Cyclists slam “dangerous” THINK! advice suggesting parents move kids into “single-file” to let traffic through; Dave B’s back on Strava; Star-studded gravel World Champs startlist; Danny MacAskill being Danny MacAskill + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Cyclists slam Cycle To School Week advice suggesting parents move kids into "single-file" to let traffic through
THINK! road safety’s third day of Cycle To School Week started with the following advice for parents cycling with their kids…
#CycleToSchoolWeek Day 3 🚲
Cycling 2 abreast (side by side) with children/inexperienced riders can help keep them safer on the roads.
Remember to be aware of people driving and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping) when safe to do so. pic.twitter.com/7sMTScVqG6
— THINK! Road Safety (@THINKgovuk) October 5, 2022
Followed by a full pile-in over the second paragraph, which many suggested was inappropriate and unsafe advice…
— Lockdown Cyclist (@LockdownCyclist) October 5, 2022
If I’m riding two abreast to protect a child from traffic, why would I move to single file every time a car appears? Drivers can wait until it’s safe. Or just wait.
— Katy (@TheBlueUlysses) October 5, 2022
If I’m riding two abreast to protect a child from traffic, why would I move to single file every time a car appears? Drivers can wait until it’s safe. Or just wait.
— Katy (@TheBlueUlysses) October 5, 2022
Please focus on the real problempic.twitter.com/A4weE6zMfI
— cycle guy- strays off topic (@thecycleguy3) October 5, 2022
So where did this advice come from? THINK!? Nope, this heavily-criticised advice came directly from… well… the Highway Code…
Be considerate of the needs of other road users when riding in groups. You can ride two abreast and it can be safer to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children or less experienced riders. Be aware of drivers behind you and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping) when you feel it is safe to let them do so.
This revelation made it a smidge more understandable (to some) why THINK! had used that wording, but others pointed out protecting children cycling on the road should probably come slightly higher on the ol’ priorities hierarchy than abiding perfectly to the code.
Is the key point “if you feel safe to do so” and/or do parts of the Highway Code still need updating?
This is not a great piece of comms because, whilst the second sentence is straight from the Highway Code, when I’m riding on the road with children/inexperienced riders, I pretty much always judge it to be safest to be a little further out than they are. https://t.co/W8MNC9fTjK
— Jon Owen (@anotherJon) October 5, 2022
No. You go in the next lane to overtake even a single cyclist. Singling out doesn’t help overtaking. It only encourages dangerous squeezing past cyclists. pic.twitter.com/oLwtjdBy8t
— CyclingMikey (@MikeyCycling) October 5, 2022
These Think! tweets aren’t terribly real-life useful but they’re compliant with current Highway Code (which remains duff in many respects and needs further revisions.)
— Carlton Reid (@carltonreid) October 5, 2022
Sagan, Van der Poel, Van Avermaet, López, Lutsenko... Star-studded startlist for gravel World Champs
— Jacob Vaughan (@JacobVaughan14) October 6, 2022
Coming to you from Veneto, north-east Italy, first on Saturday afternoon for the women’s race, then on Sunday for the men, the 2022 UCI Gravel World Championships has attracted some startlist…
Can an iPhone 14 survive Danny MacAskill landing a jump from a telephone box?
Forgive the clunky TikTok embed, guess it serves me right for sharing something from the godawful favourite of the youth…
@danny_macaskill Putting a slight twist on the usual iphone drop test! @Mous keeping things nice and safe… #livewithoutlimits #iphone14 #droptest #edinburgh #royalmile ♬ original sound – Danny Macaskill
Turns out this one’s a few months old, and yes, it did survive…thanks to its Mous case…yes, it was an ad…
Santander Cycles adds e-bikes to its fleet
Transport for London and Santander Cycles have expanded their fleet of hire bikes in the capital to include 500 e-bikes. They can be used for up to 60 minutes, have been distributed across central London, and can be docked as normal at any of the 800 docking stations.
