“Zig zag lines, parallel crossing, I have no idea what any of it means”: Cyclists call for “regular compulsory retests” for motorists after driver ignores bike crossing; Onley/Ineos rumours; Bouhanni’s fast marathon; ‘Cross glamour + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Weekend round-up: Van der Poel’s super save after sketchy sprint, more updates on the future of UK cycling coverage amid Netflix’s WBD deal, Giant’s migrant workers refund, and we dig into the delays surrounding Scotland’s long-awaited reporting portal
In case you were out Christmas shopping, enjoying some winter sun on the bike, or, who knows, even over in Sardinia for a scenic cyclocross trip, there’s quite a bit to catch up on from the world of cycling over the weekend. Luckily for you, you’re in just the right place…
> How did he keep that up?! Mathieu van der Poel’s incredible crash save caught on camera
> Are cyclists in Scotland any closer to being able to submit dangerous driving footage to an online police portal?
> Is the Tour de France coming to Netflix? Streaming giant’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery puts future of UK cycling coverage in doubt, as TNT Sports tight-lipped on subscription fees
> Giant finalises refunds to migrant workers, after Trump administration blocked imports of brand’s bikes over forced labour allegations
> Driver who hit group of cyclists on country lane cleared of causing death by careless driving, after defence lawyer argues “position of cyclists” was cause of crash
> A beautiful Colnago track bike built to Eddy Merckx’s 1972 Hour Record dimensions
> Cheating on Zwift with an exoskeleton: is this the future of assisted cycling?
The glamourous life of the cyclocross star: Lucinda Brand celebrates latest dominant World Cup win… by jumping in the nearest pond to wash off
Now, this is the kind of thing you don’t see after Premier League football matches…
Yesterday, in the picture postcard setting of Terralba, Lucinda Brand carried her northern European form over to Sardinia’s wet west coast, the Baloise-Glowi Lions attacking early and taming the Italian course’s mud, sand, and puddles to win the third round of this year’s Cyclocross World Cup.
HISTORY MAKER ?
Lucinda Brand wins in Terralba to extend her podium run to an unprecedented 52-race streak! ? pic.twitter.com/2wkB5zm3Wj
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) December 7, 2025
Beating Aniek van Alphen by 20 seconds, Brand extended her record for the season to a staggering nine wins from 11 starts, and brought her sensational run of consecutive cyclocross podium finishes to 52. Yes, 52.
So, how does the best ‘cross racer on the planet relax, recuperate, and recover after another imperious performance? By jumping in the Stagno di San Giovanni to wash all that mud off, naturally:
Bathing in success ?
Lucinda Brand hopped straight in after another dominant victory in Terralba ? pic.twitter.com/mCJ4E7vCZO
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) December 7, 2025
If that isn’t a classic cyclocross image, I don’t know what is. Who needs an army of high-performance team helpers when you have a pond?
Meanwhile, the men’s race in Terralba was a much closer, and just as muddy, affair, as around 11 riders fought it out almost right to the end in a tight, tactical, and occasionally tense and physical race.
“Never take your hands off the bars!!!”
It’s getting physical in the closing stages of the Men’s Cyclocross ? pic.twitter.com/id4w8EhGsl
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) December 7, 2025
But as a six-strong group raced through the gorgeous streets of Terralba towards the finish, Michael Vanthourenhout timed his move to perfection, nipping clear over the stairs and leading into the final straight, where he held off Joris Nieuwenhuis and Laurens Sweeck for his fourth win of the season.
Muddy faces win races! ??
Michael Vanthourenhout takes a thriller in Sardinia ? pic.twitter.com/OnpL88t4fu
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) December 7, 2025
Who says you need to be in Belgium or the Netherlands to enjoy some muddy ‘cross action?
The pro bike racer to very speedy marathon runner trajectory continues, as Nacer Bouhanni clocks lightning-fast 2.31 time at Valencia marathon
Who ever said Nacer Bouhanni was a sprinter?
Since retiring from the sport at the end of 2023, the combative six-time grand tour stage winner has joined the club of masochistic former pro cyclists wishing to inflict some post-retirement pain upon themselves by taking up long-distance running.
In March last year, at his very first half-marathon in Paris, Bouhanni clocked a very respectable 1.17:59, before following that up with 1.09:22 at the 20km de Paris in October 2024.
Then later that month, the former Cofidis and FDJ sprinter completed his first ever marathon, in Frankfurt, in an extremely fast two hours, 34 minutes, and 36 seconds – despite pulling a muscle in the last few kilometres.
