Police install ‘give cyclists room’ signs…local asks for ‘cyclists single file’ version; Cycling UK defends West Kernow Way muddy trails; Gino Mäder donates €4,500 to charity; Alex Cow-sett; Cav Netflixbombs Movistar; TOB TTT + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Cycling UK defends West Kernow Way after criticism of overly muddy trails
Which kind of bike is best for #WestKernowWay?
A gravel bike with 35mm or wider all-terrain tyres and wide ratio gears is the optimum choice in dry weather. A lightweight hardtail mountain bike is ideal in bad weather.
Visit our website for route FAQs: https://t.co/DqshxyJVhc pic.twitter.com/iwW5PkXZe0
— Cycling UK (@WeAreCyclingUK) September 6, 2021
Cycling UK defended its headline new route, the West Kernow Way, after some on social media objected to the pictures used to promote the ride showing challenging muddy trails. On its website Cycling UK is upfront about the route being a challenge and that “there are a few short sections that were very wet and boggy even in June.” Although some have said these were mysteriously missing from the route’s glossy promotional video (at the bottom of this post), and the picture above of one such sector, didn’t go down too well with some…
Do you really believe cyclists enjoy getting off their bike to slog through mud like this? This is just an advert for why not to use this route.
— jaj991 (@jaj991) September 6, 2021
Are you *really* seriously promoting this route if that’s what conditions are like? That’s a fail on so many levels, not least awful PR.
— Mark Strong (@ibikebrighton) September 6, 2021
Oh, I quite fancied the idea of that route but I’m not so sure now. It’s one thing slogging through knee deep mud for a day out but not when you’re touring.
— Jon (@Jontafkasi) September 6, 2021
To which Cycling UK responded…
We don’t like to sugar coat things. Cycling off-road in the UK can throw up conditions like this so it is best to be prepared but for the majority of the West Kernow Way you’ll be enjoying landscapes, trails and views like this… pic.twitter.com/OOJCM9ZVNr
— Cycling UK (@WeAreCyclingUK) September 6, 2021
However, for every person slamming the state of that trail, there was also someone ready to say you should expect some sticky sections on a 230km off-road route here in the UK. Some also pointed out that Cycling UK had done well to join up existing routes and lost trails into a challenging route, and unlike Sustrans and the Canal & River Trust — it doesn’t hold responsibility for creating and maintaining the routes.
I was critical originally but now I’ve read the FAQs which clearly explain the type of route this is I think they’ve done a good job. Should have done that first.
— Jon (@Jontafkasi) September 6, 2021
Disappointing to see people trying to dunk on cycling UK, they clearly say this is a challenging off road ride for people with experience in doing so in the route’s FAQs https://t.co/Ym9V3jZCFw
— Calum_R91 🚲 (@CalumR91) September 6, 2021
This looks like a lovely route for mostly off-tarmac cycling (which can sometimes mean mud and pushing).
And there are also lots of lovely on-tarmac routes which are already mapped and tend not to involve these things.
Both can be fun. It’s just a question of taste.
— Diarmid O’Sullivan (@DiarmidOS) September 6, 2021
What do you reckon? Are a couple of muddy trails a dealbreaker for you? Have you been put off? Or does the challenge make you more likely to take a trip down to the South West?
Vuelta white jersey Gino Mäder donates €4,500 to charity
As said in my previous tweet I’ll add 10 Euros for every rider in GC too! (1370)
Donation of 4529 Euros will be done today!
Thanks to all of you who supported me throughout this Vuelta!
Recover and up we go to the next! 😴— Gino Mäder (@maedergino) September 7, 2021
He promised to donate €1 to charity for every rider he beat on stages of the Vuelta a España…who knew Gino Mäder would end up fifth on GC and wearing the white jersey? That made it a hefty €3,159 bill, but Mäder went one step further and added on €10 for each rider he beat on GC too — what a good sport.
Justdiggit, a charity aiming to ‘regreen’ Africa in the next ten years, is the deserving charity the Swiss rider will help out.
