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Clip-in carnage: Tricky transition troubles triathletes; New year, same bad driving caught on camera by Jeremy Vine (+ cop defends not using 'murder strip'); Aero wizard Dan Bigham joins Ineos; Marvellous memes + more on the live blog

Happy New Year! It's the first live blog of 2022 and Dan Alexander is here for your Tuesday updates...
Tue, Jan 04, 2022 09:03
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Clip-in carnage: Tricky transition troubles triathletes; New year, same bad driving caught on camera by Jeremy Vine (+ cop defends not using 'murder strip'); Aero wizard Dan Bigham joins Ineos; Marvellous memes + more on the live blogTriathlon clip-in video (screenshot Twitter/ David Guénel)
04 January 2022, 17:09
04 January 2022, 16:48
Cyclist thanks passers by for helping after collision

North Shields cyclist Martyn Edwards has thanked the passers by who rushed to help after he was hit by a driver at a roundabout on Thursday. An off-duty policeman and off-duty nurse were amongst the crowd who helped, providing medical attention while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

A neighbour provided a blanket to keep him warm, while another went to tell Martyn's wife. "I feel so lucky," he told the Newcastle Chronicle. "I couldn't believe how many people stopped to help. I have no idea who they are but I would just like to thank everyone for being there."

Martyn's wife Jo added: "He couldn't have asked for any better care than he got from the people who were there.

"People say society has changed and people aren't so kind and thoughtful anymore, but this just brings it home that when something like that happens people will take the time to help."

04 January 2022, 16:21
04 January 2022, 15:33
Out of nowhere...

Play on! He got the ball... 

04 January 2022, 15:28
What is the most frustrating bike maintenance job?

Shout-out to my 3T stem with the bolts facing towards the saddle, meaning tightening and loosening with a multi-tool makes you want to lob your bike in a hedge...but yes, I agree, bottle cages are another frustrating one. Honourable mention to forcing a tight tyre over the rim, especially when it's January, pissing down and you last felt your fingers two hours ago...

Which maintenance jobs really grind your gears?

04 January 2022, 15:42
04 January 2022, 15:02
How not to do bike parking racks

If Carlsberg did bike parking solutions, they'd be a hell of a lot better than this...

04 January 2022, 14:54
Kit controversy: UCI bans Bizkaia-Durango pink kit due to clash with Women's WorldTour leader's jersey

 Women's UCI-level team Bizkaia-Durango have expressed disappointment at the sport's governing body's decision to reject their pink kit due to a clash with the UCI Women's WorldTour leader's jersey. Bizkaia said the decision was particularly disappointing considering it has been their kit for the last six seasons, and that the UCI have rejected two different designs.

Last month, Andy Schleck-CP NVST-Immo Losch (try saying that after a few lagers) were also told to ditch their kit design over a clash with three WorldTour teams who had also gone for an orange, purple and pink colour scheme. The team's rejected (but already manufactured) kit soon appeared up for sale online...

04 January 2022, 14:15
Drops become Le Col Wahoo with triple funding
Le Col Wahoo

Le Col has backed up its passion for women's cycling by investing in the development of female riders via the pro team formerly known as Drops—Le Col. Now, Drops has been...well, dropped, and the team will continue under the Le Col Wahoo banner for at least two more years.

"Our commitment goes beyond the kit," Le Col founder Yanto Barker said. "With the Le Col Wahoo team we have a collective set of matched goals, values and ideas to work on. This is an incredibly exciting team, with some of the strongest young bike racers. It’s been an honour to work with the team for the past few seasons, and we are looking forward to that relationship continuing as Le Col pledge to triple our investment with title sponsorship."

04 January 2022, 14:14
04 January 2022, 13:35
How the Italians do bikeshare
04 January 2022, 13:25
I hear you're a cyclist now, Father!
04 January 2022, 12:22
Bizarre Express story digs up six-year-old failed Dragons' Den pitch...seemingly just to have a pop at cycling
Dragons' Den Peter Jones

I'm guessing not many of you took a dip onto the Express' website this morning, but if you have you might have seen this 'personal finance' story...

