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Is there any rubber left? The impossibly worn tyre that earned bike shop visitor a standing ovation from mechanics… after he only came in “for a tube”; Threatening call to cyclist; 5000km without a puncture; Remco, West Ham fan? + more on the live blog
SUMMARY

Is there any rubber left? The impossibly worn tyre that earned bike shop visitor a standing ovation from mechanics... after he only came in "for a tube"
As I sit at my desk this Friday morning I can look a couple of metres to my left and see the front tyre of my beloved roadie, flat as a pancake from a slow puncture. It’s the second this month which, even by my very stingy standards of getting every last mile out, probably warrants some fresh rubber…
I say ‘my very stingy standards’. I’m not sure I can ever claim that title again having now seen this…
Everyone’s favourite mechanical nightmare Insta page, Trench Tales, is back with another absolute belter. We’d love to know how many miles it takes to remove every last dot of rubber from a tyre, leaving nothing but a finger hole…
> Can it be real? Mechanic shares double cleat horror set up
Fantastically, the owner visited their shop just “for a tube”. Superb. Writing on Insta, Trench Tales explained: “Trench tyre. Previously holding on by a thread but now it’s mercifully dead. Rider came in just ‘for a new tube’, and earned himself a standing ovation from the staff.”
Is it dead? I reckon there’s a couple more miles in that one…
PS. Go give Trench Tales a follow and a like, truly one of our favourite social accounts, documenting perfectly the level of nonsense working in a bike shop brings you on a daily basis.
If the standard UK road safety approach was applied to food safety in the hospitality trade
Here’s an interesting hypothetical…
If the standard UK road safety approach was applied to food safety in the hospitality trade, instead of addressing danger at source – what advice would you give? It’s on you not to be poisoned – what would you choose?
— Katy Rodda Still Wants 2m (@KatyCycles) October 6, 2022
“Sorry, ma’am, if you’re allergic to peanuts you should have been wearing your yellow hi-vis nut allergy tabard… could you please move over to the side of the restaurant so other diners can get past”
And the police won’t bother prosecuting if you just had an upset tummy but didn’t actually vomit.
— Matthew Phillips (@phillipsme) October 7, 2022
In fact why do we even let kids eat in public?
— Sam Clifford (@samclifford) October 6, 2022
Making kitchen staff wash their hands slows down how quickly they can make food, which means people are hungrier longer.
— Sam Clifford (@samclifford) October 6, 2022
Derbyshire Police arrest Ferrari driver seen speeding at "more than 180mph"
Remember this?
> “Steady Sunday drive”: Driver reaches 191mph on UK roads
Well, there’s an update…
A man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving following reports of a Ferrari reaching speeds of more than 180mph on the A61 near #Dronfield. More here: https://t.co/GEW8q9EYia pic.twitter.com/SRdSzwwisc
— Derbyshire Police (@DerbysPolice) October 6, 2022
Derbyshire Police confirmed:
A man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.
It is in connection with a video which emerged on social media of a Ferrari reaching speeds of more than 180mph on the A61 northbound near Dronfield.
The man, who is from South Yorkshire, has been released under investigation while enquiries continue.
We would like to speak to anyone who may have noticed a Ferrari in the area between around 3.15pm and 3.45pm on Sunday 2 October and may have dashcam footage which could help with our investigation.
Remco watches West Ham win
Always special to be here!💜 pic.twitter.com/NSHrg7tJ0o
— Remco Evenepoel (@EvenepoelRemco) October 6, 2022
The Remco Evenepoel ‘God Tour’ is well underway. Having been greeted at the airport by hundreds of fans, and then by thousands in Brussels, last night the world champ took the homecoming to his football club — Anderlecht.
The Belgian side lost their clash with West Ham in the Europa Conference League (a 1.Pro race, for anyone who couldn’t care less about football) as Remco took the applause of the crowd, no doubt some very confused cockneys watching on.
