BBC presenter criticised for LTN claim; Bus-ted chasing Strava KOMs; PM gives cycling club shout-out; CyclingMikey’s fanclub; CYCLOPS junction; All Bodies on Bikes; Dowsett’s Olympic dream; Jake Stewart injured in Bouhanni incident + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Bus-ted cyclist chasing Strava KOMs
Someone in Vancouver just got the dreaded ‘Uh oh! Bus drafting cyclist just stole your KOM!’ email in their inbox. Sent to the Vancouver subreddit discussion with the title ‘Sometimes I feel like cyclists want to die in this city’…Plenty of cyclists and non-cyclists agreeing its reckless…
In the cyclist’s defence, Bobavan suggested: “He knows exactly how stupid dangerous what he is doing and the consequences of something going wrong. But hey, people jump off mountains in those wing suits. Gotta get your thrill on sometimes. Humans are gonna human. Can stop much quicker than the bus, eagle eye kept on the brake lights. You’ll probably be ok? Only one way to find out.” Fair enough, not much of a defence. At least they’ll be immortalised at the top of the leaderboard…
CyclingMikey's fanclub
Aaaahahahahaha, someone’s got the burn! pic.twitter.com/Qp4zlsshrx
— Vaccinated CyclingMikey is so happy. 🇪🇺🇳🇱🇿🇼 (@MikeyCycling) March 31, 2021
CyclingMikey’s fanclub is open for new members like this supportive chap. We’re guessing they didn’t enjoy his latest video starring a corner-cutting cabbie and another impatient motorist at ‘Gandalf Corner’…
Jake Stewart gutted to be missing the Tour of Flanders after suffering broken hand in Nacer Bouhanni incident
We thought and was hoping that it was just superficial, but this mornings x-ray showed a fractured second metacarpal after Sundays Cholet Pays de la Loire. Gutted to say the least to be missing De Ronde this week, but full focus now for recovering and getting back on the bike ✌ https://t.co/jHtdXnGfYV
— Jake (@jakey_stewart) March 30, 2021
Disappointing news for Jake Stewart who’ll miss the Tour of Flanders after an x-ray confirmed he broke his hand in the Cholet-Pays de la Loire sprint incident with Nacer Bouhanni. The UCI has “strongly condemned” the Frenchman’s sprint and referred the incident to its Disciplinary Commission. Bouhanni has apologised but claims it was accidental.
“We thought and were hoping that it was just superficial,” Stewart wrote on Twitter. “But this mornings x-ray showed a fractured second metacarpal after Sundays Cholet Pays de la Loire. Gutted to say the least to be missing De Ronde this week, but full focus now for recovering and getting back on the bike.”
The 21-year-old has impressed in his first few months riding for FDJ, finishing fourth at Étoile de Bessèges, second at Omlopp Het Nieuwsblad and sixth at Nokere-Koerse.
Harrogate consultation on new CYCLOPS Dutch-style junction
Harrogate could soon be getting their own CYCLOPS (Cycle Optimised Protected Signals) junction. The UK’s first was built in Manchester last year with the aim of separating cyclists from general traffic and improving safety. The Yorkshire Post reports a Harrogate CYCLOPS junction could be on the cards as part of North Yorkshire County Council’s active travel schemes currently being consulted.
“It is not something we have ever installed in North Yorkshire before but it is just an idea of what could be achieved,” Melissa Burnham, the highways area manager explained. “Essentially, the idea would be that any upgrade at this junction would have to incorporate all road users effectively and efficiently but it would be subject to necessary traffic modelling to understand the impact from Station Parade.”
Using the CYCLOPS to bypass the lights, ohhh so satisfying 🙂 pic.twitter.com/NMFD3NAhGT
— Jen (OnTheMove) (@JenOnTheMoveUK) March 29, 2021
All Bodies on Bikes
'Whatever The Road' by Brooks
Brooks is encouraging us to get out and explore the adventures on our doorstep as part of their ‘Whatever The Road’ campaign. Supporting the launch of their new range of Scape bikepacking, gravel and touring bags, the brand is releasing a series of videos, starting with this off-road ride in the South West with YouTuber Juliet Elliott to capture that adventurous spirit of a two-wheeled challenge…
Boris Johnson gives Ilkeston Cycling Club a shout-out
Maybe it shows how strained my attention for these briefings is now we’re past the one-year anniversary of the first lockdown but I completely missed this shout-out to Ilkeston Cycling Club during Monday’s update from the PM. Perhaps I was too busy admiring the decor of the new £2 million media briefing room…
“And I want to congratulate the members of Ilkeston Cycling Club in Derbyshire that set off at midnight,” Boris Johnson said about the early-morning group ride that caught the attention of the BBC and Monday’s live blog.
