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D-I-S-C NO! Introducing the Rim Brake Preservation Society; Ineos takes all-Latin team to Tour of Colombia; Search for cyclist who left man with broken leg; plus more on Live Blog

Wednesday's live blog is served to you by Jack Sexty this morning and through the afternoon, with Simon MacMichael rustling up your evening course later on...
29 January 2020, 20:51
Rim Brake Conservation Society launched

Students of mid-1970s dance music will remember the tine D.I.S.C.O. by the French band, Ottawan.

Ottawa, of course, being the capital of Canada,

And it is from Canada that we bring you news of this perhaps tongue in cheek resistance movement against the rise of the disc brake: The Rim Brake Preservation Society.

In its own words, “The Rim Brake Conservation Society has one mission – to save the rim brake. The disappearance of the rim brake in the road cycling industry is of great concern to us and our future attempts at uphill KOMs.

“Is it all part of an agenda by the bike industry to make more money? Slow us down?

“Laugh maniacally at our group ride full of brake squeals? Probably yes.
“We aren’t here to tear down the disc, simply to make sure the rim brake doesn’t go extinct at the hand of profit under the veil of ‘progress’.”

You’ll find the full story here on cyclingmagazine.ca.

Oh, and someone even got a tattoo done of their logo.

29 January 2020, 16:46
Bloody cyclists, stopping at red lights...
29 January 2020, 16:06
Ineos taking their first ever all-South American team to the Tour of Colombia

Egan Bernal, Richard Carapaz, Sebastian Henao, Jhonatan Narvaez, Brandon Rivera and Iván Sosa make up the six-man Ineos squad for the Tour of Colombia, with their considerable pool of British talent left out. No language barrier between any of the Spanish-speaking riders then, just between them and the rest of the staff... 

29 January 2020, 15:59
Thre Cyclo-cross World Championships take place in Switzerland this weekend
Tom Pidcock wins men's elite 2020 national cyclo-cross title (picture credit Alex Whitehead SWpix.com)

18 riders will represent Great Britain at the world champs in Dübendorf, including Tom Pidcock (the only senior male entrant), Beth Crumpton​ (elite women) and Ben Tulett (U23 men). The women's elite and mens' U23 races will take place on Saturday 1st February and can be viewed live on the BBC here, while the elite men and women's U23 races on Sunday 2nd February can be watched here

29 January 2020, 16:21
Huub Ribble team up with Derby College Group for new performance academy
huub ribble development squad

The Huub Ribble development team have partnered with the DCG to offer a programme for 16-year-old riders to join the academny in September 2020, combining training and mentoring with further education. Riders will get 1-2-1 coaching from elite track and road racer Jacob Tipper and an individualised training programme for road and track. The most successful riders will have the chance to secure a place in the Huub Ribble performance squad with opportunities to compete in national competitions. 

DCG Sports and Public Services team manager Nick Ramsden says: “Our aim is to develop well rounded athletes with coaching and education that is much needed to prepare the riders not only to compete at national junior level, but also to allow them to explore the possibility of a future career in the sport.”

29 January 2020, 15:40
'Resource vs risk': Superintendent's summing up of why there is more enforcement on motor vehicles than cyclists

 

29 January 2020, 15:15
Jeremy Vine in filming a bit of good driving shocker

As patient as this driver was, it didn't take long for someone to let us down in the comments underneath Mr Vine's Twitter post... 

29 January 2020, 14:14
Colchester Cycling Campaign's objection to hospital car park extension splits opinion
Colchester_General_Hospital_-_geograph.org_.uk_-_132835

The Essex County Standard reports that Colchester Cycling Campaign have objected to a new £2 million staff car park with an extra 152 spaces at Colchester Hospital, because it will increase car use and doesn't take into consideration the hospital's own travel plan. 

In a letter to the council shared on their blog, Colchester Cycling Campaign said: "Tonight councillors have a difficult decision to make. On the face of it more car parking at Colchester hospital is a popular move. The issue of too few car spaces with “fees that are way too high” frequently tops the news agenda. It is a topic with which most drivers will empathise.

"On the other side of the coin, however, increased car use will lead to higher levels of obesity, heart disease, asthma and diabetes (ironically the issues that our doctors and nurses see daily).

"Of course essential hospital workers, for instance anaesthetists and bank nurses who cover for colleagues, sometimes have no option but to drive. One would hope, however, that they would aim to live near their usual place of work or near a transport hub to limit unsustainable travel. There are also workers whose shifts start or finish before public transport begins for whom a car may be essential. 

