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Live blog: Gangland killer caught because he recorded recon ride on his Garmin; VOTE! What's your favourite bike colour? Sheffield active travel; Pippo Pozzato launches new career in... roller hockey + more

All the cycling news from this site and beyond…
18 January 2019, 16:41
Statue of Justice, Old Bailey (licensed CC BY 2.0 on Flickr by Ronnie Macdonald).jpg
Gangland killer was caught because he recorded his reconnaissance on his Garmin

The Liverpool Echo reports on gangland assassin Mark Fellows, who was caught by police in part because he carried out his reconnaissance on his bike and recorded the rides on his Garmin.

Fellows was already a murder suspect when officers spotted a photograph of him taking part in the Bupa Great Manchester Run wearing a Garmin watch. Reviewing the Garmin data later, they found it correlated with CCTV and mobile-phone data to indicate he’d carried out a "reconnaissance run" a couple of months before killing notorious crime figure Paul Massey.

18 January 2019, 16:04
Naked cyclist v London traffic by Cy Wol (video still)
World Naked Bike Ride London date announced for 2019

Event will coincide with the Queen’s official birthday.

More here.

18 January 2019, 15:30
That cyclist-firing-fireworks-at-moped video's doing the rounds again

It was produced by Dafne Fixed a couple of years back.

You can find a bunch of their other equally bonkers stuff here.

18 January 2019, 15:11
Raleigh Motus Grand Tour riding-1
Mandatory e-bike insurance?

That could become a reality in the EU if MEP's vote in favour of the proposal on the 22nd January - read more on eBikeTips. 

18 January 2019, 14:39
What's your favourite bike colour

Given the news today that the nation's favourite car colour is now grey (what, not hi-viz yellow?), we thought we'd ask the question of you about bikes. What would you pick? Given that no-one can agree whether Bianchi's Celeste is blue or green we've stuck it in both slots. Vote away!

 

 

 

18 January 2019, 14:33
Near miss
Near Miss of the Day 238: Exeter motorist barges in at roundabout
18 January 2019, 14:08
Sutton Bank Cycles (via StreetView)
Cycle trail and cyclo-cross track approved in North York Moors

The North York Moors National Park Authority’s planning committee has agreed plans to extend a cycle trail and build a cyclo-cross track at Sutton Bank.

The Darlington and Stockton Times reports that if the scheme receives EU grant funding, work should start in September.

The circuits will be in the plantation at Hambleton. There had been concerns that they would be too close to a horse racing centre, but amended routes will be further away.

18 January 2019, 12:52
Sheffield Mayor Dan Jarvis
Sheffield launches search for Active Travel Commissioner

“Our current transport system in the Sheffield City Region is not fit for the 21st century. If we don’t act now, it’s not going to improve,” said Mayor Dan Jarvis.

"Here in the Sheffield City Region, we will build a transport system that works for everyone. A vital part of this is enabling people to travel in a more active way, whether by foot, bike or public transport. By prioritising active travel, we can improve people’s health, cut carbon emissions and reduce congestion.

"Through my Mayoralty, we now have a clear vision. In December, I launched my Vision for Transport, which has active travel at its heart. We have also submitted funding proposals to the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund for four active travel schemes across South Yorkshire.

"Action is already being taken; but I’m stepping up efforts by seeking an Active Travel Commissioner to take the lead on this important work. I look forward to appointing the Commissioner and, together, delivering an ambitious plan that makes real improvements for residents, businesses and visitors to our region."

Applications here.

18 January 2019, 11:42
ceramicspeed 1x
CeramicSpeed launch oversized pulley system for 1x

Just a couple of days ago we reported on the first oversized pulley wheel system for 1x set-ups by the fledgling US brand SLF Motion - and now the market leader in supersized derailleurs CeramicSpeed have launched their own, the OSPW X for SRAM Rival & Force 1. They promise the system delivers 30-40% less friction than conventional systems, and has already being used by British cyclocross champ Tom Pidcock. If you want one that'll be 479 euros for the standard black one and 559 for a coated version, available on CeramicSpeed's website now

18 January 2019, 11:41
Jess Varnish celebrates a gold medal and  world record (© Dene Percy)
Jess Varnish proud she helped create "a better and fairer environment" at British Cycling
18 January 2019, 11:28
How cool is this?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

9000 bling #shimano #duraace #cycloretro

A post shared by Chris Howard (@cycloretro) on

Cyclo Retro might just be our new favourite Instagram page at the moment - as well as this shiny Dura-Ace 9000 crankset, there's also shots of blinged up Campagnolo Potenza and a Rotor 3D crankset. They also do some seriously tasty bike builds, head over to cycloretro.com to find out more. 

18 January 2019, 10:39
Screen Shot 2019-01-18 at 09.38.44
Obviously...
18 January 2019, 10:35
Haunting
18 January 2019, 09:57
Time for compulsory re-testing?

