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“I’ve never been given such space”: London cyclist swaps road bike for Lime and rides without a helmet (“the thing I swore I’d never do”) — reports experiencing safer driving and fewer close passes; You can’t carry that by bike… + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"I’ve never been given such space": London cyclist swaps road bike for Lime and rides without a helmet ("the thing I swore I’d never do") — reports experiencing safer driving and fewer close passes
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A cyclist who has been commuting by road bike in London regularly for the past six years yesterday hopped on a Lime bike for the first time. As it happened, they’d taken the Tube this day, but been let down by some signal issues, so Lime debut it was.
This also meant “doing the thing I swore I’d never do”: cycling without a helmet.
The rider penned some rather interesting thoughts on Reddit which we thought we’d share here for discussion.
“This might be a coincidence but I’ve never been given such space both from cars behind me and cars over taking me,” they reported.
“There were no close passes or close calls and it was all shared roads with cars. Is this a thing? I’m wondering if the ‘not looking like a cyclist’ and the reputation of Lime bikes played a part?”
Of course, one day on a hire bike versus six years on a road bike isn’t the most thorough ‘study’, but it does raise some interesting points, and some we’ve heard before.
There was that study from Australia a few years ago which found cyclists wearing helmets are seen as “less human” than those without.
Likewise, Dr Ian Walker’s now-famous research within the context of the helmet debate back in 2006 found that cyclists are afforded more space by passing drivers if they are (or at least appear to be) female or if they’re not wearing a helmet.
> High vis clothing doesn’t make drivers pass you more safely, says new study
So there is scientific precedent for the ideas sparked by the London cyclist’s Wednesday commute. In the comments, many reported they’d come to similar conclusions too…
“I commute on a bright yellow single speed now in normal clothes. People way friendlier than if I am on a road bike in Lycra”
“I feel like it’s partly to do with how much a Lime vs a regular bike would damage a car”
“I’ve noticed I’m treated much better by drivers when I wear bib shorts, a t-shirt and a bag on my commute compared to wearing full kit and going out for a long ride on the weekend.”
“If you wear hi-vis with bright flashing lights drivers treat you like shit because you look like a ‘cyclist’. Wear normal clothes, ride a lime bike or fixie and suddenly you’re a human being.”
I’m sure plenty of you live blog regulars will have some thoughts too…
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"I’ll leave the country if I have to wear a helmet": Rise in Dutch cycling injury figures sparks yet another lid debate, but many riders blame spike in casualties on high-powered 'e-bikes'
We’ve had one helmet-related discussion on today’s blog already, but there’s just enough time for a second, this from our friends over in the Netherlands. The context is that reports from the country have highlighted that hospitalisation figures for Dutch cyclists recently hit an all-time high, so unsurprisingly there’s plenty of talk about how to improve safety and reduce the numbers. This includes a fair bit of helmet talk…
That report notes currently around five per cent of Dutch cyclists wear helmets, and bike lanes packed with people riding bikes and wearing ‘normal’ everyday clothes are a regular site across the country every day.
However, while some have suggested increased helmet use could address rising casualty figures, others have pointed to high-powered ‘e-bikes’ and fat bikes using cycling infrastructure as one possible cause. In fact, that report above highlights casualty “rates involving regular bicycles have barely changed in recent years”, and hears from a safety organisation which points to ‘e-bikes’ being a major factor.
We’ve put e-bikes in quotes as, like here in the UK, the Netherlands has laws defining what is and isn’t legally an electric pedal cycle. In their case, Dutch e-bike (pedelecs) can only have a maximum 250w motor, which must cut out at 15.5mph, with pedals.
The definition is very similar to EAPC (Electric Assist Pedal Cycle) laws in the UK, and faster non-pedelec ‘e-bikes’ are treated as mopeds and require helmets, licence and insurance. As we know, however, regardless of how the law defines them, they have still become a common sight in urban cycle lanes, many Dutch cyclists suggesting the rise in casualties is linked to the rise in their use. It’s why many have bristled at the idea mandatory helmets could be a solution…
“I’ll leave the country if I have to wear a helmet,” one amusing comment came under the report above on Facebook. “Just ban the fatbikes and mopeds on bike lanes, also those fast e-bikes that can go 40-45km/h,” they added.
“Obligating helmets is a good way to make women just buy cars,” another said.
A third disagreeing rider wrote: “A general obligation to wear helmets would be disastrous. Normal cycling usage in the Netherlands relies on it regularly simply being the best and most convenient option. If I have to take the train, its just easier to cycle to the station. But if that means I now have to bring a helmet towards my destination? I’ll grab a bus.”
