“It’s like the aftermath of a Harry Potter battle – broken wands everywhere”: Drivers versus cycle lane ‘protection’; “Scotland leading the way on active travel,” says Cycling UK; Lance v Vino, the rematch; New kit day; Bling bikes + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Zwift user tries the gym (and a joke)
Ach, it’s Friday…
Lance and Vino, the rematch: This time, it’s on Twitter
The irony of Astana supremo and convicted blood doper Alexander Vinokourov sacking one of his star riders, Miguel Ángel López, for allegedly being linked to a shady doctor hasn’t been lost on many onlookers.
Including, it seems, one of Vino’s old Tour de France rivals (who you may have heard of):
Wait, Vino still around and in charge? JFC. https://t.co/varjWc7096
— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) December 16, 2022
I hate it admit it, but Big Tex may have a point when it comes to professional cycling’s ex-doper redemption lottery…
New kit klaxon: Israel-Premier Tech unveil funky new “abstract” kit
Who doesn’t love #NewKitDay?! 🔥
We’ve gone for something a little different for 2023. Blue and white with a splash of new color, and our star and P monogram on the back to help us stand out!
Find out more about the inspiration behind our EKOÏ kit 👉 https://t.co/3I76htoi0K pic.twitter.com/whGxuN8cko
— Israel – Premier Tech / Israel Cycling Academy (@IsraelPremTech) December 16, 2022
They may have dropped down to ProTeam division after ignominiously succumbing to cycling’s first ever WorldTour relegation battle, but Israel-Premier Tech are certainly stepping up a level when it comes to the sick threads they’ll be rocking in 2023 (in this humble writer’s opinion, of course. Your mileage for watered down psychedelica may vary).
Rather than taking inspiration from a Jimi Hendrix solo, Israel-Premier Tech’s manager Kjell Carlström says that the squad’s blue ‘change strip’ for this year’s Tour de France – worn with great aplomb by stage winners Simon Clarke and Hugo Houle – prompted the team to overhaul the rather mundane, business-like white jersey of recent years.
Hugo Houle on his way in blue to winning stage 16 of the 2022 Tour de France (Zac Williams/SWPix.com)
“When it came to designing our 2023 kit, we wanted to do something a little different,” Carlström said.
“Our Racing For Change kit at the Tour de France was a huge success and, in our opinion, one of the best kits in the peloton in recent years. So we figured, why not do something a bit different all season long.
Our core blue and white but with a twist!
Designed by @stycle_design. Produced by EKOÏ.
Bring on 2023 👊 pic.twitter.com/63EXBi1Hy2
— Israel – Premier Tech / Israel Cycling Academy (@IsraelPremTech) December 16, 2022
“Blue and white, the Israeli colours, are at the core of our identity. But, as we saw in 2022, there was a lot of blue and white in the peloton. So, we wanted to add some additional colour into the mix and create a fresh and modern look that stands out on the bike.
“Particularly on the back of the jersey, where we have replaced the team logo with the monogram of our star and P from Premier Tech so that we can be easily spotted on television. That’s our aim for 2023: stand out in the peloton when it comes to our kit design and the way we race.”
Do you love our 2023 look as much as we do?! 💙 pic.twitter.com/8n4cNPzirN
— Israel – Premier Tech Roland (@TeamIPTRoland) December 16, 2022
Well, it’s a thumbs up from me. What do you reckon?
From breakaway king to caddy: Jacky Durand’s new career
I’ve heard that golf may be the new cycling…
Don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone on earth more to the manor born, more like they were made to be a pro caddy, than Jacky Durand. https://t.co/FyiLT7UP26
— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) December 16, 2022
At least that’s the case for retired French pro Jacky Durand who, after years of relentlessly attacking the bunch, is instead spending this week telling someone else to attack the greens.
1992 Tour of Flanders winner Durand, who now commentates on races for Eurosport, has swapped the bike and microphone for the bib and bag full of clubs in his new role as caddy for Spanish golfer Hugo Esposito at the ongoing Mauritius Open.
Unfortunately for young Hugo, the underdog magic that saw Durand take three stages at the Tour de France doesn’t seem to be rubbing off on the fairways – the Madrid man, born to French parents, is currently five over after 14 holes so far today, leaving him ten over overall and in joint 148th.
Maybe don’t quit your day job just yet, Jacky.
Blue is the colour (in the 2023 peloton): More new kits, this time from Quick-Step
It’s fair to say that Quick-Step’s kits over the years have been somewhat hit and miss.
The cool, retro, clean 2010 and 2011 model sported by Tom Boonen, Sylvain Chavanel and co? A classic.
The weird, ‘is this really supposed to look like a blue wolf on a white background’ kit from two years ago? Not so much.
Cor Vos/SWpix.com
So, where does the 2023 iteration of the long-running Belgian team – which will be known as Soudal Quick-Step next year (that’ll take some getting used to) – rank on the cycling sartorial chart?
Check out in detail the new Soudal Quick-Step kit, which you can order here: https://t.co/LPD1VtUAdB
Photo: @BeelWout pic.twitter.com/AWgXdbsHyt
— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team (@qst_alphavinyl) December 16, 2022
I have to say, I’m not a fan. It’s all a bit busy and Androni-like, especially on the sponsor-laden shoulders and sleeves. A solid if slightly disappointing 4/10.
