Motorbike rider slams “typical London cyclist” for “wearing AirPods, not looking, cutting across two lanes, and blaming everyone but themselves”; Camera cyclist councillor blasts “obsessed” Mail over 999 police car filtering clip + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Motorbike rider slams “typical London cyclist” for “wearing AirPods, not looking, cutting across two lanes, and blaming anyone but themselves” following near miss
This is a real live blog rarity, a cycling near miss video filmed by a motorbike rider.
You may have come across today’s camera biker, rideswithgus, on social media before. Basically, he shares videos of his rides in London, mostly featuring instances of dodgy driving from people in cars, but also the occasional interaction with a cyclist.
And while he admits he’s almost been killed by speeding, distracted motorists on the roads, it’s clear from just a cursory scroll on his page that most of Gus’s ire is reserved for people on non-motorised bikes.
Like this admittedly distracted, foolhardy cyclist, who cut across Gus – leading to an exchange of V signs – in a video posted this morning, titled ‘Why everyone hates London cyclists’:
“Wearing AirPods, not looking, cutting across two lanes, but blames anyone but themselves – ladies and gents, your typical London cyclist,” Gus wrote in the caption.
That ‘typical cyclist’ tag hasn’t gone down too well with some viewers.
“Saying this is your typical London cyclist is like me saying your typical London motorbike riders are those that fly past you even though you’re doing 20mph in a 20mph zone, dancing between bus lanes and normal lanes with no indicator, and always stopping in the cycle box at lights,” said Mason. That comment sparked a rather mind-numbing debate with Gus about the meaning of the word ‘typical’, but I’ll spare you the details on that one.
Anyway, William also noted: “Glad you were riding slow. Good example of why 20mph limits are best for built up areas.”
“Yeah, to protect inconsiderate cyclists and pedestrians from natural selection,” replied Gus.
“Or to protect everyone from fast, heavy, dangerous motor vehicles, which are a bad idea in a densely populated city,” hit back William.
I don’t know about you, but a motorcyclist blaming cyclists and pedestrians for making the roads dangerous strikes me as odd. Might have to double check those casualty statistics again…
“These a***holes are obsessed!” Camera cyclist councillor who “dodged” traffic by following police officers on 999 call hits out at Daily Mail for claiming he didn’t “wait his turn”
I can just picture the scene in the Daily Mail office.
‘Err, lads, we really haven’t got enough stories out that’ll rile everyone up and keep them shouting at each other on Facebook today.’
‘What about Harry and Meghan buying a suspiciously straight-looking banana from Waitrose?’
‘No, we already did that last week. I’ve got an idea – remember that councillor, vigilante cyclist guy, Abe Ladboyrule or whatever, go on to his YouTube, he’s bound to have done something that’ll really annoy our core demographic: elderly motorists staring at their phones while driving.’
‘Great idea, boss, I’m on it.’
Yes, that’s right. Adrian Chapmanlaw is making headlines in the Mail once again. The Liberal Democrat member of Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole council is no stranger to the sensationalist world of one of Britain’s biggest tabloids.
After all, it was the Mail which dubbed him the “new Cycling Mikey” back when his YouTube page of camera cycling and road safety videos, ‘Dorset Safer Roads’, boasted just 500 subscribers.
They’ve also called him a “a snide, aggressive, and vindictive cycling vigilante”, a “self-appointed busybody, and an “angrier, swearier version of Cycling Mikey.”
So, it’s no surprise, then, that one of Chapmanlaw’s recent videos – showing a police car with its sirens on “parting the seas” of traffic to allow for, as he termed it, “better filtering” – made its way to the Mail’s online pages (twice, actually).
“A cycling vigilante has been slammed for taking advantage of a police car on a 999 call by following directly behind it after traffic had cleared a path,” the Mail’s ‘exclusive’ report started, complete with the headline “Moment ‘hated’ cycling vigilante dodges traffic jam by following police car on a 999 call”.
“Rather than wait his turn to rejoin the traffic he filmed himself overtaking and undertaking the stationary cars ahead of him and catch up with the emergency vehicle.”
I’m not too sure Chapmanlaw was too impressed with his latest appearance in the Mail, however.
“These arseholes are obsessed!” the councillor wrote on his Facebook page.
“I would love to know how I managed that on my e-bike limit to 15mph! Guess details aren’t a thing when you just want to conjure hate eh?”
In the comments, Andrew Ballantyne noted: “There’s an interesting statement made in this article – ‘Rather than wait his turn…’ There seems to be a belief that cyclists should stay in line and wait their turn whilst queuing with the traffic. Drivers just get annoyed when the cyclist is quicker than them.”
The Mail also seemed to conveniently ignore Adrian’s explanation for his “careful” filtering technique on his YouTube page.
