“I really hope they didn’t ride it”: Cyclists baffled by £100 Facebook Marketplace bike with “razor-sharp handling”… thanks to mind-boggling front end; Return of the mysterious London lock saga; Cricket fans join the TNT bashing + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Return of the mysterious London lock saga
We had something similar to this on the live blog last year, but it’s happened again — an honest mistake or something more sinister?
The case for the defence is that someone who regularly uses the bike rack has tried to leave their lock where they park their bike, probably to avoid having to lug it back and forth in between. Possibly in a rush or not thinking, they’ve accidentally not locked it to the rack, but to someone’s bike.
The case for the prosecution. Seriously? How would you even manage to lock someone else’s bike by mistake? Even if you were inclined to leave your lock at the rack to avoid carrying it back and forth, you would never do this. Surely?
The confusing bit comes from the extra lock not actually locking the bike to the rack, which it did in the other case from the live blog recently. So, in the less naive scenario, where we view this as the work of a bike thief hoping to come back for the ‘accidentally’ locked bike later… they’ve made a bit of a blunder.
“Had a weird experience last night. I locked my bike up to a bike stand on Warren Street for a couple of hours and when I returned someone had put their bike lock on my bike in addition to my own,” the rider explained.
“Thinking about it now I’m wondering if they didn’t have the tools to remove my lock as it’s a diamond standard Litelok and so wanted to stop me taking it in the meantime. Unfortunately for them they don’t seem to have realised it was a bike stand in the shape of an ‘m’ and all they managed to do was attach it to the frame of my bike and not to the frame. Any suggestions on how to remove this extra lock?”
Consensus in the comments is to ride it away and get to an angle grinder ASAP to get rid of the lock, the consensus also that this was the work of a bungling thief, not an honest mistake. Thoughts? Anyone ever had similar happen to them?
TNT Sports' woes continue as England cricket fans, including Piers Morgan, are the latest sporting fanbase disgusted by £30.99-a-month broadcast coverage... and poor Rob Hatch probably can't wait to get back to cycling commentary
Much like the English cricket team on the pitch, award-winning cycling commentator Rob Hatch, widely regarded as the best in the business when it comes to calling bike races, has had a tough old winter. Roped in to commentate on the Ashes for TNT Sports, Hatch inherited what we’d suggest was probably a bit of a poisoned chalice: England cricket fans already far from pleased with TNT’s coverage of their sport.
Things got worse when the broadcaster announced plans for much of the commentary and analysis to come from the UK… not commentators and pundits on the ground in Australia. Then, to top off the pre-series negativity, the fact Hatch and commentating colleague Alastair Ekykn (best known for his work in rugby) didn’t have a background in cricket comms meant — even if some critics were simply ignorant to Hatch’s brilliant portfolio of work — every call, line and syllable was going to be under scrutiny from the off in Perth.
The noise on social media and in sections of the press about TNT’s coverage has been near constant throughout the series, a mistake in this week’s fifth test (when Hatch commentated on a replay of a run out from moments earlier, thinking it was happening live) brought things to a head.
Cricket fans blast TNT Sports after the under-fire broadcaster makes ’embarrassing’ commentary mistake https://t.co/o1vCk28XZD
— Daily Mail Sport (@MailSport) January 7, 2026
Even Piers Morgan got involved (although, in fairness, it doesn’t take much for him to get involved): “This just about sums up the dreadful cricket on TNT Sports coverage, and is the inevitable consequence of having commentators from other sports try to wing an Ashes series from a studio in England where they don’t even know they’re watching a replay. It’s been borderline unwatchable.”
That’s the worst bit of commentary I’ve ever seen I think.
Shouting that there’s been another run out when they’re showing a replay. @cricketontnt , hang your heads in shame and give everyone their money back. pic.twitter.com/6jzm2IPePB
— Rob Barron (@MonsieurJudge) January 7, 2026
Anyway, it’s more bad press for TNT going into the second season of all cycling coverage sitting behind a £30.99-a-month paywall. It’s worth finishing by noting one aspect of TNT Sports’ cycling coverage that rarely gets criticised is Hatch, he’ll almost certainly be back performing as one of sport’s best commentators when road racing returns soon.
Do my eyes deceive me? Bike racing on roads? In the sun?
Jay Vine and Felicity Wilson-Haffenden are the new Australian national TT champs.
The Tour Down Under’s not far away now… just don’t tell road.cc Ryan… unless you really want to hear the words ‘not proper cycling’ and rants about the season not starting until Omloop.
