It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but not in a good way: French officials slammed for sticking Christmas tree in the middle of trans-European bike route; Leknessund shows off icicles on eyelashes in -24C training ride + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“-24C and still smiling”: Andreas Leknessund shows off icicles on eyelashes during an extreme weather training ride
Brrrr….
I know it’s getting really cold here in the UK (your live blog host has now also been blessed with Cardiff rains), but at least we don’t have to go out for rides in -24 degrees Celsius!
Spare a thought for Andreas Leknessund, a holder of the maglia rosa jersey at this year’s Giro d’Italia and a stage winner at Tour de Suisse, who’s not just battling the usual demons on his bike, but also the frigid weather.
📺 Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X in 2024) has not applied personal extreme weather protocol in training. -24°C and still smiling. 😊🚲🧊pic.twitter.com/XvbGRyLsZj
— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) December 3, 2023
The 24-year-old Norwegian who’ll have a bit of a homecoming next season as he dons on the yellow and red of Uno-X, his country’s newly-qualified World Tour status team for which he has ridden before as a youth, seemed to be completely unfazed by the chill and grinned from ear to ear as he showed off the temperature first, and then the icicles formed on his eyelashes.
I’ll be honest, I’ve been finding it difficult these last few days to build up the courage and head out on the saddle, but I think still faring quite well (better than I thought I would). But out in -24? I’ll gladly stay indoors sipping my whisky.
But surprisingly, after seeing multiple races being abandoned due to treacherous weather conditions this year, fans went ahead and asked if riders could train for weather conditions like this, what’s stopping them from racing in 7 degrees and rain (calling this year’s Giro weather as just rain seems like quite the euphemism in my opinion…)
> Why pro cycling needs to ditch its ‘hardness’ obsession
It does call for concern at whether this sort of riding is even beneficial or not? I don’t know, I’ll let the pros (or the readers of this live blog) decide…
Here's your weekend round-up, just how you requested
While I was building up a sweat at the Penarth hill climbs in the freezing morning sun, Ryan from the road.cc news team was chipping away to bring you some really important (and of course, hilarious) stories at the weekend. So here’s everything you might have missed from the cycling news world (+ tech of the week)…
🎄🚲 It's Tree By Bike time!
It’s December, snow’s here (at least for some), the carols (I mean, Mariah Carey) are abound, it could only mean one thing… it’s Tree By Bike time again!
It’s #TreeByBike time again! 🎄🚲🌟 https://t.co/tXWDQubPl7
— London Cycling Campaign (@London_Cycling) December 4, 2023
Temperatures of -1oC and need to pick up a 25kg bag of cement and a Christmas tree from @BandQ? No better vehicle for the job than @ternbicycles #TernHSD – even @RealSirTomJones agrees! ❄️🚲🔋⚡️🧱🎄🏴👍🏻 #LeaveTheCarAtHome #TreeByBike pic.twitter.com/ECQuOMSlAu
— Hamish Belding (@BikeWalkScoot) December 1, 2023
#TreeByBike, the 7 months pregnant edition! pic.twitter.com/yBL6yeb6Og
— Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher (@mbonsma) December 3, 2023
Over the last decade, collecting our #TreeByBike has evolved from political statement to one of our family’s most revered annual rituals.
In that period, we’ve watched a global community grow around a hashtag, filled with folks changing hearts, minds and streets in their cities. pic.twitter.com/x0z8MJcit8
— Melissa & Chris Bruntlett (@modacitylife) December 3, 2023
Best and worst London cycling lanes? A story in two parts...
Embankment cycle lane vs Westminster bridge cycle lane. Which one would you ride on?
Is this the most scenic cycle lane in London? We love it 😍😍
Iconic buses, the Millenium wheel, beautiful lampposts, not to mention the Thames ⛴️
It’s along the Embankment, and even today when it was just 2 degrees 🥶 it had seen nearly 1500 🚲 journeys by 9.30 AM … /1 pic.twitter.com/kDmXdx1EfZ
— Westminster Cycling Campaign (@Westminster_LCC) December 1, 2023
No point even trying to use Westminster bridge cycle lane… pic.twitter.com/ysisY0sRGZ
— Cycling in London (@Cycling_In_LDN) December 2, 2023
Campaign group seeking more donations to fight Government's active travel funding cuts
Transport Action Network, a campaign group helping to press for more sustainable transport in England and Wales, has launched a fundraiser titled “Stop the cuts to walking and cycling” aiming to raise £40,000 to challenge the UK Government’s decision to slash the active travel budget for England in March.