While the incident mentioned above could have been much worse, mandatory driver re-testing has been a topic of debate this week after the 97-year-old Duke of Edinburgh crashed while pulling out onto a main road near Sandringham.    

18 January 2019, 09:52
18 January 2019, 09:04
Highlights: Defending champion Daryl Impey takes stage four of Tour Down Under

Four favourites got away on the Corkscrew climb but were caught by the group behind before the finish.

Stage five is hilly but unspectacular, so stage six to Willunga Hill will decide the race.

18 January 2019, 08:37
Pippo Pozzato launches new career in... roller hockey

The 2006 Milan-San Remo winner Filippo Pozzato somewhat reluctantly retired from cycling last month.

This weekend he embarks on a new career in roller hockey.

 

 

Sporza reports that Pozzato will be turning out for Hockey Bassano, a second division roller hockey team in Italy.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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12 comments

Avatar
brooksby | 5 years ago
4 likes

The Sheffield thing, about needing a dedicated active transport mayor, is interesting. But how come its London plus Manchester and Sheffield? Does anywhere else have someone who's dedicated to expanding active travel?

Here in Bristol - the first cycling city, remember - our council is still only really paying lip service to active travel IMO, and has  stuck with Metrobus as the answer to all congestion. Millions of pounds spent on special guided-in-some-places bus lanes that don't go anywhere near where I might want to go.  Any speed advantage to Metrobus is lost because so much of their routes involve just mixing it with the normal road traffic.

Bike lanes that aren't at all joined up, some paint here and there, and no political will to actually discourage or remove motor traffic from the city centre.

 The Centre got reorganised again "to make it better for pedestrians ". That would be "better" in the sense of the Exhibition Road style road on the plans and consultation being built as a bog standard blacktop road with a looong period light controlled crossing and a dedicated bus lane being put in which is so busy it's practically a bus park, with a light controlled crossing that the bus drivers regularly ignore.

I had a point but seem to have misplaced it...

The Bristol area desperately needs political will and money to be spent on active travel, before it becomes completely logjammed with motor vehicles. But the will just isn't there in the political class, and the voice of White Van Man is too loud.

Avatar
burtthebike replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
6 likes

brooksby wrote:

The Bristol area desperately needs political will and money to be spent on active travel, before it becomes completely logjammed with motor vehicles. But the will just isn't there in the political class, and the voice of White Van Man is too loud.

Have you seen this? https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-west-of-england-transport-summit-deba...

A transport summit with a huge panel, but no cycling representation (Sustrans is not one) and they didn't invite cycling organisations until it was full.  After I sent them a rather strongly worded email, they released some more tickets for all the cyclists who'd heard about it too late and went on the reserve list.  I'm now going, and if given the chance, will be raising the matter of why Manchester and Sheffield have Active Travel commissioners, concrete plans and actual money, we don't.

A lot of the Bristol area is in South Glos, and if you think Bristol Council is bad, SGlos is ten times worse.

Avatar
brooksby replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
3 likes

burtthebike wrote:

brooksby wrote:

The Bristol area desperately needs political will and money to be spent on active travel, before it becomes completely logjammed with motor vehicles. But the will just isn't there in the political class, and the voice of White Van Man is too loud.

Have you seen this? https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-west-of-england-transport-summit-deba...

A transport summit with a huge panel, but no cycling representation (Sustrans is not one) and they didn't invite cycling organisations until it was full.  After I sent them a rather strongly worded email, they released some more tickets for all the cyclists who'd heard about it too late and went on the reserve list.  I'm now going, and if given the chance, will be raising the matter of why Manchester and Sheffield have Active Travel commissioners, concrete plans and actual money, we don't.

A lot of the Bristol area is in South Glos, and if you think Bristol Council is bad, SGlos is ten times worse.

No, I hadn’t. Dammit! That completely supports my point - I thought I’d vented my spleen and now it’s  all full again...  

I’ve heard your stories of South Glos. I live in NOrth SOmerset, so we get the not as rural as it thinks it is Council who won’t change anything ever.  We bl00dy well wouldn’t even sign up for the West of England May as it was (King Elfed was worried the other councils would bully NS into accepting the regions quote of new homes, and that might spoil the view of some elderly conservatives living in wraxall or something).

Avatar
burtthebike replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
2 likes

brooksby wrote:

Have you seen this? https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-west-of-england-transport-summit-deba...

A transport summit with a huge panel, but no cycling representation (Sustrans is not one) and they didn't invite cycling organisations until it was full.  After I sent them a rather strongly worded email, they released some more tickets for all the cyclists who'd heard about it too late and went on the reserve list.  I'm now going, and if given the chance, will be raising the matter of why Manchester and Sheffield have Active Travel commissioners, concrete plans and actual money, we don't.

