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Vigilante cyclist's graffiti attacks on cars blocking bike lanes; Fake Ineos signing Remco reveal dupes the internet; Councillor hits back at criticism of his cycle lane comments; Snake Pass closed again + more on the live blog

It's finally Friday...in a few short hours we'll all be drifting off into the glory of the weekend. Dan Alexander is here for his fourth live blog of the week (don't worry, Ryan will be back on blog duty on Monday)...
Fri, Sep 30, 2022 09:03
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Vigilante cyclist's graffiti attacks on cars blocking bike lanes; Fake Ineos signing Remco reveal dupes the internet; Councillor hits back at criticism of his cycle lane comments; Snake Pass closed again + more on the live blogVigilante cyclist's graffiti attacks on cars blocking bike lanes (@50_euros)
30 September 2022, 16:10
Happy Friday!

Hey, we don't make the rules...

Oh go on then, if I have to...

Have a good weekend everybody! Ryan will be back with Monday's blog so at least you get a break from me... 

30 September 2022, 16:08
30 September 2022, 15:47
"None of this tucking a passive-aggressive note under the wiper"

One more for the road? 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by @50_euros

Reaction time...

PRSboy suggested they do vigilantism better on the continent...

"One of this tucking a passive-aggressive note under the wiper. I recall in Sicily watching a disgruntled homeowner pour the contents of a tin of gloss white paint over the windscreen of a car who's driver had parked across a garage entrance.  Even better, I watched the fall-out when the owner returned later, after the car had spent the day baking in the Sicilian sun."

chrisonatrike commented: "Finally a correct use of 'vigilante'!

"If you wanted to make a criminal damage charge less likely (not sure — maybe still applies?) would a non-permanent medium like lipstick work?  Or is that too easy to remove with windscreen washer?"

There's a decent thread on criminal damage, in the comments (the thread is in the comments, not the criminal damage...*goes back and adds a coma after 'damage'*)...

hawkinspeter said: "I saw some post this morning (can't remember where) that compared the pros and cons of letting down tyres vs spraypainting a message onto SUVs. I'm now thinking that spraypaint is the superior tactic — it doesn't affect the functionality, so those emergency SUV journeys can still be made and is likely a lot more permanent and more annoying to the owners."

30 September 2022, 14:44
Specialized hires former Nike VP as chief marketing officer "to engage and inspire millions"
2022 Specialized battery recycling e-bike

Specialized has hired a former Nike vice president in a chief marketing officer role, with the aim of "engaging and inspiring millions of new and existing riders". David Schriber, who spent 14 years with the sports giants, was announced by Specialized's new CEO Scott Maguire.

> Liam's Custom Specialized S-Works Aethos — Staff Bikes

"I am confident that there is no better marketer in the world for the Specialized brand at this moment than David. He will lead us to engage and inspire millions of new and existing riders, delivering on our purpose of Pedaling the Planet Forward," Maguire said.

"His cultural awareness and digital marketing capabilities will be an incredible combination with our deep focus on innovation."

30 September 2022, 14:38
30 September 2022, 13:49
RideLondon Classique added to Women's UCI WorldTour calendar for 2023

The UCI has announced the RideLondon Classique will be part of the Women's WorldTour calendar next year... on the condition that the organisers stick to the requirement of live TV coverage for each stage.

> UCI downgrades RideLondon Classique due to "unacceptable lack of respect" for teams and riders

During this year's race only the final stage was broadcast live, a breach of the UCI rules for WorldTour races.

"As the organiser has provided evidence of contractual commitments to broadcast all stages of the race live on TV in 2023, the RideLondon Classique is back on the calendar for the world's most prestigious events in women's cycling," the UCI said.

Next year's edition will take place from 26 to 28 May.

30 September 2022, 14:16
30 September 2022, 13:34
'Taxi driver' Twitter account locked after threatening to "run over" cyclists

Seems quite a few people have the same screenshot...

