Cyclist injured by wire trap deliberately placed across trail; Police searching for Audi driver who slapped cyclist; ‘Completely unrideable’ 6-seat tandem; Cycling boom continues as LBS’s fully booked for repairs + more on the live blog

Been for a long drive to test your eyesight over the bank holiday? Here’s what you missed…

‘Tempting’ – Sunday Times columnist Rod Liddle on stretching piano wire across road to target cyclists

Everesting World Record broken twice in a week (+ video)

Government to issue half a million £50 repair vouchers to get neglected bikes back on the road

Cardiff bike shop worker stole £2,600 worth of bikes and cash

Chris Boardman calls for presumed liability law to help get more people commuting by bike

Cyclist spent hour in canal after fall before rescue

Police refer themselves to watchdog after cyclist is seriously injured in collision with suspected drug driver

The former Team Sky rider – who now races gravel events as part of his role as a Wahoo ambassador – decided to DIY the 200 mile gravel epic around his local dirt tracks with the event obviously not happening for real this year. His Strava upload shows that Boswell’s total elapsed time was 11 hours and 38 minutes, meaning he only stopped for an hour in total over a fast and furious ten and a half hours of riding. 

Does that mean we can go and do Durham Tour Series then ?

— Jacob Tipper ️ (@JacobTipper) May 24, 2020

If it’s ok in a car then surely a little bike race won’t hurt!

Incredible number of people cycling in Central London today. The Superhighway #CS3 is almost overwhelmed by the number heading west through Westminster. #Cycling #London #Westminster #Cycleway pic.twitter.com/Sv16YbcHpD

— Streetcam London (@streetcamlondon) May 25, 2020

It’s been widely reported that cycling has increased during the lockdown; in fact the government have been positively urging commuters to cycle and walk where possible instead of using public transport while announcing a £250 million emergency active travel fund for pop-up cycling infrastructure. It hasn’t gone unnoticed how much things have changed in London during the lockdown, with people free to explore the city without experiencing the huge volumes of traffic they would have had to contend with pre-lockdown…

This is astounding. Certainly blows away the ‘people here won’t ride bikes’ argument.

There is absolutely no reason this can’t be so in other major cities across the UK. If we choose to enable it. And right now is the time to do so. There will never be a more appropriate time. https://t.co/xey1o5xv84

— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) May 25, 2020

Yesterday saw by far the highest ever use of London @SantanderCycles and possibly highest volume of cycling ever seen in the capital.

Circumstances may be exceptional, but it’s significant that many will have experienced for the first time, a new way of moving through a city. pic.twitter.com/NFKhHesdMY

— Jo Wood (@jwoLondon) May 26, 2020

It’s also thought that London’s Santander Cycles saw its biggest ever weekend, with over 50,000 hires a day according to data analyst Jo Wood. It’s also noted that the times people are cycling has spread more evenly throughout the day during lockdown, and isn’t just limited to routes most associated with commuting. 

Where are people cycling? Almost everywhere.

Use has moved from commuter dominated routes between mainline railway stations and central London to one more evenly spread. Green spaces especially play an important role.

[3/4] pic.twitter.com/hJkSKDuNWS

— Jo Wood (@jwoLondon) May 25, 2020

Will the boom in cycling during the lockdown genuinely be a turning point when life eventually gets back to normal, or will we inevitably return to the car-clogged streets of before? 

In what is perhaps the most audacious and impressive unfinished cycling project we’ve ever seen, behold this six-man tandem that is currently ‘completely unridable’. 

Building it was “a true lockdown challenge” according to its creator; but on the eBay listing, we’re informed that “with some work/clever re-engineering you could be riding around on this absolute unit.”

The wheels and forks have been salvaged from a 70’s Honda PF50 moped, and the frame size is listed as a ‘medium’; although we’re not sure if there’s currently a scale for measuring frame sizes of six-person tandems. 

On Twitter the creator’s son says the novelty project is being sold to raise money for charity, and with no reserve the bidding is currently at £1.43… a lot of bike for your money, even if it doesn’t work. Collection is from Colliers Wood in London if you think you could being it to life, and the link is here. 

 

 

 

 

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The Distandem. A bicycle built for two in these strange times. Following Covid guidelines on spacing. Thanks to @alasdair_watson for the photography.

