Highway Code changes, riding two abreast, road tax & all the greatest anti-cycling hits — “depressing” reaction to “vile” Countryfile section on cycle safety; Van der Poel’s pizza; TT wheelies; Bike lane car park; Post-Giro blues + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Wheelieing a TT bike? That's a job for Mathieu...
If I tried this I would 100% break my neck 😬 gotta love the man and what he brings to cycling #Giro105 pic.twitter.com/yn01gHYBSf
— Peter. ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿🚴♂️ (@PBXscribes) May 29, 2022
As if the attacking racing and pineapple passion wasn’t entertaining enough…Mathieu van der Poel is also the first rider I’ve seen pull off a wheelie (kind of) on a TT bike…protect this man at all costs…
Mathieu van der Poel celebrates finishing Giro d'Italia by eating pineapple pizza (and wheelieing his TT bike)
He’s done it again…
Heerlijk pic.twitter.com/HEz9YFUbTf
— Mathieu Van der Poel (@mathieuvdpoel) May 29, 2022
Captioned ‘lovely’, Mathieu took to Twitter to complete the Giro meme experience, giving the non-Italians what they’d waited all week to see — a robotic Dutchman committing a cuisine faux pas. It’s testament to how bloody brilliant Van der Poel is at riding bikes that an act even this heinous and inflammatory (almost) gets a pass…
The Giro started with ‘spaghettigate’ (the worst of the three crimes if you ask me) — ketchup sprayed liberally over plain pasta…Then, on the second rest day, a picture of a margherita pizza with a pineapple suggestive caption sent the cycling world into meltdown…and prompted the Italian fans to chase him up the final week’s climbs brandishing pineapples…
It has finally happened. pic.twitter.com/oACBAUrQYf
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) May 27, 2022
In the midst of the madness it appeared the tropical fruit had special powers: Dries De Bondt, Van der Poel’s teammate, was handed one during stage 17…he won the next day…
Anyway, after a final week where the pineapple action was almost always more entertaining than the GC, Van der Poel delivered his grand finale…finishing third in the time trial and getting his snap…
The Giro d’Italia social media team wagered the peloton’s great entertainer that he wouldn’t win a stage during the third week. Despite his heroic stage 17 efforts, and late dash in the TT, the 27-year-old could not find a second Giro stage win…and yet…
🍍 @mathieuvdpoel, you attacked so hard that, eventhough you didn’t get a second stage win, you won anyways and everyone who loves cycling won with you. We owe it to you (and let’s hope for the best). #Giro @AlpecinFenix pic.twitter.com/pAXOwqExFp
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia) May 29, 2022
Who’s the real winner?
Post-Giro Monday...
Post Giro day + Monday pic.twitter.com/D24yUD6ugC
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) May 30, 2022
How long until the Tour de France?
"Three years later and RideLondon is back": Plenty of RideLondon positivity
VAMOS!
Three years later and RideLondon is back 😍#RideLondon #WeRide pic.twitter.com/Q5eHnULDe1
— RideLondon (@RideLondon) May 29, 2022
We suspect there could be some bingo and TalkRADIO frothing about RideLondon appearing on the blog later…soooo, in the meantime let’s concentrate on the positives…
A few years ago, my girlfriend won her @CanyonUK bike from @roadcc. Today, she’s used it for her first century at #RideLondon. Thanks all! She might not have done it without you. pic.twitter.com/ge8pUlOYvB
— Mike Lawson (@mikelawson92) May 29, 2022
A lot of fun today on #RideLondon Big thank you to everyone who cheered us all on. I really made a difference. Essex was beautiful in the sunshine too. 🚲😎🤙✔️ pic.twitter.com/ZFtrRKGCt0
— James Phelps (@James_Phelps) May 29, 2022
Set off bright and early from central London today for the #RideLondon 100 mile event.
Excited to pass through Woodford as Redbridge hosts RideLondon for the first time.
