Thomas De Gendt ‘breaks Zwift’ as “superhuman power” gets him banned; Evans re-open 11 stores to offer support for key workers; Martin Porter QC backs Lord Sumption’s ‘police state’ comments; What a saddle looks like after 50,000km + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Large group of cyclists stopped by police in Malaysia
Look at all these stupids cycling outside pic.twitter.com/6RaGMYDZqt
— Inbaraj #StayAtHomeLah (@Inbarajs) March 31, 2020
It;s not just the UK where the authorities are struggling to keep people indoors, with this group getting stopped, with this group getting stopped for not keeping a good distance and flouting current lockdown rules.
Click here to read our latest updated guide to cycling responsibly during the pandemic.
Apparently your bike makes a great harpsichord
Ma cyclist friends, your new found talent. pic.twitter.com/v4Dn5x7Dl2
— Yimster (@yimsterz) March 31, 2020
Some weirdness to start your latest WFH Tuesday.
A well-worn saddle
Hopefully they’ve got a pretty decent chamois in their shorts, if this is the damage they’re doing.
50.000 km from r/bikecommuting
Blast from the past - Horses cause crash in the 2000 Gent Wevelgem
Watch for a surprise https://t.co/a5W2cKrvtX
— Al (@Al__S) March 29, 2020
Who remembers this one then?
"Whether you, I, Dominic Raab or whoever support these actions is utterly irrelevant": Martin Porter QC criticises Derbyshire Police's heavy-handed approach during pandemic
From a lawyer’s perspective I have to tell you Sumption is unquestionably right. https://t.co/9HoFy3I2cM
— Martin Porter QC (@MartinPorter6) March 30, 2020
Derbyshire Police were criticised at the weekend for saying that “lycra-clad” cycling is currently unacceptable, and later clarified that they were making a specific reference to cyclists allegedly caught riding in large groups on the Snake Pass.
Now cycle-friendly lawyer Martin Porter QC has backed yesterday’s controversial comments made by Lord Sumption “from a legal perspective”, because he claims the force’s actions in preventing people from travelling to go for walks in the countryside aren’t lawful.
I agree it is entirely rational (at any time) to discourage car use but that has to be done through lawful means.
— Martin Porter QC (@MartinPorter6) March 30, 2020
Same mistake Derbyshire police made. Whether you, I, Dominic Raab or whoever support these actions is utterly irrelevant.
— Martin Porter QC (@MartinPorter6) March 30, 2020
While morally Porter agrees that “discouraging car use” is a good thing he says it has to be done through “lawful means”, and the apparent vague stance of the government and the way police have interpreted their advice to restrict public movement is causing problems. Lord Sumption claims this is testament to a ‘police state’, calling Derbyshire Police’s use of drones to film walkers in the Peak District “disgraceful.”
Talking to Radio 4’s World At One, Lord Sumption said efforts to dissuade people from “travelling to take exercise in the open country” were excessive, and such behaviours “are not contrary to the regulations simply because ministers have said that they would prefer us not to”.
He continued: “The tradition of policing in this country is that policemen are citizens in uniform, they are not members of a disciplined hierarchy operating just at the government’s command.
“The police have no power to enforce ministers’ preferences but only legal regulations which don’t go anything like as far as the government’s guidance.
“I have to say that the behaviour of Derbyshire Police in trying to shame people into using their undoubted right to travel to take exercise in the country and wrecking beauty spots in the fells so people don’t want to go there is frankly disgraceful.
“This is what a police state is like. It’s a state in which the government can issue orders or express preferences with no legal authority and the police will enforce ministers’ wishes.
“I have to say that most police forces have behaved in a thoroughly sensible and moderate fashion. Derbyshire Police have shamed our policing traditions.”
Tonight's Turbo - EF Pro Cycling Zwift ride
If you’re stuck for something to do this evening, then why not jump onto your #IsolationStation for a group ride with EF Pro Cycling’s Lawson Craddock and Lachlan Morton.
The ride is taking place at 5pm UK time and is open to everyone.
Bike shop booked up by "stir crazy" cyclists announced they've now closed
We are closing!
Due to escalation of the COVID-19 lockdown, we will be closed from Saturday. We will honour our bookings this week, but we are fully booked so cannot accept any more work.
We appreciate everyones support during this time, and we will be back bigger and better! pic.twitter.com/ee2VmMlNup— Bike Rehab (@BikeRehab) March 31, 2020
A few hours after telling The Star that they’re seeing a record number of customers seeking repairs to get their permitted exercise by bike, Bike Rehab in Sheffield have announced that they are now closed until further notice.