And now, the 35-year-old’s back for more, taking on the Valencia Marathon at the weekend – and smashing his own PB, completing the race in just 2:30.45 – a “solid” time, as his old sprint rival Arnaud Demare commented on Instagram.
Now, that’s an understatement. In fact, Bouhanni’s Valencia time is just two minutes shy of Tom Dumoulin’s epic 2:29.21 run in Amsterdam last month, the current benchmark for 2010s-era pro cyclists-turned-amateur marathon enthusiasts.
“No sub 2:30 today for my second marathon, but a new personal best: 2:31.34 at a 3.34/km pace,” Bouhanni posted last night.
“A beautiful adventure, with some ups and downs throughout this preparation. Thank you all for your many messages. I’ll be back next year for another marathon, even more motivated to do better.”
Judging by his marathon performances, I now reckon Bouhanni was wasted as a sprinter. He could well be France’s great lost GC hope… Or maybe not.
“He said he didn’t know it was a cycle lane. Bollards everywhere please, drivers are too dumb”: Why don’t cyclist use the cycle lane? #148,923
Another top-notch example here of why paint, and the occasional bollard, doesn’t always meet the standards required for high-quality cycling infrastructure, courtesy of Edinburgh’s Minto Street:
Fucking sigh.
— Steve (@lollercake.bsky.social) December 6, 2025 at 4:04 PM
“The depressing thing is that I spoke to the driver (who was sitting in the car) and asked if he’d mind parking a metre or so to the right, because he was blocking the cycle lane, and he apologised and said he didn’t know it was a cycle lane,” Steve, who captured the bike lane blocking and posted it to BlueSky, wrote.
“Bollards everywhere please, drivers are too dumb.”
Ever wondered how Red Bull’s cycling tricksters prepare for their next mad stunt? Well, wonder no more
I have to say, I wouldn’t even be up for the one in the garden. You’d wreck yourself getting up to that kind of craic.
“You have to learn to understand your body. My advice is: don’t be afraid to ask for help”
> “It shouldn’t be a taboo. It belongs in the sport”: Lotte Kopecky pushes to remove shame around menstruation in cycling
In other Ineos transfer news: Australian stage racer Jack Haig joins British squad from Bahrain-Victorious on two-year deal
Oscar Onley’s future may still be up in the air, but the Ineos Grenadier have at least bolstered their grand tour arsenal this week, thanks to the acquisition of Australian stage race veteran Jack Haig.
The 32-year-old Australian, who turned pro with home squad Orica-BikeExchange (now Jayco-AlUla) back in 2016, has spent the last five seasons racing for Bahrain-Victorious, the highlight of that stint coming at the 2021 Vuelta a España, where he finished third overall.
A winner of a stage apiece at the Tour of Poland and the Ruta del Sol, Haig has also secured top five GC placings at Paris-Nice and the Tour of the Alps, and in recent years has slotted into a domestique role for Bahrain’s grand tour leaders, such as Santiago Buitrago.
ASO/Billy Ceusters
“I’m really excited to be joining the Ineos Grenadiers,” Haig said in a statement this afternoon.
“It’s a team I’ve followed closely since it started, and they’ve achieved so many great things in their history. To now be part of one of the best and most ambitious teams in the world, known for its professionalism and extremely high standards, is something I’m super proud of.
“I can’t wait to get the season started, meet my new teammates, and play my part in challenging for future successes. I’m also looking forward to supporting some of the talented young guys who’ve joined the team.”
Meanwhile, Geraint Thomas, in his new role as Director of Racing at the British team, added: “I raced wheel to wheel against Jack for many years and he’s always impressed me.
“He’s a fighter and a grafter, and he knows what it takes to stand on the podium at a Grand Tour. I’m sure he’ll be a big part of what we’re going after in the next few years.”
And now for something completely different: Joey Barton handed suspended sentence for “grossly offensive” social media posts – as Jeremy Vine brands ex-footballer “a small man who feeds off the pain of others”
It’s my least favourite cycling/football crossover story we’ve ever done, if I’m honest, but at least this it’s finally come to some sort of conclusion (for now, at least).
Because this afternoon, Joey Barton – the idiot’s idea of a footballing hardman (who, thankfully for all our sakes, binned the faux-intelligentsia angle a while back) – was handed a suspended sentence for a series of social media posts aimed at pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko and bike-loving broadcaster Jeremy Vine.
Former Manchester City midfielder Barton was found guilty by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court of sending grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety.
The court was told that the 43-year-old had “crossed the line between free speech and a crime” when he compared Aluko and Ward to serial killers Fred and Rose West, and branded Vine a “bike nonce” in six X/Twitter posts made between January and March 2024.
