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Resident says new bike hangars are “useless” – as motorcyclists keep blocking them; How not to do cycle parking; “This will take some getting used to”: Geraint’s new glasses; Katie Hopkins v Active Travel; Tour de France wildcards + more on the live blog

It’s Wednesday (yep, just checked, it’s definitely Wednesday), and Ryan Mallon’s back with more cycling news and views from 2023 on the live blog
Wed, Jan 04, 2023 09:44
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Resident says new bike hangars are “useless” – as motorcyclists keep blocking them; How not to do cycle parking; “This will take some getting used to”: Geraint’s new glasses; Katie Hopkins v Active Travel; Tour de France wildcards + more on the live blogBrighton cycle hangar (credit - Brighton Active Travel)
04 January 2023, 10:29
Brighton cycle hangar (credit - Brighton Active Travel)
The saga of the Brighton and Hove bike hangars continues: Resident says hangars are “useless” – as motorbike owners keep blocking them

One of the big live blog hitters of late 2022 is already making a storming return to the charts in 2023...

Yep, that’s right, Brighton and Hove’s new bike hangars are back in the news!

As avid readers of the live blog will know, 60 hangars, one of which can house up to six bikes in a space that would otherwise be occupied by a single car, were first introduced in July as part of Brighton and Hove City Council’s plans to install 150 of the storage units across the city by spring 2023.

While Robert Davis, the co-chairman of the council’s environment, transport, and sustainability committee, said that the hangars have proved extremely popular and that residents “have wanted them for a long time”, they haven’t managed to avoid some pro-car, NIMBY controversy, however.

Cycle hangar in Norfolk Square, Brighton (credit - Laura King, Facebook)

In November, we reported that one of the hangars, in Norfolk Square, caused outrage after eagle-eyed motorists noticed that it appeared to be straddling two car parking spaces, with one resident arguing that the unit’s positioning was either a result of “sheer incompetence or the continuing war by Brighton and Hove City Council against motorists”.

> “It’s absolute madness”: Brighton motorists claim cycle hangar is “deliberately” taking up two car parking spaces

A few days later, another resident took to the local press to declare that she does not want one of the “giant ugly objects” outside her house (as one councillor pointed out, she wasn’t referring to “Range Rovers that are half parked on the pavement”).

And now, after a well-earned Christmas break, the bike hangars are back making headlines – but this time, one resident has complained that cyclists aren’t able to access the units thanks to inconsiderate motorbike owners.

The anonymous local told the Argus that the council should do more to prevent motorbikes and mopeds blocking the bike hangar in Denmark Villas, Hove.

“They have introduced a cycle hangar there but the way that motorbike parks means it’s unusable,” the local said.

“It would appear that the council can’t do anything about it and remove the moped. I’m not a cyclist, I have seen people use the hangar but they’re not going to be able to get in to that hangar if the motorbike is in the way.

“Parking permits holders have to pay £175 a year for the privilege of parking, cyclists also pay for bike hangars but people on motorbikes can park where they like.

“We all have to pay. If a car parked on the pavement there, you are guaranteed it will be taken away or a ticket issued.

“It is out of order for motorbikes to park on the pavement. But you bother to put a cycle hangar in there and you allow a bike in front of it, it means the hangar is useless, it can’t be used. You’d think you would be able to penalise someone for obstructing the entrance to a cycle hangar.”

Responding to the complaint, a spokesperson for Brighton ad Hove City Council said that parking attendants do not have the power to penalise motorcyclists who park on pavements unless they are parked adjacent to double yellow lines, zig zags, or bus stops, but that one attendant did warn one motorbike owners against parking in front of the bike hangar.

“We’re obviously very disappointed that motorcyclists would choose to park their bikes in such an unreasonable manner,” the spokesperson said.

“In this instance one of our parking attendants actually met the motorcyclist and explained that they shouldn’t be parking there.

“We hope this will be the end of the matter. If it continues, we will report it to the police for their attention.