Mark Dickens from the club told the Derby Telegraph he hoped Boris will one day join them on a club run. “It was amazing wasn’t it?” he said. “I think he may have got it from David Nunn’s Zoom call with BBC News in the morning. We were also on several radio programmes throughout the day.
“We were invited on BBC East Midlands Today and we made the point that Boris is more than welcome to come along to one of our rides and possibly open our new clubhouse. We know he is a keen cyclist. It was an amazing surprise and our Facebook page lit up like a Christmas tree with many people commenting. We are trying to make a really positive impact in our community and this was a real boost. People have said we have put Ilkeston on the map.”
Wiggo says Chris Froome deserves more respect for coming back to the sport, regardless of results
Bradley Wiggins thinks Chris Froome deserves more respect for coming back from a life-threatening crash and serious injuries. Despite casting doubt on his former teammate’s chances of winning a fifth Tour de France, Wiggo praised Froome’s tenacity to come back and said he “warrants more respect, the guy nearly died.”
“Is it going to be enough for the Tour?” Wiggins asked on his podcast. “I wouldn’t say I fear for him, but with every week that goes by, and every race that goes by, it’s becoming less likely that we’re going to see a Chris Froome at this year’s Tour de France that is capable of winning in the old manner.”
Speaking on the same podcast, Matt Stephens spoke about Mathieu van der Poel and questioned if the Dutchman’s talent and style of racing would fit in at Ineos Grenadiers or Jumbo Visma. “For the commentators, for the fans, it’s spectacular. But in terms of actually racing to a plan, I don’t think at the moment Van der Poel would fit in a team like Ineos or Jumbo-Visma because he’s a showman,” Stephens argued.
“Even his father Adrie van der Poel, himself an iconic talented bike rider, is left scratching his head at the way Mathieu conducts himself in races tactically.”
Alex Dowsett bidding to become the first haemophiliac to compete at the Olympic Games
Working incredibly hard towards this. For reasons bigger than bike racing and sport. @littlebleeders https://t.co/pR2nmuDsPx
— Alex Dowsett (@alexdowsett) March 31, 2021
BBC presenter Nick Robinson criticised for claiming drivers can't use their cars in LTNs
On @BBCr4today this morning @bbcnickrobinson “many people live in Low Traffic Neighbourhoods where you cannot use your car!”. This is a lie, you can use a car in an LTN, you just can’t rat run through them, but then Nick and the truth are increasingly strangers…
— Kim Harding (@kim_harding) March 31, 2021
There’s been plenty of criticism for BBC presenter Nick Robinson this morning after he claimed that many people live in low traffic neighbourhoods where you can’t use your car. Robinson has been accused of lying and was corrected on Twitter by many people including an LTN resident who said they have no problem driving to their house.
In the BBC Radio 4 Today interview with Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley, Robinson said: “More and more councils are doing these low traffic neighbourhoods where you don’t even have those exemptions, you cannot use your car.” Bartley agreed with the statement, saying it was proof of what happens if you don’t plan schemes properly.
Please send this to their complaints department so they have to correct this. https://t.co/CD0ApNlZ1T
— Railton LTN (@RailtonLTN) March 31, 2021
I heard that too. It was a totally stupid question
— citymobility (@citycyclists) March 31, 2021
Hi Nick, I live in a new LTN and I can use my car and motorbikes. Please stop with the “un facts”.
— Michael (@baoigheallain) March 31, 2021
Last week the BBC justified a report about LTNs which critics said was “shameful” and “embarked on its own journey to stir up a manufactured culture war”. A statement by the broadcaster said the report needed to use examples of “the passions LTNs have provoked” and hadn’t normalised death threats or vandalism.
