Am I agreeing with... St...Sta...Stanley Johnson?! What's the world coming to? He was doing pretty well until the final few second of this clip...yep, it's the sequel to the poll nobody asked for — Johnson vs Foufas...
'Should HI VIS be mandatory, should helmets be mandatory, no no no.'
Former MEP @StanleyPJohnson refuses to wear to wear HI VIS or a helmet and says he's been cycling for over fifty years & hasn't had an accident. 🚴♂️ pic.twitter.com/EfCT9KxMGJ
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 24, 2023
'Why would you want to put your safety in the hands of people that are fallible, they make mistakes.'
Broadcaster @cristo_radio believes cyclists should take responsibility and wear HI VIS and a helmet. 🚴♂️ pic.twitter.com/s9rnE8zrTw
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 24, 2023
The Classics are back. 🔥 #FLCS#SetThePacepic.twitter.com/kafgm8ZEgj
— Flanders Classics (@FlandersClassic) February 22, 2023
Until next time, folks... have a great weekend whatever you're up to (as long as it's cycling-related)...
Whatever its opponents may claim, it categorically has nothing to do with some global conspiracy aimed at restricting movement, of forcing people to remain within a mile or so of their home.
No-one's saying you can't drive to the next town to do your weekly supermarket shop, or go into the centre for a night out.
But what it does do is give people the choice of whether or not to do that by having options available to them locally, while at the same time making the areas they call home more liveable, more attractive, and more human.
Is that really such a bad thing?
> What can Thamesmead – once the 'Town of the Future' – teach us about 15-minute cities?
Not in Doncaster!! We want to protect our economy. #stronglocaleconomy#doncasterisgreathttps://t.co/RbtAiNGalB
— Nick Fletcher MP (@NickFletcherMP) February 24, 2023
He's back...
> Tory MP attacks 15-minute city concept with known conspiracy theory
These god damn time trialists are at it again...
Race against the clock specialist turned Classics contender Victor Campenaerts is taking an innovative approach to the Opening Weekend, and is set to become the first pro to race one of Classified's rear hubs. Oh, what's more, he's reportedly pairing it with a 1x 62t front chainring...
Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) ne conduira pas l’Omloop avec son dispositif de vitesse Shimano normal, mais avec un système de commutation belge révolutionnaire appelé classifié pic.twitter.com/cBFdTwWJh4
— Stef le belge (@stef170560) February 23, 2023
The tech from Classified does away with the need for a front mech, effectively allowing riders to run a 2x set-up while enjoying the benefits of 1x (one front chainring rather than two). In short, and hopefully without boring you, there are aero gains from running just a single chainring, plus efficiency gains to be had from a larger number of teeth up front.
> REVIEW: Classified Powershift Kit & Wheelset
But how does it work? Well, the hub has a two-speed gear system that gives you 100 per cent of whatever chainring you have fitted, and then a reduction gear of around 70 per cent of that chainring, essentially doing the job of your 'missing' smaller chainring. So it's like having your front derailleur hidden away in your rear hub. Still with me?
According to Wielerflits, Campenaerts could run a 62 or 63-tooth front custom-made chainring and was spotted using the eye-catching set-up during Lotto Dstny's recon of the route this week.
The only thing that remains to be seen is if his hoods are turned in so far they actually touch...
UAE Tour: Dylan Groenewegen wins stage 5 whilst Mark Cavendish is 8th. pic.twitter.com/VDgKywe2Zg
— British Cycle Sport (@VeloUK) February 24, 2023
18th yesterday, eighth today. One more sprint tomorrow to crack that first Astana win?
Cycling is a religion. 💙 #OHN23#FLCSpic.twitter.com/gP3PNeKBkm
— Omloop Nieuwsblad (@OmloopHNB) February 22, 2023
It's almost time for proper racing. Keep your UAE Tour and early season stage races, this is what it's all about...
One week to to Omloop Het Nieuwsblad folks #OHN23pic.twitter.com/8BkxjU1o7a
— Eemeli (@LosBrolin) February 17, 2023
Women's and men's race both tomorrow, there's no excuse to leave the sofa all day, except maybe for snacks and to refill your glass. There are plenty of savage bergs to be conquered before the finishing double-header of Muur and Bosberg. Will anyone escape? Will there be a sprint? Van Vleuten, Bäckstedt, Kopecky, Vollering, Wiebes, Balsamo, Longho Borghini...
