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Councillors call in the cops to "assist" with cyclists ignoring dismount signs; Not Near Miss of the Day: "A most excellent overtake"; Dave Brailsford arrives at Old Trafford for Man United takeover talks; Who'll win San Remo? + more on the live blog

Happy St Patrick's Day! Come sit around the live blog fire with Dan Alexander and enjoy a pint of Guinness and a scroll through the day's best cycling action...
Fri, Mar 17, 2023 09:06
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Councillors call in the cops to "assist" with cyclists ignoring dismount signs; Not Near Miss of the Day: "A most excellent overtake"; Dave Brailsford arrives at Old Trafford for Man United takeover talks; Who'll win San Remo? + more on the live blogCouncillors call in the cops to "assist" with cyclists ignoring dismount signs (North Richmond Police Team/Twitter)
17 March 2023, 15:58
Councillors call in the cops to "assist" with cyclists ignoring dismount signs

North Richmond Police down in south west London seemed very pleased with their post showing off their work in the community... *checks notes*... assisting councillors after receiving several reports from residents in regards to cyclists ignoring the dismount sign...

They seemed less pleased with the inevitable follow-up from the public who had a few questions...

Other questions for the force, as provided by the superb ratio of 103 replies to 28 likes...

Is that a van parked on the pavement in the background? Let's head to VAR on that one...

Councillors call in the cops to "assist" with cyclists ignoring dismount signs (North Richmond Police Team/Twitter)

 Any work being done to prevent illegal pavement driving which is very clear in this satellite image?

Richmond police site (Google Maps)

No reply to those particular queries at the time of writing (or any other time, we suspect). One reply to the police's assertion they'd only been advising... "There are two signs here, one mandatory, one advisory. By mentioning only the advisory one, can you see and will you concede that you've increased the chances of law-abiding people riding cycles past or near an advisory sign being abused or assaulted?

Yep, you guessed it, no reply on that one either...

17 March 2023, 17:12
Wout goes Van Aert's front mech for Milan-San Remo
Van Aert Milan-San Remo bike (Instagram/ Wout van Aert)

 

17 March 2023, 17:09
It's TT time! A closer look at Aaron's Cannondale Superslice time trial bike

> It's TT time! A closer look at Aaron's Cannondale Superslice time trial bike

17 March 2023, 16:33
Cycling company cools customers' concerns concerning cosmetic cracks

It's that point in the week where my brain's melting away, as seen by that headline...anyway, Mat's done the serious work on this one...

Giant Revolt Advanced paint cracking - 3

> Giant says Revolt cracking issue is simply down to paint… but it'll replace frames free of charge

17 March 2023, 16:32
17 March 2023, 08:57
Not Near Miss of the Day: Cyclist praises "a most excellent overtake"

You probably know our Near Miss of the Day series by now, highlighting the dangers experienced by vulnerable road users here in the UK. Most recently featuring a London cab driver who pushed through an overtake at a pinch point, smashing his wing mirror into the back of our reader... before promptly having a pop at the cyclist for "swerving"...

> Near Miss of the Day 854: Taxi driver hits cyclist with wing mirror at pinch point... blames rider for swerving

Well, today there is no NMotD, just a Not Near Miss of the Day...

Shared by the chair of Bike Worcester, Dan Brothwell, it was not the only one he enjoyed yesterday...

Here's a discussion topic for you...

I couldn't help but think recently I feel like I'm having less close passes while out on the roads. Something you've noticed too or have I just been lucky of late? The bad ones aren't gone completely, just slightly fewer... maybe I'm just imagining it?

17 March 2023, 15:16
Tao Geoghegan Hart: "This is not today's news. It's been a gradual decline during the past years"

Commenting on the state of the sport of bike racing in Britain Tao Geoghegan Hart has penned a long thread of thoughts on social media...

The sport of cycling in the UK is at a low that I've not seen during my time. Aside from the obvious one, there are no profesional mens and women's teams. There are next to no pro races and those that exist, face dwindling fields due to brexit. There is no domestic scene whatsoever.