Though that’s before we get to the colour. While Quick-Step have been wearing blue and white ever since Tulio Campagnolo invented the quick release, the 2023 peloton looks set to resemble a constantly moving river, as Groupama-FDJ, Astana, and now Israel-Premier Tech have all opted for blue so far, with the prospect of more to come from Movistar, Alpecin-Deceuninck, and BikeExchange.
Together, if we all really tried hard and thought of some colours, I think we could come up with a kit design that isn’t blue
— Cillian Kelly (@irishpeloton) December 16, 2022
Well, at least it won’t be as bad as that time in the early 2010s when everyone and their granny was wearing black…
David O’Doherty, the Elon Musk of cycling
A topical joke now (on a cycling live blog, who’d have thought it?), for those keeping up to date with the latest incoherent ramblings from our tunnel-loving friend Elon:
pls ignore the various accounts that track my bicycle
— David O’Doherty (@phlaimeaux) December 16, 2022
You mean Strava? 😏
— Chris Cox (@CoxyJindas) December 16, 2022
Proper Bling: Trek reveal Ellen van Dijk’s shiny new TT machine
An absolute stunner! @ellenvdijk’s new Speed Concept for 2023 🤩🌈 pic.twitter.com/yAGFMiYA7k
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) December 15, 2022
Now, that’s a world champion’s bike.
Time trial world champ Ellen van Dijk certainly hasn’t held back when it comes to marking her third year in the rainbow jersey, when she’ll be riding this extremely bling, super shiny Trek Speed Concept:
Excited to race this in 2023 is an understatement 🤩🤩🤩
My new Speed Concept for next year 🫶 pic.twitter.com/JG1Ml5K6iP
— Ellen van Dijk (@ellenvdijk) December 15, 2022
Some of the details 🫶 pic.twitter.com/1r88skZwFi
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) December 15, 2022
I think I may need a pair of sunglasses just to look at that bike…
Australian team pursuiter Alex Porter, who suffered shock crash at Tokyo Olympics after his handlebars snapped, retires from cycling
Alex Porter, the Australian track rider who was the victim of a nasty crash at last year’s Tokyo Olympics after his handlebars snapped during qualifying for the men’s team pursuit, has announced that he is retiring from cycling.
The 26-year-old, who has three world titles and a Commonwealth Games gold medal to his name in the team pursuit, said that stepping away from the sport is “the toughest decision of my life”, while AusCycling have confirmed that he will continue working with the federation as an official ambassador.
During the qualifying rounds for the team pursuit in Tokyo, the Aussie men were forced to take to the start line again after Porter’s titanium additive manufacture (3D printed) base bar from Bastion Cycles broke as he rode at the back of the quartet, causing him to smash into the boards of the velodrome.
> Aussie Olympic handlebar failure: inadequate spec and fatigue testing to blame
While Australia recovered to secure bronze in the event, behind winners Italy and silver medallists Denmark, a subsequent investigation into the crash found that it was caused by inadequate design specifications supplied to the manufacturer by the Australian team, as well as a failure to conduct adequate fatigue testing in the lead-up to use in competition.
Following the report, AusCycling apologised to Porter, who suffered a number of injuries in the spill, including friction burns to his face.
Announcing his retirement on social media today, the triple world champion said: “This has been the toughest decision of my life, but I have decided to retire from professional cycling.
“After the Tokyo Olympics, it is clear I need to put my health first and this means stepping away from the sport. I am grateful for all the joy it has brought to my life.
“I have an endless amount of people to thank, but I’ll start by acknowledging SASI and AUSCycling for giving me the chance to race my bike across the country, and then all over the world. My family and friends behind the scenes, it wouldn’t have been possible without you all, you have been there for the ups and downs of the sport.
“The Aussie Team Pursuit boys, Kell [O’Brien], Sam [Welsford], Leigh [Howard] and Luke [Plapp]. We have been through a great deal, but to have my last moment in the sport standing arm in arm on the podium with you guys regardless of what step is something I will treasure for the rest of my life.
“Finally, I’d like to thank my coach Tim Decker, your guidance took me from a kid who clip into a bike to an Olympic medallist, and for that I will be forever grateful. Your impact on my growth as a person is impossible to quantify, and I appreciate all of your leadership, guidance and support.
“I’m excited for what the next chapter will bring and one thing I know for sure is I’ll always love riding my bike!”
AusCycling CEO Marne Fechner praised Porter’s contribution to Australian cycling, saying in a statement: “We have the greatest admiration for Alex and his resilience, dedication and record of achievement.
“While we’re disappointed that we won’t see him riding in the national colours, his cycling journey is far from finished and we know that as an AusCycling Ambassador, he will be playing a key role in inspiring the next generation of riders and cyclists.”
Rare sightings on the roads
Cycling near home a bit ago I had an Audi 4WD wait patiently behind me for ages till it was safe to pass, and then overtake really slowly and carefully. Should I report it as stolen?
