Cycling drug dealers make hash of getaway; Columist says cyclists should "do something in return" for pop-up infra; CUK + British Cycling call for end to aggression towards cyclists; Painting bike lane bikes a skill to behold + more on the live blog

The column by Helen Martin - titled 'Edinburgh's cyclists need to do something in return for 'pop-up' cycle lanes' - refers to the £10 million that the Scottish government plan to invest in pop-up cycling infrastructure and pavement widening, for safe travelling during the pandemic and in the future. 

The article argues that there are conflicts over cycling investment because of complaints that "cyclists don’t pay for road tax, insurance etc but motorists do"; when in fact no one pays road tax in the United Kingdom, and many cyclists are insured. 

Martin advocates some new rules, saying: 

"My opinion never goes down well with bikers but here it goes. I think the £10m pop-up lanes are a good idea to achieve all those positives for cyclists and the rest of us.

"What matters is that lanes are used, and not pavements or pedestrian paths; cyclists have lights and luminous jackets (not wearing black) at night; and they obey traffic lights where they apply.

"Failure of any of those could involve a small fine just to make sure they adhere to the investment."

The wearing of high visibility clothing isn't a legal requirement for cyclists in the Scotland or anywhere else in the UK, and legislation to make it so would likely take years if a motion was ever passed. Martin does say that the positives of cycling include the reduction of toxic emissions, and that it is "a cheaper and healthier form of transport". She also says that her son is a cyclist. 

In addition to the joint open letter they penned with British Cycling, Cycling UK's Head of Campaigns Duncan Dollimore continued: 

“Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, Government and public health advice throughout the UK has made it clear that, notwithstanding limitations imposed on movement, people need to get outside for physical activity. That’s why exercise outdoors was excluded from the restrictions, with cycling specifically recommended.

"Tragically, some people seem to have become obsessed with others’ exercise habits, including how long they’re cycling for and where. That’s led to careless language, including by some who are now concerned about threats of vigilante action against cyclists.

Mr Dollimore then referenced an article on road.cc last month regarding North Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Julie Mulligan: 

"Last month, Julia Mulligan, the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire and chair of the National Rural Crime Network, told the BBC that cyclists were “a real worry”, saying that local communities were getting anxious about people riding through their villages – even though they had not done anything wrong.

"Having effectively legitimised those irrational concerns, she than had to warn vigilantes this week not to take the law into their own hands, without any appreciation that her previous comments had labelled cyclists as a problem.

"One way to help reduce the risk of threats against cyclists would be for people and the media to stop framing conversations about cyclists being a problem, and consider instead the benefits of riding a bike.”

The two organisations have joined forces to call for more kindness and less "misguided fears" over the coronavirus towards cyclists, with numerous reports in recent weeks of pins been scattered on roads, hostile signs been erected in villages (like the one above reported on our live blog last week) and aggressive behaviour from motorists. 

The letter was published in this morning's edition of The Times - who themselves have been accused of stoking the perceived rise in hostility by using telephoto lens techniques to make it appear as if cyclists are breaking social distancing rules. 

Today we’ve joined forces with @WeAreCyclingUK to call for an end to hostility towards cyclists, following a spate of incidents in recent weeks. 🚲

📰 Read in @thetimes here: https://t.co/IDKWmwHzDApic.twitter.com/AKm8RR94BQ

— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) May 4, 2020

In the open letter - published on Cycling UK's websites in full - British Cycling's CEO Julie Harrington and Interim Cycling UK chief Pete Fitzboydon say: 

“The Government’s guidance since the beginning of the lockdown has continued to encourage cycling for daily exercise, in recognition of the substantial physical and mental health benefits it provides to the many millions of people taking part. There is no trusted evidence to suggest that cyclists are any more likely to spread the disease than runners and walkers, if they follow the social distancing requirements.

“Far from being the villains in this story, we have been inundated with examples of clubs and groups who have gone above and beyond to support their communities during the crisis – whether that’s delivering prescriptions in Banbury, raising money for hospices in Crawley or helping to feed families in Inverness. It is deeply upsetting that these same cyclists are being met with such hostility in the process.”

After putting in a ridiculous 559km ride last Friday, Transcontinental winner Fiona Kolbinger 'warmed down' over the weekend with a mere  97.7km ride to spin the legs. What she's training for we don't know - with the eighth edition of Transcon officially postponed until 2021 - but it's mighty impressive mileage.