Evenepoel was in Anderlecht’s academy as a boy before hopping over the border to PSV Eindhoven, ultimately switching to cycling as a teenager. A pretty good decision, we’d say…
Vincenzo Nibali's last dance gets exclusive Wilier 0 SLR
Come tomorrow evening, Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde will no longer be professional bike racers, with the evergreen pair bowing out from pro racing at Il Lombardia.
🤩 WHAT A BIKE! 🤩
Details of an exclusive @WilierTriestina 0 SLR of @vincenzonibali!#LoveMyWilier #RaiseTheBar #Wilier0SLR #AstanaQazaqstanTeam pic.twitter.com/Omxg2G5hiA
— Astana Qazaqstan Team (@AstanaQazTeam) October 7, 2022
One final Shark attack or a Bala sprint would go down lovely… although a certain Tadej Pogačar might have something to say about dream the farewell.
Cyclist knocked off bike by left hook van driver later receives threatening phone call
Cheers to hirsute and the people on Twitter who tagged us in this one…
Staffordshire Police declined to take action against this driver. The owner of the company then contacted the victim by telephone and threatened him. @StaffsPolice should reopen this case. Source: MonkeyShred YouTube channel. pic.twitter.com/oIHZzpzGXW
— The Department of Parks & Recreation 🦌 (@ldnparks) October 6, 2022
At least it seems Staffordshire Police have finally taken note (after much social media poking)…
The RPU have not dealt with this – we are now in contact with the rider about this
— Staffs Police Roads Policing Unit (@RoadPolicing) October 7, 2022
Which at least addresses this…(kind of)…although maybe the RPU could have a word with their non-traffic colleagues…
Another clip from the YouTube video, describing the police response. pic.twitter.com/IE35jlpChP
— The Department of Parks & Recreation 🦌 (@ldnparks) October 6, 2022
Perhaps the most unique part of this tale is the phone call from an unidentified man after the rider shared the clip on Instagram and someone tagged the company, in which he threatened the cyclist and suggested he go on a driving awareness course.
During the phone call, which is fully explained in the longer video below, the cyclist believes: “This guy clearly thought I was some young kid who needs to be taught a lesson. He constantly interrupted me, paid no attention to what I said, constantly made this loud sniffing noise down the phone and generally just seemed pretty annoyed — probing into my own driving history and trying to give life advice.”
Then came the threat that “someone very close to him [the caller]” who is “ex-forces, serving police and had a serious cycling accident” is “not happy”… “so unhappy in fact, and I quote, ‘just do a bit of digging, mate, because I’m not saying this threatening [ly], you’re making a rod for your own back […] you’re putting a mark on yourself’.”
Charming. Let’s hope Staffordshire Police get to the bottom of this…
🤦
When you spend all morning seating tires only to realize you put it on backwards as you roll out 🤦♂️ #FML pic.twitter.com/ZPbRDINWvJ
— Peter Stetina (@peterstetina) October 6, 2022
Hmmmmm
Yesterday vs today. 🤔🧐 pic.twitter.com/XWESGQbRcu
— The Department of Parks & Recreation 🦌 (@ldnparks) October 7, 2022
Staff Bikes: Liam’s HOT PINK Kinesis 4S Disc Winter Bike
Reaction to THAT tyre
Careful! He’ll have you for frivolous upselling 😜
— Tad Piesakowski #FBPE #alsoacyclist (@tadpies) October 7, 2022
Andrew Spittlehouse has “a 1983 Raleigh on its original tyres and tubes. Takes a few decades to get the rubber in perfect condition.” I’m going to be having nightmares about a steep descent in the wet tonight…
brooksby reckons it’s like “the tyre you’d expect to see on a 1960s shopper that you found at the back of your grandparents’ shed, behind a woodpile…”
No arguments there…
Hey, as long as there's rubber on those tyres I'm not going to judge
Well. That’s ONE way of adjusting saddle height on a public hire bike … 🤷🤣 pic.twitter.com/t5uHdmOxLm
— Simon MacMichael 🏴🇮🇹🇪🇺❤️💙🚲 (@simonmacmichael) October 7, 2022
Ganna's hour and the UCI gravel world champs... clear your schedules!


