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Search for hit-and-run driver who knocked down two cyclists; Tao Geoghegan Hart slams "quasi-nutritionist Youtubers"; James Hayden raffling Transcon winner's jersey; Victory for cyclist turned away from tip; US bike shops looted + more on the live blog

Welcome to Tuesday's live blog, with Jack Sexty in charge and Simon MacMichael making some contributions this evening...
UPDATED Wed, Jun 03, 2020 00:11
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02 June 2020, 16:32
"I have no words": search for hit-and-run driver who knocked down two cyclists in Derbyshire
derbyshire hit and run 2 june 2020.PNG

A friend of two cyclists who were knocked down in a hit-and-run has posted an appeal for information on social media.

James Stead claimed the incident happened at around 2.15pm in the village of Bradwell in the Peak District on Sunday, and two bystanders also came and helped the men after they were left with injuries.

On the Bradwell Derbyshire Community Forum Facebook group, Mr Stead says the victims have informed the police and are waiting for a response. The partner of one of the victims who posted about the incident on social media said: "I have no words, just so so angry. Best of friends, not just cyclists. Daddys, sons, brothers, husbands (who are) lucky to walk away from this."

Others noted that there had been a perceived rise in hostile comments aimed at cyclists on social media since the lockdown began, with one saying: "Was only a matter of time before this happened in or around Bradwell after the comments and aggression aimed towards cyclists on this very forum just a few weeks ago."

02 June 2020, 16:17
Transcontinental champ James Hayden raffling his winner's jersey, with proceeds going to the Stephen Lawrence Trust

Hayden - who won the Transcontinental ultra race in 2017 and 2018 - is raffling off his 2018 winner's jersey, with all proceeds going towards the Stephen Lawrence Trust . He said: "I am a believer in action over words. Therefore in solidarity and support in the wake of the brutal murder of George Floyd, I will raffle my most treasured possession."

Those who want to enter can donate directly to the Stephen Lawrence Trust, and then send proof of donation to raffle [at] jamesmarkhayden.uk - the winner will be selected at random on 9th June.

02 June 2020, 15:43
Taking the P: Press watchdog rejects complaints over Rod Liddle "piano wire" column
rod liddle screengrab.PNG

As noted by a Twitter follower of ours above, our typo was quite appropriate in the eyes of many who though the controversial columnist article was out of order - our full story (hopefully typo-free) can be found here.

02 June 2020, 15:26
South Gloucestershire Council remove temporary cycle lane... that was only installed five days ago

The social distancing measures on the A4174 in Filton, just outside of Bristol, were put in place on Thursday 28th May... and have now been removed, following complaints from "residents, businesses and road users" (i.e. motorists). We'll have a full story on this later on today.

02 June 2020, 16:16
One of two intriguing product launches today from the Big S
02 June 2020, 16:14
02 June 2020, 13:13
Team Ineos rider Tao Geoghegan Hart full of praise for carbs, and slams "ridiculous influencer & quasi nutritionists" who promote low carb diets

The 25-year-old revealed that he hasn't got much time for who he calls "quasi nutritionists" dishing out diet advice on YouTube, which he thinks could be misconstrued by budding young cyclists.

In his Twitter thread, Geoghan-Hart goes onto explain that he consumed 120g of carbohydrate an hour in the first three hours of his training ride yesterday. This consisted of Science in Sport drink mix, homemade tray bakes made by his pro cyclist girlfriend Hannah Barnes, and some waffles.

He continues: "I’m no expert but I’d bet a lot of money this will help you 10000x more!

"I’m not a nutritionist. I’m far from the best rider in the world. But there is so much out there that (in my opinion) will be so detrimental to a young rider. This is just my 10pence on the matter, specifically to those still growing & developing."

While Geoghan-Hart doesn't totally denounce low carb diets, it's interesting that his carb-fuelled regime is very different to that of his team boss Sir Dave Brailsford, who revealed in 2019 that he sticks to a low carb diet and plenty of low cadence riding to build strength; although Brailsford's aim was to lose weight and increase fitness in his 50's rather than compete at World Tour level, so it's understandable that his pro riders' regimes would differ considerably.

02 June 2020, 13:07
News presenter Cathy Newman has bike stolen outside Channel 4 HQ

The presenter says as an asthmatic, her bike was particularly important for getting her to work safely during the pandemic - and unfortunately found out too late from a colleague that Channel 4 HQ has underground bike storage.

02 June 2020, 13:48
You don't just need a gravel bike... now you need an aero gravel bike
02 June 2020, 13:47
02 June 2020, 12:53
Chris Froome joining Zwift ride to mark World Bicycle Day tomorrow

Froome and the UCI will host the ride at 5pm UK time.

