This isn’t just a bad bike rack, this is an M&S bad bike rack (+ possibly the worst one yet); New cycle parking installed next to “dangerous” junction; “Cyclists cause more misery than drivers”; Rowe retires; Giro d’Italia build-up + more on the live blog

I’m sure I’ve heard that old chestnut about cycle storage facilities before – you know it’s a good bike rack if it looks like a school art competition winner and requires instructions for you to use it.

Wait, that can’t be right…

Unfortunately, that actually seems to be the case in Sutton Coldfield, just outside Birmingham, where a recently revamped branch of Marks & Spencer has decided to revolutionise (or ruin, some might say) its approach to cycle storage by ripping up its old, classic Sheffield Stands, and replacing them with these, ahem, artistic interpretations of what a bike rack is:

New bike racks at local M&S. The old ones were perfectly serviceable Sheffield Stands. These new ones need a sign to explain them to people wanting to park their bikes. pic.twitter.com/364Y47oQjY

— Tim on two wheels (@2wheelsgoodBrum) May 2, 2024

“New bike racks at local M&S. The old ones were perfectly serviceable Sheffield Stands. These new ones need a sign to explain them to people wanting to park their bikes,” local cyclist Tim, who posted the unusual, and ironically not very handy, bike stands on social media, said.

And no, a photo of a bike parked in them doesn’t make things any clearer:

Evidently, this is how to park your bike with one. You’ll need the right bike, though. Don’t try and park the wrong bike, or secure any part of the bike. pic.twitter.com/mNj4X3Gyox

— Tim on two wheels (@2wheelsgoodBrum) May 3, 2024

According to Tim, the impenetrable design is described as “a unique bollard. A necessary element for the slow-paced city, designed so that people benefit from the outdoor space. Brings originality to the project definition of the urban space.”

I think I’ll stick to the unoriginal, useable definitions of the urban space, thank you very much.

And so do many others, it seems.

> Worst bike racks — from the useless to utterly unusable places to park your bicycle

“Those are appalling: Really inaccessible design. Could people please stop making random artworks and calling it cycle parking??” Kate Ball, from disabled cycling charity Wheels for Wellbeing, said.

“And my first thought is, the barrier for the trolley bay looks far better to lock my bike to,” added Tony.

“This is my pet hate,” said Rolo. “If a car park was changed to an artist’s abstract ‘interpretation of parking space’, drivers would go mad.

“This smells of a competition or a councillor’s arty cousin – neither deliver good design. Skilled Public Realm Designers exist – employ them, not artists.”

Cut finger with a rusty metal edge, anyone? pic.twitter.com/hayiI74Go9

— Tim on two wheels (@2wheelsgoodBrum) May 3, 2024

“It’s hard to beat the Sheffield for usability but you have to admit, these will defeat the new fashion of using pipe-cutters on the Sheffield’s tubes,” noted a rather more optimistic Michael.

“The positioning of the original stands was excellent. Never a problem in 25 years,” replied Tim.

Tim, meanwhile, has got in touch with M&S about the new design, who say they’ll take his comments into account for future stores.

In the meantime, I think we have a ‘worst bike racks’ feature to update…

> Cycling group calls for stronger enforcement against illegal parking to ensure no “knock-on impact” on cyclists’ safety from council’s parking charges plans

Normally, you’d imagine that the redevelopment of a railway station, complete with ample, secure cycle parking, would be a cause for celebration, another step in the right direction for active travel and public transport, encouraging people out of their cars with carefully planned, considered, joined-up infrastructure.

But that’s not the case in Belfast.

This week, the brand-new York Street Station (a redevelopment of the old Yorkgate Station) was launched in north Belfast. Translink, Northern Ireland’s public transport provider, says the revamped station “has been designed to be fully inclusive for all, will be a catalyst for further investment in the area, and encourage modal shift towards public transport”.

The station also includes, in a rarity for Belfast, a large and secure bike parking station. Translink says these cycle parking facilities will provide storage for people using the station’s “connections to existing cycle infrastructure”, while also claiming that the station has been designed with “consideration to any potential future cycle infrastructure developments in the area”.