If you’re getting big bike race cravings after the road world champs concluded last month, fear not because there’s plenty going on this weekend.
I suppose the first one is more someone racing themselves but it’s a race against the clock nonetheless, because Filippo Ganna is after the Hour Record that his Ineos colleague Dan Bigham broke in August. It’s led to a unusual situation where Bigham, as his role as performance engineer for Ineos, has been heavily involved in helping Ganna take the record off him by imparting his expert advice to the Italian on aerodynamics and bike fit. Maybe Filippo should have a quick check his tyres before the gun goes?*
Anyway, you can catch Ganna’s attempt live on YouTube for free at this link from 18.45 UK time tomorrow.
Over in Ganna’s native Italy, the inaugural Gravel World Championships is being taken more seriously than we anticipated and will be live on Eurosport from 1pm-3pm for the women’s race on Saturday and between 1pm-3pm on Sunday for the men’s. It will be the first race back for Mathieu van der Poel after some time in Australian police custody, and from this Insta snap it seems like he’s going for a road bike in the new Canyon Ultimate with some thicker tyres over something more gravelly.
Will the Dutchman prevail? He’ll have names such as Peter Sagan, Nathan Haas and Greg Van Avermaet to fend off, so we’re expecting some fireworks.
* Tongue very very firmly in cheek…
US Covid-19 jab clinic offering chance to win a bike for getting vaccinated


While most citizens of the USA who were willing and able received their first Covid-19 vaccination dose many months ago, a Niagara Falls clinic is hoping to entice the unvaccinated to come forward by offering them the chance to win bikes.
Buffalo News reports that four bikes are being given away, in adults and children’s sizes, and that first, second and booster vaccinations are being administered. No news on what the bikes are… what do we reckon, Trek Madone, Specialized Tarmac, a nice bit of titanium?
From impossibly worn to impossibly un-worn tyres: charity fixed gear cyclist completes 5,000km ride across Europe... and doesn't get one puncture


What’s the biggest distance you reckon you’ve covered without getting a puncture? Even across multiple days and months we reckon 5,000km is good going, and Pietro Franzese has just managed to go that far without flatting on one epic ride from Milan’s Piazza del Duomo to North Cape in Norway, according to his tyre sponsor Vittoria.
Riding a fully loaded fixie, Pietro ran 28mm Vittoria Corsa N.EXT tyres with the brand’s Air-Liner Road insert for extra puncture protection. It clearly worked, as he completed his mission through eight countries to raise cash for Italian foodbanks without incident: “A winning combination for those looking for reliable and comfortable tyres” boast Vittoria, and our own Aaron Borrill agreed in his review of these tyres published a couple of weeks ago.
Not to rain on Vittoria’s parade, but if Pietro’s route had have taken him through a post-industrial British town after a heavy Saturday night, we’re not quite so sure his tyres would have held up…
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Latest Comments
@Backladder Given that the makers are selling it as being useable on any ride on open roads, it doesn't seem unreasonable to try to test it in those conditions.
'Leasting'? That's a whole 4 letters less.
Although usually the easiest thing of all would be for them just to stop for a few moments while you cycle past them (which requires a lot less space to do safely than them passing you), but most people seem allergic to stopping, even for the briefest time.
@Backladder Oh I think I can guess - the nearest indoor velodrome to road.cc HQ looks to be some distance away in Wales, whereas Odd Down Cycle Track (where this test was conducted) is just 2 miles away.
