Conservative London mayoral candidate pledges to remove LTNs; Do you have to earn rainbow stripes? (+poll); FLi Distribution gives Daily Mail both barrels over advertising offer; Jeremy Vine fixes 'anti-cycling' headline + more on the live blog

Muddy Ford wrote:

Before I saw the video of 'shock jock Christos', I just knew he was going to be a fat bastard. Fat bastards hate anyone that makes them more aware of their obesity, and cyclists do that more than most. Not saying fat bastards don't ride bikes, but if they do it regularly and with effort they generally don't stay fat. Call me a fattist, or obesist..

Can I call you a realist?

spen wrote:

If cycling uk want more bridlewy they need to hit the archoieves and find good evidence that paths have been wrongly recorded

I think their point is that it shouldn't be their job to do that - it should be the councils'. They're not saying that every footpath should be upgraded to a bridleway - they're saying that surely most councils could identify at least one or two that could be, and 2/5 of them haven't even managed to do that.

spen wrote:

I do sometimes wonder if Cycle UK know what they're doing.  From the story above it appears that they thinka council can just look at a map and decide that today thy'll chnge that footpath into a bridlepath.  It doesn't work like that.

If cycling uk want more bridlewy they need to hit the archoieves and find good evidence that paths have been wrongly recorded insted of putting out franky fatuous press reeases giving the impression that changing the status of a path is purely in the gift of a highway authority.

And I was thinking of rejoining, this is just embarrassing

What's embarrassing is you assuming that they don't know all that, and a lot more besides.  Have you considered instructing your grandmother in egg sucking?

I do hope so, but have a large concern with selective self satisfying insular, uncritical media stations like talk radio and presenters who are unbalanced and provocative in that we end up in a polarised unhealthy combatative position like the USA and Trump supporters. Here people do not listen and people are totally divided with 'alternative facts' deemed acceptable. Admittedly I think one side is far more unreasoned and deaf than the other but it is still a sad reflection on society that reasoned debate and challanges are not progressed.

EddyBerckx wrote:

can't wait for the poll to decide whether Shaun Bailey is mayor or not.

we will never see or hear of him again the day after...

I'm confused; Boris the tory party leader, says one thing, but the mayoral candidate says exactly the opposite, so what is tory party policy?

EddyBerckx wrote:

can't wait for the poll to decide whether Shaun Bailey is mayor or not.

we will never see or hear of him again the day after...

"...we have people come in from all over Essex to help us run London.."

Well, we wouldn't want those helpful Essex people to have to contend with congestion charges or planters blocking their way as they drive in, would we?  London might have to close down!
Made me laugh, anyway.

EddyBerckx wrote:

can't wait for the poll to decide whether Shaun Bailey is mayor or not.

we will never see or hear of him again the day after...

An unprecedented 20 points down on the last poll, the dustbin of history awaits...

Well done, have to keep challenging whenever they put dodgy people on. 

How many years did the BBC invite nutjob Lord Lawson to provide 'balance' in climate change debates...? I wonder how many years the BBC has to answer for in delaying the UKs climate change action due the letting swivel eyed loons into interview?

mike the bike wrote:

Would you wear a replica of Tyson Fury's world championship belt and then go training at his local gym?  

No, same as I wouldn't wear a World Championship medal when out for a ride. But I might wear his replica shorts or boots or tracksuit if he clearly didn't have a problem with it because he was merchandising them.

Precious much? Anyway, you're completely wrong I'm afraid, the trophy for winning the World Championship is the winner's gold medal.

No, it's not, and that is the point.  The trophy is the jersey and everyone in the sport understands that, and it's always been the case.

Nikolai wrote:

No, it's not, and that is the point.  The trophy is the jersey and everyone in the sport understands that, and it's always been the case.

Right, so the medal is completely pointless then? The jersey is awarded so that the Champion can be identified in races throughout the year, in just the same way that the maillot jaune is awarded to identify the race leader in the Tour and so on. The trophy is the gold medal. I would say "everyone in the sport understands that" but I'm afraid it would make me look a bit of a pretentious twat.

World champion Graham Obree:

"It's grand to see those jerseys being worn by amateurs out for a ride, it shows a real appreciation for what is an iconic symbol of our sport. Instead of being all precious about it, we should be thankful that people still want to wear these jerseys after all the drug-taking that's gone on in the sport."

"Everyone in the sport", huh? 

The reason we are having this conversation is because it is quite clearly a faux-pas, and always has been.  I'm simply poiting out why it is such a faux-pas for those who may not get it.  To compare the rainbow bands with a cricket jumper, as you did, is really missing the point I'm afraid.

Obree is consciously and deliberately being an iconoclast, as usual!

Nikolai wrote:

The reason we are having this conversation is because it is quite clearly a faux-pas, and always has been.  I'm simply poiting out why it is such a faux-pas for those who may not get it.  To compare the rainbow bands with a cricket jumper, as you did, is really missing the point I'm afraid.

Obree is consciously and deliberately being an iconoclast, as usual!

Forgive me if I take the opinion of a double world champion more seriously than that of an anonymous internet commenter.

The phrase "faux pas" is an interesting one - it's generally used by snobs who create a "secret" code of their own in order to mock and exclude others. Let people wear whatever jersey they damned well please, what harm does it do you?

