Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

How not to park: Tesco delivery driver just misses cyclist; Why don't cyclists use cycle lanes, No. 9,473; Eight miles of closed central London roads; Milan-San Remo anticipation (Van der Poel starts); Dowsett's pre-race nerves + more on the live blog

It's Friday and Dan Alexander will be trying his best to deliver something vaguely coherent on Friday's live blog (cut him some slack, yesterday was St Patrick's Day)...
18 March 2022, 16:45
Your Milan - San Remo winner is...

Drumroll please...

Live blog poll result

 

18 March 2022, 15:50
New cycle routes planned for Plymouth
Plymouth (Image cc licensed from Flickr user bobchin1941)

The Plymouth Herald is reporting a consultation on the city's Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan has been launched, with four new routes being consulted on.

Cllr Jonathan Drean, cabinet member for transport said: "We were delighted that more than 700 people responded to the 2021 Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan consultation last summer and we’d really welcome residents’ thoughts on the 2022 routes as well. The comments received on the 2021 Plan helped shape the final proposals for the routes and we’re sure that users of these four new routes will have invaluable insights to help make cycling easier as well.

"We are committed to investing in walking and cycling and know this is important to you as well, with over four out of five respondents to the 2021 consultation agreeing that it was either extremely or very important to promote walking and cycling within Plymouth. The LCWIP will help inform future investment in walking and cycling infrastructure."

18 March 2022, 15:49
Forget the 290km...this is the real Milan - San Remo challenge...

 

18 March 2022, 15:27
"This is a colleague announcement, there's a cyclist in aisle 6..."

No noise from Tesco yet about today's main story on the live blog...

The suspense is killing me...

18 March 2022, 14:26
Lincolnshire Police and Keele Uni to explore dash cam tech to improve road safety

Lincolnshire Police and Keele University have received £150k funding from The Road Safety Trust to explore how ‘Dash Cam’ technology can be used to reduce road offending and improve road safety. 

The Road Safety Trust, dedicated to achieving zero deaths and serious injuries on UK roads, awarded over £1million of funding for technology-focussed road safety projects through its main theme grants in 2021. 

By working with Police Forces across the UK and a variety of road users, this project will establish how using dash cam footage can be utilised to contribute to road safety and provide guidance on the consistent handling of it. 

Andy Cox, Detective Chief Superintendent, Head of Crime at Lincolnshire Police said: "In the UK, five people on average die in a road crash every single day. Road death is preventable and therefore we do not have to accept this devastation.

"The police cannot solve this alone and must work collaboratively with partners to reduce road danger. Additionally, we need the public’s support and this project seeks to evaluate the impact of enabling the public to report road crime via dashcam, headcam or a similar method. 

"The police cannot be everywhere all of the time but the public can be and therefore I am confident this crucial work will identify the many benefits and further improve our approach in this area.

"I am excited to work with and support Keele University in undertaking the project and hugely grateful to The Road Safety Trust for its funding which has made this possible. In time, I believe the results will help understanding in this vital area and, as such, be an important component in eradicating road danger and making our roads safe." 

18 March 2022, 14:20
Caleb Ewan out of Milan - San Remo through illness

Bad luck if you're voting for Caleb Ewan in our 'who wins San Remo poll...the two-time runner-up is out of the race through illness, his team has confirmed.

Expressing his disappointment, Ewan said: "I am disappointed that I am not able to take the start. I was in good form and ready for a hard race, but like many riders, I faced a stomach flu at the worst time. Together with the team we had to decide that it is better to now focus on different goals."

18 March 2022, 13:11
POLL: Put your money where your mouth is — who wins Milan - San Remo?

Poll Creator

18 March 2022, 12:59
Alex Dowsett's pre-race nerves

In fairness, I'd get dropped in the neutral start...

Mathieu van der Poel, on the other hand, seems to be treating the 290km Monument as a training session... 

So...50km three-up break? Van der Poel, Van Aert and Pog? 

18 March 2022, 11:15
'Twas the night before San-Remo...

Sam Bennett won't be on the startline in Milan tomorrow, he's sick, but most of the other stars will...Wout van Aert, Tadej Pogačar, Caleb Ewan, Mathieu van der Poel, Tom Pidcock, Filippo Ganna, Primož Roglič...take your pick...who wins? How?

I'll go Wout van Aert sprinting from a small group...hardly putting my neck on the line, I know...

18 March 2022, 10:56
Eight miles of closed central London roads — RideLondon FreeCycle returns after two-year absence
RideLondon Freecycle (picture credit TfL)

RideLondon FreeCycle is back, returning to eight miles of closed central London roads on Sunday 29 May. Aimed at families and riders of all abilities, the traffic-free route passes many of London’s most famous streets and iconic landmarks including:

   - Bank of England
   - Guildhall Yard
   - Holborn Viaduct
   - London Eye
   - Piccadilly
   - Pall Mall
   - Somerset House
   - Southbank
   - St Paul’s Cathedral
   - Strand
   - Trafalgar Square
   - Waterloo Bridge
   - Westminster Bridge
   - Victoria Embankment

The day starts at 10.00, finishing at 15.00 and includes four Festival Zones at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Waterloo Place, Guildhall Yard and St Paul’s Churchyard and Paternoster Square. 

