“30 minutes of Adrian Chiles gaslighting”: Cyclists accuse BBC of “attacking” e-bikes in “fishy, fearmongering” Panorama episode “littered with misinformation and bias”; Geraint Thomas leaves free beer on footpath… but it’s BrewDog + more on the live blog

2025 may have only just begun, but it’s already time for the BBC’s by-now annual Panorama special on bikes and cycling, packed with extremely helpful words like ‘battle’, ‘chaos’, and ‘menace’.

Yep, last night the tactfully titled ‘E-Bikes: The Battle For Our Streets’ aired on the BBC, hosted by Roy Keane’s favourite football host – and cargo bike naysayer – Adrian Chiles, and seeking to discover whether electric bikes are “a new menace in need of tighter regulation”

In case you missed it in favour of catching up on the Traitors or watching University Challenge, our colleague Alex over at e-biketips helpfully summarised the, ahem, interesting 30-minute programme.

> “Chaos could be coming our way” – Adrian Chiles asks whether e-bikes are “a new menace in need of tighter regulation” on BBC Panorama

And, as Alex noted, in short, Chiles and the episode appeared to focus quite a lot on illegally modified electric motorbikes, without actually making it clear that the machines favoured by rampaging youths and delivery couriers are not, in fact, e-bikes at all.

Nevertheless, according to Chiles, these ‘e-bikes’ are responsible for criminality, dangerous riding, and serious injuries, due to them being faster (which, of course, normal e-bikes are not).

“Maybe we’re biased, but ‘What can we do about e-bikes?’ and ‘What can we do about illegal e-bikes?’ are not to us the same question,” Alex wrote in his piece.

Anyway, the reviews are in for Panorama’s e-bike special. And let’s just say it hasn’t won over the critics.

“30 minutes of Adrian Chiles gaslighting on how legal e-bikes are dangerous, when the dangerous behaviour documented was simply people breaking existing laws,” the Infra-PM wrote on Twitter.

“Two per cent of pedestrian collisions are from bikes, the rest from vehicles. Will Panorama investigate the 98 per cent?”

> "The man who never misses has officially missed": Adrian Chiles claims expensive cargo bikes are a "new kind of class politics"

“Very odd and fishy programme on Panorama this evening focusing mostly on illegal motorbikes masquerading as ‘E-Bikes’, presented by Adrian Chiles who starts the programme saying he has never ridden an e-bike before,” noted Karim.

“95 per cent of the footage is delivery riders, mostly on illegal motorbikes – constructed from regular bikes with an illegal aftermarket kit, providing the bikes with a throttle and motor (also known as a motorbike).”

Karim continued: “Adrian then goes on the internet and finds out about the Cycle to Work Scheme. Based on zero data he concludes that all illegal electric motorbikes are bought via tax breaks using the Cycle to Work Scheme. Steve Bird of the Daily Telegraph agrees ‘this is utterly absurd’.”

Meanwhile, the London Cycling Campaign argued that “Panorama’s attack on e-bikes tonight nails some of the issues but little of the solutions.

“Our view: e-bikes are brilliant,” the campaign posted. “They enable a far wider range of people to cycle more journeys, which is vital for public health, climate, and road danger outcomes.

“Panorama confuses legal with illegally modified e-bikes and ignores their benefits compared to the UK’s car use. If we switched lots of cars for e-bikes in the UK we’d see health, crime, road danger, and climate benefits, not the tabloid, crime-ridden, apocalyptic vision Panorama paints.”

The group continued: “The main e-bike issue is illegal modification. Nearly all problems e-bikes in the UK are causing, highlighted by Panorama, come from illegal modification to not need pedalling and remove the top speed legal e-bikes cut out at, a (sensible) 15.5mph. These effectively are electric motorbikes.

“The government’s response to Panaroma ignores the opportunity to control sale/import of such modifications – just as they’re washing their hands of the import of dodgy batteries and chargers causing e-bike fires. The proper control of sales of street illegal e-bikes and modifications is needed from the government.

