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‘It’s not called road tax!’; Autumn Statement reaction; Anti-LTN activists make video game where cyclists “transform streets”, and it’s fun; Le Col-Wahoo in danger after sponsor pulls out; Wiggins Jr aims high; Nairo’s coming home? + more on the live blog

It’s Thursday and Ryan Mallon’s back for the penultimate live blog of the week, hoping it goes down better than Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement
Thu, Nov 17, 2022 09:31
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‘It’s not called road tax!’; Autumn Statement reaction; Anti-LTN activists make video game where cyclists “transform streets”, and it’s fun; Le Col-Wahoo in danger after sponsor pulls out; Wiggins Jr aims high; Nairo’s coming home? + more on the live blogHill climb graffiti Pay your road tax (Image Ali McLean)
17 November 2022, 17:49
“By putting ‘Road Tax’ into the headline, the BBC is pushing (yet again) an anti-cycling agenda”: Reaction to BBC’s VEDisaster as cyclists blast broadcaster for referring to ‘road tax’

After the BBC (as well as the Treasury, and the Guardian) took on the role of the classic anti-cycling punter by referring to ‘road tax’ in a headline about the Autumn Statement, road.cc reader hawkinspeter decided to complain to the broadcaster.

Here’s the complaint:

The article has a headline ‘Electric car drivers to pay road tax from April 2025’ and this is completely inaccurate. The article refers to VED and not ‘Road Tax’ as that hasn’t existed since 1937.

What is particularly annoying about this is that a certain segment of the population refers to ‘Road Tax’ when complaining specifically about cyclists and so by putting ‘Road Tax’ into the headline, the BBC is pushing (yet again) an anti-cycling agenda and prompting yet more abuse against cyclists out on the road.

There is literally no sensible reason to use the incorrect and out-of-date ‘Road Tax’ except to try to hurt people who cycle.

Meanwhile, IanMK was confused about something missing from the instructions of Brighton’s latest cycling video game sensation.

"How do you know when you’ve won?" he asked. "Is it the point at which climate catastrophe is averted?"

Great point...

17 November 2022, 14:15
‘Stop saying Road Tax!’

On the subject of vehicle excise duty applying to electric vehicles from 2025, or as Auntie Beeb calls it, the mythical ‘road tax’:

Remarkably, it’s not just the BBC referring to ‘road tax’ like they’re your favourite anti-cycling bingo caller down the pub.

Even the government itself is failing to keep up with the times (which in this case means anything after 1937, so par for the course for the Conservatives then)…

Toby also makes another interesting point about the BBC’s rather casual use of language, which – as the corporation itself told us a few weeks ago – isn’t that important after all:

> “We try to use language that ordinary people use”: BBC defends use of “accident” to describe road traffic collisions 

17 November 2022, 16:48
Meanwhile, over at GB News and Fair Fuel UK…

Head on over to our sister site ebiketips for the full story:

> Electric car owners may have to pay VED – but there are plans to raise fuel duty by 23% 

17 November 2022, 16:06
Ben Wiggins and Bradley Wiggins, 2022 British Track Championships (Will Palmer/SWpix.com)
“My dream is to win Flanders, Roubaix, the world championships, and wear the yellow jersey”: Ben Wiggins has big ambitions

It will come as no surprise to most that 2012 Tour de France winner and self-styled Mod icon Bradley Wiggins’ son, Ben, is not lacking in confidence.

The 17-year-old, who is currently racing in the ‘future’ field at the famous Gent Six Day, has set his sights on winning big as soon as possible.

“My goal next year is to be junior world champ on the road and track,” he told Belgian media at t’Kuipke velodrome earlier this week. “It’s big, but you have to have big ambitions otherwise there’s no point really. I have a lot of confidence in myself and my ability.”

Clearly. But young Ben won’t be just content with a pair of junior rainbow jerseys.

“In an ideal world I’d be the best ever, but it’s not always an ideal world,” Wiggins Jr said. 

“My dream is to win Flanders and Roubaix, become world champion, and wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.

“Hopefully go higher than that as well, even bigger. I feel like I’ve got the work ethic and ambition to do that. So yeah, keep watching me.”

