Hackney closes 20 roads to through-traffic; Wiggins gets fit on Brighton seafront; COVID-19 “cycling like a shark” says PM; Police appeal to find MCR cyclist after collision with pedestrian; Confrontation with a fisherman; And So We Rode film + more
SUMMARY
Accidental confrontation with a fisherman
During a recent ride, InternationElles team manager Louise Gibson came across a fisherman who seems to have been inclined to see the worst in people.
Be careful what you say to fishermen during these crazy times 🤣🐠🦠 pic.twitter.com/BTCWagRtSW
— Louise Gibson (loukew) (@lougloug) June 28, 2020
Van der Poel has an eye on Paris-Roubaix
Mathieu van der Poel and some of his Alpecin-Fenix teammates did a recon of some of the 2020 Paris-Roubaix route yesterday.
You can dissect his ride and positions on various Strava leaderboards here.
Police appeal to find Manchester cyclist after pedestrian hit while crossing cycle lane later died in hospital
Greater Manchester police (GMP) have launched an appeal to find a cyclist who was involved in a collision in Didsbury on June 20.
The Guardian reports that the collision took place at 4.35pm near Didsbury library on Wilmslow Road.
GMP believe the pedestrian, a 56-year-old man, was hit while crossing the cycle lane. At that point on the route, the lane is only painted. Segregation begins 100m or so further up the road.
The pedestrian suffered serious head injuries and died in hospital a week later.
The cyclist stopped after the collision, but police weren’t contacted until June 27, so officers do not have his details.
Sergeant Andrew Page, of GMP’s serious collision investigation unit, said: “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts and sympathies are with the loved ones of the man at this desperately sad time.
“We recognise the cyclist will be unaware of the sad developments since the collision occurred but we appeal to him directly to get in touch with us and help establish the circumstances so we can fully understand how this incident happened.
“Anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who could have dash cam footage of the incident should also contact police as this would significantly aid our inquiries.”
According to the most recent figures from the Department for Transport, 531 pedestrians were hit by cyclists in 2018, while 23,805 pedestrians were hit by motor vehicles.
Trailer: And So We Rode
What do a pair of unemployed cyclists do when they can’t race?
When team Aqua Blue Sport suddenly folded in 2018, Larry Warbasse and Conor Dunne went bikepacking through the Alps.
A new film, produced by The Cycling Podcast, tells the story of their trip.
Here’s the trailer.
And so we rode from Cycling Podcast Productions Ltd on Vimeo.
You can also hear their original audio diary that gave rise to the film here.
road.cc Ride Your Socks Off - thanks for coming!
Thanks to the nearly 70 riders who turned out for the road.cc Ride Your Socks Off! event on Zwift last night. We had a lovely blast round Central Park, gave away some socks and then had an impromptu race up the final climb. Congratulations to Peter Willenborg who was in the right place at the right time; some socks are off to you in Frankfurt. If you want to join us next week it’s a D-category week, so that means a flatter route and a gentler pace. We’ll probably still do a race at the end though!
Driver pulls over and punches cyclist near Alton Towers
Staffordshire Police are appealing for witnesses after a motorist got out of his car to punch a cyclist in Willridding Lane, Ellastone, at around 5pm on June 22.
A spokesperson said: “Police are appealing for witnesses after reports a man was attacked while riding his bike in Ellastone.
“Officers are asking people to come forward with information about the suspect vehicle after a male, described as in his late 20s, is reported to have got out of his car and punched the cyclist having almost forced him off the road on Willriding Lane at around 5pm on Monday, June 22.”
You can contact police on 101, via social media, or by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The incident reference number is 464 of June 22.
Tiny Canary Wharf car sports sticker warning cyclists not to filter
It’s one thing seeing stickers warning cyclists about filtering up an HGV’s near side.
It’s quite another seeing this.
Genuinely cannot believe my eyes, just seen a “Cyclists stay away from this vehicle” sticker on a car that is literally smaller than my armspan. I could hug this vehicle. pic.twitter.com/c1ZFcL2nE9
— Random Beef Generator (@angryaboutbikes) June 30, 2020
I spotted it when I was forced to move out into traffic due to it being parked on double yellow lines and I was riding on the road due to there being no cycle paths around Canary Wharf. Not surprising, Canary Wharf Group lobbied HARD against the embankment cycleway.
