If you missed it last night...
We thought we'd start today's live blog with some reaction, given the 200+ comments it's received across the website, Facebook and Twitter/X. Unsurprisingly, plenty of people have plenty to say on the matter.
In the interest of balance, it's at this point I should probably point out we got plenty of comments to the effect of "So?" or supporting the stopping of cyclists for helmet advice, admittedly some of these comments came from accounts with football club crests as their profile picture, many of them from people who otherwise would not comment or view anything on road.cc, but I guess the point is that some people did not see anything wrong with the officers' approach and West Midlands Police's subsequent statement.
Skipping back to the road.cc comments now, perhaps most importantly from HoldingOn... "I really hope Joe can encourage his granddaughter back onto her bike. A 12.5 mile cycle is a fantastic effort at 8 years old!"
OldRidgeback: "I saw this on Twitter. I think it's a terrible approach by the police. They'd be better focusing on bad driving."
Pub bike: "It seems like WMP like all other forces in the UK have given up policing motorists (if they ever did) because it is too difficult/can't be bothered/too many loopholes in the law/insert excuse here etc. and now solely focus on warning victims about the possible impact of criminal behaviour.
"This is the same as putting up those ridiculous signs on residential streets saying 'Thieves operate in his area', which really should say 'Police don't operate around these parts'."
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands https://t.co/AhOLjfN2F7pic.twitter.com/m2OQBcFaKe
— Hackney Cyclist (@Hackneycyclist) October 23, 2023
Another Twitter reply raised the point officers will do this "while ignoring illegal windscreen tints, illegal number plates, speeding, dangerous driving etc." which is interesting considering West Midlands Police's press releases and communication to the media which we have covered on this website since the summer.
For context, multiple cyclists and pedestrians were killed in hit-and-runs during May, the situation so grim West Midlands Walking and Cycling Commissioner Adam Tranter called for an urgent meeting with the region's mayor Andy Street, the Police and Crime Commissioner, West Midlands Police, and other relevant figures.
Those incidents also came in the month after it was revealed that of 286 camera footage close pass submissions from cyclists in 2022... only one resulted in prosecution.
So, since the early summer we've heard plenty from the force's press department about the steps it is taking to address the issues, firstly admitting the need to review how video reports are managed, and subsequently expanding its Traffic Investigations Unit.
Then, in August, the force boasted of a crackdown on dangerous driving, called Operation Triton, the meeting arranged by Mr Tranter apparently agreeing on the need for tougher measures, with the cited aim to "target the most dangerous drivers" with "relentless enforcement of the rules of the road".
And even as recently as Sunday, we ran a story on West Midlands Police celebrating the improved action on footage submitted by road users, saying "action taken against hundreds of careless and dangerous drivers", the force thanking the public for 640 video submissions in September of alleged dangerous or careless driving, of which 416 (65 per cent) resulted in "action", from warning letters to court appearances and fines.
As one comment under yesterday's story summarised: "Just when West Midlands Police were once again starting to look like a shining example of how to deal with cyclists safety for other forces to copy after a few years of backsliding..."
Bike racing has come a long way over the years...
A 40-year-old who competed in the 2023 UCI Esports World Championships has been provisionally suspended following a positive test for banned substance Stanozolol. The test was carried out on Luca Zanasca by NADO Italia and found the rider, who finished 57th at the event, had the banned steroid and its metabolites in his system.
Last December, Cycling South Africa suspended Zwift racer Eddy Hoole after he was found to have hacked his data to facilitate a stunning win in a qualifying event for the 2023 UCI eSports World Championships. Hoole was banned for six months and sacked by his team.
Back in 2019 too, British rider Cameron Jeffers was fined, banned and stripped of his British Cycling eRacing national championship after the governing body deemed Jeffers to have committed an offence of "unethical and unsporting" conduct by racing on a 'Tron' bike he had not earned in the game.
Imagine getting in a time machine and reading that paragraph out to the Tour peloton of yesteryear...
A motorist who drove through a 'Give Way' sign and crashed into a group of cyclists who were on a club ride with Dundee Wheelers, leaving two of them with life-changing injuries, has been handed a community order and banned from driving after admitting two counts of causing serious injury through careless driving.
Full story...
