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Live blog: Taxpayers' Alliance think speeding fines are a tax (and 20mph makes "no difference" to road safety); Skoda unveil concept car for cyclists; Porn Pedallers hosting new kit launch event in London; £125k Paul Smith x Rapha jersey on eBay +more

All today's news from the site and beyond as we start a new week.....
UPDATED Tue, Jun 11, 2019 01:42
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Live blog: Taxpayers' Alliance think speeding fines are a tax (and 20mph makes "no difference" to road safety); Skoda unveil concept car for cyclists; Porn Pedallers hosting new kit launch event in London; £125k Paul Smith x Rapha jersey on eBay +more20mph sign (CC licensed by EdinburghGreens via Flickr)
10 June 2019, 16:55
10 June 2019, 16:54
Cycle Superswimway

SPLASH!

10 June 2019, 16:26
A group calling themselves the 'Taxpayers' Alliance' don't appear to know the difference between tax and a fine

You may have heard of the TaxPayers' Alliance, which claims to be a "non-partisan grassroots campaign for lower taxes and government transparency" but in reality is a right-wing lobby group that has received hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding from the US; it is often wheeled out on BBC News to provide [checks notes] balance on stories about increased public psending - such as on cycle lanes.

Today, it has attracted criticism by describing fines for motorists breaking new 20mph limits in London as a 'tax' - while also suggesting there is no evidence that lower speed limits save lives (spoiler - they do, and there is a wealth of studies to back that up). Cue the rightfully cutting and sarcastic stream of replies ...

Looking at the TaxPayer's Alliance website they appear to be a legitimate operation with an 18-strong team, although we're not too sure who's funding them. Most of their tweets and blog posts seem to read like something from a Jacob Rees-Mogg manifesto, if such a thing existed, with one praising Donald Trump's lowering of taxes for big businesses in the US and another claiming that cutting taxes for corporations like Amazon would lead to economic growth in the UK. 

10 June 2019, 16:24
Five cool things
Hunt 35 Carbon Gravel Disc X-Wide.jpg

A luxurious bag handmade in Scotland, Hunt's new super wide gravel wheels and a handy tool storage solution from Topeak make our kit round-up this week. Read all about them here. 

10 June 2019, 13:34
Full protected cycle lane for Kew Road in Richmond?

It  was announced in a Richmond council meeting today that the busy road is set for a full protected cycle lane, which will hopefully make scenes like the one in the image above a thing of the past...

10 June 2019, 13:32
Plans to relax UK's £1,000 Cycle to Work limit to make it easier to buy e-bikes announced by Government's cycling minister
Bristol Cycles S'Park Street riding-3

 

The latest changes to the Cycle to Work scheme could mean great news for e-bikers and those considering ditching the car and investing in an e-bike for the commute - as the government has outlined plans to make it easier for employers to provide bikes and equipment, including e-bikes, worth over the current £1,000 limit. Full story on eBikeTips. 

10 June 2019, 10:38
Skoda launch a car for cyclists

Long story short, it has a roof rack and a drinks cooler.

But what else makes a car a "cyclist's car"? Well, according to Skoda, you'll need to fit it out with a pressure washer for cleaning off some amazingly muddy road bikes.

Then obviously, you'll want to strip off in a car park and do your laundry before you get home to your washing machine. So you'll be needing a washing machine in the boot. They don't specify how you'll dry the kit, but we're sure it'll be fine tied to the aerial...

Who needs seats anyway? You'll obviously want to leave one of your children at home so that your bike can ride along in the car. Then be sure to take your other two bikes on the roof rack. 

But oh gosh! A mechanical has befallen you en route. Not to worry! You've got a specific place for a toolbox. You could never just put that in the boot. 

If you're still thinking 'wow! This is the car for me', then, unfortunately, it's just a concept car. So sad, but don't worry, you can still have "a KAROQ Velo inspired accessory package, which includes a ŠKODA Multi-tool, ŠKODA Bicycle tyre pump and bracket and ŠKODA Bicycle Lights". Available to order from local ŠKODA Retailers.

Have Skoda not heard of simply riding from home?

10 June 2019, 10:10
Look launch Tour de France edition Carbon Ceramic Titanium pedals
look keo tdf pedal

The pedal of choice for riders such as Nairo Quintana and Romain Bardet for this year's Tour, this is Look's top-of-the-range road racing pedal given a Tour de France makeover. It has a ceramic bearings under the pedal platform for the ultimate in smoothness and a titanium axle, and weighs in at just 95g per pedal. 

Only 1,700 units of the special edition coloured versions will be up for sale worldwide at €290.90, after which a standard version will be available later in the year. Head over to Look's website for more deets. 