They said in a tweet: “Due to escalation of the COVID-19 lockdown, we will be closed from Saturday. We will honour our bookings this week, but we are fully booked so cannot accept any more work.
“We appreciate everyones support during this time, and we will be back bigger and better!”
There's a nice cheery thing about cycling on the box tonight
With no bike racing happening right now, how about a repeat of Midsomer Murders in which the race leader gets brutally murdered? Sounds like a Tuesday night treat!
A casual 5.4w/kg for Tim Wellens
Sweet…😍 pic.twitter.com/7gmo4o5veJ
— Marimox🚴 (@Hige_Marimo) March 31, 2020
…which was allowed to stay, so we can assume Thomas De Gendt’s banned ride was even more gruesomely powerful.
New brand FUSTLE launch debut gravel bike
An aluminium-framed gravel bike aimed at riders who are after something with ‘MTB pedigree’, the FUSTLE GR1 offers a customisable spec to fine tune handlebar width and stem length – off.road.ccc have the full story here.
Breaking: Velo Essex cancelled and partial refund offered
Comments on the Velo Essex Facebook page would suggest that entrants aren’t too please with the offer of a 45% refund. In a statement Velo Essex said:
“Our rider Terms & Conditions do not require us to provide a refund under these special circumstances. However, having calculated the significant staffing, planning and marketing costs incurred over the last six months, we are able to refund 45% of your entry fee (merchandise and camping purchases will be refunded in full). You will receive a refund automatically which will be paid within the next 3-5 working days.
“By making this difficult decision now we are able to offer you a partial refund – something that wouldn’t have been possible if we continued planning and investing into the event over the coming months, only for the event to be cancelled at a later date. We also didn’t want to roll entries into 2021 as the future of Vélo Essex is currently very uncertain.”
Full story to follow.
Thomas De Gendt thrown out of Zwift race due to "superhuman power"
@GoZwift i got thrown out of a race because of my superhuman power. Can you fix the stats for me? pic.twitter.com/JqSQFvx6oC
— Thomas De Gendt (@DeGendtThomas) March 31, 2020
If you’re a very very good amateur cyclist and regularly see yourself towards the top of leaderboards, that might have all changed in recent weeks due to a large influx of people who do this thing for a living on the outside world… and it appears Zwift didn’t appreciate the “superhuman power” of Thomas De Gendt, or didn’t believe he was the real McCoy/De Gendt anyway.
Hi Thomas,
we’ll look into this!— Zwift (@GoZwift) March 31, 2020
Zwift say they are looking into the matter, with their CEO saying De Gendt is “too strong” and that they will find a solution to stop his rides getting flagged. We’re told that an error message even pops up for suspiciously good rides that says: “either you have missed your chance as a pro, or something has went wrong” – which doesn’t really work in Mr De Gendt’s case because he’s a pro and all. He’s already achieved quite the palmares since his time in isolation…
Thomas De Gendt palmarès:
Broke the pro peloton ✅
Broke @zwift ✅— SteⓋe C (@Steve_velo) March 31, 2020
Evans reopening 11 stores to help key workers travel safely
Evans are re-opening 11 stores “to help key workers on the move”, with strict safety measures in place including limiting how many customers can enter and marking out two metre zones on the shop floor. Evans say they will continue to offer a free bike MOT to key workers to help those on the front-line travel safely, which includes pumping up tyres, adjusting brakes and offering mechanical advice.
The Sports Direct-owned chain was heavily criticised last week for appearing to sell various smart trainers above their RRP’s, allegedly to take advantage of increased demand. A day after our article on the matter was published, the prices returned to normal…
Video: Halfords on how they're keeping staff and customers safe while continuing to stay open
Halfords have introduced a number of key safety measures, including banning browsing, only offering key maintenance services on bikes, baning cash payments and limiting physical interaction such as the requirement to sign paperwork.
Their CEO Graham Stapleton said: “I am really proud of our colleagues and how they are supporting us in our commitment to playing our part in keeping the UK and Ireland moving. However, we will only continue to play our role if we can ensure the health and safety of our colleagues and customers, and compliance with government policy. That’s why we are re-shaping how our stores serve local communities across Britain.”
Thomas De Gendt 'may' have been pushing 8.4w/kg on Zwift
That’s possible
— Thomas De Gendt (@DeGendtThomas) March 31, 2020
No wonder it was flagged as rather suspicious… ouch.
