“A dark day for hill climbing”: Widespread horror as British hill climb champs won on disc brakes for first time; Scenes on the Struggle; Worst bike rack ever; Third Cav burglar convicted + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Noel’s Anti-Cycling House Party (aka The Weekend Roundup)
Blobby, Blobby, Blobby, Blobby, Blobby, Blobby, Blobby, Blobby, Blobby….
Hey, gotta out here, you big pink menace, and take your anti-cycling mate with you – it’s time for our usual Monday morning roundup of all the weekend’s cycling news:
> Noel Edmonds in bizarre anti-cyclist rant as he tells cycle trail developer: “You are the enemy”
> Frasers Group reportedly mulling bid for Wiggle after online retailer enters administration
> Driver crashes into pro-Palestine bike ride in Madrid, injuring five cyclists
> Thief steals e-bike from police HQ and rides away on it
> Check out Chris Froome’s 2024 Factor O2 VAM
> Recovery plan for Greater Manchester’s Bee Network hire scheme gets more bikes on the streets
> Court of Appeal doubles jail term for driver who killed cyclist
Blobby, Blobby…
Ah, get away from those bikes! (Alright, that’s enough of that for one morning.)
“This incident felt like a hate attack on me. I feel hate towards cyclists is getting worse. We are people too”
A driver who deliberately rammed a cyclist following an argument about a close pass has been given a suspended sentence for dangerous driving and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The incident saw the victim flung into the air and left with whiplash after complaining to the motorist about an earlier overtake, telling her he had it on camera and later striking her wing mirror after she again drove too close to him.
Read more: > Motorist avoids jail for deliberately ramming cyclist who questioned close pass
Guess who’s back, back again… Nairo Quintana returns to Movistar – and European racing – after year-long exile following tramadol positive
Turning away from disc brakes and the national hill climb championships for a moment, one of the big pro cycling stories from the weekend was the shock announcement that the Prodigal Son himself, Nairo Quintana, was returning to his spiritual home, Movistar, after four years away from the Spanish team.
The Colombian’s return to Movistar – where he won the Giro and Vuelta, and finished second twice at the Tour during an eight-year spell between 2012 and 2019 – marks the end of his year-long exile from European racing following his positive test for tramadol at the 2022 Tour de France.
Quintana’s positive for the painkiller – which is banned in-competition by the UCI but does not result in a doping ban – saw his sixth place at last year’s Tour stripped from the record books, and ultimately led to his dismissal from Arkéa Samsic, the French team he joined from Movistar in 2020 and with which he endured some patchy form and a few hotel raids by authorities.
Glory days at the 2014 Giro d’Italia (LaPresse)
However, while the writing looked on the wall for the Colombian icon’s career, Nairo is now all set for an emotional, and surprising return, to where it all began for him, ending his spell in the racing wilderness.
“It’s super emotional for me to be back home,” the 33-year-old said. “It’s been such a tough year. The sleepless nights, so many days of sacrifice, going on my bike and trying to keep pushing, under the rain or the scorching sun. But it was all worth it.
“I won’t waste this opportunity. I know the values of the team, the values of sport. I will give my everything do things right, and I want to help the team achieve the best results.
“I’m so incredibly thankful to the Movistar Team, Telefónica, the squad, the whole squad, for this great opportunity, which I’ve been waiting for for so long. With all my heart and my legs, I’ll do my best to make them, as well as the fans, happy and proud. I hope this era now starting will be a really successful one for the team.”
Is a 2015 throwback Tour on the cards for next season? Maybe not…
Ping-Pog: Tadej (and his bad sun burn), Ciccone, and Žigart take to the court in Singapore
He may be aiming for a maiden rainbow jersey next season, but Tadej Pogačar appears to be spending his post-season sponsor mandated business holiday in Singapore preparing for a showdown with Novak Djokovic instead…
Although by the looks of his photos, Urška Žigart didn’t seem to be under too much strain when facing both her boyfriend and Giulio Ciccone on the tennis court.
And for goodness’ sake, Tadej, please put on some sun cream…
Meanwhile, in Madrid…
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) October 29, 2023
Ah, the old chestnut, whatever Wout can do, Mathieu can do just as well, if not better – this time with hire bikes…
🚲🚲🚲La élite del ciclismo ha llegado a Gran Vía en @bicimad.
Ven a disfrutar del @MadridCriterium.