10 June 2019, 10:05
Nikki Brammeier announces pro cycling retirement the day after sharing news of pregnancy

The 32-year-old current national cyclocross champion said she wanted 'to end on a high', calling time on her career shortly after announcing she is expecting her first child with husband Matt Brammeier, himself a former pro and now a cycling coach. 

10 June 2019, 09:23
DealClincher: 35% off 3T Exploro Team Rival Gravel Bike
3T Exploro Team Rival

Fancy a wider-tyre bike that is still incredibly fast on the road? 

3T's Exploro is currently down to a very tempting £2,550 with a Rival 1X groupset, Fulcrum wheels, WTB ​47mm Road Plus TCS tyres and 3T finishing kit.

See more here

 

10 June 2019, 09:11
Anyone else with the Monday blues?
10 June 2019, 08:41
Riding Ritchey's Swiss Cross

David has just been testing Ritchey's new Swiss Cross, check out what he has to say about it in his video review below.

10 June 2019, 08:21
Porn Pedallers launching their new jersey on 20th June... and are inviting you to go to a strip club with them afterwards to celebrate
ppcc_invite_kitlaunch_social

What goes on at a kit launch party for a cycling team made up of "a ramshackle bunch of cycling enthusiasts who happen to work in or around the UK adult entertainment industry"? Who knows, but if you're lucky enough to be on the guest list you can find out at Look Mum No Hands! on 20th June for the Porn Pedallers' new kit launch party. It's been made by Le Col, and Porn Pedallers also donate £10 of each sale of their branded kit to the Terrence Higgins Trust. While the event is by invitation only, anyone can go along to the after-party at Platinum Lace strip club on Leicester Square from 10.30pm onwards - info above. 

10 June 2019, 08:15
Paul Smith x Rapha jersey pops up on ebay for £125,000. Again...
paul smith x rapha 125000 shirt.PNG

We can only assume the last auction wasn't successful, because once more we've spotted this jersey described as "a piece of cycling history" pop up on ebay for the princely sum of £125,000. While it's quite nice we just can't see that it's nice enough to cost the same as a house, which got us thinking... why is the seller asking for such an extortionate amount? Is he/she hoping someone very rich and gullible will come along, or is there more to the story? If miraculously the seller happens to be reading this, or anyone can shed any light, do let us know in the comments! 

10 June 2019, 08:07
Never mind the bollocks...
bike balls

...here's a load of mountain bikes in South Wales spotted flaunting their Bike Balls. They're available from a selection of retailers with a puerile sense of humour nationwide...

Jack Sexty

Jack has been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of the website including tech, news and video, and also contributed to eBikeTips before being named Editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master's degree in print journalism and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it's a long story). 

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20 comments

Avatar
handlebarcam | 5 years ago
0 likes

I believe it is time to test speed safety once and for all. Let's experiment by picking one street in London, completely at random, and switching between enforcing a return to the days of cars having to drive behind a man waving a flag, and on alternate days setting a minimum speed limit of 50mph. Then, after say ten years of recording how many people are knocked down under each condition, we'll have plenty of data to draw some conclusions. I've got a map with me now, and I'm closing my eyes and pointing... Oh, look at that, my finger has landed on Tufton Street, what a coincidence.

Avatar
peted76 | 5 years ago
0 likes

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Organon | 5 years ago
3 likes

Are these 'tax' dodgers supported by the US Embassy? I really don't understand the thinking of the far right; they really just want to sit in their castles whilst the world dissolves around them.

Avatar
brooksby replied to Organon | 5 years ago
6 likes

Organon wrote:

Are these 'tax' dodgers supported by the US Embassy? I really don't understand the thinking of the far right; they really just want to sit in their castles whilst the world dissolves around them.

Not funded by the US state, but by US 'special interest groups'.

Make the world Merica, and all that.

Small state politics - lower taxes, the state has no income so cannot pay for any social type stuff. Health and social care and law enforcement all  paid for by private subscription or insurance, the rich can afford it so they don't care. Any taxes are an imposition on the freedom of the rich to become richer, so should be done away with.

(Yes, the poor will get poorer, and can't afford the insurance, and the state isn't there as a safety net or to pay police or empty the bins, but that's just the law of the jungle or something isn't it? What are you: some sort of communist?)

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
3 likes

brooksby wrote:

Organon wrote:

Are these 'tax' dodgers supported by the US Embassy? I really don't understand the thinking of the far right; they really just want to sit in their castles whilst the world dissolves around them.

Not funded by the US state, but by US 'special interest groups'.

Make the world Merica, and all that.