Cycling UK statement on West Kernow Way
Wet sections pretty much come hand in hand with “off road” surely? I’ve never got on a mountain bike and thought “that muddy trail looks bad, I’ll stay at home”…
— James Lyons (@artofcletus) September 7, 2021
We got in touch with Cycling UK for a bit more reaction to the West Kernow Way kerfuffle…
Hopefully it shouldn’t come as a surprise to the UK-based cyclist that if you head off-road pretty much at any time of year potentially there will be mud!
At Cycling UK, we don’t want to give people the wrong impression about the adventure routes we’re creating – they are tough and challenging but also filled with history and the variety of natural beauty which makes riding through our countryside so attractive.
This type of cycling isn’t for everyone of course, but for those who like that type of riding it’s a whole world of fun. Catering for this sort of riding, doesn’t just give the leisure off-road rider somewhere to go though, but also has massive tourism benefits for rural communities and is a vital part of our off-road campaigning on improving access in England and Wales.
It’s a bit of a leap though to suggest by doing vital work in this area, we’re ignoring the wider needs to improve everyday cycling. The recent changes we’ve helped bring to the Highway Code for cycling, adoption of our calls for increased funding by the Welsh and Scottish governments, ongoing legal battle in Shoreham and more clearly show our commitment in this area.
The great thing about Cycling UK is that we’re working to support all types of cycling, cyclists and potential cyclists too – hopefully that’s something everyone who enjoys cycling or wants to cycle more can support.
Alex Dowsett goes wildlife watching at the Tour of Britain
Reason for not having race radios;
Unpredictable racing.
Reason for having race radios;
“Guys in 3km you can expect sheep on the road”“Guys in 1.5km there is a cow on the road”#tob2021 😂
— Alex Dowsett (@alexdowsett) September 6, 2021
We shared the snaps of the highland cows out on the stage two route yesterday…but what about the baa-rmy army getting a little too close to the action?
How to say you’re in Devon without saying you’re in Devon… 🐑#TourOfBritain 🟢⚪🟢 pic.twitter.com/P6VapSI9Mz
— AJ Bell Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 (@TourofBritain) September 6, 2021
Police install 'give cyclists room' signs...local asks for 'cyclists single file' version
Be on the lookout for new signage popping up in the lanes aimed at all road users with a view to protecting the most vulnerable. They will be in areas used frequently by cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians. Every road user has a responsibility to #ShareTheRoad pic.twitter.com/dq4EtwX62d
— Leicestershire Police Specials (@LeicsSpecials) September 5, 2021
Thoughts on these new signs Leicestershire Police have been putting up? Can’t be a bad thing to keep informing motorists…
Ana Blanquete certainly thought so, she replied: “Love this! Plenty of times shouting ‘roads are for vehicles, not just cars’ to careless drivers.”
Someone who did not, however, was the one local who thought he had a much better idea: a sign reminding cyclists they ‘must’ ride single file. Among the amusing replies was this one from RC D Mitchum explaining, “Police only deal with crimes mate. Riding abreast is not only legal, it’s recommended by police and driving instructors.”
Is it 2 or 3 decades since you last read the Highway Code?
— Rich (@531forever) September 5, 2021
Beyond this part of the discussion, some wondered what difference the signs would make on a road such as the one shown, as drivers would likely squeeze past anyway. Another user set their sights on winning the ‘niche alternative sign’ award…thankfully not about cyclists…but demanding a “sign for horse riders not to use mobile phones”…
Places we'd rather be...Annemiek van Vleuten pedals past paradise
Can’t get the smile of my face on days like this! 😎 pic.twitter.com/I8aRKlYo0v
— Annemiek van Vleuten (@AvVleuten) September 6, 2021
Add it to your bucket list…how good does that look?
South Western Railway improves cycling facilities at six stations
The Bournemouth Echo reports South Western Railway has announced the completion of improvements to six cycle parking schemes at stations across Dorset. Weymouth, Dorchester South, Wareham, Parkstone, Gillingham and Bournemouth Station have all benefited from the works.
There is now increased parking, as well as upgraded CCTV. Similar works were completed at Sherborne’s station last year.
