“Out of respect for Remco”: Tadej Pogačar carries spare jersey on training rides to avoid wearing rainbow stripes on time trial bike; “Amazing sh*thousery”: Breakaway rider going in opposite direction waves at peloton at UAE Tour + more on the live blog

The peloton were annoyed by Novak being a silly pudding, but Merlier got a well-deserved "Gateau!" for his efforts.

Does the sign say bicycles must be pushed? If so, chicane possibly valid?

There is a no cycling sign [a real one, not one of these fake no-no cycling ones].
Spoiled by the 'Cyclists Dismount' in advisory blue and white.

I'd say that just based on the prohibition sign that the chicane was valid, and the guy on the bike is a nob.

I'm pretty sure this is the exit from Wandsworth Park into Blade Mews as by sheer coincidence I happened to be walking that way a few weeks ago (streetview from the other end). 

If so, yes it does say cycling is prohibited - but there's no good reason for that beyond Blade Mews being privately owned, and the owners being anti-cycling "nobs". You're allowed to cycle in the park and on public roads, so it's just that ~20 metres or so of private land where you can't cycle. 

It is exactly there, I have cycled through many a time. There is absolutely no reason for people not to be allowed to cycle through apart from the fact that the nobbers who live there want to flex their financial muscle by insisting that they have a right to dictate behaviour on their own private road (which is a public right of way). The chicane wasn't there last time I went through in the autumn, I'm appalled that Wandsworth Council have kowtowed by installing this chicane on public land, they could surely have told them if you're bothered about stopping/slowing down cyclists you can put it on your own land at your own expense. That's a disgrace.

We need a chicane at the end of the bike path opposite my house that goes up a hill to the university. It's a cul-de-sac so some people just assume there's no traffic and just whizz out across the road without even slowing or looking - you have to turn right as left is a dead end. 

Driving home - electric car so quiet - I always move to the centre of the road, even over to the right, as I am aware what often happens yet there have still been some near misses, and there are regular delivery drivers who aren't so careful. So chicanes can be a pain, but sometimes they are absolutely necessary. 

I appreciate that this will sound like the wildest wokery ("what?  You're pandering to idiots who don't even bother looking when they cross the road?!") ... but what about if we considered this from a human behaviour, "harm minimisation" and "who are the majority of users" perspective?

Unless this is manifestly in a stupid place (it does happen) surely we should be thinking about slowing down the motor vehicles more than the bikes, or at least making it really clear that cyclists may be crossing here and that drivers should be alert?

I mean - if it's a "route" for bikes (part of a network) vs. a no-through route for motorists (sounds like)?  Where there are actual cycling routes - unless we're uninterested in "nicer places" / people's safety etc. surely we should be doing all we can to encourage their use?  And realistically people on bikes - just like people driving - may be more-or-less paying attention, and more or less prone to slow down "just in case".

If it's on a hill perhaps some kind of curve in the cycle path (not metal barriers - that's a hazard) to slow cyclists a little would be sensible.  (But of course "but there is no space...")  And if this is a route perhaps at least signs / a raised table / coloured section of road to make it really obvious that people may cross?  ("But expensive, not in keeping...")

And if it's busy enough with cycling traffic and trucks, are traffic lights too much to hope for?  (With cycle detection loops - or perhaps even "green for cyclists unless motor vehicles are detected")?

Traffic lights would be nice, however, being honest, a significant number of cyclists still wouldn't stop. Not sure who actually owns this part of the land that the cycle path crosses either, local council or the Uni, but can't honestly see either of them forking out for them. I suspect this bit is council land as the permitted use signs (put in by the Uni a few years ago when there was a concerted effort by local residents to make the land permanently available for use by the public - sadly before the relevant time with no signage had passed) are a little further up. *Sweeping generalisation alert* most of those who do zoom out into the road are young, wearing headphones and probably think they're invincible, as well all did at that age. Older cyclists, and kids on bikes with parents, do slow and look. 

It's actually part of NCN 1, and the part that goes up through the University land (not the Uni itself unfortunately) is properly segregated by about a metre of sunken gravel from the parallel footway. It's arguably one of the best cycle paths in the UK, even with its 7% gradient! It's also very popular with dog walkers and people out for a stroll through the woods and around There is a metal chicane at what I think is the end of University land near the foot of the hill - not ideal however there is a popular footpath that crosses it just after, so something is needed - not sure traffic light for pedestrians would work. I can pedal round the barriers uphill without stopping, though you have to be careful of toe overlap, especially if clipped in. 