“We have been lobbying central government for powers to tackle pavement parking, similar to the powers that have existed in London since the 1970s. The Department for Transport carried out a consultation on providing these powers to councils outside London in November 2019.

“We have been told that the government has reviewed responses to this consultation and will be making an announcement about powers to tackle pavement parking for councils outside London in the near future.”

04 January 2023, 12:30
“How not to do cycle parking, London style”: Cyclists blast Battersea Power Station bike parking

This Twitter thread, exploring the new bike parking facilities at recently redeveloped Battersea Power Station, has caused quite a stir this morning.

For those of you, like me, who are yet to visit the new ‘bike hub’, it’s worth a quick tour, courtesy of cyclist Jim:

It’s safe to say that Jim’s quick online tour hasn’t exactly provoked a wave of enthusiasm for the facilities or those who put them in place.

Ely Cycling Campaign described the bike parking at Battersea Power Station as “the tragic story of a well-funded cycle project being spoilt by obstinate developers who are unwilling to look at best practice”.

“This is what you get when you put someone who doesn’t cycle in charge of designing your cycling facilities,” said John, while Carole called the facilities “pretty poor”.

“Another example of how new developments – whether commercial, retail or residential – get cycling provision so wrong, so often,” said the Shoreham-By-Cycle group. “Commercial landlords: Speak to your local cycling group *before* finalising design and installation!”

Eeva had some other tips for developers tasked with installing bike parking provision: “Don’t be original, just put up some Sheffield stands, attached to the floor permanently, not with bolts that can be unscrewed in seconds. Also ramps, ffs.”

Finally, Gaz wrote: “So much money, and still so damn poor. Bad or no bike parking is a barrier to enabling cycling as transport. This is so dismal.”

What do you think? Money well spent or another case where cycling and cyclists sit at the bottom of the list of priorities?

04 January 2023, 09:09
Geraint Thomas, 2023 Ineos Grenadiers kit (CAuldPhoto)
“Well… this will take some getting used to”: At least one Geraint Thomas is happy about the Ineos Grenadiers’ new eyewear partnership

I know the new year is supposed to be about fresh starts and all… But I feel like British eyewear brand SunGod’s new partnership with the Ineos Grenadiers may take some processing.

And that’s before we even begin to imagine the effects of such a profound and all-encompassing change on 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas and his beloved white Oakley Racing Jackets, now sitting forlornly gathering dust on the Welshman’s bedside table, wistfully reminiscing about sunnier days on Alpe d’Huez or (less sunny days) in the Arenberg Forest.

Last month, you may recall, Ineos announced that they will be ending their 12-year association with Oakley, in favour of a new, unspecified but “long-term” deal with SunGod.

“INEOS Grenadiers is a performance-led team, so we pride ourselves on working with the most forward-thinking, agile and performance-driven partners – that’s why we’ve chosen SunGod as our new, long-term eyewear partner,” Deputy Team Principal Rod Ellingworth said at the time.

Geraint Thomas, 203 Ineos Grenadiers kit (CAuldPhoto)

It just doesn’t look… right (Credit: CAuldPhoto)

But it seems that veteran racer Thomas, as synonymous with the discontinued, turn-of-the-2010s-era specs as he is with the Tour’s yellow jersey or crashing in feed zones, may have to keep reminding himself to leave the Racing Jackets at home this year.

After getting the bug-like glasses surgically removed – though I heard that telegraph poles in the Alps can also do the trick (sorry, G) – Thomas, posting a video taken during the British team’s winter training camp in Mallorca last month, tweeted: “Well… this will take some getting used to.”

Judging by the photos and video of the Bahrain Victor- sorry, I mean Ineos Grenadiers riders showing off their new orangey-red kit, I have to say I agree with Geraint.

At least give him some white shades, for goodness’ sake.

Although, there is at least one Geraint Thomas who is delighted with the change…

04 January 2023, 17:01
Reader reaction: Bike parking, motorbike parking, and a Tour de France winner’s divisive accessories

It’s been another day of cycle hangars and sartorial elegance on the live blog, so here’s a selection of your thoughts on some of the stories of the day.