Ben Wiggins and Bradley Wiggins, 2022 British Track Championships (Will Palmer/SWpix.com)

[Will Palmer/SWpix.com]

Ben’s early appearance at t’Kuipke means that three generations of the Wiggins family have now raced on the boards of the venerable old velodrome in Gent, after dad Brad and grandfather Gary, an Australian six-day specialist in the 1980s.

“This was my father’s favourite place to race. His dad raced here as well, so three generations of Wiggins have raced on that track now,” Wiggins noted.

“It’s a special place. It’s the Mecca of cycling for hardcore cycling fans. I came here when he [Bradley] won with Cav in 2016.

“I hear stories all the time, my dad loves this place. It’s hard to put into words. I got goosebumps just walking in. There’s an atmosphere about the place you don’t get anywhere else. It’s special.”

When asked to compare himself to his Olympic gold medal-winning father, Wiggins added: “I’m quite similar to my dad, maybe, but there are a lot of similarities with my grandad, Gary, as well.

“My dad was quite skinny and I’m a bit bigger. I don’t want to put a label on what I am yet because I’m still young. People said my dad would never be able to climb when he was younger.

“I want to win everything, so we’ll have a go.”

What are the odds for the 2030 Tour de France?

17 November 2022, 15:51
17 November 2022, 15:25
‘Imagine when he gets Zwift’: Eliud Kipchoge hits the turbo trainer

Just think, the next time you’re in the shed struggling to turn the pedals on Zwift, marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge could be in charge of the avatar blowing past you.

38-year-old Kipchoge has joined the millions of cyclists around the world dedicated – or confined – to the turbo trainer this winter, and posted a video of himself trying out his new indoor set-up, sent to him by L39ION of Los Angeles pro (and son of Olympic-winning middle distance runner Steve) Freddy Ovett.

“When Eliud Kipchoge, the GOAT, sends you a video rocking the kit you sent out,” Ovett, who has raced for Israel Cycling Academy and briefly as a stagiaire for BMC, and currently excels in the world of eSports, wrote on Instagram.

“Inspiring to see this legend using the bike as a tool to help redefine marathon running – epic. Zwift next?”

Kipchoge, an Ineos-sponsored runner who holds four of the five fastest marathon times in history, replied: “It’s wonderful to be on the bike, especially for my recovery! Freddy, you are inspiration to me my brother! We will go far on inspiration and empowerment of sport.”

Reminder – never enter a Zwift race with Kipchoge…

17 November 2022, 14:48
Come on Ineos, you know you want to…

Sounds like a plan. Will they do it? Probably not.

Gotta spend all that oil money on another Ganna hour record attempt…

17 November 2022, 13:27
17 November 2022, 13:13
BMW i3 electric car (licensed CC BY 2.0 by Karlis Dambris on Flickr).JPG
Autumn Statement reaction, part two: VED expansion “too soon” and “could discourage people from switching” to electric vehicles, says charging app founder

More from Jezza Hunt’s much-anticipated Autumn Statement today, as the Chancellor’s announcement (reported over the weekend by road.cc) that electric car owners will have to pay vehicle excise duty (VED) from April 2025 has been roundly criticised by those within the EV industry.

> 'Road tax' is coming... but not for cyclists

“At this critical time for our environment it is infuriating that the UK government would throw up a new barrier for people looking to change from a polluting car to electric power,” says Patrick Reich, the co-founder and CEO of EV charging app Bonnet.

“We should be speeding up the transition to zero emission transport, not slowing it down. While it’s accepted that as millions more people climb into electric cars that they would eventually have to pay some form of road pricing, the proposed 2025 timetable is too soon and could discourage people from switching earlier.”