Acércate a verlo, en bus🚌 o con una bici de @BiciMAD🚲
#MadridCriterium pic.twitter.com/nIi4n1liyO— EMT Madrid (@EMTmadrid) October 29, 2023
He just makes everything look cool, doesn’t he?
Pensioner raises over £40,000 for charity by repairing and selling bikes
An 82-year-old has raised over £40,000 for a local hospice, which provided care for his partner before her death, by fixing up and selling donated bikes.
Weymouth resident Danny the Bike Man – real name John Collins – has been collecting, repairing, and selling bikes from his garage for eight years, after being inspired during a bric-a-brac sale, the Dorset Echo reports.
He then gives all the proceeds to Weldmar Hospice Care, where his partner Margaret passed away in October 2021, raising over £40,000 so far.
Danny told the paper that he is planning to scale back his commitment to bike restoration due to his age, and is currently being helped by a friend – though that hasn’t stopped him working in his garage from time to time.
“People say ‘If you want a second-hand bike then speak to Danny’,” he says. “As I am retired I enjoyed working on the bikes and meeting people, and seeing them go away happy with their new bikes.”
Cycling charity urges food delivery companies to check couriers are using legal e-bikes after cyclist left “terrified” by cycle lane collision
Cycling Scotland has called on food delivery companies to provide couriers “effective training around cycling safety” and check the bikes they ride “are legal and road worthy”.
The comments come as a Glasgow cyclist says he had been left “terrified” after a collision involving a courier riding the wrong way along a two-way cycle lane, the police admitting that some couriers are riding bikes that are “absolutely” not legal.
“Better hope thieves don’t have allen keys. Or hands”
H/t @gear_ratio & @euancx , this is *genuinely* how the designer imagines you would lock a bike. Better hope thieves don’t have Allen keys. Or hands. 🙈 https://t.co/wmkCFgH8Em pic.twitter.com/TrKP3WEhgO
— Andy Arthur 🐣 Threadinburgh 🧵 (@cocteautriplets) October 30, 2023
Now I’m genuinely even more confused… Where’s the humble Sheffield Stand when you need one?
Is this the worst bike rack design you’ve ever seen?
We’ve seen some shockingly convoluted cycle racks designs over the years, but these beauties – found in Edinburgh’s West End – are surely right up there in the useless stakes:
Just when you thought you’d seen every stupid design of bike rack that The People Who Haven’t Ever Locked A Bike™ have to offer, they go and blow you away pic.twitter.com/6mP3Rwucy5
— Andy Arthur 🐣 Threadinburgh 🧵 (@cocteautriplets) October 30, 2023
Errr, how do they even work?
I think you’re meant to swing that stainless insert out and put the lock through that, resting your bike against the sharp edges of the upright where it can scratch the frame
— Andy Arthur 🐣 Threadinburgh 🧵 (@cocteautriplets) October 30, 2023
Ah, gotcha. They sound perfect – like using disc brakes on a hill climb…
road.cc front bike lights Beam Test 2023 — our big Beam Comparison Engine is back to help you choose the best front light for your riding
Here we go again, it’s that time of the year, folks…
The clocks have gone back in the UK, it’s dark before teatime, and we’ve flipped the switch on the latest version of our famous(ish) road.cc front light Beam Comparison Engine to help you choose from the best bike lights (or more specifically the best front bike lights) for your riding.
The beam test is now a much-loved (I suppose) annual tradition at road.cc Towers, and sees Dave and Oli head to a pitch black country lane with Manny the Mannequin to get photographs of all the beams in the test, before Dave locks himself in the shed for a few hours to plot shapes and make some graphs. Now that’s what I call a fun job.
Our beam test comparison data contains beam shots and data for 43 lights this year, and also includes historical data going back to 2015. That’s quite a lot of lights, so you can directly compare hundreds of lights with one another, to make sure you make the right choice for your winter riding.
For all your light comparison needs, read more here: > road.cc front bike lights Beam Test 2023
“Why do we need to change something?” Sepp Kuss and Giulio Ciccone question need for Suadi-backed Cycling Champions League
In what has already been an autumn dominated by off-bike gossip and politicking, the potential of yet another breakaway league – bankrolled by oil investors and revolutionising cycling’s business model one dollar at a time – has certainly divided opinion, even within the peloton itself.
Over the weekend, reports emerged that this new Cycling Champions League – backed at the moment by only a handful of teams, including Ineos, Jumbo-Visma, and EF Education – would be driven by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (the PIF of Newcastle United takeover and LIV Golf fame) and seek to overhaul and streamline the race calendar, ensuring all races end on a Sunday and doing away with those pesky clashes that we see with the likes of Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico in March.
