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The sequel nobody asked for — bike lane Amazon van is back; Wrong day for white shorts... cyclist rides alligator alley; Shell, domestic racing in crisis etc. etc. — British Cycling members welcome new CEO with extensive to-do list + more on the live blog

Happy Friday! Just one day to go until the weekend (only two days this week! Outrageous...) and Dan Alexander is in the hot seat for the final live blog of the week
Fri, Apr 14, 2023 09:07
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The sequel nobody asked for — bike lane Amazon van is back; Wrong day for white shorts... cyclist rides alligator alley; Shell, domestic racing in crisis etc. etc. — British Cycling members welcome new CEO with extensive to-do list + more on the live blogAmazon bike lane 2 (Edward Tissiman/Twitter)
14 April 2023, 10:26
The sequel nobody asked for — bike lane Amazon van is back

Guess who's back? Back again...

This is the sequel nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody, asked for. A few weeks back our Friday live blog covered the story of an Edinburgh cyclist, Edward, who waited 15 minutes for the driver of an Amazon-branded van to return from multiple deliveries to remove his vehicle from the segregated cycle infrastructure.

"I've never seen it without someone parked in it," Edward told us...

Amazon van driver Leith Walk cycle lane (Edward Tissiman/Twitter)

We got in touch with Amazon and the company was quick to point out that Amazon Logistics engages independent delivery providers to provide delivery services, meaning it's "important to note" that Amazon does not own the vehicles nor employ the drivers, so it would be "wrong to say Amazon driver". Good to get straight to the important stuff...

"We have very high standards for the delivery service providers we work with and how they serve customers. We are investigating the incident."

Clearly...

Anyway, at least the Amazon help account got involved this time, that'll sort it, I'm sure...

14 April 2023, 15:34
And if you'd rather watch our video

14 April 2023, 15:33
14 April 2023, 15:08
Mountain bike icon Danny MacAskill gets £8,500 stolen bike returned… after two years
Danny MacAskill Red Bull Athlete Machine (picture credit Red Bull)

> Mountain bike icon Danny MacAskill gets £8,500 stolen bike returned… after two years

14 April 2023, 14:58
Comment of the day
Live blog comment 14/4/23

 

14 April 2023, 14:08
Who'd have thought it? GB News deputy political editor makes the case for "connected, protected cycleways" and less hi-vis talk

Things I didn't expect to write today... 

Well, especially not considering the GB News back catalogue in our archives...

> Daily Mail and GB News journalist objects to 20mph speed limits because... cyclists don't pay tax (apparently)

> "I get irrationally angry about cyclists": Jeremy Kyle and GB News' primetime anti-cycling bingo ranting

> GB News presenter claims 15-minute cities and LTNs are "un-British" and "illiberal"

Yep, this is the comment of GB News presenter and deputy political editor Tom Harwood who shared this tweet...

Put your anti-cycling bingo cards away, folks... Harwood agreed...

"This is a really good point. High vis nonsense wouldn’t be necessary, roads would frankly look nicer, if we worked towards connected, protected cycleways."

I'm going to need a lie down, back with you in a bit... 

14 April 2023, 13:39
Run aeroboy run: Alex Dowsett set to pin a race number on again... at the London Marathon
2023 Alex Dowsett Nopinz - 1

What does a retired pro cyclist do to enjoy life after a career at the highest level? Run the London Marathon... (obviously)...

Dowsett brought the curtain down on his 12-year professional career at the end of 2022, a period during which he won two stages of the Giro d'Italia and six national TT championships. Now, free from the 'shackles' of life in the WorldTour, the 34-year-old is turning his hand to other sporting aspirations and will run next weekend's London Marathon to raise money for his haemophilia charity Little Bleeders.

"The London Marathon, you watch it every year and you only hear wonderful things from it. It looks incredible," Dowsett told the BBC. "25 miles on the bike was a distance I specialised in. In the back of my mind I knew that was near enough a marathon. On a good day it would take me 45 minutes to an hour. I always thought the prospect of doing that on foot was daunting.

"I'm definitely nervous about it. The transition [from cycling to running] has been quite difficult, my body is quite fine-tuned to riding a bike and whilst I have a good engine my chassis isn't ready for the impact of running so I've had to work on that."

14 April 2023, 11:57
London's dockless Lime bikes being hacked thanks to TikTok
Lime-E bike in Ealing (copyright Simon MacMichael)

One of London's most popular hire bike schemes is being hacked by users getting rides for free, London News Online reports, with TikTok videos reportedly showing how it's done.

> Westminster starts removing hire e-bikes from central London streets on safety grounds

Westminster councillor Paul Dimoldenberg said they are "very concerned about the apparent ease with which these bikes can be hacked and essentially used for free".

"There are videos across social media which demonstrate how to hack Lime bikes, and we hope that all dockless bike companies will do more to tackle this," he said. "If these bikes are hacked, the rider is untraceable and the bikes can simply be dumped with impunity."

14 April 2023, 11:48
Over half of UK drivers still confused by Highway Code change, shows survey
Highway Code (Department for Transport)

> Over half of UK drivers still confused by Highway Code change, shows survey

14 April 2023, 10:00
Wrong day for white shorts... cyclist rides alligator alley

Yesterday it was Kriss Kyle's 2,000ft hot air balloon BMX skills, today's it's this brave cyclist riding the snappiest gravel going that's causing us a non-training-related elevated heart rate...

Alligator alley, as we've named it, looks like a pretty good route for some sprint training. Just drop in a full attack every time you meet a frightening reptile... you'll be flying in no time...

Back in 2016, a Florida-based rider went viral for a YouTube video of him riding along a waterside path while bemoaning being "sick and tired with people putting these logs across the... oh that's a crocodile... or an alligator"...