> Jeremy Vine says ex-footballer Joey Barton paid out “at least” £500,000 over “bike nonce” tweets
He was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to undertake 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay more than £20,000 in costs.
Two-year restraining orders were also issued in relation to each of his victims, including publishing any reference to them on any social media platform or broadcast medium.
Following the verdict, Vine – who successfully sued Barton for damages earlier this year, forcing the failed football manager to pay out over £500,000 – said in a statement: “Joey Barton is a small man who feeds off the pain of others.”
During the trial, Barton claimed that he was the victim of a “political prosecution” and denied his aim was “to get clicks and promote himself”.
However, leaving the court he told the BBC: “If I could turn back the clock I would. I never meant to hurt anyone. It was a joke that got out of hand. Nobody wants to go to jail.”
Well, stop being a prick then Joey, alright?
Is this the future of mountain biking?
That’s one less wheel to clog, I suppose…
Are these the fastest wheels in the world right now?
Scribe reckons its new wheels push the boundaries of speed, low weight, and high-tech, featuring a wavy spoke design and a claimed weight of a 1,150g per pair. We’ve got the lowdown on potentially the most aero wheels on the market:
> Scribe claims new Ultra wheels are “the fastest UCI road compliant wheelset currently available”
Cycling Ireland scoops ‘High Performance Programme of the Year’ prize at country’s Olympic Sports Awards – though Rory McIlroy pips Ben Healy to Male Athlete of the Year
After a barnstorming year on both the road and track, it’s safe to say Irish cycling is enjoying something of a golden period at the moment.
Led by Lara Gillespie and Ben Healy, a new generation of exciting Irish talent has emerged in recent years, capable of competing for the sport’s biggest prizes. There were nine Irish male riders racing at WorldTour or ProConti level this year, and three riders, Gillespie, Mia Griffin, and Marine Lenehan, competing in the Women’s WorldTour.
Meanwhile, there’s another batch of youngsters currently knocking on the pro doors, providing Irish cycling with a depth of talent it’s very rarely seen, if ever.
Zac Williams/SWpix.com
At the men’s Tour de France this year, Healy ended 38 years of hurt by becoming the first Irishman since 1987 winner Stephen Roche to don the famous yellow jersey, winning a stage in the process, while also cementing his status as one of the best one-day riders in the world by taking bronze at the world road race championships, behind Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel.
UAE Team ADQ rider Gillespie has also upped a level in 2025, winning the A Travers les Hauts de France race in September, after going close to a Tour win in the sprint in Poitiers (with fellow sprinter Mia Griffin also making her Tour debut this year).
Gillespie has also had an outstanding year on the track (despite Ireland only starting construction on its first proper indoor velodrome this month), winning gold in the elimination race at both the world and European championships.
Elsewhere, tandem duo Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly secured their third straight road race and time trial rainbow jerseys at the para-cycling worlds, while Ronan Dunne secured bronze in the downhill race at the MTB worlds.
And, as I mentioned, the future looks bright, thanks to a spate of medals in the age group categories at the European road championships, where Adam Rafferty (younger brother of EF pro Darren) finished third in the U23 time trial, Conor Murphy secured silver in the junior time trial, and David Gaffney bagged bronze in the junior road race.
And that year of success was recognised on Saturday in Dublin at Ireland’s 2025 Olympic Sports Awards, celebrating the best of Irish sport, where Cycling Ireland won the High Performance Programme of the Year prize.
“2025 has been an outstanding year across multiple disciplines,” head coach Neill Delahaye said when accepting the award.
“Much of the groundwork for what came to fruition this year has been built over many years of refinement of our HP systems and introducing structured pathways for development athletes that give them the best chance of succeeding as elites.
“We firmly believe we have some of the best cyclists in the world in our programmes and some of the best staff in the world in our HPU planning, delivering, and administrating our activities. As a Federation and a HPU we are building capacity to develop and support world class performance with world class coaching, expertise and experience.
“While 2025 has been hugely satisfying, we intend that this is a platform on which to build more robust systems that will continue to deliver consistent success at the highest level for many years to come.”
Zac Williams/SWpix.com
When it came to the individual awards, Healy was also nominated for the Male Athlete of the Year prize, as well as the Sporting Moment of the Year, for his stint in yellow at the door.
However, the EF rider lost out to Masters winner Rory McIlroy in the Male Athlete category, while the best sporting moment went to Kate O’Connor, for her silver medal in the Heptathlon at the 2025 world athletics championships.
Newry runner O’Connor also beat Gillespie to the Female Athlete of the Year gong. There’s always next year, I suppose.
