Leave Vs Remain poll - leave the swipe/love the swipe?; Couple jailed after driving into cyclist while having "full blown domestic”; “intimidating” young cyclists… young cyclists that are intimidating, Trek wonder material?; Pink it shrink it + more

On Monday our two week experiment of shutting down the swipeable smartphone version of road.cc comes to and end, and we want to know how the last two weeks have been for you… in a swipeable smartphone version of road.cc context. So, do you want to leave the swiping behind and seize control of your scrolling, or remain part of the swipeable elite?

Victim calls for introduction of offence of ‘causing serious injury by careless driving’, but Cycling UK warns of the possible unwanted side-effects of merely ‘bolting on new offences’.

Full story here.

The Yorkshire Evening Post reports on a Leeds couple who have been jailed after they hit a cyclist while having a “full blown domestic” in the car on their way back from a wake.

Amanda Brown and Terry Leach were involved in three collisions in Beeston on July 6 last year, including a hit and run on a cyclist.

Brown was driving the 4x4 even though she did not have a licence and the couple were seen swapping seats after the third crash.

The number plate came off when she hit the cyclist – who somehow only suffered minor injurie. When police tracked them down, Leach initially said that the vehicle had been stolen. The pair came clean a few days later.

"She should not have been driving,” said Elyas Patel, defending Brown. "These events occurred because of her inattention at the wheel. They had been in a year-long relationship. They were, to respectfully use the vernacular, having a full blown domestic as they travelled through those Beeston streets."

Brown pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, having no licence and having no insurance and was jailed for eight months.

Leach pleaded guilty to perverting justice and was jailed for six months.

They have since split up.

Greater Manchester’s Mayor, Andy Burnham, and Cycling and Walking Commissioner, Chris Boardman, have called on the Government to provide *sustained* funding for cycling and walking.

Full story here.

Car firms just loving developing concept bicycles and we’ve seen them corkers over the years. The latest isn’t really a bicycle as you don’t actually pedal it, instead it’s a “micromobility concept” and was developed by Skoda to put our changing world.

This two-wheel concept was designed to cater for young people who are looking for a sustainable alternative to a car and who expect it to be easy to use, fun, as well as faster and more convenient than a conventional bicycle,” explains Skoda in its press release.

The most curious design aspect is that instead of pedals, it has car-like pivoting pedals for the accelerator and brakes to control the 4 kW hub motor and 1,250 Wh Li-ion battery, which combine to apparently offer a top speed of 45km/h and a 60 km range. Is it still a bicycle if you can’t pedal it? No course it is, it’s more akin to e-scooter or e-motorbike than an e-bicycle.

It’s made with an aluminium frame featuring a single-side frame design and a beam dropping down to the go and stop pedals.

Course, it’s a smart bike as well, with daytime running lights, indicators and a cradle to nest your smartphone which you can use to monitor the battery and navigate your way to wherever you’re going.

And, just like a car, it has cruise control, hill hold, heated seat and grips and ABS disc brakes, o you can go about your day in comfort and control

Guido Haak, Head of Product Management at ŠKODA AUTO, said, “Micromobility is becoming increasingly important in cities. By presenting the KLEMENT at the Geneva Motor Show, we are showcasing our vision for the future of micromobility: sustainable, innovative, electric and with a pure, modern design. The KLEMENT is a state-of-the-art, dynamic and easy-to-use vehicle, and allows the ŠKODA brand to further appeal to a younger target group with a heightened sense of environmental awareness. The concept is perfectly aligned with our customers and our eMobility Strategy. We are therefore assessing whether, and how, this exciting, new mobility concept can be added to our portfolio in the future.”

Did you know Skoda started out making bicycles in 1895? Well you do now!

Stealthy assisted speed: e-bikes that look like road bikes

On International Women’s Day, Italian helmet brand Limar has launched a range of helmets “woman’s touch”.

It sadly demonstrates the phrase “pink it and shrink it” is still true in parts of the cycling industry. The “special edition colours dedicated to women style’ feature a black and pink colour scheme, with pink decals and “delicate dots in seawater”.

The new colour scheme is available on three helmet models, the Air Pro, Air Star and Berg-em.