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) December 16, 2022
[for any outraged Audi owners in the mentions: it was a joke. Not *all* Audis are badly driven. Probably no more than 90%]
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) December 16, 2022
Lizzie Deignan says “conservative plan” is to return to racing in May – “so no Roubaix next year”
Just under three months since giving birth, Lizzie Deignan is eyeing up her return to the peloton, telling fans on Instagram that her “conservative plan” at the moment is to resume racing in May.
After winning the inaugural women’s Paris-Roubaix in October 2021, the Trek-Segafredo rider spent the whole of this season on maternity leave, as she expected the arrival of her second child Shea, who was born in late September.
During a Q&A session with fans on Instagram, the former world champion was asked about the prospect of once again teaming up with reigning Paris-Roubaix champion and fellow Trek-Segafredo rider Elisa Longo Borghini – and whether their partnership could be rekindled on the cobbles of northern France next April.
However, Deignan is sceptical about her chances of making it to the start line of the ‘Hell of the North’.
“Conservative plan is to start racing in May, so no Roubaix nest year,” she wrote. “But you never know, April is a few months off”.
When asked how having her second child and preparing to return to elite competition compared to the first time she resumed racing after giving birth to her daughter, Orla, Deignan said: “So far I would say recovery has taken longer this time around. Shea was a much harder baby to carry so did a lot less fitness in pregnancy, and we seem to have been fighting [illness] as a family since he was born!”
Friday reaction
So, what’s been going on in the comments section today, I hear you cry? Well, Dave Gorman, I’ll tell you…
Welcome to Bristol, cycling city….. https://t.co/LH04Ki48ZQ
— Jim’s Wheels https://mastodon.online/@jimswheels (@JimsWheels) December 16, 2022
First up, there’s been plenty of chat about Bristol’s ‘protected’ cycle lanes. road.cc reader Benji 326 reckons that the carnage on Park Row illustrates that “protecting cycle lanes with a few upright sticks is clearly not enough.
“Take a tip from cities with correct cycling infrastructure, Seattle for example. Raised kerbs between cycle lane and traffic, bright green tarmac to denote lane, with the additional uprights if they’re desperate… Better cycling infrastructure is beneficial for all, leaders need to realise this.”
Meanwhile, ShutTheFrontDawes wrote: “Calling Bristol City Council’s approach to protected cycle lanes ‘half-assed’ would be generous.
“No solid white lines, no red tarmac, no physical protection (and no, these boards don’t count. They are designed to fold over at the base if hit – they are literally designed to provide zero protection) and no parking enforcement.”
So, how can we improve on these flimsy – and obviously easily removed – wands? Well, cdamian had a suggestion: “They just need to replace one or two with strong metal ones that look the same as the current ones. Maybe also swap them around every couple of weeks.”
So, as the little onion pointed out, basically installing the motoring equivalent of this:
Flex post, flex post, flex post, flex post, flex post, flex post, BOLLARD.#WorldBollardAssociation
pic.twitter.com/5mN4lPvdTs— World Bollard Association™ (@WorldBollard) August 17, 2022
Onto the Scottish government’s active travel budget now which – though praised by Cycling UK (with a few caveats) – hasn’t gone down quite as well with our readers.
“I’m not knocking the increase in Scottish government’s active travel spend,” says Safety. “However I am disappointed that Cycling UK failed to highlight that Polis Scotland are one of only two forces in the UK that are still refusing to introduce a camera footage portal. Not only that but the proposed budget for discussion on a potential possibility of a trial is now under threat due to cuts elsewhere.
“To my mind this is a no brainer cost effective way to make drivers think twice about their behaviour to all other road users not just cyclists. But the powers that be are hell bent on preventing its introduction. Why?”
Chrisonatrike added: “I was pleased when the notion of allocating a ‘reasonable’ sum of the transport budget for active travel appeared. This is remarkable for the UK.
“Let’s keep our Alans on though – it’s a sensible amount to propose but ‘up to ten percent in two years’ time’ is not saying ‘prioritising’.
“Especially when – after more than a quarter century of ‘encouragement’ – ‘active travel’ is arguably further from the start line than before.”
“Scotland leading the way on active travel in the UK,” says Cycling UK: Charity welcomes record sustainable travel funding in Scottish government budget
Scotland is “leading the way on active travel in the UK”, Cycling UK has claimed, after the Scottish government yesterday committed to increasing its funding for ‘active and sustainable travel’ to a record £196.5m in its budget for 2023/24.
That’s a £46.5m increase on the pot previously set aside for cycling and walking, and means that 5.6 percent of the overall transport budget at Holyrood will be spent on active and sustainable travel.
However, it still falls short of the Scottish government’s commitment to spend at least £320m, or 10 percent of the total transport budget, on active travel by 2024/25.
The use of the term ‘active and sustainable travel’ in yesterday’s announcement has also proved frustrating for cycling and walking campaigners, who have argued that it obfuscates the amount of money set to be spent on those specific activities compared to previous years.
In his speech to parliament yesterday, SNP Deputy First Minister John Swinney said that “decarbonising transport remains one of the key challenges we face in reaching Net Zero” and that the government would “invest nearly £200 million in active and sustainable travel”.