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of RideLondon, said: "RideLondon FreeCycle is a unique day. It’s wonderful and uplifting to see London’s most famous streets handed over to bicycles with riders of all ages and backgrounds on all sorts of different bikes enjoying traffic-free roads."

You can sign-up to the event here...

18 March 2022, 10:50
Why don't cyclists use cycle lanes, No. 9,473

Another classic for the folder.... 

18 March 2022, 09:06
How not to park: Tesco delivery driver just misses cyclist

'Every little helps' presumably refers to how much extra space you should give this Tesco delivery driver whacking the van into a space, regardless of the cyclist waiting to ride off.

"My bike is on the road, I’m about to mount and move off. Your driver wants to park where I am so he just pretends I’m not there. Unbelievable," the rider explained after this incident in Teddington yesterday morning.

Reporting supermarket drivers is a bit hit-and-miss, pardon the pun, with another rider predicting either no response or an all-too-public 'ask you to DM us' to get the angry mob off their back...

We've covered our fair share of dodgy delivery driving in our time...

> "That's a human being" - Chris Boardman slams Sainsbury's response to close pass video

In 2017, a cyclist sued Tesco for more than £100,000 after a delivery driver allegedly drove into and then over her in London.

Kate McElroy was riding to work in December when the driver pulled out in her path at the junction of Southwark Bridge Road and Great Guildford Street.

McElroy was knocked to the ground and went under the van. The driver is said to have driven over her, crushing her pelvis.

Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.

Add new comment

33 comments

Avatar
andystow | 2 years ago
1 like

Another unsecured load. Cyclist dodges half tonne hay bale. Sorry, can only find a DM link.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10622771/Cyclist-narrowly-avoid...

Avatar
lllnorrislll replied to andystow | 2 years ago
3 likes

That could have been nasty, unsecured load, unforgivable.

....then you read the DM comments section!!!

Avatar
andystow replied to lllnorrislll | 2 years ago
9 likes
lllnorrislll wrote:

....then you read the DM comments section!!!

I'm not falling for that again.

Avatar
Hirsute replied to lllnorrislll | 2 years ago
4 likes

Bloody hell, that was awful

Boils down to cyclist should have known the bale of hay would come off and had the foreknowledge to get his timing right
Should have stopped knowing the bale would not have fallen off at that point.
Cyclist was going too fast as opposed to the normal going too slow.
And these people have a vote...

Avatar
Hirsute | 2 years ago
4 likes

In 2 minds about this one, as when I caught him at half a mile later at the lights, he did immediately apologise. On the other hand, it is bloody close.

 

Avatar
Adam Sutton replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
2 likes

Nice to get an apology, but seeing a van was coming the other way too. Yikes! Hopefully it has made them a bit more aware for the future.

Avatar
Hirsute replied to Adam Sutton | 2 years ago
4 likes

Checked the return trip and no better

Love the cycle sticker.

 

Avatar
HoarseMann replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
3 likes

hmm, I probably would let them off with the apology, unless they were also speeding.

Passes like this are just so common I now ride in primary almost all the time. I suspect this Audi would have given me even less room on my last ride. Only me being in the middle of the lane meant they had to slam-on rather than pass at 60mph with the 2ft gap they were lining up for. Gave plenty of room when they did go by too.

Avatar
Hirsute replied to HoarseMann | 2 years ago
2 likes

Trouble is the road is fairly straight and NSL and uphill, so I'm only doing about 10 mph. I find the speed differential too great for primary. 30 is about my max for primary.

Avatar
HoarseMann replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
2 likes

I still had the winter tyres on and not feeling great, only doing about 12mph on a NSL, so quite a high speed differential. I wouldn't do this without a mirror, and it is a bit disconcerting watching cars approach at speed then suddenly slam-on. But I've got used to it now and prefer it to the alternative. Not for everyone though and you do get the odd 'road rage' pass that is probably triggered by my road position.

Avatar
grOg replied to HoarseMann | 2 years ago
1 like

You ride in primary @ 12 mph on a 60 mph single carriageway? ballsy..

Avatar
TheBillder replied to HoarseMann | 2 years ago
2 likes

Looking at the picture of the Audi not sporty not very utilitarian vehicle next to the Polo...

On current car size trends, in 20 years will stupid people need both lanes of the road for their 20 foot wide 4x4s adventuring through the wilds of suburban jungles?

And how soon do those things get reclassified as needing a different grade of driving licence?

Avatar
HoarseMann replied to TheBillder | 2 years ago
1 like

That was one of the 'smaller' Audi SUVs too. 

@grog Controlling the lane on a fast road like that is not as bad as you might think, but it does take some getting used to. I get much better passes and even the nutters have to slow down before they do their thing.