It centres around Dragons' Den's Peter Jones taking issue with John Readman's cycling pitch for Ride25, a trip allowing riders to cycle from the UK to Australia in 25 individual chunks. The article highlighted Jones' issues with the £1,250 trip, which includes food, accommodation and any medical expenses. The problem? The pitch was from 2015...

We're not really sure why it's been dug up now...someone must have been watching repeats over Christmas. However, the Express shared Jones' views on the trip...which turned into a rant about cyclists more generally..."I find it difficult enough living out in the country as it is.

"When I see and go through groups of like 50 going down the road, it drives me up the wall. You could have a stream of eight hours long worth of cyclists travelling from here to Amsterdam. I think that’s bloody annoying."

So what did we learn about personal finance? Not much.

04 January 2022, 11:54
Aero wizard British Hour Record holder Dan Bigham joins Ineos as 'race engineer'
Dan Bigham breaks British Hour Record

British Hour Record holder Dan Bigham has joined Ineos Grenadiers...but not as a rider. The 30-year-old broke Sir Bradley Wiggins' distance in October and worked with the Danish track cycling team at the Olympics, sharing his aerodynamic expertise.

> Dan Bigham breaks Sir Bradley Wiggins' British Hour Record

The WorldTour giants have appointed Bigham to the intriguing role of 'race engineer'. 

"His work in the pursuit of time trial and aerodynamic excellence makes Dan Bigham one of the most respected engineers in the cycling world," a team statement explained.

> Dan Bigham (doesn't) discuss Danish ‘tapegate’ controversy, plus North Coast 500 and Cannondale's history continued on road.cc Podcast episode 5

With Bigham's aero skills and the world champion's monstrous power, will anyone able to beat Top Ganna in 2022?

04 January 2022, 11:29
Motorway cop defends Jeremy Vine not using 'murder strip' cycle lane

Mark Hodson of the Central Motorway Police Group channelled his inner Surrey traffic cop to educate one unhappy replier claiming Vine should have been in the painted cycle lane.

Retired police cycling instructor Anthony Hunt added to Hodson's point, "Jeremy Vine was correct to take that position to protect his daughter from cars or maybe a truck trying to squeeze through and take his daughter out for the sake of five seconds progress. It’s a no-brainer really."

04 January 2022, 11:27
04 January 2022, 10:36
Marvellous memes: How long until racing starts again?

Cyclo-cross fans might take issue with me saying racing needs to start again. For what it's worth, wrestling control of the telly for the Boxing Day WVA v MVDP v Pidcock battle was well worth it. "They're not even riding their bikes," was heard muttered as the field lugged their machines up the stairs...

With the Australian races cancelled it looked as though Argentina's Vuelta a San Juan would be the season curtain-raiser on the road. Alas, that has now been cancelled too...

04 January 2022, 10:22
Welcome to the road.cc family, Ryan!

We have a new face to introduce...Ryan has joined the road.cc team. Good news: you won't have to put up with me live blogging every day. Bad news: there isn't any...Happy 2022!

04 January 2022, 09:54
New year, same bad driving caught on camera by Jeremy Vine

Not even 10am on our first day back and Jeremy Vine has delivered the goods. A "safe" three-mile cycle across town on a Sunday afternoon interrupted by a driver taking issue with the presenter riding in the middle of the lane and not in the painted cycle lane in the door zone. 

Needless to say the new year hasn't brought a change in attitudes on social media...

04 January 2022, 08:47
Clip-in carnage: Tricky transition troubles triathletes

Was it really worth clipping your shoes to the pedals to save a few seconds if you're then going spend the next minute faffing about trying to get your feet in?

In fairness, I think we can all sympathise with the clip-in struggle, we've all cocked it up at some point or other. Thankfully there's never normally someone with a camera at a big event ready to capture your crisis and share it to thousands online...

Rider 101 got off to a strong start, head of the pack, looking good for a quick exit...unfortunately that pre-clipped in strategy didn't quite go to plan, and soon saw him heading back the way he came. At least 77 was quickly on hand to distract the camera..