Further to that, bike shop shelves are empty, the roads are ever more dangerous and the sport is becoming increasingly less accesible due to soaring costs such as entry fees, the equipment arms race and the lack of opportunities to race for well supported teams.

Times are very tough and sport is anything but exempt from these issues. However more must be done to reset what has been a steady decline ever since the inspiration of the summer of 2012 began to dwindle.

A road World Champion, The Tour, Lizzie's silver , the track successes & Bradley Wiggins' TT victory. Absolutely iconic moments that have resulted in more profesional British riders than ever. But what of the sport? It's dying. And I don't see anyone coming to resuscitate it.

This is not todays news. It's been a gradual decline during the past years. But todays news of [one of] Britain's only Continental team, full of talented riders, a team vindicated by how many lads moved to professional last winter, has made me stop & think. Nobody seems to be paying attention.

What can you/we/I do? I don't know. A start would be seeing the Women's Tour find a sponsor to continue at full strength. I'd also like to see more done to lobby for better rules on the youth side of the sport. In 2020 I pushed for a rule to ban deep section carbon wheels from kids racing from 16 & below.

It's a symbolic gesture. But I remember being 14 & just starting out. I remember how much weight I gave to the materialistic side of my competitions bikes. It could have ended my career. This rule already exists on the track. Why not the road?

I was met with blank expressions and bureaucracy by the custodians of cycling in this country & frankly, I gave up. But it’s something I still believe in. And so from today I'll try again.

I don't have any answers. But I do know you should support your local shops — they are absolutely on their knees. Support your local clubs. Volunteer in kids sport. All the things and more I plan to fully embrace when my career eventually comes to a halt. Thanks for reading

17 March 2023, 14:24
Is Milan–San Remo exciting yet?

Is Milan-San Remo exciting yet?

To save you a click...

Is Milan-San Remo exciting yet?

 

17 March 2023, 13:56
British Continental team AT85 Pro Cycling folds

A long-standing team on the British domestic scene, formerly under the Canyon DHB SunGod and WiV SunGod banner, has collapsed today. The team's line-up for this year had included riders such as Chris Lawless, Tour of Britain points classification winner Matthew Teggart and Max Stedman, their futures now uncertain.

The news comes just months after fellow Continental-level outfit Ribble Weldtite called it a day due to a lack of sponsorship, with Saint Piran and Trinity Racing now the only two left at that level.

17 March 2023, 12:59
How to fuel for a big ride like a pro — chocolate croissant porridge?!

The actions of the following tweet are do not reflect the views of myself nor my employer...

Is it as bad as Mathieu van der Poel's tomato ketchup pasta? Probably not, but still... 

17 March 2023, 12:37
Cyclist stopped by police three times and "told to put bike in van" after "load of complaints" from motorists on foggy climb
Cyclist stopped by police while riding on Isle of Man Mountain Road (credit - Chris Glencorse)

> Cyclist stopped by police three times and "told to put bike in van" after "load of complaints" from motorists on foggy climb

17 March 2023, 11:30
Is the driving on Britain's roads getting safer?

Some reaction to this... 

 hutchdaddy: "It has to be said that the vast majority of overtaking I experience is absolutely fine, probably 75 per cent, however I think that 20 per cent is a case of you really could have tried a little harder, leaving 3 per cent of them for a "way too close" moment and the final 2 per cent are just dangerous. Every excellent pass gets a thumbs up and if I catch up with them I'll even have a pleasant natter."

Adam Sutton: "It really is hit and miss lately (no pun intended). On my commute I cycle along a dual carriageway that has a narrow cycle lane for about two miles, and I have noticed an increasing number of people actually pulling into the second lane as they overtake despite the cycle lane. Always give them acknowledgement when that happens.