Cllr Mike Greene, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Sustainability at BCP Council said: “I am delighted that BCP Council has been able to assist South Western Railway in introducing these CCTV-monitored cycle racks in Bournemouth and Parkstone Stations. It is a relatively minor start but helps address a real need.
“Not only does this make it more accessible for those who cycle on their commute, but it is very much in line with the council’s effort to encourage people to choose more sustainable ways to get about ways to get about.”
Netflixbombing Cav swaps teams...Movistar consider Miguel Ángel López's future
Things people will do to appear in a Netflix series 😱 https://t.co/AjQrtvNQoG
— John Maguire (@velo_bristol) September 7, 2021
Cav in, Miguel Ángel López out? The Spanish team are reportedly considering terminating the Colombian’s contract after he stormed out of the Vuelta a España on the penultimate stage after missing a split.
Team boss Eusebio Unzué ripped into his rider in a radio interview yesterday evening, confirming a presenter’s question about if López’s contract being ripped up is being considered…
“It’s one of the options, that’s clear,” Unzué said. “We’ve wanted to put a bit of distance between things, analyse the Vuelta, and in a couple of days take the definitive decision.”
This is going well...
hmmm not sure closing off part of the advertised cycle route to the stadium for the entire match day is consistent with this pic.twitter.com/Igx13t9y4i
— Aislinn Bowler (@AshBowler) September 7, 2021
We brought you the surreal news this morning that Spurs and Chelsea fans have been urged to cycle to the ‘world’s first net zero carbon football match’, next Sunday’s London derby between the two of the Premier League’s early pace setters. As you can see above, there have been some inconsistencies on that front…
Can we move in too? Jay Vine's wife rustles up full English for Grand Tour debutant
Back home before 12 meant I got to have a late breakfast with my wife, who made me a homemade English Breakfast 😍 Got to spin the legs this afternoon, and I’ve got one more spin tomorrow then it’s time to put the feet up and get some R&R for a few days 🙌 #getwreckedjay pic.twitter.com/qOGTs19BNK
— Jay_Vine (@JayVine3) September 6, 2021
No black pudding? We’ll forgive it because of how top-notch the rest of it looks. Now I’m hungry again. Great.
Ineos Grenadiers dominate Tour of Britain time trial to put Ethan Hayter into the race leader's jersey
Congratulations, @INEOSGrenadiers 🙌 You can enjoy the Champagne after stage eight…#TourOfBritain 🔴🟢⚪ pic.twitter.com/7eiJLDyQB6
— AJ Bell Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 (@TourofBritain) September 7, 2021
Ineos Grenadiers were comfortable winners on stage three of the Tour of Britain this afternoon, taking the team time trial by 17 seconds ahead of Deceuninck-Quick-Step and 20 quicker than Jumbo-Visma. Ethan Hayter moves into the race leader’s jersey; teammate Rohan Dennis is second, six seconds back.
Wout van Aert and Julian Alaphilippe are now the closest rivals to the Ineos pair, at 16 and 23 seconds respectively. Stage two hero Robin Carpenter dropped out of the top ten as Rally Cycling finished 11th.
Tomorrow, the race heads to Great Orme and finishes with a 1.9km at 9.2 per cent summit finish, peaking with one kilometre at 12.5 per cent.
British Cycling plots path to Paris following record-breaking Tokyo Games
British Cycling has published its strategy for the 2024 Olympic campaign, building upon the record-breaking success of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. While the results at the elite level are what makes headlines, British Cycling has wider goals, such as growing the organisation’s membership to 250,000 and increasing the number of cycling clubs and groups with young people riding in them by 20 per cent.
GB topped the cycling medal table at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, surpassing the total medal count from London 2012 and Rio 2016. The success included ground-breaking success in mountain biking, BMX and BMX freestyle.
“As another incredible summer of cycling draws to a close, today I’m delighted to present a new purpose, strategy and vision for British Cycling, with the ambition of extending our proud history of medal success, renewing our commitment to the grassroots of the sport and making our organisation more relevant, inclusive and familiar to Britain’s communities than ever before,” British Cycling CEO Brian Facer said.
