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"How is this possible?" Fiona Kolbinger shocks Strava with 428km ride averaging 30.5km/h; Cav's TDF return?; 'Mr Loophole' plugs tabard petition on Radio 4; Cycling DnB DJ makes pre-match coverage; Railway bridge infilling furore + more on the live blog

Jack Sexty is running your Monday live blog today for old time's sake, with perhaps the occasional contribution from other members of the team if he needs to sneak off and edit the site again...
Mon, Jun 14, 2021 09:20
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"How is this possible?" Fiona Kolbinger shocks Strava with 428km ride averaging 30.5km/h; Cav's TDF return?; 'Mr Loophole' plugs tabard petition on Radio 4; Cycling DnB DJ makes pre-match coverage; Railway bridge infilling furore + more on the live blogFiona Kolbinger Transcontinental day 1_Credit AngusSung.co_.uk for Transcontinental.cc
14 June 2021, 15:02
'Cargo bike mum' blog article: your thoughts and opinions
riders-picture-courtesy-sophie-gauthereau

We've had plenty of thoughtful and interesting feedback to the excellent blog article penned for road.cc by Sylvia Gauthereau, the cycling policy campaigner who was the victim of a social media pile-on after being photographed riding an e-cargo bike on the pavement with her daughter in the cargo box. 

brooksby said: "IMO part of the problem is how so many motorists appear to think that if a parent has their child with them, then it is somehow the parent's fault for putting the child in harm's way regardless of whether it is the motorist who is causing or threatening to cause harm."

jh2727 commented: "I found that when I had a child seat on my bike I tended to get given a lot more space - even when I was only using it to carry a rucksack. That said, I see quite a few secondary school kids riding school on my morning commute and they get treated like shit by motorists. The only school kids that are given any space on the road the road by motorists are the ones that ride in packs pulling wheelies.  I have also been mom-splained* for being irresponsible enough to tow my daughter on a tag-along on the road.

"*mom-splainer being a mother (and it always is) who feels (and is unable to resist) the urge to critize the parenting of people she doesn't know."

Have you read the article? If you haven't yet, we'd recommend taking 10 minutes to do so here. 

14 June 2021, 14:46
Drivers "should be sent back to the classroom to improve road safety for cycling", say children in Scottish road safety report
Children cycling in pop-up lane (YouTube)

The nationwide 'Changing Gears' report, commissioned by Cycling Scotland and co-designed by Children in Scotland, was the first to be produced in collaboration with children and young people. It revealed that some youngsters surveyed thought that drivers should receive extra lessons on driving safely near people on bikes. 

Others mentioned that there was a lack of safe places to cycle such as well maintained cycle paths and trails, while others suggested that there should be more signs reminding drivers to slow down. 

Christopher Johnson, Head of Training and Education, Cycling Scotland said: “Being responsible for the national cycle training programme for school children, Bikeability Scotland, we wanted to provide a mechanism where children could tell us their thoughts and feelings on cycling and road safety. 

"Partnering with Children in Scotland was the ideal opportunity to realise these aims, ensuring that even the methodology of the research was co-designed with children. 

"The findings of the report made very interesting reading, and demonstrate the important of listening to children. The report will help to inform our programmes and policies going forward.”

14 June 2021, 14:30
London Cycling Campaign targeting media appearances with top five "obnoxious, controversial, and over the top" transport policy ideas

Perhaps inspired by the coverage a certain legal professional has been getting recently, London Cycling Campaign asked its Twitter followers for ideas "to get on the radio". Popular entries included negative road pricing so cyclists and pedestrians would be paid for their journeys, compulsory high-vis for cars and 100 hours of on-the-road cycling for those wanting to pass a driving test. This one topped the LCC spice rating... 

14 June 2021, 14:45
Breakaway Bargate rolls on...
14 June 2021, 13:56
'Mr Loophole' lawyer Nick Freeman pops up on BBC Radio 4 to plug cyclist and e-scooter rider ID petition
Nick Freeman 2 - via Facebook

Following an appearance on Talkradio last week to talk about his petition, the lawyer Nick Freeman, who became well known for preventing dangerous celebrity drivers from receiving bans on technicalities, also spoke on Radio 4 this morning. 

