"I need to check the power to see if he's got talent": Criminal mastermind behind G's bike theft was 15; Good Samaritan driver lends cyclist spare light; Peloton got worse; Aussie cycle fines; Xan der Poel; Riding through floods + more on the live blog

Geraint Thomas having his bike stolen while stopping for a coffee was Sunday's big story. How did it happen? Who was the culprit? How did they catch them? Well, G's spilled the beans on his Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast.

Firstly, the headline: the thief was a 15-year-old kid who looked all too delighted to have been arrested...

"[The police told me] he was 15," G explained. "The picture of him looked like he had just been to Disneyland...massive cheesy grin. I was like 'did he take that here?' You can't go around stealing bikes but I kind of wanted to help him because he can't be in a good place."

The bike, a Pinarello Dogma F, painted as a Pinarello Dogma F12, with mismatched wheels and a Thomas nametag wasn't even top of the 2018 Tour de France winner's priority list.

"They gave me my Garmin. That was the thing I was most worried about because I haven't downloaded my training this week. I'm going to have to download it and see if he's got any talent. See what speed and power he's putting out. He was lucky I charged my gears actually, at least it was in good working order for him."

So how did it all unfold? Well, it all began at a cafe in Menton when G and EF Education-Nippo pro Michael Valgren stopped for lunch. I wonder if Cannondale will kick up a fuss about the thief picking the Pinarello?

"We left our bikes outside and were sat at the table closest to the door. I could just about see the front of my wheel. Part of me was thinking 'should I move it?'. 
The owner of the cafe turned around and asked us 'two bikes? Ah but there's only one here' we laughed and were like 'okay, thanks mate'.

"He said, 'no no no no there's only one bike' we still thought he was joking but went outside...'Ah bollocks, my bike's gone!'"

Thomas had been home for 15 minutes when the police called saying they'd found it. "I was like 'bloody hell that was quick!'" G continued. "They saw a guy riding the bike and thought it didn't look right, he wasn't dressed like a professional athlete. They stopped him, a couple of them were cyclists I think, saw my name on it, arrested him and took the bike."

Now we wait for those all-important power numbers...

We're not sure if David9694 came to the right place when posting on the road.cc bike forum about his recent stay in a holiday cottage, and whether it's ever ok to sample the host's liquor collection.

Simon E suggested that this particular thread should be hosted elsewhere, but as it's led to a healthy discussion we'll leave it be for now! If you want to take a break from talking about cycling you can join in here.

Aussie cycling fines are a constant source of bewilderment for those of us on the other side of the world. In February, it was announced Melbourne cyclists would face a A$1652 (£900) fine for breaking the 10kph speed limit on the Southbank Promenade.

Then there was the Queensland cyclist fined A$1,000 (£548) for talking on her phone while riding.

Today's dose is a little less absurd, but still very costly. Why you'd want to undertake a car indicating left, I'm not sure, but any cyclist who does that in NSW faces a $116 fine, while in Victoria it's $182...

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by 𝗫 𝗔 𝗡 𝗗 𝗘 𝗥 (@xan_der_poel)

Remember that kid from the Tour of Britain? The one who attacked the breakaway on the pavement and got a bottle from Pascal Eenkhoorn for his efforts. If you hadn't already guessed from that cameo Xander Graham is a very talented young bike rider. A point proven by the fact he won the junior Scottish National Cyclocross Championships over the weekend. 

> Team Jumbo-Visma's youngest recruit steals the show in Scotland

Even better, Xander's Instagram handle is Xan_der_Poel. Come on, that's very good...

Some peoples ability and lack of fear amaze me
From IG: ryanmrodriguez pic.twitter.com/T3a6fnL92y

— UOldGuy🇨🇦 (@UOldguy) November 14, 2021

Yeah, I think I'll give that one a pass...

Russell Cutts, owner of Sheffield bike shop Russell's Bicycle Shed, has said the need for secure cycle storage in the city centre "couldn't be more urgent". The comment came as works on a new £330,000 secure bike hub in Telephone House were delayed.

