“Sheer incompetence or the continuing war against motorists?” Drivers claim cycle hangar is “deliberately” blocking two car parking spaces; Thieves caught taking hammer to Bee Bikes; (Don’t) paint the bike lane black; Froome plans + more on the live blog

Yeah and it don't pay road tax !, I would have made it bigger like those horrendous wa*kpanzer suv thing's that take up 10 spaces and park 3 miles from the kerb !

— paul kimmings (@paulkimmings) November 8, 2022

Today’s main story on the blog, about Brighton’s contentious overhanging cycle hangar, has certainly got people chatting in the comments section and on the soon-to-be dead bird app.

“The Cycle Hangar holds six bikes, so arguably it frees up four parking spaces, if residents do the right thing,” noted road.cc reader Legin (though I’m not sure that kind of solid maths work will catch on within the anti-cycling infra community).

While Rakia expressed little sympathy for Brighton’s residents and said that the new cycle hangar is “an eyesore”, Patrick9-32 responded: “Do you think a row of parked cars is anything but an eyesore? The bike shed is absolutely no uglier than a car sitting in that same space, we are just used to the cars so we don't see how ugly they are. What the shed does is allow 10 people not to have a car which overall massively improves the aesthetics of the area and makes it easier for those who keep their cars to park too. Everyone wins.”

I mean, you could fit a smart car in there. Or a motorbike or two. Equally, it's hard to understand why parking spaces are overlapping the dropped curb too.

— Lee Davies (@leejdavies) November 8, 2022

Car Delenda Est also clearly isn’t a fan of Brighton Bill and the others complaining about the hangar, writing: “When you're so entitled you think it's your parking space rather than the council's, and you think your vehicle is the only valid road vehicle.”

“I would agree that if the hangar had been sited slightly further to the left, it might have reduced unnecessary conflict,” says OnYerBike.

“I would suggest the fact that the marked parking bay extend to partially block the path into the park is in itself a mistake – but judging from that photo the hanger could have been moved further left so as to not block the path but whilst still leaving (most) of the second parking space available.

“I daresay the Council knows better than Mr Young what the demand for the hangars is, and that if people are paying for permits to use the hangars, then I expect they will be using them. I find it telling that Mr Young thinks the public road is an appropriate place to store private motor vehicles, but not to store bicycles.”

Hard to disagree. It just breeds more division.

— Gracie Britton (@CyclingJoo) November 8, 2022

Moist von Lipwig also noted that “literally opposite that bike hanger there’s a parking space dedicated to 4 motorbikes – any complaints about that reducing car parking? Or is it just transport without engines that is a problem?”

Finally, Argos74 agreed with Brighton’s motoring community that the whole thing was “absolute madness”, and came up with a simple, effective elegant answer: “Two bike hangars. That’s what it needs. Can't believe no-one’s pointed out the obvious solution.”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Omar Di Felice (@omardifelice)

This time last year, ultra-distance cyclist Omar de Felice had just finished cycling the 2,000km from Milan to Glasgow, home to the COP26 summit, to demonstrate the bike’s potential as the vehicle of the future.

Next week, the 41-year-old will once again take on a 2,000km-long ride – but this time in slightly different conditions.

The Italian endurance rider will set off from Hercules Inlet, in western Antarctica, cycle to the south pole, before continuing on to reach Leverett Glacier.

If de Felice completes his journey, which he estimates will take around 60 days, he will become the first person to complete a coast-to-coast crossing of Antarctica on a bike (two people have previously ridden the 1,250km from Hercules Inlet to the south pole but no one has ventured further).

> Britain's Maria Leijerstram becomes first person to cycle to South Pole

“I know that it will be a really hard challenge,” Di Felice told the Guardian this week. “I’m not sure I will be able to do so – because it’s very hard. But I just want to try, it’s an attempt. It’s a hard attempt, but why not try?

“I hope that I am ready for the most extreme adventure of my life,” says the Italian, who will be riding a customised Wilier fat bike, which has helped develop over the past 18 months, during his attempt.

“Everyone I speak with says I’m crazy, it’s impossible, the bike won’t go over because of the deep snow and the wind. It’s very hard for cycling – but I’ll just go and explore and find out for myself whether it’s possible or not.”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Avventure Nel Mondo (@viaggiavventurenelmondo.it)

Di Felice, who will be pulling a sled carrying his tent, food, supplies and heaps of warm clothing as he rides alone, hopes his epic adventure will “raise awareness about climate change”.

“The bicycle is the best vehicle to tell the story of climate change and raise awareness about reducing our carbon footprint,” he notes.