The last 20 metres before the road is a shared path, then no signage, barrier, chicane, slalom, or anything before the road. As I mentioned it's a quiet road - only 7 or 8 houses to the east of the exit - but it is residential so banning cars won't work. We residents know the danger, so drive carefully anyway - not just cyclists but kids, dogs etc tend to run out if not properly under control! Warning signs would be good, though I suspect many delivery drivers would ignore them or not see them as concentrating on looking for house numbers. And, again, I can't see the council spending money on any other measures, especially as it's such a quiet road anyway. But worth me suggesting some signage - we have a  by-election in a couple of weeks for the city council, so may well be a good time!

Thanks!  By traffic lights I actually meant (best option) something like this.  Though I can't see this flying in the UK - even with "major works".  In fact, I can only imagine the headlines...

Sounds like it's the usual - we've sort of scribbled in a bit of "oh and cycling" where once there was a perhaps a footpath - at least in the connecting bits.  (I note you say there is actually a separate bit for cyclists, which is ace!)

It's probably all fine ... for UK numbers (e.g. perhaps not that many even with "uni"?)

At some point hopefully we'll actually be able to think about "networks" when it comes to active travel, rather than "bits here and there, which you can stitch into a route, if you don't mind hopping on and off roads, weaving around barriers, and occasionally walking".

Of course, having grown up in the UK there's a part of me that would miss the "magical mystery tour" factor!

No idea but anyone with a wheelchair or wide pram is not going to be happy.

Amen.  Fails the Boardman "double buggy" test.  (And probably other accessibility criteria).

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Half term is not until next week here in sunny Way Alz, Boyo!

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I blame Labour

(edit) Sorry, I obviously meant Laaayy-baaaah

That's a fair shout as it's been Labour for almost a generation in Wales...

Has it? Okay.

TBH I was just trying to be funny by quoting FBs catchphrase back at them...

Does it make much difference? Instead of drivers rushing to get to a school, they're rushing to get to daycare or whatever half-term activities they've planned with their kids.

Just today I had 3 close passes within a mile, one guy on his horn, another with a passenger leaning out swearing, later on slowed to let a bus indicating to pull out in front of me, and driver behind me took it as their cue to overtake us, then second driver on the road behind me somehow came within a inch of my back wheel before stopping.

Felt like just any other day on UK roads

The difference is notable for me - a lot less cars and I can can take a more direct route to the supermarket without worrying about being caught up in the congestion.

Was always the same when I went into the office - much easier and quicker to get in at school holidays.

Isn't it odd that - as far as I'm aware - there has never been any problem of people injuring themselves by tripping over kerbs due to optical illusions even when roadway and footway are of identically-coloured tarmac, but give people two surfaces of completely different colours and they're falling like ninepins after failing to figure out that there might be a demarkation between them?

I wonder if it's just (uncomfortable) evidence that people "drive" themselves about the place "autopilot" - on memory and some (pretty flaky) pattern matching - far more than we like to admit?

Are those rainbow stripes on the back of his helmet too...? If you're going to do it, go the whole Pog.

Champions are allowed to keep their rainbow bands on their neck and sleeves though?

Not sure if that extends to helmets but it's a bit impractical to put a spare plain helmet in your pocket.

I thought the neck and sleeve bands designated former world champs, but could still only be worn in the specific discipline they won? I don't think Pog gets to wear rainbow piping in TT just because he's current road champ.

The helmet comment wasn't entirely serious, but if you swap to a TT bike during a ride, would you not swap helmet too? Perhaps not.  

There's a recent video on Pog's instagram showing him training on a TT bike but in a normal road helmet: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DExEGUTMGA2/

In race TT stages where riders choose to swap bikes, I think it's normal for riders to wear a TT helmet the whole time (e.g. stage 16 of the 2023 TdF)

That said, given he's not carrying around his TT bike in his back pocket, I'm struggling to think of the scenario where he couldn't just leave his jersey/helmet/whatever with his TT bike if he did want to swap anything. 

OnYerBike wrote:

In race TT stages where riders choose to swap bikes, I think it's normal for riders to wear a TT helmet the whole time (e.g. stage 16 of the 2023 TdF)

Not always, remember the 2023 Giro when Geraint arguably lost the race with his long momentum-killing bike change in the final TT, the long stop being necessitated by his decision to swap his aero helmet for a standard one for the climb.