02 June 2020, 11:39
Bristol residents can now get wine delivered by a cycling, singing Grape-O-Gram

If you happen to live in Bristol or are very familiar with the city, you'll know this is peak Bristol... as residents can now get wine delivered to themselves or friends/family who need their spirits raised by a young businesswoman dressed as a grape, who cycles up to their doorways before dismounting and singing them a 'Grape-O-Gram' while playing a ukulele.

Claudia Collins told Bristol 24/7: “With everything being so serious and isolating I felt like this silly idea was needed now more than ever.

“The first cycle down Wells Road dressed as a bunch of grapes made me feel very silly, but I have got used to it now and sometimes forget. Hopefully if I carry on doing this for a while, I will learn more than two chords and make a more three-dimensional grape costume!”

Customers can order a Grape-O-Gram via Ms Collins' Instagram or Facebook pages, telling her what type of wine they require, a name and address of the recipient and some words for the song. In return, she promises "a thoughtful lovely message from a loved one sang badly by a lady dressed as a bunch of grapes, playing only two chords on a green ukulele."

02 June 2020, 11:24
MP Sarah Olney gets on her bike to join the voting queue at Westminster

The controversial decision by Jacob Rees-Mogg to abandon online parliament and make MP's form a huge queue to vote in person has left those who are able to attend being told to avoid public transport, while still having to go to parliament to cast votes. It means the Lib Dem MP for Richmond Park Sarah Olney cycled from her home in New Malden to get to Westminster, arguably one positive thing that has come out of this furore...

02 June 2020, 10:46
Bike shops suffer lootings during civil unrest in the US, while brands show support for protests

After the death George Floyd last week - who died from asphyxia due to pressure applied to his neck and back from police officer Derek Chauvin according to a new private post-mortem - mass protests have sprung up in cities across the US. While many have largely been peaceful, civil unrest and scenes of looting have also been captured by citizens. Tania Khodakivska, who uploaded footage of a Trek store being looted in New York, said: "these are not people from (the) protest".

Bicycle Therapy in Philadelphia took to Facebook on Sunday to denounce the vandalism and looting they had suffered while showing support for the protest movement, saying: "We understand that more violent crimes are being done in this country than our break-in and that we are past due for change. However destroying small family-owned businesses isn’t the solution. Let’s stand together in protest not tear each other apart."

Some bike industry brands have come out to show their support for the protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, including SRAM and Le Col, with many retailers participating in 'Blackout Tuesday' by suspending promotional activities to reflect on George Floyd's death. 

02 June 2020, 10:35
Full story on the tragic double fatality in High Wycombe yesterday
02 June 2020, 10:06
Confusion over temporary street changes in London

Maida Vale Councillor Geoff Barraclough spotted the curious roadblocks in Piccadilly and Regent Street, which don't appear to be of much use to cyclists or pedestrians.

Are some of the temporary street measures put in place during the pandemic doing more harm than good?

02 June 2020, 09:18
Bookman Block lights: they're tiny!
Bookman Block lights - 1

Bookman's rechargeable Block lights look really handy for getting you noticed by other road users, whether that's on urban streets at night, or when you're out and about in daylight.

Each light is tiny, measuring just 35 x 23 x 14mm and weighing 12g, so you can easily tuck them away in a pocket until required.

You can run the front light at either full power – 50 lumens – or at 25%, and you can also choose between steady and blinking modes. 

The runtime in steady mode at full power is 1:30 hours, rising to 25 hours at the lower setting in blinking mode.

The rear light is 18 lumens at full power, and it'll run for about 1:30 hours in steady mode. Again, you can switch to 25% power and/or blinking mode, and the maximum runtime (low power, blinking) is 25 hours. 

The Bookman lights are about as simple as you can imagine: one LED per light with a stretchy band keeping each one in place on your handlebar or seatpost. A curved rubber pad on one side of the light helps hold it there.

The lights are water resistant and the lithium ion battery will recharge from flat in two hours via the micro-USB cable that's included in the pack. 

There's not enough power here for showing the way on unlit roads but the Block lights can help get you noticed on urban streets, especially as a supplementary light in flashing mode, and they're a useful back-up option if your main lights run out of juice halfway home, for example.

They're also good daytime running lights, surprisingly noticeable even on a bright day.

Should cyclists use daytime running lights? + 8 of the best front and rear daytime cycling lights 

Each Block light, available in black and white versions, is priced €19.90 (about £17.75).

Head to https://bookman.se/ for more info. 

02 June 2020, 08:57
A socially distanced standing start

British Cycling say they have had to get creative to ensure social distancing is still maintained while their track cyclists get back into the swing of training on the velodrome.

02 June 2020, 08:49
Thames Valley Police appealing for witnesses after two cyclists killed in collision with car

The two cyclists, aged 52 and 56, were sadly both pronounce dead at the scene on the A40 Wycombe Road in High Wycombe last night - full story to follow.

