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news
Cycling with earphones, yay or nay edition: Jeremy Vine panned for falling off bike and hitting pothole while wearing earbuds; Thibaut Pint-ot in the PSG Ultras; New Cervélo for Jumbo-Visma; Pogačar on for Track TT Olympics? + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
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Jeremy Vine hits pothole and falls off bike (Twitter: @theJeremyVine)14 December 2023, 09:12
Jeremy Vine hits a pothole and then falls off his bike in heavy rain, gets shamed for riding with earphones
As the saying goes, one man's poison is another man's meat. Our favourite live blog entrant's recent video shows him cycling to work early morning with the heaven relentlessly pouring from above. And with rain comes every cyclist's (one of the) worst nightmares, being taken for a fool by a pothole disguising itself as an ordinary puddle.
Something very similar happened to the Channel 5 presenter, presumably going to the office for another edition of his daily morning show through the Oxford Street at six-thirty in the morning. But as he decided to move over to the pavement to have a quick check of his bike, the water had collected on the side (ironically the beginning of a submerged bike lane) and Vine couldn't see the red line marking the raised kerb, making him go off his bike.
Fell off my bike. The heavy rain yesterday hiding the potholes on Oxford Street. Six-thirty in the morning, no one to blame but me. Treasured earphone pinged out... pic.twitter.com/lmlugVmJmd
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) December 13, 2023
"Ouch, that hurt a little," he said on the dubbed video. "And I had to fish my bike out of this stream."
He checked his camera and his light, but what he failed to notice that the one of his Bose earphones (worth £100 or so) had pinged out of the ear. The video shows him set off back on his route, now a little late for his work, realise the earphone was missing, take a U-turn, cycle all the way back (not falling this time), and find the stray earphone still lying, intact on the London pavement.
Unfortunately, Mr Vine's miseries didn't seem to end here. Cue people on social media barracking at him for cycling with earphones.
Dave replied: "Wait you wear earphones whilst cycling? This means that you will have reduced awareness of your surroundings due to your hearing being impaired. Also you don’t appear to of [sic] fitted a light to the front of your bike which shows other road users your direction of travel. Safety first."
Vine hit back with the classic grammar check, correcting Dave's misuse of "of" in place of "have".
Have. To have
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) December 13, 2023
More people got on his back for the activity, some lambasting him, some genuinely puzzled by the choice. Brian Anley said: "I can't even run with ear pods in because I feel so conscious if not knowing what is going on around me without my sense of hearing."
Now I have a feeling this might a divisive one. While Vine seemed to be unbothered by the trolls mocking for cycling with earphones, for many, riding with subdued senses is a real concern, and not something they'd be comfortable with doing themselves or even share the road with people doing likewise.
So what's your take on all this? Cycling with earphones, yay or nay? Let us know in the comments...
14 December 2023, 17:17
JV returns to the site of his fall, only to find a pothole so big it "made Santa look small"... and gets shamed for using earphones again
I don't know how does Vine keep doing it again and again. Maybe it's our collective attentions feeding him energy and he's building the next spirit bomb, soon to be detonated to take over the entirety of the cycling world on the internet.
But yeah, he's back. Back on the site of his fall, only to find a pothole so big that it made "Santa look small", complete with his quirky, outlandish animations (to be frank, it is quite a massive pothole). And of course, the story of admonishing him for using earphones while riding hasn't ended.
Today I returned to the scene of the fall off my bike … to see what Oxford Street Pothole #28 looked like when it wasn’t disguised by a pool of rainwater. IT WAS BIG https://t.co/6tYe5kD16a pic.twitter.com/J886Fy48iu
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) December 14, 2023
As soon as his post was up, there was a reply: "Maybe this time don't wear your earphone so that you're aware of what's going on around you."
Do potholes make a noise, then?
If you'll allow me, I will remove your car stereo and all the windows.— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) December 14, 2023
And there was Ross who made the situation about Edinburgh versus London.
That’s a mere scratch to the surface compared to the pot holes in and around Edinburgh. If you avoid one you hit another one. pic.twitter.com/cCPknULRF9
— Ross Cochrane (@Jambo_Ross) December 14, 2023
14 December 2023, 17:08
Council “escalates war on cycling menaces” with new town centre ban, saying: “We will not stop until we eradicate this behaviour”
A local council says it has “escalated” and “intensified” its “war on cycling menaces” by implementing a complete ban on riding a bike in pedestrianised zones, as part of a wider crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
North Lincolnshire Council announced this week(link is external) that a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is now in place in Scunthorpe and Brigg, following a public consultation earlier this year, introducing stronger powers and increasing fines for what the local authority describes as the “scourge” of “irresponsible behaviour”.