— Random Beef Generator (@angryaboutbikes) June 30, 2020
Coronavirus only competing in virtual races at the minute
Due to itself.
Shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone...
A new bottle cage and new chain lube. What a Tuesday treat. Though you must promise to not tell anyone about the super-secret chain lube.
Super Secret Chain Lube
Originally launched on their website, the first two batches sold out rather quickly and Silca’s new wax-based lube is onto the third batch, so they’re obviously not doing a great job of keeping quiet about it.
Promising “all of the super speed and silent running of a hot-melt wax-dipped chain to a drip applied wax, providing all of the benefits of a wax minus all the hassles,” the new lube is “for those who are looking to maximize performance through friction reduction or anyone who loves a silent running bicycle.”
It’s one of those lubes where you need to completely strip the chain of oil before application and a 120ml bottle will set you back $25.
Sicuro Titanium Bottle Cage
Silca also says that they’ve improved the Sicuro titanium bottle cage by adding 7mm of fore-aft adjustment for “a better fit on small frames as well as full-suspension frames.”
The cage is constructed from seamless 3 to 2.5mm titanium tubing and comes with a 25-year warranty.
MEN draws criticism for coverage of fatal collision between cyclist and pedestrian
The Manchester Evening News has been criticised for the way it covered the collision in Didsbury that we reported on earlier. Or, more accurately, the newspaper’s been criticised for the way it covers other collisions, involving motorists and cyclists. The news editor replied to say people should email him with complaints.
Morning. If you have a complaint, you can email me – todd.fitzgerald@menmedia.co.uk.
— Todd Fitzgerald (@TFitzgeraldMEN) June 30, 2020
However, the region’s cycling and walking commissioner doesn’t seem satisfied with that response.
As the News Editor Todd, in the interests of fair and unbiased reporting, I’d have hoped you’d want to look into the way these tragedies are being framed of your own volition https://t.co/IivXaswv8D
— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) June 30, 2020
People were cheering outside Greg Van Avermaet's house after he won the Virtual Tour of Flanders
Apparently.
He doesn’t say how many.
Enough to warrant a plural, obviously, but maybe not too many more than that.
Olympic champion @gregvanavermaet believes in the future of virtual cycling. Find out why. 🤔@UCI_cycling @TeamBelgium pic.twitter.com/xxqhiO9Dir
— Olympic Channel (@olympicchannel) June 30, 2020
Cycling’s ridden its way into Country Life
Cycling has materialised in a few unexpected publications in recent months.
It’s Country Life this week.
Rosie and Jim: The seven rules of cycling that no cyclist will ever tell you https://t.co/Y4jnwmy9M6 pic.twitter.com/7UbfgkJpwH
— Country Life (@Countrylifemag) June 30, 2020
We’ve also had Alexa Chung’s guide to cycling in style in the FT; Vogue’s done a couple of similar stories; while the London Evening Standard yesterday published a Best Cycling Socks of 2020 piece.
Let us know if you’ve seen any others.
Hackney closes 20 roads to through-traffic
Hackney is set to close 20 roads to through-traffic to aid social distancing and to support walking and cycling.
70% of people in Hackney do not own a car.
🗞️ We’re closing another 20 roads to through-traffic to support people to 🚶♀️ and 🚴🏿 as traffic increases post-lockdown
Residents and businesses will be able to have their say on the closures before a decision is made on whether to make them permanenthttps://t.co/40zz0rH2Vu
— Hackney Council (@hackneycouncil) June 30, 2020
Nine of the closures will create new low traffic neighbourhoods in Hoxton West, and the Haggerston and London Fields area.
The other 11 are residential areas commonly used as rat-runs by drivers keen to avoid main roads.
Only pedestrians, cyclists and emergency vehicles will be allowed to pass through.
The measures will be trialled for 18 months before a decision on whether to make them permanent.
The Barnabas Road closure, which was introduced last month, is now being enforced by camera.
Anyone driving through the closure – which is fully signposted with Department for Transport approved signs – will face a fine of £130 from Monday, reduced to £65 if paid within two weeks.
