Impatient driver hits cyclist after rushing overtake...but it's not his fault (apparently); Doull's ink-redible tattoo mishap; What's Cav scared of?; You shall not pass!; Alaphilippe's sweaty pain cave; Cyclocross VAR; Cool new app + more on the live blog

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by QUOC (@quocshoes)

Not quite as intimidating as a gangster's paradise...

Built myself something silly with my original mark 1 explorer frame. pic.twitter.com/KytdqoymLU

— NorthRoadCycles 💙 (@NorthRoadCycles) November 28, 2021

Pretty impressive this is the eighth highest trending video on YouTube at the moment with more than two million views in the last 24 hours...think you know how a bike works?

But listen, the driver and car were apparently PAST the cyclist when he knocked on the side window...
I guess it was Mr Tickle riding then

— Stuart Baillie (@StuInNorway) November 29, 2021

Right, let's kick off the afternoon with some reaction to our big story of the day...THAT video of a motorist colliding with a cyclist before making some questionable claims in the argument that followed...

Stuart Spencer said the Merc driver's logic is the perfect example of "the sense of entitlement that has invaded so much of society today."

On Facebook, Jackie Fraser said she had experienced something similar..."I once had a driver complete a high speed u turn into me, and then berate me about his paintwork."

Seems a decent time to pull up this exchange between the driver and cyclist in the clip..."Bro, that's my property..."..."Yeah, this is my life..."

Liam Pike commented: "He knows he is too close and just wants to have a pop at the cyclists. You don't rush a overtake like that and spend six mins arguing about."

Plenty of discussion under the live blog too...

BigE said: "Surely if driver gives 1.5m as in Highway Code cyclist would not be able to touch the car!"

Mungecrundle added: "Mercedes Man - The old 'It's your own fault, you forced me to overtake when it was dangerous to do so' routine. I'm not sure if this is some sort of Vulcan mind link thing that cyclists use to force bad driving or some sort of remote control over vehicle steering and speed functions."

And one final thought from wycombe wheeler, "I'd hate to be a delivery driver if people react like this to people knocking on their doors. Or is it just car doors that are super sensitive?"

 

 

 

 

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It's a very popular trend these days — Olympic Games tattoos. A permanent reminder that you achieved the pinnacle of your sport. A memory, achievement and ink-based memento that will be there forever...

Poor Owain Doull made a bit of a mishap, however, when getting his date of glory inked on his arm...the mistake? Doull won gold on the 12th of August, not the 13th.

The Welsh cyclist, who is leaving Ineos Grenadiers for EF Education-Nippo this winter, told his soon-to-be ex-teammates Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe all about the blunder on their Watts Occuring podcast...

"I was super happy with it and thought it looked sick. I put a photo of it on Instagram. And then there were comments that said ‘did you not win the Olympics on the 12th?'

"My tattoo said the 13th. I was like ‘this guy doesn’t know what he is talking about - delete that comment.’ Another guy comments ‘you sure that is right date’ and by the third guy I thought I should check this now and turns out I was wrong."

Apparently the team pursuit gold medallist has since been back to get the error fixed. Changing a three back to a two sounds like it could be tricky though. Seven to nine, one to nine, three to eight — no problem, but three to two? We'll reserve judgement until we've seen the before and after photos...

Some of the details here are a little sketchy considering our reliance on Google to translate Japanese but there now appears to be an app for measuring and viewing bumpiness of roads. Could we soon see Komoot and others giving you the smoothest possible ride option?

BumpRecorder was originally designed for use in cars, but has now also released the CycleBump, an app that measures road surface conditions. According to the app's website it has already accumulated 3.4 million kilometers of road surface ratings, allowing users to check the unevenness of roads before heading out the door.

Learnings from new Mark Cavendish 📗

- He has phobia of 🍌
- He's obsessed with Ancient Rome
- He hates riders telling press "We'll see how it goes" ("Fuck off, you're paid €5mill!") but caught self doing it repeatedly at TdF
- He offered to strip for Peter Sagan on st6 of TdF

— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) November 29, 2021

Wise idea to avoid banana peels if you want to stay upright...

We've enough blocked bike lane content to last the rest of the week...from fallen trees to a badly parked Vauxhall (and some help from Mother Nature). First up, in Manchester, where the snow has been making some wonder if the council could not give cycle lanes the same treatment as the roads...

⁦@TamesideCouncil⁩ there’s a pavement and a cycle path under here. Right outside Guide Bridge station. What’s your suggestion for walking /cycling to/from the station? pic.twitter.com/DFpgfimZ75

— Dábhidh Beannaichd Tigainn (@Dbelldb1) November 29, 2021

And it's not just here in the UK...

If only drivers stayed out of our bike lanes the way snowplows do. pic.twitter.com/ZV5FjSExjW

— Tom Flood (@tomflood1) November 28, 2021

The solution?

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. pic.twitter.com/cDEb7Zae2n

— Iruñeko Critical Cycling (@irucriticycling) November 27, 2021

At least the snow gave an easy way of getting this message across...

.@badlyparkedbrum pic.twitter.com/HuNjrwyQN6

— Sophie Watson 🚲 (@swat_transport) November 28, 2021

Sophie said her hands were too cold to hang around for the 'and pavement' follow up. It even got a shout-out from Badly Parked Brum, an account dedicated to the art of badly parked vehicles in the Second City. You Park Like a C*** also gave it a retweet...we're sure that account is pretty self-explanatory...

And how about this one? 

⚠️ Warning. Do not park in cycle lanes. Bloody cyclists 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Z1avkrKd0J

— Up the Wall! www.dogslifebooks.co.uk (@audrey2macs) November 27, 2021

Those guerilla cyclists must have been out chopping down trees again... 

Perhaps if everybody had just seen their side, as recommended by TfL, this driver hitting a cyclist wouldn't have caused a roadside debate. Interestingly the driver's main concern seemed to be the rider touching his property..."Bro, that's my property..."..."Yeah, this is my life..." pretty much sums up the road safety stakes...

With a bit more explaining..."What I'm saying to you there is a car on the other side of the road, you're not on the edge..." the motorist tried to make the case for that pesky bike rider getting out of his more important Mercedes' way.

> Transport for London slammed for “victim-blaming” road safety ad (+ video)

And here we are..."So what, I have to drive slowly for you?" Ermmm yeah, pretty much. "Bro, you're lucky I'm controlling myself, I should be kicking your bike right now." How very considerate...

Mercedes man continued to show a surprising amount of disgust about someone hitting his car considering said car had just been driven into another road user...perhaps in true 'See their side' spirit, the pair exchanged apologies and got on with their journeys...oh wait, no, here we go again...

Mercedes man: "It would be a beautiful world if everyone took consideration, but just protect yourself first..."

The cyclist explained in the description of the video on YouTube that the incident was reported to Met Police and went to court, but was dismissed.