Who knows if the account actually belonged to a taxi driver or just an internet provocateur...anyway, since the tweets no longer exist, here's what earned some disciplinary action from Twitter...

 Message to cyclists: 

If you cycle towards me, in my lane, I will not stop. If you do it in your own lane, close to the line/on it, I will not give you space and I will not stop.

If you get run over, you only have yourselves to blame. I have a dash cam, you will be reported.

Charming. There really are some lovely people out there... 

30 September 2022, 12:03
30 September 2022, 11:53
"Dunce of bitumen": Some more of the French cycling vigilante's work
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by @50_euros

A couple more before I grab some lunch (Google Translate informs me the above means "dunce of bitumen")...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by @50_euros

And this: Sunday I park like a stick (apparently) although I'm guessing manche might mean something slightly less suitable for a family-friendly blog...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by @50_euros

FaMiLy FrIeNdLy BlOg

30 September 2022, 11:43
Snake Pass closed again
Snake Pass (licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 by Paul Anderson)

Snake Pass, the busy A-road connecting Manchester and Sheffield that earlier this year was the centre of a storm over cyclist access, has closed to all road users again. It has been shut all week, but we were holding off reporting it while waiting for Derbyshire County Council's response to our enquiry about whether it would, once again, be closed to cyclists too.

> Snake Pass protest: Cyclists reclaim car-free route

From the silence, we're guessing yes, as it was in the spring, cyclists will not be allowed to ride up. The closure from Monday 26 September for four weeks is so an investigation into the cause of a landslip can be carried out. 

Back in February the road was closed to traffic after being damaged during heavy storms. Following many cyclists visiting, to make use of the car-free route, the council controversially closed it to all users.

Anyone up that way been able to ride up this week?

30 September 2022, 11:17
The SAFEST way to listen to music while cycling? Shokz Openrun unboxing

30 September 2022, 10:09
Vigilante cyclist's graffiti attacks on cars blocking bike lanes

Over in France there's a vigilante spray painting 'educational' messages on drivers' vehicles when they block cycle lanes or pavements...

"Live to annoy the annoyers"...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by @50_euros

The self-named "masked vigilante on a crusade against bad motorists" uploads videos to YouTube on the Cinquante Euros channel, and shares pictures on social media as @50_euros. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by @50_euros

They've even got some of YPLAC's stickers...

> Bike lane van driver gets 'you park like a c***' sticker 

30 September 2022, 09:08
Elsewhere in Liverpool... the Wild West Derby is back

We've covered this gem before...

> Cyclist bloodied by crash in "lawless" street where pop-up bike lane was removed may never cycle again 

30 September 2022, 08:59
"Plumber makes it big" vibes
30 September 2022, 08:59
30 September 2022, 08:48
Fake Ineos Remco signing reveal dupes the internet

Please say this isn't a foray into cycling fans replicating 'football twitter'. Cue 13-year-old keyboard warriors with Remco as their picture spamming 'announce Remco', 'ratio' and generally being incredibly annoying...wow, I've never felt like this much of a grumpy old man before...(PS. if you've got no idea what any of that means, good, keep it that way)...

30 September 2022, 08:26
30 September 2022, 07:54
Councillor hits back at criticism of his cycle lane comments

Let's pick up where we left yesterday's live blog...

> Councillor admits "large wagons" keep hitting cycle lane wands... then claims painted segregation works "extremely well"

We've been in touch with councillor Joe Hanson to seek clarification on his comments that painted cycle lanes worked "extremely well"... even though the now-installed wands between the road and the infrastructure keep getting knocked down by drivers travelling too close...

Here we go...

"This is the first complaint I have received from any of my constituents in relation to parking on Vauxhall Road. So is it unreasonable to suggest that I should not gather  evidence to present to council of this complaint?" he told us.