Basildon Council are really splashing out on cycling
Made the mistake of reading the minutes of my local @essexhighways panel to gauge the extent of their cycling ambitions… pic.twitter.com/XiVBvxee0n
— Dave Walker (@davewalker) June 30, 2020
Footage shows stream of Lewisham motorists driving down pavement to enter "low traffic neighbourhood"
This is perhaps why Hackney is using cameras to enforce its low traffic neighbourhoods. (See below.)
Low traffic neighbourhood / modal filters on Upwood Road, Lewisham. pic.twitter.com/qlTDP5TSYS
— Tom Edwards (@BBCTomEdwards) June 30, 2020
More on this later today.
Close pass signage
Good to see clear messaging on our roads in north Wales advising drivers not to go. Da iawn @GoSafeCymru @RoadSafetyWales #toocloseforcomfort https://t.co/3jM9VyXyYV pic.twitter.com/Bb7vi2WUeE
— Cycling UK Cymru (@CyclingUK_Wales) June 30, 2020
Rental e-scooters to be legal on UK roads from Saturday
The BBC reports that rental e-scooters are expected to become legal on UK roads from Saturday.
Privately owned e-scooters will not be legal.
The move’s part of the effort to ease pressure on public transport and keep as many cars as possible off the roads.
Mandatory helmets and a speed limit of 15mph are expected to be among the rules.
We’ll be covering this in full on our sister site, ebiketips.
Bradley Wiggins on fitness kick in Brighton
Bradley Wiggins was off to the South Coast yesterday – and no surprises that it was Brighton where the Tour de France winner and five-time Olympic champ who is cycling’s most famous Mod was headed.
He was there to get some fitness training in with his coach and posted some pictures to Instagram as well as a video which with its slow motion, definitely needs some Chariots of Fire music, we reckon (although the iconic scene in that film was actually shot in St Andrews).
30 June 2020, 08:32
30 June 2020, 08:32
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With so many people using and looking at mobie phones whilst driving and other distractions, may I suggest you always wear Hi viz and stay at home.
The design of the "car" has played a role in this. SUVs and what the Americans call "trucks" are exempt from the pedestrian safety regulations which apply to passenger cars. Had the victim been hit by a car designed in the past twenty years he would have been "scooped" onto the bonnet and either over the roof or off to one side. Still a serious injury risk and potentially fatal but they have the benefit of those passive safety systems to improve their chances. With vehicles with such a high bonnet line as this Volvo has what tends to happen is the person bounces off the bonnet and falls on the road in front of the vehicle where they're then run over. This has happened time and time again and is becoming more of an issue as the numbers of vehicles exempt from the safety standards grows.
@Accessibility for all Reducing the speeds wouldn't have helped in this case as the driver was reported doing 65 in a 40 zone on the approach to the junction, his driving described by the witnesses as erratic and evidently had no intention to stop to give way even though he had been warned by the passenger who apparently shouted "bike" three times just before the collision. He would have likely flown through that junction even if it was traffic light controlled with a red light for him at the time. In my own experience the entire area i.e. east of Lymm towards Warburton and along Dunham Road all the way up to Altrincham and past into Hale Barns, all those wealthy, posh settlements around Manchester Airport are best avoided by road cyclists. A disproportionally high number of psycho drivers must for some reason live in that area because every single time I went there on my road bike in the past, I either got harassed myself or witnessed proper dickhead driving - speeding, close passes, overtaking into oncoming traffic or round a blind bend, accelerating towards pedestrians already crossing the road, you name it. I gave up road cycling in that area years ago and only use the local TPT these days.
In respect of the murder charge: based on him hitting Mr Mullins and making no attempt to help him (this killing him), how would the case compare to a hit and run driver who seriously injures or kills a cyclist, knowingly, and flees the scene without helping? Would this make the cut for a murder charge? Or is there something very different going on here that I’m missing? Genuinely curious because I don’t recall there being a murder charge before for this kind of thing unless it was premeditated. In fact, in my experience most cases like this seem to go the opposite way - where the driver can merely say the sun was in their eyes and get away with a slap on the hands.
@Rendel Harris...and there was me dishing out the praise!
@polainm He must also be an already hardened criminal. It wasn't mentioned during the court proceedings to avoid influencing the jurors and ensuring he had a fair trial, but he had been released from prison shortly before this incident and was couch surfing at his cousin's house days before. Just look at his face, he's only 35, but looks older than his victim who was 56. Must have spent half his adult life in prison.