“It would make the season much more interesting”: Former Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali suggests rotating dates of cycling’s three grand tours every year to shake up racing calendar
Tadej Pogačar, look what you’ve started.
At the end of November, the world champion casually floated the idea of swapping the dates of the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España in the calendar.
By moving the Giro to late summer, Pogačar argued, the Italian grand tour could avoid the climb-cancelling snow that plagues its traditional May slot, while a return for the Vuelta to its old pre-1995 spring position would mean the peloton would no longer have to endure the stifling heat of August in Spain.
In the wake of Pogačar’s comments, Giro organisers RCS were quick to shut down any discussion about a potential calendar swap – but that hasn’t stopped one of Italy’s greatest cycling heroes picking up the debate and running with it.
In an interview with Marca, Vincenzo Nibali – a winner of all three grand tours, including the 2014 Tour de France – reckons the cycling season could be spiced up, not just by swapping the Giro and Vuelta around, but by implementing a rotation system for all the three-weekers, putting them in a different slot every year.
“There’s the weather factor: it’s cold in Italy at that time of year, and it’s not uncommon to find snow in areas like the Stelvio,” the two-time Giro winner said.
“Changing the dates could benefit Spain and its temperatures, while leaving us with the September heat. It all remains to be seen.
“The first major race of the year always has something special: the riders arrive with fresh legs and there’s a lot of excitement. It’s always been that way.
“If it were up to me, I’d advocate for a rotation of the three Grand Tours. It would make the season much more interesting.”
Somehow, I can’t see this one catching on, Vincenzo. At least not with ASO, anyway.
POLL: Would Oscar Onley moving to the Ineos Grenadiers be a good idea?
With the Ineos Grenadiers reported to be interested in making a last-ditch move for Oscar Onley this winter, it’s worth asking the question: Is it even a good idea?
On one hand, Onley moving to Ineos would make a lot of sense. Thank to his revelatory fourth place this year, 23-year-old Scot has emerged as Britain’s most likely Tour de France contender, and the British squad have been crying out for someone capable of targeting the yellow jersey, or at least the podium, in Paris.
So, it makes sense that Ineos, now spearheaded by their last British Tour winner, and newly-installed director of racing, Geraint Thomas, would do anything to get Onley on board.
Zac Williams/SWpix.com
In many respects, it’s a pretty similar situation to the transfer saga that saw Bradley Wiggins, fresh from his own breakthrough fourth place at the Tour, jump ship from Garmin to Team Sky in the winter of 2009. And we all know how that turned out.
And for Onley, having a team with a healthy budget built around his Tour GC aspirations would be a major confidence boost, and certainly help if and when he comes unstuck in the mountains at some point next July.
However, would a highly publicised move to Ineos, and a messy divorce from Picnic, prove a case of too much, too soon for the Scottish rider? Onley’s 2025 Tour performance was built on a ‘take every day as it comes’ approach by his team, with DS Matt Winston doing his best to avoid adding any extra pressure on the GC rookie’s shoulders.
Zac Williams/SWpix.com
It would make sense for Picnic to adopt a similar approach at next year’s Tour, albeit with some extra support on the climbs, with the potential to chase stage wins if Onley’s GC bid goes up in smoke early.
At Ineos, Onley won’t be afforded that luxury. The spotlight will be on him, the pressure to back up his 2025 showing intense. It’s a lot to ask of a young rider still learning the grand tour ropes.
Would an extra year in the lower stakes environs of Picnic help his development and potentially give him the opportunity to fail – and learn – on his own terms, before eventually upping the ante at Ineos?
What do you reckon? I think it’s time for a poll…
Is Oscar Onley heading to the Ineos Grenadiers next season? Picnic PostNL’s Scottish star admits 2026 plans are still “up in the air” after interest from “probably 15 teams” amid intense transfer speculation
Last year, it was Tom Pidcock. And now it seems Oscar Onley has assumed the role of ‘top British rider caught up in a transfer saga’ this winter.
Ever since his sensational breakthrough fourth place on GC at the Tour de France in July, where he was arguably the revelation of the race, Onley has been the subject of intense speculation surrounding his future, despite the fact he’s contracted to Picnic PostNL until the end of 2027.
As a British team desperately in need of a preferably British Tour contender, the Ineos Grenadiers have been at the forefront of the race to sign the Scottish stage racer, first registering their interest in Onley during the summer.
Zac Williams/SWpix.com
And last week, Daniel Benson reported that Ineos are currently working on a last-ditch bid to pry the 23-year-old from Picnic’s plans. However, given the long-term nature of Onley’s current deal (which remains his first pro contract), Ineos would need to cough up a hefty compensation fee to the Dutch squad, who would be losing their now undisputed star rider.