The camapaign says: “We believe that by making ad hoc announcements, ministers have tried to unlawfully bypass the framework set by Parliament. By cutting funding, there is now a stark and inevitable inconsistency between the active travel objectives and the funding to achieve them.
“Ministers appear to have failed to take into account the impacts on climate and air pollution targets. Also, their legal duties to make facilities more accessible for people with disabilities and cycling more inclusive for children, older people and women.”
If Transport Action Network (TAN) wins the case, they say that the government’s decision to cut the funding by two-thirds over the next two years, which was recently labelled “flawed” by Cycling UK, would be rescinded, setting an important precedent about the transparency needed for funding as well as they adequacy to meet the cycling and walking objectives.
“MPs have done their best to ask Parliamentary questions about the exact funding position but ministers have been evasive in their answers. So bringing a legal case is really our only option,” said TAN.
TAN’s legal team is led by David Forsdick KC, a highly ranked environmental lawyer, instructed by Leigh Day solicitors. The campaign has so far raised just over £28,000, with the fundraiser going on for 4 more weeks. A full hearing is due in early 2024.
16-24s rely less on cars and use range of travel options, including cycling – but miss out on work, study and social opportunities
New research from Sustrans and the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol says that young people will be left behind and denied access to work and educational opportunities, as well as social events, unless their needs are taken into account when planning transport policy.
The findings come at a time when there has been a sharp fall in the number of young people obtaining a full driving licence, with just one in four of those aged 17-20 currently doing so, compared to half of the same age group around 30 years ago.
The Sustrans and UWE Bristol research, which was funded by the Health Foundation, focused on people aged 16-24 and found that they make 21 per cent fewer trips than other working age adults, ie 25-64s, and that the gap has widened during the past two decades.
But who would use all the bike racks on a cold, wet day in December?
The kids are alright…
Today’s school bike racks for those who asked me to “post photos of them again on a cold wet day in December and see if children are still cycling then.”
Looks like they are, tbh. pic.twitter.com/WfoQydxffu
— Cllr Emily Kerr 💚 (@EmilyKerr36) December 4, 2023
What a joyous sight and feeling to know that the future generation is making the right decisions and choosing to pedal their way to the school, so here’s me doing my part, hopefully doing enough to encourage you all to get on the bike for a spin along with your little ones this week!
A new Strava feature without subscription?! Strava introduces messaging - you can now communicate with your friends on the app
Strava has launched a new in-app messaging feature saying it is an “efficient avenue for athletes to coordinate adventures, connect for inspiration or tips, share their journey, and more – all within a unified platform”.
We’ve been testing the beta version of the messaging at the office for the last couple of weeks and have enjoyed how easy it makes sharing routes with others. This feature might just be the best way for clubs and cycling groups to communicate ride plans and chat with each other without having to add everyone based on their phone numbers.
The new messaging feature offers direct (one-on-one) and group messages. This feature is available for all Strava users, not only those with the app’s paid Subscription. Users can also customise the messaging feature based on their desires – for example, they can set their preferences on who can invite them to a group message or who can message them directly.
> Strava introduces messaging – you can now communicate with your friends on the app
Drunk driver charged with killing world Masters champion Ethan Boyes while speeding in a cycle lane
In April this year, world Masters track champion Ethan Boyes was killed after being struck head-on by an allegedly speeding motorist while riding in one of the park’s cycle lanes. Now, prosecutors in northern California have charged an elderly man of striking and killing Boyes while drunk behind the wheel.
81-year-old San Francisco resident Arnold Kinman Low was indicted last week with involuntary manslaughter and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California said in a statement.
Earlier, it had been reported based on the accounts of several eyewitnesses online that the cyclist was riding in the non-segregated cycle lane on Arguello Boulevard in the Presidio, near what Biking in LA described as a “treacherous” junction, when a “speeding” motorist heading northbound “swerved” across the road and into the bike lane.
A 10-time US national champion throughout his career, the late North Carolina-born sprinter holds the World’s Best Performance record for men aged 35-39 in the Kilo, set in 2015, as well as a number of national records.