> E-bikes finally coming to London’s Santander Cycles Hire Scheme
The rollout had been due to happen last month, but was postponed due to the Queen’s funeral. TfL’s chair, Sadiq Khan, said it was a “momentous” day, and he is “determined to make cycling as accessible as possible as we continue building a safer, greener, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Santander Cycles now joins Lime, HumanForest, TIER and Dott in offering Londoners e-bike hire.
David Lappartient 'addresses' sportswashing in pro cycling
Here we go…
Question: What is the UCI doing about ‘sportswashing’, where countries with poor human rights records host major sporting events?
David Lappartient: “That’s of course a potential danger. The money involved in cycling is not very high compared to, say, football, even if we are one of the biggest sports when it comes to the number of fans.
“If you aggregate budgets for the teams and the race organisers, we have not so much more than €800 million, which is not so high. When you are in a closed stadium you sell tickets, but when you are on the road and the road is completely free, you can’t sell tickets to have people there.
“This means we have to combine potential markets wich are key for us and the passion for the sport, but of course we have to balance that with human rights, which is also something key for the UCI and sport globally.”
I’ve summarised this response to save time for everyone.
*Not a lot* pic.twitter.com/UQrzp0ZXhm
— Andy Noble (@andy24noble) October 6, 2022
At least that’s cleared up… right, where was I? Oh yes… checking UAE Team Emirates, Bahrain Victorious and Israel-Premier Tech’s Il Lombardia line ups…
THINK! plays it safe on day four
Looks like they’re playing it safe and uncontentious today!https://t.co/sSjaQzaqxk
— Peter Clinch (@pj_clinch) October 6, 2022
No such drama today…
Could most road safety advice be boiled down to...don't be a knob? Your thoughts on THINK!'s Cycle To School Week message
Does backlash to THINK! advice highlight issues with the Highway Code?
Road safety campaign advises parents to “be aware of people driving and allow them to overtake (by moving into single file or stopping) when safe to do so” during Cycle To School Weekhttps://t.co/zVx68tyDaE pic.twitter.com/byLpuBs61h— road.cc (@roadcc) October 6, 2022
Big suggestion from Jetmans Dad in the comments this lunchtime… can we boil most road safety advice down to, quite simply, don’t be a knob?
The suggestion came after Patrick9-32’s comment: “If you look at these things from where a lot of people are coming from which is: ‘My convenience is roughly equivalent in importance to anyone else’s safety’ the arguments start to make a lot more sense. So many of those ‘but what if I have to stay behind a cyclist for a mile???’ comments that seem insane suddenly make sense, they are just coming from a person who is broken.
What THINK! and other organisations need to push isn’t: ‘Cyclists, improve the convenience of motorists where you can please…’ That builds up that equivalence further, but instead: ‘drivers, your convenience is less important than a human life, slow down, wait, don’t be a knob’.”
HoarseMann suggested the way the advice was edited caused a problem: “The problem with that THINK! tweet is they’ve done what most drivers do when reading that sentence from the Highway Code; they’ve missed out the YOU FEEL.
“The rule is not ‘when safe to do so’, it’s when YOU the cyclist FEELS it’s safe (which might be never if you’re riding with a child).”
LeadenSkies added: “They have tried to take a snippet from the overall rule and ended up taking bits out of context and changing the overall meaning/ emphasis. The first sentence in the Highway Code paragraph itself is general advice about being considerate to other road users, the second sentence adds clarification that you can ride two abreast and indeed they give two scenarios where it is safer.
“The third sentence returns to general advice and doesn’t build on sentence two at all. By only paraphrasing sentences two and three in their tweet THINK! have changed the emphasis and meaning. Poor on their part.”