Presenter Nick Robinson opened with: "If you've ever cursed a cyclist going through a red light or riding onto a pavement and felt powerless, you might like the sound of a proposal for a new cyclist registration scheme which would make anyone riding a bike display a registration number, the equivalent of a car number plate, so they can be held accountable for how they ride their bikes."

Repeating his widely-panned 'numbered tabard' idea that he has suggested since at least 2015, Freeman explains how it would work: "There would be a similar system to which that operates for motor cars. Each cyclist would be required to wear a registered tabard with a registration number on the back, so that if there was an offence committed, a member of the public would be able to obtain that information and report it to the police. 

"The police would then send out a section 172 notice, which is the same notice which is sent out to a driver who is the registered keeper of a motor car, and there would be a legal obligation to furnish information as to who was cycling at the time."

When Robinson says that car registration and "popping to the shops on your bike" with a numbered tabard are "not quite the same" Freeman fails to answer the question, instead saying he wants to promote "a harmonious and safe environment for all people" with his idea. 

Kevin O' Sullivan, a lawyer specialising in cyclists and cycling, tells Robinson that Freeman's idea will reduce rates of cycling, adding: "In those few cases where irresponsible cycling happens, they're mostly a danger to themselves."

Freeman's latest appearance has received quite a backlash on social media, with Guardian political correspondent Peter Walker listing numerous reasons why the scheme could be problematic. Thomas Penny added: "The suggestion that any motorist slightly irritated by a cyclist could report them to the police is also completely unsustainable. I couldn't believe they were giving it airtime"... 

14 June 2021, 12:13
Are we famous now? A response video to a response video on our '8 things they don’t tell you about disc brakes' video

Our latest video has led to some lively debate over on our YouTube channel - and cycling YouTuber Waynos Fotos has even taken the time to record his own video about it... 

In response, we'll say that there wasn't really a great deal of response to the video itself - marks out of 10 for Becca's excellent presenting, ambience, the stunning filming and photography? Waynos' video appears to be more of a critique of disc brakes on road bikes in general, but who are we to argue if road.cc gets a mention? Anyway, I'm off for a reduced lunch break so I can spend the rest of it sorting out my disc brake rub...

14 June 2021, 12:38
14 June 2021, 11:31
The BBC's cycling foreign correspondent Anna Holligan rides "the most football crazed street in The Hague"

From drum & bass + cycling to reading the news + cycling, Netherlands-based reporter Anna Holligan takes us through a neighbourhood in The Hague where residents have turned the streets into a sea of orange to mark the country's first appearance at a major football tournament since the 2014 World Cup. 

For those who aren't aware, Holligan posts daily news reports on her Twitter feed titled "Dutch news from the cycle path", where she does pretty much what it says on the tin by reading the day's news while she rides her electric cargo bike. And here's how she does it... 

14 June 2021, 11:16
Wishing road.cc tech writer and presenter Liam a strong recovery!
strength training for cyclists tag image

Unfortunately our own Liam Cahill hit a pothole at quite a speed over the weekend, "using his head as a sort of rudimentary brake" in the process. Thankfully Liam was riding with others who got him help ASAP, and by Sunday evening he was recovering at home with some BBQ. 

Feel free to leave Liam your best wishes in the comments! 

14 June 2021, 10:57
Bristol's foremost cycling drum & bass DJ makes it onto the BBC's England pre-match coverage

Dom Whiting's "proudest moment" came in the build-up to England's 1-0 victory over Croatia yesterday, as he made a guest appearance on the BBC's match coverage around half an hour before kick-off. 

We see Whiting riding his DJ-modified cargo bike around the country, waving the St George's flag and playing numerous patriotic songs as fans cheer back at him. According to our resident cycling drum & bass fan Oli Pendrey the appearance was a tad underwhelming compared to some of Whiting's regular mobile DJ gigs, claiming that his Cardiff set at the weekend was very entertaining and full of genuine jungle bangers. You can watch over 90 minutes of it here if you so wish to do so... 

14 June 2021, 11:50
Another sunny weekend, another case of a cyclist being intimidated by a motorists in London’s Richmond Park...
14 June 2021, 10:41
Railway bridge infilling furore - petition update on filling of Musgrave bridge in Cumbria generates huge backlash
railway bridge in-filling - via change org

The latest update to a petition aimed at preventing Highways England from filling in heritage railway bridges around the UK has provoked a furious response. 