The group ended the vigil for world champion cyclist #EthanBoyes by shouting out loud “We love you Ethan!” @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/5el7sQEH3Y
— Gia Vang (@Gia_Vang) April 8, 2023
Following the tragic collision, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition – a non-profit public-benefit organisation created to transform the city’s streets and neighbourhoods into “more liveable and safe places by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation” – had called for immediate changes to be made to better protect people riding their bikes in Presidio national park.
Cycling activists in San Francisco have long campaigned for changes to be made to Arguello Boulevard in Presidio, an area which falls under the jurisdiction of the park’s governing body and not the city authorities.
The coalition had said in a statement: “One traffic fatality is one too many. Last year, we experienced the most traffic fatalities on SF streets in a decade. This is unacceptable considering the city’s Vision Zero goal of ending traffic-related death and serious injuries by 2024 is just a year away. More action must be taken by the City to address safety on our streets.”
Egan Bernal accidentally leaks new Ineos Grenadiers kit
This is the moment where your live blog uploads a pixelated picture of a leaked new kit and asks for your thoughts on it, so please let me know how do you find this picture shared, and then also swiftly deleted by Egan Bernal on Instagram.
My two cents? I think it looks rather neat!
“There are behaviours they allow for cyclists, but they would never accept these things for cars”: Cyclists slam French city council for putting a Christmas tree in the middle of a bike path
I’m sure enchanté wasn’t the word on most French cyclists’ lips in Cabourg after seeing this quite extraordinaire sight, a giant Christmas tree sitting smack in the middle of a cycle lane, in front of a resort’s casino in the seaside city in the department of Calvados.
And this is not the first time cyclists have had to deal with the presence of a Christmas tree not really where they’d want it. France Bleu reports that the officials were guilty of the same act last year as well. The city officials said that there was no other solution than, *checks notes* placing the giant, estranged tree in the middle of the road, um sorry, no the cycle path because of wiring issues.
Dérailleurs du Calvados, a cycling group from the department said mockingly: “In Cabourg, they decided not to change last year’s “good” practices: they put the Christmas tree back on the bike path!”
As expected, cyclists are raging. Fransescu Garoby, president of Dérailleurs du Calvados raised the question that would a spruce have been pitched up in the middle of a road instead? He answered his question himself: “A priori, no.”
He added: “There are behaviours that local authorities allow for cyclists, but they would never accept that for cars, or motorised vehicles in general. This shows that cycling as a means of everyday transport has still not become a serious solution in the eyes of the elected officials. They continue to consider it a hobby.”
To put the cherry (or, star) on top, the route on which the tree was placed is on La Vélomaritime, the EuroVelo 4 cycle route which goes through Normandy in France. Garoby said: “It is a major route which crosses all of Europe, from Roscoff in Brittany to Poland. This track therefore runs along the entire coast of Calvados. And in general, it is a local route, used by local residents.”
4 December 2023, 10:01
Have Spesh truly knocked it out of the park and built the supreme race bike for 2024?
Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 - SRAM Red eTap AXS
4 December 2023, 10:01
4 December 2023, 10:01
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Latest Comments
Mountain bikers don't care about obeying the law!
It's worth pointing out that unlike cycling on a pavement (i.e. a footway alongside a carriageway), cycling on a footpath is not a crime; it is a civil tort against the landowner. That means it's not a police matter, and other people using the path have no standing to complain either (although of course you should still be careful and considerate of other people, regardless of the status of the right of way). Indeed, without going into a full lecture on the history of Rights of Way and the noble tradition of mass trespass (e.g. Kinder Scout), there is an argument that the law implicitly condones such "illegal" use of paths, given that new rights of way can be created by members of the public demonstrating that they have used the path without permission but "as of right" for long enough, without the landowner taking action to curb such use. As an additional point of information, I would note that the offence of causing injury by "wanton or furious" cycling applies anywhere. I'm no lawyer, but I struggle to see that the designation of the right of way would have much sway, but rather any case would rely on the broader context and whether the manner of the cycling was safe given the terrain and conditions.
@Rendel Harris I get close-passed by more riders than cars in Richmond Park. Maybe I should ride faster.