31 March 2020, 08:14
Some forces had been accused of adopting heavy-handed stance on restrictions on movement - full story below
Enforcement “a last resort” – police chiefs agree “common sense” approach to applying emergency coronavirus law
Some forces had been accused of adopting heavy-handed stance on restrictions on movement
31 March 2020, 08:14
What's this new-fangled clubs functionality in Zwift then? And when can I have my own club? These and other questions answered here...
FAQ: What is Zwift Clubs?
Zwift has announced some new functionality, but it'll be a while before it changes your online riding
31 March 2020, 08:14
Full story on Velo Essex' a-bit-less-than-half job on refunding their entrants below
Vélo Essex cancelled – but entrants will get less than half their money refunded
Organisers blame coronavirus uncertainty for canceling September event but admit ticket sales were low
Help us to bring you the best cycling content
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £2.49. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.
29 Comments
Read more...
Read more...
Read more...
Latest Comments
@chrisonabike I'm certainly in 2 minds, and that would cause a political firestorm amongst the culture warriors - Lord Hogan-Howe's mob in the Lords for example. And the Telegraph and the Spectator would wet their pants. I certainly think there are more important battels to win first. The one I really want (as an activist for disabled accessibility) is crowd sourced (ie Op SNAP) enforcement of pavement parking everywhere. In the meantime we can do it on certain types of parking eg Zig Zags.
Hmm. These images appear to have been 'liberated' from an ancient APPGCW report, so I'm not sure you should be claiming credit for the first one. Also, they're just used as generic illustrative filler of modified ebikes in that report. While there might be a reasonably good chance that any given modified bike is non-EAPC-compliant, I'm not sure there's any evidence that any of these specific ones are.
@mattw I am not keen on "just 5mph more..." for EAPCs. People say "but safety - it will reduce irritation and overtaking because keeping up with the cars". But we all know that "MGIF" applies regardless of speed limits. In reality most people simply aren't cycling (full stop) but specifically they're consistently not keen to cycle in traffic (who is?). So we would be just upping the average speeds on the few shared use / cycle paths we have. Pedestrians will love that... The "how fast *should* cyclists be going" debate is not resolvable*, but places with the highest density of cyclists seem to have landed on "no assistance beyond 20kph". Yes - "cyclists" can keep up 18 - 20mph+ (and regular folks could on level ground with a velomobile...), but AFAICS the folks that are the target for EAPCs mostly aren't that kind of "cyclist". I have sympathy for injured / older roadies who want to have the option of being able to keep up on club runs. But that's arguing for a limited sports interest to be facilitated by rules for the general public. Nor do I think that just because they have this in the US we should. Bringing in road transport policies from the US has a ... spotty history. So I just see this as reducing everyone's reaction time and adding energy to any collision situations. * Except for the unhelpful "It's zero - they shouldn't be cycling except in velodromes..."
@mattw I think some of that *could* be sorted. By far the best way would be a general redrawing of the rules / reconsideration of what types of transport we want for which journeys (and the wider consequences of each). (Ideally including adopting a new philosophy e.g. "sustainable safety" / "safe system" approach). We don't have to guess or "reinvent". There are now many examples of how things can be done from all over Europe; places hilly and flat, hot and cold, urban and rural. But principally The Netherlands as they've taken this farthest (with the greatest gains). Unfortunately that kind of reform seems incredibly unlikely to happen in the UK. Indeed very few issues seem to be treated to that level of "in the round" attention. Probably because much of politics at the level which it would need is effectively (political) crisis management. So there would have to be (in the political opinion) almost a "meltdown of transport" before we get that... I'm concerned about "unexpected consequences" in the UK where at best we tend to tackle one item at a time in silos (sale and licencing regulations here, "cycling" there, disability legislation separately etc.)
It's almost as if those who have no respect for the law in one area of their lives have no respect for the law in others.
@Rendel Harris Whilst I would prefer ebike/electric bike were used exclusively to refer to EAPCs, I do feel the horse has bolted on that one, and the quote you've provided seems to support, rather than undermine, that position. The quote implies that your electric bike could be classed as an EAPC if it meets the EAPC rules, or else it's classed as moped or motorbike. In either case, it's still an "electric bike"; it's just classified differently and hence different regulations apply.
As they would say on Craggy Island... "It's not massive, it's just very close by..."