Apparently the UCI are supportive of the proposals, and the whole thing could come into effect by 2026 (though a few teams have already voiced their discontent with Jumbo-Visma boss Richard Plugge’s vision for the sport, which they feel is mostly geared towards enriching him and his team).
Meanwhile, one of Plugge’s own riders, Vuelta winner Sepp Kuss, is sat firmly on the fence when it comes to the rumoured LIV-ification of pro cycling, and especially the threat it potentially poses to smaller races that would fall outside the mooted streamlined structure.
“I think it goes both ways, I think it is exciting and good for the sport that it modernises in a way, or become more franchised,” Kuss, who claims he first heard of the proposals “in the news”, told GCN.
“But at the same time, cycling is very nuanced and there is a lot of history, there are a lot of smaller races and it’s hard to have it both, where you have a big calendar with all these historic races – or smaller races – but you also have to keep the fan engagement and keep everything concise.”
[RCS Sport, LaPresse]
Lidl-Trek rider Giulio Ciccone, having stepped away from the tennis court, was even more sceptical.
“From my side, I don’t want to lose this feeling that we have with the sport. Why do we need to change something?” the Italian said.
“It is always like this, and this is our sport, we like it as it is, and I think we need to keep the same history.
“I think for me, I really like the calendar as it is, because we have many races to choose from. If you want to do Paris-Nice, you can do Paris-Nice. If you want to do Tirreno-Adriatico, you can do Tirreno-Adriatico.
“I think it is good like this because you can split everything depending on which main goal you have. I don’t know why they want to change it, honestly, but I don’t want to say anything about it because I don’t want to make some gaffe!”
Third man convicted of knifepoint robbery at Mark Cavendish’s home
A third man has been found guilty of carrying out a knifepoint robbery at the family home of Mark Cavendish, stealing watches worth £700,000.
27-year-old Jo Jobson was found guilty of two counts of robbery by a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court today, and is due to be sentenced on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, Ali Sesay, 28, was sentenced to 12 years for his part in the violent robbery, as well as an additional eight years for six unrelated firearms offences, while 31-year-old Romario Henry was found guilty of two counts by majority verdict and sentenced to 15 years.
> Two men jailed for knifepoint robbery at Mark Cavendish’s family home
Following the pair’s sentencing, Jobson handed himself in at a police station in June, 18 months after officers first released his photo identifying him as a suspect.
Prosecutor Edward Renvoize said the gang threatened Cavendish and his wife Peta during the 2021 robbery, and “meted out violence” to the former world champion while their children were in the house.
He read a statement from Mrs Cavendish, in which she said that an intruder told her husband, “Do you want me to stab you up in front of your kid?”
Two Richard Mille watches were stolen from a safe, with Renvoize describing the raid as a “well-orchestrated and executed, planned invasion of a home of well-known individuals with the intention of grabbing high-value timepieces”.
However, he said that one of the intruders took Cavendish’s phone, which was later found outside the property, in what was deemed a “significant error in what was an otherwise carefully executed plan”. The court heard last week that a trail of DNA evidence and phone numbers led the police to a mobile “attributed to” Jobson, who received a unanimous guilty verdict.
Speaking after the verdict, Essex Police said a fourth suspected intruder George Goddard was still at large and was the “final piece of the jigsaw” in their investigation, and urged the suspect to hand himself in.
“We want action, so nobody goes through what we have had to”
“A real dark day would be if an e-bike won it”: Reaction to Andrew Feather’s sensational disc brake-aided national hill climb champs win, as readers cry “it’s not about the bike”
Don’t mention the brakes!
I think it’s fair to say that the whole rim brake vs disc brake debate is still able to stir up the emotions after all these years, judging by the reaction to today’s main blog story.
“It’s not about the bike,” as one much less controversial cycling character once said, along with quite a few on social media, outraged by any derisory comment aimed towards disc brakes – even in obvious jest – today.
“I was on The Struggle yesterday, there was a fantastic atmosphere, a real celebration of a particular kind of cycling,” road.cc reader Miller wrote in the comments.
“I feel it’s a shame in a way that the article above focuses on Andrew Feather’s bike. The real story is his better than 7 watts/kilo for nearly 12 minutes and taking about 40 seconds off the pre-existing hill record, and the same effort expended to not quite so ProTour effect by all the competitors. It’s not about the bikes, interesting though they are!”