Multiple long-serving Endura employees announce redundancies amid reports troubled cycling apparel brand is "leaving Scotland"
Today's snowy commute content comes from Paris
Rose Bikes returns to the UK, six years after halting deliveries due to Brexit... with just one gravel bike for sale
"It takes a lot to be able to compete at the highest level": Visma-Lease a Bike sports director suggests Simon Yates' retirement is due to "loss of desire"
It has been 24 hours now since Simon Yates’ shock retirement announcement, the reaction and tributes to the two-time Grand Tour winner rolling in since. While little is known about the reasoning behind Yates’ decision, Visma-Lease a Bike sports director Jesper Mørkøv has given some quotes to Danish outlet Feltet which suggests the constant grind of professional cycling may have finally caught up with the Brit.
“First of all, it’s a real shame that he’s stopping, but that’s how it is. I won’t go any further into it, but as I understand it, it’s because he himself has lost the desire,” Mørkøv told Feltet.
“It’s something that has been discussed in recent years, that it takes a lot to be able to compete at the highest level, and it’s really tough. Simon has been in the game many years, and he’s kind of gone cold on it.”
Nigel Farage claims plan to lower drink drive limit "designed by the Islington cycling classes" – as Reform UK leader says: "We're now incredibly safe on our roads"
Another new kit to reveal as Pinarello-Q36.5 add some gold touches
Brompton "optimistic" as cycling industry "normalises" – despite folding bike brand's post-tax losses doubling
Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety welcomes government's Road Safety Strategy
Here’s a statement we’ve had in from PACTS (the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety) on yesterday’s Road Safety Strategy announcement:
We welcome the UK government’s publication of the first national Road Safety Strategy in more than a decade. With nearly 30,000 people losing their lives or suffering life-changing injuries on our roads each year, the road safety community stands ready to help ensure that this strategy delivers meaningful and lasting change. Preventing these tragedies will not only spare families and friends’ profound loss but will also reduce the significant social and economic costs borne by the country.
Before the general election, more than 100 organisations united to call on all political parties to adopt a targeted, prioritised, and achievable action plan to reverse the current stagnation in road safety performance. The government has previously committed to that call, and this strategy represents an important step towards honouring that promise.
A key outcome of today’s publication will be renewed collaboration between national and local government, industry, researchers, campaigners, and communities. Working together, we can maximise the impact of the strategy and improve safety for every road user.
A strategic response to road trauma is essential to delivering the government’s broader ambitions. Road collisions cost the NHS an estimated £3 billion each year and impose a wider annual societal cost of £55 billion—around 2% of GDP. Safer travel reduces carbon emissions and opens up fairer access to education, employment, and social participation. Meanwhile, new technologies, including artificial intelligence, can expand mobility options, increase independence, bolster productivity, and help create safer streets.
The strategy contains many further commitments that will require detailed work before they can be translated into legislation, regulation, and local delivery. We look forward to working constructively with Government, Parliamentarians, and all stakeholders to ensure that this strategy puts the UK firmly back on the path towards safer roads, stronger communities, and many lives saved from harm.
Confirmed: Endura is leaving Scotland
Here’s a little bit more on one of the big stories of the day, Endura having now confirmed to us that there are to be multiple redundancies and the brand is set to move from Scotland down to London in a move to “streamline” the business.
According to Pentland, who bought the cycling clothing brand back in 2018, both Endura and outdoor clothing and equipment retailer Berghaus are set to move to a “more streamlined product process, designed to deliver innovative products to market faster and more efficiently” from a London “hub”.
Read the full story and this afternoon’s updates here.
"I really hope they didn't ride it": Cyclists baffled by £100 Facebook Marketplace bike with "razor-sharp handling"... thanks to mind-boggling front end
‘Yeah, I guess I’m selling because I never really got on with it… no, great bike… just the handling’s a bit… sharp…’
As Ryan Edwards said when sharing the snap of the baffling listing, “I really hope they didn’t ride it in this set-up.” Someone else joked it was an easy way to “tell me you don’t know what you’re selling without telling me”.
It would be a bolt upright wobbly position, or maybe you’re meant to rest your forearms on the bars… or maybe they should just be the right way around. At £100 there would probably be serious questions to be asked about where this bike came from.
With that said, we’ve seen some bizarre builds in our time, especially in the single-gear community but that reverse front end, takes the biscuit. Things continue in a rather strange way below the headtube, the back to front theme not just limited to the cockpit.
We’re not sure we want to know how this would ride, but maybe we should task the office guinea pig (sorry, I mean video editor Liam) to make an offer and give it a shot. Sorry, Liam, if you’re going to swan around London drinking £265 cups of coffee and call it work then we’re going to need you to do the messy stuff too. Get on Facebook Marketplace…
In the pursuit of trying to understand what’s gone on here, some did try to make an explanation…
“I appreciate that the whole front is spun 180° but as this is a track bike, they are generally much shorter and, as you don’t really steer a bike on the track, toe overlap is common but not an issue,” Peter Treadway tried. But… “the front wheel hitting the down tube however, not so much!”