"Then again, on Monday in typical bimmer fashion a 3 series close passed with oncoming traffic as we came past a train station. I guess he really needed to get to that car park 10 seconds quicker! But then on Wednesday's commute I could hear something sporty behind me and was expected a MGIF manoeuvre approaching traffic islands, but he just followed. As an Alfa romeo owner, it was a pleasant surprise to see it was an Alfa 4C pulled up alongside me at the lights. Definitely got a thumbs up!"

mctrials23: "Bit of a weird one... I would say that on open roads like this, 95 per cent of passes are good. A few per cent could be better and a few per cent are obviously on purpose just to make a point that they don't like cyclists. In built up areas with lots of traffic though its a completely different game."

Cyclingjon1959: "If you get a great overtake, or any other considerate driving from a firm. Ring the firm and let them know. I've rung firms to complain and praise."

CyclingGardener: "I'd certainly say I'm getting more really good passes, but that was already starting before the HC changes. So probably fewer close ones on the whole. But I also have the impression that more of the remaining 'really too close' are hostile and deliberate rather than just thoughtless. And nothing, but nothing seems to change the mindset of the 'centre line fetishists' who think they're not allowed to cross ANY white line, not just the solid ones."

S13SFC: "Regarding close passes. I've been saying for quite a while that I am getting, way, way fewer than before. In fact, I'm genuinely shocked when I get one now.What I am seeing is far more overtaking in iffy as f*** places though, such as blind bends, crests of hills etc but at least they are going wide!"

Bobonabike: "Re: close passes, I think you've just been lucky. I've had some right shockers recently. A guy I know was recently knocked off twice in a couple of weeks — luckily no injuries. I'm considering getting a camera. I'd love some recommendations for a budget cam (i.e. ~£100)"

17 March 2023, 10:46
Formula 1 drivers banned from cycling the 'track walk'

As reported by Motorsport, Formula 1 drivers will no longer be allowed to cycle around the circuit at the Thursday track walk ahead of a Grand Prix. The prep event allows riders and staff to see the track ahead of practice and qualifying, but rather than walking around the two to three-mile-long circuits many drivers have taken to bikes or scooters. Not any more...

A letter from Formula One Management during the first race of the season, in Bahrain, told teams that "any means of transport (bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, e-scooters, etc) is forbidden during the time window stated as 'Team Track Walks' on the Event Timetable. No exceptions will be allowed. This decision has been agreed with the FIA."

Looks like we've got a feature to update...

> The best bikes of the F1 grid: take a look at what the fastest drivers on earth choose to ride

17 March 2023, 10:17
Dave Brailsford and Jim Ratcliffe arrive at Old Trafford for Manchester United takeover talks

> Jim Ratcliffe wants Dave Brailsford to overhaul Manchester United — billionaire behind Ineos sporting empire remains confident of successful bid 

17 March 2023, 09:22
POLL: Who's going to win Milan-San Remo?

Poll

Dan Alexander

Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.

Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.

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55 comments

Avatar
hutchdaddy | 1 year ago
1 like

It has to be said that the vast majority of overtaking I experience is absolutely fine, probably 75%, however I think that 20% is a case of you really could have tried a little harder, leaving 3% of them for a "way too close" moment and the final 2% are just dangerous.
Every excellent pass gets a thumbs up and if I catch up with them I'll even have a pleasant natter.

Avatar
JustTryingToGet... | 1 year ago
3 likes

I've generally not phoned up after a good pass but I have told a firm when I've had cause to ring them anyway*. And I'm more likely to use a firm if they've been courteous on the road and boycot a firm if they have arsehole drivers. I find it bizarre that someone with their business plastered on their vehicle will drive like an arse but there we are.

I have emailed the local secondary when I've seen their kids do great on the bikes whilst navigating shitty driving. I reckon they get enough complaints from drivers who think they shouldn't exist and thought positive feedback was needed.

*Hazell and Jeffrey's. I won't go anywhere else for a skip now.

Avatar
Adam Sutton | 1 year ago
1 like

It really is hit and miss lately (no pun intended). On my commute I cycle along a dual carriageway that has a narrow cycle lane for about 2 miles, and I have noticed an increasing number of people actually pulling into the second lane as they overtake despite the cycle lane. Always give them acknowledgement when that happens. Then again, on Monday in typical bimmer fashion a 3 series close passed with oncoming traffic as we came past a train station. I guess he really needed to get to that car park 10 seconds quicker! But then on Wednesdays commute I could hear something sporty behind me and was expected a MGIF manouvere approaching traffic islands, but he just followed. As an Alfa romeo owner, it was a pleasant surprise to see it was an Alfa 4C pulled up alongside me at the lights. Definitely got a thumbs up!