> Scotland’s active travel minister criticised – for not wearing a helmet while cycling
The news has been welcomed by charity Cycling UK, who have described the Scottish government’s new active travel budget as “a welcome increase in investment at this time of financial pressure”.
“As a low-cost form of transport, cycling can help to ease the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on people’s lives,” says Jim Densham, Cycling UK’s campaigns and policy manager for Scotland.
“We know that investing in cycling is incredibly good value for money, as it brings so many benefits for people’s health, the environment, local economies, and for liveable neighbourhoods.
“It’s good to see Scotland leading the way on active travel in the UK and taking steps towards much bigger spending that has been promised for coming years.
“However, it is frustrating that a change in language makes it difficult to make a precise comparison to the previous budget. We want Government to provide an exact figure for spending on active travel, and to provide a more detailed breakdown of their budgets.”
“It’s like the aftermath of a Harry Potter battle – broken wands everywhere”: Drivers versus cycle lane ‘protection’
It’s Friday, so we’re going to kick things off on the blog this morning by returning to an old favourite – Bristol’s infamous Park Row “protected” cycle lane.
Back in September 2021, road.cc reader and Bristol resident brooksby pointed out that the three-foot high plastic orange cylinders installed by Bristol City Council to protect cyclists on the pop-up bike lane in Park Row were, surprisingly, not quite up to the job.
According to brooksby, the easily detachable cones were being constantly being removed by careless (or destructive) motorists, with some even ending up far from the bike lane they were installed to ‘protect’.
The Great Plastic Wand Burial Ground (credit: brooksby)
Earlier this year, the council decided to act by replacing the orange cones with more permanent, sturdier looking models.
Well, at least those wands seemed more permanent… Until you witnessed this horror film-like scene of utter wand devastation, featured on the live blog in August:
‘Excellent’ Bristol cycling infrastructure latest: pic.twitter.com/AZFtuAWTc4
— Benjamin Nathan (@foxbenbath) August 17, 2022
And now, in the run-up to Christmas, I regret to inform you folks, that the motorists are at it again.
In the comments section of the blog, brooksby shared these harrowing images from yesterday lunchtime:
Those poor wands…
“Blimey – it’s like the aftermath of a battle in Harry Potter world – broken wands everywhere,” fellow road.cc reader chrisonatrike wrote.
“I think the problem with the Park Row cycle lane is that they didn’t make it long enough,” brooksby argues.
“There’s enough room before it’s protected for cars to go on there at each end ‘for loading’ and then they ‘accidentally’ knock down a wand so the next time someone parks a bit further, then they knock one down, so people can park a bit further, and so on…
“And as long as they haven’t knowingly knocked one down people seem to think that they can just park there (despite the painted cycle symbols and signage).”
Following the revelation that even the ‘permanent’ cycle lane wands can’t stop drivers parking wherever they like, in October Bristol City Council announced that it will install new, segregated cycle lanes on Park Row, along with upgraded bus stops, to “make it easier to walk and cycle in the area”.
As long as someone tells the drivers first…
Hooray! Salford’s cycling roundabout is finally complete!
And it’s even madder than I imagined it would be…
The cycling roundabout is officially fully complete pic.twitter.com/mE6ZRnpm6L
— Harry Gray (@HarryHamishGray) December 16, 2022
And yes absolutely no body is using it correctly pic.twitter.com/B3gAkVdZBB
— Harry Gray (@HarryHamishGray) December 16, 2022
A roundabout with a give way ON it?
It appears to get worse the more I see it develop.
— M Austerfield (@AusterfieldM) December 16, 2022
Just needs a set of traffic lights to complete it 🚦
— Bill Hulley (@billhulley) December 16, 2022
> Magic roundabout or tragic roundabout? New “novelty” cycling roundabout hasn’t gone down well
Sliding into the weekend like Mathieu van der Poel
Slip, slide and ride pic.twitter.com/kfpLm6yQbu
— Cyclocross Social (@Cyclocrosss) December 16, 2022
16 December 2022, 09:27
16 December 2022, 09:27
16 December 2022, 09:27
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82 Comments
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Latest Comments
He's talking about our "tiny island" so I think its fair comment ;-)
Reply t o Rendel I'm serious, it might be a combination of my head shape and the helmet I use but I definitely have more wind rush around my ears with a helmet and notice it when bunch racing compared to social riding.
All over the country it's the same , thousands of cars vrs hundreds of bikes. All this sustainable transport infrastructure for bikes is just a waste of many ,, thousands upon thousands of drivers all report very seldom underused bike lanes. Motorised vehicles are the majority & preference on the roads should be made for them & not for the minority of cyclists. Get rid of all the annoying cycle lanes everywhere.
(reply to Backladder as ability to reply to more than the fourth reply seems to have been removed) I really hope that's tongue in cheek, because if it isn't it's just ludicrous. I have never noticed the slightest discrepancy between wind noise when riding with a helmet and when riding without so it must be minimal at best. I've read quite a lot of debate about helmets, here and elsewhere, and you're the first person I've ever seen suggesting that people wearing helmets might crash because of wind noise.
You’re making a big assumption there that “anonymous person posting on the internet” is in the UK.