First up, road.cc reader Moist von Lipwig came up with a possible way to stop pesky motorcyclists blocking Brighton and Hove’s new cycle hangars:

If parking wardens can ticket motorbikes for parking adjacent to double yellows, can't the council just double yellow the road to the extent of the hanger and then write an exception for the hanger into the TRO?  Sorted. 

Hangar may have to be placed so the double yellows are visible I suppose, although they're not always visible from some types of vehicle stopped over them. 

You don't have to have a no parking sign for a double yellow to reduce street clutter but there’s no harm in having one to back up the double yellow for the 'I couldn't see them excuse'.

Although Fursty Ferret’s alternative solution requires a touch less bureaucracy: “Just push them over”.

Not that we would ever condone that kind of thing of course…

Meanwhile, hawkinspeter isn’t impressed with Battersea Power Station’s bike parking provision.

“I think with bikes and bike parking, designers get really excited as they can use all their expertise and outside-the-box thinking to fully optimise the storage of a standardised bicycle for a standardised human,” he says.

“However, bikes (and humans) have been around for ages and come in all shapes and sizes and abilities, so rather than optimising, they need to go for the lowest common denominator, which is usually the cheap, boring, practical Sheffield stand.”

Simple.

Geraint Thomas glasses 2022 v 2023

Finally, we turn to the issue dividing every pro cycling fan at the start of 2023 – Geraint Thomas’ new glasses.

According to the results of this morning’s poll almost two-thirds of our readership, it turns out, are afraid of change, favouring G’s tried-and-trusted Oakley Racing Jackets look:

Geraint Thomas glasses poll

For road.cc reader Kapelmuur, it all comes down to the ability to spot a rider in a fast-moving bunch, lamenting in the comments: “My ability to recognise anyone in a peloton is minimal and now I will not even be able to spot the one rider I could identify with confidence.”

Over on Facebook, Kevin is taking the news pretty hard:

Geraint Thomas glasses Facebook comment

How about darts, Kev?

04 January 2023, 16:43
04 January 2023, 16:21
“Oooops”: Cyclist spotted riding along two motorways turns out to be wanted man

A cyclist who was spotted this morning riding his bike along two motorways has been arrested by police – after it turned out that he was wanted for failing to appear at court.

Cheshire Police have told the BBC that the 22-year-old was cycling on the M6 and onto the M62 via the Croft Interchange near Warrington at 5am today.

After “dozens” of motorists contacted the police after passing the man on the motorway, he was eventually stopped and later found to have failed to appear at Crewe Magistrates’ Court.

The North West Motorway Police tweeted that the man was “under arrest and en route to custody in Merseyside”.

A spokesperson for Cheshire Police failed to clarify whether the 22-year-old will face any action over his spot of motorway cycling, though he will be made to appear in court over an unrelated matter.

04 January 2023, 15:54
World darts champion Michael Smith and the bike crash that propelled him to greatness

If, like me, you were glued to the darts last night, you’ll know that St Helens-born Michael Smith stormed to his first world PDC world title against the fancied Michael van Gerwen, beating the three-time world champion 7-4 in sets at Alexandra Palace.

Lat night’s final that will also long be remembered for one of the most sensational legs of darts ever captured on tape, as Smith took out a brilliant nine dart finish after MVG missed his own tantalising chance at double 12.

What you may not know, however, is that ‘Bully Boy’ Smith arguably owes the skyward trajectory of his career to a bike crash when he was a teenager (of course I was going to get to bikes at some point!).

> How a stolen bike set Muhammad Ali on the path to greatness

Back in 2014, Smith told the St Helen’s Reporter that, while cycling to school as a 15-year-old, he crashed and broke his hip.

Just like how Muhammad Ali’s stolen Schwinn sent the future heavyweight champion down the boxing path, Smith spent his 16-week-long stint in crutches playing darts, and threw his first 180 during that time.