@perce I'm normally a big fan of your excellent posts perce but I must take issue with this one. The idea that Lord Khan of Tooting would ever, in any circumstances, have been friends with Nigel is surely beyond the bounds of even your fertile imagination?
Not to downplay the seriousness of bikejacking, but Mr.Taylor might want to consider that fact that many riders have been put off using the park at weekends due to the aggressive, intimidatory behaviour of members of his own club, who are notorious for riding as if the park is a private training facility just for themselves, and that's a pretty sad state of affairs as well.
In Wiggle/CR's absence, what are people using nowadays? I've been out of it for a while, but now returned.
I did a multi-day ride many years ago with someone who was a better cyclist than me by every conceivable measure but this one. I remember watching them up ahead on a quiet road trying to teach themselves - snatching brief seconds with their hands off the bars before losing balance and grabbing on again. 'Watch this' I said to the rest of my group, before I accelerated to catch them, then nonchalantly sailed past them uphill riding no hands. Very satisfying. I've been able to ride most of mine hands-free, but had a Specialized Allez that really didn't cooperate. Haven't been brave enough to try it on a Brompton or cargo bike though. And still can't do a wheelie, or any of the other things on Jo's palmares.
@Hamster now that is an exciting development. I do remove/amend signs but reporting them for flyposting is much more satisfying.
@Slartibartfast If the sign-maker can be caught in the act then the council Environmental Health can get a report for littering/fly-tipping. Hours of endless fun for that person trying to explain away a conviction. Don't report unless you're prepared to go to court though. Or remove the litter and put in the nearest bin with a sticker explaining how littering is a crime.
What would make driving safer for motorists is if they stopped driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and driving faster than the speed limit.
63 thoughts on “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but not in a good way: French officials slammed for sticking Christmas tree in the middle of trans-European bike route; Leknessund shows off icicles on eyelashes in -24C training ride + more on the live blog”
“Oh ok I’ll buy a car then.
“Oh ok I’ll buy a car then. That’ll fix my diabetes.”
“I hope Steve can get some regular time on a bike to stave off that type 2 diabetes he might have incoming in the future. ”
Should we really have to
Should we really have to share the roads with someone who takes a test 60, that 60 times before passing???
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/04/60th-time-lucky-learner-driver-breaks-uk-record-for-sitting-theory-test
God knows how bad at actually driving they will be.
Time for retests for all every five years. Its madness that I’ve not been retested in 38 years!
They might be really good at
They might be really good at the practical side even if they don’t understand the road signs !
essexian wrote:
Haha I saw that, the chances are that it was a fluke too that they passed, I mean after 60 attempts surely you’d sometime pass!
When I was learning to drive, you were considered pretty dopey not to pass you’re theory test, and something only the stupidest person couldn’t do – and even they weren’t typically far off.
If someone fails the driving
If someone fails the driving test that many times there is something very wrong with their standard of driving.
Driving is a priviledge, not a right.
Maybe there should be a law (the equivalent to points on licences) that says something like “Fail 3 times (in a row, presumably) and You have to wait 2 years to try again…”.
The pass may have been a fluke.
At the end of the day, do any sort of normal gambling for long enough and You’re almost certain to win at some point.
Theory test.
Theory test.
Maybe their basic comprehension is poor. Tells you nothing about their ability to drive.
If they failed it due to hazard perception, that would be another matter.
Understanding how the roads
Understanding how the roads work and comprehending signs and situations is a critical part of driving safely. There is a reason driving examiners don’t even get in the car with learners for the practical test until they have passed the theory test.
Either way, I still think
Either way, I still think there should be a temporary pause before a learner can apply again.
There is. Three days.
There is. Three days.
Hirsute wrote:
If you don’t understand what road signs mean, then that does have quite a big effect on your ability to drive safely.
The understanding of signs
The understanding of signs isn’t so much an issue as they are pretty much either order or warning with an image. I think the bigger issues kick in when you’re reading about the more detailed stuff then writing them down. I’ve a neighbour who has been banned with a retest required. He has no issue with signs and understanding them. He does have a challenge with the current theory test and will never regain his license.
Interestingly it was mainly the CTC and NCU who started to erect warning signs in the early days for other cyclists before the AA got in on the act.
don’t allow retest withn 3
don’t allow retest withn 3 months, obviously further training is required. At least this would keep these types off the road for 15 years, and maybe they’d realise they don’t need a car after all by then.
