Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

Peloton reckon they're the perfect Mother's Day gift; Cycling bad for your health, says former French minister for... health; Cyclist knocked off by 10ft wave from 4x4; The worst road in Britain?; New petrol to give city cyclists cleaner air?; & more

All of the latest news from around the web

SUMMARY

No Live Blog item found.

05 March 2020, 21:28
Peloton reckon they're the perfect Mother's Day gift
peloton ad mother's day - via facebook.PNG

Stuck for something to make yer mam feel particularly special this Mother's Day? Well nothing says 'I love you' like squandering two and a bit grand on a exercise bike that she will have to then continue paying an expensive subscription for to continue using, according to Youtuber-suing, supposedly sexist ad-making, heavy loss-making spin bike corporation Peloton via an ad from their Facebook page

That's right, Peloton are inviting prospective customers to "treat Mum to the ultimate fitness experience"... and mother even gets a free gift to sweeten the deal, what looks to be either a branded trucker cap or a fire extinguisher. 

The comments are of course absolute gold... 

peloton ad.PNG

 

05 March 2020, 14:49
Cycling "bad for your health", says the actual former French health minister
Rue de Vaugirard after (Paris en Commune)

In her bid to become the next mayor of Paris, the former French Minister for Health Agnès Buzyn has claimed on a national TV debate that cycling is bad for your health due to breathing in polluted air.

It appears that Buzyn is rather against plans set out by current mayor Anne Hidalgo to build a bike lane on every Parisian street. The plan would see Paris become "100%" bike-friendly by 2024, and policies under Hidalgo have already reduced motor traffic by 22.6% from 2014 to 2020. Last year alone, motor traffic dropped by 8%.

The fact that increasing active travel levels generally results in cleaner air seems to have passed Buzyn by. French speakers can try to make sense of her rather misguided logic in the clip below...

Last year, after pension reform strikes brought the city's transport system to a near-halt, many Parisians took to their bicycles to get around. As we reported last month, many seem to be sticking with it. 

05 March 2020, 14:00
British Cycling get one million more women on bikes

British Cycling has achieved its goal of getting 1 million more women cycling.

The NGB set the goal in 2013 with the aim of meeting the target by 2020. It's a great sign of the growing popularity of cycling in Britain and they're aiming to push on in the future.

In the video, we see some of the stats showing the growth in women's participation. According to BC 1,023,271 more women are now cycling, while at the competitive end of the spectrum, British women have won 57 elite world titles, 8 Paralympic titles and 2 Olympic titles.

Back in 2012, a study suggested that nine in ten women aged over 30 were scared to take part in outdoor exercise due to varying factors.

05 March 2020, 12:29
Is this the worst road in Britain?

The Shropshire Star is reporting on a local B-road that residents are suggesting could be a danger to life.

One of our favourite Facebook pages, Angry People in Local Newspapers caught on to the story about the offending road, which after a bit of digging (pun absolutely intended), turns out to be the B4379 which forms part of National Cycle Route 81.

So, what would you take down this road? Aero race bike, winter hack, or maybe a full-sus MTB. 

Also, if you've seen a worse road and have photo evidence, we'd love to see the pics down in the comments below.

05 March 2020, 12:27
Cyclist knocked off bike on A4 by wave from 4x4 driving through standing water
Car_water_splash via WikiCommons

Thatcham North East Lib Dem Councillour, Lee Dillon, has claimed that he witnessed a cyclist on the A4 being knocked off their bike by a 10ft wave created when a BMW 4x4 passed them through standing water.

The Reading Chronicle reports that Dillon made the claim during a debate around adding extra funding to tackle flooding. 

Fixing the issue of standing water is not easy and Dillon pointed out that “the only way that you can deal with these types of drainage issues, is by sending out pumping trucks to be able to go and pump the drains there and then."

Acording to the Reading Cronicle, Dillon and opposition councillors are asking for an extra £50,000 for unblocking drains. "This money can help us towards that, making the district safer for us all.”

05 March 2020, 11:20
Strade Bianche officially postponed
Jakob Fuglsang (right) with Julian Alaphilippe at 2019 Strade Bianche (picture credit RCS Sport).JPG

If you were planning on watching the modern classic on Saturday then we're sorry to break it to you, but the race has been postponed. 

RCS, the race organiser has reportedly informed teams that the race on the chalk roads of Tuscany will not take place on Saturday.

We're yet to get the details from RCS, but the race is likely to be run at a later date.

More to follow.

05 March 2020, 09:35
Cleaner air for city cyclists from new petrol standard?
Petrol pump (licensed CC BY 2.0 by isox4 on Flickr)

The Government is currently assessing a move to a new standard petrol grade which could cut CO2 transport emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year, improving the air quality for city-centre cyclists.

A move from an E5-grade to an E10-grade fuel would bring the UK into line with countries such as Belgium, Finland, France and Germany where the cleaner fuel is already standard. The benefit of the E10 fuel is that it contains less carbon and more ethanol than the current E5.