And if that wasn’t enough of a tenuous cycling-darts crossover, here’s that mind-boggling leg again (just because), complete with tweet-by-tweet commentary from cycling’s most well-known lover of all things tungsten, Ned Boulting:

04 January 2023, 15:20
Segregated cycle lane in London (copyright Britishcycling.org_uk).jpg
Green Party says government needs to “get serious about reducing traffic levels” following active travel funding announcement

The Green Party has criticised the government’s recent announcement that £32.9 million will be set aside to help councils across England build a network of cycling and walking experts, claiming that the new funding “doesn’t come close to delivering the active travel resolution we need”.

On Monday, Department for Transport (DfT) launched its scheme to create a network of active travel experts which it hopes will realise the government’s ambition of increasing journeys by bike or on foot, as well as giving local communities more of a say in shaping cycling and walking schemes.

Besides helping fund the creation of hundreds of new jobs throughout the country, the DfT says that the funding will also help councils train existing councillors and staff, as well as providing money for network planning and for public engagement exercises such as consultations.

> £33 million funding to help councils across England build network of active travel experts

However, the Green Party has responded to the funding by branding it a “drop in the ocean”, arguing that the government needs to be more ambitious when it comes to active travel.

“It is always welcome to see new funding to help develop world class active travel networks across England,” Bradford councillor and the Greens’ transport spokesperson Matt Edwards said in a statement. “Active Travel England wants 50 percent of trips in England’s urban areas to be walked, cycled or made by other active travel means by 2030.

“However, this goal is being undermined whilst our local councils continue to treat active travel as an afterthought. Retraining staff is a good place to start but the government needs to be much more ambitious.

“£33 million is a drop in the ocean when you consider the billions in the Department of Transport budget – £16 billion alone is allocated to just five road building schemes.

“Training new teams of experts is pointless without the funding to deliver the programme of schemes we need. The government needs to follow through and get serious about reducing traffic levels and boosting active travel by switching the billions earmarked for building new roads into investing in healthy walking, cycling and other forms of active travel.”

04 January 2023, 14:40
Who are you and what have you done with Egan Bernal?

2019 Tour de France winner Egan Bernal could have the element of surprise at his disposal this season when he attacks his rivals, who may not recognise the Colombian climber following his recent nose surgery.

Bernal, who is reportedly set for his first crack at the Tour since abandoning the race with back pain in 2020, underwent a nose operation in December to treat a deviated septum and to ease his breathing.

According to the Colombian new outlet SoHo, doctors said that the operation, known as a septoplasty, was not linked to the 25-year-old’s life-threatening training crash last January, but to earlier incidents from his racing career.

While the Ineos Grenadiers rider certainly hopes that the surgery will help him regain his nose for victory at the grand tours (I’ll get my coat), it seems that Bernal’s striking new look has led the cycling world down a Beatles-era conspiracy rabbit hole...

04 January 2023, 14:10
Bath launches bike hangar scheme

Now we just sit back and wait for the complaints from angry residents to roll in…

Should keep the live blog ticking over until Easter, I reckon.

04 January 2023, 13:19
Katie Hopkins versus Active Travel (obviously)

After yesterday’s blog featured Jordan Peterson’s head scratching take on LTNs, now it’s the turn of everybody’s favourite ex-Apprentice candidate Katie Hopkins to offer her keenly-awaited opinion on Oxfordshire County Council’s plans to introduce traffic filters on six Oxford roads in 2024… Yippee.

I’m starting to sense a pattern developing here – what is it about active travel and public transport that riles these outspoken right-wingers up so much?

Hopkins’ doomsday diatribe not only features a segment where the controversialist rather oddly sketched a completely useless diagram, but it’s – surprise, surprise – riddled with errors and outright falsehoods concerning the council’s plans.

As Oxford City Council pointed out in a tweet below the video, Hopkins simply appears to be perpetuating the misinformation being circulated about the council’s plan – which in reality includes the installation of traffic filters designed to encourage motorists to steer clear at certain times of popular city centre routes to be set aside for public transport and active travel – by linking it to an entirely different long-term plan from the council which aims to ensure that by 2040 every resident has access to essentials such as shops, healthcare, and parks within their ’15-minute neighbourhood’.

