Broken a spoke? Bizarre internet video claims a cable tie is all you need; “It really could have been a tragedy”: Pro cyclist sheds light on “truly horrible” Tour de Pologne crash; Victor Bosoni wins Transcontinental; Strava beef + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"Is there anything I can do to piss the guy off?": Baffled cyclist asks for "creative solutions" to get revenge on Strava rival who has thousands of KOMs... but apparently gets anyone who beats him removed
We’re always down to share a silly Strava squabble on the live blog and this one’s a belter. Coming direct from the Strava Reddit forum it appears we’ve got a tale of top-tier pettiness and overcompetitiveness. Remember everyone, it’s just Strava, you’re going to be okay.
The cyclist seeking advice began: “Where I’m riding there’s a user holding a lot of (sometimes pretty obscure) KOMs that he probably created by himself. With a lot I really mean a lot. Like multiple thousands and I’m not exaggerating.
“Every time I beat one of his KOMs it magically disappears after a few hours. I assume it’s because he removes efforts from ‘his’ KOMs. The segment still exists, just my faster time is not listed any more. Is there anything I can do to piss the guy off? I don’t really care about the KOMs (although I have to admit it is motivating to get KOMs). I’m open for creative solutions…”
Bizarrely, the rider asking for advice says they aren’t aware of their rides ever being flagged, although the consensus in the replies is that it must be reporting as, even if you’ve created a segment, you can edit or delete it but not individual efforts.
As someone explained: “I just don’t know of any other way that your KOMs could be made to disappear. The person who creates a segment doesn’t own it, there’s no way to delete other people’s efforts from ‘your’ segment. When you create a segment, Strava will actually go back and add efforts based on previous workouts. So even deleting and recreating the segment wouldn’t get rid of efforts.”
Answering the initial question (about how to get back in the most petty way possible) one person suggested: “The most petty thing would be to just recreate the exact segment yourself with the same name (bonus points if you call him out in the title).”
Someone else (who “has a good natured rivalry” over a Local Legend status) suggested keeping rides private for longer and then unleashing your effort to the leaderboard at a later date.
The explained: “Does anyone know if there is a time limit for when a former KOM gets notified they’ve been deposed? Currently if you unseat someone, they get a notification. But what if you keep your activity private and then make it public a month later, do they still get notified? The best way to knock this guy down a peg would be to take his KOMs by stealth, if that’s possible.
“I have a good natured rivalry with a rider I know for Local Legend on a segment that’s on my way home. If I take it, he goes out and does it twice the next ride to take it back. So I’ve kept activities private for a bit and then make them public when I have a 10-ride buffer over him to make him really work for it if he wants it.”
> How fast?! Race team sets new Box Hill Strava KOM, with monster 34km/h leadout
Other suggestions included:
“You’re pissing him off by getting KOMs on ‘his’ routes. Carry on.”
“People treating Strava KOMs like Olympic gold medals will always baffle me. Ride your bike, not your ego. ‘Kudos’.”
“Sounds really childish. It’s better to push yourself against your previous results (that you care about) and leave the cheats to cheat their way through life. Naturally, if you catch a cheat cheating you then report it, but it all sounds rather petty to me. Recreate the route and don’t fall to their level.”
“I’d suggest pondering how sad their life must be to spend time and energy on this and then enjoy riding/your life without giving a shit about this again.”
“I wonder if your ‘friend’ really wants private segments but doesn’t know how to create them?”
Apparently we can now replace the word ‘football’ for ‘Strava’ in the famous quote attributed to the great Liverpool manager Bill Shankly: “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that…”
"Sure, let's not make a mech hanger replaceable so a frame needs replacing as soon as it takes an impact..."
Shout out to replaceable derailleur hangers. Frequency Cycleworks have been left exasperated by this Cervélo.
