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Popular cycle route torn apart by floods; Driver pushed cyclist off his bike after collision; First Dutch-style roundabout closed after driver ploughs into crossing; E-bikes 'fastest-growing bike category'; Richmond Park cont'd + more on the live blog

Welcome to your midweek live blog, with Jack Sexty providing your lead coverage and Simon MacMichael chipping in this evening
12 August 2020, 15:11
Police appeal after cyclist was hit by a Land Rover, before the driver pushed him off his bike
Police tape (CC licensed by freefotouk on Flickr)

Avon and Somerset Police say the collision occurred between a cyclist and the driver of a Land Rover on Sunday 2nd August at around midday, on a narrow country lane between Charterhouse and Mendip Raceway. The cyclist - a man in his 50s - was pushed off his bike after the collision, sustaining minor injuries that didn't require hospital treatment. The driver of the Land Rover was described as a man in his 60s, with white or grey hair and wearing a short-sleeved checked shirt at the time of the incident. 

Police believe there were other vehicles in the area at the time, and motorists could have seen what happened. Any witnesses or those with dashcam footage have been asked to call 101 quoting the reference number 5220173426. 

12 August 2020, 14:42
Road World Championships cancelled: decision on new venue by 1st September, says UCI president

David Lappartient says the UCI will now turn their attention to securing a new venue in Europe with a similar course profile, and is promising that a final decision will be made by 1st September at the latest. I think we can rule out Harrogate after last year's shenanigans... 

Full story here

12 August 2020, 13:42
This section of towpath from Linlithgow to Falkirk is probably best avoided for now

Filmed by Ross Harvey, this section of canal towpath - on the traffic-free Linlithgow to Falkirk Wheel route in Scotland - has been completely split apart by water from the Union Canal, with fears that the whole canal will be drained if it continues to flow this rapidly. It happened as the result of heavy showers over the last two days, with the Met Office warning that thunderstorms forecast to develop today could lead to some communities being cut off by flooded roads.   

Scottish Canals replied to the tweet above saying: "We’re aware of the situation and the Union Canal is now closed until further notice. Our teams are onsite and taking the necessary steps."

How they're going to fix this is anyone's guess...

12 August 2020, 14:54
Michael Woods joins Israel Start-Up Nation to bolster Froome's 2021 Grand Tour hopes

In another transfer that signals an ambition to build a team around Froome for next year's Grand Tours, Woods will moe over from EF Pro Cycling to become "Chris Froome’s right-hand man". The team also say Woods will lead the team in some classics and monument races.

ISN have also announced the signings of Daryl Impey, Carl Fredrik Hagen and Patrick Bevin in the last few days. 

Woods commented: "With Chris Froome and several other great signings, I believe that ISN has the potential not just to win the Tour next year, but also be present and winning throughout the entire WorldTour calendar. For me, the prospect of riding for the best GC rider of this generation at the TdF, is very exciting.  Also, with Dan Martin already on board, I really see us being able to have a winning combination in the Ardennes and Italian classics.”

12 August 2020, 14:25
Critérium du Dauphiné: Wout Van Aert continues winning streak

The unstoppable Belgian won in a sprint finish, with Daryl Impey finishing in second and Egan Bernal picking up third. 

12 August 2020, 14:13
Breaking: Road World Championships cancelled

As no gatherings of more than 1,000 people are allowed in Switzerland until 30th September, the organisers of Aigle-Martigny 2020 say it will simply be impossible to hold the event as planned between 20th-27th September - full story updated with news as we get it here

12 August 2020, 13:17
Transport for Greater Manchester nets £1 million grant to get more people from BAME groups cycling
transport for greater manchester cycle training - via tfgm

Awarded to TfGM from The London Marathon Charitable Trust, the grant will be used to support around 10,000 people in up to 60 communities across Greater Manchester to get more active and use sustainable transport.

There will be a particular emphasis on women, children and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups, say TfGM, citing research that shows 69% of frequent cyclists are men, and 74% of people from ethnic minority groups across 12 UK cities and towns don't cycle at all. 

Chris Boardman, Greater Manchester’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, commented: “This money will enable us to reach out to thousands more people across Greater Manchester, enabling them to fit walking and cycling into their daily lives and to enjoy the many benefits that go alongside it.

“Alongside temporary infrastructure in response to the coronavirus pandemic, we are building the UK’s largest cycling and walking network. The Bee Network will deliver more than 1,800 miles of routes, linking every area of Greater Manchester. Inspiring people to walk or cycle for everyday journeys is a huge part of the puzzle and we are incredibly grateful to The London Marathon Charitable Trust for supporting us to make this a reality.”    

12 August 2020, 13:09
This is how you do a cycle lane

This new route in Dublin got a big thumbs-up from the 'product testers'... why can't it all be like this? 