The final day of supertucking
Press F to pay respects. Won’t see this from tomorrow anymore. #DDV21 pic.twitter.com/6TcSkj5hjJ
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) March 31, 2021
The UCI’s ban on supertucking comes into force tomorrow so Dwars door Vlaanderen might be the last time we see this for a while. Here’s hoping the winner marks the occasion with a supertuck over the finish line…With 35km to go, Ineos’ Dylan Van Baarle is alone at the head of the race, 30 seconds in front of a small group containing Greg Van Avermaet and Jasper Stuyven. Mathieu van der Poel is in the peloton, 50 seconds behind his compatriot. Julian Alaphilippe is somewhere in between. There’s still plenty of racing to go…
Dylan Van Baarle wins Dwars door Vlaanderen
Something definitely went wrong with Mathieu today, probably the heat. I don’t think it was theatre, it’s not like that would help him on Sunday. But he will be fine for De Ronde, I’m sure. Same with Loulou and Deceuninck. #DDV21 pic.twitter.com/vfEr4cY28p
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) March 31, 2021
Dylan Van Baarle’s 50km solo attack was successful meaning the Dutchman wins Ineos’ first Belgian one-day race since Michal Kwiatkowski won E3 back in 2016…Was Mathieu van der Poel bluffing? Is he sick? Was it the heat? All questions we should hear his account of in the next few minutes before they’re answered for certain at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday. Van der Poel rolled in behind the peloton having had pain etched across his face for large stints of the finale.
If that’s an ‘I’m sick’ bluff by MvdP, it’s a good one.
— The Handmade Cyclist (@handmadecyclist) March 31, 2021
Van der Poel says he wasn't bluffing at Dwars door Vlaanderen
Van der Poel’s post-race interview #DDV21 pic.twitter.com/txFWa9VtaP
— Neal Rogers (@nealrogers) March 31, 2021
Mathieu van der Poel told reporters in the mixed zone that he wasn’t bluffing and that he just had a bad day. However, he said he wouldn’t draw any conclusions from it and thinks he’ll be back to his best on Sunday at the Tour of Flanders. “I felt it quite early,” Van der Poel told Wielerflits. “It didn’t work well in the beginning. It really wasn’t my day. Whether it was the heat? That could be. I don’t like that. In any case, I had enough food and drink. That wasn’t the problem.”
“I was certainly not alone. Julian Alaphilippe also came to tell me on the way that he was not worth a penny. I could not suffer either. I already knew it on the Hotond. I had to quickly fall back on my own pace. Better today than Sunday, I think.
“But why should my underachievement be a precursor to Sunday? Look at Van Aert. He was also not top in E3 Saxo Bank Classic, but then you see him convincingly winning Gent-Wevelgem. And it will also be less warm on Sunday than today.”
You can come out from behind the sofa now
@jakey_stewart Just what your mum wants to hear 🤣
— Paul Stewart (@paulo_stewart) March 31, 2021
31 March 2021, 08:01
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Latest Comments
@Pub bike - well, off-road (ICE) motorbikes have been available for decades, so you're right about the proposed law being too narrow. I've seen scrotes riding them in parks and on the roads, but they're much less common than the newer e-motorbikes.
@hawkinspeter I think my point buried in there somewhere is that the law being devised is too narrowly focused around electric bikes/motorbikes and it should encompass the sale of any kind of motorbike. The wording talks about "electrically assisted" which would seem to exclude throttle controlled bikes. The bikes I saw that had no pedals - and therefore the electricity does not assist but is the sole source of propulsion - would fall outside of this legislation, so already there is a loophole. It would probably help to have some technical input to this bill by people that actually understand the differences between bicycles, e-bikes, EAPCs and motorbikes before it goes too far.
The Streeting Rule is, Cycling and Walking tomorrow and Cycling and Walking yesterday, but never Cycling and Walking today.
It’s a nuanced proposition, for sure. I did start the article with “There are few hills I’m truly up for dying on, but kickstands on bikes is one of them” - and no comment here has changed my mind 😎
@ hawkinspeter you are absolutely right. But of course there is little enforcement, the police don't have the resources etc etc.
@jackcycles - no it reflects the reality that most folk are scared to cycle because of inconsiderate and dangerous drivers. Cycling numbers markedly increase when it is made safe to do so.
"Kickstands make every bike ride better" Can't think of any of my rides in the last few weeks that would have been "better" with a kickstand; a few that *might* possibly have been a bit more of a pain with one (especially with the amount of plant growth at the moment in the South West of the UK), but none it would have improved. So there we go, nice easy proof by contradiction.
I'll be surprised & amazed if all of those billions are actually delivered. I expect to hear, in a few years' time, that only a fraction of that was taken up for various reasons, & the rest was therefore diverted towards other 'number one issues'.
@bensynnock to be fair, there does seem to be a marshall shown in the picture.
@Rendel Harris Going down the hill was usually Ok ish, it was coming back up that was the problem, especially at night. Near the top it narrowed with hedges on a low wall, not somewhere you would chose to ride on your own in the dark. Best time was race days when it is all stationary!