Someone did suggest it offered greater stiffness and better shifting, writing: “That is a very thick piece of the frame, and it offers greater stiffness. Many pro WorldTour bikes had non-replaceable dropouts for better shifting. I have built up several hundred of those iteration P3 and also P2 and P5. Saw one broken. The mech hanger was inconsequential with the state of the rest of the bike. And the state of the rider. Car vs bike.”
However, Frequency Cycleworks disagrees: “Greater stiffness on the back end doesn’t improve shifting, that’s a misconception. In many cases it’s actually detrimental. Bikes are not static objects — their needs to be some compliance otherwise you just push the problem further down the chain until something breaks.”
It’s quite nice being able to easily replace a damaged hanger with a cheap spare and not write off your entire frame, right? Anyway, some were more concerned with something else in the picture… “Also ruining a perfectly good derailleur with those clown jockey wheels.”
Not all heroes wear capes... some choose the Stelvio as their litterpicking route
Unlimited free Santander Cycle rides every Sunday throughout August
Transport for London has brought back its popular TfL Cycle Sundays this August, giving free unlimited 60-minute rides to all Londoners and visitors throughout the month. The hope is that by making the bikes as accessible as possible it will encourage people who haven’t cycled in London before to give it a go.
You can get free day passes via the TfL website and then redeem them on the Santander Cycles app, website or from more than 800 docking stations across London (as long as the system isn’t down…)
TfL has also added e-bikes to the promotion this year which is a bonus, although they have to be hired through the app. Users can hire a free bike for up to 60 minutes at a time, but the number of 60-minute hires is unlimited for the entirety of every Sunday in August.
“It is quick and simple for everyone to enjoy free bike rides throughout Sundays in August — TfL Cycle Sundays offer codes are available on the Santander Cycles discounts page and can be redeemed at any docking station terminal by choosing a Day Pass and entering the code,” TfL explained. “Passes can also be redeemed through the Santander Cycles app.”
David Eddington, TfL’s head of cycle hire commented: “We want everyone to enjoy the benefits of cycling, which is why we excited to see more Londoners or visitors to the capital, try out our easy and fun routes across London.
“Cycling is not only brilliant for your physical and mental health but also is a great way of getting around and exploring London. Whether you have never been on a bike, or are a regular user, we look forward to seeing many people claiming their free Santander cycle every Sunday in August.”
So there. In London on a Sunday this month? Grab a free bike…
"A lot of factors contributed to this, but speed limits are one of the most important": Helsinki goes a year without a traffic death... thanks to reduced car use, lower speed limits and upgraded active travel infrastructure
Finland’s capital city Helsinki did not record a traffic fatality in the 12 months to August 2025, police officials recently confirmed. Authorities have hailed the success, a traffic engineer with the city’s Urban Environment Division telling YLE it’s the result of “a lot of factors” but “speed limits are one of the most important”.
Roni Utriainen explained how more than half of the city’s streets have 30km/h limits (18.6mph) and that 50 years ago it was largely 50km/h (31mph).
“Public transport in Helsinki is excellent, which reduces car use, and with it, the number of serious accidents,” he also suggested, adding that investing in active travel infrastructure had played a part too.
President of the European Cyclists’ Federation Henk Swarttouw has also commented on the “great achievement” (in an interview with Zag Daily) and said there are “important lessons” for other cities to take.
“The Finnish capital’s success is the result of a strong political commitment to systematic implementation of Vision Zero. The keyword here is ‘systematic’. There is no single measure responsible for achieving zero traffic deaths,” he said, agreeing with Utriainen that a combination of factors was important.
Swarttouw echoed the traffic engineer’s message that speed limits, pedestrian-oriented street design, quality cycling infrastructure, and reduced car use were all helpful steps.
"We're cyclists. People should focus on other things": Tom Pidcock argues restricting gears will make cycling more dangerous and brands UCI safety changes a "smokescreen"
Victor Bosoni wins Transcontinental
For anyone who’s been doing any Transcontinental dotwatching, Victor Bosoni has made it to Constanța in Romania, the finish of this year’s event. The French rider has completed the journey from the famous pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain’s Galicia region, finishing his own two-wheeled Transcontinental pilgrimage in 11-and-a-half days.