"Concentrating on the speedometer instead of driving safely,” ...but it never occurred to them to make the same complaint about keeping to higher speed limits - despite the fact that the onerous multitasking cognitive load involved is far less at slower speeds 🙄
@chrisonabike My view is that motorbikes should be regulated as motorbikes, which is safety gear, training, license, registration etc. And I would apply the SORN regime, too. That can be done technically as eg there are road legal Surrons. I can see a case for a class of S-Pedelecs, licensed for roads only, and we would need to learn from the continent. This Govt would do that; the next Con Govt would not because they are still in the culture-war swamp, and Kemi still doing her "performing seal on a podium in a panto on the end of Clacton pier cosplaying Farage" thing. Until they grow up, I don't think the blues are going anywhere. But I hope that one of AB's serious proposals will be electoral reform to be investigated now cross-party, and joint proposals to be put forward by LD / G / Labour parties at the next election. Given UK politics, a future politics of coalitions will go some way to lock in civilisation. I can see value in EAPCs having a cut off at 20mph, theoretically to ease traffic in 20mph zones, but that may need to be a 10%+2 mph enforcement threshold not these portable dynamometer things. (There's been a national kick-up-the-arse from somewhere for the police, as suddenly enforcement is not in the "too difficult" bucket. I'm not sure where it came from.)
29 thoughts on “Thomas De Gendt ‘breaks Zwift’ as “superhuman power” gets him banned; Evans re-open 11 stores to offer support for key workers; Martin Porter QC backs Lord Sumption’s ‘police state’ comments; What a saddle looks like after 50,000km + more on the live blog”
Absolutely agree with
Absolutely agree with Sumption’s comments. That Derby police drone video was a disgrace.
Hardly a disgrace when
Hardly a disgrace when Derbyshire police have had to deal with clowns travelling to the force area to have bbq’s, smoke shisha pipes in groups and go walking in remote locations ignoring the ‘unnecessary travel’ instructions. Guess the force just had enough of dealing with idiots and anyway a drone is a better resource to patrol a remote location.
As for the ‘police state’s comment, what a dramatic tosser. Guess I’ve missed the roving state death squads! Having spent time in a real ‘police state’ this man clearly has never known real violent oppression. Guess he doesn’t like being told ‘no’ by plebs
A friend of my wife’s lives
A friend of Mrs Badger lives on the Peak District, just near one of the areas that has been roped off.
She doesn’t really fancy running on open roads, so there’s her exercise curtailed.
I suggested that she should cut the ropes and continue, but she is not as obstreperous as me, and so is now in effect confined indoors, unlawfully.
So this particular force has cynically used outlier examples of idiotic behaviour (eg BBQs etc, idiotic at any time) to justify the prevention of the cooperative majority going about their lawful business. Granted the outcomes are less deadly, but yes the principle does seem a little police-statey to me, apropos overreach and misuse of power.
Those walking in the Peaks are as capable of maintaining social distance as those in towns and cities – this was an absolute waste of Police resources, and certainly overstepped the line by enforcing “regulations” that never existed in the first place.
“Common sense” would have dictated that a few dog walkers in family groups maintaining distance from others was as close to zero risk as my morning local runs with my daughters, and therefore should be left alone.
And as for dying lakes – did the Derby and Joan Boys in Blue conduct an environmental risk assessment before this ridiculous zero value action? I should coco….
I would have thought the dye
I would have thought the dye in the lakes was more likely to attract visitors, looking for their novelty Instagram snap, than to deter them.
Captain Badger wrote:
Given how toxic that lake is anyway, I think that anything short of tipping nuclear waste into it probably doesn’t add anything that it doesn’t already have!
It’s been dyed before a few times over the year to try to dissuade swimmers. Apparently the idea of building a fence around it is too much to consider…
That said, IMHO it was a waste of scare police resources, and that, combined with their wildly overzealous interpretation of the “laws”, guidance, regulations and advice has opened them up for some thoroughly justified scrutiny and they deserve all the flak they get.
Current guidance says nothing about “time spent” exercising and nothing about what you can and can’t wear when exercising (referring back to their ridiculous passive-aggressive “lycra-clad” tweet).
Unfortunately the likes of
Unfortunately the likes of Michael Gove then go and offer an opinion on tv & pieces like this in The Times are the result which ive already seen cited on social media as people claiming these are now the governments rules and muddies the whole thing further for the average Joe&Jane public https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/an-hours-walk-should-do-says-michael-gove-9hq2qjsqb
Don’t forget Grant Shapps
Don’t forget Grant Shapps with his “only go food shopping once a week” statement, which was then contradicted by No 10.