"Applaud the motive, but five minutes to check with a grown up before heading for the photocopier wouldn't hurt": Reaction to Leicestershire Police's signs...and one local's alternative
Spotted a good few on Sunday – brilliant stuff. Any reminders for motorists are always, ALWAYS welcome.
— Richard Lake (@RikkiLakeCyclin) September 7, 2021
Mark Sayner led the way with the reaction to the main blog story of the day…putting forward the radical idea of “A better deterrent would be if the police acted on incidents with meaningful prosecutions/fines/licence withdrawals instead of the usual soft-touch improvement courses”.
Gareth Roberts changed our headline…”Local asks for ‘cyclists make it easier for me to scrape by you’ sign.”
In the comments under the live blog, Mungecrundle applauded the idea, but couldn’t help but think the execution could be improved: “Give cyclists space sign: The car is overtaking on the left. The cyclist should be more central within the area of the sign to indicate that they should be in secondary at least, not in the gutter with the drain covers and broken glass. A 1.5m distance measurement would be a useful addition. Applaud the motive, but 5 minutes to check with a grown up before heading for the photocopier wouldn’t hurt.”
On a similar note, mdavidford added: “Nice idea on the passing cyclists signs, but the actual design could use some work. Firstly, it says ‘Give cyclists plenty of room’ and then shows a car giving barely a handlebar’s width – about twice that would be nice. Secondly, why is that bike riding itself? Showing it without a rider just helps to depersonalise ‘cyclists’ – making people focus on the bike, rather that the person riding it.”
Anyone else got any more?
7 September 2021, 08:11
7 September 2021, 08:11
Help us to bring you the best cycling content
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.
71 Comments
Read more...
Read more...
Read more...
Latest Comments
I'll counter that by saying the Bryton 750se I have drives me nuts at times. Inconsistantly picks up on routes created on Komoot and the app re-syncs every few seconds when trying to set up the device and sends me back to the home screen. The most infuriating one is that I turned live track on. Once. It now won't turn off and repeatedly flags up the live track is starting, and then disconnecting every few seconds whilst riding. I haven't timed it but it wouldn't suprise me if 10-20% of the time the the screen is covered with an error message. That's been about 6 weeks now. Other than that it's great :/
RE: Police launch road safety operation... by clamping down on cyclists using footbridge Meanwhile in Glasgow, Police Scotland are riding their motorbikes over the pedestrian and cyclists only bridge. https://x.com/FietserGlasgow/status/2065106152917012523?s=20
@Paul J Van Schip certainly seems a bit of a dick, but he's a European and multiple World Champion on the track, pretty sure you don't get there without having some talent in your legs.
Poor Vincent cannot get over the simple fact that given the choice people prefer dedicated cycling spaces, rather than pretending to be cars like vehicular cyclists.
What is the point of the fancy air sensor if it can't account for changing weather conditions?? If all you care about is a delayed approximation of aerodynamic watts in steady conditions, you don't need any special sensors for that. Just your speed on a decently flat course is enough to approximate rolling resistance and drivetrain losses. And the rest must be aero. If you assume a less aero body position at the same watts, your speed will drop while rolling resistance also drops, which means approximated aero watts goes up. And that's enough to demonstrate what you've shown in your testing protocol ("I sat upright and the number went up a little while later").
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.
71 thoughts on “Police install ‘give cyclists room’ signs…local asks for ‘cyclists single file’ version; Cycling UK defends West Kernow Way muddy trails; Gino Mäder donates €4,500 to charity; Alex Cow-sett; Cav Netflixbombs Movistar; TOB TTT + more on the live blog”
Letter in today’s Grauniad
Letter in today’s Grauniad (my emphasis of the bit that’s really got my goat, so to speak):
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/06/hgv-driver-shortage-was-inevitable
Words fail me
Words fail me
“A rethink is needed”.
“A rethink is needed”.
Yup. Of the previous sentence.