By linking those two proposals, opponents of the council’s traffic filter initiative are claiming that the local authority is instead planning to fine anyone who strays outside their local area (note that not once in the video does Hopkins mention the word ‘car’).

But I’m sure it’s perfectly natural for someone to confuse two separate schemes aimed at reducing city centre congestion and improving local services with a cunning plot to keep everybody confined to their own street… Easy mistake to make, I suppose.

> Joint statement from Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council on Oxford’s traffic filters

While Hopkins, Peterson, and their ilk claim that local authorities are attempting to control your every move, Oxfordshire County Council says “the reason we have proposed these changes is because – as everyone who lives and visits Oxford knows – the city has had awful congestion for decades. This is damaging both our economy and our environment, and is making the bus network unviable.

“Our aim is to reduce traffic levels and congestion, make the buses faster and more reliable, and make cycling and walking safer and more pleasant.

“Oxford needs a more sustainable, reliable and inclusive transport system for everyone, particularly for the 30 percent of our households who do not own a car.”

Right, no more Hopkins or Peterson for the week, I promise…

04 January 2023, 13:07
Strong words from the former UCI and British Cycling president
04 January 2023, 11:52
A travesty…
04 January 2023, 11:16
Cycling Twitter rejoices as Uno-X gains Tour de France wildcard

A ripple of euphoria swept across the cycling community this morning, as one of the sport’s most popular, attacking outfits, Uno-X, was granted a lucrative wildcard berth for this summer’s Tour de France.

Steadily rising through the ranks in recent years, the Norwegian squad has gained a devoted following thanks to its penchant for exciting, attacking racing – first witnessed at the 2021 spring classics – and development of young Scandinavian talent, such as the promising 23-year-old climber Tobias Halland Johannessen, who secured top tens overall this year at the Volta a Catalunya, Critérium du Dauphiné, and Tour of Norway, along with a stage win at the Etoile de Bessèges.

The hype surrounding the team even provoked a bit of an online clamour for Uno-X to be invited to last year’s Tour de France, though that final wildcard spot ended up in the hands of the now defunct B&B Hotels-KTM squad.

But good things come to those who wait, and Uno-X – including new signing Alexander Kristoff – will be at the Grand Départ in Bilbao on 1 July.

“We are extremely proud, humble, and grateful for the invitation. The Tour de France is the ultimate dream, and just being a part of this is a victory for the team,” said team manager Jens Haugland.

“We will be well prepared for this year’s edition. One of our long-term goals is to be able to fight for the top positions in the Tour de France in the future. We see no reason to think that this isn’t possible.”

The other wildcard spot at this year’s Tour goes to Israel-Premier Tech who, despite being relegated from the WorldTour in 2022, secured their invite from ASO off the back of a strong Tour last year, which saw Simon Clarke and Hugo Houle pick up stage wins.

As the highest-ranked ProTeams from 2022, Caleb Ewan’s Lotto Dstny and Peter Sagan’s TotalEnergies were guaranteed their spot at the Tour, with the 18 WorldTour squads filling out the bulk of the peloton.

One team disappointed this morning will be Euskaltel-Euskadi, who had hoped to roll back the clock to the 2000s thanks to the 2023 Tour’s Basque start, but it looks like we’ll have to wait at least another year for those famous orange jerseys to return to the Pyrenees in July.

04 January 2023, 10:15
04 January 2023, 09:48
Geraint’s new SunGods – a shade better?

Now that we finally have incontrovertible evidence that Geraint Thomas can, in fact, wear another pair of cycling glasses, I thought I’d gauge the cycling world’s opinion by conducting the first – and potentially most important – live blog poll of 2023…

Are the 2018 Tour winner’s new SunGod Velans a sartorial improvement on his much-loved, but divisive, Oakley Racing Jackets?

Geraint Thomas glasses 2022 v 2023

2010-2022 or 2023? You decide!