There are a number of causes of "the divide between motorists and cyclists". Only one is to do with the technology (of bicycles and cars) and that's the nature of the car, which is designed to induce the sort of dangerous and careless behaviours that providing humans with a lot of power and glamour fetches out of us. Other causes are much more insidious - A culture of hyper-individualism bordering on solipsism, with violently ultra-selfish and aggressive anti-heroes being promoted in every mass media channel as the ideal. A "news" media that overwhelmingly seeks, creates and offers pariahs and scapegoats to the rabid individualists, which pariahs and scapegoats includes all kinds of those perceived as less powerful and therefore easy victims, including cyclists. The near complete lack of any curb upon the dangerous antics of vast numbers of media-maddened motorists by the forces of law and order, many of whom are actually members themselves of the mass media maddened motorist ilk. ******** No amount of a more rational discourse about active travel or the means of making it safer will change these root causes of the vast numbers of deaths and maiming due to inept, incompetent and deliberately violent antics of vast numbers of motorists allowed their dangerous "weapons of choice". Yet many other highly damaging aspects of modern societies would be solved by a much more effective curbing of mass media mob-building and goading along with a serious attempt to prevent motorists and a whole range of other damagers from behaving as badly as so many do. It'll not happen, of course. Large and powerful elements of the modern world obtain far too much ultra-riches and power from current conditions for them to allow any significant change. And vast numbers of the population have long had their minds, attitudes and behaviours captured and directed by various oligarchical monsters and their mass media propaganda horns. About the only chance of safe active travel becoming extant is for the population at large to become mostly too poor to afford a car, ironically one other likely outcome of the machinations of those same power and money-mad monsters that have created the car-issue in the first place. Their need for zero-sum socio-economic arrangements degrades everything, including the wallet-contents of the masses.
@Astralstroll The hierarchy of road users does not mean priority of road users except in certain circumstances, e.g. stopping to let pedestrians cross junctions before turning. It doesn't mean that cyclists have priority over motor vehicles at all times any more than the pedestrians have priority over cyclists at all times. It certainly doesn't mean that you have priority in the circumstances you describe; personally, unless the driver is being a complete dick, on a narrow country lane I accept that it is easier for me to turn around and go back to the nearest passing place, which is never that far if you're on a bike, than for a tractor or other large vehicle to reverse back down the road for my benefit.
If you were spending that much money on the device the obvious thing to do is to book a couple of hours in a velodrome for testing in a stable environment, I can't understand why Road.cc tried to do it outdoors.
@Astralstroll The Hierarchy of Road Users, announced with great fanfares in 2022, has been rendered into complete fiction by the attitude of the police: there is this hierarchy/ priority list but we don't take it seriously and if drivers ignore it we don't care! The same applies to the ludicrous notice of close-passing - No KSI'd cyclist = No Offence ttps://upride.cc/incident/lwa190_minicooper_hierarchy/
Hope Barcelona keep the transport improvements (they've been making for a while) coming! Better streets, more infra to help active travel where necessary. And while it's a major investment (though can be lower operating cost than busses) maybe more trams where they can. That may be more effective in making places active travel friendly and replacing taxis than mass public bike hire. They've a good start with 6 lines already.
57 thoughts on “Is there any rubber left? The impossibly worn tyre that earned bike shop visitor a standing ovation from mechanics… after he only came in “for a tube”; Threatening call to cyclist; 5000km without a puncture; Remco, West Ham fan? + more on the live blog”
Are you buying food that
Are you buying food that doesn’t have a harmful impact on your health and the planet? You should move aside to make things more convenient for the more important person eating the deep fried surf and turf of dolphin and rhino.
It’s when you are sitting
It’s when you are sitting enjoying your meal when suddenly the restaurant becomes dominated by the one person sat around a huge table that could quile happily seat 12, but actually only has 5 huge armchairs, making excessive demands on the serving staff, oh and look, they’re shouting into their mobile!
Judging by some of the bikes
Re: Worn Tyre: Judging by some of the bikes used by delivery cyclists, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was one of those.
It looks like the tyre you’d
It looks like the tyre you’d expect to see on a 1960s shopper that you found at the back of your grandparents’ shed, behind a woodpile…
More like under the woodpile!
More like under the woodpile!
road.cc are you going to do
road.cc are you going to do an item on this staffs police NFA ?
https://twitter.com/ldnparks/status/1578090942699012108
Appalling
Yep, definitely appears dodgy
Yep, definitely appears dodgy on initial viewing. Although I noticed one twitter response criticising the cyclist for “speeding up”. Doesn’t help he blocked the van off in the video so cannot see if / when indicators were on.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
I can’t see how indicators are relevant – the van overtook to turn left which is explicitly forbidden in the Highway Code. Even with multiple indicators and a loudspeaker announcing a left turn, that’s still dangerous driving and the cause of a RTC. I don’t understand why the police are refusing to do their job.