And one more to finish us off? “Here’s a better idea. Bike lanes and paths for bikes ONLY. No mopeds, motorcycles or fatbikes. Every day I encounter dozens of mopeds and such riding 30-40-50km/h among cyclists. That is absolutely unacceptable.”
Liam's tough day at work
Adam Yates vs UCI handlebar rules
Handlebars too narrow? Easy fix for 🇬🇧 Adam Yates
🎥 @podcastLBC
— Domestique (@domestiquecycling.com) 16 April 2026 at 14:31
Where have all the toe straps gone? Will they have a resurgence?
Another commuting-related discussion from the goldmine of Reddit today was the person pondering if toe straps could have something of a comeback?
“On my daily commute I see plenty of people with either cleats or flat pedals, but almost never anyone with toe clips,” Temporary-Mission479 wrote. “Why is this? Am I weird?
“Personally I think they’re a great compromise as you don’t require any special footwear but they give you a bit of extra power. Also casually flicking them round with your toes looks cool (until you can’t get your foot in and then you look like an idiot).”
Any toe strap fans? Could they have a resurgence?
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Canyon appoints new CEO who joins bike brand after 12 years at DT Swiss
Canyon has today announced the appointment of Matthias Meier as its new CEO. Meier was previously at DT Swiss, where he spent 12 years in sales and marketing roles before more recently becoming vice president.
Speaking about his appointment, Meier commented: “The hardest thing in this industry is to build a brand that riders genuinely believe in. Canyon has done that. My job starts from a position that most CEOs never reach — a product that needs no justification and a brand that has never needed to shout. What it needs now is the operational and commercial strength to match its ambition. That is what we are here to build.”
Canyon’s founder Roman Arnold expressed excitement at Meier’s credentials and said the future for the bike brand will be an “exciting new chapter”.
“The rules apply to everyone”: Number of London cyclists fined for jumping red lights more than doubles in a year, as police warn about endangering pedestrians “for sake of saving a few minutes”
Cyclist dies in Sa Calobra fall
A Polish cyclist died yesterday afternoon after falling around 15 metres off the roadside on Sa Calobra in Mallorca.
The local press reported the rider lost control on the descent of the famous climb and fell from the road shortly before 2.30pm.
Riders who she was with attempted resuscitation before the emergency services arrived, however she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man who raced Paris-Roubaix 7 minutes faster than Peter Sagan… only to miss the time cut
> The man who raced Paris-Roubaix 7 minutes faster than Peter Sagan… only to miss the time cut
But what if you're selling a car tyre and need to carry it to the seller? You can't do that by bike...
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Ralph McTell must figure in there somewhere.
@jackcycles And making it much worse is when you import the reckless ideology of billionaires from overseas... My vote for who has wrought more misery on the streets of London than anyone in the history of UK politics is for Boudica, the Queen of the Iceni. Although those behind "Roads For Prosperity" might be up there, had that succeeded. (For the opposite I'll go with Sir Joseph William Bazalgette - I know he doesn't really qualify in the "politics" part though but it's not just socialists who appreciate a sewer) Anyone else any other ideas?
@This Wreckage haven't we done this before? You're quite correct about the last part - "in the days of steam shovels we all walked 5 miles to the factory and back every day..." Leaving aside some difficulties with people's self-reported reasons why they don't do things they don't do (sometimes they've simply never thought about it and make stuff up)... ... and assuming we're not simply happily unhappy with the status quo... ... we could ask "what needs to be true" for change and "how do we make that true?" Kids think what most other kids (or the cool kids) do is cool. What's that? It's the stuff the adults they know and respect do. Plus of course what they're being sold... So why don't adults cycle (and indeed why aren't the adults happy to let their kids cycle on their own)? For the answer to that (not necessarily the only / best answer, but just the one we can get to from here): is there anywhere in Europe where a large proportion of adults cycle sometimes (and indeed also a very large proportion of children)? What makes that possible?
@wtjs Even more interesting! Frames built by Five Land Bikes near Livingston. Impressive website, tempted to have them modify my Merlin titanium for disc brakes, but it's 25 years old. Maybe the over-locknuts wheel widths are too small. Not the sort of business I was expecting to find in the UK! Good luck to them - we need UK manufacturing.
