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Volvo admits some short journeys are better by bike; Jeremy Vine's road safety idea sparks mandatory cycling in driving test discussion; 2022 Giro d'Italia route; RideLondon: 10,000 entries sold out in 24 hours; Active travel + more on the live blog

It's Thursday and Dan Alexander is in the hot seat for all your live blog needs...
11 November 2021, 17:17
road.cc Podcast episode 11: Are bikes and cycling gear getting too expensive?

Check out the latest episode of our podcast here... 

11 November 2021, 16:48
Arnaud Démare: "I wouldn't say the word doping, but we don't all have the same speed limit."
Demare wins Stage 7 (LaPresse)

French sprinter Arnaud Démare had some pretty eye-catching quotes published in French newspaper Le Parisien this week. Démare, who won eight races in 2021, suggested the level of competition was now higher than ever.

The 30-year-old put it down, in part, to different rules that teams have regarding products such as ketones. And while Démare was hesitent to say the d-word, he did speak about cycling at different speeds..."I wouldn't say the word doping, but we don't all have the same speed limit."

"I wonder about the peloton, but I’m only saying what many people are seeing. Not everyone has the same restrictions on certain products like ketones. I am part of a team that has made commitments, as have others. But the whole peloton is not like us."

Yesterday, 21-year-old Danish cyclist Ludvig Wacker announced his retirement from the sport, and called out the "grotesque" use of legal pills, such as painkillers, by pro riders during races.

11 November 2021, 15:56
Police arrest suspect for Oxford station bike theft
Oxford Station (Google StreetView)

British Transport Police Oxfordshire have arrested a man for criminal damage and attempting to steal a bike from Oxford railway station. The suspect has since been released and is under investigation, while the owner of the bike has been contacted thanks to BikeRegister...

Earlier this week we reported a seperate incident in Scotland which saw a cyclist threatened with a weapon and robbed of bike while on board a train from Glasgow Central.

11 November 2021, 15:29
Pro riders feel the burn on return to training...it's not just us amateurs who get out of shape

It's not all flying up climbs and huge watts. Even the pro riders let themselves get a bit out of shape at this time of year. Fair enough, they still go faster than the rest of us, but the suffering is universal. Winter miles make summer smiles...

11 November 2021, 15:24
We're back!

Sorry about that, folks. The website seems to be back up and running for all users now...hopefully meaning we can get some more live blog updates to finish off Thursday. Let's see how this goes...

11 November 2021, 12:13
Oddly satisfying bike lane painting

Could watch this all day... 

11 November 2021, 11:35
CycPlus launches T2 smart trainer
2021 CycPlus T2 indoor trainer

CycPlus is looking for backers for the T2 smart trainer which it has launched on Indiegogo. 

“The BLDC motor in the T2, along with the 50 high-performance neodymium iron boron magnets, enables the T2 to bring you a more realistic riding experience. Not only does this increase the braking force and power output, it provides quicker dynamic inertia, simulating gradients quicker than before.”

You can use the T2 either with or without an external power source.

“You can use the trainer anywhere you like as the T2 is able to generate its own energy from your pedal strokes,” says CycPlus

The T2 uses standard wireless communication protocols including ANT+ FE-C and Bluetooth Smart, so it can be used in conjunction with the most popular training apps.

The legs fold inwards so it has a very small footprint when not in use (257mm x 300mm x 510mm).

The early bird price is £451 with delivery pencilled in for January Supporting a crowdfunding project is not the same as buying through a shop/online retailer. Check out the rules here.

11 November 2021, 10:51
Volvo admits some short journeys are better by bike...but still faces heavy criticism for boasting of 112mph speed limit

Who'd have thought it? A car manufacturer saying for some short journeys a bike or walking are better options...presumably one of the company's plastic touring bicycles from the 80s (now available online for 60 quid) would be the best option.

That's the positive part. The less well-received message came at the end..."All our new models come with a speed limit of 112mph". Sensible. Stops drivers exceeding the UK motorway speed limit by more than 42mph. Several replies questioned why the limit could not be set to 70mph for UK sales, while also pointing out 112mph is presumably for the manufacturer's German market.

DCI Andy Cox, a prominent voice in the campaign against road crime, commented...

