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Jeremy Vine and Laurence Fox clash over riding two abreast video; Will Carling's two pennies; Overtaking lessons with Cycling Mikey; Jason Kenny undecided on retirement; A closer look at Sebastian Vettel's bike; Penny Farthing epic + more on the live blog

It's Monday and Dan Alexander is back for another week of live blogging ...
Mon, Aug 09, 2021 09:04
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Jeremy Vine and Laurence Fox clash over riding two abreast video; Will Carling's two pennies; Overtaking lessons with Cycling Mikey; Jason Kenny undecided on retirement; A closer look at Sebastian Vettel's bike; Penny Farthing epic + more on the live blogJeremy Vine two abreast cyclists video screenshot
09 August 2021, 16:03
Best and (mainly) worst of the two abreast 'debate'

Not a great advert for the Twitter verified account badge... 

09 August 2021, 15:24
Ineos Grenadiers name stacked squad for Vuelta a España

 A familiar sight at Grand Tours these days: Ineos Grenadiers picking a ridiculously talented group of riders for a GC challenge. Tom Pidcock makes his Grand Tour debut off the back of winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics and will be riding in support of whichever of the Ineos alphas proves himself to be strongest. Giro d'Italia winner Egan Bernal and Olympic road race winner Richard Carapaz return, while Adam Yates is the third option and comes to the Vuelta having targeted the race all season.

In support, Ineos call upon Pavel Sivakov for the high mountains as well as experienced domestiques Dylan van Baarle and Salvatore Puccio. Giro stage winner Jhonatan Narvaez is the final member of the team. It's been a busy day for Vuelta team releases. Movistar announced their standard three-pronged attack of Alejandro Valverde, Enric Mas and Miguel Ángel López. Bahrain Victorious too have three options: Giro runner-up Damiano Caruso, Mikel Landa and Jack Haig. Elsewhere, Brit James Knox got the call up for Deceuninck Quick-Step. Bring on Saturday.

09 August 2021, 15:19
Riding a bike at 1,000ft in the air
09 August 2021, 14:16
Two abreast debate reaction: Jeremy Vine warns one Tweeter after some more cyclist-bashing

This two abreast storm has run on and on with too many Z-list opinions and radio presenter ramblings to count (that doesn't include you, Mr Vine). There has also unfortunately been a distasteful side to it...like this one above (as well as the usual anti-cyclist bingo)...It's probably a good life rule not to crack jokes about knocking down cyclists...but, if you absolutely have to don't do it on an account where it's obvious who your employer is...

09 August 2021, 13:34
Scot completes 108-mile Penny Farthing epic in a kilt

David Fox-Pitt MBE has raised £12,000 to fund places at Glenalmond College for children who would not otherwise be able to attend the school. An epic Penny Farthing challenge was his chosen money-raising method. The parent of two pupils at the school completed 175km (108 miles) on his big-wheeled machine over 14 arduous hours in the saddle.

Fox-Pitt set off through Stirling, heading north through Crieff, Braco and Comrie before ticking off Lochearnhead, Killin, Kenmore, Aberfeldy and Caputh on the way back to Glenalmond. A mechanical issue after 25km threatened the challenge and some characteristically unpredictable Scottish weather meant he finished the ride with a soaked kilt.

"Our thanks go to all those who donated and helped us to raise such an excellent total which will go towards bursaries to support more young people to attend Glenalmond," Mr Fox-Pitt told the Daily Record.

If you think David's ride was epic, how about Richard Thoday who in 2019 successfuly rode from Land's End to John O'Groats on a Penny Farthing in four days 11 hours and 52 minutes to break a 133-year record...

09 August 2021, 13:23
Fancy some lunchtime reading, Lozza?
09 August 2021, 13:10
British Cycling announces new long-term plan to grow BMX freestyle and build on Olympic success with million-pound community facility investment

British Cycling is targeting more success in BMX freestyle off the back of a strong debut in Tokyo. Aimed at nurturing the grassroots of the sport, British Cycling hopes to build on the inspiration of Olympic champion Charlotte Worthington and bronze medallist Declan Brooks with a million-pound investment in community facilities. 

The investment will see facilities in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Corby and Darwen improved, as well as deciding on a long-term home for the Olympic standard park in Telford which was used by Worthington and Brooks in preparation for the Games. 

Dani Every, British Cycling Delivery Director, said: "BMX freestyle, thanks to the heroic performances of Charlotte and Declan at the Tokyo Olympics, has captured the attention of the whole country so I am delighted to be announcing our ambitions for this exciting discipline of cycle sport. 

"With the support of a commission which features expertise from the BMX freestyle community across facilities, coaching, judging and former elite riders, we have begun the serious business of ensuring the hard-earned achievements of Charlotte and Declan deliver a long-term legacy."