Not so fast. While all that sounds impressive on paper, in reality any cyclist hoping to store their bike at the station has to navigate one of Belfast’s, ahem, interesting junctions for cyclists:

Fun.

“It is great that we have a fantastic new bike park at the new York Street station. But how many will use it when the surrounding bike infrastructure is appalling? Take a look at the junction it sits next to,” Belfast-based academic and cycling campaigner Dom Bryan wrote on Twitter following the station’s opening.

It is great that we have a fantastic new bike park at the new York Street station. But how many will use it when the surrounding bike infrastructure is appalling? Take a look at the junction it sits next to. @deptinfra @SustransNI @NBCycleCampaign @Bel_Cycle_Camp @BBCMarkSimpson pic.twitter.com/MhEoAc5zHs

— Dominic Bryan (@Domsball) May 2, 2024

“There has been no development of protected cycling infrastructure in north Belfast in a decade. They started painting a bike route on the Limestone Road and then took it away!” Dom told road.cc this morning, referencing the highly-criticised lethargy surrounding Northern Ireland’s cycling policies.

“The government encourage active travel but the roads in north Belfast are just too dangerous. The only work has been from parents at schools in Cliftonville and Cavehill, who organise bike buses.”

> No change in cycling casualties over 10 years in Northern Ireland called “shameful” by Cycling UK and should be “wake-up call” for decision makers

Dom wasn’t the only one critical of the lack of joined-up thinking at York Street Station, with the new cycle parking described by one local cyclist as “how to make it look like you are doing something, whilst doing nothing at all”.

Responding to Dom’s tweet, Sustrans said: “The only safe access by bike, other than on footpaths, is from Clarendon dock direction on NCN Route 93 through the underpass. Cycling from Ulster University’s campus out of town or from New Lodge is not for the faint-hearted.”

You just have to cross 28 car lanes including the Westlink to get to/from @UlsterUni. https://t.co/rwWzQ6hihy

— CircleLineBelfast (@CircleLineBT) May 2, 2024

“You just have to cross 28 car lanes, including the Westlink, to get to/from Ulster University,” added Circle Line Belfast. Easy, eh?

“The whole area is incredibly dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians right now,” added NI Planner.

“Depressing,” said Áine. “Cycling with our kids from Cavehill down Limestone along the Shore Road, littered with glass and rubble, never mind overgrown with shrubs. There is nothing easy about cycling safely from north Belfast.”

“I’m an experienced cyclist but have stopped cycling from Castle area to QUB as it’s just too dangerous,” added Dermot. “Had too many near misses that were beyond my control.”

“I doubt this will ever be heavily used because of where it is,” wrote Mark, while Neal described the junction as a “disgrace” that means “nobody will use that bike shelter”.

“Love to see new bike storage going in, but if it is not connected to safe cycling infrastructure, it will lay empty,” the North Belfast Cycle Campaign agreed. “A Cavehill/Limestone Road cycle lane with a protected lane on York Street would be a great start.”

Even some local politicians were getting involved in calling for better cycling infrastructure in the city’s long-neglected Sailortown area.

“New station or old station, you have to dice with death as you cross major roads to make pedestrian progress anywhere,” said Alliance Party MLA Stewart Dickson. “It’s a shame there’s no joined-up thinking.”

> “If they can’t build cycle lanes, devolve bloody powers to us and we’ll do it”: Belfast Council slams Northern Ireland government’s “joke” delivery of cycling infrastructure – as just 2.8km of bike lanes installed in two years

“Belfast had less than two miles of segregated cycle lanes in 2019. Still the same,” wrote Green Party NI MLA Mal O’Hara.

“Transport powers are controlled by the Department of Infrastructure, despite some of us arguing they should be devolved like every other city our size in Western Europe.”

Thought at least Brandon decided to put a bit of a positive spin on things.

“The nice bike shed is reward for having survived the journey to the station after navigating the patchy and mainly non-existent bike lanes in Belfast,” he wrote.