True.
True.
Or as has been said sporadically in the past, make learning to cycle on roads mandatory before learning to drive.
Not just to (hopefully) make drivers safer around cyclists, but to show new learners that cycling is a viable alternative for some journeys and usually quicker during rush hour traffic.
I fear to write this but…..
I fear to write this but….. I feel passing a test to show you are a competent cyclist and then the same on a motor bike should be required before you can even start to learn to drive a car on the road (yes, of course there would need to be exceptions for disabled people).
So….and here it comes, cyclists should be licenced…. if they want to become licenced to drive a car.
essexian wrote:
Are you thinking that to get a driving licence, you must first get a cycle licence? If you never intend to drive a car, you don’t need a cycle licence?
Other people have suggested mandatory cycling for drivers as part of their driving test, so I don’t think you have anything to fear from suggesting that.
HoldingOn wrote:
Yep.
Cycle licencing is an
Cycle licencing is an absolute no-no.
To bring that in would enhance some drivers’ mindset that all cyclists have to have a licence, pay “road tax”, get insurance etc.
The point is to have learner drivers simply experience cycling conditions on the road to make them better drivers.
(The additional benefits help of course.)
With the growth of Ebikes,
With the growth of Ebikes, both legal and illegal, cycle licences are on the way whatever happens.
With regards to the other things you mention, I don’t actually see much of an issue with cyclists having insurance. Perhaps a £10 charge when the licence is applied for will cover the cyclist for 5 years until they have to renew their overall licence.
essexian wrote:
No they aren’t.
Oh yes they are.
Oh yes they are.
My bet would be within five years. For ebikes to start and then on to the rest of us.
The Government will find a reason…. money making no doubt, to introduce them.
Illegal vehicles on roads
Illegal vehicles on roads should be dealt with by existing legislation.
The costs of licensing are astronomical, so that’s not going to happen but using a bike as part passing a driving test could be brought in.
mitsky wrote:
… I don’t know – you could start with a walking “licence” and work your way up? IIRC at primary school lots of us did a RoSPA cycling proficiency training / test – not sure it was actually mandatory for anything but strongly encouraged.
It’s routine in NL IIRC.
The point is to have learner drivers simply experience cycling conditions on the road to make them better drivers.
(The additional benefits help of course.)— mitsky
If you’re trying to do that in the driving test you’re too late!
I’m certainly not against a “refresher” then but the sensible (and fun!) way to do this is throughout childhood – so everyone gets a more balanced understanding of the transport modes they’ll use and encounter. (Of course it doesn’t hurt if cycling to school is supported – and indeed encouraged – too.)
I never visited one but I believe a few such facilities exist in the UK – albeit I’m not sure if they’re set up so you can “drive” and with formal instruction.
Proficiency training is a
Proficiency training is a great thing and should be done more widely, but no one could be stopped from cycling if they hadn’t actually done it…
If actual testing and licencing are implemented, on the other hand…
mitsky wrote:
To get the complete picture it seems people can’t be stopped from driving if they haven’t done the test. Even in some cases if they’ve been previously stopped for not having done it!
I guess I was contrasting “cycling proficiency” (tending to be a “nice to have”, for a few) with normal basic education e.g. how to cross roads. And the fact that if you do want to drive we demand a practical demonstration of competence which a large fraction of the population does indeed go through.
Growing up some of the
Growing up some of the schools in my region required a Cycing Proficiency to bring the bike to school. Those of us in the sticks it wasn’t much of an issue as a bike was the fastest form of transport to get in. Our school did though encourage P6 & 7 to get it under their belt.
I’ve heard it said many times
I’ve heard it said many times that if you failed your test once you turn out to be a better driver. This has been bourne out by experience over the years.
Imagine how good this driver will be.
As all Englanders know…2C
As all Englanders know…2C and wet is far, far colder than -24 in Norway!
In Norway, they build their
In Norway, they build their homes to be able to handle the cold. In the UK, we build homes so home builders can make huge profits, part of which they donate to the Tory Party.