It’s a cracking comeback story, Bosoni’s 2024 Transcontinental having become defined by leaving his passport and wallet 270km behind him at a petrol station. He successfully retrieved it and got back on track, crossing the Alps three times in the process. Thankfully no such dramas this year.
The second rider on the road Martin Moritz was roughly 100km behind Bosoni and should finish today too. While riders of course plot their own route between controls, this year’s mandatory checkpoints have meant most have taken the path across northern Spain, southern France and down through Italy, catching the ferry to Albania before the final stretch through the Balkans and on to Romania.
As you can see from this Instagram update, there’s been a fair bit of ferry drama too…
Man arrested after female cyclist "forcibly" pushed off seawall, causing her to plunge several feet onto beach
"It really could have been a tragedy": Pro cyclist sheds light on "truly horrible" Tour de Pologne crash which saw stage neutralised
Lidl-Trek rider Jacopo Mosca has provided a detailed account of the crash which saw yesterday’s Tour de Pologne stage neutralised, pointing out it didn’t happen on a particularly dangerous section of the route but was “a truly horrible scene to witness”.
Speaking with Italian cycling website Quibicisport, Mosca said he didn’t see the crash happen but passed through to see the aftermath, compatriot Filippo Baroncini’s condition apparently the most concerning.
“I heard about Vacek’s fall [Mosca’s Lidl-Trek teammate Mathias Vacek] on the radio, but unfortunately I saw Baroncini instead,” Mosca explained. “I wish him all the best because it was a truly horrible scene to witness, but I know he’s in good hands.
“Personally, I was shocked because I saw him against a wall, not in a good position. I was happy when I saw he was breathing, because it really could have been a tragedy. I know they helped him immediately, and from what I read in the medical bulletin, I hope he makes a quick recovery, but above all, a complete recovery.”
UAE Team Emitrates’s medical director Dr. Adrian Rotunno later confirmed their rider had suffered multiple facial injuries, including a fractured cervical vertebra, and facial and clavicular fractures. Thankfully he added that there was “no neurological fallout” and Baroncini is in hospital for further treatment.
The race was temporarily halted as all the ambulances and medics following the race were taken up by the incident. Despite its severity, Mosca said the crash didn’t happen on a particularly dangerous part of the route.
“The roads were narrow, it’s true, but we were tackling that stretch for the third time, so it must have been a mistake by the person in front, especially him, I think,” the Lidl-Trek rider said. “I imagine he slipped, but it’s hard to say for sure, especially since the cameras didn’t catch it, and, if I may say so, thank goodness. For those at home, it wouldn’t have been nice to see him in those conditions.
“I didn’t see the crash. I was just behind, rejoining the group. Mathias [Vacek] had to abandon the race because he hit his head, and even though he didn’t have anything more serious to his brain, it was best for him to go to the hospital for further checks.
“Or rather, the doctors will be able to rule that out in the next few days. We saw him again yesterday after the stage and this morning at the hotel. It’s a real blow, both physically and mentally, but we have to look on the bright side and be thankful that he doesn’t have any fractures.”
Maybe Red Bull does give you wings... or just enough money to want to try this
Cannabis-using bus driver who fell asleep at the wheel and killed nine-year-old girl cycling on the pavement has "unduly lenient" prison sentence increased
UCI to trial GPS safety tracking system ahead of full use at World Championships
The UCI has this afternoon announced that all riders will carry a GPS tracking device at this year’s UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, a safety decision that comes a year after 18-year-old cyclist Muriel Furrer died at the World Championships in a crash that saw her lie unnoticed for a lengthy period of time.
A GPS tracking system will be trialled at the Tour de Romandie Féminin later this month, with one rider per team carrying a device, the UCI Women’s WorldTour stage race being used as a test run for the World Championships where everyone will carry a tracker.