Hear, hear.
The source of all this internet angst…
Other similar comments were made on social media, with Tom writing that “it was the rider that won the race, not the bike!”
“Who cares? The most important point is that Andrew Feather absolutely SMASHED it,” says David, presumably shouting “SMASHED” while typing in his office.
“Illi could win riding a wheelbarrow with a flat tyre to be fair,” added Holly, praising Gardner’s dominance on the hill climb scene.
Others were perplexed by the mention of brakes at all.
Didn’t realise you used brakes going uphill 🤣🤣
— Gaz pow (@gaz_pow) October 30, 2023
“Most used feature on a rural climb, brakes,” said Rob, while Phill was scathing, writing: “Stupid statement… don’t need brakes going uphill.”
Yes, Gaz, Rob, and Phil (and basically everyone on Facebook), that’s right – but the weight of your braking system, one of the lingering arguments made against the use of disc brakes, could perhaps come into play on a really steep hill where something like, I don’t know, weight may prove important?
Especially in a subsection of the sport where riders go to great lengths – including chopping off their drops or stripping off their bar tape – to achieve those sweet, sweet marginal weight gains?
Just putting it out there that nobody was actually talking about the ability to stop on a 20 percent gradient, in case that went over anyone’s heads…
Meanwhile, some were angry it was even being discussed.
“Please don’t sink to the level of the shameful politicians. Don’t be divisive,” said Morgan, while simultaneously ducking as the joke grazed their hair on the way past.
For those at the back – the whole disc debate is a bit of light fun, an interesting tidbit and talking point from a day of sporting excellence, not something to get angry on the internet about, you know? It’s only the live blog (and cycling) after all.
And, anyway, we all have a common enemy we should be united against…
a real dark day would be if an E-bike won it
— professional (@Techienumber1) October 30, 2023
Again, it’s a joke!
Scenes on the Struggle
Of course, the British hill climb championships aren’t just about featherweight climbers and their stripped-back bikes flying up impossibly steep gradients at impossibly fast rates amidst the lovely autumnal countryside, while the mere mortals further down the results sheet grind up the climb in a horrific, contorted scene of lung-busting suffering and pain…
They’re also about the fancy dress and madcap scenes at the side of the road!
And there was certainly no shortage of the vibrant atmosphere that makes Britain’s hill climb season so special on the Struggle yesterday:
National hill climbing champs. Pure pain cave! Lots of utterly inspirational riders. #ambleside @100Climbs @BritishCycling #cyclewise @lakedistrictnpa 💪💪💪💪 #bikes pic.twitter.com/eTDmD2khfY
— Cyclewise (@cycle_wise) October 29, 2023
COME ON!!!!!!! #thestruggle pic.twitter.com/sGUndsgdor
— Simon Warren (@100Climbs) October 29, 2023
Ah pandas, dinosaurs, and Salbutamol-wielding doctors, the true classics…
@100Climbs pic.twitter.com/5wIH0xhH7U
— Simon Bromfield (@SimonRBromfield) October 29, 2023
What a sport.
“A dark day for hill climbing”: Widespread horror as British hill climb championships won for the first time using… disc brakes (gasp!)
Ah Halloween, that time of the year when we revel in strange, spooky, and often downright scary phenomena, and things we just can’t wrap our heads around…
And that was certainly the case at yesterday’s UK hill climb championships – the crown jewel of that annual British suffer fest season – where Andrew Feather flew to his fourth national title… while riding a bike with disc brakes.
I know, scary times indeed.
Fortunately, Feather’s interesting, tradition and weight weenie-bashing choice of hill climbing equipment wasn’t exactly of the jump scare variety – earlier this month, road.cc took an in-depth look at the uphill expert’s disc brake-fitted Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71.
When asked by us why he’d eschewed his trusty old rim brakes – adding half a kilogramme to his previous title-winning steed in the process – Feather said: “I think [rim brakes aren’t dead] at the moment, there are still rim brake bikes around, but if you look at the latest technology it is all disc really. The weights are coming down and the margins are pretty small.”
In any case, the extra weight didn’t seem to hamper the appropriately named Feather at yesterday’s championships in the Lake District, blasting up the infamous Struggle climb and its 20 percent gradients in 11.48 to reclaim his title, 18 seconds ahead of Ed Laverack and a whopping 1.17 clear of bronze medallist Paddy Clark.