@Rendel Harris so it can happen! Maybe I’ll start using it after all…
In the case of the particular nutter in question, I'm afraid long experience of him under his many different aliases (I think he's been banned under fourteen different names thus far, and those are just the ones I can remember) has demonstrated that he doesn't go away if ignored, indeed if anything he tends to increase his postings, starts to behave as if he is some sort of respected figure on the site and, most tiresomely, draws in other nutters of the same kidney (Martin 73, thisismyusername et al). The only thing that gets rid of him is a ban; site admin are aware of his presence and will ban him when he inevitably steps over the line once again. Until then, I'm afraid it's my personal opinion that his racist, xenophobic alt-far-right filth and lies should not be allowed to go unchallenged. I know others subscribe to the "ignore him and he'll go away" school of thought, and I respect your opinion, but I don't agree.
@jaymack "what’s AI going to do to people’s ability to think when it ‘relieves’ us of the need to exert some brain power to solve a problem or make a decision?" I feel that this is already underway. Ironically, in an era where most people have a device in their pocket that gives them access to previously unavailable levels of information, the levels of disinformation are truly shocking. At the core of this, is an apparent lack of critical thinking skills - just as having a calculator doesn't provide basic mathematics skills, having information at your disposal doesn't provide the skills necessary to distill that information. AI is just an acceleration of that process
Well! Here's cause for thought. I have been on here less recently because of various technical factors on the site and because of the nutters and people holding them here by responding to them. However, I have to look occasionally to find out about cyclist killers and the largely joke suspended penalties. I don't spend much time on the latest 36" wheel or new BB and shoe cleat type trends, or the £12,000 carbon bikes with £4000 wavy profile carbon wheels. I had decided on a Fairlight Secan for next year, but this admirable bike requires much study. This is why we need the site.
@jackcycles Gosh. Sadiq Khan occupies so much room in your head there's little room for anything else. How sad.
23 thoughts on ““I’ve never been given such space”: London cyclist swaps road bike for Lime and rides without a helmet (“the thing I swore I’d never do”) — reports experiencing safer driving and fewer close passes; You can’t carry that by bike… + more on the live blog”
I would imagine riding a Lime bike had a lot to do with the better treatment, as a daily cyclist in London I’ve learned to treat Lime riders with extreme caution when overtaking as they are much more likely to veer off line, manoeuvre without signalling et cetera et cetera, the riders are also much more inclined to be wearing headphones so don’t hear warning shouts/bells.
With reference to some of the other comments the gentleman made regarding how to receive better treatment from motorists, I mean nothing personal towards him when I say I hate that. Whether or not you agree with helmets or high viz or whatever, the question is not how cyclists should dress when going about their business but why the hell should we live in a society where what we choose to wear when cycling can get us better or worse treatment from motorists? I know it’s a well-worn trope but it really is another version of the victim blaming “don’t wear a short skirt or revealing top if you don’t want to be hassled by men”, the problem is all on the side of the aggressors and I object to being told that I have to dress in a certain way in order to avoid being treated in a life-threatening manner by them.
In fairness, (a) most of the comments reported aren’t by the OP, but from the those responding to them, and (b) none of them appear to be telling people how to dress, but rather just observing their own experience – they’re descriptive, rather than prescriptive – so accusations of victim blaming seem (doubly) undeserved.
“I would imagine riding a Lime bike had a lot to do with the better treatment, as …”
… the driver might think there’s a half-decent chance a close pass might result in them being on the wrong end of a knife-crime statistic at the next set of lights, in a way they wouldn’t when they see someone wearing lycra riding “a racer”?
There are definitely all sorts of unconscious biases going on.
Limes in London are, in my fairly extensive experience, ridden predominantly by the breed once known as yuppies, you’re in more danger of getting clocked with a Givenchy handbag or a Turnbull & Asser brolly than being knifed, for that you need to close pass an illegal electric motorcycle ridden by someone with a black hoodie and matching bandana face mask.
Whether you think it makes a big difference to your chance of getting hit or not, at least there is some logic in the drivers that do pay attention to the road wanting to spot cyclists a few seconds earlier, and thinking that wearing something bright will help with that. Thinking that you’ll only give a person on a bike the space they need, and the Highway Code requires if they don’t look too like ‘a cyclist’, or look more vulnerable, is messed up, dehumanising nonsense. Unfortunately, some people do think like that, but shouldn’t put up with it.
On the other hand, wanting to give presumed bad cyclists on faster, heavier hire bikes a wide berth is less about valuing the person on the bike as valuing your own paintwork. But if a drivers assumes Lime Bikes are cycled by less experienced cyclists or tourists, giving them a bit more space could be a bit like giving a learner driver a bit of extra space.