Pidcock, Van Baarle, Asgreen, Wright, Campenaerts, Stuyven, Mohoric, Kristoff, Sagan, De Lie, Wellens, Küng, Stewart, Pollit, Meeus, Van Avermaet, Naesen, Lampaert, Ballerini, Benoot, Laporte...
Who are your favourites?
oh crap I do. I feel dirty now. so very dirty pic.twitter.com/gM6DRS821m
— Real Gaz on a proper bike: gazza_d [at] toot.bike (@gazza_d) February 24, 2023
It's a live blog full house this morning. The radio and TV producers of the world have hit a brick wall, must be a slow news day because all the greatest hits are on repeat... (he loves us really)...
Delighted @mrdanwalker is recovering well and that he endorses my long held but highly criticised view that helmets save lives and should be mandatory #cyclists#helmets#roadsafetyhttps://t.co/6jLlt2U2oQ
— Nick Freeman (@TheMrLoophole) February 23, 2023
BBC Three Counties Radio joined the party, getting Mr Loophole on to talk about helmets...
"Cyclists are so vulnerable," he told Jonathan Vernon-Smith. "They are exposed to massive dangers on the road from motorists, from the road surface itself and it just seems to be common sense to say you need to wear these items to protect yourself.
"I've been talking about this for a long time. What's astonishing to me is why anyone's astonished that anyone would suggest this because we get into a car which is a mass of metal, you're protected and you have to wear a seatbelt because it makes you safe... how can you possibly get onto a bicycle with that degree of vulnerability and say 'I don't really want to protect my head and I'm not that bothered about being seen'.
"What sort of mindset enables you to have got that thought process? If you have that thought process, is it right that society, the NHS or whoever should pick the bill up?
"This isn't just about cyclists. Motorists have to play a roll as well but while we are talking about cyclists it just seems to make common sense to do what you can to protect yourself and if you're not going to I'm sorry but we're not going to give you a choice.
"It's going to be a mandatory requirement because as Dan Walker very happily said, it saved his life. Irrespective of blame. We all make mistakes when we're cycling, we all make mistakes when we're driving, but if those mistakes could be fatal and that could be avoided by simply wearing something then surely as a society we have no choice, we have to adopt that."
Oh look a bicycle... just gone 10 and that's the first one of those the live blog has seen this morning...
Fighting the breeze on this one whilst out exploring #Newcastle… pic.twitter.com/wThL7k9Cgv
— Danny MacAskill (@danny_macaskill) February 23, 2023
Yes, every cyclist should be issues a free fluro orange perfetto jersey from Castelli!
— Tom Sanders (@TomSanders4) February 24, 2023
Plenty of replies to point GMB's producers in the direction of future discussions that might be a more useful use of everyone's time...
"Should healthy, sustainable transport choices be made more uncomfortable and unappealing and what might the consequences be when responsibility for road danger is deflected away from those posing the greatest risk of harm to others?"pic.twitter.com/wGUOULWm1M
— Black Country Ste 🇺🇦 (@CCSteV) February 24, 2023
No amount of hi-viz will help nd motorists don't even look where they're going.https://t.co/WH3kixsZW6
— 4 Chords No Net (@4ChordsNoNet) February 24, 2023
The discussion should really be about road danger, not road safety.
Reducing danger works for everyone. Increasing safety usually results in more risks being taken.
— Fonant @fonant [at] mas.to (@fonant) February 24, 2023
Nope. But we should have many more cycle lanes pic.twitter.com/Q8ujrLKESR
— Bob From Accounts 🚲 (@BobFromAccounts) February 24, 2023
It has been one of those weeks — helmet talk, claims cyclists should be made to use cycle lanes and now another old favourite... mandatory hi-vis...
Should cyclists have to wear a HI VIS uniform to ride a bike? 🚴♂️
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 24, 2023
Courtesy of the (self-dubbed, might I add) UK's most talked about breakfast television show, but maybe that's the point; stir the pot with 'debates' and hot topic discussion points, get the people going and watch the calls and social media coverage roll in?
Anyway, we'll be on the look out for if the topic appears on GMB this morning to watch it so you don't have to. And while someone will probably tell us just to ignore it, like Chris Boardman said: "Don't give it air time. Don't answer stupid questions" when these silly comments about cycling pop up, but this isn't just your usual anonymous Twitter troll spouting off... it's one of our biggest broadcaster's headline breakfast show.
Then again when you've got national police forces making headlines such as this...
> Police ask pedestrians to wear hi-vis following spate of road deaths in Scotland
Maybe we shouldn't be surprised...