34 thoughts on “BBC presenter criticised for LTN claim; Bus-ted chasing Strava KOMs; PM gives cycling club shout-out; CyclingMikey’s fanclub; CYCLOPS junction; All Bodies on Bikes; Dowsett’s Olympic dream; Jake Stewart injured in Bouhanni incident + more on the live blog”
Its great that drivers are
Its great that drivers are taking such an interest in cyclists welfare, showing the ‘dangers’ of drafting. Looking forward to similar videos from drivers showing cyclists being close-passed, pulled out on, left-hooked etc.
he presumably knows where the
he presumably knows where the bus stops, traffic lights etc are and so on the whole is safe….its the unexpected brakign that may be an issue, but that is a small chance… anyone who cycles a route regulalry is aware of where traffic slows, brakes, stops…or should be.
What’s his escape route? Not
What’s his escape route? Not looking like there is one.
Worst case scenario is the
Worst case scenario is the bus comes to a reasonably sudden halt (its not going to stop even in an emergency in less than 40m), he hits the back. He might get run over by a following vehicle, but that would be a reflection of the following vehicle not leaving sufficient space.
I just don’t get the faux concern from drivers about drafting.
PRSboy wrote:
Exactly. I don’t do it cos I don’t want a black eye, broken nose etc.
But I do ride my bike to my Muay Thai club…. Aren’t people just weird?
PRSboy wrote:
Agreed. Maybe he’s just found shelter against being:
> close passed
> left/right hooked
> T-boned
> accused of “causing the traffic”
Buses just don’t stop all that quickly, even if he’s half asleep and ends up making contact the closing speed will be low. I reckon on balance the protection afforded against the usual deadly risks from car drivers outweighs the small risk/consequence he runs.
In my early twenties I
In my early twenties I thought it would be good to draft a bus down the hill into Dartmouth. I was soon reminded that busses stop – it’s sort of their purpose. It was at the top of the hill so I wasn’t moving too fast and was able to pull out and go past. A lesson I’ve never forgotten (and shouldn’t have needed).
Mid 90s I did this (to a
Mid 90s I did this (to a lesser degree) behing the big purple double deckers around Edinburgh centre. Thruth is though, the busses were nearly 20 years old, accelerated like they were in tracle, and the brakes generally squealled before they had any effect whatsoever.
Also if we sat out to the right as we dropped in to let the driver see us, he’d usually give us a flash of the hazard lights to confirm he knew we were there, and he’d try to stop gently (not that they really did anything else)
Friend tried the same trick behind an artic… he discovered an unloaded artic could accelerate away from lights quicker than he reaslised, and stop pretty quick too at the next set. Sore knuckles and a bruised pride, but otherwise OK
There isn’t a chance in hell
There isn’t a chance in hell that Harrogate will implement a CYCLOPS style junction. Might upset the pensioners driving the half-mile into town if they don’t have priority over pedestrians and cyclists.
HBC is, sadly, a backwards and very driver-focussed institution. From completely unsuitable speed limits through residential areas (50mph common); to setting pedestrian crossings to make people wait until all the cars are gone; to not bothering to maintain the solitary bike lane which is covered in slurry and barbed wire.
It’s a political and appearances problem more than anything – if they put something cyclist friendly in, then their largely elderly and Conservative electrorate will perceive themselves as being bullied in favour of dirty scum on bikes.
They could try driving round
They could try driving round our shiny new one in Bolton. In the car it works just fine, and although an overhead diagram looks complicated, at road level it’s really easy to use, and is at least as free flowing for motor traffic as before. For bike and pedestrians it is loads better,
How’s the stray looking these
How’s the stray looking these days? Is it still full of shell holes, rats and rotting corpses?
In case anyone doesn’t know the locals said it resembled the Somme battlefield after the UCI Worlds.
The Stray looks fine,
The Stray looks fine, although I believe the Stray Defence Association commissioned a report that says the remedial work wasn’t up to standard, and there are (invisible) problems. Wrong type of grass or something.
North Yorkshire is the
North Yorkshire is the highways authority. They are very backward, but we are trying to drag them forward.
HBC are very positive about active travel – although of course it’s easy to make positive noises when it’s not your area of responsibility.
