Not wanting to pay for the wrong one...
Not that it sounds like a dealbreaker given the other faults you've identified, but that cable isn't really a "proprietary" cable, four pin magnetic cables like that are quite common on bone-conducting headphones and other devices (my inexpensive smartwatch uses one) and they can be had for £4.99 on UK Amazon.
There was never really anything to say about le col kit. Most of it was alright. Some of it was poorly designed/made. Trying to position yourself as a Rapha competitor whilst always offering 40% or more off doesn't scream premium though.
Up next in the MucOff product line; for when the cassette won't budge, (chain)whip-it!
44 thoughts on “Alan Sugar shows off custom Union Jack Pinarello Dogma; Canyon speak over Van der Poel’s broken bars; Mayoral Press Office own Daily Mail anti-cycling rant with epic reply; The only pro racing we could do; Alex Dowsett’s priorities + more on the live blog”
And the stupid thing is any
And the stupid thing is any number of other drivers equally distracted by using their phone at the wheel escape prosecution because theirs is a handsfree setup.
I’ll give you distracted.
I’ll give you distracted. Equally distracted is a huge stretch.
Handsfree is a concentration distraction. Juggling your phone at the wheel is concentration, visual and physical distraction.
You might want to check the
You might want to check the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) and its research into driver distraction then. According to TRL, there is minimal difference between being on a hands free phone or actually holding it in your hand. The key issue according to TRL is the limitation of the human brain in conducting two tasks at once. You cannot hold a phone conversation while driving safely. You simply cannot. Please read the research into this topic.
Being on the phone while driving is also different from having a conversation with another vehicle occupant. The TRL research makes this quite clear. When a driver is speaking ith someone in the vehicle and requires more brain activity to deal with a situation in the road, the driving activity will be prioritised. When on the phone, the reverse is true
But don’t believe me. Check the TRL website and look up extensive, peer reviewed research into the topic by experts in the field.
OldRidgeback wrote:
Although that probably depends a lot on who the person is. Some people are lot better at moderating their conversation in response to road circumstances / understanding about being ignored than others…
mdavidford wrote:
And some people just think they are.
None of them is giving driving their undivided attention. #onejob
GMBasix wrote:
And some people just think they are.
None of them is giving driving their undivided attention. #onejob— mdavidford
I was referring more to the passengers, not the drivers.
That TRL research is disputed
That TRL research is disputed/ contradicted by other studies.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190207173255.htm
I tried watching that but had
I tried watching that but had to give up. But I’m not convinced it does contradict the TRL research. The issue is that the human brain can only do so many things at once. Driving and holding a phone conversation is just too much for the brain to do.
The US Army spends millions of dollars selecting and training attack helicopter pilots who can indeed multi-task. These are a very rare breed indeed. And yet even these people, la crame de la creme, can only multi-task effectively for short periods, typically 30 minutes maximum.
The TRL’s research is extensive and peer reviewed and is supported by that used by the US Army.
Secret_squirrel wrote:
I don’t believe that’s the case. My understanding is it’s not the lack of hands on the wheel that is dangerous. but what happens to the brain. During conversations reaction slow to that of being at the legal level of alcohol in the blood. New information is poorly processed as the mind is on the conversation. Even vision is changed, with people tending towards a thousand yard stare, and tunnel vision creeping in.
These effects persist for some time after the conversation.
Hands-free is not an acceptable alternative and has no place behind the wheel of the car. The HWC is also clear about this.
There’s a big difference
There’s a big difference though – with handsfree you can keep your eyes on the road even if you’re not paying a lot of attention. When someone is taking their eyes off the road and instead focussing on a phone, they’ll probably not notice any new information (e.g. cyclists) when they re-focus on the road. It’s like those spot-the-difference pictures – when you move your eyes off a scene, your brain will assume that it’s the same when you look at it again and induce change blindness.
As I understand it, research
As I understand it, research suggests that using a hands free phone is just as dangerous as using a handheld one.
Yeah, drivers not paying
Yeah, drivers not paying attention is probably the biggest problem and that covers both groups of drivers.
It’s surprising to most people though, just how big an effect change blindness can have. Someone glancing down at their phone is going to completely disrupt their ability to detect motion and new objects.
Have a watch of this video (only a few minutes long) to see the effect on your own vision: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaAIW8WFBq8
hawkinspeter wrote:
clearly taking your eyes off the road is an added issue, but the real issue is the effect on the brain’s ability to focus on a complex operation being performed in a dynamic environment. It’s not that hands free is better than not, it’s more that any phone use is unacceptable, but using a handheld is an aggravating factor. I suppose my analogy is that if someone’s has had 2 pints we don’t say “that’s okay, cos three pints is worse”. I can’t imagine a conversation that was so vital that it had to be had NOW.
I do agree but I was just
I do agree but I was just making the point that there’s real perception problems with glancing away from the road for more than a fraction of a second.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Or so you’d think. I noticed early in my driving career that a distracting conversation took my mind’s eye off the road, regardless of where my gaze might ostensibly be directed. I remember apologising to my girlfriend for any semblance that I was ignoring her if at times it seemed I was not fully engaged in the conversation at the wheel.
That reminds me somewhat of
That reminds me somewhat of the invisible gorilla test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo
(Though calling it by that name kinda ruins it but it’s fairly well known)
I’ve watched that many times,
I’ve watched that many times, but still not managed to see any invisible gorillas…
mdavidford wrote:
Exactly
You would not see the gorilla
You would not see the gorilla if it was invisible, would you?
