Glasgow, Edinburgh looking at temporary cycle lanes – but not just yet; TT champ breaks women’s Zwift everesting record (without planning to); Indian cops puncturing tyres of lockdown rule breakers; Milan reallocates space to cyclists + more on live blog
SUMMARY
Combining cycling with lawnmowing is the workout you didn't know you needed
Staying at home has made a few riders get a bit more creative when it comes to housework…
📹Thund3r bolt pic.twitter.com/O6YA2bftPr
— Cycling Australia (@CyclingAus) April 20, 2020
Does it come in a gravel version?
Man who has already cycled around Britain is doing it again in reverse when lockdown lifts
Yorkshireman Ryan Anderton has already completed the 5,000 mile route around England, Scotland and Wales, and as soon as the UK comes out of lockdown he aims to become one of a select few who have cycled around Britain both clockwise and anti-clockwise.
Mr Anderton hopes to complete the journey in 40 days and is welcoming other cyclists to join him for as much or as little as they can, while fundraising for five charities including Mind and NHS Charities Together. You can find out more and follow for updates on Mr Anderton’s Facebook page, and donate via his Virgin Money Giving Page.
Chris Cuomo out of quarantine... although he wasn't always in quarantine, according to cyclist he called a "jackass, loser, fat-tire biker"
Here’s the very moment @ChrisCuomo emerged from his basement, where he’s been riding out coronavirus for the last several weeks. pic.twitter.com/tugkXCGZD7
— Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) April 21, 2020
The American TV presenter – brother of the current Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo – was scolded by a 65-year-old cyclist last week who spotted Cuomo ‘hanging out’ with his wife, three children and another woman outside his house in East Hampton, when he was supposed to be in quarantine due to contracting coronavirus according to the New York Post.
“I just looked and said, ‘Is that Chris Cuomo? Isn’t he supposed to be quarantined?”, the cyclist told the NYP, before Cuomo reportedly launched into an angry tirade against the cyclist.
Cuomo appeared on a radio show last week and described the man as a “jackass, loser, fat-tire biker”, while the cyclist claims he has filed a police report about Cuomo’s behaviour. Some are describing the above video as ‘fake news’ if the cyclist’s account is to be believed.
Some good to come out of all this? Milan looking to avoid pre-pandemic pollution levels by turning streets over to cyclists and pedestrians
New: Bold plans from Italy. Milan seeks to prevent post-crisis return of traffic pollutionhttps://t.co/46k88knc4X
— Laura Laker (@laura_laker) April 21, 2020
The Guardian reports that Milan’s Strade Aperte plan will transform 35km of streets into cycling and walking infrastructure, which also includes new and widened pavements, 30kph speed limits and priority for cyclists and pedestrians.
Described as one of the most ambitious cycling and walking schemes in Europe, Milan is keen to prevent a return to the dangerous levels of pollution it was choking in pre-coronavirus; under the lockdown congestion from motor traffic has dropped by 30-75% and air pollution has fallen, according to The Guardian.
Deputy Mayor of Milan Marco Granelli said: “We worked for years to reduce car use. If everybody drives a car, there is no space for people, there is no space to move, there is no space for commercial activities outside the shops.
“Of course, we want to reopen the economy, but we think we should do it on a different basis from before.
“We think we have to reimagine Milan in the new situation. We have to get ready; that’s why it’s so important to defend even a part of the economy, to support bars, artisans and restaurants. When it is over, the cities that still have this kind of economy will have an advantage, and Milan wants to be in that category.”
Last week it was announced Brighton had become the first UK city to restrict road access to cars to aid safe cycling and walking during the pandemic; as of yesterday Madeira Drive along the Brighton seafront was closed to motor traffic from 8am-8pm.
'You thought you had it tough?' part 1: Indian labourer cycles 1,700km to get home
Mind boggling. Mahesh Jena, 20, cycled 1700 kms from Sangli Maharashtra to his home in Odisha. #lockdown2 We must name and individualise as many of these incredible journeys as we can. Not call them simply “migrant workers”. https://t.co/6ApomUMyIR
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) April 18, 2020
The Hindustan Times reports that 20-year-old Mahesh Jena made the mammoth 1,700km trip from Sangli to the village of Bhanra in Jajpur on his battered 22 inch frame bike and a backpack full of supplies, completing the journey in seven days. Mr Jena had no maps or phone, and just carried a blanket, quilt, a change of clothes, some biscuits, water and 3,000 rupees (about £31) in cash. He said that he had ‘no fear and little doubt’ and was prepare to walk if the bike was rendered unusable along the way; his other opton was to stay in Sangli’s industrial quarter where his factory job was likely to be suspended for up to five months, meaning he would have no income to pay for food or rent.