Its nice that they have these little things called kilometres for all the show offs to ride large numbers of, but in the UK road signs use miles and speed limits are in miles per hour so come back when you are using big boy units!
I don't know of any research into that question but from my own experience a helmet interferes with my awareness of traffic around me, the noise from the wind in the helmet is louder than the sound of modern quiet cars and other cyclists so perhaps your urban commuters are crashing because they can't hear other traffic around them?
My father undertook post mortems and attended coronors inquests until his retirement and early death. He saw the riders who died in accidents. He built up decades of observed experience. He made us wear a helmet.
I'm glad I had my trousers on. If I hadn't I might have been arrested.
Who was responsible for organising the prizes on Bullseye? Tonight's star prize was a luxury fitted kitchen. How are you supposed to split that between two contestants? Absolutely ridiculous.
82 thoughts on ““It’s like the aftermath of a Harry Potter battle – broken wands everywhere”: Drivers versus cycle lane ‘protection’; “Scotland leading the way on active travel,” says Cycling UK; Lance v Vino, the rematch; New kit day; Bling bikes + more on the live blog”
Calling the World Bollard
Calling the World Bollard Association – https://twitter.com/WorldBollard
We need some solid, stylish chunks of metal to teach the teutonic vehicles a lesson!
Wouldn’t it be fun if there
Wouldn’t it be fun if there was such a thing as fast growing or replicating wands so as soon as one got knocked over another would instantly take it’s place?, or perhaps I’m just talking a load of old bollards.
Better still, one of those
Better still, one of those retractable bollards so it spikes the car from the underside
Browsie wrote:
Retractable steel ones in the ground, set to emerge as soon as plastic ones are knocked over, so any driver knocking wands down to park suddenly finds themselves trapped in a ring of steel.
Browsie wrote:
Could they plant leylandii in the holes they drill for the wands?
Leylandii? Even worse than
Leylandii? Even worse than wands – that would really bring the suburban NIMBYs out!
chrisonatrike wrote:
Fast growing, carbon sinking, self replicating. And we’ve all seen pictures of how car vs tree ends. What’s not to like?
I think you should go for
I think you should go for this stuff. Grows super-quick, surprisingly strong and if someone did manage to break it you can recycle it into bike!
OTOH it might get the pandas crossing the roads again.
chrisonatrike wrote:
Top tip – if you want to grow bamboo, put it in a pot as otherwise it’ll take over the whole place.
Argh! I think you’re right.
Argh! I think you’re right – look what happened here.
We’d end up infested with these critters…
chrisonatrike wrote:
Some needs to get a Beater
Someone needs to get a Beater and start riding into the backs of those parked cars. It’s dangerous out there, they should make a protected lane for the cars so they don’t get run into.
I was just thinking the same.
I was just thinking the same. Is that ‘great minds think alike’ or ‘fools seldom differ’?
🙂
By Beater, I think you mean
By Beater, I think you mean ‘tank’, no?
https://www.youtube.com/watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-fWN0FmcIU
brooksby wrote:
That’s an armoured car, not a tank.
More like an armoured
More like an armoured personnel carrier.
eburtthebike wrote:
Who do you think you are? swldxer?? 😉
I was thinking more about
I was thinking more about using a mtb and sticking to the lane, over the roof of the cars
With spike tyres because of
With spike tyres because of the cold conditions?
I was pleased when the notion
I was pleased when the notion of allocating a “reasonable” sum of the transport budget for active travel appeared. This is remarkable for the UK. Let’s keep our Alans on though – it’s a sensible amount to propose but “up to 10% in 2 years time” is not saying “prioritising”. Especially when – after more than a quarter century of “encouragement” “active travel” is arguably further from the start line than before.
Financial transparency and the current Scottish government though – not often seen together.
chrisonatrike wrote:
But it’s “active and sustainable travel” now, isn’t it? So could go on buses, or even electric car measures?
Yep – you can bet the
Yep – you can bet the clawback started before the negociations for this. Nevertheless in the context of the generally hopeless* it was a good start.
Yes – it would have been much better to nail down amounts for cycling (or more likely “walking wheeling and cycling”). I also hate the bullshit of “sustainable” e.g. “sustainable electric cars” (or even “sustainable buses and trains” – apparently right now, if you believe…) At best it’s currently “emit elsewhere” and that will continue to be true for some time.
Also while this may be (?) approaching continental “spend per head”, in places like NL and Copenhagen they’re spending that much or more when they already have a working active travel network and much better public transport (or a universal mostly excellent system in NL).
If we were truly serious about it we should commit more like 25% or even larger fractions of the budget for a set period – say a decade or two – to get us up to a similar level as e.g. Copenhagen level. (“Dutch” everywhere would likely take us quite a bit longer and / or cost more). At that point 10 – 15% of the current transport budget is what will keep things in good nick and hopefully allow some upgrades also.
* “We can’t, because we’ll be kicked out at the next election / out of a job”. Or “let’s just wait until electric cars, nuclear fusion, Amazon flying drones or the Metaverse fix it / makes this current problem irrelevant”.
Am I misreading the picture,
Am I misreading the picture, or is there a bus stop inside those (now broken) wands in the one picture? How was that supposed to work?