Dave B's back on Strava
The news I know we’ve all been on tenterhooks for. Dave B is back on Strava…
> Sir Dave Brailsford reveals his personal diet and training regime on Strava
road.cc Simon on the ground at Gran Piemonte
Broke off work for 15 minutes earlier to catch start of @GranPiemonte, great atmosphere in Omegna, little town at Northern end of Lago d’Orta pic.twitter.com/5LAS7eQep6
— Simon MacMichael 🏴🇮🇹🇪🇺❤️💙🚲 (@simonmacmichael) October 6, 2022
Who’s that lad in the white?
And a certain someone was looking both very relaxed and very focused at the start … lethal combination 👍 pic.twitter.com/zAEZxuIOKj
— Simon MacMichael 🏴🇮🇹🇪🇺❤️💙🚲 (@simonmacmichael) October 6, 2022
The bike of the next Hour Record holder?
😍
🥰 https://t.co/nHi6HAKJkI pic.twitter.com/HF7YTmi2MA
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) October 6, 2022
How’s that for an aero machine? Pretty darned good, we’d say…
> Pinarello unveils “the first high-performance 3D-printed bike” for Ganna’s UCI Hour Record attempt
Pinarello unveiled Filippo Ganna’s ride, “the first high-performance 3D-printed bike”, a Bolide F HR 3D, earlier this week. It was developed with the help of Ineos Grenadiers’ performance engineer, and current Hour Record holder, Dan Bigham, who rode a prototype in his record-breaking ride back in August.
“The frame was only five parts, with the front triangle made in three pieces and the seatstays/chainstays as two more pieces,” says Pinarello. “These pieces were made individually and after meticulous cleaning and support removal, the parts were bonded together using an aerospace-grade epoxy.”
The bike’s elite, so is Ganna… the only question now is: how far he’ll go?
The Italian will take on the UCI Hour Record in Grenchen, Switzerland, on Saturday 8 October at 8pm CEST (7pm BST). The attempt will be broadcast free on Ineos Grenadiers’ YouTube channel.
The Richmond Park survival video game
Here’s a niche one for the select group of readers familiar with Richmond Park. Shout out to the Twitter follower who forwarded it to us (apologies, it was way back this morning and I can’t find it now)… this video game clip appeared on the Nature in Richmond Borough Facebook page by someone “currently developing a Richmond Park video game”. “Crazy cyclists and drivers are next to be added as enemies”… apparently.
Each to their own, I guess…
Peloton set to sack 500 staff, 12% of workforce, as part of "transformation journey"
More bad news coming out of Peloton today…
On the slide since gyms reopened following Covid-related lockdowns, Peloton cut the cost of its exercise bike by 20 per cent last year after posting worsening losses. The bad news kept coming in 2022 too – in July, the company announced it would stop making bikes in the US as its share price hit an all-time low (and has dropped further since).
In August, Peloton reported a $1.2 billion fourth quarter loss… and now is set to sack 500 staff. The Evening Standard reports the move represents 12 per cent of the fitness brand’s workforce, and is the second major round of job cuts in the last few months (adding to an August statement that 784 people would lose their jobs).
A spokesperson said: “A key aspect of Peloton’s transformation journey is optimising efficiencies and implementing cost savings to simplify our business and achieve break-even cash flow by the end of our fiscal year.”
Utrecht's bicycle graveyard
While riding across Utrecht’s Wittevrouwenbrug today, we spotted what at first glance seemed to be some kind of cool new art installation.
Then we suddenly realized it was simply that time of year when the municipality fishes the weesfietsen (“orphaned bikes”) out of the canals. pic.twitter.com/DbEqGvr4TP
— Melissa & Chris Bruntlett (@modacitylife) October 5, 2022
Cyclist who went missing in the New Forest found safely
A cyclist who went missing while out for a bike ride with his wife in the New Forest has now been found, Hampshire Police confirmed.
72-year-old Charles Pugh got separated from his wife at around 12.30pm on Tuesday near Beechen Lane in Lyndhurst, prompting a search. The pensioner was found overnight and Hampshire Constabulary thanked those who helped with the appeal.