After an average of 272km a day and numerous punctures, Mr Jena made it to Jajpur town 5km away from his home, where he is still in quarantine waiting to be declared fit to go back to his family.
Another one taking their daily exercise on the motorway
Cyclist walking her bike along the shoulder of the M57 taking her daily exercise. Safely taken off network and reported for the offence. TX15. pic.twitter.com/a4hInruun6
— North West Motorway Police (@NWmwaypolice) April 18, 2020
This time it’s the M57 we’re adding to our ‘cyclists on the motorway’ archive, after a woman told North West Motorway Police that she was taking her daily exercise walking her bike along it.
Late last month a man was warned “this does not constitute your daily exercise” after he was caught cycling along the M60 in Cheshire; police reported that the man was unaware of what the problem was when they tried to offer advice.
'You thought you had it tough?' part 2: cyclists caught breaking lockdown rules in India have their tyres punctured and are made to carry their bikes home
#Kanpur -Lessons taught by the police to the passers-by who do not follow the #lockdown.Police made them do Yoga at the crossroads.
Read-https://t.co/NeIimMw70T pic.twitter.com/lmnLdv0xKP— Newsroom Post (@NewsroomPostCom) April 20, 2020
A video has emerged of some hardline punishments being dished out to lockdown violators in the Indian city of Kanpur; rule breakers on foot were being forced to do socially distanced yoga and cyclists are shown getting whipped with a lathi (a large piece of bamboo) and having their tyres punctured, leaving them no option but to carry their bikes home on their shoulders… time to switch to solid tyres?
India’s lockdown rules are stricter than the UK’s with citizens only allowed out to buy essential items, therefore ‘joy walking’ as it is called by Newsroom Post isn’t currently permitted.
Sven Nys gets a unique new bike
The two-time cyclocross world champ shows us his unusual locked down workout routine in (presumably his own) gym… can anyone identify this contraption he’s pedalling?
York bike shop dealing with non-stop customers amid 'lockdown cycling craze', according to the York Press
When we think of a craze, BMX, Pokemon cards and yo-yo’s spring to mind… but apparently just good old cycling itself is now a ‘craze’ in locked down Britain according to the York Press; based off the testimony of bike shop Cycle Heaven, who are are flat our repairing cycles so locals can get their daily exercise on two wheels:
“It’s really hard work at the moment, but we want to carry on,” boss Andy Shrimpton told York Press
“We feel we are offering a really valuable service.”
Cycle Heaven say they have cut their opening hours and provide safety products such as sanitiser to staff. Mr Shrimpton says he hopes there will be a permanent increase in cycling when the pandemic ends, and the shop is also renting out free hire bikes to key workers.
Chris Froome 'making lemonade' (as captured by his wife)
Making lemonade 🍋👊 pic.twitter.com/Kg8k6ztz8t
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) April 21, 2020
that would be my wife 💖
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) April 21, 2020
Froome’s other half is responsible for taking the steady stream of photos we’ve seen from him in the last few weeks so he says. If you’re down with the kids, he’s also worth a follow on Tik Tok.
11 Cycle Republic stores to be taken over by e-scooter specialists Pure Electric
Cycle Republic – which is owned by Halfords – will close 11 other stores permanently by 2021, but 85 staff members from the 11 stores being rescued by Pure Electric will have their future employment secured. Full story over on eBikeTips.
Time trial specialist Alice Lethbridge breaks women's 'virtual everesting' record on Zwift during charity event... and hadn't even planned to
As part of Kingston Wheelers Cycling Club’s effort to raise money for Kingston Hospital by tackling a virtual elevation challenge, the CTT 100 mile time trial record holder Alice Lethbridge became the fastest female to complete a virtual everesting on Zwift around the ‘Alpe du Zwift’ course… and reveals that she hadn’t even planned to before starting out for the day on her trainer.
Lethbridge – who also toppled Beryl Burton’s legendary 12 hour TT record in 2017 by riding 286.65 miles – explained: “I’ve only been on Zwift just under a month and knew nothing about virtual Everests until my clubmate Harry started nudging me with the idea last week. I’d read the Everest rules on Thursday in case I felt ok to carry on past 5,000 metres, but I didn’t make the call until my sixth ascent of the Alpe.
“I could see I was on pace to break the women’s virtual Everest record and when my coach gave me the go ahead, that was enough. My third wind came and I went into 12 TT hour mode topping 8,848 metres in just under 9 hours and 24 minutes. I’m so pleased with how much we’ve raised for Kingston hospital and with how many members got involved. The event was great fun – at times it was like being on a club ride, one of the things I’ve missed the most during lockdown.”
Collectively the team climbed 206,996 metres between 61 members and raised £13,000 over a week of fundraising, with Gregg Ball and Harry Bunnell also completing virtual everesting rides totalling more than 8,864 metres climbed – you can donate here.