The update to the 'Protect our railway heritage from Highways England's wrecking ball' petition, posted on 12th June, claims that it's looking "increasingly likely" efforts to save Great Musgrave bridge in Cumbria from being filled in will be lost: 

"Highways England started to infill this bridge on 24 May. It does not have planning permission and the local authority has twice asked it to stop. But it has continued with this vandalism regardless, citing Permitted Development powers which only facilitate temporary works in emergency situations presenting a risk of death or injury", said the petition's author. 

One commented: "They are doing the same to a railway tunnel on the old Bradford - Queensbury - Halifax line. They started to pour concrete down a ventilation shaft but had to stop after a local outcry. There are local plans to incorporate the tunnel into part of a cycleway between Bradford and Halifax but it seems that they are waiting to rush in and completely fill it, ignoring the fact that most local people want to keep it open."

The petition has attracted over 13,000 signatures so far, and says that while the UK’s network of foot and cycle routes "has brought new life to many old railways over the past 50 years", Highways England has plans to demolish or infill 3,200 of them. 

The author adds: "By adding your voice, the loudest possible message can be sent to Highways England and the Department for Transport: these assets must not be put beyond use if they could play a positive future transport role and all plans to do so must be subject to appropriate public scrutiny."

14 June 2021, 10:21
Much-loved retro jersey specialists Prendas Ciclismo to "transform business" - full story to follow
la vie claire jersey details - via Prendas

After 25 years it's time for change according to the owners, and it's generally sad news for Prendas fans - full story to follow soon. 

> The story of La Vie Claire's classic jersey, voted the greatest of all time

14 June 2021, 09:55
More of Fiona Kolbinger's recent leisurely rides + reaction so far
fiona kolbinger strava upload 24 may.PNG

Strava was impressed and it seems our followers are too, with plenty commenting on the extraordinary talents of the 26-year-old German doctor/ultra cyclist. Scrolling further down Kolbinger's Strava page reveals the monster rides aren't just occasional either - the upload above from 24th May appears to have been a solo effort, with 312km rode at a pace of 28.6km/h. Between 10th-13th May, she completed back-to-back huge rides of 295km, 291km, 342km and 165km, displaying the endurance and consistency that gave her that epic Transcon victory two years ago. 

Capture.PNG

On our Twitter page Alex White simply described the effort as "insane", while Rich_cb says Kolbinger is going to have to "up her game" - we detect a hint of sarcasm, perhaps in reference to this controversial article from last week... 

14 June 2021, 08:31
2019 Transcontinental Race champ Fiona Kolbinger leaves Strava speechless with "ridiculous" 428km ride averaging 30.5km/h
fiona kolbinger ride 14 june.PNG

It appears the postponement of the eighth Transcon ultra race to 2022 hasn't exactly led to its current champion taking her foot off the gas, as Fiona Kolbinger continues to put in huge mileage undertaken at incredible speeds. The latest one has been described as her most impressive yet, a 14 hour jaunt with a total distance of over 428km (266 miles) undertaken at a frightening average speed of 30.5km/h (18.9mph). 

We can see from Kolbinger's Strava upload that the total time her Garmin was running was 16 hours, meaning she took around two hours' break over the day. The particularly high average speed for a ride of this distance could have been helped by the fact that Kolbinger appeared to be riding with others, allowing them to draft each other to save some energy if they were riding as a group. 

Kolbinger's followers had their minds blown by this latest upload, with one commenting: "I don't even understand how this is physically possible!"

Another said: "How the heck do you maintain 30kph for 14 hours with 5000 elevation. I couldn't do that on an Ebike."

14 June 2021, 08:22
"Done? Nah mate": All the love for Mark Cavendish (and more speculation) after latest victory rolls back the years

Cavendish added yet another victory to his impressive comeback season at the Tour of Belgium, with teammate Remco Evenepoel taking the overall victory. As we reported at the weekend, it is still a possibility we might see Cav at the Tour de France if Sam Bennett doesn't recover from injury, and while being sceptical he didn't exactly deny it in this interview... 

...but boss Patrick Lefevere says Cav's contract will need to be renegotiated to make that happen, plus Lefevere's general feeling is that the Tour will be "too hard" for Cavendish. 