I don’t understand why the
I don’t understand why the police are refusing to do their job
I do- it’s the default police modus operandi when dealing with anything to do with cyclists, or people without MOT and insurance for years, or RLJ drivers etc.
They shouldn’t be to anyone
They shouldn’t be to anyone with a grasp of road safety, but it might have shut up some of the more vocal people on Twitter, especially as driver supposedly admitted the van turn was last second to go to the shop.
Staffs police, my local force
Staffs police, my local force, are in special measures for a reason.
I saw the speeding up, it
I saw the speeding up, it looked like they were going down a hill. Who might figure that that happens?
Loved the handlebars.
ktache wrote:
Eben Weiss (BikesnobNYC) has an old MTB looks a bit like that, he calls it his “Eye of the Tiger” Retro Bike.
(No subject)
Wow.
Wow.
Definite sharp intake of breath, watching that.
I also followed through to the youtube video, where the cyclist tells the story of being “allegedly” “threatened”.
Just, wow.
I couldn’t work out how they
I couldn’t work out how they got his number to ring him with veiled threats.
True. How “public facing” is
True. How “public facing” is he? Some people, you can google and find phone numbers for them.
Or maybe the “alleged” “threatener” called the police and asked for contact details, and they were just trying to be helpful…

I wonder if he sent details
I wonder if he sent details through to the company as well when first hit? (Haven’t followed it up with the further videos).
Hey RoadCC: one for you
Hey RoadCC: one for you report on.
Finally, drivers getting put in jail; sadly no where near enough.
Two men jailed after hitting a dad cycling with their young kids, resulting in serious injury | Hampshire Constabulary
<title my own>
Thomas Lycett, 21, of Woodlands Road in Totton and Jacob Reginald Titt, 23, of Poplar Crescent in Ringwood were driving at speeds of up to 100mph in a 40mph limit moments before the devastating collision.
Thomas Watt was on a family bike ride with his wife and two young daughters at 2pm on Sunday 11 October 2020.
…
We’re midway through writing
We’re midway through writing a story on this one, an absolute shocker. Should have something up on the site later today. Thanks
Titt by name…
Titt by name…
Pyro Tim wrote:
Classic Nominative Determinism…
Seems like short bans to me.
Seems like short bans to me.
Agreed! Is there any reason
Agreed! Is there any reason to let someone who does this ever drive again? Driving is a privilege, not a right and I would say that going 2.5 times the speed limit, whether or not that results in serious injury or death, is grounds for permenantly revoking that privilege.
In France, drivers exceeding
In France, drivers caught exceeding the speed limit by 30mph have their vehicle confiscated and lose their licence on the spot. Why not in the UK? Enough with Mr Loophole and pleading special cases.
Anyone seen mdavidford ?
Anyone seen mdavidford ? Haven’t seen any posts for a bit.
You’re right, last post was
You’re right, last post was 8th August:
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-8-august-2022-295031#live-blog-item-36371
HoarseMann wrote:
Hope he’s OK, come back MDF, your pedantry is missed!
Just curious, have you found a way to search the site and find a particular user’s post history? Been asking for that for ages.
Just a google search of site
Just a google search of site:road.cc mdavidford with the time set to past year.
Actually, he’s not been that active in the last 12 months, only commenting on 8 articles. So a few weeks without posting is not unusual.
Actually, I’m wrong there.
Actually, I’m wrong there.
It’s just occurred to me that the google search is only picking up instances where his username was quoted in the main body of the article. The google search doesn’t crawl the comments section.
“Yes we do have a healthy
“Yes we do have a healthy dessert option, but you must appreciate that it doesn’t attract the sugar tax, so you can’t expect to receive the same level of service that people choosing the full fat option get, can you?”