@jaymack They did offer him manslaughter though but he declined to plead guilty. Without wanting to seem curmudgeonly, yes great that they preferred the most serious charges but hard to see how they could have done differently considering that Richardson got out of the car, saw Mr Mullins was stuck underneath and then got back in and carried on. That clearly moved it above anything that falls under death by dangerous driving.
@thrawed Agree - the UK winters are utterly grim; grey, wet & windy. Not the type of weather you really want to go out and ride. Everything get covered in filth, and takes time to clean it after a ride. Oh for colder, drier & crisper days which can be enjoyable to be out in.
@ymm In my view, lax sentencing of dangerous drivers, especially where cyclists are involved, makes the judge, jury and CPS complicit in UK driver culture. This driver is a sociopath.
@Mr Blackbird i reckon the libido is a bit overrated. I'd let that go rather than a limb or a nice bike.
35 thoughts on “Hackney closes 20 roads to through-traffic; Wiggins gets fit on Brighton seafront; COVID-19 “cycling like a shark” says PM; Police appeal to find MCR cyclist after collision with pedestrian; Confrontation with a fisherman; And So We Rode film + more”
Aren’t all fishermen
Aren’t all fishermen miserable? I thought it was their defining trait. Be interesting to find out whether they become miserable through fishing or go fishing because they’re miserable.
And they all drive white vans
And they all drive white vans for a living. Not that I’m stereotyping!
eburtthebike wrote:
They might just be miserable from following current events.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Aren’t all fishermen miserable? I thought it was their defining trait. Be interesting to find out whether they become miserable through fishing or go fishing because they’re miserable.
— hawkinspeter They might just be miserable from following current events.— eburtthebikeClearly a staged photo, designed to mislead; squirrels don’t eat fish. I’m reporting you to fb.
eburtthebike wrote:
Like a sad fisherman, you’re out of line.
There’s no plaice for this –
There’s no plaice for this – it’s the fin end of the wedge; it will escalate and we’ll all be caught up in it.
I was starting to get bored
I was starting to get bored of fish jokes, but now I’m hooked.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Reminds me of my all time favourite joke. You’ll regret reading any further. No, you will.
Me “Name three fish beginning and ending with the letter K”
You, “Can’t think of any”
Me “Killer Shark”
You “OK”
Me “Kwiksave Haddock”
You “Groan”
Me “Kilmarnock”
You “Kilmarnock’s not a fish”
Me “But it’s a place in Scotland”
You just gotta respect your
You just gotta respect your elvers Peter!
Never debait a fisherman
Never debait a fisherman
hawkinspeter wrote:
Fishing for compliments? Or spelling lessons?
At last, a use for the furry
At last, a use for the furry little feckers!
I walked past a couple of
I walked past a couple of fishermen the other day and noticed that one of them had a huge pile of fish and the other one had hardly any. They were both using what looked like insects as bait, so I asked the more successful one why he had so many more.
“You see those ants that bloke is using? …They’re ants taken from woodlands, whereas these ants that I’m using are taken from riverbanks – they’re much more a fish-ant.”
I don’t see the problem with
I don’t see the problem with that car sticker – it’s only fair to warn people cycling that the slightest gust of wind could waft the car into their spokes.
Baby Shark doo doo, doo doo
Baby Shark doo doo, doo doo doo doo
I assume the shark is an air
I assume the shark is an air bag as there doesn’t seem to be any other way of stopping, unless it has hidden chub brakes
Cyclecynic wrote:
It’s a fixie. Clearly intended for use in a velodrome and therefore doesn’t need a front brake.
Boris “cycling like a shark”?
Boris “cycling like a shark”? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1I7btYlbfA
I see for hire escooters will
I see for hire escooters will be legal at the w/e.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53219331
The only good thing is that people will hate these riders more than cyclists.
I did think that, are we
I did think that, are we going to start to see “Why can’t escooter riders behave more like cyclists?” comments?
At least Basildon Local
At least Basildon Local Highway Council are honest; cyclists literally are worth nothing. Or is Basildon already a cyclists’ heaven, and so perfect that they don’t need to spend any more?
I hope Dave Walker and other local cyclists are agitating most firmly about the lack of imagination, ambition and funding for cycling.
Well done Hackney! Without
Well done Hackney! Without wishing to stir up* the tory apologists, guess which party controls it?