The way things are going in Northern Ireland, the Department of Infrastructure might chalk that up as a win…

> 2024 UCI MTB DH World Series gets underway this weekend – here’s everything you need to know

Following Luke Rowe’s retirement announcement this morning, the British pro cycling circle of life continues apace, as Israel-Premier Tech announced this afternoon that Joe Blackmore will step up immediately to the ProTeam, eight months ahead of schedule.

The 21-year-old south Londoner, who joined Israel-Premier Tech’s Academy team at the start of the year, has been in blistering form all season, winning the U23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, along with GC victories at the Circuit des Ardennes, Tour de Taiwan, and Tour of Rwanda.

Last month, in his first outing for the elite team, Blackmore also finished a hugely impressive fourth at Brabantse Pijl.

And with veteran rider Rick Zabel leaving Israel-Premier Tech with immediate effect this week, ahead of his last race for the German national team next month, a spot opened up for Blackmore to race for the ProTeam full time, speeding up a process that was due to see him graduate to the pro ranks in 2025.

𝗝𝗼𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹 – 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵

Having already signed a two-year contract with Israel – Premier Tech for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, the British sensation will officially join the ProTeam from today.#YallaIPT

— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) May 3, 2024

“It’s incredible to be in a position to move up and race at the highest level, starting on Sunday at Tro-Bro Léon,” says Blackmore. “Hopefully I can have a good rest of the season alongside experienced teammates who I can race with and learn from.

“I’m also incredibly grateful to the team for the confidence they have shown in me so far – I’m ready for the rest of the year now!”

“We are excited to welcome Joe to Israel-Premier Tech earlier than originally planned,” team general manager Kjell Carlström added.

“When a spot in our ProTeam became available, it made sense to bring Joe up already to give him the chance to race at the WorldTour level, where we believe he will excel. He has enjoyed a fantastic start to his season and we are looking forward to seeing what he can do with us. Joe was already scheduled to race Tro-Bro Léon with IPT this Sunday, so he will now line up as a ProTeam rider.”

With the start just over a month away (eek!), the first details of the opening Welsh stages of the 2024 Tour of Britain Women – the race’s inaugural edition in its current, British Cycling-organised guise – have been released.

On Thursday 6 June, the opening stage, from Welshpool to Llandudno, will cover 142.5km with a tough 2,276m worth of climbing, including the Llangynog, or Berwyn Pass, climb 65km in, which averages 5.4 per cent over its 6km.

The last 10km into Llandudno, where the riders will finish on the promenade, will feature a series of punchy climbs, ensuring a very difficult, and potentially decisive, start to the race.

Meanwhile, the second stage will start and finish on Chester Street in Wrexham’s city centre where, despite the presence of the iconic Horseshoe Pass 30km from the finish, we will be expecting the first big bunch sprint of the race.

The bunch will then take in a loop of Warrington the following day, before the fourth and final stage will feature the roads of Greater Manchester, finishing in Leigh.

“Working with our partners we’ve been able to plot out two really challenging and entertaining stages in Wales to open the race, with some iconic climbs and opportunities for the sprinters too,” Tour of Britain race director Rod Ellingworth said today.

“We wanted the Tour of Britain Women to show off the very best of Britain’s roads and scenery, and having spent a lot of time out driving the routes I’m absolutely certain that we’ve delivered.

“Finalising the routes in such a short timeframe has been a huge challenge, and only made possible thanks to the support of colleagues in Welsh Government, Conwy County Borough Council, Powys County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council, who deserve enormous credit for the commitment to the race and women’s cycling more broadly.”

Another day, another dubiously worded, questionable social media post from the Department for Transport.

Today’s latest inflammatory DfT post comes courtesy of Rishi Sunak’s much-maligned Plan for Drivers, part of which hoped to “address concerns about councils generating surpluses from issuing penalty charge notices for contraventions of moving traffic restrictions”.

Those contraventions include motorists driving through no entry, no left or right turn, or prohibited vehicle signs, or unlawfully entering box junctions and driving in mandatory cycle lanes.