Good luck to everyone taking part today! pic.twitter.com/VbXIzK96Cr
— Jas Athwal (@Jas_Athwal) May 29, 2022
It wasn’t just about the sportive either. The final stage of the RideLondon Classique, the women’s WorldTour event, was won by Lorena Wiebes who made it a hat-trick after winning stages one and two as well…
> RideLondon-Essex riders halted for 30 minutes because of an incident
And beforehand, on the same central London closed roads, thousands of riders enjoyed the car-free city during the RideLondon FreeCycle…
FreeCycle Sunday > anything else 😍#RideLondon pic.twitter.com/wd3Uk988rz
— RideLondon (@RideLondon) May 29, 2022
Dan Martin out of retirement...according to this bookie
I like those odds
Clearly following the form guide. pic.twitter.com/02FHW4G4h4
— Dan Martin (@DanMartin86) May 30, 2022
“Money back as a free bet if your rider has been retired for seven months and has no chance of even being on the startline…”
Fancy getting paid to ride your bike?
Gloucestershire County Council has unveiled an active travel scheme which will see cyclists offered cash rewards for playing a mobile game which will reportedly help improve local cycling infrastructure.
The council has teamed up with Finnish software start-up Crowdsorsa to collect crowdsourced data of the county’s routes to survey the condition of infrastructure.
Cyclists are invited to record footage of cycle routes shown on the app (there are over 250 miles) which are covered with virtual fruit and berries. Each mile of the cycle route has around £2.50 worth of objects to collect.
“The game encourages players to explore the county and keep fit, while also earning money in the process,” a council spokesperson said.
“In a UK first, the council has teamed up with Finnish software startup, Crowdsorsa, to provide a crowdsourced data collection event to survey the condition of the county’s cycling infrastructure.
“The mobile game would allow riders to collect virtual fruits and berries worth money. These are collected by recording video footage of the cycle routes ridden.
“The survey will start at 10am on Thursday, 2 June, and anyone with a smartphone, bike and phone holder can take part.
“The game shows users over 250 miles of cycling routes on a map, all covered with virtual fruit and berries, and the more of these they collect – the more money they earn. Each mile of cycle route has around £2.50 worth of objects to collect.
“Anyone with a smartphone, a bike and a phone holder can take part in the survey.
“The Crowdsorsa mobile game can be downloaded for free from the App Store and Google Play. Within the app, there is a mission created for the Gloucestershire survey, which also features instructions for users.”
Yodel delivers almost half a million parcels by bike in the last six months
UK courier Yodel has delivered 492,000 parcels by bike over the last six months, the company has revealed. The news, reported by 365 Retail, means Yodel has surpassed its previous year’s record of 290,000, and hopes to hit 750,000 by the end of its financial year in July.
Yodel partnered with Urb-it, allowing couriers to deliver parcels via its e-cargo bike fleet, a partnership which was extended following a trial period and has expanded from just London to Glasgow, Bristol and Manchester as well. Birmingham, Liverpool and Edinburgh are touted as the scheme’s next locations.
“We’re extremely proud of what we have achieved with meeting key targets in our drive to deliver a more sustainable service for the future,” Mike Hancox, Yodel CEO said.
When he's not eating pineapple pizza and popping wheelies on a TT bike...
Legend status fully secured.
Context – this is in the middle of an alpine climb. What a Giro. What a champion for the people 🤌#GrazieMathieu #GrazieMVDP#GiroHero #MVDPstyle #MVDP #mathieuvanderpoel #alpecinfenix #Giro #GiroDItalia #Giro105 #Giro2022
Photo: @SarettaC_Photo pic.twitter.com/aw85KLY0MC
— Atlanta Rouleur Collection (@AtlantaRouleur) May 29, 2022
My Monday morning brain initially thought Mathieu might be offering a quick mid-stage headset adjustment…not simply signing an autograph…
Tell me you’re a cyclist without telling me you’re a cyclist…
Why cyclists don't use the cycle lane #2,461
The why cyclists don’t use the cycle lane series has been running for years…and shows no sign of slowing down. Today’s edition comes from Brighton…
Nothing says we’re serious about active travel more than building a big safe bike lane along the beach and then letting it be used as a car park at weekends. pic.twitter.com/kajGviaHj1
— Finn Hopson (@FinnHop) May 29, 2022
Adding to the “nothing says we’re serious about active travel” theme, Finn said: “See also, trying to look serious about tackling climate change while sanctioning events that encourage people to drive old polluting cars to the beach just for fun whilst deliberately preventing people getting around in healthier ways.”