14 December 2023, 16:07
"Oh but what about emergency services?": Claims against cycling infrastructure hindering fire trucks refuted by Cycleway 9
Greater London Authority's Assembly Member from the Conservative Party Nick Rogers asked Mayor Sadiq Khan about the emergency response times on Chiswick High Road before and after Cycleway 9.
GLA Assembly Member @NickRogersLDN asked @MayorofLondon about emergency response times on Chiswick High Rd before and after #Cycleway9. Great news that London Fire Brigade response times were faster after #Cycleway9 pic.twitter.com/pIn4YX71Zf
— Hounslow Cycling (@HounslowCycling) December 12, 2023
And we'd like to say a big thank you to Mr Rogers, for this has resulted in making data public that shows that the presence of good, usable cycling infrastructure more often than not leads to a reduction of car usage, freeing up space for emergency services.
If you look past the times of 2020 and 2021, both riddled with Covid and lockdowns for the most part, the average response time for the first pump was almost similar to both 2018 and 2019. However, for the second pump, the response time fell well below those of 2018 and 2019, and matched the lowest ever average time in the past five years, recorded in 2020.
14 December 2023, 15:17
Now that's more of what we like to see!
Community projects across London get £575k total active travel grants including helping deaf ppl in Newham & Redbridge, LGBTQ+ women, trans & non-binary ppl in Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham & older Somali ppl in Tower Hamlets cycle more. Thanks @willnorman @tfl @LMFoundation_! https://t.co/mNgBObDkPP
— London Cycling Campaign (@London_Cycling) December 14, 2023
14 December 2023, 13:54
These are the best reflective cycling vests we've brought to light in hundreds of hours of night-time riding, along with our picks of other reflective cycling gear.
14 December 2023, 13:31
Philippe Gilbert and Loïc Vliegen found guilty of assaulting motorist following “dangerous overtake”
Former world champion Philippe Gilbert and Intermarché-Circus-Wanty pro Loïc Vliegen have been convicted of the assault and battery of a motorist who dangerously close passed them during a 2016 training ride.
The now-retired Gilbert was also found guilty of carrying and using pepper spray, which is banned in Belgium, during the ensuing roadside altercation – during which he fractured his finger – while the driver received his own conviction for the “intentional obstruction of traffic”.
14 December 2023, 12:52
"The developer has had three stabs at this junction without stakeholder involvement and it is still riddled with errors": Active travel group bemoans failed plans for a road crossing
A torrid affair has been afoot in the village of Bicester, with cyclists and pedestrians both disavowing a developer's latest plans for road crossings which form part of a 60,000 square metre business park site.
Active travel groups have labelled the third proposal by Peveril Securities Ltd for a pedestrian crossing in Lakeview Drive, Bicester “complex” and said it appears to have been put forward with "vehicles in mind".
Catherine Hickman, chair of Bicester Bike Users' Group, said: "The developer has had three stabs at this junction without stakeholder involvement and it is still riddled with errors. The pedestrian crossings are still pitifully indirect which will tempt users to dash across where there is no crossing.
"The islands and offset crossings are far too small to accommodate prams, mobility scooters, or wheelchairs. The cycle crossing lines up with the pedestrian only path which will encourage unnecessary conflict. Pedestrian and cycle paths are not segregated or buffered from the traffic, contrary to the county's own policies."
Robin Tucker of Oxfordshire Cycling Network echoed similar thoughts, reports Oxford Mail, adding that the cyclists and pedestrians seem to have been an afterthought, perpetuating similar drawbacks on planning we have seen repeat over and over again due to the ingrained motonormativity.
He said: "The proposed design is complex for people walking or cycling and seems to have been designed for vehicles first, with people fitted around the edges. We’d like to see a design that makes it easier and more intuitive for people to get where they want to go.”
Danny Yee, of Oxfordshire Liveable Streets, said: "National guidance is clear: a cycle track should have a one metre buffer from 40mph traffic, and must have at least a 0.5m buffer.
"If a design this bad is going to be put in, the speed limit on the A41 needs to be dropped to 30mph through this junction. A lower speed limit will also reduce the danger to those frustrated pedestrians who will make unplanned and unsignalled crossings to avoid slow and convoluted multi-stage crossings."
14 December 2023, 12:45
👀 Pogacar to take part in Track Olympics?
14 December 2023, 12:26
14 December 2023, 12:08
It's new bike day! Check out this new Cervélo
With Jumbo out the door, and Lease a Bike in, I wasn't sure if Cervelo would still stick with the yellow bee theme for the all-conquering Dutch team's latest bikes. But it turns out they haven't only stuck, but doubled-down with this gorgeous, intricate golden honeycomb accents on the latest Cervélo bikes, shared via the courtesy (aka Instagram) of Robert Gesnik.