Avatar
mctrials23 | 1 year ago
1 like

Bit of a weird one... I would say that on open roads like this, 95% of passes are good. A few % could be better and a few % are obviously on purpose just to make a point that they don't like cyclists. 

In built up areas with lots of traffic though its a completely different game. 

Avatar
Cyclingjon1959 | 1 year ago
0 likes

If you get a great overtake, or any other considerate driving from a firm. Ring the firm and let them know. I've rung firms to complain and praise.

Avatar
CyclingGardener | 1 year ago
3 likes

I'd certainly say I'm getting more really good passes, but that was already starting before the HC changes. So probably fewer close ones on the whole. But I also have the impression that more of the remaining 'really too close' are hostile and deliberate rather than just thoughtless.
And nothing, but nothing seems to change the mindset of the 'centre line fetishists' who think they're not allowed to cross ANY white line, not just the solid ones.

Avatar
S13SFC | 1 year ago
5 likes

Regarding close passes.

I've been saying for quite a while that I am getting, way, way fewer than before. In fact, I'm genuinely shocked when I get one now.

What I am seeing is far more overtaking in iffy as fuck places though, such as blind bends, crests of hills etc but at least they are going wide!

Avatar
Bobonabike | 1 year ago
1 like

Re: close passes, I think you've just been lucky. I've had some right shockers recently. A guy I know was recently knocked off twice in a couple of weeks - luckily no injuries. I'm considering getting a camera. I'd love some recommendations for a budget cam (i.e. ~£100)

Avatar
perce replied to Bobonabike | 1 year ago
5 likes

I have a chilli tech bullet camera which I think are about 40quid now. Comes with a handlebar mount which is where I use it and a velcro hemet mount. Pretty good in daylight, not so good in fading light and the dark.

Avatar
HarrogateSpa replied to perce | 1 year ago
3 likes

I also have a chili tech bullet cam - about £50 I think.

It does the job as perce says in good light. The audio quality is abysmal, but at the price there have to be compromises.

Avatar
perce replied to HarrogateSpa | 1 year ago
3 likes

Yep. Forgot to mention the audio quality is next to useless.

Avatar
Clem Fandango replied to perce | 1 year ago
2 likes

Battery life is excellent though

Avatar
perce replied to Clem Fandango | 1 year ago
2 likes

True that. And a spare battery was included. Although I've lost mine.

Avatar
Clem Fandango replied to perce | 1 year ago
5 likes

Unbelievable. I too use the chili tech bullet camera & have had positive results when having to make representations to the filth plod (daylight only though as you say). 

That's really weird when you consider that if you were to say,  conduct a detailed meta-analysis of our writing styles, subject matter, and tone-of-voice, the liklihood that we are the same physical entity would come out significantly below 0.0076%.

Avatar
perce replied to Clem Fandango | 1 year ago
2 likes

I agree.

Avatar
stonojnr replied to perce | 1 year ago
3 likes

I've been using a chilli tech bullet on my commuter bike, and would agree its good enough in daylight, rubbish at night but most cameras seem to be that way.

I'm not fussed with sound, because it won't pick up anything useful anyway.

Avatar
perce replied to stonojnr | 1 year ago
0 likes

I just need a decent rear camera now - there doesn't seem to be much choice though.

Avatar
mark1a replied to perce | 1 year ago
2 likes

perce wrote:

I just need a decent rear camera now - there doesn't seem to be much choice though.

I've been running a Garmin Varia RCT715 since they came out last year. Kinda pricey but if you factor in you're getting a decent rear light, a camera and a radar in one unit, it's not so bad.