"Also I have evidence of the damage these wagons are doing to the cycle lanes. I have received many complaints from residents and businesses in the area about how these bike lane were introduced and their usage, and there is a genuine concern for the safety of those residents who use the bike lanes, something that I have raised with Liverpool City Council.

"We have a massive amount of heavy goods wagons heading along Commercial Road, Vauxhall Road and Stanley road, the main gateways into the dock road system which runs 24 hours a day."

I'm going to say that nobody here is doubting the damage heavy goods vehicles are doing to the cycle lane wands, that's pretty clear from the pictures. What a lot of people are questioning, including us in our email, is why returning to painted infrastructure would be safe for cyclists if the current cycle lane keeps getting damaged by vehicles?

Anyway, on with the rest of the day...

Dan Alexander

Dan is the road.cc news editor and has spent the past four years writing stories and features, as well as (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. Having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for the Non-League Paper, Dan joined road.cc in 2020. Come the weekend you'll find him labouring up a hill, probably with a mouth full of jelly babies, or making a bonk-induced trip to a south of England petrol station... in search of more jelly babies.

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47 comments

Avatar
ktache | 1 year ago
0 likes

Cost of living starting to bite, inflation getting you down, worried about the state of the economy, there's a full £500 off this little runabout.

https://www.reillycycleworks.com/products/t325-rainbow-road-caliper

Avatar
ktache | 1 year ago
1 like

A bit about eScooters

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/02/we-may-tut-at-e-sc...

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to ktache | 1 year ago
1 like

Some years ago BikeSnobNYC did a number for Outside magazine on these in Portland (US):

https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/destinations/dockless-sco...

Conclusion - the end isn't nigh.  Anyway, it's moot, they're here and the government intends to regularise them.

Avatar
Hirsute | 1 year ago
2 likes

Stop cyling Mikey !
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/stopcyclingmikey

£5 raised so far.

"I am raising the funds to help bring a case againt mike van erp as he has ruined many people lifes and also put many at serious risk and its time this comes to a ending."

I'm starting a crowdfunder to help people with basic English.

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
1 like

I'm happy to contribute.  To your crowdfunder.

One of the companies he's a director of is Big Chick Ltd; the mind boggles.  I wonder what he was doing when Mikey caught him?

There are a lot of fb accounts with this name, but I'm pretty sure this is him, from the car and phone obsession, then I came across the video of somone arguing with local police; "bacon breath, pork machine"!  https://www.facebook.com/5HA31

A complete, total, utter tosser.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
1 like

hirsute wrote:

Stop cyling Mikey ! https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/stopcyclingmikey £5 raised so far. "I am raising the funds to help bring a case againt mike van erp as he has ruined many people lifes and also put many at serious risk and its time this comes to a ending." I'm starting a crowdfunder to help people with basic English.

That is such a dumb appeal.

As the drivers are on a public road, there's no expectation of privacy. Also, there's specific exceptions to data privacy laws for the purpose of law enforcement, which is clearly relevant for driving offences. As for 'blocking the road and not allowing vehicles to move safely', well, maybe the drivers should consider that they're creating the danger by trying to go down restricted roads etc.

I hope that enough idiots fall for this and they raise enough money to bring a legal case which would then prove that the public (including Mike) has a right to intervene to stop dangerous drivers. (If it ever happens, I'd be happy to contribute towards Mike's defense)

Avatar
Hirsute replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
3 likes

I've already complained to crowdfunder. Looks like a number of others have too.
Love the 'cyling'.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
0 likes

hirsute wrote:

I've already complained to crowdfunder. Looks like a number of others have too. Love the 'cyling'.

I was considering complaining, but I'd rather they wasted their money and are made to look particularly stupid as well.

Avatar
Hirsute replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
2 likes

They have already covered the 'stupid' aspect !