> Monday moaning: Why don’t cyclists use cycle lanes?
Time for some more why cyclists don’t use the cycle lane specials…
> “This has UK written all over it”: Another why cyclists don’t use the cycle lane classic
> The ‘why cyclists don’t use cycle lanes’ cycle lane
Post-race recovery done right 🍻
After 3 hard weeks recovery is really important @giroditalia pic.twitter.com/z0Olm15s2q
— Nico Denz (@NicoDenz) May 29, 2022
Rapha: We believe that all athletes should have the opportunity to race
Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges insists she has no advantage over rivals
“We’re the current punching bag in the culture war,” says 21 year old in interview with DIVA magazinehttps://t.co/hmHRBvf9OD #cycling pic.twitter.com/ejzbaiTM2u
— road.cc (@roadcc) May 26, 2022
Rapha has joined the conversation under our link to the story about Emily Bridges’ DIVA magazine interview…
Trans rights are human rights. We believe that all athletes should have the opportunity to race. We don’t have all the answers to how this should be actioned but we’re standing by our athletes and supporting them.
— Rapha (@rapha) May 30, 2022
It was worth a try
.@TrekSegafredo … Stopped by your mechanic’s bus yesterday in #London, cheekily asked for a service but apparently your guys were busy … 🙂 I got a ‘Chapeau!’ for my choice of bike, though 🙂 pic.twitter.com/WUncMiE5LK
— John O’Connell (@jdpoc) May 30, 2022
Peak road.cc
Well, I don’t want to spoil anything, but boy do we have a story for you tomorrow morning…
Also would it be peak road.cc if it wasn’t all captured on Jeremy Vine’s 360-degree camera?
Reader reaction
Almost 24 years on this planet and I’ve just found out it’s a segue not a segway?! Next you’ll be telling me it’s not ‘see I to I’ or ‘ends meat’… Journalists aren’t as good as they used to be, are they? My own personal ramblings out the way, here’s what you’ve been saying about Countryfile’s chaotic cycling episode…
Odd piece wasn’t it, especially as @tomheapmedia would appear to be the most bike friendly presenter. 🤷♂️
— Jason Giller (@JasonGiller) May 30, 2022
so many lowlifes commenting so horrendously on an article about someones husband. father & son dying, no empathy or humanity. I hope that poor lady isn’t on twitter to see it all
— Susanne Reid (@SusanneReid68) May 30, 2022
Highway Code changes, riding two abreast, road tax & all the greatest anti-cycling hits — "depressing" reaction to "vile" Countryfile section on cycle safety
Strap yourselves in for this one… Countryfile did cycling last night, with the segment on the BBC One show since being described as “vile”, “disgraceful” and an “utter shitshow triggering anti-cycling hatred” by disgruntled viewers.
Conversely, the usual frothing section of social media reacted to the episode, which included an interview with the widow of a cyclist killed by a speeding driver, crying foul about January’s Highway Code changes, two abreast riding and all the other anti-cycling bingo favourites…
The comments about cyclists are every bit as depressing as you thought they might be. #countryfile
— Keeping my mask on. I stand with Ukraine 🇺🇦🕷️😷💙💚 (@alswifejacky) May 29, 2022
Warning: none of the following is particularly pretty…
First things first, let’s outline what was broadcast. Last night’s episode featured a ten-minute segment on cycle safety as “Tom Heap investigates the increase in cycling deaths on our rural roads”.