Super Survey

Ryan Mallon

After obtaining a PhD, lecturing, and hosting a history podcast at Queen’s University Belfast, Ryan joined road.cc in December 2021 and since then has kept the site’s readers and listeners informed and enthralled (well at least occasionally) on news, the live blog, and the road.cc Podcast. After boarding a wrong bus at the world championships and ruining a good pair of jeans at the cyclocross, he now serves as road.cc’s senior news writer. Before his foray into cycling journalism, he wallowed in the equally pitiless world of academia, where he wrote a book about Victorian politics and droned on about cycling and bikes to classes of bored students (while taking every chance he could get to talk about cycling in print or on the radio). He can be found riding his bike very slowly around the narrow, scenic country lanes of Co. Down.

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68 comments

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to the little onion | 1 year ago
3 likes

I think Chris Boardman has something right when he mentioned just not giving certain questions air-time.

Political skills required though!  Arguing from facts and logic as opposed to emotion is often inadequate.  Humans usually don't work that way!  So you need a non-partisan and appropriately skeptical audience, not a baying mob.  Or rather an internet full of bored people seeking to be distracted for 30s on their phones...

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
7 likes

At least with the Battersea Cycle Parking, they were able to pay the designers with just a pack of crayons (yumm!)

I think with bikes and bike parking, designers get really excited as they can use all their expertise and outside-the-box thinking to fully optimise the storage of a standardised bicycle for a standardised human. However, bikes (and humans) have been around for ages and come in all shapes and sizes and abilities, so rather than optimising, they need to go for the lowest common denominator, which is usually the cheap, boring, practical Sheffield stand.

I'm tempted to start up a design agency that specialises in bike storage solutions. I'd spend ages getting requirements from lots of people, have multiple focus groups and maybe send questionnaires around the larger community. Then, after collating huge amounts of data, I'd just sprinkle a bunch of Sheffield stands around - proper job, innit?

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
4 likes

Not sure they needed a whole pack of crayons, one would probably have been sufficient, if not actually generous for the splendid job the designers have done.

It would appear that the designers are avid readers of road.cc, and took every criticism of every bad cycle parking construction, and put them all together to make a facility that nobody, absolutely nobody, will use.  Then they'll be able to say that they spent all this money on state-of-the-art cycle parking but those bloody cyclists still won't use it; and they'll never bother again.  I hope there is some mole in the organisation who will leak the specifications for the cycle parking, it will make interesting reading.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but nothing could possibly be that bad by accident, this was designed in.  No level access, unreliable lift only, no secure entry, no secure racks, no accident.  If, after all these years of telling planners about cycle parking, publishing dozens of guidance booklets and advice and the examples in Holland, this still happens, something has gone very wrong indeed.  Will heads roll?  Nah, they'll get an award.

Reminds me of pedestrian/cyclist bridges, for which masses of guidance exists and thousands of foreign examplars, but are almost always abysmal.  Valentine's bridge in Bristol for instance, on a council defined cycle route, but not suitable for cycling and with "cyclists dismount" signs either end, and because the cyclists wouldn't, they put in a chicane, which the council said needed planning permission which it didn't have; I expect it's still there.  It still got an award from Sustrans.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
1 like

eburtthebike wrote:

Not sure they needed a whole pack of crayons, one would probably have been sufficient, if not actually generous for the splendid job the designers have done.

They need something at snack time, though

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
6 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

I'm tempted to start up a design agency that specialises in bike storage solutions. I'd spend ages getting requirements from lots of people, have multiple focus groups and maybe send questionnaires around the larger community. Then, after collating huge amounts of data, I'd just sprinkle a bunch of Sheffield stands around - proper job, innit?

No-one would ever employ you.  The purpose is to spend lots of money on cycling without actually providing anything useful or encouraging cycling.

Avatar
brooksby replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
3 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

... they need to go for the lowest common denominator, which is usually the cheap, boring, practical Sheffield stand.

But that isn't exciting and fresh and innovative, and no modern designer likes to use old tried-and-tested designs.  They'd all be using pentagonal doorways and random-height staircases if they thought they'd get away with it...