02 June 2020, 08:07
Cyclists return to Richmond Park - but are warned to keep to the rules

The Royal Parks partially lifted a ban on cycling in London's Richmond Park this morning, allowing cyclists to ride in the park before 10am and after 4pm on weekdays, and on the condition that cyclists keep 2m gaps between themselves and others. Some of the first cyclists (other than commuting NHS staff and under 12's) to ride through the park since the ban in late March have been uploading footage to social media.

Some sections are still closed to cyclists, such as the park roads on the eastern side of the park around Priory Lane and Broomfield Hill;  and with some allegedly already spotted flouting that rule this morning, some cyclists are urging people to stick to the rules to ensure the Royal Parks don't impose another outright ban.

02 June 2020, 08:15
Man who was turned away from a Devon reycling centre because he arrived by cargo bike

Caspar Hughes questioned the decision to turn him away and only allow those in motor vehicles to use the ECC Recycling Centre in Exeter last week - and it appears this may have led to change, with vehicle restrictions being eased today to allow pedal cycles and bikes with trailers "with social distancing in place".

02 June 2020, 10:32

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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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13 comments

Avatar
eburtthebike | 4 years ago
1 like

Hit and run in Derbyshire; just another opportunity for the BBC to carry on their helmet campaign.

"Cyclists' helmets cracked by impact of Derbyshire 'hit-and-run'"

The main point of the story is that the helmets saved their lives, not that the driver put their lives at risk.  https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-52893510

Avatar
Sriracha replied to eburtthebike | 4 years ago
1 like

Hmmmn
https://systemicfailure.wordpress.com/2016/08/26/a-cracked-bike-helmet-d...

Avatar
Rome73 | 4 years ago
2 likes

The hit and run in Derbyshire. Let's assume it was intentional. Why on earth would you do such a thing? Sometimes when I get shouted at / close pass etc I ask the driver (i nearly always catch up with them at the queue or lights) 'why did you do that'?

You're in the middle of the road - is the most common answer. Obviously I'm not, I may, sometimes, be in the middle of the lane.  I try and reason and explain but it never works. I even sometimes express how intimidated i feel by their dangerous driving. "Get out the way then' is a typical riposte. 

If they catch this driver they should put him in a room with the two victims. Not for reasons of revenge but so the driver can meet the 'daddies, brothers, sons, friends' and hopefully learn some fuckin empathy and grace. 

Avatar
Hirsute replied to Rome73 | 4 years ago
1 like

Or was the intent to drive as close as possible to intimidate but it went wrong?

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brooksby | 4 years ago
1 like

Quote:

Following feedback from THE residents, businesses and road users WHO DON'T EVER RIDE A BICYCLE, we are today removing the temporary measures put in place on the A4174 Station Road in Filton.

FTFY 

Avatar
Sriracha | 4 years ago
0 likes

Tao Geoghegan Hart has made an error of logic. Just because you hear a theory espoused by the "ridiculous influencer & quasi nutritionist UTube world" does not make its opposite any more credible. In fact, you can learn nothing at all one way or the other from the riduclous, that is what ridiculous is.

Better to listen to those with some qualifications. Professor Tim Noakes made a lot of sense to me. But of course Tim Noakes is of an age where late onset diabetes becomes real. Tao Geoghegan Hart has yet to get there.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09smnhd
If you're time-poor, just listen from 27min to 30min.

Avatar
Liam Cahill replied to Sriracha | 4 years ago
1 like

Carbs are h*eckin' tasty tho

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visionset | 4 years ago
0 likes

Assume there is the usual god awful usb port on the bookman light, just look to knog on how to do lights.

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caw35ride replied to visionset | 4 years ago
0 likes

But not bells.

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billymansell | 4 years ago
8 likes

So the decision by Devon CC is that if you turn up at a recycling centre on a bike with trailer or cargo bike you have to queue in a line of motor vehicles with their engines running* ?

I'm not sure being poisoned in an effort to be green is much of a victory. Had they given people on bikes priority then they're protecting the health of the cyclists and hopefully encouraging others to do the same, reducing the numbers of vehicles and therefore queues.

*It's what I've seen when passing local recycling centres on my bike, lines of cars with their engines running.

Avatar
Hirsute replied to billymansell | 4 years ago
4 likes

My tip is shut now due to the congestion caused by too many vehicles.

We also have a campaign to switch off engines at lights and in congestion.

Not sure the message got through though.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Hirsute | 4 years ago
1 like

One of the ones near me has a sign at a junction indicating it is a 2 hour wait from there. This is less then 1/4 mile. Cars regularly are queued past this and pretty much can bring the junction to a stand still. 

Another one was pictured on the BBC showing 3-4 queuing and commenting on the impact to business without mentioning there was a major A&E very close to the routes all being blocked up.

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Cupov replied to billymansell | 4 years ago
4 likes

Hats off to Leeds council - you have to book a 15 minute slot at local tips and they are open til 8pm. I went on saturday and there was no waiting.

Cycled past a site run by Wakefiled council and the queue was stretched way back down a dual carriageway.

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