Re Harrogate story – “
Re Harrogate story – ” reports a Harrogate CYCLOPS junction could be on the cars as part of North Yorkshire County Council’s active travel schemes” …. Freudian slip “on the cars” spotted . Great to see junctions like this being installed, more and more and more of this please 🙂
If you read the Yorkshire
If you read the Yorkshire Post article, there are the usual depressing, dishonest arguments from opponents of active travel.
One of them is SO concerned about children walking and cycling to school that he has campaigned against a really good scheme to transform walking and cycling to school.
Please don’t give Boris
Please don’t give Boris credit for anything, nice though it may have been for Ilkeston CC to have been name-dropped. He’s a f***tarded cockwomble who deserves severe castigation if not imprisonment for his criminal negligence during the Pandemic and his wilful flouting of the law over the past, well, forever. Leave the Boris love-in to the BBC.
So is there any point in
So is there any point in Boris actually doing anything creditworthy? Or are you saying the measure of what is done depends on who did it?
Has a Boris ever done
Has a Boris ever done anything credit worthy since becoming PM?
Traffic in north essex is
Traffic in north essex is like the height of summer – feels like everyone is going to the beach. Far too many cars out there.
Some old boy tried to overtake me in a 30 and was not looking beyond me. I just got passed by mgif taxi who then tailgated an asda van. I was then too close to the taxi when old boy tried to get past me when I was doing 31 (downhill I hasten to add !).
He could not compute that there was nowhere to pull into and I’m not even sure he registered the speed of the asda van which was slower than me.
Time for that rear camera.
Alex Dowsett is one of my
Alex Dowsett is one of my favourite pros. His “Thighs Club” youtube channel is well worth a look; self-effacing and modest but full of very interesting content.
Coincidentally, the BBC
Coincidentally, the BBC response to my complaint of their recent LTN article https://road.cc/content/news/peer-bbc-ltn-report-perpetuated-falsehoods-281845 has just arrived. They say it’s an important issue, but the subject of their article was to highlight the divisions they cause, and included a link to another, rather less than comprehensive analysis; if it’s so important, surely it deserves proper reporting, looking at all the costs and benefits, not the gutter journalism level of a domestic dispute?
I’ll be writing back to them, telling them that I don’t accept their response, and asking for it to be taken further, and for them to have a proper item on it.
I shall await for my reply
I shall await for my reply and in turn ask if this was the case why did not they highlight it as such and provide a warning that statements made by certain people concerned are not factually correct. They could actually then provide a public and educational duty by highlighting the false statements and provide the true facts ?
Re Nick Robinson’s comment
Re Nick Robinson’s comment this morning saying that “people who live in LTNs can’t use their cars”. My poor wife had to listen to me let off steam over breakfast. I have however filed a complaint here https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints
Can I encourage you all to do likewise.
What is your Wife’s name? I
What is your Wife’s name? I want to be sure I’m complaining about the right person. Ta.
Maybe Mr Robinson meant
Maybe Mr Robinson meant simply that people who live in LTNs don’t know how to use their cars… (?).
And yet nothing about people
And yet nothing about people who can’t use their bikes because of all the HTNs. I thought the BBC charter said something about balance?
RE teh LTN row I got a
RE teh LTN row I got a response from BBC complaints today which just doubled down on teh report itself.
Apparently the reporter had to parrot the lies about LTNs to show just how divisive an issue it is…..
I presumably got the same
I presumably got the same reply as you, so I’ve followed up with a complaint that they haven’t addressed the lack of fact checking.
hawkinspeter wrote:
It’s on my to-do list. The response they gave did not address my complaint is the line I’ll take
Captain Badger wrote:
I’ve just listened to an article on R4 news about how racing electric SUVs will save the planet; I’ve never heard an article about cycling.
Auntie is a strange fish. She
Auntie is a strange fish. She’s been banging the drum on climate change since before it was a thing. Loads of nature programmes, communing with the countryside, save the planet and the whole St Attenborough circus, yet the BBC HATES cycling (and loves cars).
Guy drafting the bus has
Guy drafting the bus has nothing to do with Strava. Cheap shot road.cc, thought you knew better.
Quote:
At the risk of coming over a bit swldxer, no it doesn’t. It’s been banned for ages – new enforcement starts today. (Assuming it doesn’t all turn out to be a hugely extended April Fools by the UCI.)
Today:
Today:
“In a reference to the introduction by some councils of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) we said that ‘you cannot use your car’. While LTNs do restrict access to stop through traffic, vehicles can still be used, though some journeys will be less direct and may take longer.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/helpandfeedback/corrections_clarifications/