In Norway, they have a fund paid for by their oil sales which helps the country as a whole afford the things required to manage a cold climate. In the UK, Mr Starmers best mate Mrs Thatcher sold off the UK oil production for a few quid so now we have thousands unable to pay their fuel bills/ heat their homes/afford to eat/drive on shit roads etc etc
In Norway, they have a working relationship with the EU. In the UK, we told them to get stuffed and now are now towards the bottom of any growth list you care to look at.
Thus, in Tory UK, -2C is likely to kill you; whereas in Norway, its likely not to be much of an issue.
… but we are world leaders
… but we are world leaders in tackling climate change.
Yep. That gave me a good
Yep. That gave me a good laugh this damp and cold morning as my Smart Meter reached £5 with half the day to go.
essexian wrote:
Thank you for your anti-tory diatribe. Good way to squeeze some politics in, well done.
Typical Tory. No answers to
Typical Tory. No answers to the UK problems.
Be gone with you and take the rest of the right with you.
essexian wrote:
We know when we are speaking to the uneducated and uninitiated, so we save our time by not pointlessly debating with losers
Have you done the decent
Have you done the decent thing and married that milk bottle yet?
Defend our traditions! I
Defend our traditions! I would like to see the the fork publically named and shamed for having jilted the knife and eloped with the spoon.
STILL hasn’t been cancelled
STILL hasn’t been cancelled either
Oh dear. Still no answers.
Oh dear. Still no answers.
You sound so much like Mr Starmer… actually, Mr Starmer, is that you?
essexian wrote:
?
It’s not even a left v right
It’s not even a left v right kind of politics issue. It’s just UKs systemic shortsightedness vs Nordic investing for the future
ROOTminus1 wrote:
Good job Rishi approved the new O&G licences for the North Sea then
Left_is_for_Losers wrote:
Good job Rishi approved the new O&G licences for the North Sea then— ROOTminus1
In a better world, sure, it could be a good thing. But this is Britain, and our “leaders” from either side of house can’t balance the books, keep a promise, nor contract out any project effectively.
The only way a gov’t project doesn’t go overdue or over budget, is because it got cancelled after a significant portion of costs has already gone into some chum’s back pocket
essexian wrote:
In Norway they pay taxes so eye wateringly high it makes your goolies shrink inside without the cold.
Have you seen the tax rates
Have you seen the tax rates in the UK…
https://obr.uk/box/the-uks-tax-burden-in-historical-and-international-context/
https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/brits-face-biggest-tax-burden-since-world-war-two-budget/
https://ifs.org.uk/articles/will-be-biggest-tax-raising-parliament-record
And what have we got to show for it…. record waiting lists for NHS treatment, roads which look like the IDF have visisted, school falling down around childrens ears, the rich getting richer and richer….
“In Norway, they build their
“In Norway, they build their homes to be able to handle the cold. In the UK, we ” … generally don’t have the extremes of cold that would make building houses designed for -24 a good use of resources. This is a bit like the drivers looking to Canada or Russia, then complaining that the UK doesn’t have an army of snowploughs sitting idle for 360+ days of most years.
Also, I’m sitting in my 7-year-old flat and haven’t yet needed to put the heating on despite it being freezing most of the last few days. Whatever else is wrong with newbuilds, adequate insulation isn’t a problem in the many I’ve been in over the last decade.
In Norway the oil sales used
In Norway the oil sales used to pay for the world’s most complete fleet of electric cars causes many more emissions than saved by the fleet of electric cars.
As I got my first cargo bike
As I got my first cargo bike this summer, I was really looking forward to picking up the Christmas tree on it. And then Mrs K arranged for it to be delivered without speaking to me!
Have to say, I like riding in
Have to say, I like riding in the cold, -5. As long as it’s dry – and has been dry (no ice on roads). It forces you to ride more slowly, cause you can’t really afford to sweat (least not until you’re certain of being at your destination soon, regardless). The air is nice and crisp. The pace is easy-steady. It’s really nice base miles.
Just make sure to have enough layers, and good protection for the feet and hands, and lovely.
Much better than rain!
Why is the Westminster Bridge
Why is the Westminster Bridge cycle lane so bad? Is it poor signage in general or particularly ignorant tourists?