During the section he spoke with the widow of Anthony Satterthwaite — a cyclist killed in a collision with a driver speeding at 59mph on a 40mph country road (although presenter Heap narrated the incident as: “Anthony was hit by a car on a lane” before later outlining more details of the driver’s wrongdoing).
The driver got a suspended sentence and during a segue (thanks, hirsute) to the next part of the report, Heap noted Anthony was one of nearly 100 cyclists killed on Britain’s roads in 2018 before saying: “until the pandemic the number of cyclists killed on Britain’s roads had been falling, but with the lockdown came a biking boom, and more cyclists meant more deaths”.
“More cyclists mean more deaths”#countryfile Disgraceful sentence. Dangerous driving means more deaths !@Chris_Boardman @BBCCountryfile
— Don’t lie ! (@ironmatewife) May 29, 2022
The reporter then spoke to Dame Sarah Storey, Britain’s most successful Paralympian and recently announced Greater Manchester active travel commissioner, and after hearing her call for reduced speed limits and greater vigilance from drivers, asked: “let’s face it, cyclists can be occasionally dangerous and occasionally full of themselves as well, can’t they?”
Heap’s segment ended with driver vox pops in the Peak District, during which the Highway Code changes and two abreast riding were addressed in such glowing terms as “infuriating”, “crazy” and “aggravating”.
So, what did cyclists think of the segment?
A depressing watch…
— Binstedman 🚴🌱 (@binstedman) May 29, 2022
I’m trying to reflect on @BBCCountryfile cycling segment. @tomheapmedia basically got people on bikes killed tonight. Tom interviewed drivers and asked them how they felt about obeying the Highway Code!🤷♂️The underlying cyclist hatred Tom exhibited was vile. #countryfile
— Adam Reynolds (@awjre) May 29, 2022
And how about the usual suspects? Get your bingo cards ready…
You literally tweeting this after watching Countryfile and learning about the devastating impact the death of someone killed on a bicycle has. Unbelievable https://t.co/E97ZGU3jVW
— Rory McCarron (@CyclingLawLDN) May 29, 2022
Dame Sarah Storey on #countryfile saying 60mph on country roads is not appropriate. No, and neither is 10mph while stuck behind a bike
— 🥴 (@ohdomeafavour) May 29, 2022
#countryfile what a load of wallop. Maybe if cyclists actually decided to ride on quieter roads, not main driving routes and moved over so cars could pass (although most cyclists feel like they’re the only person on that road) then they wouldn’t get hit as much.
— Speaking The Truth (@Speakin01361423) May 29, 2022
Here’s an idea, stop riding your fucking bikes two and three abreast on narrow lanes. Arrogant twats #countryfile
— Carl Draper (@explodingwalrus) May 29, 2022
My head hurts…
30 May 2022, 08:10
30 May 2022, 08:10
30 May 2022, 08:10
You (almost) couldn't make it up
Parked cars block cycle lane – while their owners ride static bikes in park
Local resident says issue highlights lack of safe cycling provision in Edinburgh
30 May 2022, 08:10
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Latest Comments
Your correction is accurate - it's almost always been "the (lack of) thought that (doesn't) count". "Massive" - less than a billion a year spent on active travel (trying to catch up / building a network across the entire country) Not massive - 6 billion every year (2026-2030) spent on road *maintenance* of existing "already built, goes everywhere, very convenient" road network for inactive travel Ultimately the reason "cycle infra" is *needed* is those unbelievably colossal amounts spent every year (and for more than a century now) on making mass motoring not just viable but apparently the "best choice" for most journeys. As the Dutch and others have shown, the majority of people *are* prepared to cycle and even mix with very light, slow local motor traffic *if* cycling is also made safe and convenient for the whole of their journey (including secure parking at both ends). (The history of the financial drivers of the current situation are a complex topic but note that while people complain about "crumbling roads" and underfunded motor infra - with some reason - by us continuing the fuel duty escalator freeze (for example) we're actually helping motorists pay *even less* for that activity / subsidising more of the cost of driving than ever.)
yes, but people will still object - which was my point.