The Star reports that in May plans were revealed for the secure unit on the ground floor of Telephone House tower on Charter Square. According to council documents it would have space for 200 bikes, a workshop, bike hire, sales, charging for e-bikes and changing rooms with lockers.

Of the £330,000 budget, £294,000 of funding was to come from the Local Transport Plan. Mr Cutts said he was disappointed by the delay and wanted to run the new hub, having already attracted up to 400 cyclists to his Midland Station facility.

"It's disappointing that the cycle hub plans for the city still haven't become a physical reality yet," he told The Star. "The last couple of years have been difficult for every business and local authority but the need for good quality secure cycle parking couldn't be more urgent.

"The roads have returned to being congested with car traffic since lockdown ended and many of those journeys could be done by bicycle however bicycle theft has rocketed in the city over the last 12 months and this discourages use. We are here ready to help the council realise its plans and create a secure cycle parking facility for users of the city."

Here's some positivity for your Tuesday morning...

Anyone who's commuted by bike, excluding the impeccably organised amongst you, will have probably experienced that nightmare scenario at some point. You're riding home in the dark and one of your lights dies. Maybe it's been flickering away on low battery for a while, forcing you to up the pace in a desperate bid to make it home in time. 

Colby hadn't realised her rear light was out of juice, but experienced a nice touch of humanity from a passing driver...

A car stopped me while I was biking home in the rain this PM. I was confused & prepared for a confrontation, but instead the window rolls down and with a light in hand the passenger says 'hey, I think your light died.. do you want this one to get home safe?'

More of this pls :')

— Colby Harder (@colby_harder) November 15, 2021

Melodie Bryant replied, saying "this is what happens when everyone is familiar with what it's like to be on a bike. That driver had either ridden, or had a relative who does." I've got to say, just from personal experience, the couple of times it has happened to me I've received friendly heads ups from drivers, rather than any Philip Pulman-esque aggression about the lack of lumens... 

And check out all this positivity in the replies...I had to double check it was actually Twitter...see, it's not all bad...

I keep cheap spare taillights in the glovebox to hand out to any bikers riding in the dark. Always feels really good to do it

— Adam Solar Rides (@AdamSolar) November 15, 2021

I was stopped at a street light while biking home, waiting for the light to change. A pedestrian thanked me as he walked in front of me in the crosswalk, and the car next to me rolled down their window and said “yeah, that’s great, thanks!” Unity!

— Jodi Smits Anderson (@greenerjsa) November 16, 2021

This summer, out on a training ride on a very lonely rural road, big pickup comes up and slows next to me, passenger window rolls down, I steel myself for the incoming abuse...

...guy hands me two apricots and they drive off.

— Bikini Atoll Six-Day Champion (@Eden_EdenEden) November 15, 2021

Few weeks ago I had the same thing. All wound up ready to argue. “What shorts are those mate?”

More of this please!

— Jon Klaff (@jon_klaff) November 15, 2021

the barge and a storm cyclist. how long will they stay in place?! #bcstorm pic.twitter.com/4ywBNdrR1L

— Daniela Gardea (@vangardea) November 15, 2021

Ah yes, it must be the time of year when all these clips of people riding on through the flood waters pop up on our timeline. This one's from Vancouver where Park Board officials announced the closure of Stanley Park and the seawall. However, this rider still managed to give bike surfing a go...

In answer to our question in the headline...we're saying 'no'. At best you, your bike and clothes are soaked through. At worst, things get very, very dangerous.

Back in 2014 a cyclist died in Oxford after trying to ride through floodwater along a towpath next to the River Thames. The incident happened at the same stretch of river where a teenager drowned in 2007 when he fell into the river.

> Film maker stays in NYC with his bike and video camera to document Hurricane Sandy (+ video)

We've seen similar, if not worse, videos to the one from Canada...back in 2019 an cyclist in Edinburgh was filmed riding past cars stranded in deep flood water.

What do you reckon, worth taking the long way round?