According to the Department for Transport, the move could cut CO2 transport emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year. The new fuel policy could be brought in at the start of next year, but will this result in cleaner air, especially in cities? 

05 March 2020, 10:16
Canadian brand Louis Garnaeu to file for bankruptcy protection
Garnaeu Logo

Bicycle Retailer is reporting that the Canadian cycling brand Louis Garneau will also lay-off 66 employees at its HQ in Quebec.

In a statement, the founder and president Louis Garneau said that the cause was two large European clients filing for bankruptcy 36 months ago that created 'a significant strain on our cash flow'.

Louis Garneau was exclusively distributed in the UK by a well-known cycling retailer, but the statement does not point the blame at a specific name.

We'll have more on this as we get it.

05 March 2020, 10:28
Is a Boonen comeback a possibility?
Tom Boonen wins Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic 2016 (pic - RideLondon).jpg

Tommeke might be on his way back to professional racing after apparently being inspired by fellow Belgian legend Kim Clijsters.

The tennis star recently announced her return to the court after a seven-year absence and it seems to have got Boonen thinking about a possible return.

Speaking on a radio show after a listener posed the question about a return, Boonen said "I sometimes wonder about this. Last week I asked myself, 'How easy or difficult would it be?' I sometimes ask myself this question. Certainly a little more since Kim's return, who is on everyone's lips.  I ask myself this question because I will be 40 at the end of this year. If I have to do it once, it's now or never. But I haven't said anything and decided yet"

Boonen has switched over to racing cars, so he's been keeping in good shape. We might be clutching at straws here, but to see him try for a fifth Paris-Roubaix win would be great.

05 March 2020, 09:09
Team Ineos withdraw from racing until 23rd March
chris froome ineos 2020 autographs

Citing the tragic news of the death of their Sports Director Nicolas Portal and the current Coronavirus confusion, Team Ineos has decided to suspend their race calendar until Volta a Catalunya.

The move sees the team pulling out of several major Italian races alongside some Belgian Semi-Classics and short stage races. 

In a statement posted on the team's website, team boss Sir Dave Brailsford said:

"This is a uniquely sad moment for everyone at the Team. We have lost someone we all loved very much and are all grieving for Nico. I would like to thank everyone for their messages following the tragic news yesterday. They have really meant a lot to us all as we try to come to terms with this terrible news. Nico meant the world to us as a Team and it is genuinely touching to know how much he also meant to everyone else across the sport.

We are taking this decision to put a temporary pause on racing today because of this unique set of circumstances we are facing. It is right for the Team given what has happened but I also believe it is in the best interests of both cycling and the wider public.

Cycling is a uniquely mobile sport. We have a duty of care both to our riders and staff but also to the people living in the areas where we race. We do not want to be in a position where our riders become potentially infected or quarantined on race as has already happened. Equally, we are acutely aware that these are difficult times for all local health services and we do not want to put any additional pressure or burden whatsoever upon them when all their focus should rightly be on their own local population. Recent events at the UAE Tour have illustrated some of these challenges for cycling as a sport. 

This pause will give us the time to grieve for Nico in private, to support each other at what is a very sad moment and to treasure the memory of a great and much-loved teammate and friend. We hope everyone will understand why this is so important to us."

The team will return to racing at the Volta a Catalunya, a week-long stage race in Catalunya.

05 March 2020, 08:54
Construction begins on Europe's longest cycling bridge. Can you guess where it is?

Congratulations, Holland was indeed the correct answer.

The bridge is being built to connect a new-build village to the closest town and spans a nature reserve, a river and a motorway.

Speaking to local newspaper Dagblad van het Noorden, Reinder Lanting, who worked on the project, said that the "bridge is not going to rot. That is because it is technically well designed. The wood is not pressed together but has a sort of venting system".

That 'ventilated' wood means that the bridge is designed to last for at least 80 years and pitches to a maximum gradient of 2.5%. 

Currently, the longest cycling bridge in Europe measures 756m and is located in southern Sweeden. Neither bridge comes close to the Chinese effort of 7.6km.

You can read our story on that one here.

05 March 2020, 08:50
295km Milan to SanRemo TT anyone?

A very painful idea in our eyes, but one guy is keen. Would you be up for this? Time trialists, let us know in the comments below.

05 March 2020, 08:34
Where are we at with races being cancelled?
coronavirus pool noodle - credit unknown

Seeing as this is all getting a tad confusing, let's start with a run-down of the latest situation.

Firstly, the Italian Government is stating that all sporting events will be required to play-out behind closed doors. What does this mean for bike races? Well, that's bad news as the organisers have no control over roadside spectators.

Not that the race organisers have provided a clear picture yet. RCS is yet to release a statement on the block of races coming up in the next few weeks.