“‘Gig economy’ delivery companies also need dealing with. Construction firms used to pay tipper lorry drivers ‘per load’ – which incentivised lorry drivers to cut corners and drive dangerously. ‘Gig economy’ food delivery companies currently pay their riders ‘per drop’.

“So some of the poorest, most marginalised residents are being pushed into cutting corners in order to make enough money to feed themselves and their families. Gig economy companies need to stop incentivising corner cutting and if needed, the government should step in to protect riders better.

“E-bikes are a great idea – far better than current car-dominated status quo – but where they’re being misused we need more government involvement, not more fear-mongering.”

> Cycling charity urges food delivery companies to check couriers are using legal e-bikes after cyclist left "terrified" by cycle lane collision

The LCC’s City of London branch was also critical of the lack of focus on the duties of food delivery companies.

“BBC Panorama continues to disappoint. Tonight’s on e-bikes was actually mostly about illegal battery powered vehicles,” the campaign wrote.

“Maybe get representatives of food delivery companies in front of a camera and ask some hard questions, instead of accepting the usual ‘we take safety seriously’ rubbish.”

Likewise, Better Streets for Birmingham, which is currently fighting a proposed PSPO designed to clamp down on ‘dangerous’ e-bike delivery riders, said: “Today's BBC Panorama hits the nail on the head: The danger is posed largely by food delivery couriers, who are incentivised to deliver as many orders as fast as possible. The non-statement from Just Eat, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats shows how little they care.

“However, it’s dangerous to conflate e-bikes with illegally modified electric motorbikes. One helps many to cycle, the other is dangerous and illegal!”

Turning to the potential effects such BBC ‘investigations’ could have on the cycling industry, Mark Sutton from Cycling Electric described the programme as “littered with inaccuracy, misinformation, and bias”.

“The bike industry should explore legal options against this type of content,” he said. “It is also laughably, truly bad in terms of its grasp of the law. Adrian Chiles has done no research whatsoever and is often asking leading questions to fish for an answer. Terrible journalism.

“The wall of misinformation the press has put up around e-bikes has had a profound economic effect. It has seen insurers stop covering many bike shops. No insurance, no shop.”

“I’ve found some of it staggering,” added Adam Guest. “The ‘189 pedestrians injured by bicycles last year’ stat. No mention of how many were injured or killed by cars.”

> BBC Panorama – Road Rage: Cars v Bikes – the road.cc Podcast debrief

“What a shitshow,” agreed Alastair. “I’ll never understand how Chiles carved a career as a journalist. All he had to do was draw a clear distinction between what’s legal and what isn’t, but either he chose not to, or he still doesn’t understand.”

The Hammersmith and Fulham Cycling Campaign concurred: “Unfortunately, between the title and the presenter, not much hope held for reportage. And so it came to pass.”

Addressing the benefits of legal e-bikes largely ignored in the programme, Green Party politician and London Assembly member Caroline Russell said: “Legal e-bikes help everyone, including older and disabled people, use bikes more and use cars less cutting congestion, pollution and road danger.

“Dockless hire bikes help people make door to door trips not served on public transport often favoured by women getting home (safely) at night.

“There are so many serious issues but if ‘e-bike’ Panorama can’t even identify what is and isn’t an e-bike, and hints about harm from badly-ridden bikes without considering the greater harm from badly-driven motor vehicles, I fear we won’t see practical healthy street solutions any time soon.”

And finally, DJ asked: “If e-bikes have the potential to usher in chaos, what terminology would you use to describe the effect of motor vehicles on public safety Adrian?”

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Alright, to be fair to EF Pro Cycling and Rapha, they only teased this year’s kit for a day or so before unveiling it, so credit where it’s due.

