Welcome to your Monday live blog, brought to you by Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the road.cc team
Police bike theft unit disbanded: “…feeling is public do not care if their bikes get stolen”, Colombian Team Sky sponsorship looks “very unlikely”, Stravadown (again), Geraint Thomas’s cycling essentials, Copenhagen wheel spotted, Crap contraflows +more
All today’s news from the site and beyond as we start a new week…
Mon, Feb 18, 2019 16:32
SUMMARY
18 February 2019, 16:32
Weekend catch-up - this weekend we were mostly talking about...
18 February 2019, 16:32
Despite #stravadown there were still plenty of impressive uploads yesterday
And while lots of us were unable to humble-brag quite so effectively yesterday, plenty of (presumably not Garmin or Android-using) pros and famous faces were out in force to rub salt into the wounds – Andre Greipel uploaded his data from a 100 mile stage from the Tour of Oman, cyclists-turned-triathlete Cameron Wurf simply did 30 miles of ‘TT touring‘ (perhaps trying to emulate his friend Chris Froome’s 116 mile gravel ride on a Pinarello Bolide) and Romain Bardet bagged a KOM during a 95 mile epic through the South of France. We were most impressed by Sir Dave Brailsford’s efforts though (check out the pic above and the link here), consisting of a 56 mile ride in Colombia which took in the infamous Medellin to Las Palmas climb, with an average power of 229 watts and average speed of 19.7mph. It’s pretty impressive for what will be Brailsford’s downtime as he’s out managing his team for the Tour Colombia 2.1 – check out this article where Brailsford reveals the secrets of his own training, which include a mostly low carb diet and riding at a low cadence to build strength in winter.
18 February 2019, 16:32
Beijing handcycling and rowing Paralympic champion now targeting skiing
Rachel Morris MBE has told the BBC that next on her list for more Paralympic glory in Tokyo 2020 is Nordic Skiing, and the 39-year-old will become the first woman to represent Great Britain at the World Para Nordic Skiing Championship in Canada on Sunday. She said: “I’ve always wanted to do a winter sport and the opportunity just came along,”
Morris won gold in the handcycling time trial at Beijing 2008, and won bronze in the road race at London 2012.
18 February 2019, 16:32
Something felt missing from yesterday?
Here are directions for how to manually export your activity from Garmin to Strava: https://t.co/TWK2qnBnYU
— Strava Support (@StravaSupport) February 16, 2019
Well for lots of cyclists, runners, Nordic skiers or whatever people use Strava for nowadays, a whole day’s effort was virtually lost as the ‘social network for athletes’ was failing to upload activities. The saying goes if it’s not on Strava then it didn’t happen’, and it mostly seemed not to be happening for those syncing to Strava from a Garmin GPS cycle computer/watch or Android devices from having a peruse of the social media anger generated on other platforms yesterday. Strava Support were busy directing people to their manual upload instructions, a process that will now feel convoluted in the age of instant Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity. How did you cope, were you forced into reverting to the archaic method of plugging your device into a computer, or were you happy to keep your ride to yourself on this occasion? Do let us know your tales of woe in the comments, but for now here’s a selection of our favourite overreactions…
The sun’s out and basically all of the UK have gone outside and broke #strava
— Paul David Chambers (@MannersCost) February 17, 2019
When @Strava goes down on a Sunday pic.twitter.com/9q8I2hPI8Q
— Katie Mann (@realKatieMann) February 17, 2019
Crisis across the UK. Emergence of swarms of fair weather riders leads to @Strava crash and the horror of lost activities.
— Lancashire Road Club (@LancsRC) February 17, 2019
When you want to show off about your first ever 10k and Strava is down pic.twitter.com/FjBzCyMoPo
— Aimi Brookes (@Littlegingerbud) February 17, 2019
#strava is down! Can’t gloat without evidence! pic.twitter.com/nHZv46uqBb
— Kam Birring (@kambirring) February 17, 2019
18 February 2019, 16:32
The essentials according to G
Geraint Thomas now scribes for GQ magazine (a bit of a climbdown from when he landed a couple of road.cc columns back in the day of course) and has been informing their presumably less bike-orientated readership what they absolutely need to start out. His top must-have is a decent pair of padded shorts and a breathable waterproof, while he ranks glasses and helmets as slightly lower in importance in terms of finding something absolutely perfect. Puncture repair kit also features, and he recommends practising clipping in and out of cleats away from the traffic to start with to avoid comical topplings over. Brakes, tyre pressure and a well lubed chain are his three big essentials check before heading out for a ride. Read the full column here.
18 February 2019, 16:32
Brailsford says Colombia sponsorship "very unlikely" for Team Sky
Speaking to Marca, Brailsford said that any sponsorship agreement between his team and the nation of Colombia was “very unlikely” despite recent developments. Brailsford met with the Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez and a representative of the oil company Ecopetrol last week, as we reported on Friday.
