“Imagine we talked about cars like this”: Londoners react to BBC video asking if the city’s “e-bike situation has gone too far”; Reaction to razor-tight European Championships + more on the live blog
E-bike talk...
I’m going to stick my proverbial neck out here, and say that I think that BBC London’s YouTube video on the rise of e-bikes in the capital is, though not perfect, pretty good.
It outlines the recent growth of e-bikes, the infrastructure difficulties presented by their surging popularity, and gives a voice to efforts to regulate the industry in the name of helping the e-bike market grow and simplify.
It also summarises e-bike policy developments we’ve also covered in recent months, including Westminster council seizing badly parked e-bikes, operators ignoring council contracts to continue operating in boroughs they shouldn’t, and the issues of insurance and compensation for injured riders and pedestrians.
> “The legislation doesn’t cope”: Calls for e-bike hire law changes as Lime bike-related injury claims surge in London
That said, the headline and featured image are a little sensationalist, designed to grab your attention and provoke an opinion. And opinions they have provoked…
“Can’t go very far across London without cars being in your way and being everywhere.”
“Funny when all the roads are clogged with vehicles no one asks if it’s ‘gone too far’”
“Imagine we talked about cars like this. We’re absolutely brainwashed.”
> Plans for London-wide e-bike hire licences delayed by impending public consultation
Indeed, motonormativity was the talk of the town square over on YouTube, whilst Reddit users seemed more aware of some of their flaws…
“The whataboutism about cars being dangerous doesn’t exactly mean we can just ignore the cavalier attitude that the dockless hire companies have taken to chucking their products onto every street corner.
“The fact that each council sets their own rules on them as well doesn’t help, and it’s taking way too long for the mayors office to actually pull this into their remit so we can have a proper city-wide policy.”
“It’s not a zero sum issue. Cars are a problem but so are e-bikes with the lack of storage locations around the city which means they often pile up and cause problems for pedestrians. And the lack of training for most cyclists which means a large proportion of e-bike users frequently flout the Highway Code, putting other road users at risk. The e-bike companies are usually unaccountable also if one of their riders cause a traffic accident. Both issues need to be addressed.”
Or perhaps put most succinctly: “Ignoring the problems of e-bikes because you don’t like cars is not helpful. I say this as a cyclist who hates cars.”
As is often the case, two things can be true at once. A rise in demand for e-bikes should be welcomed and accommodated whilst efforts to shape and improve rider behaviour are also good! But anyway, the thoughts of the panel are welcome!
Too many bikes at home?
Liam’s done some thinking…
> 3 reasons you shouldn’t use a gravel bike for road cycling… and 6 reasons you should
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London ebikes video: Tom Edwards' selfie cam makes it look as though he is riding on the wrong side of the bi-directional cycle path. I guess he is not though.
Short bib straps on small/slim fit sizes is a reason I can't find any good shorts to buy at the moment. It's not only Rapha, all the brands seem to have followed the Castelli 'ball cutter' bib dimensions. It used to be easy.
I think - as with many aspects of life - the key is 'don't be a dick'. Access rights are what they are, but they do seem archaic and in need of a review. I've certainly ridden my fair share of footpaths over the years. If you're going to ride somewhere you shouldn't, maybe just have a think about day/time/location. A sunny Saturday lunchtime in a particularly busy family hiking/pram pushing/kids learning to ride/picnicking area perhaps not ideal. Likewise riding down a footpath in a memorial woodland with your back wheel locked up. Both encountered at Dovestone this weekend.
That photo in the park is tweaked so badly it's ridiculous. That's what happens when you try too hard.
For a few grams more, I'd rather have adjustable straps as you say, I had some Gore Bike Wear bib longs years ago with them, so it's not unknown. Many shorts I try have straps way too short and/or with little stretch, Galibier included. Ironically, Rapha Core are the best for me, although I've not bought any recently. I've just bought some Van Rysel EDR bib longs, just right on the straps, low tension and a good length, and the overall quality is impressive, as is the price at £70.
@wtjs I don't have any online at the moment, I do have them kept for if they were required for prosecution. I also do have some feedback regarding outcomes, but will need some time to find this and put the relevant videos on YT.
@theslowcyclistxx Your criticism might be justified if this was simply a road-only wheelset, but it's not, it's marketed as a hybrid road/gravel wheelset and so quite clearly should be able to sustain some fairly rough treatment without damage, otherwise it's not fit for the intended purpose. If you look at the manufacturer claims quoted in the article, they say the wheels are "as strong as XC MTB wheels", so concerns over the fact that they couldn't cope with going over a rock even with just a 72 kg total system weight are fully justified.
@Nigel Garage The defendant pleaded guilty to participating in violent disorder, so he knew he was bang to rights. He was clearly involved at Culpability B level, "Offender participated in incident involving persistent and/or sustained unlawful activity" and Category 2, "Incident results in attacks on police or public servants". B2 offences have a starting sentencing point of two years' custody. Thug got exactly the right sentence for his crime. Funny how you are continually defending lenient sentences for drivers ("no sense in imprisoning someone for a momentary lapse in concentration") until you come across an offender with an African name and then start squealing about two tier justice.
I don’t understand why you didn’t give these wheels a five star review based on the text. Are you saying that you really think that a sub 1000g carbon wheelset is supposed to crash into a rock without severe damage? I’m really impressed that it didn’t break completely and was able to get you home (or in the case of a high speed incident would have kept your line). I would say that’s an impressive feat for any carbon wheelset, let alone a sub 1000g one, unless your are looking at downhill specced wheelset.
This book's quite a stark reminder of how vulnerable we are to the elements. I have to agree that segment approach detracts something from the drama but it's a mild criticism. Personally, I was very pleased to have not to have a place on the last edition of LEL. It was to be a retirement project but retirement got postponed. Like many I'm praying for a fair wind in 2029.
1 thought on ““Imagine we talked about cars like this”: Londoners react to BBC video asking if the city’s “e-bike situation has gone too far”; Reaction to razor-tight European Championships + more on the live blog”
London ebikes video: Tom Edwards’ selfie cam makes it look as though he is riding on the wrong side of the bi-directional cycle path. I guess he is not though.