09 August 2021, 13:10
Monday mood
09 August 2021, 12:54
09 August 2021, 11:32
Behind the scenes at the Tour de France with EF Education-Nippo

09 August 2021, 10:27
Monday bike porn: A closer look at Sebastian Vettel's beauty
Sebastian Vettel's bike (Image credit: J.Laverack Bicycles)

Last Thursday the blog included a clip of Sebastian Vettel rocking up to the Hungarian Grand Prix by bike, while most of the other drivers were chauffeur driven in sponsor cars. 

J.Laverack Bicycles got in touch with all the juicy deets about Vettel's ride, which they built up for the F1 star. The R J.ACK Disc 54cm Race geometry frame was put together with full Shimano DuraAce Di2, Pro Vibe carbon bars and one of ÆRA's forks and carbon seatposts. The 700c carbon wheels also come courtesy of the UK brand and are hand-built with Chris King R45d hubs, Sapim CX-Ray spokes and brass nipples. For a little extra comfort, Vettel's build is finished off with 28mm Conti GP5000 tubeless tyres, a Brooks C13 saddle and Fizik soft touch bar tape. What a machine.

09 August 2021, 09:53
Record-breaker Jason Kenny reconsidering retirement having won historic seventh Olympic gold medal
Jason Kenny during Tokyo 2020 sprint qualifying (Copyright Alex Whitehead, SWpix.com).JPG

Jason Kenny's keirin gold on the final day of the Tokyo Olympic Games added another memorable paragraph to his chapter in the record books...The 33-year-old stunned his rivals, sprinting clear with three laps to go and holding on to secure his seventh Olympic gold medal, the first Briton to achieve the feat.

Asked by reporters if it was his final race, Kenny said: "If you'd asked me this morning, I would have said, 'Yeah, probably,' but now I feel pretty good so I might carry on. This morning, in my head, I was 33 and getting slower. From a British cycling point of view, you'd rather back someone who is 20 and getting faster. It was difficult.

"I haven't been able to train the way I want to, I've had niggles. It might not be up to me. I was disappointed with my pace here so it might be out of my hands."

Could we see number eight in Paris?

09 August 2021, 09:24
Will Carling interjects on the two abreast debate...although you might wish he hadn't

Thoughts on Will Carling's "I am a cyclist" thoughts? Cycling Mikey tried to explain why it is more considerate to ride two abreast as it reduces the overtaking distance while also making things much safer for the riders...Anyone got any theories about why riding two abreast winds up some motorists so much?

09 August 2021, 08:46
Here we go again...
Cyclists trending on Twitter (screenshot Twitter)

 

09 August 2021, 07:37
Jeremy Vine and Laurence Fox clash over riding two abreast video

No surprises Jeremy Vine has been preaching sensible ideas about cycling again. Perhaps no surprises either that Laurence Fox has not...

It started when Vine shared the video above showing a group ride travelling two abreast. The presenter and broadcaster is in the passenger seat and tells the camera: "Sunday morning in the country. Absolutely no problem with this at all, exactly how cyclists should ride.

"They're calming the traffic behind them and we won't overtake unless we have a really wide amount of clearance. If we want to go at 70mph, we can go and find a motorway - this is absolutely fine. There is no need for us to be going any faster than this and we wish them well."

If only Lozza saw it that way too...

The former London mayoral candidate jumped on the opportunity to have a pop at "Mamils" and "Tour de France wannabes" showing horse riders "the usual zero respect". And is wasn't just Laurence...

Now, I don't know about you but I'd say it's fairly uncontroversial for all road users to act respectfully around horse riders. I'd be surprised if too many here did not.

If you want some more background on Fox's attitude towards cyclists, here's his 2017 take on Room 101...

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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75 comments

Avatar
brooksby replied to the little onion | 3 years ago
5 likes

the little onion wrote:

Laurence Fox is the perfect epitome of the key problem in English society - if you are of limited intelligence and talent, the fact that you have been to posh school and have well connected friends is all that you need in order to be taken seriously. 

Well, it's worked for our prime minister..

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
2 likes

brooksby wrote:

Well, it's worked for our prime minister..

Your prime minister; he's nothing to with me.

Avatar
brooksby replied to eburtthebike | 3 years ago
1 like

eburtthebike wrote:

brooksby wrote:

Well, it's worked for our prime minister..

Your prime minister; he's nothing to with me.

"Our" in the sense that he is (at least nominally) in charge of the country.

I didn't vote for his f-ing party, and nobody except his party voted for him to be PM.