Glasgow and Edinburgh planning to introduce temporary cycle lanes – but not just yet
Glasgow and Edinburgh are looking at introducing temporary cycle lanes by taking space away from motor vehicles to allow people on bike or on foot to stay socially distant from each other.
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Both Scotland’s largest city as well as the country’s capital are said to be in discussions with the Scottish Government’s Transport Agency, as well as the sustainable Transport charity Sustrans over the move.
However, the Scotsman says that reallocating road space is planned once lockdown restrictions are eased – which under current legislation cannot happen for more than a fortnight at the very earliest.
More on this story on road.cc tomorrow.
21 April 2020, 08:08
A slightly less brutal FTP test? Don't mind if we do!
The Sufferfest says its new ‘Half Monty’ test gives a more accurate FTP reading than any other ramp test
The 55-minute test includes just one maximal ramp test and is 'more approachable' for new riders.
21 April 2020, 08:08
"It was like standing on the edge of a train station platform while an Intercity goes through without stopping"
Near Miss of the Day 399: "For a terrifying second I thought they'd got us"
Our regular series featuring close passes from around the country - today it's Suffolk
21 April 2020, 08:08
21 April 2020, 08:08
Marginal gains in the form of nitrates, so say SiS...
Science In Sport launch new Nitrate range that claims to help cyclists 'use less oxygen at higher workloads’
The new range “enables you to go faster for longer" they claim
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Latest Comments
If we don't fight it now, we'll all end up forced to wear baggy shorts!
@Rendel Harris Agree, I am baffled that the 84 year old who is now banned from driving for year can then start driving again without a retest. We should be re-tested regularly.
@mitsky Just checking the figures and apparently the 2026 average cost is £58,000 per year per prisoner; worth noting that is only the direct cost, you then have to factor in ten years of lost tax income from the prisoner, ten years that the prisoner is making no contribution to society as a worker or as a consumer, plus the fact that if they were the primary breadwinner very likely the costs will include benefits for their family as well. None of which should be a reason for keeping violent recidivists out of prison of course, nor drug/drink drivers who kill, but it is a factor worth considering for lower-level offences.
@Surreyrider I ride in Surrey a fair bit and absolutely many do look like that but the point is they all *think* they're driving perfectly reasonably (as one discovers when remonstrating with someone who's skimmed one by 30cm, "I gave you masses of room") so deterrent penalties have little effect. That's why we need to strike at the root cause and actually train drivers properly and test them stringently (and more than once over the course of a potential 70+ years of driving, it's absolutely absurd that competence and knowledge in what for most people is the activity in their life that will run the biggest risk of killing people you never have to have your qualifications renewed).
@mitsky Imprisonment currently costs over £50k p.a. per prisoner and obviously that will rise over the course of a ten-year stretch with inflation. Regarding culpability and mitigating sentences etc, of course I'm not against condign punishment for drivers who kill (and cyclists on the tiny, tiny handful of occasions when this happens), including prison as appropriate; I was objecting to the ridiculous and oft-repeated demand of MM that drivers who kill cyclists must get ten years, "no excuses, no exceptions".
Hey, but their wool blend cycling adjacent t-shirts are/were fantastic.
@Surreyrider Still the boss. Ride one, you'll see why
@Smoggysteve "Most would happily ride on the roads and be treated with respect by drivers". But people aren't - and as far as I can see they won't be. Not until there is a lot less driving and it's slower around cyclists, and far more people driving have "skin in the game" eg. they sometimes cycle and their friends and family do also. That's what leads to the model - which is perhaps most advanced in NL - where cycling, walking and driving are all seen as separate normal transport modes. Their needs, vulnerabilities and any dangers to others are considered. And *that* leads to "mix / share when possible, separate when necessary". But "possible" is "where your 10-year old would be safe to cycle unsupervised" - so very few motor vehicles, going slow! And AFAICS everybody - even "existing cyclists" - is happy with the result. (I dunno about a few pro cyclists - but don't they tend to have training camps in different counties anyway?)