After avoiding relegation from the WorldTour – in no small part thanks to Onley’s superb season, which also included third overall at the Tour de Suisse – Picnic PostNL appeared confident that they could keep hold of the Scottish rider, one of six Brits on their books for 2026, and were keen to extend his deal beyond its current terms.
However, we’re now approaching the end of 2025, and with no contract extension in sight, Onley’s destination for next season appears to be undecided, though time is certainly ticking when it comes to any potential last-minute move from Ineos.
Onley has spent the last few weeks training in Australia, including racing in Picnic colours at the Tour of Bright, but is set to return to Europe for the Dutch team’s winter training camp in Spain this week.
But speaking to Cyclingnews, the 23-year-old admitted that even he’s not sure where he’ll end up in 2026.
“For now, yes,” Onley said, when asked whether he’ll still be racing for Picnic next year. “We’ll see. But yeah, it’s still things up in the air a little bit.
“To be honest, I haven’t spoken about the calendar other than [the Tour] Down Under for next year yet. That will happen next week, when we’re at team camp, which is normal at the December camp to talk about the year.”
Asked if he was weighing up a move to Ineos, Onley continued: “It’s quite obvious that there’s going to be interest in me after coming fourth in the Tour, and there’s been, I think, probably 15 teams that have reached out to my manager or reached out to the team directly.
“And you know… you also have to capitalise on what I’ve done this year, but, yeah, I can’t really say so much just now.”
Looks like the next few weeks are going to be very interesting, indeed.
“Zig zag lines, parallel crossing, I have no idea what any of it means”: Cyclists call for “regular compulsory retests” for motorists after driver filmed ignoring bike crossing
Last week, you may remember, we reported on the live blog that the lovely residents of Gorleston, Great Yarmouth are currently up in arms over a new parallel crossing near a roundabout, which locals have branded “disgraceful”, claiming it had “turned a busy road into a dangerous road”. Which says a lot about the hazard perception skills of Great Yarmouth’s motoring community, if we’re honest.
But Great Yarmouthers (Great Yarmouthians?) aren’t the crop of UK drivers struggling to get to grips with parallel crossings.
Last Thursday, Scottish cyclist Christopher was riding on the shared-use path on Renfrew Bridge, near Glasgow, preparing to cross the bridge’s pedestrian and cyclist crossing when a motorist exited the roundabout – and just drove straight on through.
Across the Renfrew bridge, parallel crossing, some drivers seem to expect me to give priority to them, I had signaled left at the start of the zig zags but had to stop as It seemed the driver wasn’t preparing to do the same. Becoming a regular feature here. pic.twitter.com/lmeDXykQxP
— Christopher Lang (@langoo) December 4, 2025
“Across the Renfrew Bridge, parallel crossing, some drivers seem to expect me to give priority to them,” Christopher posted on X/Twitter.
“I had signalled left at the start of the zig zags but had to stop as it seemed the driver wasn’t preparing to do the same. Becoming a regular feature here.”
According to the rule 195 of the Highway Code, parallel crossings are similar to zebra crossings, but include a cycle route alongside the traditional black and white stripes.
As they approach a parallel crossing, the code says, drivers should “look out for pedestrians or cyclists waiting to cross and slow down or stop” and “give way to pedestrians or cyclists waiting to cross”.
Motorists “MUST give way when a pedestrian or cyclist has moved onto a crossing” and should be “aware of pedestrians or cyclists approaching from the side of the crossing”.
> The “dangerous” and “disgraceful” cycle lane terrifying Norfolk residents
But judging by Christopher’s video, and almost all of the comments underneath it, it’s no wonder ‘parallel crossing confusion’ is becoming a regular feature in the UK.
“Zig zag lines, parallel crossing. I have no idea what any of it means,” Darrin, rather scarily, admitted. “When they invent new traffic rules there should be some public notice.”
Errr, like in the Highway Code, Darrin?
“I wouldn’t have known you had priority!” Nic added. “That road layout breaks rule number one, KISS, if something is new, different or unique and you expect the masses to understand it then you’re on a path of certain failure.
“Kinda like the new rule that came in a few years ago about drivers giving way to people crossing a side street, no one knows about it, people just get confused if you stop traffic for them, I’ve given up with that poorly implemented idea.”
“It’s a standard crossing with beacons and standard markings,” replied Christopher. “I take your point that you wouldn’t know what it is, but that would be a failure on a driver’s part if they were not aware of these crossings. They are part of the Highway Code.”