Then again, brakes on a track bike? Those pedals? I’m trying to work out if the cable and housing for the front brake has actually been fitted to its backwards set-up… or if the cables for when it was potentially previously the right way around have just been squeezed into this reverse effort?
Anyway, don’t try at home… unless you’re road.cc Liam and we’re going to get a video for You’ve Been Framed out of it and the £250 for that coffee back from our submission*…
*Google tells me the final episode was back in 2022… do it anyway Liam, it’ll be a laugh!
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Latest Comments
Mechanical isn't simpler. It's nostalgia. If you look objectively at a mechanical derailleur, it's an amazingly complex device. And all praise to Shimano for inventing it. It does however have many ways to go wrong, mostly due to mechanical parts stretching or bending, and isn't nearly as reliable as many make out. My experience with SRAM AXS had been much better, both for daily commuting in British weather and epic tours. Personally, I wouldn't go back to mechanical for either.
On the other hand... A few short years ago, all those pros were on skinny tyres at high pressure. So were they right then or now? Don't abuse people just because they're not experts, their opinions are just as valid.
@Rendel Harris You can also use the companion app nowadays to add a route to a todo list and then it shows up on the main screen of zwift for you to select and ride.
@Rendel Harris I'm not sure, which is why I am a bit "may" and speculative. It is used for all sorts of interesting things.
@John Emms My parents in law lived (they both died in the same year two years ago) in Croydon and as they lived to a very ripe old age I made a lot of visits there over the last couple of decades and it was noticeable that bicycle use increased considerably with these new, now removed, cycle lanes. I know it's a cliche but there is still no better sentence to sum it up than "build it and they will come".
@Rendel Harris Yes. It does rather remind me of hoons who insist on pushing through a road closed sign, just to find out half a mile later that it IS closed, and have to come back. Perhaps we need a Bikeability for Pedestrians !
@mattw I am not entirely clear on the law but I'm not sure that would work, would it, because surely once the road has been closed for the race doesn't it cease to be a public highway? I would guess that a charge of reckless endangerment would have a better chance in court, carrying as it does the element of acting with a conscious disregard for human life or safety, but one would imagine in this case it would be hard to make it stick given the fact that the lady appears to have mental health issues/dementia, so it would be hard to prove she was acting consciously, and also given the fact that the organisers had not actually provided adequate barriers/stewards/warnings to stop people entering the course.
@mattw Well, yes, but that's about as efficacious as the proverbial chocolate fireguard, isn't it? "We couldn't manage to shut off both sides but we are reducing the risk of someone walking out in front of the peloton by 50% by barriering one side" is not going to be much consolation to a rider who hits someone on the course.
@ribena They could probably get a PCN under Section 127 of the Highways Act. "Wifully obstructing a Public Highway". That's the one used for Extinction Rebellion etc aiui. I think the "wear black to make us look slimmer" crowd in Dover could potentially get the same thing, if they can be identified.
Last time I was on there, during the Tour, it was still doing this, has it changed since then? Watopia plus two guest worlds. Admittedly one can ride where one chooses for workouts, but otherwise, as far as I know, the choice is still restricted. It's one of the features (no I don't want a choice between boring Richmond and boring Yorkshire), along with the XP point restrictions (if I'm paying the same as everyone else, I want to be allowed to ride the Alpe d'Huez like everyone else) that stops me having a permanent Zwift account rather than only subscribing during periods of illness and/or bad weather. It's a shame because I feel it's undoubtedly the best platform for leisure riders (serious racers probably prefer TrainerRoad or similar) who actually want something interesting to look at whilst training.
20 thoughts on ““I really hope they didn’t ride it”: Cyclists baffled by £100 Facebook Marketplace bike with “razor-sharp handling”… thanks to mind-boggling front end; Return of the mysterious London lock saga; Cricket fans join the TNT bashing + more on the live blog”
I think we all know which
I think we all know which shop it came from.
Yeah, no idea why people are
Yeah, no idea why people are even talking about the front end being backwards. Its stolen. The front end is absolutely fine if you know anything about bikes or you legitimately owned that bike…
Could this be part of the
Could this be part of the government’s road safety review?
“Lillie’s family have called for people who cause death while driving to have their licence immediately suspended.
“The main aim of Lillie’s Law is to prevent other families from enduring the torment of knowing that people who kill someone while driving are still allowed behind the wheel after causing a death,” Debbie Clack said.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn40mdg3kdmo
mitsky wrote:
There was a petition along similar lines a few years ago:
https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/548682
Perhaps it just needs the police to make greater use of their existing powers?
Re London lock saga:
Re London lock saga:
The idea that it was someone who just wanted to leave their lock there for future use seems implausible for me. It might make sense if OP had left their bike there for longer, or had parked next to another bike already attached to the rack (belonging to the owner of the other lock). But the idea that someone was passing by and decided to drop off their lock there for potential future use really makes little sense to me.