Cyclist mistakes alligator for a log YouTube still.JPG

While visiting the southeasternmost U.S. state, Chris Froome was unphased by his gator encounter...

There is of course a more serious dangerous side to things... in 2021 a Florida man (yes, it's always Florida) sustained injuries after falling off his bike and landing on an alligator, while way back in 2015 one of the state's many reptiles was blamed for causing a six-rider pile-up after a group ride crashed after slipping on some scaly road kill.

14 April 2023, 07:53
"Big job, best of luck, please do your best by our sport": British Cycling members suggest some early priorities for new CEO Jon Dutton

There's a new boss at British Cycling...

Jon Dutton, British Cycling CEO ( Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

> British Cycling appoints Jon Dutton as new permanent CEO

No sooner had the email dropped and the social media posts sent, the requests for Mr Dutton's 'to-do' list were already flooding in from British Cycling members and the wider cycling community. We had mentions of Shell, the state of the British domestic racing scene, inclusivity concerns, too much focus on road and track, plus just about every other conceivable ask...

On Facebook, British Cycling's post received a comment from one onlooker asking Dutton to not forget "cycling is so much more than just road bikes", pointing out there's 'cross, MTB and BMX, all "massively underfunded".

Another, Lee Haigh, said: "I'm a 'working class' cyclist, but cycling especially road cycling, in my opinion, is far too much of a 'white middle class' sport dominated by mamil's (many drs, solicitors and dentists etc) who can afford tens of thousands of pounds of the best equipment available to the pros!

"We've never been a cycling nation like Belgium or France and never will be whilst it's only rich middle aged men that can afford it! That needs changing! I hope the new CEO will do something about that, but doubt it! Rich kids on expensive bikes!"

Rae Hughes commented: "So he wants to ensure 'British Cycling continues to ... positively impact communities ...' perhaps he might like to do something about the partnership deal with Shell that still has seven years to run. Surely a link up with a fossil fuel company, whose products do not 'positively impact communities', is not in the best interests of a sport with green credentials."

"Better step up to the plate for women's sport," Neil Lawson added.

Just a few things for consideration... as one comment pointed out: "Big job, best of luck, please do your best by our sport". No pressure...

14 April 2023, 08:18
The view from rugby league — "cycling's gain is league's loss"

Among the requests were good luck messages and thanks from those in the rugby league community who, from yesterday's reaction, were quite impressed by the job Jon Dutton did as CEO of the successful Rugby League World Cup events in England in 2021.

Former England league and union international Jason Robinson said British Cycling had made a "great appointment", while Mail Sport reporter David Coverdale agreed, saying Dutton "did a great job overseeing the Rugby League World Cup".

Leeds Rhinos legend Barrie McDermott said he is "sure you'll be a huge asset to the sport in the same you have been for us, good luck".

Positive reviews, I'd say...

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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37 comments

Avatar
GMBasix replied to Car Delenda Est | 1 year ago
2 likes

As well as its brand, it puts other spurious labels on, too. Labels that try to make out it's a huge HGV, instead of a panel van:

  • "Blind spot take care" (complete with image of big, butch, all-grown-up HGV). Apart from reversing (utterly the driver's responsibility) there is only a blind spot if the driver doesn't adjust/use the mirrors properly.
  • "Cyclists beware of passing this vehicle on the inside" on account of our some random, unaccountable driver is trained not to look what they are doing.
Avatar
ajft replied to Car Delenda Est | 1 year ago
1 like

Amazon van with Amazon colours and Amazon branding, they're happy to take all the advertising and credit when it goes right.  So very quick to wash their hands of it and claim "not us, independent contractor" when it goes wrong.  Can't have it both ways

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to ajft | 1 year ago
1 like
ajft wrote:

...Can't have it both ways

That should be the case but I think you'll find that like so many businesses "having it both ways" is the business model (drivers employed as "contractors" by Amazon Flex I believe).

Same goes for tax (unclear on Amazon's arrangements but it's usually "we barely make a profit in your country"...)

Avatar
brooksby replied to ajft | 1 year ago
0 likes

ajft wrote:

Amazon van with Amazon colours and Amazon branding, they're happy to take all the advertising and credit when it goes right.  So very quick to wash their hands of it and claim "not us, independent contractor" when it goes wrong.  Can't have it both ways

Unfortunately, they can (and seem to be actively encouraged to do so).

Avatar
Steve K | 1 year ago
20 likes

It's always the wrong day for white shorts.

Avatar
ErnieC replied to Steve K | 1 year ago
1 like

Steve K wrote:

It's always the wrong day for white shorts.

and white shoes, saddles and bar-tape. 🤨

Avatar
brooksby | 1 year ago
0 likes

This one is a news story that completely passed me by:

Shamed cyclist who killed woman, 79, on pavement before riding off found dead in woods

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/shamed-cyclist-who-k...

Quote:

Cyclist Stewart McGinn, 30, was jailed for 12 months in July last year but went missing after being released from prison after serving just half his sentence.

Police put out a missing person appeal after he was last seen near his home address in Monmouth, South Wales, on Tuesday. Today the Gwent force said: "A body of a man was discovered in woodland. Formal identification has yet to take place, however we have notified the family of Stewart McGinn.

...

Footage shows McGinn flee from the scene after knocking [Jane] Stone to the ground in Monmouth, South Wales. After hitting her, [her friend] screams at him to stop. She shouted: "I'm on my own, please stop, come back and help." The cyclist handed himself in three days later.

Prosecutor James Wilson said McGinn - who only had one working brake on his bike - came round the corner "at speed" and collided with [Stone]. He said: "She fell to the ground landing on her head and suffered a severe fractured skull. The defendant did not stop or offer any assistance but cycled away."

 

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