“It is always busy here, there’s no cycle lane and I always end up filtering through the queue. The problem is that people rarely leave space to allow that to happen. So when a police car parted the sea of course I am going to carefully take advantage of that!” he said.
“Now despite me saying what I am about to say I am sure the comments are going to fill up with drivers claiming what I do here is illegal. If I was in a car it 100 per cent would be, however I am not driving a car I am on a bicycle and filtering is 100 per cent legal. The police vehicle just made it easier for me.
“Did you spot the Honda Jazz that seemed to be completely oblivious to the police vehicle coming up behind them?”
And you know the best bit about all of this? The YouTube video in question was published at the end of September and has just 306 views as of this morning. Quick, Harry and Meghan, go do something to distract the Mail…
New wand-protected cycle lanes set for Monument junction after eight cyclists and pedestrians seriously injured in three years
Transport for London has launched a public consultation on plans to make it safer for people to cycle and walk in and around Monument junction, following a spate of crashes and injuries in recent years.
Between February 2023 and February 2026, there were 18 collisions at or around the busy junction, located in the heart of the City of London, 17 of which involved cyclists and pedestrians, with eight of these collisions resulting in serious injury.
The proposed road safety changes to Monument include new wand-protected cycle lanes, Advance Stop Lines and early release cyclist signals, a large cycle gate facility at King William Street, enabling cyclists to get in front of traffic to turn left or right, two new pedestrian crossings and improvements to a range of other crossings, and the pedestrianisation of Fish Street Hill.
Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said in a statement: “Our proposed changes to Monument Junction would create a safer environment for both pedestrians and cyclists, enabling them to move safely through a busy junction.
“We look forward to hearing Londoners’ views on these proposals, which would play an important role in achieving the Mayor’s Vision Zero ambition and supporting his goal of building a safer, greener London for everyone.”
Helen Cansick, TfL’s Head of Healthy Streets Investment, added: “The proposed improvements to Monument Junction would make it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle in central London.
“This is a very busy junction and our plans give more space to pedestrians and cyclists to keep them safe and comfortable while travelling through, and visiting the Monument landmark. We look forward to hearing from Londoners and encourage everyone to share their views before the consultation closes on Tuesday 24 November.”
Castelli replaces Santini as Tour de France leaders’ jersey designer
The yellow jersey at the Tour de France is going to look different (well, ever so slightly) next year, thanks to the news that Castelli is taking over from Santini as ASO’s kit designer from 2027.
The Italian brand previously manufactured the leaders’ jerseys for the Tour from 1989 to 1994, meaning poor Laurent Fignon was wearing a Castelli yellow jersey on that ill-fated day in Paris (I’m also a fan of the lighter shade of green they employed back then for the points jersey, worn by Sean Kelly on the ’89 podium, which apparently will be featured, at least partially, on the 2027 version).
The partnership also involves ASO’s other races, including Paris-Nice, while the kits themselves will be unveiled at the Tour route presentation on 22 October.
Your other favourite live blogger Callum’s currently over in Paris at the minute for Castelli’s launch party, chatting to some ASO bigwigs about race safety and calendar reform, and even going for a ride with Valentin Paret-Peintre.
See if you can spot him in ASO’s publicity photo – he’s wearing some potentially very dodgy light-coloured shorts…
Come on Callum, it’s October, you can’t get away with those, you’re not Adam Blythe.
“The highest standards of integrity and athlete welfare are non-negotiable when it comes to UK Sport’s commitment to winning well”
Some updates to the biggest cycling story of the week…
H is for Helmet
British Cycling may not be able to say too much when it comes to those pesky, extremely worrying allegations concerning one of their star riders, but it can keep us singing along to the alphabet on Instagram. Which is the main thing, really.
That’s right, the governing body’s riveting A to Z of cycling (part of its Sofa to Saddle scheme) has reached the letter H. Which in the cycling world, stands for one thing and one thing only: haematocrit levels! Only joking, it’s time for some helmet chat, which always ends well on the internet…
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Thankfully, BC has stopped short of urging us all to wear helmets and telling us they’re key to road safety. In fact, it’s all very sensible stuff. Mind you, it was only posted a few minutes ago, so there aren’t any comments yet. I don’t think I’ll bother checking them.
Ouch… Primož Roglič’s ‘Golden Lap’ charity ride marred by heavy crashes
After racing for the final time in Red Bull colours at Il Lombardia, and with his future in the peloton currently hanging in the balance, newly crowned European time trial champion Primož Roglič wasted no time returning home to Slovenia on Sunday.
The occasion? His annual ‘Golden Lap’ charity ride, which raises money for local kids through the Primož Roglič Foundation, attracting over 400 cyclists to the Štajerska region of Slovenia.
Unfortunately, this year’s event looked a bit of a crash-fest, judging by this video:
View this post on Instagram
Ouch.