Back with 101 and the slow start continued, will someone please help him...oh, here comes 158 running past, going for the moving mount and...he's on the deck. Way to make 101 feel better about life.

Just when you think the shennanigans are complete 11 and 59 keep the party rolling (or perhaps not rolling is a better description)...and then the crowning glory...bike upturned with the chain being put back on. How many of these will just put their shoes on before clipping in next time? 

Dan Alexander

Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.

Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.

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68 comments

Avatar
ChasP replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
5 likes

Because the road marking give the impression (wrongly) that they can carry on in 'their' lane whilst the cyclist stays 'safely' in the (inadequate) lane allocated to them. I said it was wrong for the driver to attempt an overtake but given the normal standard of driving we all encounter daily it's unfortunately inevitable.

Avatar
brooksby replied to ChasP | 2 years ago
1 like

ChasP wrote:

Because the road marking give the impression (wrongly) that they can carry on in 'their' lane whilst the cyclist stays 'safely' in the (inadequate) lane allocated to them. I said it was wrong for the driver to attempt an overtake but given the normal standard of driving we all encounter daily it's unfortunately inevitable.

I would have thought it was common sense (I know, I know...) that if you would move out to overtake a cyclist then you still have to move out to overtake them even if they rwemain in their painted murderstrip.

What I mean, is that the cyclist's position on the road is no different, so why would the painted lines change how the motorist 'should' behave?

And in the case of a pinch point like that: again, common sense says you cannot safely pass a cyclist (or anyone else!) while going through that narrowed section.  Even if there's a painted cycle lane there.

If someone's common sense cannot see any of that then they really ought to consider a refresher driving course.

Avatar
ChasP replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
3 likes

That's exactly why the murderstrips, especially the majority that are actually too narrow to cycle in, are worse than nothing at all. A significant minority of drivers as we all know think it gives them the right to carry on in 'their lane' whether there's a cyclist there or not. It's pointless arguing about the highway code or common sense when unfortunately we all know the reality on the roads.

Avatar
Awavey replied to ChasP | 2 years ago
1 like

and do we think most cyclists ride that pinch point like Vine does or Vines daughter did, and which reinforces the message "theres enough" space that motorists regularly using that road might take to assume is the default?

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to ChasP | 2 years ago
5 likes

ChasP wrote:

Because the road marking give the impression (wrongly) that they can carry on in 'their' lane whilst the cyclist stays 'safely' in the (inadequate) lane allocated to them. I said it was wrong for the driver to attempt an overtake but given the normal standard of driving we all encounter daily it's unfortunately inevitable.

A quick read of the HWC (preferably before driving) would have disabused them of that notion.

In any case JV wasn't in the cycle lane, until he was forced to take avoiding action by the driver using their car to barge him and his daughter out of the way (in direct opposition to HWC 163 amongst others)....

When you are in control of a vehicle you are in control, and are fully responsible for your behaviour. You can't blame putting people at risk on "paint"

Avatar
mjc2669 replied to ChasP | 2 years ago
13 likes

Using horn illegally and aggressive pointing makes me think this driver is a cnut. He needs educating not sympathy.

Avatar
IanMK replied to ChasP | 2 years ago
5 likes

No sympathy from me I'm afraid. So much infrastructure is incompatible with the highway code, which is obvious incompetant design, but two wrongs are never going to make a right.

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to ChasP | 2 years ago
4 likes

ChasP wrote:

I have some sympathy for the driver in Jeremy Vine's clip (although he was still wrong to attempt to overtake there), the main fault lies with the awful 'anti cycle lane'. There is so much of this sort of stuff about that actually makes cycling more dangerous, there needs to be a campaign to get it removed but the tragedy is it's still being done!

The fault lies with the driver (although the white paint on the road might exacerbate incompetent behaviour) as there was no issue until they turned up.

As the white lines themselves had no agency, and remained constant throughout the encounter, and indeed posed no risk to the riders, it really had little to do with them.

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