Yup: I presume that we can
Yup: I presume that we can take “the former editor of Trucking magazine” to be pretty representative of “the HGV driver community”. Which (worryingly) sort of confirms what we all thought all along…
Which bit of my cycling to the office is just like being a child in a playground, exactly?
If only there was some other
If only there was some other way of shifting things which could allow hard-working delivery persons to stealthily blend in with our new cyclist overlords…
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509587/value-of-cycling.pdf
“…While there is a shortage of qualified 7.5t drivers, cycle freight does not require specific qualifications other than being in reasonable physical condition …”
chrisonatrike wrote:
That in itself is likely to be a significant impediment to a lot of existing delivery workers making the transition – the inherently sedentary nature of their current work not exactly lending itself to health and fitness.
The irony of that coming the
The irony of that coming the same day as this https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-58467000 (which I see has already made it onto the “car crashes into building” forum thread)
OnYerBike wrote:
Or this story https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/crime/brave-drivers-risked-their-lives-to-form-rolling-road-block-to-stop-lorry-driver-who-was-three-times-over-the-limit-3371934
Steve K wrote:
or this one – where the DM seems to be focusing on the road being dangerous due to a lack of segregated infrastructure for broken down vehicles, rather than the real danger, that the lorry driver was probably drug driving…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9965131/Mother-two-killed-HGV-road-without-hard-shoulder.html
No prizes for guessing why
No prizes for guessing why such a stupid, arrogant, fool is no longer the editor of Trucking magazine; even truckers have some standards.
Presumably didn’t hear about
Presumably didn’t hear about the tragic death of Dr Marta Krawicv last month or is he labelling her as Childish as well?
IanMK wrote:
Yeah – clearly there wasn’t an adult there to look after her.
There was, just that like
There was, just that like most adults “looking after” kids these days, they were probably on their mobile screen instead of checking around them to see what is actually happening.
That is a candid and chilling
That is a candid and chilling insight into the prejudiced view some motorists hold regarding road users more vulnerable than themselves. I shudder to think how such values drive their behaviour on the road.
Poor Richard. If only he had
Poor Richard. If only he had the brains to work out that he and people with his attitude are part of the problem and not the solution. Maybe he will when he grows up.
Since this is a letter to the
Since this is a letter to the Guardian, rather than an online comment, it looks as if the only way to respond/refute is by writing another letter. I hope plenty of people find the time to do this.
True. I think their current
True. I think their current “cycling friendly” journalist is Peter Walker (he wrote a book and everything!).
I’m not a twitterer, but his tweeting address is @peterwalker99 and I wonder whether it might be worth bringing this one to his attention?
It would help if childish
It would help if childish dangerous HGV drivers stop causing accidents because they were looking at their smartphones and not at the road. A rethink is needed – how about reintroducing the death penalty for smartphone using drivers who kill?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-58474392
A 33-year-old man has been arrested after a lorry crashed into a house in East Kilbride.
I think the point of the
I think the point of the story was that the lorry was crashed into the house. In reverse. Repeatedly. 😉
On the Kernow way story – at
On the Kernow way story – at least Cycling UK is honest. They are being absolutely clear on the conditions of the route, and the appropriate mindset and equipment needed. If this was Sustrans, they would have badged it as part of the Notional Cycling Network [sic], with the implicit assumption that it can be used by anyone on any type of bike.
To be honest, those photos don’t look that much different from many sections of Sustran’s Notional Cycling Network
I did bits of the route a
I did bits of the route a while ago. That muddy section is pretty short and could be avoided. Not sure why there is such a load of people complaining when the Ridgeway has similar, if not worse sections on the KAW when it’s been wet.
It seems odd to use a photo
It seems odd to use a photo of that bit to advertise the route.
It’s the same photo used to
It’s the same photo used to illustrate that question (which type of bike is best) in their FAQs. It makes sense in context there, when they’re talking about needing something that can cope with some sections being boggy. I’m guessing they’re just periodically tweeting out extracts from the FAQs, and just re-used the image without giving a lot of consideration to how it might come across to someone seeing it in isolation.