“These enforcement powers help free up police time while helping councils to reduce traffic congestion. However, enforcement should be undertaken proportionately and not used as a means to raise revenue,” the DfT says.

Therefore, the government has launched a public call seeking to “gather evidence of current practice to inform possible policy proposals” and “explore options for restricting a local authority’s ability to generate surpluses from traffic contraventions”.

To publicise this call for evidence, which closes next week, the Department for Transport the following post on social media:

Caught out by driving in bus lanes or yellow box junctions?

We want to hear from you on whether the current traffic enforcement measures are fair to drivers.

Have your say by 11 May: https://t.co/roc2gQiDc4 pic.twitter.com/G1McD85O5u

— Department for Transport (@transportgovuk) May 3, 2024

“Caught out by driving in bus lanes or yellow box junctions?” the DfT asked. “We want to hear from you on whether the current traffic enforcement measures are fair to drivers.”

Needless to say, the response isn’t quite what the DfT’s social media admin would have hoped for.

“‘Caught out’? Are the huge signs and paint in the road not clear enough for you? Wouldn’t that count as driving without due care and attention?” asked Tom Staniford.

“Don’t complain. Hand your licence in. You don’t deserve the privilege of driving on public roads.”

“Caught out? What strange phrasing. What’s next, asking burglars if they think being caught out by the pesky police is fair to burglars?” added Tony.

“How about considering whether it’s fair to all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and those using public transport, rather than just one group?” wrote Chris.

“Break the law, face a fine. Why is this so difficult to understand?” said an exasperated Dan.

Meanwhile, Michael came up with his own alternative call for evidence: “Caught out shop-lifting? We are having a consultation on shop-lifting. Have you been caught shop-lifting? Do you think the current shop-lifting enforcement is fair to shop-lifters? Please get in touch.”

“I can't believe a government department has been corrupted like this,” said Greg. ”You're responsible for keeping ALL people who use the roads safe. Pandering to the dangerous road users will result in more families losing loved ones.”

“Next up, you'll be asking drivers if drink-driving is a fair measure,” said Bob.

Judging by yesterday’s live blog, a fair few “caught out” drivers in London have already made their minds up about the fairness of not being allowed to drive in cycle lanes…

> ‘How to beat the rush? Use the bike lane’: Motorists, including driving instructor and cab driver, flood cycle path — and refuse to give way to cyclists

It’s a war on motorists, I tell ya!

🤔 Did you know? 🚺 For the first time, there are mobile toilets set up for the cyclists!

😌 ¿Sabéis una cosa? 🚽 Por primera vez en La Vuelta Femenina hay baños para las corredoras situados durante la etapa.
#LaVueltaFemenina pic.twitter.com/Y6dPLH8YIM

— La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es (@LaVueltaFem) May 2, 2024

Campervan-owning cycling fans everywhere breathe a sigh of relief… 

✊ Have a great #Giro https://t.co/fsXnN8zbSt

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) May 2, 2024

I seriously don’t know what Zoolander’s going to do with his free time when Thomas retires next year – perhaps a guest spot on the road.cc Podcast? Oh, we can dream…

In the latest episode of his Watts Occurring podcast with Geraint Thomas, published this morning, Luke Rowe expanded on his decision to retire from pro cycling at the end of this season, along with his sense of pride of being one of the world’s top domestiques for a decade:

We've got an unexpected pod for you this morning as Luke's got some news he wanted to share...

This season will be his last in the peloton.

It's been some journey hey, @LukeRowe1990? ❤️ pic.twitter.com/SatwMVWxRm

— Watts Occurring (@Watts_Occurring) May 3, 2024

And with the 34-year-old already dipping his toe into the Eurosport pond during the classics season, could that “something else” be television punditry? Well, I suppose it’s better than sitting in a car, shouting at riders…

Rate Pogs excitement on a scale of 1 to hyperactive puppy. #Giro pic.twitter.com/EOlUaPTDGM

— Anna Mac 👑🪱 🌈🖤 (@AnnamacB) May 2, 2024

Let’s hope Pogačar’s excitement spills over into the racing itself. At least for a few days, okay Tadej?