It could, however, be argued that Lime Bikes are more visible than most bikes, and also very readily identified as e-bikes, so drivers will be clocking them as something/someone to watch out for from a greater distance than a blob of a hi-viz vest in the distance that may or may not belong to a cyclist.
“I’ve never been given such space both from cars behind me and cars over taking me…”
Has the trial period for self-driving/autonomous cars/taxis, which I though was due to begin in September, started early?
Tesla drivers can now use FSD(s) in the Netherlands.
I had a Waymo drive at me when I had priority on my commute home on Tuesday, so yes, it has started early and isn’t going as well as I hoped. At least I got an apologetic wave from the human inside the car…
Did You get it on camera?
If so, or even without, probably worth reporting to Waymo and government.
The more evidence available that they aren’t (yet) safe the better.
I saw Toe Strap at Reading back in the day – they were bottled off before they got halfway through the first song.
Well, here’s what I rode to work today. Do Power Grips count?
http://www.powergrips.com
I had those in the 90s.
Worked great, but mostly in theory 🙂
Super powerful grip on the shoes, but could be hard to get into (I’m talking about mountain biking btw, for road use I’m sure they are fine).
I get it first try about 70% of the time, almost always by the third try.
Is this just so you can wear out the old pedals?! What’s the advantage, when the excellent SPDs have been out for 30+ years? If it’s the shoes, why not just leave some ‘work shoes’ at work? What pedals did you use on LEJOG? This is today on Leeds-Garstang- you can see the fab SPD on top of the L pedal, on the bottom is just a flat plate
They’re the same pedals and shoes I wore on LEJoG. I have never owned a pair of clipless pedals of any kind. The vast majority of my cycling is to go places where I will then be walking around in normal shoes.
Only this bike has straps, but all the rest have flat pedals of some kind.
The vast majority of my cycling is to go places where I will then be walking around in normal shoes
Your choice, of course, but walking is pretty easy in the right type of SPD shoes
SPDs are fine (I used them for over 30 years without any problems), but they are also a solution to a problem that most riders wouldn’t have anymore nowadays.
Back them, ‘bear trap’ pedals were the norm, with toe clips, which were a hassle for mountain biking. So SPDs were a big improvement.
Now however, there are very good flat pedals. I am convinced, that if those flat pedals had been around back then, SPDs would never have become mainstream.
For the vast majority of riders, excluding racers mainly), flat pedals do everything they need. Abundance of grip, super good underfoot support, very effective, absolutely foolproof and easy mounting and dismounting. But without ever having to worry about wearing the right shoes.
Tried a good pair of flat pedals a few years ago, literally never touched my SPDs again.
I just wear whatever suits the occasion, my mood, my destination, the weather etc.
What happens if you bolt a green bucket to your bike, put a black bag over the back wheel & wear a tartan shirt?
I’d be interested to find out who exactly is behind the helmet push in the Netherlands, since even a cursory glance at the figures reveals two causes which almost exclusively account for the increase: more older people riding thanks to ebikes, and a small rise in car vs bike incidents. Pretty sure forcing everyone to wear a foam lid isn’t going to meaningfully impact either of those factors, so why would anyone but Helmet Cultists start agitating for them in this instance?
I did have a look a while back – i don’t know exactly where the government gets it from, but IIRC:
The cyclists union (Fietsersbond) is generally not about helmets (but not so anti they don’t have a buyer’s guide)
The road safety institute SWOV has been somewhat pro for some time.
An equivalent of RoSPA (Veiligheid NL) is pro helmet (they’ve got detailed analysis)
Commentators their like David Hembrow / Bicycleadutch point to other ways of tackling “but safety!” there (yes, it’s still “tackle threat from motorists”). OTOH it is so safe (and IIRC “just fell off their bike” is the largest single reason for hospital attendence) that perhaps such incremental “higher-growing fruit” makes sense to pursue?
Will see if I can dig out some links.
IIRC SWOV used to be clearly pro but glancing at their stuff now it seems more measure (in English): https://swov.nl/en/fact-sheet/bicycle-helmets
In Dutch – there is some detailed analysis in tbeir reports linked here
https://www.veiligheid.nl/themas/verkeersveiligheid/achtergrond/fietsongevallen
From my anecdata I’d say most Dutch people exhibit exactly the same level of careful, statistically- and epidemiologically- informed reasoning in choosing not to wear helmets as most in the UK do in their belief here that cyclists should…