12 August 2020, 12:34
Free secure cycle parking opens in London's Carnaby shopping quarter

The Carnaby Bike Hub is "inspired answer to bike parking woes in town", with an open-door policy and space for 50 bikes on double-decking racks. There's 24/7 security and CCTV, but of course Carnaby London say you'll still need to bring a lock when you drop your bike off. 

12 August 2020, 12:09
Richmond Park: progress or a disappointment?

Many are angry that the Royal Parks are allowing any traffic back in after a car-free summer... but then again, it's progress on what things were like before the lockdown. Royal Parks say they are "excited to be taking the first step"; however yesterday London Cycling Campaign said they have made a “reckless and drastic” move by allowing motor vehicles back in, including the notorious 'rat-running road between Kingston Gate and Richmond Gate that will be open to through traffic at all times. 

12 August 2020, 11:59
Have you took to 'commuting' to keep some work/life balance?

It's something that environmental psychologist and friend of road.cc Dr Ian Walker has adopted to '​overcome the lack of home-work boundaries' - have you managed something similar while home working, or do you have a different strategy?

12 August 2020, 11:42
MP does a cycle tour of his constituency to talk to mark Shop Local Week

Hugh Merriman MP is riding around his Bexhill and Battle constituency to talk to business owners on Shop Local Week, an event organised by the government to help local businesses rebuild from the pandemic by encouraging shoppers to visit their local high street.

12 August 2020, 11:31
You can now buy Deceuninck Quick-Step back-to-school equipment
quick-step back to school.PNG

If your little one just loves professional cycling (or you want them to love professional cycling) then Quick-Step's Wolfpack Back To School package includes a lunchbox, pencil case and notebook for them to go back to their socially distanced classes with. Priced at 30 euros, it's available on the team's website now. 

12 August 2020, 10:07
UK's first Dutch-style roundabout forced to close for repairs... because it was damaged by a driver

Featuring an inner ring for motor traffic, an outer ring for cyclists and priority for pedestrians at each exit, the roundabout was officially opened earlier this month on Fendon Road in Cambridge, and is considered the first of its kind in the UK. Unfortunately it wasn't in use very long before a problem arose, in the form of a driver who hit a Belisha beacon and failed to stop.

The incident happened before the roundabout opened on 30th July and has been used without issue since, but it's now being repaired by the council and expected to open again at some point today. A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council commented: "This accident happened 12 days ago before the roundabout opened. A car collided with a Belisha beacon column, causing it to lean slightly. The driver failed to stop at the scene.

"There have been no accidents at the new roundabout since it opened on July 31."

12 August 2020, 09:27
E-bikes are the fastest-growing bike category, according to new Halfords report
halfords fastest growing categories - via halfords.PNG

The report from Halfords focussed on Google search results, finding that in the UK there had been a 47% increase in the number of searches for terms such as 'electric bike' and 'e-bike' in 2020 so far. Across Europe, general searches for bikes increased by half a million, and e-bikes are considered the fastest growing bike category. 

Buoyed by a bike boom during the pandemic, demand for road bikes also appears to be on the up, with searches for road bikes increasing from 28,000 to 51,000 from 2019 to 2020 in the UK. Halfords added that this "might be due to the country's lockdown and people's desire to exercise by bike when allowed".

12 August 2020, 08:53
York Cycle Campaign 'dismayed' by council's £850,000 bid for Emergency Active Travel Fund cash
york  - via wikimedia commons.PNG

City of York Council said earlier this week they were applying to the government's Emergency Active Travel Fund to create more space for cycling and walking; however according to York Cycle Campaign, it's likely the bid could be ignored because many of the plans don't meet the criteria. 

The council say their action plan includes improvements to major A-roads, improved signage, a new crossing in the city centre and cycling and numerous walking links... but York Cycle Campaign said they were "dismayed". 

A spokesperson told York Press: “Although this is a nice list of measures, the majority of them fail to meet the criteria set by the Government, and risk York losing out on much of the £850,000 on offer to the city.

“The measures are not connected, lack any strategic vision and fail to demonstrate the kind of ambition that our city needs to have.”

Deputy council leader Councillor Andy D’Agorne defended the plans, commenting: “A long list of measures was prioritised against the fund’s criteria, the potential for the scheme to be delivered by the end of the financial year and agreed on by the council’s executive. 

“We consider that we have proposed an ambitious list of measures which will be deliverable quickly together with further complementary measures to be delivered using a further £600,000 of council transport funding in 2021/22.

“We will continue to work with the Cycle Campaign and other stakeholders to ensure that the most effective schemes are delivered to encourage more people to cycle and walk in the city.”

In June, the government asked councils to be "more ambitious" with their proposals for the first tranche of funding, adding: “Where authorities have received less than their indicative allocations, this is due to their proposals being less aligned with the objectives of the fund than those of other authorities.”

Bids that include segregated routes that are linked correctly are more likely to receive larger portions of the money set aside for the Emergency Active Travel Fund; whereas the government are likely to restrict cash going to councils who propose poorly connected routes, or cycle lanes marked by paint with no extra protective measures. 