"In commenting on this application, CCC’s message  is not “don’t drive” but “think, drive less and don’t be daily dependent on the car”. In short, our esteemed hospital must not be treated as a special case."

colchester fb comments

The Campaign's position has split opinion, with some suggesting it isn't realistic that hospital workers can cycle to and from shifts in the early hours, and others claiming it won't increase car use. Do you support the CCC's position?

29 January 2020, 13:52
Lance hits the block button on cycling champ who delivered 'ultimate burn' on his 30k cycling holiday

Remember this tweet about Lance's pricey guided cycling tour

Well, it appears he wasn't too keen. If ever there was a block to be proud of this might be the one... 

29 January 2020, 11:52
Police searching for cyclist who left man with a broken leg in Bushy park attack
bushy park assault - via MET police

A 'minor disagreement' at the park in London on Saturday 28th December "very quickly escalated to totally unnecessary violence", after a 60-year-old was left with a broken leg after being attacked by a man riding a mountain bike shortly before the incident. 

The man, described as white, between the age of 30-40 and with a London accent, rode off leaving the victim on the ground - the injuries were described as not life-threatening, but the victim required surgery for the broken leg. 

The Met Police have launched an appeal, with Sergeant Pete Sturgess saying: “I am keen to hear from anyone who can identify the man in the picture. While the quality of the image (above) is not great, if you know him, it’s likely that you will recognise him."​

Anyone with information can call 101 quoting the crime number 3234/28DEC. 

29 January 2020, 11:19
Have you ever wolf-whistled a bike?

Phwoarrrr! If it was one of these we may have definitely joined in the objectification of Stuart's noble steed... 

colnago-v3r-10
29 January 2020, 11:12
Cycling legend Hugh Porter, 80, does 80 laps of Aldersley track for charity
Hugh_Porter - wikimedia commons

The multiple world champion-turned cycling commentator took to the track in Aldersley, Wolverhampton to raise money for Compton Care, covering 22.7 miles on his 80 lap jaunt reports the Express and Star. People who took part were invited to the the mayoral suite in the city the following day through special invitation. Mr Porter commented: "It was absolutely wonderful – it was a wonderful idea of the mayor's and it was a big thank you to everyone involved.

"It gave me an opportunity to invite quite a lot of the riders, who are my pals, who rode the event with me.

"I've had two absolutely memorable days I will never forget – it's just been wonderful."

29 January 2020, 10:58
Local news reports fatal incident by claiming that cyclist 'crashed his bike into car'
manchester road whitefield - google street view

The Bury Times article, titled 'Cyclist, 53, dies after crashing bike into car in Bury', is another example of misleading and frustrating reporting of incidents involving cyclists. 

Police are appealing for information about the collision on Sunday, after which the cyclist was taken to hospital and died on Monday - the driver involved stopped at the scene. 

29 January 2020, 10:20
Alex Dowsett's “peed on it” list

Stopping for a roadside nature break in Australia presents all sorts of dangerous things to potentially pee on.

We can't imagine that a snake is going to be best pleased...

29 January 2020, 09:15
Commenter on local news website appears to admit hitting a cyclist and driving off
Met Police_Area_Car

The article on the Basildon Echo is about a cyclist who suffered a head injury after a crash involving a lorry in Rochford. In the article is a quote from the Rochford Policing Team, who said: "The male suffered a deep wound to his head and would have been avoidable if he was wearing a helmet.

"Recently we have noticed a lot more cyclists without helmets and it can make all the difference if you have an accident."

This quote was picked up on in the comments, with one in particular perhaps saying a bit more than they should have admitted to saying... 

surrey boss - via echo.PNG

In further comments, 'Surrey Boss' replies to another commenter saying: "It would be YOU should I see you cycling along a country lane, without a helmut I would crack your nut." They also say they failed to stop at the scene because there was no place to pull over, and that it was "the cyclist's fault."

road.cc have reported the comments to Surrey's Road Policing Unit, and have also notified the Echo. 

29 January 2020, 09:31
Have you checked out our roundup of the hottest new products from the CORE Bike show?
29 January 2020, 09:05
Teenage girl has clothes slashed fending off thieves from stealing her BMX
Police tape (CC licensed by freefotouk on Flickr)

The Gazette reports that the 19-year-old girl was pulled from her bike during the attempted robbery on St John's Road in Clacton, Essex, and managed to fight off three of the would-be robbers. Her clothes were slashed in the attack, and police are appealing for witnesses to the attempted robbery: “The 19-year-old was reported she was using the BMX track off St John’s Road when she was approached by three men at about 8.20am on Sunday.