While climbing aficionado Simon Warren described (with his tongue firmly in his cheek) Feather’s disc brake-abetted victory as a “dark day for hill climbing”, others were convinced the four-time champ has other as-yet-unheard-of tech aids at his disposal.
“Where can you buy this anti-gravity mod that Feather seems to have?” asked Eddie on Instagram. “Absolute machine.”
A dark day for hill climbing. First champs to be won n on discs. pic.twitter.com/jX91PtTy1P
— Simon Warren (@100Climbs) October 29, 2023
However, before you all mourn the final demise of rim brakes, in the women’s event European Climbing champion Illi Gardner secured her second consecutive national title, beating Wahoo teammate Lizi Brooke by almost a full minute – and 212 of the 275 male participants to boot – using the good old trusty tech of hill climbs gone by.
I’d say that’s 1-1 in the Great Hill Climb Brake Battle of 2023.
See, rim brakes aren’t dead, they’re just half-dead, I suppose. A zombie rim brake horror film, now I’d watch that for Halloween.
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Latest Comments
@Surreyrider Yawn, you know this site doesn't specifically cater for you
I got a gravel bike last year for commuting, bike backing and for doing a bit of off road cycling that didn't require a mountain bike. I love it, it really is a jack of all trades. 45c tyres deliver a lot of comfort, the position is really nice for long cycles. I think this article covers gravel riding quite nicely
@slc While I think we can all agree that the state of roads are crap in general, the A4 or A431 (through Kelston) between Bath and Bristol is much smoother. Or at least it’s possible to find smooth sections provided you’re not riding in the gutter at all times. I often ride my 28mm race bike on these roads, but no chance I’d take it on the cycle path. I’d argue that’s it’s more than a ‘few’ roots, and there are also a lot of sections with hidden pot holes. I almost destroyed my front wheel falling into one just this Thursday evening gone! There are certain sections that are definitely adequate, but the Bath end (beyond Bitton) is a bit of a disgrace.
@HoarseMann thanks for the feedback on how it works.
@Sniffer I have a nearly 10yr old Mason Definition that's done plenty of miles including LEJOG, and a Strael 3.0 that I haven't used nearly enough yet. Quite similar bikes, the few miles I've done on the Strael suggest a bit more compliance, but the Mason is still a comfy place to be. Still never had the carbon race bike to compare that end of the spectrum and TBH I'm probably past it now.
As regards the crazed Bath cycle lane protesting nutters: I'm at a fantastic Lancashire Wildlife Trust Supporters Day and there was a talk from a rewilding expert from Arkaty farm near Stirling. They were pioneers of reintroducing red kites and beavers and (rather like the Bath nutters) the tactics of the stupid, stupid objectors have to be heard to be believed. Fake farmers turning up at meetings lying about the made up havoc caused in their fake areas by imaginary reintroductions. Just like the fake concern for children, the disabled, trees etc. etc. fabricated by people who are really only concerned about convenient car parking, and to hell with everything and everybody else
@Global Nomad assuming it's pairing you have a profile (or multiple) within which you can add multiple light modes which you can then customise eg solid/flash 0 -100% brightness. You may not have added a mode to customise? I have 10%, 40%, 60% for long run times but you can have more or less depending how many you want to have to scroll through in use.
Gustav had a falling out with Intend? He used to put their forks on all his wild builds, but the one time the upside-down fork would make perfect aesthetic sense, reflecting the upside down tuning machine layout, its back to RockShox? Sponsor obligations perhaps?
@ChasP Price i have a magicshine but I find the app unusable to change the behaviour of the light - keep wondering if i'm missing a step
This was a horrendous incident. I hope the offender gets a suitably long prison term. A life ban on driving would be appropriate but those aren't used in the US with its driving laws, which are comparatively lax. North Carolina has a woeful record on road safety. There were about the same number of people killed in crashes on roads in NC (population about 10 million) in 2022 than there were in the whole of the UK (population about 70 million). I hope those injured recover fully and my condolences to the family of the person killed.
21 thoughts on ““A dark day for hill climbing”: Widespread horror as British hill climb champs won on disc brakes for first time; Scenes on the Struggle; Worst bike rack ever; Third Cav burglar convicted + more on the live blog”
I was walking my dog leaving
I was walking my dog leaving the shared use path to go up onto the field on Saturday morning, and two cyclists came down the cycle path near my village – https://maps.app.goo.gl/aLS6ipXUiKSvR2Vt8
One of them really really wanted to ride gravel, so he rode down the hill in the loose drainage gravel on the right of the path instead of on the tarmac…
(PS – that is not me on the streetview!)