There used to be a bus stop
There used to be a bus stop there but they never bothered to remove the paint on the road for it.
(Just like there used to be a painted cycle lane outside the new ‘protected’ lane and they never bothered to remove that either).
So not at all confusing, then
So not at all confusing, then.
Hope you got a fee for you
Hope you got a fee for your pics (or road.cc socks) !
hirsute wrote:
Well, someone hasn’t been reading the Terms and Conditions
They’re Road.cc’s photos now.
“All your photos are belong
“All your photos are belong to us”
brooksby wrote:
You are on the way to destruction.
I am disgusted, I am
I am disgusted, I am absolutely disgusted.
No and no, but now I’m famous
No and no, but now I’m famous, innit
Don’t worry, I don’t even
Don’t worry, I don’t even have the socks yet.
Ryan Mallon wrote:
You need to go on strike, comrade
It’s not about taking back
It’s not about taking back the socks, it’s about getting the knitting needles.
chrisonatrike wrote:
Don’t forget the sheep
Calling Bristol City Council
Calling Bristol City Council’s approach to protected cycle lanes ‘half-assed’ would be generous.
No solid white lines, no red tarmac, no physical protection (and no, these boards don’t count. They are designed to fold over at the base if hit – they are literally designed to provide zero protection) and no parking enforcement.
ShutTheFrontDawes wrote:
It’s bizarre that Bristol positions itself as a cycling city, but invariably the infrastructure is in a variety of styles and doesn’t join up. The area around Bristol Temple Meads station is a prime example – lots of cycle lanes but with so many beg buttons to go across the roads, it’s way quicker to ignore them and just use the roads. Admittedly, that is a very busy junction, but they prioritise motor traffic even though that is moving at a crawl through there due to congestion.
However, I’ve noticed a few traffic lights that now have an early green for cyclists/scooters which is a positive move, so maybe they’ve got the right intentions, but are just a bit slow and useless.
Some hopeful news however, about pedestrianising Chandos Road following the successful Cotham Hill pedestrianisation: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/chandos-road-bristol-could-pedestrianised-7935488
Bristol was a cycling city.
Bristol was a cycling city. 15-20 years ago. It was quick to bring in Advanced Stop Lines, at a time where they were uncommon and broadly unheard of. Inclusion of Sheffield stands as part of developments (which can still be seen today around the centre and Cabot Circus – compare that to Cribbs Causeway (South Glos) and the difference is noticeable). And inclusion of cycle lanes at a time where the red tarmac was unknown. Unfortunately Bristol has stood still (and in some cases, such as cycle lanes, gone backwards), while other cities and large towns have caught up and surpassed Bristol’s offering.
What we get nowadays is a mere shadow of a city that gives a toss about cyclists.
ShutTheFrontDawes wrote:
I’m hopeful that it could improve. There’s plans for change around the BRI and there does seem to be a lot of support for LTNs (I’m still waiting for them to make Beaufort Rd by the cemetery one way only – that road is horrendous for pedestrians and drivers). Certainly, there’s a lot of people using e-scooters so it’s about time the council got serious about segregated infrastructure or at least make the roads less hostile to two-wheelers.
hawkinspeter wrote:
— hawkinspeterWill they include removing the “Cyclists Dismount” signs in the car park?
hawkinspeter wrote:
I’m not. Or at least, not until the right whingers from the labour and conservative parties get the boot they deserve, or otherwise STFU and until Marv gets dumped in May ’24. His stranglehold on getting anything done is disastrous. And he doesn’t let anything get done unless it benefits him, his agenda or his supporters. It’s disgraceful.
I hope the Green swing continues and that the Greens win a majority in the next election. And I hope they stand by their manifesto.
ShutTheFrontDawes wrote:
Well, I agree with that.
They just need to replace one
They just need to replace one or two with strong metal ones that look the same as the current ones.
Maybe also swap them around every couple of weeks.
Its sad how well that would
Its sad how well that would work.
Drivers: “I don’t mind putting human lives at risk but to scratch my car is unacceptable.”
The car equivalent of this:
The car equivalent of this:
https://twitter.com/WorldBollard/status/1560021356858806272?t=NkxdWKTZu6UsTkQRe5S5kQ&s=19&fbclid=IwAR0wfp6rQth_iDSyVs7ZsE7JjKf6sg2g5bI2JrExlefYq86ryQorB9anF4g
cdamian wrote:
Brilliant idea. Reminds me of some lads who thought it was fine to kick traffic cones off a garage forecourt regularly. Owner got fed up and filled the cones with concrete. Cue trip to hospital with broken foot and no recurrence.
Grahamd wrote:
I was following a Harley rider many years ago on the A10 (on a motorcycle myself, though I wasn’t with him) who decided that it would be amusing when passing some roadworks to stick his foot out and knock down all the cones as he passed; the last one had a sandbag inside and down he went, he was okay but his pride and joy suffered an amusing amount of doubtless highly expensive damage.