[Dorset Police]
Police in Bournemouth are appealing for information after a woman was bitten by a dog, believed to be a bulldog, in a park after an argument broke out when the a man and woman shouted at the cyclist's daughter for riding her bike too close to their dog.
As the two parties argued it is alleged that the dog "bit the woman" on her leg, causing bruising, the Daily Echo reports.
[Dorset Police]
The victim say the man walking the dog also tried to hit her with a dog lead during the incident in Meyrick Park at around 10am on Monday 28 August.
"We are now issuing an image of a man that we are keen to speak to," police community support investigator Chris Evans said. "I would ask anyone who recognises him to please get in contact with Dorset Police as we are keen to establish the full circumstances of what happened.
"Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55230136100. Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111."
Carlos Rodríguez, the Spanish climber who won the Morzine stage of the Tour de France, ending the race in Paris fifth on GC before finishing the season with a Tour of Britain stage win, will stay with Ineos Grenadiers until the end of 2027.
That news comes after a year of transfer speculation, Movistar's team boss Sebastián Unzué in August suggesting that the rider had signed a pre-contract with the Spanish outfit, and even going as far as to suggest Ineos could owe his team compensation should Rodríguez go back on it.
Perhaps we haven't heard the last of this one...
Seems London has just a few cycling commuters these days...
Bigger box required… pic.twitter.com/WPNNsEr9TG
— Rory McCarron (@CyclingLawLDN) October 24, 2023
But it's raining? Nobody cycles when it's raining... wait a minute... those traffic lights are red! Nobody stops at red lights...
Awaiting the responses… pic.twitter.com/S8LAc60E9k
— Rory McCarron (@CyclingLawLDN) October 24, 2023
For part two of our mythbusting mission we're tackling that often heard checkmate from those who question the value of the bicycle, I'm sure you've heard it before too... 'you can't carry six mini fridges by bike'... I know, can't bring up cycling anywhere without having that one rammed back at you. Well, fear it no longer because as it turns out, yes, yes you can carry six mini fridges by bike... (if you've got the right one)...
💪 6* fridges delivered by #cargobike
🚴♂️ Okay, so they are mini fridges however carrying 250+ parcels as well as part of our #Oxford freight consolidation project
🚛📦 Removed 8-12 van movements from the city for 1 cargo bike movement, showing what can be done! pic.twitter.com/GiathktRxL
— Pedal & Post Oxford (@PedalandPost) October 23, 2023
Dutch finding: 🦖+🚲=😁
'Seeing a dinosaur cycling by, makes everybody at least 17% happier'
—@LucasReindspic.twitter.com/rnFXDPVP6m— Cycling Professor 🚲 (@fietsprofessor) October 23, 2023
'You'll wish you were wearing a helmet if an asteroid hits earth and wipes you all out...'
Bike hire operator Lime launched its new scheme in Derby back in April, in partnership with Derby City Council, the bikes already popular and a regular sight in cities such as London and Paris. However, as Derby Live reports, the scheme has been hit with vandalism issues, "many" of the original fleet needing repaired.
Last week, a photo did the rounds of a couple of Lime's bikes dumped in the River Derwent, an apparently "regular occurrence".
In response, Lime has said its GPS technology lets staff monitor how bikes are parked and used, with the operator saying it will punish those who mistreat the service.
"Since launching our e-bike scheme in Derby six months ago, we've seen residents take over 8,000 sustainable and affordable trips with Lime," the company said. "We continue to work in close partnership with the council to encourage the transition away from cars towards sustainable travel alternatives.
"The vehicle reported to us on October 5 was retrieved by our local operations team. Members of the public should report any such incidents of vandalism to us, and we commit to moving any obstructive vehicles within a short time frame. All Lime e-bikes are fitted with GPS tracking technology and we also have an on-the-ground team of foot patrols to monitor local areas.
"We ask all riders to park their bikes in a way that is mindful of other road users and future riders, and those that repeatedly park obstructively outside of the designated parking bays are warned, followed by fines or a ban from Lime's service."
Few days have passed now since the reported demise of Wiggle/Chainreaction but it got me wondering:
How many local bike shops were forced to close through lack of business due to their heavy discounting? Convenience was great but where to now
— Dan Martin (@DanMartin86) October 23, 2023
This after yesterday's news...