Small state politics - lower taxes, the state has no income so cannot pay for any social type stuff. Health and social care and law enforcement all  paid for by private subscription or insurance, the rich can afford it so they don't care. Any taxes are an imposition on the freedom of the rich to become richer, so should be done away with.

(Yes, the poor will get poorer, and can't afford the insurance, and the state isn't there as a safety net or to pay police or empty the bins, but that's just the law of the jungle or something isn't it? What are you: some sort of communist?)

Comrade!

 

Avatar
burtthebike | 5 years ago
8 likes

Tax Payers' Alliance?  Given who funds them, shouldn't that be the Tax Avoiders' Alliance?

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Hirsute | 5 years ago
1 like

What's a protected cycle lane?
Presumably a bit more than a bit of signage.

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Gizzard | 5 years ago
0 likes

The only good car is a crushed car.

Avatar
Gizzard | 5 years ago
0 likes

The only good car is a crushed car.

Avatar
Gizzard | 5 years ago
1 like

The only good car is a crushed car.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Gizzard | 5 years ago
4 likes

Gizzard wrote:

The only good car is a crushed car.

I disagree...

 

 

Avatar
Pushing50 replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
1 like

hawkinspeter wrote:

Gizzard wrote:

The only good car is a crushed car.

I disagree...

 

 

In a nutshell, that is rather a tasty car interior!

Avatar
Sriracha | 5 years ago
0 likes

I've got VW. It's on its third turbo. It's needed two new brake calipers, the central locking keeps going faulty, an electric window packed up, it's required work to the ABS, a new fuel filter housing. The alloy wheels corrode and the bodywork is rusting.
So much for German engineering. Somehow, if it were a Citroën, I would not be so piqued by the rubbish quality.

So for ferrying bikes, maybe a Citroën Berlingo next time. Can't be worse than a VW!

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds replied to Sriracha | 5 years ago
0 likes

Sriracha wrote:

I've got VW. It's on its third turbo. It's needed two new brake calipers, the central locking keeps going faulty, an electric window packed up, it's required work to the ABS, a new fuel filter housing. The alloy wheels corrode and the bodywork is rusting. So much for German engineering. Somehow, if it were a Citroën, I would not be so piqued by the rubbish quality. So for ferrying bikes, maybe a Citroën Berlingo next time. Can't be worse than a VW!

Though I no longer drive it (parked in the garage for the last 20 months) my Passat estate has been brilliant, 2001 B5.5 model, the only issue was the clogging up of the stupidly placed  drain plug under the battery (which is a bstd to get out) that causes the passenger footwell to get wet if you don't periodically unblock it.

Other than that I found it to be a bloody brilliant car, same turbo after 130k, no clutch problems, replaced an electric window internals for £50 by buying the whole thing and 30 mins work by a local garage but that was when it was 120k/14yrs old. Some say those PD engines are just getting run in at 100k and I tend to agree, I had an Isuzu engined Astra before that with a garret turbo, that was bombproof as well, maybe I've just been lucky.

As a bike carrier it's superb, always inside, 2up you can carry two bikes and absolutely loads of kit with room to spare, far more than the vast majority of SUVs, IF I ever replaced it/decided to drive again, I would want a large estate and I would very likely consider another Passat.

Avatar
MoutonDeMontagne | 5 years ago
2 likes

I'd quite like a cycling specific car, preferably one that comes with a driver willing to hand fresh cool bottles and food out of the window, give me a new wheel when I puncture, carry the endless supply of wet weather gear I seem to carry in Scotland, oh and drive at a 25mph in front of me for all of those long drags home into a block headwind... 

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ktache | 5 years ago
0 likes

Good news for Kew Road, and looking at the tweets a lot of great stuff about to happen in Richmond.

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peted76 | 5 years ago
0 likes

A car with a washing machine, well that's a new one on me. 

Avatar
ktache | 5 years ago
1 like

There was a previous LiveBlog that featured a bit of victim blaming from skoda

https://road.cc/content/news/259906-live-blog-mp-calls-minister-cycling-...

and the specific website

https://www.welovecycling.com/wide/safety/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_med...

Avatar
scouser_andy | 5 years ago
1 like

I saw the Skoda story via 'influencers' on social media who took it for a test spin. Zzzzzzz.

 

Nothing more nausiating than people fawning over brands because they got a few bits of free kit etc. I've unfollowed most of the people that are now doing this sort of gig.

Avatar
Biggie Smells | 5 years ago
0 likes

Skoda previously offered a two bike internal fork clamp mount for the Yeti. Not everyone has kids. I don't. So the internal bike rack comes in very handy and it's safer than on the roof.

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