12 August 2020, 08:42
Cycling proficiency test = exam upgrade

It's a better metric than what's suggested so far, to be fair. 

12 August 2020, 08:22
Police appeal for information after 71-year-old cyclist found in the road with serious injuries
barnsley a-road - via google streetview.PNG

Emergency services were called at around 10am yesterday where the cyclist was found seriously injured on the A635 Doncaster Road in Barnsley - he was taken to Northern General Hospital for treatment. 

Police say they believe the man was involved in a collision, and are looking for the driver of a silver/grey coloured estate car with tinted windows and dark coloured wheels to come forward, as it's believe the vehicle was in the area at the time. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and quote incident number 319 of 11 of August 2020.

Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.  

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17 comments

Avatar
brooksby | 3 years ago
1 like

Quote:

E-bikes 'fastest-growing bike category'

A bloke on an e-bike overtook me on a cycle path this morning. I was huffing my way uphill (had got distracted and hadn't changed gear) when this bloke went zipping past me on my right, pedalling very easily and with a big battery pack visible on his frame.  No bell or call-out, so he was lucky I hadn't swerved at that point as I had no idea he was there...

Avatar
Kapelmuur replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
1 like

I'm old and slow and am regularly passed by other cyclists who do not advertise their presence, I didn't know it was a thing.   Or does it apply only to e bikes?

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mdavidford replied to Kapelmuur | 3 years ago
2 likes

You're supposed to call out 'Ahoy-hoy!' as you approach - didn't you know that?

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Hirsute replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
1 like

Don't swerve without checking it is safe to do so !

And think of the children !

Avatar
brooksby replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
1 like

I was riding up a hill I usually do in middle-ring-and-third, in middle-ring-and-fifth.  So I'm allowed a bit of wobbling...

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
3 likes

brooksby wrote:

I was riding up a hill I usually do in middle-ring-and-third, in middle-ring-and-fifth.  So I'm allowed a bit of wobbling...

Maybe the e-cyclist was new to the area and didn't know that?yes

Avatar
Hirsute replied to eburtthebike | 3 years ago
1 like

Oh, so it was you eh?

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wtjs replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
0 likes

A bloke on an e-bike overtook me on a cycle path this morning

I recently did a circular cycling camping tour from N Lancashire via Ilkley, the Dales and the E edge of the Lakes. I noted that about 1/2 of the people I saw on the roads 'on mountain bikes' were actually cheating on e-bikes. You can easily make them out from a distance from the effortless way they are pedalling- these are really just low power motorbikes.

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Sriracha replied to wtjs | 3 years ago
1 like
wtjs wrote:

were actually cheating

As long as their partners knew, it isn't cheating.

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David9694 | 3 years ago
0 likes

Bit short on time tonight so only skimmed through - I see there's racing back in the news. 

Racing News

“A man whose job it is to ride his bike faster yesterday rode his bike very fast, somewhere hot and hilly in Europe. 

This is how long it took him to ride his bike. 

The other riders were also meant to be the fastest, but they weren’t, so they lost.  

A pretty lady in cycling gear presented the man with a prize.” 

Is that pretty much how it went?

 

Avatar
mike the bike | 3 years ago
6 likes

"Have you took to commuting.....?".  No I haven't.

And, surely, neither has anyone with English as a first language.

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
2 likes

Re Linlithgow Canal

"How they are going to fix this is anyones guess"

Probably the same way they fixed the one in Tiverton Devon 7-8 years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nqcd9ywsIA

Avatar
Spokesperson | 3 years ago
7 likes

"This accident happened 12 days ago before the roundabout opened. A car collided with a Belisha beacon column, causing it to lean slightly. The driver failed to stop at the scene. There have been no accidents at the new roundabout since it opened on July 31."

Two uses of the word "accident" in four little sentences! I would have thought that Cambridgeshire CC would not use that loaded term these days ... especially regarding a collision where the perpetrator scarpered from the scene. 

Avatar
brooksby | 3 years ago
1 like

Quote:

have you managed something similar while home working, or do you have a different strategy?

Yes.

I work from 'the office', and I ride there in the morning and then 'home' at the end of the day.

Old fashioned, I know...

Avatar
LetsBePartOfThe... replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
0 likes

Yes I do the same: go out on a wide loop through the Hertfordshire countryside, and back to my home for working.  
The advantages are I'm no longer cycling into London, but instead can choose my favourite areas, trails,  and quieter roads. And I do the whole distance ( ie double ) before work - when I can enjoy it most, rather than any after work when I'm depleted.   
Hard to imagine ever going back to the old ways, nor any valid reason to be made to do so.   
Seeing a lot more cyclists these days. Hopefully a new realisation is dawning 

Avatar
Jogle | 3 years ago
1 like

When I saw the headline about the cyclist being found in the road, I thought that it was going to be this story https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-53735773

Avatar
alchemilla | 3 years ago
0 likes

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