If an organised trail was
If an organised trail was that muddy, I’d consider that to be a failure. We complain about being told to dismount in urban areas – why is it any different if a flagship rural route forces you to do so?
(TBH it looks like the Pill Path along the Avon, going from Bristol to Pill, if it rained at any time in the preceding week. And that is a NCN route, IIRC…).
EDIT: See my later comment replying to Rapha Nadal
Beat me to it, and I’m
Beat me to it, and I’m stealing the “Notional Cycling Network”.
TBH, having used quite a few Sustrans NCN tracks, this is no different, but CUK tell you about the mud upfront if you can be bothered to read the info they provide you with.
Muddy off-road is muddy
Muddy off-road is muddy shocker. Fucking people, honestly.
It’s not billed as a muddy
It’s not billed as a muddy off road trail though, the glossy promo video shows lots of hard packed gravel trails, even roads with the occasional puddle, not ankle deep mud sections in June, and corrugated surface bridleways with large rocks to negotiate.
Guy Kesteven,who wrote the official guide book for the trail,has just published a set of videos on his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/GuyKestevenTV/ documenting the route and it shows it’s far more challenging to ride than youd expect, which is peoples gripe.
Because you’ll struggle to ride it on anything other than a MTB from what I’ve seen of it, which completely alters its appeal as a useful route to follow.
Reading CUKs explanations, I
Reading CUKs explanations, I think I’d misunderstood what this route is intended to be.
If they are actually marketing it as a signposted but very definitely off-road then I’m not sure that it being so unsurfaced particularly matters.
Gnarly route for the MTBers, I guess: cyclepackers rather than cycle tourists.
brooksby wrote:
I’ve had the guidebook since the weekend. They are explicitly marketing it as NOT signposted and not to be attempted without a GPS.
Does the guide use the colour
Does the guide use the colour coding MTBers would be familiar with for forest trails, to at least indicate which are the gnarly bits you might want to avoid ?
Secret_squirrel wrote:
Well, then I stand corrected and I’ll wind my neck back in! 😀 😉
brooksby wrote:
They are not marketing it as a signposted route.
https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/west-kernow-way-faqs#signposted
It was very wet this May and
It was very wet this May and June, my muddy commute continued during July and only started drying out in August. Just one of those summers.
One item that is being missed
One item that is being missed from all the hoohaa over CUK & The West Kernow Way is how much CUK have done during the development process to identify lapsed and wrongly recorded paths as footpaths and the amount of submissions they have made to the local council to get them reclassified or upgraded.
The guide is clear in saying there are bits that are marked as footpaths for which they have submitted long term evidence for higher usage – so they are explicitly guiding bikes down it. There is a footnote to explain that politely to other users of the paths.
I think this is to be congratulated but its almost certain to pop up as “cyclists invading our footpaths” at some point in a local rag or soshal medja post.
Nice idea on the passing
Nice idea on the passing cyclists signs, but the actual design could use some work.
Firstly, it says ‘Give cyclists plenty of room’ and then shows a car giving barely a handlebar’s width – about twice that would be nice.
Secondly, why is that bike riding itself? Showing it without a rider just helps to depersonalise ‘cyclists’ – making people focus on the bike, rather that the person riding it.
Good points, it is quite an
Good points, it is quite an impersonal message.
I’ve posted it before, but I quite liked this approach…
https://goo.gl/maps/zAn8bMT3isvYX5gGA
Give cyclists space sign:
Give cyclists space sign:
The car is overtaking on the left.
The cyclist should be more central within the area of the sign to indicate that they should be in secondary at least, not in the gutter with the drain covers and broken glass.
A 1.5m distance measurement would be a useful addition.
Applaud the motive, but 5 minutes to check with a grown up before heading for the photocopier wouldn’t hurt.
They probably borrowed the
They probably borrowed the graphic from a US website, didn’t they…
Maybe the car just has droopy
Maybe the car just has droopy rear light clusters? Or possibly it isn’t even overtaking – on a road like the one shown many motorists need to be told not to mow down oncoming cyclists.
Or they’re going in opposite
Or they’re going in opposite directions, and the sign is about not forcing oncoming cyclists into the hedge.