Manchester City, making Lance Armstrong relevant again
I reckon references to Big Tex on social media have shot through the roof in the last two weeks. And he didn’t even have to say something daft on his podcast…
Lance Armstrong remains an outstanding cyclist.
— Daley AF(C) (@daleyafc.bsky.social) October 11, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Top Ganna becomes Lidl Ganna: Italian powerhouse Filippo Ganna leaves Netcompany Ineos after eight years to join Lidl-Trek
The big autumn transfer stories keep coming this week, with the news that Filippo Ganna has penned a three-year deal with Lidl-Trek, bringing an end to his almost decade-long association with Netcompany Ineos.
Ganna joined the British squad from UAE Team Emirates in 2019, going on to establish himself as one of the leading time trialists of his generation, winning eight Giro stages, two TT world titles, two Vuelta stages, Olympic gold on the track, and breaking the Hour Record in 2022.
The Italian powerhouse has also become a perennial contender in the classics in recent years, finishing second twice at Milan-Sanremo and winning Dwars door Vlaanderen earlier this spring.
It was announced this morning that Ganna will join two of his gold medal-winning team pursuit colleagues from Tokyo, Jonathan Milan and Simone Consonni, at Lidl-Trek, the 30-year-old penning a three-year deal with the squad, replenishing its Italian contingent following the departure of stalwart stage hunter Giulio Ciccone to Pinarello Q36.5 yesterday.
“I am really looking forward to next year with such a big team like Lidl-Trek. I am super proud to join and I really can’t wait for the first training camp and to start the season in the best way possible,” Ganna said in a statement outlining his ambitions in the classics for his new team, which has undergone a rather tumultuous managerial overhaul, directed by new boss Andy Schleck, in recent months.
“After eight years with my current team, opening a new chapter is super nice and I feel great motivation for the season. I have big goals I hope to achieve with Lidl-Trek, particularly in the classics – with the team we will have, nothing is out of reach.
“Of course, the Grand Tours remain an important objective, and I look forward to supporting the team whilst taking my own chances.”
What do you mean there’s still racing on?
Oh yeah, the Tour of Guangxi, I forgot all about that. But apparently it’s still a thing, and Paul Magnier won stage one this morning in Chongzuo, following a close encounter with Olav Kooij:
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How to block a cycle lane, New Zealand-style
It’s quite the feat to block a cycle lane while also forcing motorists over the white line at the same time, but this Kiwi lorry driver managed to pull it off:
Exeter’s ‘cycle-only’ street saga rumbles on as changes approved by council to re-open road to motorists
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@mark1212123 "One solution states removing bias in a human being requires a pause before a decision is made." Was the other solution to remove their brain and replace it with something more rational, efficient and dependable?
@mdavidford Hmm, if comparing designs where the load is "between the wheels" (2-wheel "bakfiets" style and 8freight) as opposed to having the load higher (longtail) I wonder? Also unless you're really shifting heavy stuff the main mass is the rider. But I've never ridden a two-wheel front-loader cargo bike (brief use of a 3-wheeler, but that's a different thing again...). I have used some indirect linkage-steer bikes (recumbents) and they all seemed easy enough to learn and manage *. Many (all normal?) bike designs tend self- balance when moving - perhaps this applies to such cargo bikes also? * Aside from brief initial "don't look at the front wheel" confusion. And assuming steering is not loose/faulty, which is likely rarer but still possible with a more direct system. And once you realise your turning circle is more like "car"...
@chrisonabike "Don’t rely strongly on “rules” great point. "How to avoid conflict on the roads?" Not possible. Expecting conflict is the daily for me on uk roads.
@mark1212123 make sure you instruct it that you need your answer in ternary, starting from 1. How to avoid conflict on the roads? Don't travel! How to reduce that but some travel has to happen? Reduce the number of interactions, reduce mental workload, increase the time to detect and deal with conflicts (your "pause"), work *with* human mental architecture (energy-saving behaviours, emotions, strong feelings about "fairness" and "cheating", in-group/out-group effects). What that implies? Don't mix modes of travel where they have very different speeds/mass/behaviour patterns. Mixing *can* occur where you can ensure that modes are more similar (eg.slow down drivers...) Don't rely strongly on "rules" or (signed) instructions for safety - because humans.
@mdavidford "let me know which side the bias is on, and I can start automatically fixing it"...
@qwerty360 Things the Dutch did/do which are not often hailed but are probably crucial: a) many years of recategorising all the roads in the country in terms of a single function. Is this a through-route (which they've also spent years diverting *around* urban areas not through them)? Is it a distributor, or is this a street / place? If like so often in the UK "all of the above" that was fixed. b) The way the various parts of government (and the legal system) work together to deliver all this, and crucially the feedback mechanisms. Apparently they are remarkably light on regulating exactly what can be built, BUT if people are injured using it / there are environmental consequences (including noise!) then people can be held accountable. That means that there is some flexibility to eg. innovate but motivation to voluntarily adopt the (centrally maintained) best practice guidelines. Presimably there is at least a belief that they may have to defend their actions in court.