A UCI statement said: “The objective of this test is to refine the UCI’s safety tracking software and establish protocols to provide real-time data to race control, medical teams and UCI Commissaires. This system will strengthen the monitoring of rider safety during races and enable rapid response in case of incidents.
“This represents an important step forward in ensuring the safety of riders, and the UCI will continue to work closely with event organisers and all stakeholders on the broader implementation of such technology in the coming seasons.”
Paul Magnier wins stage four of Tour de Pologne
Paul Magnier times his sprint to perfection to win Stage 4 of the Tour de Pologne! 👏 pic.twitter.com/2y2PhhLs4G
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) August 7, 2025
No double for Ben Turner, the Brit being fairly convincingly out-kicked by Soudal Quick-Step sprinter Paul Magnier here. French success all round as Paul Lapeira keeps the overall race lead for another day and ahead of a lumpy stage tomorrow.
Over at Vuelta a Burgos the main entertainment was watching the driver of the EF Education-EasyPost team bus get into a bit of a pickle.
"Let's do better for everyone without wagging fingers": ITV News reporter "catches" 200 cyclists jumping red lights in one hour – but cycling campaigners say design issues are to blame
Broken a spoke? Bizarre internet video claims a cable tie is all you need
What’s going on here?
life hack your bicycle spokes if they break 🚲🚲🤩🤩 https://t.co/I1XHJZpc6b pic.twitter.com/zveFPNyemN
— Wecantalk (@whatwecantalk) August 7, 2025
It’s a life hack, don’t you know. In fairness, cable ties are a wise shout for a touring trip or multi-day adventure, they’ve got numerous uses and aren’t going to take up any space in your bag. But fixing a broken spoke? It’s a no from us.
I’ve had a few broken spokes mid-ride in my time and don’t think I’ve ever had to resort to anything other than getting the snapped bit out, checking the wheel’s still true enough and then limping home by the shortest route possible. Maybe that doesn’t make for a clicky social media video though?
It has just reminded me of that other video that was doing the rounds a few months back. That one saying that you shouldn’t use cable ties to hold your chain together… instead just use a master link.
Yep, the “useful tip” was essentially… don’t use completely the wrong part to fix something, just use the right one. Don’t try to patch a puncture with Blu Tack, use patches. Don’t try to fix a broken spoke with spaghetti, use a spoke. Don’t replace a worn cable with string, use a cable.
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Latest Comments
@Rendel Harris Interestingly, and it sort of supports my theory that UAE were being cunning, Pog has the mountains jersey today because he was the quickest up the final climb, which argues that he hadn't burnt all his matches when he got to the finish.
@JLasTSR It takes time. I got knocked off nine years ago in broad daylight on a roundabout, by a driver who was wearing very dark glasses, I'm suspicious that he was actually visually impaired. No prosecution. It took me a few years to get my confidence back. I wish you all the best in getting the enjoyment back.
@tomlew That sounds like someone who is thinking about GC to me. I don't think your comparison with 16-year-old footballers is particularly valid, ultimately football at every level is played on roughly the same size to pitch, the goals are the same size and there are eleven players on each team. If professional football was played on a pitch three times the size with goals half the size and for five hours instead of ninety minutes, that might be a good comparison. I have no objection to Seixas riding this tour for experience, I think it's a good idea, but as I've said, I don't think he's got any chance of winning unless something major happens to the big contenders (he's already shipped 39 seconds and 27 seconds respectively to the big dogs) and if he tries too hard he could receive humiliating setbacks that could damage him psychologically throughout his career. You say "If I were a prodigy cyclist youngster with a realistic shot at winning, I might take [the risk] even if I knew it might be the end of my career", but he doesn't have a realistic shot at winning and in taking the risk he might be putting in jeopardy the possibility of winning multiple Tours in future. I don't think this is a situation where a "death or glory" approach is suitable. We shall reconvene in three weeks time and see what happened, and I'm quite happy to be proved wrong and if he does win this year it would certainly mean we had had a thrilling Tour.