Battery life is decent, I've had 5+ hours and still running, can be configured to record in clips either continuously or triggered by vehicle approach, nice integration with Edge head units, you can swipe down, select camera widget and either take a photo or record & lock a clip. Grabs time & GPS from the head unit. Can easily show reg no on freeze-frame (not tried it in the dark, but I've seen in dusk conditions that the flashing light illuminates the  reflective plate). Also one of the first Garmin products to have USB C.

Downsides are price, and the Varia app is a bit clunky - to retrieve clips, it creates a wifi network on the phone. a bit slow. Of course you can plug it in or remove the microSD card. On that the supplied card is only 16Gb, but a SanDisk high speed 128Gb is cheap enough. Certain reviews slated it for being "only" 1080p, and no 4K (why, it's a safety cam), and no stabilisation. For me that just keeps the battery longer and the file sizes smaller.

Some examples below, I've blocked some of the reg nos here, as not interested in identifying people on a public site and two of them were sent to Dorset Police for them to ignore.

 

Avatar
perce replied to mark1a | 1 year ago
1 like

Thanks very much for that, greatly appreciated. I'd been looking at the Cycliq 6 but the reviews are a bit hit and miss. I like Garmin products anyway.

Avatar
Eton Rifle replied to perce | 1 year ago
1 like
perce wrote:

Thanks very much for that, greatly appreciated. I'd been looking at the Cycliq 6 but the reviews are a bit hit and miss. I like Garmin products anyway.

I would be a bit wary of using reviews as a reliable indicator. It's a self-selecting sample. People who have had a poor experience are FAR more likely to take to social media etc to talk about it than people who are perfectly happy.

Also, Cycliq shift a lot of units, so there will, inevitably, be more faulty units in circulation. The same thing happens with Garmin.

Obviously my experience is anecdotal but I've been running a Cycliq Fly CE12 for over four years with no problems and numerous reports to police that have resulted in action against dangerous drivers. I've been running a Cycliq GEN3 for just over a year, again with no problems.

Avatar
perce replied to Eton Rifle | 1 year ago
1 like

Thanks for that - again, much appreciated. Also you do tend to remember the bad reviews more than the good ones.

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to Bobonabike | 1 year ago
2 likes

In my (admittedly limited) experience you'll get more for your money going secondhand than going for a budget option, if you look on eBay you can pick up a GoPro Hero Sessions 4 camera for less than £100, often with quite a few accessories thrown in – this was my first camera and I wish I hadn't sold it, thought I would upgrade to a newer GoPro but no discernible difference in (the brilliant) picture or sound quality.

Avatar
cyclisto replied to Bobonabike | 1 year ago
0 likes

If anyone has an action camera with loooong battery life (>4hours) I would like to share his experience

Avatar
Bungle_52 replied to cyclisto | 1 year ago
0 likes

I have a helmet mounted Drift XL pro. This has a battery life of around 4 hours on the higher resolutions but the quality doesn't seem that much better than the XL I now use as a rear camera, which can easily do 8 hours.

Quality is good enough in daylight but deteriorates in low light. Having said that it has always allowed me to get the reg so far. The built in mic is pretty useless but it has a waterproof connector to connect an external mike. I've been toying with trying this out and attatching a mic to the helemt so I can read out number plates.

I have read about many cases of failure on the internet but I've had the XL for a couple of years now and the only problem I've had is having to do a hard reset on one occasion.

The XL is around £150 new if you shop around but you can often pick up lightly used ones for under £100.

I've taken one to bits and it looks like it should be possible to replace the batteries when they fail but I haven't actually done it yet.

Having a helmet mounted camera allows me to jump on any bike at the drop of a hat and still have a camera. I do believe that I ride more assertively with a camera, and as a result have less incidents, although the ones I do get often seem like punishment passes for having the audacity to think I have just as much right as them to be on the road.

Avatar
cyclisto replied to Bungle_52 | 1 year ago
0 likes

Thanks for the fast response. I had read that this camera could reach up to 8h and it is nice to confirm it. But since I cannot find it in my place neither new or used it has to be ruled out, so any suggestions are welcome, especially if budget ones

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