By the way when Sagan won his first Worlds he immediately asked his kit manufacturers for twenty copies of his rainbow jersey to give to his family and mates, so he obviously doesn't have this weird reverence for a jumper that  you seem to have.

If Sagan didn't revere the bands, he wouldn't have chosen that gift.  But I'm very sure that Saga gave the gift with very clear intructions: 'don't embarrass me by wearing this while riding a bicycle!

The rainbow bands are perhaps understood well as a symbol of office. Like the seal of the US President, or the cathedra in which only the preciding Bishop may sit.  There is no possibiity that wearing the bands could become an exclusive clique. The alumni are so small in number, so elite, and the active are,on a day to day basis, sworn rivals.

The jersey itself is beautiful, stylish and easy to replicate.  And yet there has never in the storied history of the sport been any kind of market for selling it.  This Decathlon venture will come to nothing.  It's just the way it is.  We are often dimly aware of the reverences we hold, even when we abide by them.  We cyclists stop short of sacrilege.  It's just the way we are!

Nikolai wrote:

The rainbow bands are perhaps understood well as a symbol of office. Like the seal of the US President, or the cathedra in which only the preciding Bishop may sit.  There is no possibiity that wearing the bands could become an exclusive clique. The alumni are so small in number, so elite, and the active are,on a day to day basis, sworn rivals.

You're in the wrong shop son, Private Eye and Pseud's corner is three doors down.

Nikolai wrote:

The jersey itself is beautiful, stylish and easy to replicate.  And yet there has never in the storied history of the sport been any kind of market for selling it.  This Decathlon venture will come to nothing.  It's just the way it is.  We are often dimly aware of the reverences we hold, even when we abide by them.  We cyclists stop short of sacrilege.  It's just the way we are!

Absolute cobblers, replica WC jerseys have always been available, when I lived in Belgium as a kid (in the same suburb of Brussels Merckx came from, as it happens) in the 70s I remember lots of local kids had replicas of Eddy's Molteni with the WC bands on the sleeves - that's why I've got one now, always wanted one and never had one!

Sorry, who is "we cyclists"? I've been riding and following pro racing since I was eight (now 52) - I didn't realise there was a club of "we cyclists" with special rules that had to be followed.

Rendel Harris wrote:

Nikolai wrote:

The rainbow bands are perhaps understood well as a symbol of office. Like the seal of the US President, or the cathedra in which only the preciding Bishop may sit.  There is no possibiity that wearing the bands could become an exclusive clique. The alumni are so small in number, so elite, and the active are,on a day to day basis, sworn rivals.

You're in the wrong shop son, Private Eye and Pseud's corner is three doors down.

Nikolai wrote:

The jersey itself is beautiful, stylish and easy to replicate.  And yet there has never in the storied history of the sport been any kind of market for selling it.  This Decathlon venture will come to nothing.  It's just the way it is.  We are often dimly aware of the reverences we hold, even when we abide by them.  We cyclists stop short of sacrilege.  It's just the way we are!

Absolute cobblers, replica WC jerseys have always been available, when I lived in Belgium as a kid (in the same suburb of Brussels Merckx came from, as it happens) in the 70s I remember lots of local kids had replicas of Eddy's Molteni with the WC bands on the sleeves - that's why I've got one now, always wanted one and never had one!

Sorry, who is "we cyclists"? I've been riding and following pro racing since I was eight (now 52) - I didn't realise there was a club of "we cyclists" with special rules that had to be followed.

WC or WC themed jerseys have been available for ages. Back in the 90's a friend of mine got into cycling and bought his first road bike and kit at the same time. The jersey was white with the rainbow stripes but also carried the GT logo. The reason he chose it was because his initials are GT. He had no idea what the stripes represented until I told him. He was mildly embarrassed but wore it anyway. I wouldn't wear it but I'm happy to wear my replica Mercatone Une - Bianchi jersey when I ride my 20 year old Bianchi. It's just a fun thing to do. No-one seriously thinks that at 70 years of age that I'm pretending to be Marco Pantani.

I'm glad you've said it - I'm of exactly the same thought. I highly doubt if anyone saw me struggling up a 3% 200m climb they'd mistake me for Alaphillipe, disregarding the fact that my bike costs abot 5% of his will too. But if I want to show that I'm a fan of cycling, why not? I'm the same with team kits - make them more accessible/desirable to wear and people will buy them, giving more advertising money and helping the sport as well! It's a great way to create a community that cycling seems dead set against.

Exactly.

Every weekend, you see thousands of fat, middle-aged men downing pints of beer while wearing a Premiership football shirt, despite never having played football at a higher level than for their school 30 years previously.

I'm not really bothered what anyone wears to cylce (or do anything else, for that matter*) but I'm not sure that the football shirts analogy really works.  You wear a football (or rugby) shirt to show what team you support, so it's not the same as wearing the rainbow jersey.

* except for anyone wearing Brighton and Hove Albion shirts - they should be locked up.

Interesting - while I was playing rugby (and harbouring unfulfilled dreams of getting a cap) I vowed never to wear the national shirt while training but would I wear it while supporting.

Now I ride a bike I have no problem supporting my favorite team by buying and wearing some of the kit (Team Novo Nordisk) but would never dream of wearing a rainbow, yellow or polka dot jersey while out on a bike.

Hopefully no white shorts will be in the collection!