It rather seems that the Govt didn’t think through what they actually wanted to put in the legislation before they made it law. As if all the ministers and the Govt are making comments based on Draft A when they actually made Draft B law.
And the police are working from Draft C…
Is it toxic as part of Derbs
Is it toxic as part of Derbs police’s deterrence programme?
I don’t see a problem with it
I don’t see a problem with it. The point about the lockdown is not to get the lawyers involved, arguing the toss over exactly what constitutes what. We all know what the common sense meaning is (the leglislation may not specifically say that riding on a 150 mile technically challenging loop is prohibited, but we know we shouldn’t do it. Same goes for a 50 mile drive for a walk in the woods).
Just think of the bigger picture, there are thousands dying and some self righteous twonks are moaning about the technicalities of a law that was only brought in because many people kept acting selfishly and ignoring the risks they are placing on themselves and an over-stretched NHS (where people are risking their lives on a daily basis).
they arent arguing the bleep
they arent arguing the bleep about this, its an important distinction that even in a crisis like this we shouldnt lose sight of, the police should police primarily through consent, and police only within the legal position of the laws that are there, they dont enforce their interpretations of it, their opinions,their preferences or their or anyone elses desires or wishes, or even attempt to assume the intent of a law.
So the stories that have come out over the weekend of the police fining people for buying non essential goods, telling shops they cant stock easter eggs,fining people for driving a car, putting black dye in a lake, warning people for sitting on benches, warning people for merely visiting elderly parents even though they stayed 2m away at all times, telling people they can exercise only for 1hr max. all the police officers doing stuff like that, got it wrong, and need to be pushed back on to make sure they get it right.
I’m with Awavey on this, this
I’m with Awavey on this, this bunch of shysters fecked up by ignoring who and the evidence that adopting their ridiculous plans was doomed.
Also don’t forget who has underfunded the nhs for years, not given it resources it clearly needed as evidenced by the mock exercise in 2016. And is lying through its teeth every time it’s idiots are giving press briefings.
‘Just think of the bigger
‘Just think of the bigger picture…’
whoosh…
We need to keep it all in
We need to keep it all in context. The video ‘per se’ is not a disgrace, neither is it out of order. It points out examples of behaviour which are unhelpful in the current crisis, such as people “walking the dog in the peak district” and labels that as “non-essential”, which it is! That dog could be exercised in a back yard or a by walking around the block. Yes, it’s nice to take in the air and walk the dog in some remote beauty spot, but it’s NOT essential. Spare a thought for inner city single mums with 2 kids stuck in a council flat with no outdoor space.
Actions of the police may appear over the top, but if you’ve ever tried to control a large group of people you’ll know that having some set a bad example tends to encourage everyone to do so and then the situation gets out of hand. Instead of screaming outrage, perhaps “Lawyers” and “Lords” should get onside with the government and encourage people to do what they’re asked to do for a change and save the arguing for when the lives have been saved.
People are being asked to stay at home, it’s not difficult, but it IS essential. The sooner people get the hang of it the sooner we can all get back to normal. Failure to do so will result in even more draconian measures and no doubt more wailing and pounding of fists by the those that don’t like being denied their civil liberties.
Which part of “stay at home” are people having difficulty in understanding?
I refer you to my earlier
I refer you to my earlier post – the Peak District (along with countless other national, royal,local parks) is back yard for a large number of people, many of whom do not have their own gardens, or roads with pavements suitable for walking/running/your exercise of choice.
The Derbs Police managed to reduce risk by zero with this silly action, but certainly managed to put the backs up a lot of people, which will have a chilling effect on cooperation.
It is not essential to stay at home (as the Govt have made clear with guidelines on exercise), it is essential to maintain social distancing, which is perfectly possible in the Peaks, I would have thought.
The police don’t get a free pass to act like eejits just because we live in interesting times – most forces are maintaining the current situation admirably without resorting to behaving like Arnold Rimmer.
I refer you to my earlier
I refer you to my earlier post. The message would get across far better and for everyone’s benefit if people sided with the government advice and argued later.
The police were not eejits and did not “name and shame”, they even blurred faces and were only giving examples of behaviour deemed non essential.
The latest government advice says “Stay at home. Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)”. If you are unfamiliar I suggest https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
The New Forest is my back yard but I live in a flat with no balcony or garden. I am riding on my usual routes, but reducing mileage and time spent outdoors. Hopefully if we all restrict non essential journeys I may be allowed to continue exercising in my “back yard”.
