“We can’t distinguish between good and bad cyclists”: Cycling activists blast “absurd” city centre bike ban; Calls for “safe cycling town” for kids – but councillor says “unpopular schemes” make life “harder for working people” + more on the live blog

A cycling group in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole staged a special Halloween bike ride at the weekend – complete with fancy dress, of course – to call for safer infrastructure for “the huge amount of families who want to cycle”, while urging the council to make “radical changes” to ensure that the area is “liveable”.

 

 

 

 

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The well-attended bike ride, held on Sunday in miserable conditions through Boscombe, Southbourne, and Littledown, was organised by Poole-based group Cycling Rebellion (a two-wheeled off-shoot of the more widely known Extinction Rebellion), whose founder Adam Osman told the Daily Echo: “We have to think about making cycling for everyone”.

> Active Travel Group sympathises with drivers “who feel ‘rather claustrophobic’ in their one tonne sofa-carrying steel boxes”

“You need to look at the current infrastructure and ask yourself, would you feel comfortable with your kids cycling there?” Osman asked.

“Because that is a safe town to live in, one that accommodates every form of transport.

“That’s why we’re riding today, to show the huge amount of families in BCP who want to cycle, and that we need to make big changes to make it liveable. We’re calling on the implementation of a 20mph speed limit in BCP to make BCP safe for families.”

The council says it is currently in the “early stages” of proposing more 20mph speed limits in residential areas, while environment portfolio holder Andy Hadley noted that a “full” public consultation will take place before any decision is made.

> “Why on earth would I want to cycle on a waterlogged path?” Cyclist blasts new harbourside bike path

But, judging by the Echo’s own, admittedly skewed, polling on the subject, that consultation may prove to be a rocky affair. According to the paper’s survey, 82 percent of residents don’t want a 20mph limit in their area, compared to the 17 percent who do, and the one percent who still aren’t sure.

And, while Cycling Rebellion has called on the council to make the area “liveable” for families and children, Conservative opposition councillor Phil Broadhead says the local authority should not be spending its time looking for “unpopular schemes” that only make life “harder for working people”.

Maybe Mr Broadhead should join one of the group’s bike rides sometime…

In a welcome boost for his and Geraint Thomas’ plans for the 2024 season of the Watts Occurring podcast, the Ineos Grenadiers announced today that Luke Rowe has signed a new two-year deal with the British team.

https://t.co/uAxMBytdq6 pic.twitter.com/BivhblOw8I

— Luke Rowe (@LukeRowe1990) October 31, 2023

“This team has been by home for my entire career and to ride on with them is a real honour. I’ve been fortunate to play my part in some of the brilliant results we’ve achieved in the past and will do the same for the very exciting future to come,” the 33-year-old, who turned pro with the then-Team Sky in 2012, developing into a reliable road captain and contributing to five Tour de France wins, said.

“My time as a Grenadier has included some incredible memories and I can’t wait to create many more. As one of the older, wiser heads, along with the likes of G and Swifty, we have a real opportunity to help the incredible array of young talent in the team as we look to achieve our goals.”

Ah, we have more terrible Halloween-themed safety campaigns to dissect on the live blog now, as Road Safety GB – you know, the mandatory helmet poll group – have this afternoon published some advice on how to keep children safe as they go trick or treating on a night when the risk of a “car accident” is heightened (and spoiler alert – the advice has very little to do with the responsibilities of motorists, and a lot to do with reflective stickers on Halloween costumes. Yep).

In the post, Road Safety GB quotes a survey from Road Angel – a company that makes speed camera detectors for motorists, no less – which found that “just” 18 percent of parent use reflective tape on their children’s costumes (who are these people?), “leaving kids susceptible to not being seen by other road users on dimly lit roads”.

> Road safety group runs mandatory cycling helmets poll... 85% reject proposal

“Despite Halloween being a fun time for kids going trick-or-treating, the dark night increases the risk for children on the roads,” Road Angel’s founder Gary Digva said.

“The combination of decreased visibility due to darker evenings and nighttime festivities, the excitement of trick-or-treating, and increased pedestrian activity can heighten car accident risks.”

Yes, Gary, nothing to do with the drivers, eh?

He continued: “With kids being four times more vulnerable to being involved in a road accident on Halloween night, we’re urging parents and drivers to do what they can to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.”

Surprisingly, none of Gary’s subsequent advice touches on what drivers can do to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

Instead, he says: “Children should be accompanied by an adult when trick-or-treating, as navigating the streets at night can pose significant risks.