A post shared by Colin Woof! Building bicycles. (@colin_woof) on Apr 30, 2020 at 11:26am PDT

Earlier this month you may recall our coverage of the ‘social distandem’ from avant-garde bike builder Colin Woof, a rideable machine that puts a good two metre gap between the riders for safe tandem-ing during the lockdown. 

To be fair they were on their way to Barnard Castle for an eye test

— Rob Smith (@ashingtonlad) May 26, 2020

Some of our readers and followers have been giving some perfectly ‘reasonable’* potential explanations for an alleged group ride spotted in Lancashire over the weekend. 

*Not actually reasonable. 

15-year-old Jyoti Kumari made the exhausting journey back to her hometown with her injured father on the back of her bike, when they were left stranded in Goa with no source of income. The Cycling Federation of India heard about the remarkable tale of endurance, and offered Jyoti a trial at their National Cycling Academy in Dehli with all expenses paid; however, The Week reports that she has declined the offer for the time being to focus on her studies: 

“I wish to complete my studies first. I also feel physically weak now after such a long arduous journey,” she said.

“I was told that I will get a call from CFI next month and I will tell them that I need a couple of months to be mentally and physically ready for the trial.”

Wiggins told Eurosport that he was so focussed on gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games, that he felt he couldn’t say hello to his children prior to lining up for his individual time trial: “I had to walk about 500m to the warm-up zone so I tried to get there without being recognised”, he said. “I walked past this little café and I saw my mum outside, and my kids were inside the café, and they came running out and I couldn’t, I didn’t want to see or look at them because I would have started crying I think. I thought ‘they are going to be there in an hours time’, but it was the cruellest act to not say hello to them, but I had to stay so focused and not let any emotion come in at any point.

“I look back and I know I am not that person anymore; I know who he was and I feel sorry for him.

“That was me and my insecure, introvert-ness sat on a throne with a bank of photographers in front of me not knowing what to do, so I just did that, I did that from school days, performed. I can’t really look at pictures of that now. As focused and amazing as he was on a bike, that athlete, off the bike there was this insecurity and I didn’t know how to react socially.”

Pleasure riding with all 2,300 of you for @LeColUK’s social spin! Shout out to my guests too, we’ll be doing another very soon x pic.twitter.com/xmjVmnQWgc

— Brad Wiggins (@SirWiggo) May 26, 2020

2,300 people rode with a considerably more chilled version of Wiggins for Le Col’s social spin at the weekend, with his latest barnet suggesting his Instagram pic posted last weekend may have been taken a little while longer ago than we first thought… 

Move over that thing beginning with Z… because you can now do your indoor riding session while shooting people and running them over in one of the most popular video games of all time, Grand Theft Auto V. As demonstrated by YouTuber Shane Miller in the video above, it’s made possible via the GTBikeV Mod plug-in that can connect to a smart bike or trainer that is ANT+ FE-C compatible. There is proper gradient simulation, and if you fancy a break you can do any number of other activities such as crashing into oncoming traffic, chucking bombs at enemies or going for a quick swim. We might just be giving this a go ourselves very soon!

#Appeal for #information
25.5.20 10.30am- 10.50am nr #Naburn #York 2 club members were struck by a dark (black/grey) Focus style car- driver left the scene hit & run. Our club secretary is now in hospital with spinal damage. @CliftonCCYork @YorkRouleurs @veloclubyork pls rt

— Barnsley Road Club (@BarnsleyRdClub) May 26, 2020

Barnsley Road Club say their secretary suffered spinal damage and another club member was also hospitalised after a hit-and-run near Naburn in North Yorkshire. It’s reported that the car that struck them was a ‘dark (black/grey) Focus style car’, and anyone with potential information has been urged to get in touch with North Yorkshire Police. 

Among those to share the post on Twitter was Dame Sarah Storey, and the club have since said that their secretary will have to spend twelve weeks in a spinal brace to recover from injuries. 

So sorry to hear this Alastair. I hope the riders are doing ok and the police are able to find the driver.

— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) May 26, 2020

12 weeks in a spinal brace for our club sec; thanks to hit and run driver. Get any information to @northyorkspfcc @NYorksPolice pic.twitter.com/Y7yqe9pq4s

— Barnsley Road Club (@BarnsleyRdClub) May 26, 2020

Absolute scenes outside @donnybrookbikes this morning.#BikeBoom2020 pic.twitter.com/ZLuB74UENh

— Dublin Cycling 🚲 (@dublincycling) May 26, 2020

With bikes still selling out in shops and online, various retailers and customers are also reporting that local bike shops are booked up for weeks with repair jobs as people continue to salvage old bikes from the shed. 