FWIW My sister is a frontline nurse in the Emergency department and her advice is very clear. Stay home.
You seem to suggest that we
You seem to suggest that we should all stay indoors, so that you can continue to exercise outdoors in the New Forest – your back yard.
I suspect that had the Hampshire Constabulary behaved in a similar way to Derbs you might not be quite so sanguine.
I am perfectly familiar with gov advice thanks, but am grateful to you for sending me a link just in case. Luckily, your own quote says it all – “Stay at home. Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)”.
Last time I looked health involves exercise, which the gov has been particular in singling out as an essential. As indeed have health professionals, to better prepare folks for fighting off this virus should we be infected, and that doesn’t even mention the mental health effects of being couped up for an indeterminate time (Mental health level has a significant influence on the immune system. In addition secondary effects of poor mental health in a population will cause further strain on the health/emergency services).
I said not that the police were eejits (I think we can all agree that “The police don’t get a free pass to act like eejits” under any circumstance), however, Derbs handling of this situation leaves a lot to be desired, and has drawn criticism not only from plebs like me, but also policing and legal professionals. It has also indirectly prompted the gov to clarify guidelines and to reiterate the need to police by consent rather than enforcement.
Lastly, my thanks to your sister and her colleagues for their amazing work under extraordinary circumstances. I wonder whether you will follow her advice?
bikercub wrote:
Did I miss a memo? I thought we still lived in a democracy where we follow the law, not the whims of an individual politician or policeman…
Mindlessly siding with the
Mindlessly siding with the Gubmint and questioning later? What could possibly go wrong?
I think it was the Chief
I think it was the Chief Constable of Avon and Sommerset on Newsnight last night, and he was talking about policing by consent, but he was also using words like guidance, laws, regulations and legislation completely interchangeably, seemingly often wrongly in some cases. Much as there is difference in the police giving advice and enforcing.
A minister making a statement or mumbling through a question does not necessarily make it so, if it did we’d actually be doing 25,000 tests a day and appropriate PPE would be available to all health workers that needed it.
Smashed it there ktache!
Smashed it there ktache!
You deserve a ‘chapeau’
Not a harpsichord – that’s
Not a harpsichord – that’s played with keys, like a piano. I think you’re thinking of a harp?
Velo Essex cancelled, with 45
Velo Essex cancelled, with 45% refunds this time,and doesnt sound like a 2021 event will take place either
Who would book with that
Who would book with that miserable lot again anyway?
Ta for the Midsummer reminder
Ta for the Midsummer reminder, if there really is nothing else on.
There is a headline for 11.10
Bike shop booked up by “stir crazy” cyclists,
now I can figure out a story, but are there any specifics?
ktache wrote:
A friend of mine (he moved away from Reading this weekend), was actually one of the cyclists in that episode and he said they were there all day getting cold and barely did any cycling. Midsommer is also sometimes filmed around another friend’s farm and once inside his actual house.
Glad the police are
Glad the police are questioning why people are driving anywhere other than to go foodshopping or support people in isolation.
On Sunday i did my solo training ride and was surprised that it was as busy as ever with drivers with the sun roof down blasting along country lanes not giving a shi…
Same in central London, wastemen in their poorly modified BMW’s with blacked out windows driving around going where…..?
I think you are missing the
I think you are missing the point somewhat. So, imagine if you were stopped by the police for cycling in ‘your backyard’ and told to “go home, you shoudn’t be out, we will fine you if we cacth you again”. Any explanation about riding locally, getting your daily exercise completely ignored with the same retort each time “go home..” and then getting quite heated and threatening. This was the experience of locals where I live. Riding from their home in their ‘backyard’. The Derbs police got it wrong. My local (Surrey) police got it wrong. Thank god for people like Sumption or we would indeed head towards a police state.
Derbs Police have basically
Derbs Police have basically made up their own laws, anybody who doesn’t see this as a Police State is foolish, the police have to enforce laws and not ones that they make up, you fancy driving down the road and they stop you for speeding… and you say, I was doing 29 in a 30, but they say… well today we want it to be 15mph so here is your 30 fine… this is exactly what they are doing, they want everybody to use common sense, they also need to as well, of course I understand what they are trying to do, but their methods are appauling, including sending out tweets about lycra-clad cyclists, which is beyond insulting
Exactly, there has been some
Exactly, there has been some real heavy handedness here. Best use of resources to ‘enforce’ the lockdown? Probably not.