17 November 2022, 12:52
Autumn Statement reaction: Import duty on aluminium bike frames reduced

We’ll have more on Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement later, but here’s some of the reaction to the announcement that one of the Chancellor’s measures “will remove tariffs as high as 18 percent on goods ranging from aluminium frames used by UK bicycle manufacturers to ingredients used by UK food producers”:

Now, we just have to wait and see whether the dreaded cuts to the government’s active travel budget – which, if true, will be revealed later in the Treasury’s detailed spending plans – will actually come to fruition… 

17 November 2022, 12:08
Le Col Wahoo (press release)
Le Col-Wahoo in danger after sponsor pulls out, with riders told to find new teams

The precarious nature of pro cycling sponsorship appears to be on ongoing theme this winter, as Le Col-Wahoo revealed today that it is scrambling to secure the squad’s survival after one of its sponsors pulled out, almost halving the UK-based women’s team’s budget.

While it’s not yet clear which of the squad’s main backers has pulled out, sports director Tom Varney told VeloNews this morning that it will leave a hole of around €400,000 in the budget for 2023.

Le Col and Wahoo came on board to sponsor the second-tier team, formerly known as Drops, in 2021 and 2022 respectively, and oversaw a boost in the outfit’s finances and stature. The British team took part in the first edition of the revamped Tour de France Femmes this year, with their highest overall placing coming courtesy of Manx rider Lizzie Holden (on her way to UAE Team ADQ for next season), who finished 36th on GC.

However, the last-minute withdrawal has left the team’s management scrambling – both to fill the sudden funding gap but also to help their riders find new teams for 2023.

Le Col Wahoo (Zac William/SWPix.com)

Zac Williams/SWPix.com

“One of our main partners has said that they can’t fulfil their agreement with us so as of last night I made all of the riders and staff aware that they should find another deal,” Varney told VeloNews.

“I’m also speaking with other managers that I know to try and help them with that as one of our priorities. As of this morning, I think three or four of them have something, which is helpful.

“If we can move on some of our highest-paid riders it gives us more of a chance of continuing. We have some other conversations ongoing to fill the gap but as things evolve in the next hours and days, I think what we can do next year will become clearer. It is a particularly unfair situation to be put in, especially at this stage.”

While Varney is rushing to secure contracts for his riders elsewhere, he remains optimistic that the team will be able to continue in some fashion, perhaps at a lower level, next year.

He added: “As things stand, we have our second highest budget for next year, so it’s still a positive situation based on what we’re used to. It’s not near what we had last season.

“I think the most likely situation is that we’ll continue on at a lower level, but I don’t know what that will look like and what structure and race program we can provide.

“I’m not shying away from it, and I’m trying to help riders and speaking to managers. We have a lot of good people who have taken it quite well considering. Let’s see how it evolves.”

17 November 2022, 11:51
Nairo Quintana 2022 TDF (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
Nairo’s coming home: Could a third-tier Colombian squad save Quintana’s career?

While most of the cycling world focuses intently on the ongoing ‘Saga of Cav and the precarious French team’, former Giro and Vuelta winner Nairo Quintana’s future in the sport remains up in the air.

The 32-year-old Colombian is currently without a home for 2023 after Arkéa-Samsic – the French squad he joined in 2020 – distanced themselves from Quintana and pulled out of a planned three-year contract extension after he tested positive for the painkiller tramadol at this summer’s Tour de France.

While Quintana has continued to deny taking the drug (which won’t be on WADA’s banned list until 2024 but is currently prohibited in-competition by the UCI), at the start of November the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the former Movistar man’s disqualification from the Tour, and loss of his sixth place on GC.

With Quintana’s professional career teetering on the precipice of drug-related ignominy (don’t forget, the diminutive climber was also the subject of a criminal investigation into alleged doping following a raid at the 2020 Tour), several WorldTour squads have already moved to distance themselves from the Colombian’s signature.

However, a small window of opportunity may have finally opened for Quintana – in the shape of third-tier Colombian squad, Team Medellín EPM.

The Continental outfit, which this year won the Vuelta a Colombia and boasts old-timers such as Fabio Duarte and – remarkably – 46-year-old Operación Puerto alumnus Óscar Sevilla, issued a ‘come and sign for us’ appeal on Twitter this morning, promising Quintana both a return to his roots and a full diet of top-level racing.

“Nairo is our great representative of Colombian cycling to the world,” the team tweeted. “For this reason, from Team Medellín EPM, we offer you to continue your sports career with us with a wide national and international calendar.