@quiff as an Edinburgh resident I can confidently say he's speaking without moving his lips in one sense: - while as I noted in a separate comment there *is* now some real separated cycle infra, all the examples i can think of have *at least as much space* for pedestrians. The rest of the "cycle infra" is essentially similar to the situation in the rest of the UK: eg. bus lanes*, cycle lanes and shared use paths (eg. "build" infra by sticking up a sign). Edinburgh is one of the places with a moderately extensive network of former railways which have been converted to "shared use" paths (completely motor traffic few). However though shared they are not narrow by UK standards. And this is all effectively a "free extra" for all non- motorised users, not like the "sign a cycle path" where pedestrians do lose space. I think this all comes from the "popular understanding" of cycling in which ultimately cyclists are the "other". They don't fit "motor vehicle" or "pedestrian" (including wheelchairs on the very rare occasions people think about that). Thus "cyclists are cheating" in multiple ways! They shouldn't get their own space as "there aren't enough" of them. And "they can just use the road / path". But being able to *choose* "on the road" or "on the footway" (shared use path) is clearly unfair - nobody else gets to do that! BUT of course even if they did pick just one of road OR pedestrian space it's still not fair anyway because they're "too slow" for the road (don't pay "road tax" etc...) and "far too fast" for pedestrians... * Though some existing cyclists may appreciate them when there are few buses, buses and bikes are a very poor mix for several reasons.
Whilst a shame for any employees, their bib shorts had the worst chamois pad I’d ever encountered, utter waste of my money. Even though they were Strava challenge discount purchases, still a waste of money.
16 thoughts on “Glasgow, Edinburgh looking at temporary cycle lanes – but not just yet; TT champ breaks women’s Zwift everesting record (without planning to); Indian cops puncturing tyres of lockdown rule breakers; Milan reallocates space to cyclists + more on live blog”
Doubtless Milan will be held
Doubtless Milan will be held up as a great example of how to reduce pollution, congestion and danger, and of making the streets people-friendly by our politicians and planners. Then they’ll come out with all the reasons why it can’t be done here.
Agree.
Agree.
Another article in the Guardian yesterday on how research suggests that air pollution may be one of the most important contributors to deaths from Covid-19.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/20/air-pollution-may-be-key-contributor-to-covid-19-deaths-study
Yet another reason to consider reducing or banning fossil fuel vehicles.
Yeah I read thet too, don’t
Yeah I read thet too, don’t know, areas of high transport pollution tend to be the ones of high concentrations of population and indeed poverty. If that can be normalised then maybe?
I’m all for lowering traffic volume and the pollution of that traffic.
I’m kind of hoping that perhaps those working from home might continue doing it for a few days a week, when “normality” comes back, perhaps producing levels of congestion seen more during school holidays. It doesn’t take much of a drop in traffic to cause a massive drop in congestion.
ktache wrote:
After lockdown ended in Wuhan, car use went up to higher than previously. Of course, if the government put in all the temporary cycle lanes we’ve been asking for, enough people might get the idea that cycling is safe, quick, healthy, non-polluting and cheap, but all they’ve done is give permission for the bankrupt local authorities to do it.
I’m driving far more than
I’m driving far more than cycling at present, but that’s because my wife is genuinely worried that I might come to harm at the hands of the Angry Locals in our village if I’m seen riding a bike
Can’t you put the bike in the
Can’t you put the bike in the back till you are out of the village?
You’ll be telling us next you have some of thsoe signs up…
Worse than that, I live in
You’ll be telling us next you have some of thsoe signs up…
Worse than that, I live in one of the villages covered in articles over recent days. We’re talking pitchforks and a wicker man…
brooksby wrote:
My first thought when seeing the news stories about grumpy villages was that some of the cyclists passing through probably live in or around the village anyway!
I’d learn* to pop wheelies
I’d learn* to pop wheelies past the reddest of the Gammons houses if it were my village.
*To my eternal shame I can’t wheelie – its almost enough to make me hang up my lycra 🙁
No, I never managed to learn
No, I never managed to learn to do that, either…
Cyclist riding about in
Cyclist riding about in breach of strict lockdown = bad.
Cyclist having to walk home carrying their bike in breach of strict lockdown because a policeman vandalised their ride = ??
Chapeau to Mahesh Jena!
Chapeau to Mahesh Jena!
Averaging 272km a day for 7 days whilst carrying a rucksack and some carrier bags on an old steel-framed bike with pull-rod brakes on country roads is no mean feat!
If it wasn’t for the motor
If it wasn’t for the motor vehicle in shot, just from the colour and the quality I would have said that motorway “photo” was from the 70s.
I have a Dawes Street Life
I have a Dawes Street Life, a steel framed sort-of-hybrid from 1992, that I bought for £10 after a friend of my wife was going to chuck it out during a shed clear-out. It has a frame sticker saying it came from Cycle Heaven in York
I’m one of those people still
I’m one of those people still using bike shops.
Moved in with my fiancé, because she still has to go to work, and the lockdown scuppered us buying our first house. Her flimsy shed in the garden meant I didn’t want to take a nice, bike so I dusted off my old hybrid that now a pubtown bike and realised it needed a service, and I didn’t have any tools with me.
Hopefully, since I dropped it off this morning, I should have it back by the weekend and then I can burn off the winter chub, and get back into cycling again!
Who cares about virtual
Who cares about virtual everesting? It’s all about buns and beers
#SCC