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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...
Thu, Nov 11, 2021 08:52
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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 blogVolvo Cars and POC develop world first car bike helmet crash_test (4).jpg
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, 17:06
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, 15:33
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, 10:01
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 Alexander

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
SimoninSpalding replied to stomec | 3 years ago
2 likes

There is a place....

*LINK REMOVED*

Avatar
Surreyrider replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
1 like

Have to agree with your point although I'm not exactly a fan of Surrey Road Cops (another Road CC obsession along with Vine) because the police here don't actually take action when they're given video evidence of bad/dangerous drivers. 
Road CC could do a million times better with not much effort. 

Avatar
Mungecrundle replied to Clem Fandango | 3 years ago
12 likes

I vote that Nasal be the designated and only responder to Nigel.

Avatar
Clem Fandango replied to Mungecrundle | 3 years ago
2 likes

Mungecrundle wrote:

I vote that Nasal be the designated and only responder to Nigel.

Sold

Avatar
stomec replied to Clem Fandango | 3 years ago
1 like

Nasal Forage wrote:

Mungecrundle wrote:

I vote that Nasal be the designated and only responder to Nigel.

Sold

A job for life!

Avatar
mdavidford replied to stomec | 3 years ago
6 likes

stomec wrote:

Nasal Forage wrote:

Mungecrundle wrote:

I vote that Nasal be the designated and only responder to Nigel.

Sold

A job for life!

Doesn't seem like much of a life, to be fair.

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism replied to mdavidford | 3 years ago
0 likes

Would be interesting if Socrapi and Nasal know each other? Was the former banned and not signed up as the latter. Or did the former ask for his account to be deleted as they were fed up of others on the site and then came back again anyway?

Avatar
SimoninSpalding replied to Clem Fandango | 3 years ago
2 likes

We're right behind you!laugh

Avatar
Sriracha replied to Mungecrundle | 3 years ago
3 likes
Mungecrundle wrote:

I vote that Nasal be the designated and only responder to Nigel.

Cometh the bogeyman!

Avatar
open_roads replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 3 years ago
6 likes

Showing everyday carelessness by vehicle drivers and writing about it doesn't endanger anyone.

Doing nothing / pretending it's not happening endangers everyone.

Gaslighting the people who are actually out at risk on a daily basis by writing they shouldn't be allowed to do so....that's just plain stupid.

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 3 years ago
2 likes

Nigel Garage wrote:

His willfully ignorant tweet is also extremely disrespectful to people who have lost loved ones at the hands of reckless cyclists.

Once again the right proves that when it comes to desperately seeking reasons to be offended, they're far bigger snowflakes than the left will ever have. Desperate.

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