“How proud it would be for Medellín for you to represent us.”

While the three-time Tour de France podium finisher is yet to respond to Medellín’s rather ambitious plea, VeloNews reports that he is continuing to train in preparation for 2023 and will host his Gran Fondo Nairo in, funnily enough, Medellín this weekend.

Retired pro Víctor Hugo Peña, the first Colombian to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, told the country’s media this week that he expects Nairoman to continue racing next year and beyond.

The former US Postal rider and teammate of Lance Armstrong (so he knows a thing or two about emerging unscathed from sticky situations) said: “This is proving hard for him, but that’s when the great ones are forged.

“I confide in him, and he’s a strong guy, who’ll cry, wipe away the tears, and he will continue. I am positive he will not give up. What he has to do is speak with his legs, and do what he’s always done, this guy with a hard and strong face. Now is the time that he has to go forward, and that would be one of his most important victories.”

17 November 2022, 10:24
It’s that time of the year again, folks…

I’d completely forgotten all about the giant, paper mache Stefan Küng statue. It’s been a long year… 

17 November 2022, 09:47
Classic Twitter Bantz

This is the kind of top-notch banter we’ll miss when Elon Musk finally ruins Twitter for good (not to mention the live blog will be a much shorter affair).

17 November 2022, 09:18
Brighton anti-LTN game (Stop the LTN)
Anti-LTN activists make video game where cyclists “transform streets” – and it’s actually pretty fun

If you’re the type of person who, after a tough commute home from work, likes to spend the long winter nights huddled around the Sega Mega Drive (or whatever the kids are playing these days), I have just the game for you.

‘Brighton & Hove City Council’s Local Traffic Nightmare’ (snappy title, I know) combines two things dear to the heart of every road.cc reader: riding bikes and helping to make our roads a safer, more pleasant experience for everyone.

In the game, says the helpful (and hilarious, but we’ll get to that in a minute) instructions page, “your mission is to make using cars an extremely unpleasant experience so the residents give up – they can either walk or cycle.” Sounds brilliant.

Once you click ‘Play’, you will enter the game’s Farfisa organ-soundtracked 2D world, where you can ride around, installing cycle lanes, bike hangars, and planters for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods as you go.

> Council "investigating" after driver outrage at cycle hangar "deliberately" blocking car parking spaces

Admittedly, the gameplay isn’t exactly Pro Cycling Manager, the graphics belong in a 1980s arcade, and your computer feels on the verge of a catastrophic meltdown the whole time you’re playing it…

But hey, a game where you can simply ride your bike around and make streets safer at the same time – what’s not to love?

Brighton anti-LTN game instructions (Stop the LTN)

What’s that? The game is actually the brainchild of a bunch of anti-LTN activists in Brighton?

Well, you could knock me down with a Volkswagen Polo.

According to the Argus, the game was invented by campaigners opposed to Brighton & Hove City Council’s plans to install a ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’ in the Hanover and Tarner area of the city, to parody the “absurd idea”.

Anti-LTN campaigner Chris Beaumont told the Argus: “It’s a lot of fun and a very tongue-in-cheek look at the way these things have developed.

Chris says the game, based on a similar arcade-themed satire of Southern Rail, “does get the message across and highlights the absurdity of what’s going on. It’s a great idea and some people will find it funny.”

> Anti-cycle lane councillor now furious that HGVs are putting schoolchildren in danger

Ah, of course – now all that stuff in the instructions about the “collateral damage” of LTNs, “extending the misery”, and “knowingly and intentionally making residents’ lives painful” makes sense now. Well, it doesn’t, but you know what I mean.

Interestingly – and I’m not claiming that this says anything about the perspectives of those involved in the making of the game – when your mini cyclist rides on the pavement, you’re reprimanded for “hitting an elderly person”.

But… when a motorist strikes you, knocking you from your bike, the car also explodes into pieces, and you’re pointedly told: “You have been caught being bad at cycling”.

Hmmm…

Brighton anti-LTN game gameplay (Stop the LTN)

Brighton & Hove City Council told the Argus they are aware of the game, and criticised it for its “inflammatory and disappointing language”.