“We can change the world if we use the bike every day. To go to work, to go to school, even to have some extreme journeys. My will is to show people that with the bike we can do everything – we can even go to Antarctica.”

Snow joke… (I’ll get my coat.)

More car parking-themed news on today’s live blog, as Leicester City Council has confirmed that it is scrapping plans to introduce a city-wide workplace parking levy.

The scheme, a similar version of which has been operating in Nottingham for the last decade, would have seen firms with more than 10 car parking spaces obliged to pay £550 a year for each space.

However, the BBC reports that, following a consultation that garnered over 4,000 responses, the council has said that current economic situation has made the plans unviable.

Leicester’s deputy mayor, Adam Clarke, said scrapping the policy now means that the council “won’t have the funding needed to radically improve public transport”, but that it “will continue to focus on cleaning the air and reducing Leicester’s carbon footprint”.

“We could not foresee the political uncertainty and dire economic situation the country is facing today [when the levy was first proposed],” he said.

“We have concluded that we cannot implement a [levy] during this ongoing national cost-of-living crisis, which is causing such uncertainty and concern for so many people and businesses.”

I have nothing to say. 1.5C not feasible, cars an absolute menace for cities, poor health, poor productivity etc etc... https://t.co/OPpgNFthgn pic.twitter.com/p8wQKSrew4

— Cllr Damian Haywood 💙 🌹 (@bigdamo) November 8, 2022

Richard Taylor, from the trade union GMB (a firm opponent of the plans), welcomed the council’s decision.

“A workplace parking levy is a backwards and un-progressive solution to the problems Leicester faces, pushing the burden of Conservative government cuts to council budgets on to the working people that keep our city running,” Taylor said.

Back in the day they used to just give you a clock when you retired. But hey, it’s the 2020s now…

🇮🇹 Sonny Colbrelli had to retire from pro cycling. He had no choice, he was obliged to.@sonnycolbrelli loves this sport so much, he even put a tattoo on his arm with a special meaning to him. No one will ever take away his Paris-Roubaix victory.

Heartbreaking… 💔 pic.twitter.com/bDNAUb9DH4

— Domestique (@Domestique___) November 8, 2022

> "A risk that I cannot afford to take": Sonny Colbrelli retires from racing aged 32 after unstable cardiac arrhythmia diagnosis 

When he’s not showing off his rocksteady percussion skills, four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome has spent the autumn weighing up his future as a professional cyclist – though the 37-year-old is adamant he’s not going anywhere just yet.

Speaking to Spanish sports paper MARCA at the recent ASO-organised Saitama Critérium in Japan, the Israel–Premier Tech veteran said that he has been encouraged by his progress in 2022, three years on from his career-threatening crash at the Criterium du Dauphiné.

A strong third place on Alpe d’Huez at this year’s Tour de France, behind winner Tom Pidcock, arguably marked Froome’s best showing on the road since his recovery from that horrific Dauphiné crash. However, a bout of Covid-19 hindered his form ahead of the Vuelta a España, while the former Sky leader’s season was abruptly curtailed when he was doored by a motorist on the way home from a training ride in September.

> Chris Froome doored on way home from training ride, sustains minor injuries

Despite 2022’s bumpy ending, Froome remains pleased with his progress in training and in races, and said he felt like a “neo-pro” this year after two stuttering post-crash seasons.

“If we talk about winning the Tour de France again, I am not thinking about that,” Froome told MARCA. “The dream is still there, but it’s difficult. I am only focusing on following the process.

“I am a person who likes challenges and the process,” he told the Spanish sports daily. “I am on that road and I am working toward it. I suffered a terrible crash that almost forced me out of cycling and I have managed to come back.

“Now things are different. This year I was motivated by some of my performances, but for different reasons, I didn’t have the opportunity to truly show where I am at.”

ASO/Pauline Ballet

The 37-year-old, who last secured the overall victory at a grand tour in 2018, at the Giro d’Italia, continued: “This year was the first year since the accident that I haven’t had any problems. From my comeback to now, it was like I was a neo-pro. Now I want to have simple challenges, like having a long period without any problems or targeting a stage win.

“After the accident, I feel like I am taking some steps. I don’t know how far I will get, but I am still motivated to keep improving.”

Turning to 2023, Froome said: “This season is going to be the year of truth. To really know where I am.”

And on the subject of car parking spaces…

An American car in the Netherlands pic.twitter.com/Iz7lT3sQEz

— Hackney Cyclist (@Hackneycyclist) November 7, 2022