So ' Priority of Road Users' and 1.5 metre clearance at 30mph has been been reduced to 'sharing'? NCN route 2 here in South Hams is an absolute scream with white vans, tractors and total idiots who refuse,or are totally incapable,to reverse on high Devon banked lanes ...means you have to get off and pedal back to a passing place....could be at that all day...so I don't bother...
@MaxiMinimalist Agreed. The big problem I see now is today's parents grew up being driven to their schools, and therefore, see private motor vehicles as the only viable form of transport. The vast majority of UK infant and primary schools have a catchment area that is within easy walking distance from home to school. Yet, the traffic caused by pupils being driven to/from school is astonishing. Banishing the "School Run" should be a priority for all schools.
When I was a kid (that was during the previous millenium when phones were connected to a plug in the wall), I rode my bicycle to school, music academy, sport grounds, parties even during the winter. The government didn't have to spend, correct that, didn't have to think of spending massive amounts of money to build cycling specific infrastructures. Over the past 3 or 4 decades, cars have grown bigger, taller, safer (for their drivers) and faster. Meanwhile, motorists have become abusive, aggressive, hypersensitive to people moving on two wheels, aka cyclists. Spending billions upon billions on new infrastructure won't address the crux of the matter. Sadly.
Obree had some actual talent in his legs though, in addition to his bike/aero engineering talent.
Малко като опит за доказване е излязло... Никой няма нужда от толкова голям въртящ момент и мощност на шосеен велосипед с тънки гуми, които дори трудно ще предават тази мощност върху пътя. А ако има и ограничение от 25 км/час е още по-безмислено.
Not sure how informative that is. I imagine for all most of us know it could be Europe's only 'volumetric modular building'. 🤷♂️
Yes, but they're copying the adults of today...
Indeed - but alas I think this is an effective argument for very few folks indeed. As for push-back, what else could we expect *? I think there are ways of selling this but we're far more likely to see headlines about the problems, while the successes are relegated to footnotes, because at that point it just works and there's nothing to see... * Given that this time there aren't politicians being persuaded to overlook thousands of deaths and the demolition of property by the billions from the motoring trades (and the excitement of being able to drive out with the bright things for a party at a roadhouse). Nor are we as tolerant of "accidents". (And noting that publicity about the cases of a handful of people killed by cyclists continues to reach the media; deaths related to motor vehicles not so much).
38 thoughts on “Highway Code changes, riding two abreast, road tax & all the greatest anti-cycling hits — “depressing” reaction to “vile” Countryfile section on cycle safety; Van der Poel’s pizza; TT wheelies; Bike lane car park; Post-Giro blues + more on the live blog”
So did anyone notice if that
So did anyone notice if that farm shop was open, the owners of which were complaining about Ride London a couple of weeks ago? 😉
Wrong ride. That is the ToC
Wrong ride. That is the ToC one which is two weeks away.
Ooops! My mistake
Ooops! My mistake
Peak road.cc will be reached
Peak road.cc will be reached when:
Road.cc will then have to admit they will never truly be happy again, and close down.
Riding with L shaped cranks
Riding with L shaped cranks
Made by Shimano using a
Made by Shimano using a clever weight-saving bonding method…
Wearing Rapha. On a gravel
Wearing Rapha. On a gravel bike. With one rim brake and one disc brake.
Really great to see the
Really great to see the locals cheering us on during RL yesterday. The atmosphere was good and I though it was really well organised. Route was a bit dull and the amount of littering was really disappointing. Other than that I really enjoyed it although won’t be signing up for 2023.