A spokesperson for the council said: “The Liveable Neighbourhood trial aims to reduce the ongoing creep of traffic into residential streets.

“This would make our streets safer and our air cleaner for residents, and discourage unnecessary car journeys.

“All properties will still be accessible by vehicle. We’re also working to ensure the needs of people with disabilities are considered.”

As for the game? I think I’ll stick to PCM, thanks.

Ryan Mallon

After obtaining a PhD, lecturing, and hosting a history podcast at Queen’s University Belfast, Ryan joined road.cc in December 2021 and since then has kept the site’s readers and listeners informed and enthralled (well at least occasionally) on news, the live blog, and the road.cc Podcast. After boarding a wrong bus at the world championships and ruining a good pair of jeans at the cyclocross, he now serves as road.cc’s senior news writer. Before his foray into cycling journalism, he wallowed in the equally pitiless world of academia, where he wrote a book about Victorian politics and droned on about cycling and bikes to classes of bored students (while taking every chance he could get to talk about cycling in print or on the radio). He can be found riding his bike very slowly around the narrow, scenic country lanes of Co. Down.

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114 comments

Avatar
mark1a replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
0 likes

brooksby wrote:

I presume that they'll just charge EV "a fixed amount" of VED.  VED is based on emissions (hence why bicycles would be zero-rated), and EV don't produce emissions at point of use.

(Apparently the EV owners are already being hammered by the increase in the price of electricity making them not a lot cheaper to run then ICE vehicles).

Annual VED has not been based on emissions for new registered vehicles since March 2017. Year 1 is a one-off amount based on CO2, Then £165 a year after that (this is £520 for first 5 years if list price was over £40k). Therefore I suspect EVs will attract a flat rate.

Avatar
Awavey replied to mark1a | 2 years ago
2 likes

new zero emission cars registered on or after 1 April 2025 will be liable to pay the lowest first year rate of VED (which applies to vehicles with CO2 emissions 1 to 50g/km) currently £10 a year. From the second year of registration onwards, they will move to the standard rate, currently £165 a year 

zero emission cars first registered between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2025 will also pay the standard rate

zero and low emission cars first registered between 1 March 2001 and 30 March 2017 currently in Band A will move to the Band B rate, currently £20 a year

Avatar
Simon E replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
0 likes

BBC has now corrected the headline: Electric car drivers must pay tax from 2025

Guardian has not.

I don't know why it has to wait until 2025.

Avatar
JustTryingToGet... replied to Simon E | 2 years ago
2 likes
Simon E wrote:

BBC has now corrected the headline: Electric car drivers must pay tax from 2025

Guardian has not.

I don't know why it has to wait until 2025.

Non cynical: waiting for electric vehicles to be cheaper to buy and run than ICE
Cynical: after the GE

Avatar
brooksby replied to JustTryingToGetFromAtoB | 2 years ago
7 likes

JustTryingToGetFromAtoB wrote:
Simon E wrote:

BBC has now corrected the headline: Electric car drivers must pay tax from 2025

Guardian has not.

I don't know why it has to wait until 2025.

Non cynical: waiting for electric vehicles to be cheaper to buy and run than ICE Cynical: after the GE

It does seem that a lot of the announcements made in this budget will not actually take effect until after the next general election.  Coincidence, I'm sure...

Avatar
brooksby replied to Simon E | 2 years ago
3 likes

Simon E wrote:

BBC has now corrected the headline: Electric car drivers must pay tax from 2025

Guardian has not.

I don't know why it has to wait until 2025.

Maybe they just mis-spelled it... 

Avatar
CyclingGardener replied to Simon E | 2 years ago
0 likes

Think I heard 'car tax' on Today prog this morning.

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Steve K replied to CyclingGardener | 2 years ago
0 likes

CyclingGardener wrote:

Think I heard 'car tax' on Today prog this morning.

I heard road tax, but they may have used both.

Avatar
IanMK replied to kinderje | 2 years ago
4 likes

I saw this earlier and was going to complain, when I had a minute, but they've already changed it. Now "Electric car drivers must pay tax from 2025".