I would be interested to know
I would be interested to know that too, but also – I don’t fully understand these “Lime bikes” (I am not London based and have only ever been there once)
There were two in the other video, parked on the path with no one around. Can you just stop cycling anywhere and walk away from them? (assuming you leave them where they aren’t causing an obstruction) If you don’t need to leave them in designated spaces, how do you find one to use? Is it pot luck? Are there organised hunting parties that scour the streets hoping to spot a Lime bike for hire?
I’ve not used them myself,
I’ve not used them myself, but it is app based.
The app tells You where the nearest one is, lets You unlock it for a fee and when You’re done You get the app to “lock” the bike.
Pedestrians, not just
Pedestrians, not just tourists, step into it in front of you without looking. Cycling there means you have to have your wits about you. My wife could go that way but uses the next bridge, Lambeth Bridge, along for her commute instead.
Tourist trap most likely, for
Tourist trap most likely, for the houses of parliament. They were in the bus lane too, bloke selling balloons and then the notorious ice cream truck.
Not cycled Westminster bridge, but in my experience the other bridges like Waterloo are not like this.
brooksby wrote:
Northbound (which isn’t actually North, but that’s how I think of it – towards the Houses of Parliament, anyway) is ok generally. But the other way is a nightmare. That side of the bridge has various stalls and tourist stuff on it, so lots of tourist hanging around rather than just walking. Plus the lane is single direction and single file, with (ironically) very good segregation – which means there is nowhere to go if someone steps into it. And, of course, there is a self-fulfilling bit about it. Cyclists know it’s rubbish, so use the bus lane instead; so pedestrians see it empty and step into it.
brooksby wrote:
Exactly this. It’s striking how much worse the southbound side is – much more so than the actual infra would lead you to expect.
brooksby wrote:
It’s mainly tourists, that’s by no means at its worst, in the summer it is absolutely jammed with them. It’s absolutely infuriating when there’s such a simple solution, all they have to do is move the bollards from the outside of the cycle lane to the inside and put a line of chains between them. Cyclists would still be protected from the road by the raised kerb and the tourists would still be protected from any potential terrorist car attack by the bollards. I’ve written to every authority I can think of suggesting it but all I’ve ever received is “we are aware that there is a problem” replies.
Usually avoid it like the plague, I rode up it in February, not to be provocative (before certain trolls jump on me for it), just to get a video to show the authorities the extent of the problem: https://twitter.com/Rendel_Harris/status/1625201075249721344
The bridge is very busy with
The bridge is very busy with pedestrians, particularly tourists, given its central location near key attractions. As such, it gets quite congested – not helped by tourists stopping to take photos or selfies or the assorted vendors and grifters who take up space and attract a crowd. Those pedestrians then tend to spill out into the cycle lane to get past each other (often without looking), and feel comfortable doing so given the space is protected from motor traffic by the large kerb and bollards. It is also not especially busy with cyclists – as per the above video, most knowledgeable cyclists don’t bother with the lane. This creates a self-reinforcing situation (pedestrians use cycle lane –> cyclists don’t use cycle lane –> pedestrians more likely to use cycle lane).
I’ve found some footage of
I’ve found some footage of the theory test which shows the difficulty.
And in other news… it takes
And in other news… it takes getting to 29 points on your licence for the “exceptional hardship” claim to no longer work…
“Bianca Williams banned from driving with 29 penalty points”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67613292
I added that one to “drivers
I added that one to “drivers and their problems” thread.
Not sure exactly where the ‘central London athletics track’ is but anything in central london is quicker by bike and it could be part of her training !
That’s nothing. There’s a
That’s nothing. There’s a bloke out there with 68 and still driving with 6 others on 50 plus.
Wow.
Wow.
I wonder how any car insurance company justifies covering them.
It could be that the drivers are simply rich enough to pay whatever it is.
Or maybe, if they can’t get insurance then they’d be driving illegaly.
That seems distrubingly
That seems distrubingly similar to the “try and deceive the police, try and deceive the Court, then deceive yourself to avoid having to take responsibilty” standard operating procedure.
Bianca Williams lives in Maida Vale.
In recent years millions have been invested in the early morning to late night floodlight athletics track at Paddington Recreation Ground, which is a few minutes’ walk away.
There’s even a gym and fitness studion on sight.
https://www.everyoneactive.com/centre/paddington-recreation-ground/
Donation made to support the
Donation made to support the Transport Action Network case – I encourage others to do the smae, if you are able.