> The Highway Code for cyclists — all the rules you need to know for riding on the road explained
“The problem is, a lot of people don’t know that these crossing give priorities to cyclists,” wrote John.
“I passed my driving test 33 years ago, and only know what they are because I checked online. There should be public awareness campaigns when there are changes to the Highway Code.”
Maybe that Highway Code publicity initiative from a few years ago didn’t quite catch on like the government had hoped?
“I agree that drivers should be prepared to stop at zebra crossings when they see pedestrians or cyclists near them,” chipped in Manders. “However they are always putting crossings at the entrance and exits to roundabouts, the one place where drivers are concentrating on the approach/traffic flow.”
“Seems like a good move,” Christopher responded. “Slower speeds to take in more of what’s going on, drivers just need to take action to be aware.”
However, some drivers were seemingly happy to lay the blame entirely on the cyclist for… adhering to the Highway Code, apparently.
“Suicidal cyclist wants to ignore the Highway Code and charge out in front of cars because the council painted a bike on the zebra crossing,” wrote Yeti. Which isn’t what happened in the video, but okay.
“It’s the same rules as for prioritising/protecting pedestrians in their striped area of the crossing,” hit back one cyclist.
“And it’s a single give way line protecting both sections of the crossing. I cannot understand how this is so hard for some motorists to understand.”
And finally, Glasgow Fietser reckoned all this confusion just underlines the need for drivers to be tested on their road skills more often.
“This parallel crossing really has triggered a lot of incredibly ignorant drivers,” they wrote.
“More evidence that there should be regular, compulsory, theory retests. Mandatory practical retest if you fail.”
I’m sure that suggestion would go down well with the Daily Mail.
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Good point - after posting earlier I realised that that would be a better suggestion. Albeit one that's not so great where there aren't yet separate cycle paths...
The only valid reason to wake a rider up at 2am is the suspicion of possible microdosing. No other doping-related activity would have left a trace in the body at night but not in the morning. As much as I am for absolute transparency and integrity in sport, and I do believe riders should accept the inconvenience of testing as part of their job, there is no evidence of efficacy of microdosing. Therefore the test at 2am was just pointless and stupid. Poor, poor job, ITA.
Yup, reckon jackcycles has got a full house there! To paraphrase Prof. Ian Walker's joke "tell me what you care about and I'll explain why the answer is less driving and more active travel". Cycling can indeed be framed in terms that folks all across the spectrum ought to approve of (individualist, traditionalist, business-ist *, environmentalist, socialist...) Unfortunately where that potential agreement falls down is on "getting more people to do it". There are some who feel that is a non-goal - if not a negative. ("I'm alright Jack - and it's no business of anyone to dictate what others do"). I'd just point out that the motor industries have managed to effectively achieve change that benefits them under all kinds of governments and cultures. And wish them "good luck with getting better cycling conditions / protection"... From where we are in the UK change is hard. But there's only one way ** that's been shown in practice to make much difference to numbers of people cycling. And improve the attractiveness and convenience of the same. And it's been shown to work in lots of different places. * Actually... it's not so good for the giant multinationals / those keen on emulating them. Mass motoring is a far better way of accumulating large amounts of cash (which can then be used to ... bend the politicians your way). A lot of the "good" in cycling seems to come from it being "small and low-resource-using". ** Well - perhaps two; but "turn off all the fuel stations" isn't something that those in power not seeking martyrdom choose to do...
I hope examples like this are considered when people complain about bus bypasses.
Rendell, If that isn't what you meant, apologies, but please try to be more careful and precise in your phrasing in the future if that's ok? To Chris on a trike, I do talk about cultural issues because certain commentators (environmentally-driven cycling activists on the left, and their adversaries on the right) have made apolitical activities - such as cycling and driving - political charged debates. Cycling is about freedom, individuality, and mobility, all inherently libertarian ideas, but somewhere along the line it has been hijacked by left wingers as a poster child for curtailing others' freedoms and limiting perfectly reasonable alternative modes of transport. For example, see cycle lanes and LTNs, both idiotic ideas dreamt up by pseudo-totalitarians hell-bent on controlling others' lives, wrapped up as "pro-cycling" measures. They are not. These people speak neither for cyclists not for society at large, and simply divide people. I want to ride my bike on a road, not a silly cycle track where I can leer at upset drivers stuck in the resultant jams that my lane has caused. It's just common sense and societally cohesive, and inherently fair that anything with wheels (and road legal) should share the same space - and will naturally lead to fewer"rage" incidents from drivers. On two-tier justice, police DEI schemes and a warped sense of priorities have led to cases like the one in the article being ignored, which again ultimately affects all cyclists negatively.