Still, we can dream and so can Cav's fans. The world of cycling is loving seeing the Manxman back at the top of his game. 

cav comments.PNG

 

Jack Sexty

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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57 comments

Avatar
nikkispoke replied to Dave Dave | 3 years ago
4 likes

The example I provided was a tunnel which requires water pumped out at very little cost (less than the typical cost of borrowing money to carry out capital work in normal years ie not with 0 % interest). To remove any infill for a tunnel is very expensive and difficult. The organisation that objects to HE activities includes structural engineers who understand how such structures work, likely remaining life and have stated individual structures that are in a reasonable condition. HE are being irresponsible as they are risking damage to the structure carrying out the infill work, loose stone does not provide any support to a structure above as stone settles. It only reduces the impact should such a structure fail. Equally if done properly the infill may aid a structure however many authorities have valid plans that may be jeapordised by HE actions. If they had sought agreement to protect and support the structures my reply would be different but they seem to be acting in a high handed independant manner without consultation and permissions.

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mdavidford replied to Dave Dave | 3 years ago
2 likes

Dave Dave wrote:

We've seen that the campaigners against the work are drastically underestimating the costs of what they want, so there's no real mystery. It's much, much cheaper in the long run to do this now, even if it means digging out the infill later.

On the other hand, Highways England seem to be drastically underestimating the value of keeping the routes open, with a typical assumption that walking and cycling, unlike driving, are essentially valueless activities, which fatally skews their cost-benefit analysis.

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hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
5 likes

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Liam!

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Compact Corned Beef replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
2 likes

*Tinfoil hat on*

All a conspiracy to drive up clicks around a helmet debate, I tells ya!

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hawkinspeter replied to Compact Corned Beef | 3 years ago
1 like

...but was the pothole wearing hi-viz?

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HoarseMann replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
1 like

hawkinspeter wrote:

...but was the pothole wearing hi-viz?

If not, I hope when Liam is feeling better he goes back with a can of fluro spray paint and draws the standard international pot-hole warning symbol around it.

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ktache replied to HoarseMann | 3 years ago
1 like

Someone has been spray painting dog poop fluoro pink on the bit of the Basingstoke canal that is part of my morning commute.

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HoarseMann replied to ktache | 3 years ago
1 like

Very public spirited of them - I just hope you don't get to work and a colleague asks what's that pink stuff on your face (or you've still got the pooguards fitted!).

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jh2727 | 3 years ago
0 likes

"From the article" wrote:

Another said: "How the heck do you maintain 30kph for 14 hours with 5000 elevation. I couldn't do that on an Ebike."

Who could? I mean the battery would be dead after the first few hours and then you'd have to haul all that extra weight up whatever remained of the 5000 (inches? feet? mm? km?) elevation.

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eburtthebike replied to jh2727 | 3 years ago
0 likes

jh2727 wrote:

"From the article" wrote:

Another said: "How the heck do you maintain 30kph for 14 hours with 5000 elevation. I couldn't do that on an Ebike."

Who could? I mean the battery would be dead after the first few hours and then you'd have to haul all that extra weight up whatever remained of the 5000 (inches? feet? mm? km?) elevation.

At least you could dump the battery in a hedge; to be recovered later of course, not abandoned.

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Rich_cb | 3 years ago
6 likes

Kolbinger is going to have to up her game if she wants that level 2 jersey...

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peted76 | 3 years ago
4 likes

I'd love to see Cav, on form, at the tour again, he's such an endearing personality, how can you not root for a bloke who gives it his everything on the road and wears his heart on his sleeve. If Cav went to the Tour, can you imagine the worldwide support he'd receive! 

That 'drag race' sprint finish was darn impressive, an excellent lead out, topped off by absolute class + supreme form. 

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Global Nomad | 3 years ago
0 likes

Its been years that strava users have been asking for a way to distinguish group rides from solo efforts and I guess Fiona's data once again shows the issue - a fantastic ride even if it was a group ride...but the aero effects, as we all know, of riding in a group make a huge difference. 