> How can road violence against cyclists be stopped? DCS Andy Cox on episode 7 of the road.cc Podcast

Others asked if the technology imposed on e-bikes and e-scooters, such as geofencing and automatic speed limiting, could also be imposed on cars...

It's not the first time Volvo has caused a stir in the cycling community...back in 2016, the Swedish car manufacturer launched a glow-in-the-dark Life Paint in the UK, a reflective safety spray the company said would improve safety for cyclists at night. The product was criticised by cycling campaigners, including Mikael Colville-Andersen, who said: "Everything about the Life Paint campaign is classic smokescreening from the automobile industry."

11 November 2021, 10:36
Sportful introduces Blackdog limited edition jersey
2021 Sportful Blackdog jersey

Sportful has launched a limited edition jersey with Blackdog, an organisation that aims to use cycling as a way to raise awareness of men’s mental health issues.

Buy a Blackdog jersey (men’s and women’s versions are available) for £80 and all profits will go to Movember.

Find more about the Blackdog project and listen to the last episode of The Blackdog Cast, featuring an interview with BORA-Hansgrohe pro-rider Daniel Oss. 

11 November 2021, 10:18
RideLondon: First 10,000 entry places sell out within 24 hours — ballot opens later today
Prudential RideLondon 2019 finish (credit RideLondon).JPG

That was quick! Less than 24 hours since they went on sale, the first 10,000 general entry places to the inaugural RideLondon-Essex 100 have sold out. The remaining general entries will be decide by a ballot system which will be open for entries from 13:00 GMT today. The ballot will run until 17:00 on Thursday 20 January 2022, at which point a random draw will be made to decide who gets a place on the 100-mile sportive on Sunday 29 May.

> RideLondon: Essex urged to focus on road safety ahead of revamped sportive

Anyone wanting to enter the ballot can do so here...

11 November 2021, 10:15
Evans launches Pinnacle HC Turbo home trainer
2021 Evans Pinnacle HC Turbo home trainer

Evans Cycles has introduced its first own-brand trainer, the Pinnacle HC Turbo.

It’s a direct drive smart trainer that can simulate up to 2,500 watts and a maximum incline of 20%. It comes equipped with an integrated cadence sensor and is compatible with 8/9/10/11-speed SRAM or Shimano cassettes.

“The Pinnacle HC Turbo Home Trainer delivers realistic ride simulation matched by connectivity and industry-standard precision for a quiet, uncompromising experience… producing a sound similar in intensity to an electrical fan.” says Evans.

ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity allows you to run it alongside popular training software like Zwift, TrainerRoad, and so on.

Weighing in at 15kg, the Pinnacle HC Turbo is now available at £599.99, both online and in Evans Cycles stores.

11 November 2021, 09:58
Mad Max is back...

'Mad Max' did eventually get back to Surrey Roads Policing Unit with his comeback to their educational reply. After the wait this is what we got...I'd say that it's still 1-0 to the traffic cops...

11 November 2021, 09:21
Active travel

Not a bike but still bizarre enough to earn a quick live blog mention... 

11 November 2021, 09:14
2022 Giro d'Italia route finally announced: Stage 21 time trial in Verona confirmed

After a painful week of stop-start stage reveals we've finally got the Giro d'Italia route in full. Last week they announced the first three stages, on Monday we got the sprints, on Tuesday the hills, yesterday the high mountains and today the final time trial. Please don't do it like this again.

The final piece in the jigsaw is the second time trial of the race — a final day 17km ITT in Verona. It's not one for the specialists however...it's got a 4.7km climb averaging 5 per cent in the middle with a similar length descent over the top. It means there's only 27km of time trialling at the race, a relatively short amount by recent standards.

Which climbers will fancy their chances next May?

11 November 2021, 08:38
"Put all the bad drivers on bicycles, and nobody dies": Jeremy Vine's road safety idea

talkRadio's Cristo Foufas is going to be on Jeremy Vine's morning TV show today. I wonder if this will be worth a discussion? If the aim was to get people talking, then Vine certainly succeeded...it started a discussion, among other things, about the driving test...

Thoughts? Another reply agreed, "Everyone should have to log 100 hours on a bike before getting a motor vehicle licence. Everyone should ride shotgun with a lorry driver for a day as well." We'll have to find some lorry drivers first...