Just gotta love Rapha with
Just gotta love Rapha with their shameless virtue-signalling.
bobbinogs wrote:
That’s somewhat unfair. What the item above doesn’t show is that they were simply responding to someone who had specifically tagged them in to the thread.
Well it seems like a more honest and well-considered contribution than 99.99% of the ‘debate’ around this issue.
To be fair to Rapha they just
To be fair to Rapha they just say they are standing by their athletes and just saying they should be able to compete. How they are able to compete they don’t say.
As long as that means it doesn’t impact womens sports then I agree with that. Emily should have the right to compete, how that can be done fairly to everyone is still to be decided.
SEGUE
SEGUE
I haven’t watched the show
I haven’t watched the show but I like to imagine the presenter was riding a Segway(tm) around the locations of the incidents discussed whilst narrating the piece, perhaps to illustrate some of the dangers faced by vulnerable road users.
That would be illegal unless
That would be illegal unless on private land. They were on bikes though.
I switched the TV on last
I switched the TV on last night and got “……..(big number) of cyclists die on our roads every year…” I thought, “No. …..(big number) of cyclists are killed on our roads every year”. That’s a different other thing, and so I pressed a button, which seems like a good call.
Seeing John O’Connell’s tweet
Seeing John O’Connell’s tweet, I went up to London yesterday with the wife to tootle around on the FreeRide. It was great to see so many people of all ages and abilities on their bikes. I also noticed the team members of the parked up team buses stood clapping those of us chugging along past them which I thought was a real encouragement to keep people riding.
Reading comments that
Reading comments that regularly appear on here make me so glad that I’m not on twitter
There’s only so much piss to boil, and it would be gone in seconds.
So, thank you, Road.cc for the unintended consequence of keeping me relatively healthy … and off Twitter
Indeed. You couldn’t win. As
Indeed. You couldn’t win. As Mark Twain once said “Don’t argue with an idiot, they’ll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
PRSboy wrote:
Oh yes we will.
post giro monday ? why wait
post giro monday ? why wait till the TdF for your next pro cycling fix, theres only 7 days till the Women’s Tour.
Well, having read some of the
Well, having read some of the comments on here, I was fully expecting to burst a blood vessel while watching Country File, but it wasn’t that bad. OK, it could have been a hell of a lot better and they made several mistakes e.g. the number of cyclists deaths supposedly falling before covid, and commenting that cycling groups thought that the problem is that country roads are “…narrow, with tight bends, no cycle lanes…” I don’t know any cycling groups that think that, but fortunately Dame Sarah put him right that it’s the drivers.
The introduction was spectacularly bad “Tom investigates why cycling on rural roads is dangerous.” It isn’t; driving is dangerous.
Then, about a new cycle route, there was “At a cost of £5m, it hasn’t come cheap.” Just wait until they find out the cost of a motorway junction.
Then they ask the ridiculous question “Will our cities continue to get the lion’s share?”
I’ve never heard of the group “More Than a Cyclist” so who are they, how many members do they have, do they claim to represent cyclists?
Also, they would have been better advised to get a spokesperson from CUK instead of a racing cyclist from BC, good as Dame Sarah was.
Every cyclist featured was, of course, wearing a helmet, but the presenters took them off when walking, so they clearly don’t know that the death rate of pedestrians is the same as cyclists for distance travelled.
Overall, 5/10.
Sustrans lady didn’t even
Sustrans lady didn’t even wear it properly.
More Than a Cyclist does not
More Than a Cyclist does not seek to represent cyclists, rather their aim is a simple one, to persuade road users that cyclists are not anonymous obstacles but human beings. It was set up as a result of the death of a friend of hers who was driven through by a Range Rover with no plausible excuse.