14 December 2023, 11:09
Dooring – What is it, what does the law say and what should you do if it happens to you while cycling?
With Ford's latest announcement of an alert system for motorists to prevent from dooring cyclists (how considerate), here's a deep-dive on the wretched menace, covering everything you need to know about a danger to cyclists that is sadly too common.
14 December 2023, 10:55
Are you sure those Ineos Pinarello Dogmas don't look a lot like 2020 Bahrain's McLaren Meridas?
While I could see a lot of people not being too keen on Ineos Grenadier's new kits (I for one didn't mind them too much), I haven't seen many scorn at the team's new colourway for its bikes.
So as your live blog host, it naturally falls on me to make a case against and at least try and convince you to scorn at them.
To begin with, I'll be honest I'm not a fan of the gradient thing going on. Looks almost like one of those mid-2000s Microsoft WordArt gradient fills.
And is no one else instantly reminded of Bahrain McLaren's Merida Scultura from 2020?
> Check out Team Bahrain McLaren's 2020 Merida Scultura Disc
Gosh, I miss the early Ineos burgundy and aubergine colours!
14 December 2023, 10:16
Thibaut Pint-ot living his best life among the PSG ultras with a beer in each hand
I always knew that Thibaut Pinot had impeccable balance, but I never thought it was "screaming your lungs out in the stadium with two beers in hand" good...
Sa meilleure vie 🥺#BVBPSG pic.twitter.com/pauRSQmn3L
— Collectif Ultras Pinot (@UltrasPinot) December 13, 2023
In yesterday evening's final Champions League group game against Dortmund at the Parc des Princes stadium, Thibaut, the unanimous choice for the favourite rider at road.cc towers, was enjoying with two pints of beers in his hands with the Paris Ultras.
Maybe not enjoying as much, given that PSG just ended up scraping past Milan on goal difference. Ah Pinot, why did you have to go supporting PSG though...
Maybe we need to come up with a list of cyclists who could be on your Sunday league, or maybe even semi-pro football XI?
> Footballers who cycle XI — the Premier League stars who love life on two wheels
Adwitiya joined road.cc in 2023 as a news writer after completing his masters in journalism from Cardiff University. His dissertation focused on active travel, which soon threw him into the deep end of covering everything related to the two-wheeled tool, and now cycling is as big a part of his life as guitars and football. He has previously covered local and national politics for Voice Cymru, and also likes to write about science, tech and the environment, if he can find the time. Living right next to the Taff trail in the Welsh capital, you can find him trying to tackle the brutal climbs in the valleys.
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111 comments
They're humans?
They can't be - they appear out of nowhere. Not that I can see them due to the lack of hi viz, lighting or shoe reflectors.
shoe lights are cheap, there's no excuse for not having them!
SurreyHiller
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1 year ago
1 like
Headphone in left ear. Strap that joins it to the right earphone goes under my hrm so if I do need to pull the left one out it doesn't get lost. (Usually to chat to someone)
I can hear perfectly well when a car is behind me and when it's coming past. If for whatever reason I'm in the right lane for a period of time I'll take it out so I can hear cars on my left.
I wouldn't have both in as that would cut me off too much from the outside world.
The bone conductor ones I tried suffered from wind noise.
Tom_77
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1 year ago
9 likes
In response to Mayor Boris Johnson’s portrayal of headphone-wearing cyclists as a “scourge”, CTC has identified 4 cyclists deaths out of the 440 which have occurred in the past 4 years where it is suspected that the cyclist was wearing headphones. One was hit by one of two drivers racing at 80 mph (more than twice the local speed limit), another was killed on a bridleway crossing of a railway line, and it’s by no means clear what role (if any) the use of headphones played in the other two (although it appears likely that headphone use played a part in at least one of them).
There is some Dutch evidence suggesting that cyclists are more at risk when wearing headphones, by c40% (although another source suggests that the safety disbenefits of distraction due to music, mobile phone use etc are only detectable among younger cyclists). Still, what this doesn’t tell us is whether cyclists are any more at risk from wearing headphones than pedestrians are, and therefore whether headphone-wearing is any more problematic for cycling than for crossing the road.
In the absence of better evidence, CTC’s view is that headphone wearing is inadvisable, particularly if listening at high volumes and/or headphones that completely shut out external sound. However, the idea that headphone-wearing cyclists are any more of a "scourge" than headphone-wearing pedestrians is not borne out by any evidence we know of.