CaryDeWeigh's suggestion was punish some driving offences with cycling miles...parking offence? 20 miles. Speeding? 100 miles...they even said they'd be happy to lead the rides. I feel the authorities would rather keep collecting fines, but worth a try.

Here's more of the reaction...

Save the best for last...

Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.

Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.

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41 comments

Avatar
Mungecrundle | 3 years ago
1 like

Are bikes and bicycle stuff getting too expensive?

1. If you really need the expensive stuff then you probably get it for free already via sponsorship.

2. It's still an insanely cheap hobby compared to smoking.

Avatar
Ride On replied to Mungecrundle | 3 years ago
0 likes

Never thought of smoking as a hobby, more of a... yeah what actually is smoking?

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zeeridesbikes replied to Mungecrundle | 3 years ago
0 likes

Or driving a car 

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IanMSpencer replied to zeeridesbikes | 3 years ago
3 likes

Currently spending more maintaining my bike than my car - and doing about 4x the miles too!

And the n+1!

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Ride On | 3 years ago
0 likes

road.cc Podcast episode 11: Are bikes and cycling gear getting too expensive?

Yep!

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Hirsute | 3 years ago
5 likes

And we're back !

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hawkinspeter replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
6 likes

hirsute wrote:

And we're back !

I'm getting some missing pictures on the frontpage when logged in, though I can see the picture if I click on the article. Might be down to my collection of Firefox add-ons that block stuff, though.

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Hirsute replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
0 likes

Oh yeah. No pictures either

(I watched an episode last night where he has the bet for £100 that he won't say that).

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Clem Fandango replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
3 likes

Did you see that ludicrous display last night?

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hawkinspeter replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
0 likes

hirsute wrote:

Oh yeah. No pictures either

(I watched an episode last night where he has the bet for £100 that he won't say that).

Pictures are back again now.

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Awavey replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
6 likes

I thought they might have typed google into google and broken the internet  3

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SimoninSpalding replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
1 like

But every one of the sites that claims to tell you if a site is down said it was fine, and it was just me!

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andystow replied to SimoninSpalding | 3 years ago
0 likes

SimoninSpalding wrote:

But every one of the sites that claims to tell you if a site is down said it was fine, and it was just me!

I got it back up by deleting road.cc cookies in my browser. As soon as I logged in, it stopped working again. Also, it was showing everything except comments.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to SimoninSpalding | 3 years ago
1 like

SimoninSpalding wrote:

But every one of the sites that claims to tell you if a site is down said it was fine, and it was just me!

If you hadn't logged in, then the site was up which is why they said that.

If you connect using a private/incognito browser window, then it would have worked - until you try to login again.

Avatar
mdavidford replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
1 like

I deleted all my cookies, in case auth was the issue, but it was still broken for me after that. Multiple pages returning 500 errors, and when I could get to pages, various bits of them weren't loading (particularly comments). I was able to reliably get to the homepage though, so if that's all they're monitoring, that might be why it was reading as fine.

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Mungecrundle replied to mdavidford | 3 years ago
3 likes

I threw away half a packet of biscuits and tore some pages out of an old washing machine manual. Mrs Mungecrundle made a few choice comments and is monitoring my meds more closely. However Road.cc remained offline throughout.

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GMBasix | 3 years ago
0 likes

Mad Max may be back, but he's blocked me. Probably for the better.

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chrisonabike | 3 years ago
7 likes

Anyone guilty of not leaving enough space when overtaking has to climb Hardknott, Bealach-na-Ba or the Wrynose. With a pro peleton descending at the same time. On one of these. It's called a punishment pass.

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GMBasix | 3 years ago
14 likes

Dear Road.cc

I don't understand why you keep the Nigelov Garageski bot to make loads of inflammatory comments designed, not to fix attitudes or to be conciliatory, but to enrage cyclists.

I know it gets clicks and gets people talking, but it endangers lives. Its wilfully ignorant comments are also extremely disrespectful to people who have lost loved ones at the hands of reckless motorists.

Avatar
Gimpl | 3 years ago
7 likes

Same thing has been said for many years by the motorcycling community. Everyone should have to ride a motorcycle on the road before progressing to a car.