They are hoping to get organisations running large numbers of vehicles to carry posters reminding drivers that cyclists are first and foremost human beings.
tbf Dame Sarah has been
tbf Dame Sarah has been active travel commissioner for South Yorkshire for the past 3 years, and is now active travel commisioner for Greater Manchester, Chris Bs old job,so shes not just a racing cyclist even if thats how they presented her.
and I wasnt as annoyed about the segment, but maybe the Suffolk Punch bit afterwards lightened my mood, as I thought Id be watching it.
but it was still the same nonsense we see all the time from MSM coverage of cycling the checkbox list of lycra, othering “serious cyclists”, the weird drivers anectdotes left unchallenged, incorrect stats, why cant we just all get along, presenter guy clearly not getting it and almost wipes out in the group ride I wouldnt be comfortable riding alongside him like that and hmm I wonder what Mr safe driver who slowed down with a cheery wave,actual view ahead of the cyclists was, maybe a big sign say “slow filming in progress” perhaps…cynical arent I, I guess I just expect to be disappointed now so cant really get that angry about it anymore.
Yep I did think that was a
Yep I did think that was a poor representation of Sarah by Eburt although was that his impression because of the programme? She has even been on Op close Pass rides with Inspector Kev so like Boardman, seems to have developed more into a safety spokesman then some other ex-racers.
well the average Countryfile
well the average Countryfile viewer probably doesnt know any of that and if you are only going to be introduced as a 17 time gold medal winning paralympian, whilst wearing you world champion rainbow jersey, and Im sure there are sponsor reasons for that, but it doesnt exactly shout active travel commissioner being interviewed here.
Awavey wrote:
I think I agreed with that, well, as much as I could decipher, anyway.
https://www.grammarly.com/?q=punctuation&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=10520839432&utm_content=447678014637&utm_term=punctuation%20checker&matchtype=e&placement=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1tGUBhDXARIsAIJx01kQQ0r7isx61gkBfaE_e2bn9LTBNYmmaG56t0E7r-Pr6d0i1JJ9rMkaAlbIEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Now who’s doing the snarky
Now who’s doing the snarky backhandedest of all backhanded compliments ever
eburtthebike wrote:
30 million per mile according to this article. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-13924687
That smirk sent a shiver down
That smirk sent a shiver down my spine when Tom said “let’s face it, some cyclists can be dangerous and full of themselves”. Well done Dame Sarah for calmly rebuffing it.
He might have a point if hundreds of drivers were being killed by cyclists, flaunting them to death with their entitlement.
HoarseMann wrote:
That’s a thing? I can’t wait to cause total carnage on my ride to work tomorrow!
I think I need to practice
I think I need to practice that in the mirror a bit more because it isn’t working for me at the moment 😉
HoarseMann wrote:
I have to admit, the interviewer came across as a bit of an @rse.
Let’s run a piece about the dangers to cyclists on rural roads, illustrated with an interview with the widow of someone who died through the actions of a speeding motorist and through nothing he could have controlled, but every time we talk to an actual cyclist we’ll smirk (practically a wink to camera) and go on about how cyclists are all entitled, red light jumping, danger-magnets.
Nothing about how rural roads are bad because so many people using them are locals who feel they’re safe to go a bit faster because they know the roads.
I think Sarah Storey had been asked not to start a fight, because there were all sorts of ways she could have replied rather than just take a deep breath and not bite on his bait.
I found the whole programme very frustrating.
Yep, it was a cringe fest.
Yep, it was a cringe fest. The opening gambit from a couple of wobbly riders on borrowed bikes, “how can we accommodate cyclists without destroying nature?”, really set the tone.
To be fair to Countryfile, they just surfaced views about cyclists that I’m sure many country (and city!) dwellers harbour. Can’t hold them to the same journalistic rigour than, say, Panorama.
But the bit about rural roads being dangerous because they’re narrow and twisty; if that was the case, then all those narrow and twisty bike paths must be lethal! Best stick to the motorway!
LiveBlog wrote:
“Segway” duly corrected, but “did got” seems to have passed unnoticed!
Not unnoticed, but I like to
Not unnoticed, but I like to leave a few for other people to pick up.
mdavidford wrote:
Surely un-noticed?
Un-likely
Un-likely