@Rendel Harris I absolutely know all that. But that's exactly what I said: he is risking a lot, but the reward might be worth it. It is only a matter of judgment. And by the way, AFAIK nobody said he's going to ride to win the GC. Maybe the plan is exactly to learn his lessons this year so that next year nobody can say he's too inexperienced to really go for victory. Of course, he could ride the Vuelta, but what better place is there to learn the TdF than TdF itself? Times have changed. No more pecking orders, 16-year-old footballers are already shaking the world (even though most of them do indeed get chewed and spat out badly, but again: that's a risk they take). Why wouldn't the same happen in cycling?
Sôme interesting comments from Wright and Stewart about 'losing' thé team élément a bit with thé new format
And I don’t know when you wrote this but I think it was published 9 days after Onley was confirmed out of the Tour.
Paul Seixas’ team is Decathlon CMA CGM
The best thing about the TTT as Stage 1 is that it emphasises the fact that cycling grand tours incl the TDF are a team sport.
If you click through and read the story you'll see that the first motorist hit the cyclist, and the second, following, motorist then also hit them while they were lying in the road - both were convicted of causing the cyclist's death.
I may be reading far too much into it, but I felt as though Pogacar and UAE weren't actually that bothered about winning today. Not having yellow to defend and all the extra press etc to do this early in the race is an indisputable advantage; I just got the impression that they were out to lose no more than a handful of seconds but not to bury themselves for the win. With about 2.5kms to go I thought that if Pogacar really wanted it he would have gone from there, but he stayed with Del Toro for nearly another kilometre even though the body language was saying that no way was Del Toro in as good shape as Pogacar. Even after the finish he didn't seem as wiped out as Ganna (whom I don't think I've ever seen quite so shattered) or Jonas. As I say, might be reading too much into it but I would not be surprised if UAE had played a very clever hand not to lose any meaningful time but to avoid the burden of yellow from the get go.
30 thoughts on “Broken a spoke? Bizarre internet video claims a cable tie is all you need; “It really could have been a tragedy”: Pro cyclist sheds light on “truly horrible” Tour de Pologne crash; Victor Bosoni wins Transcontinental; Strava beef + more on the live blog”
Riding well is the best
Riding well is the best revenge
[or something like that]
mdavidford wrote:
Never quite been able to see that one, I’m with Niles Crane:
Frasier: You know the expression, “Living well is the best revenge”?
Niles: It’s a wonderful expression. I just don’t know how true it is. You don’t see it turning up in a lot of opera plots. “Ludwig, maddened by the poisoning of his entire family, wreaks vengeance on Gunther in the third act by living well.”
Frasier: All right, Niles.
Niles: “Whereupon Woton, upon discovering his deception, wreaks vengeance on Gunther in the third act again by living even better than the Duke.”
Frasier: Oh, all right!
Right – but in this case,
Right – but in this case, riding well will nick the KOMs back again.
Brilliant! 😆
Brilliant! 😆
Rendel Harris wrote:
Of no relevance here, but that reminds me of their discussion on the phrase “less is more”. Something like
Niles: Remember, Frasier, less is more.
Frasier: Yes, but if less is more, just think how much more more could be!
Was that the cavier one?
Was that the cavier one?
ktache wrote:
He was organising some sort of party. I expect cavier may have been involved, but I can’t remember the details!
As I recall it was the one
As I recall it was the one where Frasier wanted to write and record a jingle for his show and in his usual style ended up hiring a full symphony orchestra.
sometimes segments get
sometimes segments get deleted by the creator, sometimes the creator lightly tweaks the start/end to exclude people who make a segment-specific effort.
if there’s a legitimate way to remove specific efforts from a segment, i wouldn’t mind knowing it to use on the people whose garmins are recording in ‘smart’ mode, etc.