One would hope that motorists
One would hope that motorists don’t need to be reminded about not driving head on at other road users.
That is a rather more alarming prospect than a negligent close pass, but at least you should be able to see them coming.
Has no one noticed the
Has no one noticed the Boudica style wheel hub sword that car is adourned with.
DoomeFrog wrote:
That’s why they need to give space
DoomeFrog wrote:
What a good idea 😀
One would hope. Experience
One would hope. Experience suggests otherwise.
You’ve seen NMOTD, clearly
You’ve seen NMOTD, clearly there’s a number who didn’t get that message.
brooksby wrote:
Almost certainly, but as a someone who had to give instructions for others to follow in engineering, you always, always, always show the situation from the point of view of the person doing it. Showing it the opposite way around will just cause confusion and mistakes; not really what you want from a safety campaign.
Nice idea, appalling implementation.
Re van Vleuten Paradise. I
Re van Vleuten Paradise. I expect cycling with her would be.
Anyone know where that is btw? And I still can’t get past the first reply telling off AvV for cycling in a dangerous enviroment. I suspect she can handle cycling anywhere with no difficulty and what she does for a living is probaly a lot more dangerous.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
I don’t – I imagine trying to hold her wheel would be a nightmare.
For the five seconds she was
For the five seconds she was in view though…….
But she wasn’t going fast in the video.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
Here’s the exact section: https://goo.gl/maps/ja4AuD9KmCd4waDE6
I’ve been there in Summer (not on a bike, sadly) and it’s much better than skiing in Winter (which is also great, I understand).
Thanks, although wtf happened
Thanks, although wtf happened to the Lake in 2017?
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
Dangerous? Dangerous? How can it be dangerous, there aren’t any cars?
I hope that’s both of their
I hope that’s both of their breakfasts, because that green nonsense has no place in a fry.
And how can you possibly have
And how can you possibly have a full English, and not have black pudding?
very easily, I dont eat dried
very easily, I dont eat dried blood
Boiled, not dried. Mmm –
Boiled, not dried. Mmm – boiled blood…
For a really good version you’d want some white pudding, or if you can find it, fruit pudding, on there as well.
Awavey wrote:
“I don’t drink … wine.”
Vegan, organic wine !
Vegan, organic wine !
hirsute wrote:
Bulls Blood?
If a horse rider is using a
If a horse rider is using a mobile phone then there’s still one brain watching the road.
I saw one of those
I saw one of those Leicestershire ‘give plenty of space signs’ and was promptly close passed by a Jaguar driver!!!
Submitting video to near miss of the day!!
The sign
The sign
The Pass
The Pass
Eusebio actually seemed very
Eusebio actually seemed very calm and restrained on the Spanish tv interview.
Those signs are an even worse
Those signs are an even worse idea than Avon and Somerset’s “Cameras for carbon bikes” initiative.
They’ve had “give cyclists 1
They’ve had “give cyclists 1.5m” signs round Cheltenham for months now but when I submitted NMOTD 630 no action was taken. No point giving a message if you’re not going to enforce it.
No point giving a message if
No point giving a message if you’re not going to enforce it
Lancashire Constabulary agrees! However, rather than the enforcement bit which goes against LC’s Mission Statement ‘We Never Do Anything About Any Offence Against Cyclists!’ they have gone for removing the 1.5m signs. As soon as you go into Cumbria from Lancashire the 1.5m signs appear, but the Lancashire ones I know about (with the exception of a fallen-down one on Shard Bridge, Over-Wyre that I haven’t checked recently) have accordingly been removed by LC or the County Council. Anyone know of any of these Lancashire 1.5m signs?- they must have a rarity value now under the LC ‘Pass As Close As You Like’ initiative!
The give cyclists room shows
The give cyclists room shows a car coming from opposite direction to the bike, or they borrowed a Euro version..
We already have enough
We already have enough problems with cars trying to overtake on the left (or through us), without the recommendation from the powers that be, it would be better if the sign designer actually knew anything about which side of the road we travel on, and how to overtake in the UK