I suspect that even that headline is misleading. If the VED is applied the same way as it is to petrol and diesel cars then it will only apply to new cars from 2025 so there'll still be a lot of EV drivers not paying tax "for using the road" .

Avatar
Hirsute replied to kinderje | 2 years ago
1 like

Still got the concept that it pays for the roads though

"RAC head of policy Nicholas Lyes said: "After many years of paying no car tax at all, it's probably fair the government gets owners of electric vehicles to start contributing to the upkeep of major roads from 2025."

This tax is not hypothecated except for the Nation Roads Fund for the strategic road network (28.8BN over 2020 to 2025).

Avatar
Simon E replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
1 like

hirsute wrote:

Still got the concept that it pays for the roads though

The BBC article quotes Edmund King of the AA:

"This may delay the environmental benefits and stall the introduction of EVs onto the second-hand car market. Unfortunately the chancellor's EV taxation actions will dim the incentive to switch to electric vehicles"

The article continues: anyone buying a new car - electric or otherwise - priced at more than £40,000 will face having to pay £165 in tax plus a £355 expensive car supplement every year from the second to sixth year of registration.

So people will refuse to buy an EV because they will have to pay £3/week for VED? (or £10/week with the supplement, perhaps that means they'll have to cut back on the Moet & Chandon, the poor things)

Avatar
Awavey replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
3 likes

nearly every single quote in that article, even the LGA mentions its to pay for upkeep and wear & tear on roads no

Avatar
mark1a | 2 years ago
6 likes

I think I just heard the chancellor announce that import tariffs are to be dropped on bicycle frames. 

Avatar
VanDerBike replied to mark1a | 2 years ago
2 likes

Yep!

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BalladOfStruth replied to mark1a | 2 years ago
2 likes

Wahey!

How much cheaper does that make a Colnago C68?

/s

Avatar
Rich_cb replied to mark1a | 2 years ago
2 likes

Cheaper bikes?

Bloody Brexit...

Avatar
Simon E replied to Rich_cb | 2 years ago
7 likes

Rich_cb wrote:

Cheaper bikes? Bloody Brexit...

Ha ha, nothing has been cheaper because of Brexit. Independent analysis has calculated that staple foods have risen by 16%, energy and oil rather more. According to OBR Brexit has cut productivity by 4%, there's been a 15% drop in trade, a 14% loss in investment, 6% increase in food prices, lower wages, workforce shortages and the highest inflation in the G7.

Living in denial when the facts are so blindingly obvious will do you no good.

Avatar
Rich_cb replied to Simon E | 2 years ago
2 likes

I didn't realise that inflation only occurred after Brexit...

I was under the, obviously mistaken, impression that high inflation was currently affecting countries all over the world.

Is dishonesty better than denial?

Avatar
Simon E replied to Rich_cb | 2 years ago
6 likes

Rich_cb wrote:

I was under the, obviously mistaken, impression that high inflation was currently affecting countries all over the world.

That does appear to be so but Brexit has had a huge negative effect on the UK economy. I know this is something about which you seem to be in denial but that doesn't alter the fact that Brexit has been a huge fuck-up.

Avatar
Rich_cb replied to Simon E | 2 years ago
1 like

We're obviously never going to change each others minds on this but you don't seem to understand the figures you quote.

4% drop in productivity is a long term OBR prediction. It hasn't actually happened yet.

Likewise the 15% drop in trade.

If you familiarise yourself with the OBR's track record on economic predictions you might not have quite as much faith in those figures.

Either way you are wrong to say Brexit "has" caused those things. It might do so. It might not.

The inflation of gas, oil and the vast majority of the food price inflation have absolutely nothing to do with Brexit and are affecting countries worldwide.

I will concede that the 6% figure does appear to be accurate.

The cut in import duties on bicycle frames will have a significant benefit to UK consumers and UK companies. The other import duty cuts will have similar benefits.

The UK would not be able to implement those reductions if we were in the EU.

You can thank me next time you buy a new bike...