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Awavey replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
1 like

assuming its a genuine appeal of course... giyf

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Dnnnnnn | 1 year ago
0 likes

Re: Snake Pass...
www.peaksandpuddles.com/blog/2022/09/07/snake-pass-autumn-closure-a-no-t...
(P&P is a good follow for riding in that part of the country).

Avatar
Hirsute | 1 year ago
4 likes

How to remove illegally parked cars the easy way.
Looks like you can do it in a phone app.

https://mobile.twitter.com/justcurious1313/status/1575661610147860481

Avatar
ChrisB200SX | 1 year ago
7 likes

On the Taxi Driver twitter threats... I actually had a psychopath drive at me yesterday heading into Reading.

Minding my own business on the 4-lane wide King's Road, zero traffic around when I joined the road due to the lights at outside the hospital being red. I'm in the centre of the right lane as I intend to turn right where only busses and cyclists can go. Ford Focus imbecile undertakes me in my lane extremely close and as soon as his front wheel is alongside he moves all the way to the right forcing me out of the lane. There was much overlap of his wing mirror and my body, had I not been totally alert to my peripheral vision and immediately swerved he would have put me in hospital, or the morgue. There was an empty lane on my left! Obviously I caught him at the traffic lights less than 100m later, so pulled up alongside to ask why he threatened my life like that, he mumbled something with his window up, no idea what, asked him to repeat, still mumbles. He pulls away giving me the finger. Barely a minute later (he took a rat-run side street), there he was driving on the wrong side of the road towards me in the bus/cycle lane, he's parking up as I go past. He shouts some unintelligable abuse and gives me the finger again.

What can we do about dangerous drivers like this? I know if I report it, the Police will do absolutely nothing. I'm sure he will do it again and is highly likely to kill or maim a vulnerable road user, it actually appeared to be his intention and he was totally indifferent to the assualt.

Avatar
Secret_squirrel replied to ChrisB200SX | 1 year ago
6 likes

Unfortunately they will likely only act on footage.  Maybe next time get a mobile photo.   Worth making a submission without it though.  Just so they have a record of a pattern of behaviour.  Might be worth putting his reg & car description here too if you have it.  

Be a shame if a Reading resident who reads these pages spots it and lets the tyres down.   **cough**

Avatar
brooksby | 1 year ago
2 likes

Quote:

If you cycle towards me, in my lane, I will not stop. If you do it in your own lane, close to the line/on it, I will not give you space and I will not stop.

On that taxi driver / twitter story - I'm a bit confused... I mean, isn't their offensive post just standard operating procedure for modern urban motorists?

Avatar
Gkam84 | 1 year ago
2 likes

"As the organiser has provided evidence of contractual commitments to broadcast all stages of the race live on TV in 2023"

Don't forget, they had that in place for this season as well and couldn't afford it...🤷‍♂️

Avatar
The Larger Cyclist | 1 year ago
3 likes

When I was a kid we lived in a private road cul-de-sac (council wouldn't adopt/surface it so residents did) that was handy for the local sunday football pitches.  Next door got particularly fed up one time and glued a note to the windscreen - the bloke tried to rip it off and a tiny bit came off much to his shock.  He then spent a while getting the rest off.  

Avatar
ChrisB200SX replied to The Larger Cyclist | 1 year ago
0 likes

The Larger Cyclist wrote:

When I was a kid we lived in a private road cul-de-sac (council wouldn't adopt/surface it so residents did) that was handy for the local sunday football pitches.  Next door got particularly fed up one time and glued a note to the windscreen - the bloke tried to rip it off and a tint bit came off much to his shock.  He then spent a while getting the rest off.  

That wasn't so much tint as an actual layer of the windscreen. I expect that would render the vehicle unroadworthy.

Avatar
The Larger Cyclist replied to ChrisB200SX | 1 year ago
1 like

ChrisB200SX wrote:

The Larger Cyclist wrote:

When I was a kid we lived in a private road cul-de-sac (council wouldn't adopt/surface it so residents did) that was handy for the local sunday football pitches.  Next door got particularly fed up one time and glued a note to the windscreen - the bloke tried to rip it off and a tint bit came off much to his shock.  He then spent a while getting the rest off.  