A lot of the Bristol area is in South Glos, and if you think Bristol Council is bad, SGlos is ten times worse.

[/quote]

No, I hadn’t. Dammit! That completely supports my point - I thought I’d vented my spleen and now it’s  all full again...

[/quote]

Sorry about your spleen, and I know just how you feel.  From what I hear NS is no better than SGlos.

As well as the councils and the West of England, we now have the Local Enterprise Partnership to worry about and spend our taxpayers' money.  I've spent some time looking at our local LEP and they seem to have millions to spend and have development and transport policies, but I'm damned if I can understand how they work or what representation us taxpayers have.

Avatar
burtthebike replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
2 likes

brooksby wrote:

Have you seen this? https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-west-of-england-transport-summit-deba...

No, I hadn’t. Dammit! That completely supports my point - I thought I’d vented my spleen and now it’s  all full again...  

I’ve heard your stories of South Glos. I live in NOrth SOmerset, so we get the not as rural as it thinks it is Council who won’t change anything ever.  We bl00dy well wouldn’t even sign up for the West of England May as it was (King Elfed was worried the other councils would bully NS into accepting the regions quote of new homes, and that might spoil the view of some elderly conservatives living in wraxall or something).

[/quote]

Well, that was interesting.  The headline was Transport Summit, but the agenda on the day was all public transport.  When I tackled them about this, and fought off the chair who clearly didn't want this raised, they didn't really have an answer about why they weren't featuring active travel.  I spoke later to one of the organisers, and it turns out that they thought cycling and walking were public transport.  No, really they did.   I left feeling that I was in some kind of parallel universe.

Avatar
Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
4 likes

Re retesting.

Statistically the under 25s and new drivers have a far higher accident rate than the over 75s. It might be better to have mandatory retesting at 24 months after first passing the driving test.

I'd also suggest a mandatory retest at 6 penalty points.

Avatar
ktache replied to Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
1 like

Mungecrundle wrote:

Re retesting. Statistically the under 25s and new drivers have a far higher accident rate than the over 75s. It might be better to have mandatory retesting at 24 months after first passing the driving test. I'd also suggest a mandatory retest at 6 penalty points.

I agree with the retesting thing. 

Society seems to accept a higher collision rate for younger drivers because of the belief that they will learn and improve.  It would seem that from a certain point it's all downhill for the very old with driving.

I've never driven, can any driver out there please explain to me the attitude of ploughing on even though you're completely blinded and cannot see?

Avatar
ConcordeCX | 5 years ago
8 likes

North York Moors story: "if the scheme receives EU grant funding, work should start in September.".

who's going to tell them...?

 

Avatar
burtthebike | 5 years ago
2 likes

The word search took me ten minutes, but I got there in the end.  The other half isn't convinced that it is a sign from god though.

Avatar
HarrogateSpa | 5 years ago
2 likes

I heard on the news that the council is considering reducing the speed limit from 60 to 50 where the Duke's accident took place.

It's probably a good idea, but what a shame that someone well-known has to have an accident before better safety rules are considered. If it had been a normal person, I guarantee nothing would have been done.

Avatar
brooksby replied to HarrogateSpa | 5 years ago
1 like

Quote:

If the prince is thought to be liable, he could face prosecution for driving without due care and attention. The lawyer Nick Freeman, known as Mr Loophole, who has represented celebrities prosecuted over alleged traffic offences, said he believed the prince could have a good defence if he blamed being blinded by the sun, as one witness claimed. He could also avoid prosecution by surrendering his licence, Freeman told the Press Association.

“If the sun was so low and right in your eyes, sometimes it is impossible to see, and that may well have been the case and that would afford him a defence,” Freeman said.

The Crown Prosecution Service would consider if it was in the public interest to prosecute, if the royal was thought to be at fault. “In my view, even if he’s found to be at fault, I think anyone advising him would contact the CPS and say, look, he now accepts he shouldn’t be driving and he’s going to undertake to surrender his licence and not drive again,” Freeman said.

Unfortunately, Mr Loophole has got himself another ten minutes of fame out of the Duke's little prang/careless driving/whatever: taken from The Grauniad https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jan/18/prince-philip-car-crash-norfolk-police-to-investigate

Avatar
Awavey replied to HarrogateSpa | 5 years ago
1 like
HarrogateSpa wrote:

I heard on the news that the council is considering reducing the speed limit from 60 to 50 where the Duke's accident took place.

It's probably a good idea, but what a shame that someone well-known has to have an accident before better safety rules are considered. If it had been a normal person, I guarantee nothing would have been done.

To be fair to the council,not a phrase I'm used to saying alot,in this case it was already under consideration,the report recommending the speed limit change was issued last week,and was already on the agenda to be discussed at their council meeting today & has been since been approved

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