“Before allowing older children to go trick-or-treating on their own, parents should consider if their kids are sufficiently educated about road safety rules…

“It’s also important to consider costumes with reflective elements or add reflective tape to enhance visibility, especially as evenings grow darker following the end-of-October clock change.”

Oh do pile in on @Road_Safety_GB for their uncritical reporting of this victim blaming.

Yup, it's reflective strips for Halloween costumes. https://t.co/AlQaICWWC3

— CHAIRRDRF (@CHAIRRDRF) October 31, 2023

The Chair of the Road Danger Reduction Forum, Dr Robert Davis, was quick to criticise what he calls Road Safety GB’s decision to “uncritically” report “non-evidence-based victim blaming, here by a dashcam company (which alerts drivers to speed cameras) and adds sloppiness by using American lingo (‘crosswalks’). Sheesh.”

Sheesh indeed, Robert.

It’s been quite the year for recalls in the cycling industry, with Sram now joining the party by announcing a safety recall of its aftermarket eTap AXS Red, Force, Rival, and Apex shift-brake levers produced before July this year.

The American component manufacturer has made the decision due to excess threadlock on the clamp bolt potentially resulting in the clamp failing to be tightened sufficiently, despite reaching the recommended torque. The danger is that the shift-brake lever could move on the handlebar while riding, leading to a crash.

Read more: > SRAM to recall aftermarket 12-speed shift-brake levers that could “move on the handlebar” due to excess threadlock

The grim, unrelenting cycle of bad news for Wiggle Chain Reaction continues today as – in what must be said is a completely unsurprising development – its parent company, online retail giant Signa Sports United, has filed for insolvency at court in Germany.

SSU, which also owns Probikeshop, Bikestar, and Fahrrad.de, filed for insolvency in Bielefeld and has been appointed a provisional administrator.

Read more: > Wiggle Chain Reaction’s parent company files for insolvency

We’ve all heard of GC Kuss, but according to recent, rather hopeful reports in Italy, GC Wout is on the cards at the 2024 Giro d’Italia, as Jumbo-Visma are apparently contemplating backing a Van Aert pink jersey challenge next May.

La Gazzetta dello Sport have reported this morning that the 29-year-old is set to make his Giro debut next season, and will be assigned leadership duties. The Italian paper also claims that, thanks to the favourable route – which includes 68km of time trialling and a more moderate than usual supply of high mountains – the Dutch team reckon Van Aert can finish in the top five overall in Milan.

By focusing on the Giro – and possibly going head-to-head with Tadej Pogačar, who looks increasingly likely to attempt a Giro-Tour double in 2024 – Van Aert will then almost certainly skip the Tour de France, in order to rest up and properly prepare for a crack at gold at the Paris Olympics.

While an Italian route to the Olympics makes a lot of sense for Van Aert – who will be targeting time trial and road race gold in Paris – the whole ‘Wout for Pink’ reports may prove wishful thinking on La Gazzetta’s part.

 Zac Williams/SWpix.com

While the Belgian star has shown his prowess in the high mountains of the Tour (his work for Vingegaard and that breakaway win on the double Ventoux stage in 2021 prime examples), challenging for three weeks is a completely different matter, and with the Stelvio (albeit sightly neutered by its position on the stage) and two climbs up the Monte Grappa coming late in the Giro, a top five at the Corsa Rosa would stretch even Van Aert’s all-round capabilities.

Also, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix – still missing from the Belgian’s sparkling palmares – remain the top priorities for the spring, and require a completely different, more powerful physiology to that of a lightweight GC contender, and the few weeks separating the classics and the Giro will provide little time for Van Aert to lose the necessary weight and shift gears.

Bashing over the cobbles one month and climbing with the best the next may prove beyond Van Aert, or anyone for that matter, even in this age of all-rounders. But it’ll be fun to see him try it, anyway.

Another mention for Grimsby on this morning’s blog, as police in the town are appealing for witnesses after an especially unfortunate cyclist was struck by a motorist – only to have his bike stolen in an apparently unrelated incident as he was helped by members of the public.

The cyclist was riding on Eleanor Street in Grimsby last Friday at around 10.10am when he was struck by a passing driver, suffering minor injuries in the collision.

But as he was being assisted after the crash, one opportunistic scoundrel took advantage of the well-meaning intentions of others by nicking the stricken cyclist’s bike, a light blue Specialized Turbo electric mountain bike.

According to Humberside Police, the two incidents are believed to be entirely unrelated to each other.

“Our enquiries are ongoing and we would appeal to anyone who was in the area around the time of the collision, or anyone who has CCTV or dashcam footage that may assist, to please contact us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting log number 142 of 27 October,” the police said in a statement.