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
2 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

I'd just sprinkle a bunch of Sheffield stands around

We ride through there twice a day, there's actually a perfectly good row of Sheffield stands right on the riverside in front of the power station where there are never fewer than three security guards patrolling, seems a much better bet than this nonsense.

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
3 likes

Agreed!  What do we want?  Mundane, standard and (relatively) cheap cycle infra!  Where do we want it?  Everywhere!

I'm with brooksby here - designs and "concepts" in general but ALWAYS those produced by UK cycling designers should come with a massive warning sign saying "may not work in practice".  "Being creative" and "form over function" often leads to things being more expensive than maybe they ought and sometimes to outright fiascos.

We know what works.  If that's politically impossible, go for the Copenhagen "good enough" fixes.

Avatar
Car Delenda Est | 1 year ago
3 likes

My one question about Battersea: is there anything preventing people from just locking their bikes to the bannister instead of carrying them down the stairs?

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jpj84 replied to Car Delenda Est | 1 year ago
8 likes

At my local station, the (inexplicable) decision was made, to replace several Sheffield stands with one of those double decker efforts. Even better, there isn't enough space in front of the new stand to manoeuvre a bike into place for the upper tier. And using the lower tier means crawling around on hands/knees to lock the bike up.

So I lock the bike to the barrier in front of the stand: the very barrier that prevents me using the stand.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to jpj84 | 1 year ago
0 likes

I've only used one of the double decker items when I was a CWG volunteer at the NEC in Brum. Even though they were supposedly an active travel place and had temp secured bike areas at other venues, they decided the NEC didn't need one. However they directed the volunteers to use the pass controlled one at the train station next door. 

Whilst there was similar issues to what was mentioned (as well as potential handlebar clash), they did have a larger raised bar on the non-drive side which allowed the U-lock to lock to the downtube. I did have issues with "dropping" the upper rack until I realised it is hydraulically assisted to stop it falling under the weight of the bike and a firm push would drop it to allow access. 

The shelter did have a couple of Sheffield stands but they were already in use by the time I got there. 

Avatar
brooksby replied to Car Delenda Est | 1 year ago
2 likes

Private land, innit - not public space.  I bet if you tried that, you'd find that they had taken it away.  And crushed it.  And shipped it to the Emirates to use in their new Winter Olympics stadium...

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to Car Delenda Est | 1 year ago
2 likes

Reminds me of when Neil Kinnock was EU transport minister or some such, and he was visiting British Aerospace (BAWA) in Bristol.  The week before his visit, they tarmacced the car park, put in Sheffield stands and it was great; the day after he went, they took the Sheffield stands out.

A few months later, BAWA hosted a meeting of the South Gloucestershire cycle forum, and I locked my bike to the only secure thing, a drain pipe, only to be told by a jobsworth security guard that I couldn't leave it there.  When I enquired where I could leave it, I was told to put it in the wheelbenders, and I politely declined, as it was a long walk home.  I was going to ride home, but the SGlos member managed to get the security people to look after my bike.

Avatar
joe9090 | 1 year ago
1 like

The next time I have nearly A MILLION QUIDS WORTH OF LUXURY WATCHES in my house I will be seriously sweating also for my kids and wife's safety!
This might be unpopular opinion but jeez man, he did kinda bring it on himself...

Avatar
Hirsute replied to joe9090 | 1 year ago
1 like

Best not to comment on ongoing court cases as per the standalone news item footnote.

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SimoninSpalding replied to joe9090 | 1 year ago
7 likes

Just like somebody who chooses to ride a £5k bike is asking to have it stolen/ be mugged whilst riding it?

Or maybe just someone cycling on the road is asking to be close passed, assaulted, run over, or all of the other crimes that get committed against us on a daily basis?

Victims of crime are victims, full stop. I would not choose to have expensive watches myself, but at least we know that Cav has earned his money legally and legitimately.