Avatar
JustTryingToGet... replied to HoarseMann | 2 years ago
1 like
HoarseMann wrote:

That was one of the 'smaller' Audi SUVs too. 

@grog Controlling the lane on a fast road like that is not as bad as you might think, but it does take some getting used to. I get much better passes and even the nutters have to slow down before they do their thing.

I used to trundle down a 50mph limit, 70/80 mph in practice dual carriageway. There were a few close calls but generally speaking I think motorists were so shocked to see me that they gave me loads of space.

I knew where the cycle path was, just took me a while to work out how to get on to it (under pass, service road, gated back area of a large transport hub, and down the side of some buildings that looked like private land but wasn't)

Avatar
HoarseMann replied to TheBillder | 2 years ago
0 likes

TheBillder wrote:

foot wide 4x4s adventuring through the wilds of suburban jungles?

That made me think of this I spotted the other day. I wonder if the driver of this 2,000kg 4x4 realised they weren't supposed to park in the leisure centre car park...

Avatar
wtjs replied to TheBillder | 2 years ago
2 likes

On current car size trends, in 20 years will stupid people need both lanes of the road for their 20 foot wide 4x4s adventuring through the wilds of suburban jungles?

Where these stupid people think they're going, they won't need roads! They will be looking down from their Flying Tiger Tanks powered by Magic at all the scum grovelling about on the few bits of land left above the waves

Avatar
Fignon's ghost | 2 years ago
0 likes

I'm surprised the cyclist did not pistol whip the driver with the available produce. A swift cucumber thrashing across the jaw was in order.
Awful driver awareness.

Avatar
brooksby | 2 years ago
9 likes

On the Tesco thing, I started watching it and genuinely thought, "That wasn't so bad".

And then the Tesco van appeared again, where the driver was reversing... no

Avatar
EddyBerckx replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
4 likes

brooksby wrote:

On the Tesco thing, I started watching it and genuinely thought, "That wasn't so bad".

And then the Tesco van appeared again, where the driver was reversing... no

Literally this

Avatar
Hirsute | 2 years ago
2 likes
Avatar
Kapelmuur replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
1 like

I had the same experience yesterday but with a white van instead of a car.

As I approached the van the driver appeared and apologised which took the heat out of the situation.

Avatar
TriTaxMan | 2 years ago
6 likes

And I made the mistake of looking at the twitter comments.... it's depressing that there are so many idiots who think that the cyclist is the one in the wrong not the tesco driver.

Avatar
IanMSpencer replied to TriTaxMan | 2 years ago
6 likes

I've been berated by more than one driver for refusing to move on the pavement to allow them to park.

Avatar
JustTryingToGet... replied to TriTaxMan | 2 years ago
3 likes
TriTaxMan wrote:

And I made the mistake of looking at the twitter comments.... it's depressing that there are so many idiots who think that the cyclist is the one in the wrong not the tesco driver.

The ignorance and hatred demonstrated on social media is appalling. I think we're some distance from a system where insurers are notified about the lack of knowledge or willful disregard for rules and safety that people have. However, we could surely have a system where someone ends up in front of the police, a view of thoer social media activity is considered as a potential aggravating factor.

E.g. near miss approaching a junction from someone who two weeks prior said on arse book they are looking forward to claiming another cyclist. Still want to nip?

Avatar
brooksby replied to JustTryingToGetFromAtoB | 2 years ago
4 likes

JustTryingToGetFromAtoB wrote:

However, we could surely have a system where someone ends up in front of the police, a view of thoer social media activity is considered as a potential aggravating factor.

Wasn't that pretty much the reason Charlie Alliston got treated so harshly?  His social media comments after the collision were, erm, 'problematic' (allegedly).

Avatar
ChasP replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
6 likes

That and choosing to ride a bike instead of driving a car.

Avatar
Creakingcrank | 2 years ago
3 likes

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has just published a "10-Point Plan to Cut Oil Use" in response to the Russia/Ukraine supply crunch. Some ideas in there that will be familiar to many readers of this site.

https://www.iea.org/reports/a-10-point-plan-to-cut-oil-use

 

Avatar
Sriracha replied to Creakingcrank | 2 years ago
4 likes

Strangely, they fight shy of suggesting people actually replace car journeys with bicycle journeys, and the small accommodations that would enable this - secure parking, relaxing the dress code, etc.

Avatar
sean1 replied to Creakingcrank | 2 years ago
1 like

Essentially a good plan but it could be expanded with more restrictions on private car use.  Filtered access, motor traffic bans/restrictions in towns/cities, removal of on street parking, road pricing, vehicle tax, etc.

It is OK to incentivise public transport, walking and cycling but that goes hand in hand with changing the environment to favour these forms of transport.

Avatar
Ride On replied to Creakingcrank | 2 years ago
4 likes

My car is off the road for a week so my kids are cycling 12km to school at the mo. We have to get up early but it's *awesome!

*teenagers have other opinions on the matter

Pages

Latest Comments