I’ve been riding seriously
I’ve been riding seriously for the last 35 years (road cycling) and never damaged a gear hanger. It’s not a massively bad design choice by Cervelo.
Yeah LOL @ Frequency
Yeah LOL @ Frequency Cycleworks on that one. That P2 generation is like 20 years old and was the most popular TT/tri frame in the world at the time. If it was causing issues for people, it woulda happened by now!
Plus mech hangers have always been a double edged sword anyway. Compare the number of frames saved from breaking by a bendable hanger vs the number of frames written off by people riding with a bent hanger until the mech gets ripped off and smashed through the seatstay and they might get a surprising result.
I thought the hanger was to
I thought the hanger was to save the derailleur rather than the frame but the cost of some replacement hangers is more than a new derailleur!
No it’s to save the frame.
No it’s to save the frame.
A lot of p2 hangers were
A lot of p2 hangers were broken.
I’ve a SRP(?) Aluminium mech
I’ve a SRP(?) Aluminium mech mounting bolt for use on my Alan frame that doesn’t have a replaceable hanger. It’s never needed to protect frame/mech.
My town bike has replaceable hanger & it’s done its thing a number of times.
I had one of those. Fitting
I had one of those. Fitting it was a nightmare.
I have had several cervelos
I have had several cervelos (soloist, r3 and a p3). All broke rear mech hangers. R3 broke about 8 times. Used to ride with a spare. Eventually bought a non cervelo hanger. This ripped out the carbon fixing when someone rode into the back of me.
I must ask, what are you
I must ask, what are you doing to break so many?
Adopt some oriental
Adopt some oriental philosophy on Strava.
It’s not important to be better than your neighbour, it’s important to be better than yesterday.
Have to say though, both are getting increasingly difficult now I’m in my sixties. 🙁
Safety wrote:
Is it though?
Once you get to a certain stage in life, you start to realise that this is an increasingly impossible demand.
The most important things are
The most important things are to enjoy cycling and if you are competitive be satisfied by your good performances and motivated by your disappointing ones.
https://dumbrunner.com/news
https://dumbrunner.com/news-blog/2021/4/29/dumb-runner-illustrated-15-data
You could:
You could:
1. Ignore him completely
2. Ignore strava and use the FKT register instead.
One may wonder when the UCI
One may wonder when the UCI bureaucrats are going to make side wheels mandatory for every rider involved in a crash. Next, they may also want to ban races during rainy days. Or hold e-stage when the weather is deemed unfavorable. Is the UCI ambition to remove all risks from pro cycling by killing outdoor cycling? Meanwhile race organisers are left alone.
MaxiMinimalist wrote:
The tracker plan has nothing at all to do with removing risks, it’s designed to make sure that riders get the best medical attention as soon as possible if they crash and to ensure nobody who crashes off the road is overlooked and left lying there, as Muriel Ferrer tragically was. Nothing namby-pamby or risk averse about it as you seem to be implying, simply a sensible measure to improve medical care for injured riders to which one can’t see any reasonable person objecting.
Bloody paramedics taking up a
Bloody paramedics taking up a vital car parking space
I”ve been informed by Strava
I”ve been informed by Strava that I’ve lost a KoM. Looking at the new KoM’s ride he achieved a top speed of 78mph – on a flat course.
I can’t be upset to be beaten by such a talented athlete.
Take pride from the fact that
Take pride from the fact that your efforts have caused the bar to be raised so high.
Re the cable tie spoke
Re the cable tie spoke replacement.
Last year I snapped a front wheel spoke when I was about 20 miles from home. I opened up my brake calipers to accommodate the resultant wheel wobble and pedalled slowly home. Luckily the terrain is flat without any significant descents
Cable ties may have offered a good temporary fix to get home. They would have needed to be quite thin to fit through the spoke holes and I would have needed quite a few. Obviously not a permanent fix.
Quote:
Or a clicky wheel, for that matter. Who needs cigarette cards when you have zip ties…