That wasn't so much tint as an actual layer of the windscreen. I expect that would render the vehicle unroadworthy.

tiny not tint! 1

Avatar
brooksby | 1 year ago
5 likes

Why Is a Neighborhood Street “Unsafe for Pedestrians or People Riding Bikes”? (slate.com, US)

https://slate.com/business/2022/09/houston-8-year-old-bicycle-death-unsa...

Quote:

On Monday, 8-year-old Chase Delarios was riding his bicycle in the Kingwood neighborhood of Houston. As he was crossing Kings Mill Lane toward a nearby pond, a 33-year-old woman driving a Hyundai Santa Fe struck him in the intersection. Delarios died at the hospital. The driver was not charged. Afterward, the Texas Department of Public Safety told local news reporters that the area “isn’t safe for pedestrians or people riding bikes.”

Avatar
Hirsute replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
5 likes

That must be the cancel culture roulereo was telling us about yesterday.

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
1 like

And the bedwetting city socialist children too...

Avatar
PRSboy | 1 year ago
7 likes

Europeans know how to be vigilantes... none of this tucking a passive-aggressive note under the wiper. I recall in Sicily watching a disgruntled homeowner pour the contents of a tin of gloss white paint over the windscreen of a car who's driver had parked across a garage entrance.  Even better, I watched the fall-out when the owner returned later, after the car had spent the day baking in the Sicilian sun.

Avatar
chrisonabike | 1 year ago
4 likes

RE: Vigilante cyclist's graffiti attacks on cars blocking bike lanes

Finally a correct use of "vigilante"!

If you wanted to make a criminal damage charge less likely (not sure - maybe still applies?) would a non-permanent medium like lipstick work?  Or is that too easy to remove with windscreen washer?

Avatar
JustTryingToGet... replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
3 likes

I love the graffiti attacks... only improvement would be to paint it in nitromors.

Also, I'd probably just draw a cock and balls. Whilst tempting to draw big, that would be false advertising so lots of little ones.

Avatar
OldRidgeback replied to JustTryingToGetFromAtoB | 1 year ago
5 likes

I can understand the temptation but the risk of a criminal damage charge is a bit off-putting.

That said, if there was nobody about and no CCTV, a few stones chucked up the exhaust pipe would make a hell of a rattling noise and probably ruin the catalyser. But of course I wouldn't suggest anything like that as it'd result in costly damage.

Avatar
JustTryingToGet... replied to OldRidgeback | 1 year ago
4 likes
OldRidgeback wrote:

I can understand the temptation but the risk of a criminal damage charge is a bit off-putting.

That said, if there was nobody about and no CCTV, a few stones chucked up the exhaust pipe would make a hell of a rattling noise and probably ruin the catalyser. But of course I wouldn't suggest anything like that as it'd result in costly damage.

Or a potato.

Anyway , I'm a cyclist and proven to be invisible. How will they ever find me. 🤔

Avatar
Rome73 replied to OldRidgeback | 1 year ago
0 likes

I have been told that a potato shoved in the exhaust pipe has a devasting effect. 

Avatar
mark1a replied to Rome73 | 1 year ago
2 likes

BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP wrote:

I have been told that a potato shoved in the exhaust pipe has a devasting effect. 

Nothing will happen. It just means the vehicle won't start until the blockage is cleared. 

On a related note, if this were to happen in California, on a public highway, would CHiPs have to get involved?

Avatar
qwerty360 replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
2 likes

Given letting air out of tyres is (technically) criminal damage, doing something non permenant would qualify.

It should have significant effect on sentencing + police investigation though (as they have to consider the cost of the damage; something you can wash off for a few £ is going to be far less important than damage that requires repainting to fix...)

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