Police force warns "reckless and dangerous" cycling in city centre could land £2,500 fine; Zwift at the Olympics?; Friday Facebook Fancy: Marketplace bikes; Bring a boat to use these cycle lanes; Wout watches a Colombian soap + more on the live blog

The latest crackdown, for want of a better word, on "dangerous" cycling in urban areas has been spotted... this time over in the Isle of Man, its capital Douglas to be specific.

(CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED/Culture Vannin/Flickr)

This follows on from this week's news that Coventry has banned e-bikes in its pedestrianised city centre, while in Grimsby this past year numerous cyclists have been fined, including one ordered to pay £1,000, for the heinous offence of riding their bikes through the city centre, an area covered by a Public Spaces Prevention Order prohibiting cycling.

The vast majority of cyclists wouldn't dream of putting a pedestrian in danger, and you might say 'what's the fuss?', these PSPOs and police crackdowns are aimed at kids causing nuisance, not 'proper' cyclists riding bikes for transport or leisure. However, disabled charities, Cycling UK and others have spoken out about the unintended consequences such rules and messaging can have, preventing riders accessing parts of town and deterring cycling.

A week ago, for example, West Midlands Walking and Cycling Commissioner Adam Tranter spoke out against Coventry's e-bike ban, saying it would "discourage cycling and penalise responsible cyclists". Likewise Wheels for Wellbeing, a charity supporting disabled people cycling, called for clearer signage in Grimsby to reduce "risk of confrontation" with pedestrians unaware that bikes being used as mobility aids are still allowed to be ridden where bikes otherwise are banned.

> Latest city introduces anti-cycling rules as controversial e-bike ban brought in

In the past, Cycling UK's Campaigns Manager Duncan Dollimore has also been critical, saying town centre cycling bans (in particular when enforced by a PSPO) have the effect of criminalising cycling, used as a "geographically defined version of an ASBO to restrict the use of public space and criminalise behaviour not normally regarded as illegal".

That rambling introduction is just some context to the Isle of Man latest, as a means of outlining some of the points that have been made elsewhere about the potential unintended consequences that words, campaigns, PSPOs, police crackdowns, can have on cycling...

Douglas City Council and the police have warned that people riding "recklessly" through a key shopping street could be fined up to £2,500. So what? 'Don't ride recklessly in a pedestrianised area' I here you cry... well, that was much the same messaging as was heard when North East Lincolnshire Council introduced began fining for such offences. Cue, council officers being accused of targeting "old and slow" cyclists after a pensioner was fined for riding through town.

To the glee of headline writers everywhere, in that case 82-year-old Barrie Enderby told the council to stick the fine "up your a*se" and said he'd rather go to jail than pay it. The more relevant point, however, was that locals accused the council of targeting "old and slow" riders while ignoring youths "racing up and down", the very behaviour the ban was brought in to tackle.

> More cyclists fined for riding bikes through town centre – months on from rider ordered to pay £1,100

Again, excuse my rambling and tangents, I'll get back to the Isle of Man soon, but just again wanted to point out how some have said these sorts of bans and police or council action can have an impact on more than just the kids doing wheelies through TK Maxx...

Back to Douglas where the BBC reports Inspector Chas Maloney has said a "small minority of individuals" are cycling "recklessly". 

"We have witnessed, first-hand, cycling through the main shopping centre, some of it is quite reckless and dangerous," he said, saying those who ride in an "irresponsible manner" are putting pedestrians at risk, and could be fined up to £2,500.

"There are so many other areas to cycle in and around Douglas and we would encourage people to do so in a careful and considerate manner," Douglas City Centre Manager, Oliver Cheshire, added.

Let's hope any enforcement here doesn't end up like some of these recent case studies...

> Proposed city centre e-bike ban will "discourage cycling and penalise responsible cyclists", says cycling and walking commissioner

> Council officers accused of targeting "old and slow" cyclists after pensioner fined for riding through town

> Bedford cyclists protest 'discriminatory' town centre bike ban

> Campaigners call for clearer signage to reduce "risk of confrontation" with pedestrians, after council insists disabled cyclists won't be fined under controversial town centre cycling ban

> Council officers accused of targeting "old and slow" cyclists after pensioner fined for riding through town

Apologies, not sure how I turned that into War and Peace...

Triathlon training on your way to work? Simply swim through, get on you bike, park around the corner and run in...

Hey @ManCityCouncil could something be done about this massive drainage issue on the southbound cycle lane opposite Whitworth Park? It's a regular feature. pic.twitter.com/aACpxxfNlE

— Giselle du Toit (@GiselleduToit) November 9, 2023

 It's never good when someone replies thinking it's an old picture because of how many times this happens, Giselle also reporting the "absolute lake by the pedestrian crossing serving the Royal Eye Hospital is quite a disgrace". Sounds like there are plenty of drainage-related active travel problems in this corner of Manchester.

Others have noticed the issues too, one local rider Hugh saying he's caught himself planning routes "specifically to avoid the cycle lane puddles" and asked "how the hell is that acceptable?"

Another, Markus, suggested "years of neglect catching up" as "this month the route has been worse than I've ever seen — such huge puddles", a third adding that there's flooding on quite a few other parts of the Wilmslow Road's apparently "state of the art" cycleway.

We'll have a word with Manchester City Council to see what's up...

> "Beyond credulity" – Cycling UK slams council's assertion that busy Lake District road is safe alternative to closed National Cycle Network route

road.cc regular Jo is back enjoying the delights of Facebook Marketplace...

it’s been a while since a facebook marketplace fancy but… pic.twitter.com/agDa15Yyq2

— Jo Burt (@VecchioJo) November 9, 2023

Tempted? 

Some new fighters have entered the (soggy) arena... 

@roadcc I see your flooded cycle lane on the live blog today and raise you this, mercifully not as regular but nice that underpasses for bikes and pedestrians are there to provide drainage so cars don't get wet pic.twitter.com/DymwHbK0oy

— Stew Elliott (@StewCElliott) November 10, 2023

Steve K: "Pretty much every raised pedestrian crossing at a bus-stop bypass in London creates a lake whenever it rains."