Rendel Harris wrote:
Harley Davidson is the U.S.’s biggest cosplay business
I’m not knocking the increase
I’m not knocking the increase in SGs active travel spend. However I am disappointed the Cycling UK failed to highlight that Polis Scotland are one of only 2 forces in the UK that are still refusing to introduce a camera footage portal. Not only that but the proposed budget for discussion on a potential possibility of a trial is now under threat due to cuts elsewhere.
To my mind this is a no brainer cost effective way to make drivers think twice about their behaviour to all other road users not just cyclists. But the powers that be are hell bent on preventing it’s introduction. Why?
Ah, but will the SG actually
Ah, but will the SG actually spend the money?
They were supposed to bring into law in 2021 regarding pavement parking but kicked to 2023, no doubt will kicked into the long grass remains.
We all know where the priorities of the Scottish Parliament lie.
Protecting cycle lanes with a
Protecting cycle lanes with a few upright sticks is clearly not enough. Take a tip from cities with correct cycling infrastructure, Seattle for example. Raised curbs between cycle lane and traffic, bright green tarmac to denote lane, with the additional uprights if the’yre desperate. Councils are reluctant to spend money on correct ifrastructure however ‘buy cheap buy twice’.High street shops may complain that parking outside their store will affect business however that can be overcome with adequate parking elsewhere in town and a car parked outside your store doesn’t necessarily mean that driver is going to shop there so the reason is null. Better cycling infrastructre is beneficial for all, leaders need to realise this.
But, but, motorists will
But, but, motorists will crash if you put in kerbs, so it is too dangerous to protect cyclists’ lives from careless drivers who risk damaging their cars.
If only this was sarcasm, but it is the argument put forward every time car resistant structures are put in place. Mind you, this is a country where people feel that driving a car into someone’s living room is business as usual and the fault of the council rather than the apparently driverless car.
Or double decker bus as HP
Or double decker bus as HP posted in the main car/building thread !
hirsute wrote:
To be fair to the bus driver, it was a car (no driver involved) that crashed into the bus that caused it to collide with a house. The car driver then did a runner, so maybe they were scared that their car was after them next?
Like this? I know in places
Like this? I know in places the US is catching up fast (as it always does) but goodness me, I wouldn’t look over there for ideas! The US is still one of the most car-addicted places on the planet, throwing good money after bad on giant car arteries in a doomed attempt to fix a systemic problem. Their bike infra is happening in that context. Thankfully we didn’t go quite as far down that road (pun intended). So their efforts are laudable but not what we should be looking at.
If we need an achievable 2nd/3rd rate solution to get us started then Copenhagen or possibly Seville are worth a look. Someone’s done that for us, in detail.
Totally with you about some kind of better physical divider though – until we’ve made the cycle area as clear as they do in NL and a generation of drivers have learned.
Actually there is one thing I’ve seen in the US which is their use of the Jersy barrier (“Concrete step barrier” in UK?) as a quick but effective separation method. High enough to be clear to cars, pedestrians and cyclists. Also moveable – but not by yobbos.
It should definitely be possible to leave gaps wide enough for e.g. wheelchair / adapted cycle access but prevent cars getting in. I’m not aware of safety concerns – except possibly at the ends of a section where e.g. people can run into them (possibly upending their car). I’ve heard some places in the US removed some because “cars kept hitting them…” – but then you’d need to do that with the houses too.
Also with you on colour – but please UK, whatever colour it is can we just choose one? We need to make it as clear and simple as possible for people carrying out tricky tasks (driving).
All sensible.
All sensible.
The NPPF and the standards docs require to be nobbled !
The irritating thing about
The irritating thing about America is that, as they’ve already bulldozed everything to make way for the car, they’ll have an easier time switching than we will.
If 6+ lanes for an arterial is standard even in small rural towns then they have room for cycles, PT, and motors, which will make for a smooth transition.
For us in many places dedicated car lanes will need to be axed, public transport given priority over private. Of course the previously privileged will feel discriminated against.
Car Delenda Est wrote:
I disagree – they’ve gone so all-in on personal motor vehicles that they’re stuck that way except for possibly high density cities.
Due to all the parking and extra lanes required for their vehicles, they’ve increased the distance between things, so they’re stuck trying to replace a long commute to their work with a massive bike ride instead. The same applies to their shops – there’s no route to get to most of their malls without using hostile roads.
Unfortunately it seems the
Unfortunately it seems the freedom that US places have in setting their local designs have led to a trap in which they run short of tax to pay to maintain their far-flung infra (not just roads) so try to get more revenue with more people, by building further sprawling suburbia…
So in theory yes but in practice the US has some particular issues (they do like to be different!). So although UK tried to import US car culture the planning situation seems a bit different. Best to concentrate on models closer to the UK situation (literally and figuratively).
Notjustbikes and Strongtowns are my main sources on this one, they’ve a ton of stuff on this topic eg.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7IsMeKl-Sv0
Finally we should reclaim driving space for moving people rather than vehicles. That’s definitely the next goal. However it’s not brilliant as is. Cyclists and pedestrians really need spaces designed for them. Not our barren wide driving spaces with nothing but hard surfaces and reinforced vertical edges. Plus cyclists don’t need traffic lights, most roundabouts could go etc.