Bungling thief gets my vote.
Maybe that single speed bike
Maybe that single speed bike is for a vicar from the 1950s who likes to indulge in a spot of track racing.
Poll time: Do Q36.5 have the
Poll time: Do Q36.5 have the most boring kit in the peleton?
o Yes
o Absolutely
o ZZZzzzzz
[Vote]
I think it’s lovely, one of
I think it’s lovely, one of the few current professional kits I would consider wearing (after consideration I would decide not to because it would only draw attention to the vast discrepancy between the speed and ability of professionals and myself) – less is more! Also nice to see a professional cycling team with the name of a bike manufacturer, cycle clothing manufacturer and cycle components manufacturer on their jerseys instead of a sportswashing endorsement.
My only critism is that in
My only critism is that in Tom’s case the Red Bull helmet is such a clash that it looks as awful as Red Bull tastes.
rct wrote:
A huge bugbear of mine (yes I know I should get out more), I think it was a massive mistake to allow riders to have different helmets for individual sponsorships. Teams should all wear the same kit, with the honourable exception of WC and NC jerseys. In the case of Red Bull the one advantage of the helmet, that it was easy to pick WVA and Tom out in the peleton, has been negated by the fact that the Bora team are now all wearing them too.
On the plus side I do think the new Dogma colours for Q36.5 look superb:
Quote:
I must confess I have done this several times over the decades, usually in a rush, in the dark, locking to the other side of a black Sheffield stand with a black bike leaning against it. Fortunately I have a habit of always giving my lock a good yank after I’ve turned the key to make sure it’s locked and I’ve always realised what I’ve done and rectified matters, but I can see how it might happen.
The bigger question for me is why do people leave their helmets, often quite expensive ones, attached to their lock as in the picture? It doesn’t take a Raffles-level of criminal cunning to realise you just have to unclip the chinstrap and walk away with it…
The pic of NF is funny/ironic
The pic of NF is funny/ironic.
Is he drinking that or deporting it…?
What other “non-British” food/drink items should he be boycotting/deporting?
mitsky wrote:
He’s secretly planning on banning brown bread, brown rice, black pudding etc.
Q36.5 did a good job with
Q36.5 did a good job with their 2026 WT kit. Elegant and classy. Today I saw the INEOS outfit which is definitely ugly. The orange jersey is close to fluo, and the bib shorts are a light gray, like sick little mouse grey. Ugly, it is.
Rule #14 Shorts should be
Rule #14 Shorts should be black
I am genuinely amazed that
I am genuinely amazed that people display extreme emotions over cycling kit that other people are wearing. Looks fine to me, and makes Pidcock look like a determined and victorious cyclist, which seems correct. I’m all in favour of somebody who overtook the Frog (no, the other frog, not the racist liar) in the final few hundred yards and gave us the inestimable joy of the rest of the Frogs claiming that was cheating.
PS Pidcock’s helmet OK, apart from being adorned with ‘Red Bull’,a noxious substance consumed by morons who throw bottles out of car windows. Nothing wrong with the Ineos kit either
wtjs wrote:
The Frog is who?
The Français beaten by
The Français beaten by Pidcock at the last Olympics
With reference to Rob Hatch
With reference to Rob Hatch getting it in the neck for his commentary error, this happened in 2021 when Covid meant commentators had to work off TV pictures instead of going to the ground:
TMS stalwart Jonathan Agnew was undone by the perils of remote working in the evening session of the fourth day. Joe Root had just taken a good catch at slip to remove Wanindu Hasaranga off the bowling of Jack Leach, and Agnew could barely believe his eyes as the dismissal was seemingly repeated the very next ball.
“Here’s Leach, bowling, and the new batsman’s edged it,” said the veteran broadcaster. “Has Root caught him again? Or has it spun straight out of the rough? He has! It’s like an action replay. Exactly the same. I don’t know what [Dilruwan] Perera was doing there to his first ball, his eyes lighting up.”
It was only at this point that Agnew realised his mistake. “Or, it was a replay. It was a replay. Oh god I’m sorry. Why didn’t someone tell me?”
(Wisden website)
So Piers Morgan’s “This is what happens when you get people in from other sports” is, unsurprisingly, bollocks. For what it’s worth I’m a huge cricket fan (though not a huge TNT fan) and have watched as much of this Ashes as is consonant with being able to get anything at all done during daylight hours and Hatch has done a thoroughly competent job, in my opinion.
Agree about Rob. I have only
Agree about Rob. I have only watched on YouTube highlights but Rob’s commentary has only stood out because he is the voice of cycling!!
I did him the disservice of almost expecting him to not know fielding, or ground, positions but he has been good.