[That may have been intentionally specious, in which case ignore, but for anyone who's genuinely confused...] It's £311 (actually £311.88) upfront for the year, which *works out* to £25.99/month, not on top of it.
Or mostly here for some "specific belief bingo" (see their entry earlier)? "Tell me the issue and I'll explain how it's down to cultural weakness (wokeness)"?
‘ though customers now have the option of paying £311 upfront to bring that down to £25.99 per month instead of 30.99 per month’ So it takes about 5 years to break even? Blimey - that’s not a very good deal. Use a VPN. I watch RAI but there must be English speaking channels somewhere in the world that broadcast for free. I don’t want to sound too old fashioned and leftie, but these huge US media corporations are poisonous. They are actually killing choice and sucking us into a US hegemony (as if we are not already in one)
The bottom line remains unchanged after all those years, in spite of the marketing hype: - either use oil and deal with black goo - or use a wax and deal with frequent re-application I'm a wax guy. Never been able to duplicate those 'lasts for 400 km when dry' blurbs. 150-200 in dry conditions is more realistic. In the wet, eat your hat after 50 km. Still, for me it's worth it.
“Unleash bare strength”. How about unleash bare knuckles, open wounds and sprained ankles.
27 thoughts on ““Zig zag lines, parallel crossing, I have no idea what any of it means”: Cyclists call for “regular compulsory retests” for motorists after driver ignores bike crossing; Onley/Ineos rumours; Bouhanni’s fast marathon; ‘Cross glamour + more on the live blog”
Absolutely standard. The
Absolutely standard. The worst thing is all the apologists online who are cyclists/pedestrians peddling the line that “I would rather be alive and wrong than right and dead”. That shouldn’t be the argument. Its literally saying “oh well, we can’t expect drivers to follow the rules so its our fault when a driver hurts or kills us”.
No, we need to start pushing the point that drivers are waaaaay down the list of priorities and should bow to the more vulnerable road users. I reckon less than 10% of people know and follow the rule about letting pedestrians cross the road at junctions.
mctrials23 wrote:
I hate that argument as it’s basically saying “might is right”, rather than entering into a discussion of why we have the rules and what can be done to ensure that they’re followed.
What’s needed is to have police (maybe undercover, maybe through a camera) monitor a junction at random and issue NIPs (Notice of Intended Prosecution) for careless driving for anyone not following the rules. I wouldn’t be against them using education initially, but ultimately the police need to be doing their job.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Exactly. Ask the same people who say that if they agree with statements like “don’t have nice things because someone is bound to rob you” or “don’t wear short skirts because someone is bound to sexually assault you” and they would be outraged, but apparently “don’t ask to be able to move around in public in accordance with the law because someone is bound to run you over” is perfectly acceptable.
police (maybe undercover,
police (maybe undercover, maybe through a camera) monitor a junction at random and issue NIPs (Notice of Intended Prosecution) for careless driving for anyone not following the rules. I wouldn’t be against them using education initially, but ultimately the police need to be doing their job
However, they’re not going to do any of that and nobody, including the worthless PCCs and the bunch of Active-Travel-Deniers they bring in to replace them, is at all interested in suggesting they do! Especially if it concerns the safety of cyclists, because ‘you’re bound hit the odd few, can’t be helped when there’s so much else to get on with while driving’. So now what?
hawkinspeter wrote:
Agree with the argument point – you have to get beyond the “so you want the right to kill me to save you 30 seconds?” / “so you want to trap me in my home because there are a few bad drivers?”. And the way is “what do we want as a society and then how do we get that”. And part of that is it being safe to *walk* around – most people aren’t going to relate to cycling initially.
If we can get the police to do a bit more, then great… but even with a blitz on a few locations I’m not convinced we can get there with current levels of police resources though.
Changing public behaviour is hard. It’s working against a lot of people and very long-term ingrained behaviour. The driving we have is seen as entirely normal.
When challenged people will just point to the really terrible (like our new forum friend with the litany of “but not drunk, high or on the phone”…) and say a) they’d never do and b) there’s only a tiny amount of that so no biggie. They might also minimise the other issues (“only just over the limit” / use of phone “but it was an emergency”).
I kinda agree, its all victim
I kinda agree, its all victim blaming to me, but then you get daft decisions like that recent one, a driver flying round a blind bend on a tiny road and ploughing into a group of cyclists is ok because he technically wasn’t technically breaking the national speed limit! We need to balance things up IMO to stayalive sometimes. We also need better enforcement of things so we can feel safe though and won’t always have too (especially if your a kid etc) :-/
The problem with that
The problem with that argument is those who say “I’d rather be right and dead than alive and wrong” aren’t pedalling anything. Because they’re dead.