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
8 likes

Although I wished Vine had overtaken them in the vehicle he was filming from as it would have been safe to do so for quite alot of the video. That way he would have shown that when safe to do so, overtaking 2-3 abreast is as natural as overaking any normal slower vehicle on the road rather then pandering to the "bleurgh, they are slowing everyone up", "all over the road", "single file better" brigades. 

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TriTaxMan replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
14 likes

I agree - but what really needed to be shown was that the group were actually riding in offest pairs and the fact that it looked like they were riding 3 or 4 abreast at times was actually the forced perspective.... because in the vast majority of times where drivers complain about cyclists riding more than 2 abreast it is actually just the illusion of cycling in offest pairs

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IanMK replied to TriTaxMan | 3 years ago
3 likes

I think this nuance is missed in the debate, even by the likes of Will Carling (and JV). Even when his group thins out some idiot drivers will still see 2 abreast riding. Last weekend I was cycling through Towcester (the A5) and got beeped presumably because they thought I was riding two abreast on a busy road. I wasn't. My companion was riding in the center of a far too narrow murder strip. I had positioned myself on the other side of the white line. Our wheels were not overlapping so it was NOT 2 abreast. 

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TriTaxMan replied to IanMK | 3 years ago
7 likes

Thinking about your message, in my opinion the fact that you were being beeped at is less likely that the driver thought you were riding 2 abreast, but more likely that you had dared to veer out of the murder strip onto "their" road... remember that cycle lane had been put there at the cost of "millions of pounds" and if you as a cyclist arent going to use it it would be "millions" that could have been spent repairing their roads

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HoarseMann replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
1 like

It would be a driving test fail for undue hesitation missing an overtaking opportunity like that!

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TheBillder replied to HoarseMann | 3 years ago
9 likes
HoarseMann wrote:

It would be a driving test fail for undue hesitation missing an overtaking opportunity like that!

I failed my first test on exactly that, not wanting to be in a head-on collision with a bin lorry in the BSM Metro. I thought it was nonsense. The driver must be the arbiter of risk. It sends the wrong message to say that people must drive faster or more aggressively than they consider safe. Too many drive by unthinkingly following the car in front or what they think is normal (eg speed limit 60 implies drive at continuous 65 regardless of road conditions).

The examiner had also made me do a 3 point turn on a bend with limited sight lines, which I should have refused to do.

Years later, a motorcycle instructor berated me for not following him through on an overtake on a twisty road in fog. He on BMW something, me on CG125. I take my own decisions on my safety, I explained, and asked when he last rode a 125.

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HoarseMann replied to TheBillder | 3 years ago
6 likes

TheBillder wrote:

I thought it was nonsense

It may well have been in your case, but being able to judge a safe opportunity to overtake and having the confidence to take it, is a very important driving skill.

There are so many drivers who will hesitate to overtake me when I'm cycling, missing a great opportunity, only to feel time-pressured and go for it at a more dangerous point in the road.

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TheBillder replied to HoarseMann | 3 years ago
1 like

Absolutely, there's another side to the coin.

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Captain Badger replied to HoarseMann | 3 years ago
0 likes

HoarseMann wrote:

.....

It may well have been in your case, but being able to judge a safe opportunity to overtake and having the confidence to take it, is a very important driving skill.

There are so many drivers who will hesitate to overtake me when I'm cycling, missing a great opportunity, only to feel time-pressured and go for it at a more dangerous point in the road.

I disagree. o'takes are the most dangerous legal manoeuvre on the road, even when performed with due care.

There is and should be no requirement to overtake outside the driver's own risk assessment.

The second point you make is partialy true, however only in as much it is not due to the first missed "opportunity". It comes from not having the confidence to repeat the correct decision they made in the first place, that of "nah, not going to do that".

 

 

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bobbinogs replied to TheBillder | 3 years ago
9 likes

TheBillder wrote:

...Too many drive by unthinkingly following the car in front or what they think is normal ...

As a pedestrian in town a few years back I walked up to a major crossroads with TFLs just as the lights turned red...about 5 seconds later the approaching car just carried straight on and went through the red.  "Blimey" I thought.  Then the following car also went through on red...and ploughed straight into a car crossing the junction the other way.  I went to help and when it all settled down a bit, I did mention to the driver that she had gone through clearly on red, to which she replied "yeah, I just followed the car in front".

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Eton Rifle replied to bobbinogs | 3 years ago
2 likes
bobbinogs wrote:

"yeah, I just followed the car in front".

I tell you, it is absolutely true. I read somewhere that if a driver overtakes a cyclist properly, there's a 70% chance that the following driver will do exactly the same overtake.

Most of them aren't actually looking further ahead than the boot of the car in front. It's fucking terrifying.

Avatar
andystow replied to Eton Rifle | 3 years ago
0 likes

I regularly notice people on motorways start to take a slip road they had no intention of taking, just because the car in front of them took it.

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