The Marca report suggests that guerrilla groups sabotaging Ecopetrol pipelines recently has affected their finances, while the Colombian government would be unlikely to invest so much money in a single sport despite despite the country experiencing a cycling boom. Sky’s new recruit Ivan Sosa came second in the Tour Colombia 2.1 which concluded at the weekend, and they already have a potential Colombian star of the future in 22-year-old Egan Bernal. Despite these most recent comments, Brailsford did say it’s only a mater of time before there’s a Colombian-backed World Tour team.
18 February 2019, 16:32
Our story today on a dodgy contraflow cycle lane got you talking ...
Here are a couple that got shared on Twitter – and here is our original story.
Bike lanes of Belfast. This is Amelia St’s taxi parking *cough* bicycle contra flow lane. pic.twitter.com/QQcHkQYpNa
— Brian Shannon (@BrianShannon123) February 16, 2019
.#Leicester Granby Street ditto. pic.twitter.com/ij16t23fgR
— veloman (@veloman8) February 18, 2019
18 February 2019, 16:32
La Passione launch Livery collection of PSN jerseys
The Italians have launched their second line of PSN jerseys, made with premium dyed stretch Italian fabric. Further details have been added including colour inserts on the sleeves, reflective logos an piping along the back pockets. They’ve also released new Zenith, Magenta and Forest sock colours to match the new jerseys. See the full range on the La Passione website here.
18 February 2019, 16:32
Connor Swift gets custom National Champ version of the Genesis Zero SL Disc
Swift’s new ride looks very tasty indeed, with Dura-Ace disc brake deep rims, a Union Jack print on the chainstays, fork and seat tube and of course, a super slammed and extra-long stem. He’s still using a rim brake custom Genesis Zero SL from 2018, but wanted the disc option too it seems.
18 February 2019, 16:32
British Transport police is disbanding its bike crime unit in London and the SE to focus on violent crime
British Transport Police (BTP) will reportedly shut down a unit dedicated to targeting bike thieves in London and the south east – so the force can concentrate on fighting violent crime instead.
A BTP source told The Sunday Times: “Cycle theft is no longer seen as a priority: the feeling is that the public do not care if their bikes get stolen.”
But the source added: “Officers on the team are angry. They see cycle theft as a major problem that will get worse without a dedicated team.”
Sam Jones, senior campaigns officer at Cycling UK, expressed disappointment at the decision.
He said: “Bicycles are not just playthings. For many people, they are the means to reach work or education, and for some, their profession is reliant on access to a bike.”
18 February 2019, 16:32
Copenhagen Wheel spotted in the wild in London
We’ve covered the Copenhagen Wheel – the rear-wheel device that is billed as turning any bike into an e-bike – a few times on road.cc over the years.
But we’d never seen one outside of a bike show until today when your correspondent, sitting in a cafe in west London, looked up and saw that tell-tale red disc on the rear wheel … and in the space of 10 seconds managed to run outside, get the camera on the phone ready, ask the rider’s permission, and snap this pic.
I only the Beast of Bodmin or Sasquatch were this obliging ….
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Jack is group editor across road.cc, off.road.cc and ebiketips, overseeing all three sites in the F-At Digital group to make sure everything’s up to scratch. He’s been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of road.cc including tech, news and video, and also contributed to ebiketips before being named editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town, and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master’s degree in print journalism, and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it’s a long story).
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Latest Comments
mattw 6 hours ago
The cyclist here needs to look into Section 142 of the Magistrates' Court Act 1980, firstly because there was no offence, and secondly because it appears that the police mislead the Court. "A magistrates’ court may vary or rescind a sentence or other order imposed or made by it when dealing with an offender if it appears to the court to be in the interests of justice to do so;] and it is hereby declared that this power extends to replacing a sentence or order which for any reason appears to be invalid by another which the court has power to impose or make." https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/43/section/142
mattw 7 hours ago
I wonder how well advised the cyclist was in Court? And in this case would cycling legal insurance cover the cost of a specialist solicitor?
mattw 7 hours ago
@quiff I would expect the police had not been trained with the change, perhaps.
Rendel Harris 7 hours ago
@courteousdriver The Highway Code does not differentiate between cars and bikes in this instance, it says that when overtaking parked cars you must give way to oncoming traffic. It's not for you to decide whether or not they have sufficient space in your opinion, you should not drive in the oncoming traffic lane if there is any oncoming traffic, full stop. Not a difficult rule to understand and one that one would have thought a self-named courteousdriver would have no trouble obeying.
mattw 7 hours ago
@mctrials23 It seems to me that the car moved closer to the kerb on his side of the road, and the cyclist was able to proceed entirely within his own lane - both at very slow speed. So there is no ground for an offence. The concerning point is that the copper thinks that the same "gap" should apply to the different types of vehicle. That's peak carbrain.
quiff 8 hours ago
Peripheral to your point, but parking facing oncoming traffic is advised against at all times, but only an offence at night, I think?
