Cyclist injured by wire trap deliberately placed across trail; Police searching for Audi driver who slapped cyclist; 'Completely unrideable' 6-seat tandem; Cycling boom continues as LBS's fully booked for repairs + more on the live blog

And then this happens:https://t.co/lJb5WS8Ola@SuptAndyCox I'm not sure, but I suspect that this was written on the met's patch, section 44 of the serious crime act seems pertinent, although proving intent will be difficult. Public order?

— Nathaniel Cleland (@bellezzasolocle) May 26, 2020

Wales Online report that Neil Nunnerley needed hospital treatment after hitting a trap made of wire and branches, which cut his mouth, face and chest. It's reported that there were numerous other potentially fatal near misses across trails and paths around the Swansea and Cardiff areas due to improvised traps, with similar incidents appearing to be on the increase across the UK since the lockdown began. 

The trap Mr Nunnerley hit had been removed when he returned with South Wales Police officers on Saturday afternoon. A police spokesperson said: "The incident was reported to police at around 5pm on May 23. Officers attended the scene with the cyclist and no wire could be found on the trees or any others nearby.

"Understandably, some time had passed between the incident and the matter being reported due to the cyclist seeking medical attention at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff."

It comes after we reported that Rod Liddle wrote a column for the Sunday Times that it would be "tempting" to place piano wire across the road to target cyclists, and some are suggesting such articles could influence a dangerous minority to commit crime. 

Earlier this month, two pensioners admitted on camera placing rocks and branches across a path in North Yorkshire to stop cyclists from using it. 

Controversial columnist Rod Liddle wrote that it would be "tempting" to stretch piano wire across the road to target cyclists in his latest Sunday Times column; and now Cycling UK have registered a formal complaint with the paper, arguing that “the article in question is inflammatory, in seriously poor taste, and implies that a seriously dangerous and criminal act is somehow an acceptable course of conduct.”

More to follow. 

Absolute scenes outside @donnybrookbikes this morning.#BikeBoom2020 pic.twitter.com/ZLuB74UENh

— Dublin Cycling 🚲 (@dublincycling) May 26, 2020

With bikes still selling out in shops and online, various retailers and customers are also reporting that local bike shops are booked up for weeks with repair jobs as people continue to salvage old bikes from the shed. 

Anyone else been told there is more than a 3 week wait to get your bike fixed?

This is before the £50 voucher is released, which proves that often undervalued bike mechanics and local bike shops are crucial for modal shift.

You can’t get your bike fixed online! https://t.co/aLCTpSnmHc

— APPGCW (@allpartycycling) May 26, 2020

I'm booked until the 3rd week in June....obvs IF I am able I do bring forward if possible.... It is the sign of the times....to be fair much of the Trade think the vouchers will be a nightmare....

— RoadiesCycles 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇪🇺 (@roadiescycles) May 26, 2020

This is likely to continue when the government's half a million £50 repair vouchers are issued; but as mentioned above, it might be a while before the bikes in question can actually be fixed. 

#Appeal for #information
25.5.20 10.30am- 10.50am nr #Naburn #York 2 club members were struck by a dark (black/grey) Focus style car- driver left the scene hit & run. Our club secretary is now in hospital with spinal damage. @CliftonCCYork @YorkRouleurs @veloclubyork pls rt

— Barnsley Road Club (@BarnsleyRdClub) May 26, 2020

Barnsley Road Club say their secretary suffered spinal damage and another club member was also hospitalised after a hit-and-run near Naburn in North Yorkshire. It's reported that the car that struck them was a 'dark (black/grey) Focus style car', and anyone with potential information has been urged to get in touch with North Yorkshire Police. 

Among those to share the post on Twitter was Dame Sarah Storey, and the club have since said that their secretary will have to spend twelve weeks in a spinal brace to recover from injuries. 

So sorry to hear this Alastair. I hope the riders are doing ok and the police are able to find the driver.

— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) May 26, 2020

12 weeks in a spinal brace for our club sec; thanks to hit and run driver. Get any information to @northyorkspfcc @NYorksPolice pic.twitter.com/Y7yqe9pq4s

— Barnsley Road Club (@BarnsleyRdClub) May 26, 2020

Wiggins told Eurosport that he was so focussed on gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games, that he felt he couldn't say hello to his children prior to lining up for his individual time trial: "I had to walk about 500m to the warm-up zone so I tried to get there without being recognised", he said. "I walked past this little café and I saw my mum outside, and my kids were inside the café, and they came running out and I couldn’t, I didn’t want to see or look at them because I would have started crying I think. I thought 'they are going to be there in an hours time', but it was the cruellest act to not say hello to them, but I had to stay so focused and not let any emotion come in at any point.

"I look back and I know I am not that person anymore; I know who he was and I feel sorry for him.

"That was me and my insecure, introvert-ness sat on a throne with a bank of photographers in front of me not knowing what to do, so I just did that, I did that from school days, performed. I can’t really look at pictures of that now. As focused and amazing as he was on a bike, that athlete, off the bike there was this insecurity and I didn’t know how to react socially."

Pleasure riding with all 2,300 of you for @LeColUK’s social spin! Shout out to my guests too, we’ll be doing another very soon x pic.twitter.com/xmjVmnQWgc

— Brad Wiggins (@SirWiggo) May 26, 2020

2,300 people rode with a considerably more chilled version of Wiggins for Le Col's social spin at the weekend, with his latest barnet suggesting his Instagram pic posted last weekend may have been taken a little while longer ago than we first thought... 

To be fair they were on their way to Barnard Castle for an eye test

— Rob Smith (@ashingtonlad) May 26, 2020

Some of our readers and followers have been giving some perfectly 'reasonable'* potential explanations for an alleged group ride spotted in Lancashire over the weekend. 

*Not actually reasonable. 

Incredible number of people cycling in Central London today. The Superhighway #CS3 is almost overwhelmed by the number heading west through Westminster. #Cycling #London #Westminster #Cycleway pic.twitter.com/Sv16YbcHpD

— Streetcam London (@streetcamlondon) May 25, 2020

It's been widely reported that cycling has increased during the lockdown; in fact the government have been positively urging commuters to cycle and walk where possible instead of using public transport while announcing a £250 million emergency active travel fund for pop-up cycling infrastructure. It hasn't gone unnoticed how much things have changed in London during the lockdown, with people free to explore the city without experiencing the huge volumes of traffic they would have had to contend with pre-lockdown...

This is astounding. Certainly blows away the ‘people here won’t ride bikes’ argument.

There is absolutely no reason this can’t be so in other major cities across the UK. If we choose to enable it. And right now is the time to do so. There will never be a more appropriate time. https://t.co/xey1o5xv84

— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) May 25, 2020

Yesterday saw by far the highest ever use of London @SantanderCycles and possibly highest volume of cycling ever seen in the capital.

Circumstances may be exceptional, but it's significant that many will have experienced for the first time, a new way of moving through a city. pic.twitter.com/NFKhHesdMY

— Jo Wood (@jwoLondon) May 26, 2020

It's also thought that London's Santander Cycles saw its biggest ever weekend, with over 50,000 hires a day according to data analyst Jo Wood. It's also noted that the times people are cycling has spread more evenly throughout the day during lockdown, and isn't just limited to routes most associated with commuting. 

Where are people cycling? Almost everywhere.

Use has moved from commuter dominated routes between mainline railway stations and central London to one more evenly spread. Green spaces especially play an important role.

[3/4] pic.twitter.com/hJkSKDuNWS

— Jo Wood (@jwoLondon) May 25, 2020

Will the boom in cycling during the lockdown genuinely be a turning point when life eventually gets back to normal, or will we inevitably return to the car-clogged streets of before? 

The former Team Sky rider - who now races gravel events as part of his role as a Wahoo ambassador - decided to DIY the 200 mile gravel epic around his local dirt tracks with the event obviously not happening for real this year. His Strava upload shows that Boswell's total elapsed time was 11 hours and 38 minutes, meaning he only stopped for an hour in total over a fast and furious ten and a half hours of riding.