“The men pulled her off her bike and attempted to steal it but the woman fought back and rode off.

“When the woman got to a place of safety, she noticed her clothing had been slashed.”

The attackers are described as white, aged between 16-20 and wearing black Adidas tracksuits and baseball caps. The crime reference number is 42/13802/20. 

29 January 2020, 08:56
Kent man attempting to break the record for riding the length of India
Chris_Parsons_Cycle_for_Widows_1

 

International lawyer Chris Parsons will set off on his 4,500km quest on 3rd February from the southernmost Indian city of Kanyakumari, and try to reach Srinagar 45 days later. 

Mr Parsons is chairman of The Loomba Foundation that helps widows in India, and hopes to raise $450,000 for the charity. He says: “Unfortunately, many widows in India are left destitute when their husband dies. This is where The Loomba Foundation comes in. Through their empowerment programmes, the charity provides skills training and other support to help widows become self-sufficient so that they can support themselves and their families.

“I am feeling a little anxious as this is going to be a huge mental and physical challenge for me; at the end of the day, I am going to try my best and hope to raise much needed funds along the way for a cause that is very close to my heart." 

You can visit the JustGiving page here to donate. 

29 January 2020, 08:50
No one cares about your Strava
strava no one cares

If you go riding purely in search of Kudos, let this be a reminder to you... 

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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12 comments

Avatar
Rome73 | 4 years ago
2 likes

The black van in the Jeremy Vine vid was indeed patient. Usually they push past only to stop a few meters later. This driver didn't - he / she waited, saw there was a stationary vehicle ahead anyway and just maintained a safe speed and distance. 
However the cycle lane - it was full of vans. 

Avatar
Nick T | 4 years ago
0 likes

#savetherimbrake

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to Nick T | 4 years ago
0 likes

The Village Green Preservation Society; Kinks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc7dmu4G8oc

Avatar
Organon | 4 years ago
3 likes

On the odd occation I have someone whistling at me I assumed it was for my fantastic arse, not the bike.

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Natrix | 4 years ago
0 likes

Is it just me or does the blurry Bushy Park 'cyclist' look like a female police officer or park warden????

Avatar
Sriracha replied to Natrix | 4 years ago
0 likes
Natrix wrote:

Is it just me or does the blurry Bushy Park 'cyclist' look like a female police officer or park warden????

Dunno about that, but intrigued that he is described by his colour, a detail usually omitted, deliberately, from such reports, for example in all the reports of street stabbings.

Avatar
peted76 | 4 years ago
4 likes

Wow, just WOW! That Bury News article is victim blaming so much. 

Car turns right out of junction over main road and it's the 'cyclist' who crashed. Sounds to me like the car didn't look at oncoming traffic carefully enough.
 

Avatar
rpcutts replied to peted76 | 4 years ago
0 likes

From the looks of the junction it's light controlled so someones jumped the lights. You'd think they'd be able to find out who.

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kt26 | 4 years ago
0 likes

"You have to wonder what goes on in some drivers' heads ..."

Not much, nothing resembling intelligence at least. That's why we'd be in a pickle applying the use it or lose it principal - the death toll would be catastrophic.

Avatar
Hirsute | 4 years ago
4 likes

The article days the cyclist suffered a severe head injury but the police claim he would have been ok with one.
How does that work then? Are no forces at all transmitted to the skull and brain ? Is there zero chance of concussion?

At least someone put
Funny enough he could have avoided injury if the lorry hadn't hit him. Who did the talking PC Bolloxed of the yard?

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism | 4 years ago
6 likes

I suspect the Surrey Boss is just one of those people trying to act big and hard on the internet to be in with all the other anti cyclist comments on there. However the worst thing on the article is the Victim Blaming from the Police. Maybe they should get their elite cycling recreation team they used in the Alliston case to wear helmets and then recreate the accident to show that the Cyclist would have been fine with one.

And I say this as a helmet wearing cyclist via choice, which is how it should be.

Avatar
alansmurphy replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 4 years ago
2 likes

You're probably right, I feel sorry for these morons now that racism, homobhobia and being unkind to the disabled is frowned upon...

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