Avatar
brooksby | 2 years ago
6 likes

Security minister Tom Tugendhat given six-month driving ban

Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Malling sentenced for driving with mobile phone in his hand

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/17/security-minister-tom-tu...

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ktache replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
0 likes

Odd things.

He claimed to not be doing anything on his phone (lit up?), so why be holding it, Tom?

Judged to be low risk, after course. That would be when not holding the phone, pointlessly?

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The Accountant | 2 years ago
0 likes

Apparently there is a new "cyclist vs car" Tweet by Jeremy Vile, covered in the Daily Mail at https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11438633/Jeremy-Vine-sparks-row....

I wonder if it's clicked with anyone else here yet that these Mikey/Vile clickbait clicks might just be making the roads more dangerous for us cyclists?

Avatar
EddyBerckx replied to The Accountant | 2 years ago
12 likes

Rakia wrote:

Apparently there is a new "cyclist vs car" Tweet by Jeremy Vile, covered in the Daily Mail at https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11438633/Jeremy-Vine-sparks-row....

I wonder if it's clicked with anyone else here yet that these Mikey/Vile clickbait clicks might just be making the roads more dangerous for us cyclists?

I wonder if it's clicked with anyone else here yet that these Daily Mail clickbait clicks might just be making the roads more dangerous for us cyclists?

Avatar
The Accountant replied to EddyBerckx | 2 years ago
0 likes

EddyBerckx wrote:

I wonder if it's clicked with anyone else here yet that these Daily Mail clickbait clicks might just be making the roads more dangerous for us cyclists?

I completely agree, but the Daily Mail are simply amplifying the original Mikey/Vine clickbait clicks for their own ends. No original content, and the Daily Mail wouldn't have anything to publish, would they?

The Daily Mail and Vine/Mikey are simply two sides of the same coin. I've recognised the Mail for what they are, and I now invite you to do the same for Mikey and Vine, who for some reason are feted in certain quarters, and who add a lashing of self-righteousness and false piety to their clickbait.

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism replied to The Accountant | 2 years ago
7 likes

As your mum stopped sending the links through then?

I could add, no driving the wrong side of a pedestrian refuge or driving whilst using a mobile phone means no content for Mikey which means no content for the DM. Once you start that chain, that is the natural conclusion. 

 

Avatar
hutchdaddy replied to The Accountant | 2 years ago
3 likes

"The Daily Mail and Vine/Mikey are simply two sides of the same coin." You really are trying to have your cake and eat it too, or are you really saying that everyone is wrong apart from yourself?

Avatar
BalladOfStruth replied to EddyBerckx | 2 years ago
10 likes

EddyBerckx wrote:

 

I wonder if it's clicked with anyone else here yet that these Daily Mail clickbait clicks might just be making the roads more dangerous for us cyclists?

Mhmm. The Mail and the Telegraph (among others) are constantly stirring up anti-cyclist sentiment, and if you count traditional print media, websites, apps, and aggregate news services, they're going to be reaching tens of millions of people with this shite. Yet Mikey with his 90k subs, who 99.9% of the British public will have never heard of, is the one putting us all at risk? Okay...

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to BalladOfStruth | 2 years ago
5 likes

Of course, it's all those Mikey videos and all the vigilante videos that I don't post (not running a camera) that mean that random people in cars who have never met me before * have thrown stuff at me and on other occasions tried to barge me off the road...

* Coming from the opposite direction so I could see them and also be pretty sure they weren't "stuck behind me".

Avatar
brooksby replied to EddyBerckx | 2 years ago
1 like

EddyBerckx wrote:

Rakia wrote:

Apparently there is a new "cyclist vs car" Tweet by Jeremy Vile, covered in the Daily Mail at https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11438633/Jeremy-Vine-sparks-row....

I wonder if it's clicked with anyone else here yet that these Mikey/Vile clickbait clicks might just be making the roads more dangerous for us cyclists?

I wonder if it's clicked with anyone else here yet that these Daily Mail clickbait clicks might just be making the roads more dangerous for us cyclists?

Have to admit, I haven't watched this video for precisely the reason that the link is to a Mail page.

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