“Look at that salad clad,
“Look at that salad clad, self righteous, MAMIL (Middle Aged Man In Leaves). He doesn’t even pay food tax but thinks he owns the table. Leafists should stick to the salad bar instead of taking up space in the restaurant which was designed for proper foods. Does he even know the heimlich manouver?”
Double dodgy overtake
Double dodgy overtake
https://mobile.twitter.com/manzanotti/status/1578308864432541696
Help !!
That’s quite special!
That’s quite special!
Just think – those two are
Just think – those two are licenced by the Governmet to use the public rights of way in motor vehicles…..
And both cars registration
And both cars registration plates can be seen and yet this had failed to prevent drivers of said vehicles being dangerous lawbreaking arseholes.
Saw a tyre not dissimilar to
Saw a tyre not dissimilar to that at LEL2022 at the Dunfermline checkpoint. Gently recommended replacing with a new one
Was at St Ives LEL2022 doing
Was at St Ives LEL2022 doing same and saw a rider whose rear tyre was in the process of delaminating – would have looked like this if made it to Dunfermline – replaced tyre and added a tube as was running tubeless on arrival.
We’re not celebrating the
We’re not celebrating the state of that tyre, are we?
Anyone that rides a bike with tyres in that condition is a danger to themselves, others and a total cock.
Someone pulls out of a junction, hits you and your tyres look like that… you’ve screwed yourself for compensation.
It’s not big, it’s not clever… just twatifery.
You know when you read about
You know when you read about fires being (allegedly) started by e-bikes, or hear about some e-bike being ridden antisocially and how it’s the fault of all cyclists wherever? I reckon that the e-bike in question looks like this one (note the stylish use of duct tape and bin liners to protect the battery).
And around me it will be
And around me it will be ridden by a Romanian or Moldovan with a huge Deliveroo bag on their back.
Curiously enough, I did see
Curiously enough, I did see it being ridden shortly after taking that photo by a bloke with a big Deliveroo cube on his back. Didnt stop him to ask his nationality, though…
We don’t always cook the food
We don’t always cook the food properly, but don’t worry we have painted some lines on the plates to keep you safe
“Yes, our drunk and negligent
“Yes, our drunk and negligent waiter did pour a gallon of scalding soup all over you, but you weren’t wearing a napkin, so as far as we’re concerned, it’s your fault”.
The food safety inspector
The food safety inspector came in and inspected to their standards in 1973 so we don’t need any further testing ever again. We have been cooking for a long time, there is no reason to think we might need additonal safety training and testing.
Re: Arrested Ferrari Driver.
Re: Arrested Ferrari Driver. As I mentioned with the assaulting van driver yesterday, can the Police also charge the passenger with something as well as he is obviously encouraging the driver with filming it for SM means.
Sado-masochistic ?
Sado-masochistic ?
Could have been worse…an A
Could have been worse…an A SM R video
Awavey wrote:
What’s so wrong with ASMR?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T97f1Z0WnFI
I had to look that up on
I had to look that up on Wikipedia. Weird phenomenon, but now I know what it is, I think that Derren Brown is a walking talking ASMR trigger…
Some light reading for the
Some light reading for the weekend if you get bored, 1500 pages of cycling & walking strategy http://www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy-and-local-plans/east-suffolk-cycling-and-walking-strategy/ that East Suffolk council have unanimously approved https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-63143867
Excellent. As long as it
Excellent. As long as it gets dusted regularly, it will continue to look shiny and good, which is its only purpose.
Found on SingleTrack’s FGF.
Found on SingleTrack’s FGF.
A multitool with built in dynaplug.
https://www.pnwcomponents.co.uk/collections/shop-all/products/pebble-tool?variant=39634808963149#image-1
That looks excellent! $35
That looks excellent! $35 shipping though…
Dogless wrote:
Thanks – I was drawn in by the shiny despite already having all the relevant tools. I do not need that one.
I believe you already possess
I believe you already possess several dynaplugs and know you have many multitools.
Talking of shiny, I was finally able to get my wolftool link pliers, in nickel plate. Full shiny.
ktache wrote:
I think a magpie has taken up residence in my brain. I still haven’t actually used my woolftool link pliers for chain wrangling.