Rendel Harris 8 hours ago
@mac f 1896 If you look closely at the video you will see that the cyclist remains entirely in his own lane on his side of the white lines as he passes the oncoming vehicle, which also stays entirely within its lane. There is therefore no need for either road user to give way to the other and as they are both travelling at low speeds there is no danger to themselves or to any other road users. I would love to see a transcript of the magistrates' court proceedings as prima facie there is no justification in law for the guilty finding or for the penalty imposed.
chrisonabike 8 hours ago
@perce pedantry but I think Séamus Ennis would be scunnered with that ... had he not been Irish... (Uilleann pipes are bagpipes of course, though personally I'd much rather those - or small pipes - than the GHB)
HoarseMann 8 hours ago
@quiff I think you are probably right here - but - is that _really_ being inconsiderate to the oncoming driver? Looking again at the video, the oncoming driver appears to be over the centre line when approaching the parked vehicle and just seems to be straightening the bend a little, so you would expect them to be moving towards the kerb anyway. As driving interactions go, it's about as benign as it gets. I expect the magistrate has never ridden a bicycle, but I also wonder if they've ever driven a car?!
chrisonabike 9 hours ago
Thanks - I only had a quick peek on Streetview and I'm glad it works for locals, but it looked like "you say 'shared used facility', I say 'same old not-over-generous footway now with the odd blue sign". We don't need cycle paths absolutely everywhere, but looking at the size of the road, where it goes and runs though I would be thinking more like this (minus parked cars): https://maps.app.goo.gl/gswbQefKzc47nEJm8 Or... declare it an urban freeway and get rid of the junctions and houses next to it! Maximum flow...
9 thoughts on “Police bike theft unit disbanded: “…feeling is public do not care if their bikes get stolen”, Colombian Team Sky sponsorship looks “very unlikely”, Stravadown (again), Geraint Thomas’s cycling essentials, Copenhagen wheel spotted, Crap contraflows +more”
For the avoidance of any
For the avoidance of any doubt: I’d care if my bike was stolen, and I’d be f-ing furious if I discovered that there was no chance of recovering it because the powers that be had decided to close a unit dedicated to that recovery…
(Yes, I know most forces don’t even have such a dedicated team; that makes it even more stupid that btp are closing theirs)
There’s a difference between
There’s a difference between not caring about your bike being stolen and believing that, after many years of ineptitude, the police and courts are so fucking useless that there’s no point reporting it.
I did actually experience the rare joy of having a stolen bike recovered, albeit with many hundreds of pounds worth of damage. The thief went to court, was found guilty and ordered to pay me back £2 a week, which he never did. I was told he didn’t pay his fine either.
A vlogger now based in
A vlogger now based in Bristol used the Copenhagen wheel.
Connor Swift’s Genesis was painted in Bristol too.
https://www.instagram.com/businessasusual.cc/p/BuCU6tbgSxq/
I’d be gutted if I bought a
I’d be gutted if I bought a copy of GQ on the back of that Thomas column
I’ve had 2 bikes stolen and
I’ve had 2 bikes stolen and reported them both and about all the local police do is check if they’ve been taken to the local cash converters or equivalent, they then contact you a couple of times to say they’ve made no progress and then it gets put on file and nothing more done
I’ve had 2 bikes stolen and
I’ve had 2 bikes stolen and reported them both and about all the local police do is check if they’ve been taken to the local cash converters or equivalent, they then contact you a couple of times to say they’ve made no progress and then it gets put on file and nothing more done
You covered a handcycling
You covered a handcycling item…?
You remembered we exist!? Nobody remembers we exist, holy shit.
Can we see more mention in your general guides to things going forward, as well as remembering to mention, when covering a lot of the crap off kickstarter, much of which very much deserves a mocking, what might seem useless to most people is often actually really good for us lot?
Bike theft in France is over
Bike theft in France is over half a million per annum and that’s the reported ones, it was one of the reasons put forward for the proposal to register bikes, ludicrous that it was.
I’ve been lucky I suppose, not had a bike stolen since the mid 80s but mater had her bike pinched (an xmas present from me) whilst locked up to a drain pipe outside the care home she was volunteering at. The bastards basically ripped the drain pipe off the wall of the care home building so they could steal it, pointless reporting it to police because there’s two hope’s of them doing anything and like the chances of getting the bike bike one of those Hope’s died a long while ago.
One upside is that police are looking into violent crime, so that will be the thousands of violent crimes against people on bikes every day right? Yeah thought not you weak as piss tossers!
The British Transport Police
The British Transport Police are lying through their teeth. They are disbanding the bike theft unit for the same reason that the Met suddenly developed a belief that foxes have opposable thumbs and skill in the use of a scalpel – not to mention the ability to arrange cat corpses in a manner designed to cause maximum upset. That reason is money.