Except that (a) no-one is
Except that (a) no-one is actually saying that, and (b) if anyone was, then evidently they wouldn’t be.
“I passed my driving test 33
“I passed my driving test 33 years ago, and only know what they are because I checked online. There should be public awareness campaigns when there are changes to the Highway Code.”
A condition for holding a driving licence is that you keep your knowledge of the Highway Code up-to-date. He shouldn’t need telling, he’s not a child.
I agree with him. The “public
I agree with him. The “public awareness” campaign should be a yearly online retest that people have to take to make sure they have kept up to date. If they haven’t taken it then their license is invalid and if they have taken it and they try to plead ignorance of the rules then we can either assume they cheated or intentionally broke the rules.
Regarding “He said he didn’t
Regarding “He said he didn’t know it was a cycle lane”, this is one from a couple of months ago. On pointing out that he was parked on a silly place he said “I’m not parked, I’m loading”
Its drivers that kill, not
Its drivers that kill, not cars. Yet it is the car that has an MOT each year for safety…
But Great Yarmouthers (Great
But Great Yarmouthers (Great Yarmouthians?)
Great Yarmouths, surely?
Why is Ryan labelled a grinch
Why is Ryan labelled a grinch for putting his Christmas tree up in the first weekend of December? Well done him!!
In fairness, I suspect that
In fairness, I suspect that was Ryan third-personning himself as a Grinch.
I did think that but ours
I did think that but ours only got put up this weekend so I was trying to drum up support in case my wife reads this!!
Re. “Is this the future of
Re. “Is this the future of mountain biking?”
No – because it would be mountain, er.. uniking?
On the back of the Highway
On the back of the Highway Code it says “When did you last read yours?”
I suspect for most people the answer is “The day before my driving test”.
“I passed my driving test 33
“I passed my driving test 33 years ago, and only know what they are because I checked online.”
Motorists shall take the theory test every 10 years until 65. Then every 5 years till 75. Beyond that age, motorists shall take both practice and therory tests every 3 years.
As for road offenders, retaking the tests shall be mandatory before they are allowed back on the roads.
Re unicycling being the
Re unicycling being the future of MTBing, I can recall unicyclists competeing in XC races in the 90s. Albeit with a twist, they dangled a tiny toy wheel off their saddles as you could; only legally ride with two wheels.
“However they are always
“However they are always putting crossings at the entrance and exits to roundabouts, the one place where drivers are concentrating on the approach/traffic flow.”
…that’s the problem “concentrating on the traffic flow” and not scanning for approaching peds and cyclists…the priority of too many drivers is to not give way unless forced to…Down under at least in Victoria these crossings have standard inverted triangle giveway signs with an added yellow plate to reduce doubt saying “To Pedestrians and Cyclists” the crossings are usually raised and in yellow…still not a lot of them but my local council has been prioritizing shared path crossings over vehicles…
Still confusing for some
Still confusing for some though…recent FB comment about the difficulties experienced now drivers no longer have priority at a crossing..it’s a Give Way sign how can that be confusing
Why does it suprise drivers
Why does it suprise drivers that pedestrians want to cross the road at junctions?
Regarding crossings for
Regarding crossings for cyclists / pedestrians. Just change the law. If a motor vehicle hits a vulnerable road user, the driver of the motor vehicle must prove they were NOT culpable. They are guilty until proven innocent. I know it’s against a basic principle of law, but it would concentrate the mind and emphasize the hierarchy of vulnerability and put the responsibility where it should be – on the most dangerous vehicles and their drivers. The same would apply if a cyclist hit a pedestrian.
“I know it’s against a basic
“I know it’s against a basic principle of law, ” … in which case, why stop there? That hasn’t stopped the bad thing happening already, so what about all vulnerable road users to be issued with drones that will pre-emptively attack threatening bigger / heavier / faster road users?
Should have said: were you
Should have said: were you looking for this?
https://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2012/01/campaign-for-sustainable-safety-not.html
Still a very tall ask in the UK but that has *some* effect. I suspect it’s just about possible to imagine or argue for without immediately being labelled a crackpot.
Alternatively – without a decent level of detection and policing (and ultimately social support) you could propose mandatory life imprisonment also, likely without making things much safer.
NO just no.
NO just no.
There have already been too many laws passed in recent years that force people to defend their innocence because incompetent & inept agencies (the police, HMRC, Border Force, etc.) are unable to prove guilt.
The driver, cyclist, pedestrian issue is already covered by legislation. The problem is enforcement & application of the existing legislation by judge & jury.