11 things we've learned this week

1. Leaving bike pumps on the pavement isn't 'fine' in Tower Hamlets...

After Tower Hamlets council decided to fine a bike shop for leaving their pump, free for the public to use, in a place that could potentially hazardous, a fine was issues which caused a national outrage. Eventually an agreement was made to move the pump; however the owners of the bike shop said the issue was just the "tip of the iceberg" of a wider debate about the councils' apparent contempt for small businesses, such as "extortionate" business rates.  

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2. E-bikes are starting to look like... bikes

The revealing of the Focus .. got you talking, and we think the weight and geometry of this effort is a step in the right direction to making e-bikes practical and desirable for all.  

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3. It's horses for courses out there...

A small yet intrepid horse joined riders on the Tour of Poland this week, mixing it up with the bunch for a minute before being shepherded to safety by the Gazprom-RusVelo rider Roman Maikin. Footage was posted to Twitter by CyclingHubTV, who coined the ingenious pun 'Pony Gallopin' in tribute to Lotto Soudal rider Tony of nearly the same name... 

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4. ...but motorised bikes posing as the real deal are not always looked upon in a positive light 

Another motorised doping scandal, this time worryingly courtesy of an Italian amateur cyclist at a race in Lombardy. The accused claimed that he couldn't hang around for officials to check it because he had a wedding to go to and that his improved performances in recent months are down to his recovery from a back injury. He also said he couldn't remember who sold him the bike, and raised suspicions on the riders who beat him at the race. Riders had been warned beforehand that the bikes of the first five finishers would be tested afterwards due to rumours that some riders in the region were using illegal mechanical assistance.

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5. Is 1x the future of road bikes?The jury is out. 

Our coverage of 3T's Strada bike has polarised opinion in road.cc's comments sections. 3T appear adamant that a single chainring paired with a large cassette is the way forward, will that beomce a reality? 

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6. Bike thieves, the joke's on you...

After we reported this week on a RideLondon cyclist who had his bike stolen with the digital race number still on, therefore allowing the thief's face to be plastered all over social media, and the theft of one of bike design's 'biggest failures' from a museum in West Somerset, it's not been a very productive week for bike thieves...

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7. Sitting on the turbo for hours on end can take you places

The online cycling platform, Zwift, has announced an expansion of its Academy that will see the top male graduate within the 18-21 age bracket earn a pro contract with Team Dimension Data’s Continental squad. The move follows a similar competition last year that resulted in 38-year-old former marathon runner Leah Thorvilson joining the Canyon//SRAM Racing Team. Phase 1 consists of a six-week structured training programme, plus group rides and races, and runs from September 1 to October 13.​

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8. There might not be £200m deals on the table, but it's well and truly transfer season in cycling too

The second day of professional cycling’s annual transfer season saw some high-profile moves, with Tour de France polka dot jersey winner Warren Barguil signing for Fortuneo-Oscaro, Alexander Kristoff agreeing terms to move from Katusha to UAE Team Emirates and Peter Kennaugh announcing his departure from Team Sky to join Bora-Hansgrohe. It might not inlove the megabucks Neymar has bagged in his move to PSG, but it's safe to say these riders won't be short of readies any time soon...

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9. More cycling = greater road safety

A study has concluded that the growing number of cyclists on New York streets is a likely contributor to positive changes in cycling safety. The New York Department of Transport’s 20-year study also found that there had been a drop in the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured (KSI) in areas covered by the city’s bike-share scheme. The Safer Cycling: Bicycle Ridership and Safety in New York City study states that the number of cycling trips in the city rose from 51m a year in 1996-2000 to 134m a year in 2011-2015.

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10. Close pass operations continue to spread

In another positive development for UK cycle safety, South Yorkshire Police (SYP) is now to launch a safe pass initiative to protect cyclists. The force had initially rejected such a move citing a low number of cyclist fatalities in the region, but has had a change of heart following pressure from campaigners. In December, SYP answered a question about close pass policing from campaign group Cycle Sheffield by saying that resources were “carefully deployed to target specific activity” pointing to low numbers of cycling fatalities in the region.

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11. Our understanding of how performance-enhancing drugs work might be about to expand

A new documentary about doping whistleblower Dr Grigory Rodchenkov has been released. The film came about when comedian and amateur cyclist Bryan Fogel attempted to explore the impact of performance-enhancing drugs by doping himself, only to find himself taking advice from the figure at the heart of the recent Russian doping scandal. Icarus began with Fogel setting out to prove he could outsmart doping tests with US anti-doping experts pointing him in the direction of Rodchenkov, who was then head of Moscow’s Anti-Doping Centre.

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