Good value? How Santander Cycles e-bikes stack up against the capital competition
On 12 September 2022 we’ll be adding e-bikes to Santander Cycles for the first time. Bike hire prices will change at the same time to help secure continued investment in cycle hire in London.https://t.co/bNo9BTyIKo
You can see how our e-bike offer represents good value: pic.twitter.com/ArhJncjiS9
— Will Norman (@willnorman) August 26, 2022
Our first reaction was £3.30 seems steep…BUT in comparison with other schemes, for longer dockless journeys, £3.30 comes out looking pretty decent…
6 October 2022, 08:13
6 October 2022, 08:13
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Latest Comments
Of couse ultimately one of those German tunneling machines might have to be the answer, just under crawl, at cm per hour, the problem.
@chrisonabike AS I said, I rode them roads regularly, I know there are some very bad country roads, and they criss-cross that entire region. Its pan flat and they are very old lanes. The damage is caused mostly by them subsiding hence the cracks, its a losing battle when the majority of the traffic is still heavy tractors. I could ride from Louth to Somercoats on fair roads. I could also ride a shorter route across these lanes and they were poor due to the subsidence. top tip - avoid them and ride a road that not falling apart cos an irrigation ditch is providing no foundational support to it.
@Smoggysteve but around Lincolnshire the "good roads" (any roads) are normally few and are either busy A-roads (lots of trucks!) or effectively A-roads in terms of traffic volume and speed, just narrower and with worse sight lines. (Use the footways? Good luck there...) Pity since it is mostly flat and there's great touring potential...
Campaign to make endangering a cyclist “as unacceptable as drink driving” praised – but angry motorists say “if you don’t like it, don’t ride on the road” I am not sure the language here is helpful. Are there really many 'Angry' motorists? who is getting angry at the idea of being thoughtful when passing a cyclist? Yes, I am sure there are plenty who will complain about cyclists being 'in their way' but is anger the first emotion you think they jump to? If you want a climb down from the perceived war on our roads - made up entirely by the media, dont feed it with language like this. It helps nobody.
Of course doing that we'll get chips with everything and it'll end up "needing" AI * ... ... but eg. the Dutch have gone a long way with "just don't make every street a through-route for motor traffic". Along with "where you seriously reduce motor traffic volumes and speeds different modes can share space; where that's not possible physically separate them (but design it so cyclists can keep rolling as much as possible)". Although their traffic light phasing (and advance detection of approaching traffic, *including* cyclists) is "space age" tech compared to UK usually timed lights... * Doing planned societal change "simply" appears almost as impossible as following the simple diet advice of "just eat less than you expend energetically, mostly vegetables". There are very strong forces reinforcing any status quo.
"Bastardo! Mama Mia! (Not going to bother with the accent) You've hit me with your beast of an Suv. I'll sue the ass off you. I'm the mayor of Como and I'm going to ban your vehicles from the city. Where's your insurance details?" "Sorry old chap I'm St Peter."
For those who think the answer is to find a safer mode of transport, they're clearly incapable of driving safely, so I'm asking them to stay off the road to help me fulfill their request for me to move to safer transport.
I used to ride that area occasionally - Louth to Donna Nook range and back. The roads are thin heavily cambered county roads which have lots of agricultural vehicles using them more than anything else. They are mostly just breaking apart due to the weight they bare and and the fact most have irrigation ditches next to them. It would take millions to repair them all. I would suggest just not riding on them and sticking to the more well maintained roads around that region. there are lots of good roads around too. going down a quiet country lane thats away from most traffic is obviously going to be in a bad state for the reasons I mentioned above.
RE: the foundation looking to "build a culture of mutual respect between cyclists and motorists, enhancing cyclist safety through effective legislation, advanced technology, and improved infrastructure" I have an idea what that "advanced technology" could look like!