This is the kind of imaginitive thinking and actions that all councils should be doing, but despite Boris’ rhetoric, it seems to be far more difficult for tory councils to indulge in.
*Bolox; of course I do.
Well if it eases your
Well if it eases your political conscience 😉 Suffolk county council is Tory led and here are their plans https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/active-travel-improvements-for-cycling-and-walking/
Awavey wrote:
That’s impressive, but I note that they are only plans; did any of them actually happen?
Aiui the page lists the
Aiui the page lists the majority of changes that have been enacted already under the active travel spaces section,there are minor changes happening that dont seem to get mentioned so can never quite sure if its coincidental or not. But at least 10 roads have been closed already to motorised through traffic in Ipswich with planters blocking them,with that number growing weekly. Apparently Sustrans have been providing them with guidance on what to do. Whether it delivers the full 148 routes it promises,we wait and see. But compared to their near neighbours in Norfolk or Essex for that matter, virtual silence on the issue,certainly those councils arent pushing or promoting it as hard even if again minor changes are happening on the ground.
What would lead people to so
What would lead people to so blatantly drive around a “seriously, guys, road closed!” sign-and-barrier like that? Has Lewisham fostered a particularly hands-off enforcement policy over the years?
Get with the programme: they
Get with the programme: they’re cyclists riding Car Shaped Objects & go on the pavement all the time!
Maybe in true Council ‘efficiency’ the barriers are too heavy for the pavement?
I live in the next borough
I live in the next borough across, Southwark. It honestly is Wild West around here sometimes – just at the weekend my wife and I were waiting (on bikes) at a red light on a roadworks contraflow in Peckham; while we were waiting half a dozen drivers drove up, stopped, clocked there was no oncoming traffic so drove straight through. The last one did encounter an oncoming car, so stopped nose to nose with it and leaned on his horn until it backed up.
Virtually every “Near miss of the day” on here is something one encounters four or five times in a ten mile ride in London, every day of the week.
How will the police know if
How will the police know if the scooter is a legal hired one or not? Given that it’s going to be hard to tell, this is a licence to ride one without fear of consequences. All you’d need is a fake hire form, which any teenager could bash out in about thirty seconds.
And will the police even care
And will the police even care? There have been people zipping around the footpaths and roads of central Bristol on electric scooters and those weird single wheel electric things for years and I’ve never seen one get stopped.
A lot of the scooters will be
A lot of the scooters will be branded – like the share bikes. But anyway this will be so far down the list of priorities for the Police that it won’t matter where the scooter comes from. They have been buzzing around London for years – and they are supposed to be illegal.
Regarding the piece about the
Regarding the piece about the way the MEN reported the Didsbury collision I find it ironic that Road.cc have themselves made the same mistake by finishing off their report in exactly the same way “According to the most recent figures from the Department for Transport, 531 pedestrians were hit by cyclists in 2018, while 23,805 pedestrians were hit by motor vehicles.”
If a cycling website shows the same bias as the mainstream press what hope is there for fair coverage?
That’s not in the same league
That’s not in the same league as headlining that a “man suffers serious head injuries after falling from bike”, with no mention of the car (or motorist) being involved until halfway down the page.
I have less time for the somewhat pedantic issue with car/motorist vs bike/cyclist. Truth is, in a collision, what hurts is the meeting of car with cyclist. We tend not to collide with the motorist. It’s generally understood that the car was piloted by a motorist.
In your example, the pedestrians were hit by cars (not motorists). In the bicycle collisions likely the cyclist themselves also impacted the pedestrians.
Being ‘hit by a motorist’ tells a different story, like they got out and thumped you.
Change it to ‘531 pedestrians
Change it to ‘531 pedestrians were hit by cycles’ and the whole thing is depersonalized. Change instead to ’23, 805 pedestrians were hit by drivers of motor vehicles’.
There’s a story going around
There’s a story going around in the current news cycle where a child was killed and their mother injured after a car went into a charity shop in Scotland.
I’ve looked at various outlets, and yet as far as I can tell the car was acting entirely independently and of its own volition.
There are reported calls from the police for cctv footage of the incident, and witnesses talking about what happened, but no mention of a driver being arrested or questioned or taken away by paramedics.
In point of fact, no comments about a driver at all.