@qwerty360 it's all tricky in the UK - even ignoring "popular" outpourings about "but my route / parking space!" - since much of the government machine is still set up to work effectively "for" more driving. So "mixed messages"... I think Chris Boardman has been doing a very savvy job. However there are some difficult barriers to this in the UK. There's having "capacity" to make stuff eg. enough people who can avoid getting the details plain wrong / enough financial and political capital to get a project all the way to the end, mostly intact. In the UK with all the "but this local detail, but that requirement" and over 100 years of building in "transport is drive" it's not even simple for those *with* the knowledge to come up with a "good enough" solution that isn't "take up all the roads and let's rethink". (Not a bad idea but not practical).
I would get one, if I wasn't planning on an Igaro C1 for my Fairlight
Cargo in front presumably has an impact on steering / steering feel, because of the weighting closer to the steered wheel, plus, if it's not an over-the-wheel arrangement, indirect steering mechanism (which also means added complexity), and more separation between the rider and wheel.
@EK Spinner this is a good question, I don't have "the answer" if there is one. Since there are examples of both "cargo front" and "cargo rear" pros/cons can be seen. There's also probably "history", and perhaps "people use what is" as in many places cargo bikes are currently a bit niche? Lots of ways to roll (eg. 3-wheelers, the Tern GSD which seems to have a folding bike lineage (!) and is a dual 20" wheel long-tail bike but with front carrying also...) For the modern 2-wheel heavier-hauler designs: higher cargo or lower cargo? Assuming you're going with lower (better stability, maybe easier loading, probably shorter overall bike for given load) ... then that is usually at least one wheel smaller than 26". Then a "bakfiets-style" carry forward of the rider, or a "longtail" behind and above the rear wheel. There's also the Burrows 8-freight (like a reverse-bakfiets). Anyway - if main cargo is in front, the rear can stay (conceptually) the same (including drive train - and you can have the cargo lower without the effort of running the drive chain down then up again). You can see the cargo. Cargo behind - some say that this feels more like a normal bike to control. Any other considerations?
10 thoughts on “Motorbike rider slams “typical London cyclist” for “wearing AirPods, not looking, cutting across two lanes, and blaming everyone but themselves”; Camera cyclist councillor blasts “obsessed” Mail over 999 police car filtering clip + more on the live blog”
Hmm;
Whats the betting the cyclist could filter through the traffic regardless of the police car…
(Also shows how badly traffic delays emergency services; I say having kept pace with an ambulance on a blue light run for several miles this morning before it turned off my route (cycle lane next to road it was on, then directly behind it in bus lane…) – Hell could have probably gotten past it (but didn’t think racing to beat the ambulance to the bus lane (or deal with drivers doing stupid things getting out of its way) was sensible…)
I’m not exactly a racing whippet (~10-12kg overweight + hauling pannier with clothes + work gear…))
@qwerty360 That’s exactly what Adrian says normally happens: “It is always busy here, there’s no cycle lane and I always end up filtering through the queue.”
Indeed, you can see he’s already started filtering through before he hears the police car approaching and moves in behind the black van.
Given the Murdoch and Rothermere brainwashing latrine is only interested in siphoning off £millions from the Great British sheep, drivers should note on their Daily Fail newsfeed while driving, that consuming this shite is as life-shortening as their spreading waistline and buttocks from sitting in their income-draining PCP Wankpanzer Turbo, going nowhere fast.
Re, Daily Fail (and the readers) complaints about cyclists filtering legally:
Presumably it is worth pointing out that police forces can and do take action against a cyclist if they submit footage which shows the cyclist themself doing something illegal.
The Met have this warning on their report form, though I’m not sure if others do too.
In this instance, as in almost all cases, we (cyclists using cameras to report and publish evidence of bad driving) know that we aren’t breaking the law and thus aren’t worried that action will be taken against us.
Hmm – we may know that we aren’t breaking the law, but a number of cases documented round these parts show that that’s no bar to certain members of the Police dreaming up reasons to take action against us.
I must remember to subscribe to the Daily Mail. It seems like a terrific read. Not just lots of excellent well researched articles about cyclists terrorising motorists, but highly insightful columns by talented politicians like Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick along with mail order adds for crimpolene slacks and brown lace up shoes that look like pasties.
And don’t forget the letters that usually end “Send them all home I say”, or “I’ve still got my own teeth.” from senile readers in their 70s and 80s who support the death penalty and think National Service should be brought back.
@Mr Blackbird Crimplene ©️™️
@wtjs Named after the River Crimple in Harrogate, strangely.
@pockstone excellent info👍
@wtjs 👍