Geoff Ingram
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1 year ago
1 like
I think headphones are an individual choice. Many years ago, I used to use them. Stopped later as I found I was enjoying the music too much and hence distracted. Not dangerous for not hearing cars, but for being tempted to start headbanging and air guitar. Illegal where I live, anyway.
bigwheeler88
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1 year ago
3 likes
Whether or not I listen to music while cycling has no influence on if I die at the hands of a driver. Cars shouldn't be coming close to me regardless of if I'm wearing headphones. I've been knocked off a couple of times by cars creeping up behind me, and once by a lorry turning left and squeezing me out. They immediately told me I shouldn't have headphones on and should have a helmet, which is none of their business. I injured my head quite badly one time and I believe that the headphones actually helped cushion the blow to my ears.
Steve K
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1 year ago
11 likes
Here's an article literally ranking cars on how good they are at keeping out outside noise. https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-uks-quietest-cars-revealed/n17918
It isn't about the car blocking outside sounds rather the refinement of the car, arguably something that would actually aid in hearing ambient and outside sounds.
Taking the focus review as example:
"Ford has worked hard to reduce noise and vibration inside the Focus. The three-cylinder petrol engines, especially the 1.5, are pretty smooth and produce only a background thrum under hard acceleration; the 1.5 diesel is grumblier at idle but no worse than its rivals, and quiet at higher speeds.
There’s a bit of wind flutter over the Focus’s door mirrors on the motorway, but the suspension works reasonably quietly and tyre noise is as well suppressed as it is in a Golf; overall, it’s a much more hushed companion than an Octavia."
It isn't about the car blocking outside sounds rather the refinement of the car, arguably something that would actually aid in hearing ambient and outside sounds.
Really? I appreciate car manufacturers want to make it quieter on the inside and have some motivation for reducing engine noise / tyre noise in general. But unless you've got big ears and regularly bang along on your bike at 18mph upwards I'd have thought you can still hear better than being sat in a car.
Perhaps a road.cc noise shootout is in order?
You can certainly hear electric cars (much less engine noise than ICE) as soon as they're moving at normal speeds because road noise. If people aren't going deaf inside the car from that noise ...
Really? I appreciate car manufacturers want to make it quieter on the inside and have some motivation for reducing engine noise / tyre noise in general. But unless you've got big ears and regularly bang along on your bike at 18mph upwards I'd have thought you can still hear better than being sat in a car.
Perhaps a road.cc noise shootout is in order?
You can certainly hear electric cars (much less engine noise than ICE) as soon as they're moving at normal speeds because road noise. If people aren't going deaf inside the car from that noise ...
Maybe read the reviews, unless you want to frame it incorrectly like Steve that is. With regards comparing cycling to driving that's apples and oranges, compare a modern car with its older contempary.
I shall (I'm decades behind on the state of cars) ... and apologies if you were off on a different tangent about that - but the original road.cc article was about some (unaccountably famous) presenter on a bike and people complaining about cyclists wearing earphones. Hence the "but people seem to think it's OK in cars though?" - and comparing driving a car and cycling.
FWIW I'm a "listen to the surroundings" type anyway and I'd love to be walking / cycling more often in an environment where this didn't just mean "mostly to vehicle engine / road noise". (I love the incidental sounds of e.g. this urban environment)
So, to make sure I'm understanding, they are designed to block out the noise of the tyres on the road - which comes from outside the cabin of the car - but to let in other noises from outside the cabin of the car? How does that work?
If you'd actually read it-
The serenity of some of the choices is dependent on the suspension and tyres they're fitted with, so make sure you stick with what's recommended.
It isn't about blocking noise but generating noise. A car today has the same windows as a car from decades back, (unless you're in a maybach or something extremely high end). If you have cheap tyres that generate a lot of noise and an engine as rough as a 1980's ford 1.3 with tappets dancing an Irish jig under your bonnet, your awareness beyond that will be limited.
I can usually understand what someone says to me if I've stopped my bike and they've started talking to me before I stop my music. I guarantee that wouldn't be the case in a Wankpanzer luxury SUV with all the windows up, even with music playing at a low volume, or off.
There's a reason that people still use the universal "roll down your window" hand signal. It's so that the person inside the car can hear something quieter than a siren.
Adam Sutton
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1 year ago
2 likes
Blocking your ears with headphones doesn't seem sensible when cycling and therefore being a slower vehicle than surrounding traffic. I know a couple of people that use the bone conducting type of headphone that seems more sensible. If I see someone cycling with over the ear headphones though, I wonder if they are gunning for a Darwin award.
If I am driving with the radio on I can still hear ambient sound and also have mirrors, giving additional awareness of anything from behind.
That said I don't see how headphones played any role in gameshow host, radio presenter and brother of Edinburgh fringe winning comedian, Jeremy Vine not seeing a pothole hidden by a puddle.
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