Sorry – I apologise for that cheap dig
I’ve also watched the video several times and always seen the Gorilla. The two researchers who made the video in 2004 (I think) have made a good living out of it ever since. The task is to count the number of ball passes within one of the teams. The blurb that they put out says that 50% of subjects that complete the test fail to see the gorilla. I suspect that 98% of the subjects fall about laughing and don’t complete the test.
Any distraction be it Gorillas or change blindness or telephones will result in a drop in driving performance. I remember once trying to talk someone through a computer problem while driving hands free. I was trying to picture what they were seeing on their screen and realised that I had not “seen” the road for ages. NEVER AGAIN.
Apparently there’s also an
Apparently there’s also an auditory effect called inattentional deafness:https://digest.bps.org.uk/2012/07/12/introducing-inattentional-deafness-the-noisy-gorilla-thats-missed/
Unfortunately I can’t locate the sound file they used, but we could all be surrounded by gorillas and not even notice!
If an invisible gorilla falls
If an invisible gorilla falls in a forest, and no-one’s around to not see it, does it make a sound?
I’ve found a cool ASMR
I’ve found a cool ASMR Youtube channel showing gorillas delicately eating bananas.
It’s very ape peeling.
Thanks, I Checked our link, I
Thanks, I Checked your link, I’m not surprised.
The general rule of thumb is that about 90% of the information a driver acts upon is visual. Modern cars are designed to exclude sound, smell, vibration etc… Cyclists of course are much more aware of what is going on around them.
No there isn’t. Brain
No there isn’t. Brain capacity is the issue. Carrying out a phone conversation while driving means the brain is otherwise engaged and not focussingon the primary task of driving. As I said, there is extensive research into the topic and the TRL’s reputation is first rate.
If you have a hands-free phone kit, bin it. They will be banned in a few years for all the reasons you’ll find in the TRL research.
OldRidgeback wrote:
<panto voice>Oh, yes there is</panto voice>
I think I phrased it wrongly as I’m not trying to say that hands-free kits are a good idea. What I meant was that there’s an additional problem that by moving your eyes away from the road you become susceptible to change blindness so even if you think you are paying attention, your brain will not register new or moving objects in the way that you expect it to.
And no, I won’t bin any hands-free earphones I’ve got as I don’t drive (they’re just so that I can type with two hands whilst on a phone-call) and I don’t use them on a bike, neither.
And yes, I fully support banning hands-free kits in cars.
Ah, ok.
Ah, ok.
As I understand it the
As I understand it the difference in distractions between the 2 different types of conversations (hand held and hands free) is fairly minimal as many comments above state. However how many of the hand held ones are on facebook or texting or the likes which has the additional distraction of looking elsewhere and focusing eyes on the screen.
If I am overtaking on a dual carriageway I often glance over at the vehicle on the left, its incredible how many have one hand on the weel and the head tipped down (or you can se the eyes are looking down) and you just know it is one handed phone operations. I am going to guess that the 61 convictions are for those that be clearly seen to have the phone to thier ear
Agreed. Most of the phone use
Agreed. Most of the phone use I see is not hand-held phone conversations, but looking at and interacting with the phone’s display. I don’t doubt that a hands free conversation impairs driving ability, but I find it difficult to believe it compares with display use in terms of distraction and risk.
S’Alans shirt
S’Alans shirt
rct wrote:
TFTFY
Calling all Floridians!
Calling all Floridians!
It’s a distinctive bike and he’s often parked up taking calls. The multi-tool you need is in the saddle bag.
it’s a really quick job: just loosen the bolts on the front of the stem, lower bars to level, re-tighten bolts, and run.
TIA
Those drops don’t get used
Those drops don’t get used much
lesterama wrote:
All that money and he still couldn’t buy a bike that fitted him
There is no way he paid for
There is no way he paid for that, Pinarelli woukd have given it to him in exchange for a tweet or two.
Fair dues, he’s often telling
Fair dues, he’s often telling the Apprentices to ‘raise the bloody bar’
Police-61 drivers in two
Police-61 drivers in two weeks, were they asleep
Pah, Cyclingmikey(YouTube) does that daily in London- he’s a hero
CXR94Di2 wrote:
A few years ago I did a stint as a lollypop man, this was pre smart phones but even then. 1 in 10 drivers who passed me were on the phone.
That was about 100 hand held phone users per hour.
Quote:
That doesn’t tell us very much about how serious the problem is. How many serious collisions were there in total? E.g. if there were 10 then 70% involved using a phone, that’s a big problem. if there were 1000 then 0.7% involved using a phone, not such a big problem.
I like Alan’s bike – better
I like Alan’s bike – better colour than most bland-bikes out there. I’m not a fan of the muted colour schemes in cycling atm. Bring back some colour – used to love the bright Lampre Merida jerseys. Life is boring enough without everyone riding around on black bikes in black gear with big black sunglasses, with a black helmet and dull expression. I’ll even take an awful pink Rapha jersey, just get some colour out there!
Fuel duty frozen for the 11th
Fuel duty frozen for the 11th consecutive year
It’s full on War on Motorists I tell you !
Quote:
So are they offering performance cycling clothing made of nanotech that comes when you call? I’d kickstart that.
It’s shite like that that
It’s shite like that that puts me off Pinarello.
Gopping doesn’t cover it.
I must be in the minority
I must be in the minority because i like that bike design, and it’s nice to see Alan advertising for us while he’s off cycling in Australia.
Jenova20 wrote:
Yes, we really need yet another flagshagger to help make us look like a bunch of demented nationalists. Our international reputation is in tatters, as it is.