That drainage path was
That drainage path was probably the only dry bit on the whole of the Pill path.
This was over Watch House
This was over Watch House Hill. The Pill Path along the riverside is, in my experience, almost unusable if it’s rained any time in the last week or so…
brooksby wrote:
Surely not? After all, isn’t it part of the National Cycle Network….?
Dnnnnnn wrote:
Surely not? After all, isn’t it part of the National Cycle Network….?— brooksby
Ah, that’s so sweet that you think that…
Honest question: what makes
Honest question: what makes that so special that you posted this?
Unless you are in a serious hurry, why not ride the part of the road/path that is most fun? For gravel riders, nothing gives a better feeling than the soft sound of tires rolling over the gravel.
Just wondering what warrants the
emoji.
Sredlums wrote:
That path is more mud than gravel. If you start from the Ashton Gate end, it looks quite reasonable with a few puddles, but near Pill it turns into a bit of a swamp. Also, the path is fairly narrow so you don’t get much choice about which part to ride.
I really wish they would have
I really wish they would have televised the National Hill Climb..
Feathers’ 11:48 time is mind blowing considering the previous time was 20/30 seconds more.. he must have been on the ‘best day’ of his life.
I feel really bad for Ed Laverack he did everything right and also had a ‘best day’.. it just was 18 seconds not quite enough.. must be gutting.
I was on The Struggle
I was on The Struggle yesterday, there was a fantastic atmosphere, a real celebration of a particular kind of cycling. I have lots of great video and, now, a huge video editing job. I feel it’s a shame in a way that the road.cc article above focuses on Andrew Feather’s bike. The real story is his better than 7 watts/kilo for nearly 12 minutes and taking about 40 seconds off the pre-existing hill record, and the same effort expended to not quite so Protour effect by all the competitors. It’s not about the bikes, interesting though they are! I had a quick chat with AF after the finish and he is very honed for competition.
I’ve just watched both videos
I’ve just watched both videos, they are superb. Great edits IMHO. Thanks.
Those bike stand things are
Those bike stand things are just weird… Does the designer think a bike is like a horse, and you just have to tie it up so it doesn’t wander off?
Well in the Netherlands a
Well in the Netherlands a “bicycle garage” is apparently “fietsstalling” – stabling for bicycles. So maybe they were just trying to “go Dutch”?
UK “not invented here” seemingly has the power to tap into untold resources of creativity. Functionally incompetent creativity, true…
chrisonatrike wrote:
🙂
https://www.theguardian.com
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/30/e-scooters-stuck-in-legislation-limbo-as-mood-sours-among-britons
Thank you Danny the bike.
Thank you Danny the Bike Man.
You made me cry, in a good way.
ktache wrote:
Met him last week, I donated a bike, he’s just a mile down the road from me. Lovely fellow.
We really need a stage in a
We really need a stage in a World Tour race ridden on city-bikes. Granny-biking could be the next big thing. Matthieu and Wout battling out mano-a-mano on 25kg+ steel steeds. Bring it on!
Paul J wrote:
You have hit on a wunnerful notion. Scrap the whole go-faster bike tech approach and return to the beginings of such bicycle races, with all riding the same single speed clunkers (we’ll allow an alternative sprocket on the other side of the rear wheel for the hills) that have to be fixed by the rider if they go awry.
And why clutter up the public highways & pavements with vast crowds of rubbish spewing hooligans who have created vast clouds of heat-the-weather gas and kill-kid particles of doom in getting there? Races on remote forest graveltrack, which can only be walked to or cycled to, with a monitor at the entry gates confiscating the excessive grog, especially from hooligans in orange.
No televising of the events either. If you want to watch them, you must do so in that old-fashioned reality place. All entry fees payable to a secret cadre of evil-motorist apprehenders who will go about at night letting down their tyres and putting a potato in the exhaust pipe (or a short-it wire on the battery).
*****
I’ve gone too far with that.
A vote for simplicity.
A vote for simplicity.
Road.cc as usual has you covered.
Why stop at 25kg?
Why stop at 25kg?
There’s already a league!
https://www.facebook.com/cargobikeracingUK/
…and of course it has its “monuments” e.g. Svajerløbet
been trying to let this go,
been trying to let this go, but didn’t succeed:
the pics of Pog are taken on a padel court (not the same as tennis!)