I recall reading about how
I recall reading about how some U.S. towns are going bankrupt as they were enticed to get lots of cheap roads built and then the contractors stiff them with very expensive maintenance contracts on those ‘cheap’ roads.
Edit: found this blog post explaining in more detail: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/1/9/the-real-reason-your-city-has-no-money
Sounds like PFI here.
Sounds like PFI here.
mark1a wrote:
I got the impression that PFI was more of a shell game to hide debts from balance sheets.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Yeah, I think so (and I was marginally professionally involved in the very early days). A way of increasing investment in infrastructure without it scoring on the public balance sheet. However, it is also true that some of the maintenance contracts were pretty poor (how much to move a noticeboard!)
hawkinspeter wrote:
Well it certainly did that, by reducing the amount of capital investment needed for infrastructure, but short-sighted as many of the contracts tied the govt/health trusts/etc into “maintenance” or “management” contracts where only certain contractors can do works, some of these are bordering on robbery. Often the contracts are indexed or ratchet upwards. The ongoing costs dwarf what the original build cost for the hospital/prison/school had they just borrowed it, after all a govt with a central bank can borrow money very cheaply. Current PFI debt servicing could probably fund the NHS now.
I probably have a clouded view, most of my opinions on this have been formed over the years by reading Private Eye.
mark1a wrote:
We’ve got a general problem of focussing on short term gain/advantage and not considering the long term effect. In part, our political system encourages short-term thinking as political parties want to boast about massive savings and then leave the long term problems to other people (preferably different parties so that they can shift the blame for the problems). Also, capitalism tends to promote short term gains over longer term plans – it’s highly visible in stock markets.
Agree but I’d say “it’s
Agree but I’d say “it’s natural”. Human attention spans, reward and reinforcement pathways, memory etc are not ideally set up for particularly long- term considerations. Reasoning about how humans interact en-mass given that design is not even one discipline but several! Plus humans have only very recently outlasted what seems to be their physical “design lifetime” of say 30-40 years.
Should we convert more of the planet into cake shops because most people like cake, or refrain because our (great)^n (grand)children might not be so keen on cake, or should have the right to choose what they do with the place? What if we don’t have children?
Should the self of today eat
Should the self of today eat the cake, knowing that the self of tomorrow will likely be all self-critical about having eaten so much cake?
chrisonatrike wrote:
Sadly for me when it comes to actual cake the answer is always “YES”.
Fortunately tomorrow me is very forgiving.
chrisonatrike wrote:
The cake is a lie
There is no cake.
There is no cake.
Out you get what we had in
Or you get what we had in Edinburgh and beyond where a PFI group presides over lethally shoddy construction jobs. Then it seems they didn’t check further even when the issues started coming to light.
The Council didn’t check either, a report said that “There was an over-reliance on the part of the council, without adequate evidence, that others in the project structure, including those building the schools, would comprehensively fulfil this essential role”.
Budget-friendly money pits… and Flintshire Lad could justifiably crow about “Laybuh” on this, not that anyone else improved things.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/feb/09/damning-report-slams-firms-who-built-fault-ridden-scottish-schools
This just adds more to the
This just adds more to the point I was making…
Why not just a law making it
Why not just a law making it legal to slash the sidewall of a vehicle parked in a cycle lane to encourage some community enforcement of the rules? Granted it might, in fairness, require putting up signs warning motorists that “Vehicles parked here are at risk of having their tires legally slashed.” But such a law would surely get better compliance with the ban on parking in cycle lanes.
cmedred wrote:
It’s a great idea, but rather than slashing the tyres which just contributes to waste, we should instead fine them for their inconsiderate parking.
Also, people in the community may feel threatened by some of the more aggressive drivers, so it’d be better to employ people to enforce the parking rules so that they don’t even know the vehicle owners or even live nearby.
Quote:
Yes.
That is utterly mad…
WHAT is that give way sign
WHAT is that give way sign doing on the circulatory part of the roundabout?!
And it’s completely
And it’s completely unnecessary – the road is filtered anyway so there are no motor vehicles.
regarding flexible bollards.
regarding flexible bollards. The suggestion to use occasional metal ones is a sensible one. That’s what they do around the roads near where we live in Paris. All the segregation is rubber except for the occasional ‘strategic’ post which is solid metal. Even the rubber ones – compared to the ones in London at least – are pretty hefty. But the metals ones just keep the cars off the pavements and off the cycle lanes. It’s such a simple solution.
Reckon they work in Paris
Reckon they work in Paris simply because the French just accept them sangfroid. The Brits, ably exampled by 2 drivers I met yesterday, just treat cones,bollards,pavements as things to drive through to get where they damn well want and to hell with anyone else.
Is that actually the case?
Is that actually the case?
Laws have traditionally been less followed in France than the UK afaics – as works through into casualty numbers.
Do we have data for a decent comparison between Paris and London around infra, mileage by bike, and casualties?
No stats,just gut feel, maybe
No stats,just gut feel, maybe completely wrong.
But feels in the UK only way you’ll stop people driving over bollards, is to wire them upto the national grid.
If Paris is able to install bollards and they aren’t treated as skittles to drive over, there’s got to be a different attitude in play among their drivers.