Not too surprisingly, in France where most people ride a little moped at 14 they are much more motorcycle friendly almost to the point of being dangerous. I've had drivers put two wheels on the grass verge to give me enough room to overtake. I remember clearly having a really enjoyable week riding out there where no-one in our 20+ group got pulled out on or had any of the usual incidents we get regularly here in the UK. However - coming back on the autoroute into Calais I had two cars pull out on me just as I was about to overtake them - both had British number plates, it was very depressing. 

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Clem Fandango replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 3 years ago
14 likes

I don't understand why certain individuals keep coming here making inflammatory comments designed, not to change attitudes or to be conciliatory, but to just be contrarian and drive conflict.

I know it gets responses and gives them kicks.  Maybe it's also a cry for help? (I know some people you could talk to).

This last wilfully ignorant comment is also extremely disrespectful to cyclists and other vulnerable road users as well as (the many) people who have lost loved ones at the hands of reckless motorists who "...have the power at their disposal to run cyclists over if they choose to do so." 

 

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lesterama replied to Clem Fandango | 3 years ago
8 likes

How do you block posters? If everyone stopped responding to it, things would be better all round.

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Hirsute replied to lesterama | 3 years ago
8 likes

You need a browser add on and a bit of config.

What we really need is a flag button, then you could complain about a post. When the mods get the 1000th reason of baiting, maybe they might do something.

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nniff replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
1 like

Agreed.  Can't the mods just switch the thing off?  Other sites like UKC would have put it in an oubliere a long time ago

Avatar
Steve K replied to nniff | 3 years ago
4 likes
nniff wrote:

Agreed.  Can't the mods just switch the thing off?  Other sites like UKC would have put it in an oubliere a long time ago

I think they misunderstood you and turned off the while website.

Avatar
SimoninSpalding replied to lesterama | 3 years ago
4 likes

I am not sure blocking is the right answer, I would always rather know what "the others" are saying and doing. We just need to support our new comrade @Nasal Forage showing a little bit of love and compassion, and be there for them if they start showing signs of PTSD.broken heart

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Awavey replied to Clem Fandango | 3 years ago
3 likes

Tbf Nigel has a point it does feel sometimes if they are struggling to find cycling news to fill the live blog, but theres always the dependable let's see what Jeremy Vine has to say on twitter today to fill the void.

Yesterday had a bunch of random twitter memes, today has already started with TikTok. I know it's the off season in racing,though theres content even from that if you look in the right places, but surely there is actual cycling related stuff out there without just copy/paste the latest twitter debate in the Vine channel.

For instance I noticed checking out the Surrey Road cops twitter feed yesterday, they promoted last week a BBC programme called "Crash Detectives Eps 4, a cyclist fights for his life after a crash with an articulated lorry" (that's the BBC description before I get accused of the reporting standards thing ) and its still on the iplayer... http://twitter.com/SurreyRoadCops/status/1456312937862340617

now I havent watched it yet but I dont recall anyone mentioning this before, or discussing it and yet I suspect it will provoke a heap of debate on a key topic about cycling safety and show how the police analyse crashes involving cyclists.

Surrey Road cops then also provided some follow up advice about shoulder checks, and blind spots on goods vehicles to be aware of, which might be considered a discussion topic in of itself as well.

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Hirsute replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
1 like

Thanks for the link. Will try and watch tonight.

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HoarseMann replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
1 like

Awavey wrote:

"Crash Detectives Eps 4"

Thanks for the link, just watched it. The collision was captured on dashcam, thankfully the cyclist recovered. It's at 19min 30secs in.

Clearly this was the cyclists fault, but I was surprised the police didn't pick up on the lorry driver overtaking across a junction. Whilst not illegal, it's advised against in the highway code.

Looking at the location on streetview, it is now a 'no right turn', but back in 2011 you could turn right and you can see why a cyclist might wish to take that route as it is more direct. It was also one of those horrendous bi-directional three lane roads where either direction could use the middle lane.

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stomec replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
6 likes

I love the live blog as it is, always entertaining.

Where else will I get my daily fix of topless rollerblading man pushing a pram videos?

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