Too much protection: cyclist makes a grim discovery; French pro punctures lung in training collision with a dog; Are cargo bikes the future of deliveries?; 3-year-old rides 55km; Cyclist helps police catch drink-driver + more on the live blog

Those of you with a strong stomach can scroll further down to read about the revolting sight that greeted a Brighton man earlier today... and after seeing the news, road.cc news editor/encyclopedia Simon MacMichael recalled writing about a similar incident back in 2013, when Danish police were hunting for a man who was repeatedly masturbating onto a woman's bicycle saddle. The victim's bike was targeted five times, only on Wednesdays, and as far as we know the perpetrator was never caught. Perhaps he fled to the South East... 

These Black Friday limited edition Campagnolo Zonda wheels are aimed at anyone 'from beginners looking for their first wheel upgrade to elite riders in need of tough alloy wheels for training.' Available exclusively at ProBikeKit, only 500 pairs have been made and the company says they provide 'excellent bang-for-buck' at £549.99.

Muc-Off are back with this new puncture tool that’s stealthily stashed in a bike’s bar ends. Muc-Off says: 'Each lightweight and durable set contains everything needed to get back riding when stuck with a hole that’s just not sealing: a stainless steel 2-in-1 puncture plug reamer tool, a variety of different sized tyre worms and a trimming knife. And weighing in at just 33g per side, the Stealth Tubeless Puncture Plug is a small lightweight solution that offers massive benefits.'

*WARNING: REPULSIVE CONTENT*

Went for a walk this morning along #Brighton seafront and spotted this😱👉is this a new way of stopping someone stealing your bike? Look carefully at the saddle❗️
I feel sick 🤢 pic.twitter.com/rbu4Huucal

— Rupert Rivett (@rupephoto) November 26, 2020

Well this is pretty grim. Hopefully you've all finished your lunch before seeing this. Rupert Rivett shared this photo from Brighton and suggested it might be an innovative new way to stop people stealing your bike. The good people of Twitter are trying their hardest to find plausible alternatives...

Weird place to keep spare chamois cream.

— Colin Lynch (@FormerTTchamp) November 26, 2020

I don’t think I’ve ever mistaken a UK street scene for a Dutch one before.
A powerfully simple 40sec video showing just how fast we can make things better, if we dare to try different. https://t.co/nv5vwXPra2

— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) November 25, 2020

Something a bit more positive now... Proof that proper active travel infrastructure can be implemented in the UK. This 40 second video from Dulwich in south London shows that cyclists, pedestrians, people on scooters and motor traffic can exist harmoniously on our streets.

Olympic gold medallist and now cycling and walking commissioner for Greater Manchester, Chris Boardman said: "I don’t think I’ve ever mistaken a UK street scene for a Dutch one before. A powerfully simple 40sec video showing just how fast we can make things better, if we dare to try different."

Mine and @margynewens work praised by a former Olympic Champion and active travel guru ....

<goes for a little lie-down> https://t.co/kvyqc9rGm5

— Richard Leeming (@RM_Leeming) November 25, 2020

It’s a cold November morning with some light rain yet we’re still seeing a huge uplift in #ActiveTravel in #Dulwich, especially from families doing the school run. #ChangeIsHere#DulwichModalShift #StreetspaceLDN pic.twitter.com/FyRmVTXcuC

— Clean Air for Dulwich (@CleanAirDulwich) November 26, 2020

If you found the earlier post about Pedal Me's cargo bikes interesting you can read the full story on ebiketips here..

A Bristol cyclist helped police catch a drink-driver after the man fled the scene of a crash. Daniel Newton left his motorbike at the scene but was followed by a passing cyclist who then pointed out Newton's house to the police.

Ms Brown, a witness to the incident, told Bristol Live: "After failing to remove the bike, he ran off. A third witness noticed the defendant walking out in the road in front of her while she cycled. She said he seemed a bit dazed.

“As she cycled up to the scene of the collision, the neighbours explained what had happened. The woman cycled back to where she had seen the dazed male, followed him and watched him go into a property. When police arrived minutes later, the cyclist was able to point out the property he had gone into."

Newton failed a breath test and was arrested. He has since admitted to driving, without insurance or a full licence, and failing to report an accident.

Racers with a 2020 licence will receive a 50% discount on their 2021 licence, British Cycling has said. The discount comes after a year where racing was heavily disrupted and with the prospect of another reduced calendar next year. British Cycling suspended all activities at the start of the month in line with national restrictions but expressed disappointment that the government did not permit group rides of up to six people.

Cargo bike company Pedal Me has trawled the data to address some common misconceptions. Beyond the obvious benefits of less pollution and congestion, Pedal Me found hard evidence that cargo bikes are better suited to delivering goods in London than cars or vans. Using 19,000km of mobility data from their fleet in September, they found the average speed of a cargo bike was 2mph faster than traffic speeds in 2018. With congestion increasing 153% on last year, they suggest the average speed difference may be even greater now. 

Beyond competitive moving speeds, e-cargo bikes don't have to waste time looking for parking space. Parking is a huge burden for delivery vans (studies say between 9-15 minutes), usually with additional walking to the final delivery, frequent fines and regular traffic blocks. pic.twitter.com/SWCtOrQ0iM

— Pedal Me (@pedalmeapp) November 24, 2020

Cargo bikes also take shorter, more direct, routes. From analysis of 2,000 jobs they found their fleet's routes were 6% shorter than car trips. Of trips further than 5km, that figure rose to at least 10% longer in a car. 

The smaller capacity of cargo bikes (in terms of weight and volume) mean deliveries are distributed between more vehicles. This can result in globally more efficient routes and often require fewer hours overall to be completed (e.g. 2 bikes x 4h < 1 van x 9h). 6/🧵 pic.twitter.com/D9M9HKb6oq

— Pedal Me (@pedalmeapp) November 24, 2020