Their hand may be forced by the teams who are gradually pulling out of varying numbers of races. Some, like FDJ, Cofidis, and Team UAE Emirates have riders and staff quarantined until 14th March, so could not field a team anyway.

Others, like Mitchelton-Scott and Team Ineos are taking the cautious approach of withdrawing from all races for the time being. They may well have seen the situation in the UAE and decided that they'd rather avoid a quarantine situation.

The UCI, well, they've imposed some guidelines and announced that no races are currently cancelled. Those guidelines include

  • Increasing the distance between the public and riders, particularly in the start and finish zones.

  • Respecting a strict medical protocol, variable depending on the country, but in any case including a process for dealing with suspected cases and the provision of a detailed map of establishments capable of carrying out diagnostic tests for the coronavirus.

  • Limiting the number of teams staying in each hotel.

  • Respecting certain hygiene measures, for example avoiding the use of the same pen by riders signing in at the beginning of the race.

Clear now? Yea, we thought not...

Add new comment

36 comments

Avatar
jollygoodvelo | 4 years ago
1 like

The E10 petrol isn't all good news. Yes, the higher ethanol content means lower tailpipe CO2 emissions.  But that ethanol comes from somewhere - grain, corn, sugar cane etc - most of which have been implicated in destruction of rainforest and wildlife habitats.  Also, it causes damage to car engines and shortens their lives: again, some will see this as a positive but making more new cars has a huge environmental footprint, we should be trying to extend the life of the ones we have already.

Avatar
ktache | 4 years ago
8 likes

CO2 is not a relevant pollutant for cyclists anywhere, the planet as a whole, yes.

We do produce it ourselves.  Our exhaled breath contains 4-5% CO2.

What our metabolism does not produce is tiny particulates and Nitrogen and Sulphur containing oxides.  This is the pollution that affects us, and indeed all humans.

Now if CO2 becomes concentrated, above 2% it starts getting a bit nasty.

The Guardian says that changing to E10 could be the equivalent of removing 350,000 cars from the road.  Impressive, but there are 37.7 million licenced vehicles on our roads.  Urinating into the wind?

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to ktache | 4 years ago
5 likes

Indeed, CO2 isn't relevant to cyclists, and the effects of this change will be insignificant because motor vehicle registrations are going up at 500,000 a year, so removing the CO2 from 350,000 is not going to change anything.  There were reports this week that the fuel efficiency of cars is dropping because people are buying more huge, totally inappropriate SUVs

We have to change the way we travel, and if this government really wanted to improve air quality, they would be spending 25% of the transport budget on cycling and walking, but they are typical BMW drivers; argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic.

While a transfer to E10 will make a difference, it is tiny and just a sop to the greenies so the government can claim to be doing something; just typical of this shower really.  Do something insignificant, blast it all over the media and ignore the real problems.

Pissing into storm Ciara, Dennis and Jorge.

Avatar
Sniffer replied to eburtthebike | 4 years ago
1 like

The 350,000 will mainly be classic cars and the like. There will be next to no impact on air quality for cyclists.

Over the last 30 years we have lost lead, to all intents sulphur and reduced benzene levels in petrol. There is little place to go now.

The only impact left removing ICE from cars and far better, move to public transport snd active travel.

Avatar
Philh68 replied to ktache | 4 years ago
12 likes

Ethanol lowers the energy content of the fuel, so you’ll probably find consumption increases slightly. We’ve had mandated 10% ethanol blend in Australia for some years, and that’s been the result. As for the particulates you mention, as ethanol increases knock resistance and oxygen richness, it has been shown to cause higher particulate matter - 10% ethanol fuel has been shown to exceed RDE limits while low aromatic fuel near 0% ethanol complied. It could well be a repeat of diesel, lowering CO2 but having higher levels of harmful particulates.

Instead of tinkering with fuels to produce minimal results, where is the effort into lowering usage? Every gallon not used creates no emissions. It’s not like we don’t have viable alternatives to transporting a single 80kg person in a 1300kg vehicle than burns liquified dinosaurs.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Philh68 | 4 years ago
2 likes
Philh68 wrote:

Ethanol lowers the energy content of the fuel, so you’ll probably find consumption increases slightly. We’ve had mandated 10% ethanol blend in Australia for some years, and that’s been the result. As for the particulates you mention, as ethanol increases knock resistance and oxygen richness, it has been shown to cause higher particulate matter - 10% ethanol fuel has been shown to exceed RDE limits while low aromatic fuel near 0% ethanol complied. It could well be a repeat of diesel, lowering CO2 but having higher levels of harmful particulates.

Instead of tinkering with fuels to produce minimal results, where is the effort into lowering usage? Every gallon not used creates no emissions. It’s not like we don’t have viable alternatives to transporting a single 80kg person in a 1300kg vehicle than burns liquified dinosaurs.

You're making it sound more awesome than it actually is.

And yes, this is just tinckering round the edges rather than addressing the elephant on the roads.

Pages

Latest Comments