@Mr Blackbird but what if the others have bigger SUVs? Perhaps Dodge Ram trucks? Best get a truck yourself. Or even something with armour... It's the only responsible thing to do if you are carrying passengers.
13 thoughts on “Cyclists slam “dangerous” THINK! advice suggesting parents move kids into “single-file” to let traffic through; Dave B’s back on Strava; Star-studded gravel World Champs startlist; Danny MacAskill being Danny MacAskill + more on the live blog”
The problem with that THINK!
The problem with that THINK! tweet is they’ve done what most drivers do when reading that sentence from the highway code; they’ve missed out the YOU FEEL.
The rule is not ‘when safe to do so’, it’s when YOU the cyclist FEELS it’s safe (which might be never if you’re riding with a child).
edit: that’s being too kind to most drivers, I think most don’t read past the parentheses. All they see is ‘Be aware of drivers behind you and allow them to overtake’.
They have tried to take a
They have tried to take a snippet from the overall rule and ended up taking bits out of context and changing the overall meaning/ emphasis. The first sentence in the HC paragraph itself is general advice about being considerate to other road users, the second sentence adds clarification that you can ride two abreast and indeed they give two scenarios where it is safer. The third sentence returns to general advice and doesn’t build on sentence two at all. By only paraphrasing sentences two and three in their tweet Think! have changed the emphasis and meaning. Poor on their part.
Also clearly the if safe
Also clearly the if safe proviso to move to single file is never met when immediately before the highway code states that you should ride two abreast with children/inexperienced riders for safety…
Do X when Y for safety;
Change from doing X to Z when safe.
Implies to me that you shouldn’t change to Z when Y.
Remember to be aware of
Remember to be aware of people driving and stop to doff your cap and beg forgiveness for daring to use the road.
their road.
their road.
If you look at these things
If you look at these things from where a lot of people are coming from which is: “My convenience is roughly equivalent in importance to anyone else’s safety.” the arguments start to make a lot more sense. So many of those “But what if I have to stay behind a cyclist for a mile???” comments that seem insane suddenly make sense, they are just coming from a person who is broken.
What Think! and other organisations need to push isn’t
“Cyclists, improve the convenience of motorists where you can please…”
as that builds up that equivalence further, but instead
“Drivers, your convenience is less important than a human life, slow down, wait, don’t be a knob.”
Patrick9-32 wrote:
Let’s be honest … most road safety advice could be boiled down to those four words.
That’s the new Highway Code
That’s the new Highway Code sorted then.
That chart seems surprisingly
That chart seems surprisingly difficult for a lot of people to follow…
This kind of advice comes
This kind of advice comes from a deep seated and subconscious idea that if you drive a car you are superior. This is backed up by the feelings of power, safety and enlarged volume of personal space that being in a car confers. Many of the comments by the ignorati revolve around the fundamental belief that if you drive your purpose is more important than those who chose to cycle or walk.
The fact is that on the list of road situations that hold car drivers up, cyclists are orders of magnitude below such every day occurrences as traffic lights, level crossings, other people in cars, badly parked vehicles, drivers waiting to turn right, collisions, road works, agricultural machinery, etc In many urban environments it is cyclists who flow around cars like water in a rock choked stream.
I’m sure everyone here
I’m sure everyone here remembers the Think! campaign about helmets, not so very subtly implying that it was the cyclist’s fault for being run over; no mention of drivers actually taking care not to run them over.
So, the king of marginal
So, the king of marginal gains, Mr D Brailsford, is using TrainerRoad.
Quite a coup for them.
Or possibly he is frustrated by the Mickey Mouse training user interface on Zwift.
Looks like they’ve tracked
Looks like they’ve tracked down that 180mph Ferrari SF90 driver…
https://www.derbyshire.police.uk/news/derbyshire/news/appeals/north/2022/october/man-arrested-following-reports-of-dangerous-driving/