Could you ride 100 miles out the saddle?; Tao looking forward to "unpredictable" Tokyo road race; Bike lane bust-up; LTN ignorance; Group ride with all the gear drafted by keen commuter; Cav for SPOTY; Emotional Fabio reacts to win + more on the live blog

I suspect Socrati never exactly left.  I think a lot of our trolls still lurk around, changing usernames and re-registering as new users.

There never seem to be more than 2 concurrent trolls I think it is some software setting.

Trolls are territorial - two many in one patch and they will fight each other to the death.

I wonder if Mr Taverniaus removed his saddle (and temptation...)?

He did according to the pic he added to the Strava ride. Pinarello F8 with no saddle or seat post. Looks like he sealed off the top of the seat tube as well to stop any discomfortable holes flesh could squeeze into. Question is did he do the now illegal frame rides down hill?

I remember it from when a young Italian rider (Simione?) tried to stand up to Armstrong and during thre race Armstrong rides along the side of him, puts a friendly arm around him, has a chat and then cycled off doing the zipped lips 'omerta' sign.

I refuse to believe Mohoric didn't know about the gesture as it's quite famous and the omerta is something that's been in cycling from the start.

Mohorič was 10 years old when Armstrong made the same guesture. Seems entirely plausible that he was unaware

What's the purpose of the gesture otherwise?  It's clearly about doping - what other context is there?

Wouldn't he have been fantastically stupid and monumentally arrogant to have done that?

My interpretation was that he was attempting to tell everyone just to shut up and stop maligning the team.

However, it was a poor decision whatever his meaning.

Talk about social media reading too much into something.  What pro cyclist in their right mind would conciously echo something Armstrong did?  Especially 2 days after a drugs search.  Unless he was deliberately mocking the french rozzers.

Personally I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt.  Talk about innocuous.  Social Medja's gonna social medja.

brooksby wrote:

Big rise in UK weekend cycling amid calls for more investment

Leisure cycling up by 60% in some areas but campaigners say safer routes needed post-pandemic

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jul/22/big-rise-in-uk-week...

 

...However, weekday cycling numbers in England remain at pre-pandemic levels, prompting campaigners to warn that without investment in safe cycling infrastructure, as traffic volumes return to normal, more people will turn to cars for everyday trips.

The big difference is that for leisure cycling you get to choose pleasant/safe cycling routes. Whereas for commuting your choice of route is more limited.

The difference in the numbers says it all - more people than ever are getting out on their bikes and enjoying it, and yet do not feel able to replace car journeys.

Sriracha wrote:

brooksby wrote:

Big rise in UK weekend cycling amid calls for more investment

Leisure cycling up by 60% in some areas but campaigners say safer routes needed post-pandemic

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jul/22/big-rise-in-uk-week...

 

...However, weekday cycling numbers in England remain at pre-pandemic levels, prompting campaigners to warn that without investment in safe cycling infrastructure, as traffic volumes return to normal, more people will turn to cars for everyday trips. The big difference is that for leisure cycling you get to choose pleasant/safe cycling routes. Whereas for commuting your choice of route is more limited. The difference in the numbers says it all - more people than ever are getting out on their bikes and enjoying it, and yet do not feel able to replace car journeys.

I also find it harder to commute by bike currently as showers at work are closed (have there been cases of people catching covid using a shower aftersomeone else?) and I can't leave anything at work for fear of getting symptoms or pinged and not able to go in to the office the following day.

"as showers at work are closed"

Have they closed off the toilets as well then? Our showers are open (single self contained rooms with toilet and sink) but with the provisio we wipe down surfaces used after. However they have closed the drying cabinet which means damp clothes and towels need to be brought up to the office to dry (basement is too cold for sufficient drying). I expect my sweat soaked cycling gear hanging up in the office all day is more of a spreading risk then being in the drying cabinet with 2-3 other peoples. 

wycombewheeler wrote:

I also find it harder to commute by bike currently as showers at work are closed (have there been cases of people catching covid using a shower aftersomeone else?) and I can't leave anything at work for fear of getting symptoms or pinged and not able to go in to the office the following day.

"Showers at work"??  Now, there's posh!

wycombewheeler wrote:

showers at work are closed (have there been cases of people catching covid using a shower aftersomeone else?)

None that I have heard of.

I find this odd. We are told soap and water gets rid of covid contamination from our hands, and encouraged to do so as often as possible, with no suggestion that the risk of contracting it from the wash basin outweighs the benefit. Why is the equation reversed when it comes to washing the rest of ourself?

Yeah - I noted that one of their anecdotes was some guy saying he'd started cycling six miles to work during 'lockdown' but that once traffic levels started rising he'd gone back to his car.

I'm not entirely convinced that the great modal transport change which was being talked about in April last year ever happened - seems to me that most people recreationally cycled more cos they were furloughed and had free time, and then as soon as places started opening up again they just got back in the car... 

Sriracha wrote:

The big difference is that for leisure cycling you get to choose pleasant/safe cycling routes. Whereas for commuting your choice of route is more limited.

The difference in the numbers says it all - more people than ever are getting out on their bikes and enjoying it, and yet do not feel able to replace car journeys.

Indeed. In the UK we are still a long way from cycling being seen as a viable 'mode of transport', as opposed to just being a competitive sport or for maintaining fitness. Until the infrastructure reflects the potential utilitarian uses then that will surely continue to be that case.

And that is seemingly unlikely, as there doesn't seem to be the will to make this happen. No matter how much persuasion takes place, people want the ease of a car to get around. Cycling, walking et al isn't as easy. Even spending time in queues commuting doesn't put people off - they'll still do it.

As long as they can continue to use the car, they will. The time for persuasion is over - they need to be forced out of the car. But this is almost impossible.

'They need to be forced'.

What, like the 3rd Reich sort of thing?

Hmm, you're not convincing me.

Did you oppose stopping smokers increasing the likelihood of others getting cancer by banning smoking indoors?

I can't help thinking that we don't need a lot more infrastructure or money for cycling. If we reduce all the (non motorway) speed limits by 10mph and have proper enforcement then we would encourage more cycling, reduce CO2 emissions and it would all be self finance through fines. Simples!

Whilst what you suggest would help (a lot) the evidence shows that where good cycling infrastructure is put in place people who would otherwise not cycle will use it. I live adjacent to a local greenway which is heavily used. It is remarkable the number of people who drive to get to it only to unload their bikes, and I'm not just talking about adults. Similarly I've had so many conversations with people who say they would love to cycle but consider it too dangerous to cycle on the roads with cars. 

It seems to me we either need better infrastructure or make the existing roads safe for active travel. The latter would be a lot cheaper and less disruptive if it cold be done.