 (Jered Gruber and Ashley Gruber)

And, as someone who’s firmly stuck in 2008 when it comes to pro cycling style, I appreciate the team’s return to its trademark argyle pattern (though the symbols dotted around the kit – described as “hallmarks and hidden gems” in the typically effusive press release – arguably ensure the jersey looks better from a distance, if I’m honest).

According to EF, the new kit, which apparently will be available to buy for any Rapha/Slipstream enthusiasts in the next few months, along with the squad’s POC helmets and Cannondale bikes, “explores the theme of riders as diamonds forged under pressure”.

Shine pink like a diamond... Oh wait (Jered Gruber and Ashley Gruber)

“The women and men of EF Pro Cycling are a rare species, forged out of the terrain and the sport they inhabit,” the press release says. “Honed by courage and commitment, their brilliance lies in pushing themselves to ride faster, further and higher. Grit turns to glory, calloused hands and scars signal the sacrifice that shapes them.”

Okay, sure.

Uninspired AND petrochemically tainted. Another British Cycling L.

[image or embed]

— Ruby Roubaix (@rubyroubaix.bsky.social) January 7, 2025 at 11:57 AM

Ouch.

Others have perhaps more diplomatically described the new kit as “dull” noted, while one BlueSky user suggested that the minimalist design is “so that nothing distracts from the big Shell logo”.

Ah, the oil-guzzling elephant in the room that seemingly will never go away. But at least some people were fond of the one-cup table and beige backdrop anyway…

More mysterious bike markings now, this time courtesy of Poole’s Magna Road and its new, much-criticised shared-use path – and adjacent old-school cycle lane:

Hmmm… Do I go for the incomplete shared path which narrows further down the road (described by locals as the “crappy crumbs” of the council’s Transforming Cities Fund scheme), or the tiny painted bike lane? Talk about a Sophie’s Choice.

With the Christmas break over and a new term starting, Transport for London (TfL) has launched a renewed call for schools in the capital join its accreditation programme to encourage sustainable travel to school, following a 10 per cent increase in schools achieving the scheme’s ‘Gold’ status last year.

According to TfL, the Travel for Life programme, administered by the London Transport Museum in partnership with the local boroughs, “supports the next generation of Londoners to travel towards a brighter, safer and more sustainable future”.

By completing activities that promote cycling and walking to school, as well as the safe use of public transport, primary and secondary schools can become bronze, silver, or gold accredited.

To achieve the scheme’s gold standard, a school must have reduced car use by six per cent or achieved 90 per cent of the school run being made using sustainable transport. The number of schools awarded gold in 2024 was 735, a 10 per cent increase compared to 2023.

When it comes to the areas which have embraced the initiative so far, Bromley currently has the largest proportion of ‘gold’ schools, at an impressive 63 per cent, followed by Islington at 49 per cent and Havering at 45 per cent. Meanwhile, Waltham Forest has the largest overall number of schools participating in the programme, with 81 per cent of its schools involved.

One of the schools recently awarded the gold accreditation, despite having only signed up for the scheme in March 2023, is St Gregory’s Catholic Science College in Brent, who have adopted the motor ‘swap the ride for a park for a park and stride’, while also measuring the air quality around the school and creating a podcast on active travel (a podcast on active travel, what next?!).

And with the government’s target of having 55 per cent of primary school-aged children walking to school by 2025 fast approaching, TfL has this week called on London schools not currently participating in Travel for Life to sign up to the scheme, to “reap the benefits of better air quality and improved health”.

“The New Year is the perfect time to introduce children to sustainable travel so I would encourage as many schools as possible to join this fantastic scheme which improves the environment and supports fit and healthy lifestyles,” London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman said.

“We know that children who are introduced to active travel from a young age are more likely to continue the habit into adulthood – and it would be great to see even more schools involved this year.”

> Cyclist’s death prompts coroner to question water company’s ‘reliance on third parties to report issues’, after crash caused by sunken fire hydrant