Anyone else been told there is more than a 3 week wait to get your bike fixed?

This is before the £50 voucher is released, which proves that often undervalued bike mechanics and local bike shops are crucial for modal shift.

You can’t get your bike fixed online! https://t.co/aLCTpSnmHc

— APPGCW (@allpartycycling) May 26, 2020

I’m booked until the 3rd week in June….obvs IF I am able I do bring forward if possible…. It is the sign of the times….to be fair much of the Trade think the vouchers will be a nightmare….

— RoadiesCycles 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇪🇺 (@roadiescycles) May 26, 2020

This is likely to continue when the government’s half a million £50 repair vouchers are issued; but as mentioned above, it might be a while before the bikes in question can actually be fixed. 

Thames Valley Police are appealing for witnesses after a cyclist was slapped in the face by the driver of a yellow Audi. 

The incident happened at around 5.40pm on 18th May on Faringdon Road, Abingdon, when the 26-year-old man and his partner were overtaken by a yellow-coloured Audi S4. Another vehicle was coming in the opposite direction, causing the driver of the Audi to cut in sharply and nearly hit the slap victim’s partner. 

The driver, described as white, around 6″2 with a large build and in his early 30’s, then reportedly blamed the cyclists, exiting his vehicle and shouting at them. He then got back in his car, drove a short distance and got out again, slapping the victim in the face before he drove off. 

The victim wasn’t seriously injured. Investigating officer PC Henry North said: “This incident of assault took place in daylight hours and at a time I believe there could be witnesses.

“I would ask that if anyone was in the area at the time and believes they saw this incident happening, or recognises the description of the offender, to please get in touch with police.

“Alternatively, if you think you saw the vehicle in the area, a yellow coloured Audi S4, then please also get in touch.

“I would also like to appeal to any other motorists who were in the area that might have access to a dash cam. Please review it and check if anything significant was caught on the camera.”

Controversial columnist Rod Liddle wrote that it would be “tempting” to stretch piano wire across the road to target cyclists in his latest Sunday Times column; and now Cycling UK have registered a formal complaint with the paper, arguing that “the article in question is inflammatory, in seriously poor taste, and implies that a seriously dangerous and criminal act is somehow an acceptable course of conduct.”

More to follow. 

The ongoing (and curious) tale of the fate of JUMP e-bikes, following Uber’s investment in Lime electric scooters. https://t.co/P2E8FrPau8

— Rory Williams (@carbonsmart) May 26, 2020

A curious tale has emerged that claims Uber have dumped up to 20,000 of their Jump!-branded e-bikes and their batteries, and laid off all the staff involved in building the latest iteration. It’s described by Bike Share Museum – who uncovered the scandal – as “disgusting… in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic where bicycles have literally become an object of survival.”

What’s going on? Our sister site eBikeTip will be doing some further digging this week. 

And then this happens:https://t.co/lJb5WS8Ola@SuptAndyCox I’m not sure, but I suspect that this was written on the met’s patch, section 44 of the serious crime act seems pertinent, although proving intent will be difficult. Public order?

— Nathaniel Cleland (@bellezzasolocle) May 26, 2020

Wales Online report that Neil Nunnerley needed hospital treatment after hitting a trap made of wire and branches, which cut his mouth, face and chest. It’s reported that there were numerous other potentially fatal near misses across trails and paths around the Swansea and Cardiff areas due to improvised traps, with similar incidents appearing to be on the increase across the UK since the lockdown began. 

The trap Mr Nunnerley hit had been removed when he returned with South Wales Police officers on Saturday afternoon. A police spokesperson said: “The incident was reported to police at around 5pm on May 23. Officers attended the scene with the cyclist and no wire could be found on the trees or any others nearby.

“Understandably, some time had passed between the incident and the matter being reported due to the cyclist seeking medical attention at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.”

It comes after we reported that Rod Liddle wrote a column for the Sunday Times that it would be “tempting” to place piano wire across the road to target cyclists, and some are suggesting such articles could influence a dangerous minority to commit crime. 

Earlier this month, two pensioners admitted on camera placing rocks and branches across a path in North Yorkshire to stop cyclists from using it.