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to joe9090 | 1 year ago
5 likes

Being careful not to comment on the ongoing case, Cav has for many years been sponsored by Richard Mille who make timepieces costing hundreds of thousands, so I imagine he has a number of freebies that he is expected to wear in public. 

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rct | 1 year ago
0 likes

Can't see what was wrong with M-frame Pros to be honest.

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Moist von Lipwig | 1 year ago
5 likes

re. Motorbikes blocking bike hangers.  If parking wardens can ticket motorbikes for parking adjacent to double yellows, can't the council just double yellow the road to the extent of the hanger and then write an exception for the hanger into the TRO?   Sorted.  Hanger may have to be placed so the double yellows are visible I suppose. although they're not always visible from some types of vehicle stopped over them.  You don't have to have a no parking sign for a double yellow to reduce street clutter but theres no harm in having one to back up the double yellow for the 'I couldn't see them excuse'.

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HoarseMann replied to Moist von Lipwig | 1 year ago
1 like

As the double yellow lines just stop, it would be perfectly legal to park alongside the bike hangar, blocking one lane of the carriageway!

The council just need to extend the double yellows around the cycle hanger. As a fixed object, its periphery has now become the edge of the carriageway.

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Fursty Ferret | 1 year ago
10 likes

I'm not one for vigilante action but that scooter / motorbike would not be in front of the bike hanger for very long if I lived in the area. Just push them over. Owners will soon get the message.

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hawkinspeter replied to Fursty Ferret | 1 year ago
9 likes

Fursty Ferret wrote:

I'm not one for vigilante action but that scooter / motorbike would not be in front of the bike hanger for very long if I lived in the area. Just push them over. Owners will soon get the message.

Agreed, although I don't think it's vigilantism, but just moving an obstruction.

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Rendel Harris replied to Fursty Ferret | 1 year ago
4 likes

Fursty Ferret wrote:

I'm not one for vigilante action but that scooter / motorbike would not be in front of the bike hanger for very long if I lived in the area. Just push them over. Owners will soon get the message.

I wouldn't push it over (if anyone saw you there might be criminal damage charges for a start) but scooters like that one weigh very little, a couple of reasonably strong adults could easily pick it up and carefully put it down on the double yellows.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Fursty Ferret | 1 year ago
0 likes

Is that a legal L plate? 

I suspect both are used by delivery drivers even though only one has the "box". It seems to show that the cyclist the other day talking about reasons they are "breaking laws" seems to have forgotten that in most cases, it is just the delivery person is an arse. 

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brooksby replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 1 year ago
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What is the deal with L plates and motorbikes? Didn't it used to be that you could only ride a motorbike using an L plate for a year or so before you either had to do your test or get rid of the 'bike?

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OnYerBike replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
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As far as I can tell, it's two years and at the end of that you can simply repeat the CBT and carry on riding on L plates. 

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
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As Onyerbike pointed out, it seems to be a perpertuity deal with the moped/scooters. That and the turnover of riders is why food delivery vendors (even prior to just eat etc) used to supply the carrying boxes with pre-printed learner plates. I used to see dominos and Papa Johns with those 15 years ago.

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Awavey | 1 year ago
0 likes

They're not the Vulcans, they're the Velans fwiw, and not even a special custom edition for Ineos just plain old matt black frames with silver blue lens.

Why they couldnt let him have the white frame version instead from a company who extols the whole pick customised sunglasses to suit you schtick, I do not know.

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Kapelmuur | 1 year ago
4 likes

My ability to recognise anyone in a peloton is minimal and now I will not even be able to spot he one rider I could identify with confidence.

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Rendel Harris replied to Kapelmuur | 1 year ago
2 likes

Kapelmuur wrote:

My ability to recognise anyone in a peloton is minimal and now I will not even be able to spot he one rider I could identify with confidence.

Same here - been saying for years that the UCI should make Jumbo Visma's once upon a time solution compulsory, with names on helmets. They should also have numbers printed on jerseys a foot high front and back and on the sleeves, every rider to be given a squad number that they keep all season for all events.

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