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Miller replied to Global Nomad | 3 years ago
3 likes

Global Nomad wrote:

Its been years that strava users have been asking for a way to distinguish group rides from solo efforts 

The list of people she was riding with that you can clearly see in her Strava activity is a clue, no? Is it even a good idea anyway, someone can do a group ride but you don't know if they sat at the back or were at the front the whole time.

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Global Nomad replied to Miller | 3 years ago
1 like

perhaps in this instance and if you follow someone, but segment leaderboards are still too opaque. still...i only consider my own times and improvements on them anyway. 
If you sit all the time on the fron tyou still get reduced drag from the riders behind you... 

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Awavey replied to Miller | 3 years ago
0 likes

Not always, I've ridden sportives just as a lone rider, never in a group of riders or using them for shelter or anything,just ride along at my own pace, and Strava has then grouped a bunch of riders who happened to be on the same route with me together.

So maybe she was in a group for bits,but maybe it's just other riders on the same route at roughly the same time.

Maybe she was just trying to get one of those Go Faster jerseys 1

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srchar replied to Global Nomad | 3 years ago
11 likes

I don't understand why people care so much about the purity of Strava leaderboards. If you want to race, why not join a race?

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Rich_cb replied to srchar | 3 years ago
0 likes

If you're bored check out the comments below the 'Alpe du Zwift' KOM.

Some people literally need to get out more.

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Nick T replied to Global Nomad | 3 years ago
1 like

It's far too easy to cheat a "solo" leaderboard - just get a dozen mates to lead you out and not record their ride et voila, you've done in all on your own

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jh2727 replied to Nick T | 3 years ago
1 like

Nick T wrote:

It's far too easy to cheat a "solo" leaderboard - just get a dozen mates to lead you out and not record their ride et voila, you've done in all on your own

or drive your car slowly*.

*with traffic being what it is in much of the UK, reaching an average speed of 30kmh would be difficult.

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Kapelmuur replied to jh2727 | 3 years ago
0 likes

jh2727 wrote:

Nick T wrote:

It's far too easy to cheat a "solo" leaderboard - just get a dozen mates to lead you out and not record their ride et voila, you've done in all on your own

or drive your car slowly*.

*with traffic being what it is in much of the UK, reaching an average speed of 30kmh would be difficult.

Or do what I saw during one of those named storms a couple of years ago ride a 4 mile segment with a  tailwind gusting to 40mph.

(they invited me to join them but I had ridden the 4 miles into the wind and was too knackered)

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996ducati replied to Global Nomad | 3 years ago
0 likes

I've asked Strava to add this functionality before. People hiding in the peloton and getting KOMS/QOMS seems unfair?

It would be good to have a metric to show how much of the ride each rider was on the front? This could contribute to your "effort" score?

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to 996ducati | 3 years ago
3 likes

GPS is not accurate enough for "front" etc. But "people hiding in the peloton and getting KOMS/QOMS". How do they guarantee they will do that and tbh, how sad are they for deciding to do this, and how sad are you for caring about it? 

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996ducati replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
0 likes

GPS is accurate to around 3m which a peloton can easily exceed. Combined with wheel speed sensors and/or Bluetooth I would suggest it is easily possible.As to why people feel the need to constantly "sit in" and save energy, you would have to ask them. Cycling in a peloton is a fantastic thing and to share the workload is a fair expectation (amongst a similar level of cyclists). Do I lay awake crying that people do this, no? Lifes too short to spend insulting people online who don't agree with your opinion, have a lovely day. 

 

 

 

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wycombewheeler replied to 996ducati | 3 years ago
0 likes

and how do you get strava to edit the leaderboards to remove people who had a 20mph tailwind? or who fortuitously followed a van at 25mph?

 

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andystow replied to wycombewheeler | 3 years ago
1 like

wycombewheeler wrote:

and how do you get strava to edit the leaderboards to remove people who had a 20mph tailwind? or who fortuitously followed a van at 25mph?

Exactly. For most of the segments around me, my best is about half the speed of the current KOM. But I do have two KOMs, one of them 24 MPH for over a mile on the flats, and a couple of climbs where I'm just a couple seconds off the KOM. All four segments are on my commuting routes and I've ridden them hundreds of times. Eventually I caught a perfect tailwind.

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srchar replied to 996ducati | 3 years ago
1 like

Important news! Grand Tour winners spend most of their time drafting behind their team mates. How unfair!

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