Here's a story in the Sheffield local press this week...
A community speed group, made up of Liberal Democrat councillors and volunteers, has spoken out about a notoriously fast "speed track" 30mph road through the village of Ringinglow, which residents have said it is "just a matter of time" until there is a collision on.
The group clocked 190 drivers, 13 of which were speeding, with one doing 60mph, their details to be passed on to the police. However, one member of the Southwest Local Area Committee scheme has also spoken about cyclists riding "well in excess" of the 30mph limit.
"As you'd expect the majority of motorists noticed the hi-vis jackets and dropped their speed accordingly, but we still clocked someone doing 60mph and a group of cyclists at 44 mph," councillor Barbara Masters said. "Its purpose is education not entrapment. It involves training, as you would expect, and volunteers must comply with regulations."
A (yet to be found) "lively discussion on a local Facebook group" ensued, according to The Star, with some pointing out speed limits do not apply to cyclists, while others apparently said riding past the pub at high speeds would be a danger "not least to themselves".
From some Strava segment digging the village appears to come at the base of a long, straight descent, and heading east probably means a fairly hefty tailwind on some days.
We'll try to find the "lively" community group discussion, but shades of this classic...
As established there, there are no speed limits for cyclists in the UK — except where local byelaws apply, such as in some parks. The Highway Code sets out speed limits for vehicles, but does not include bicycles, meaning — byelaw-restricted areas such as some promenades, paths or parks aside — cyclists cannot be fined for speeding.
Instead however, cyclists can be charged with dangerous cycling, under the 1988 Road Traffic Act Section 28, which states an offence is committed if "the way they ride falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful cyclist" and it "would be obvious to a competent and careful cyclist that riding in that way would be dangerous", with "dangerous" referring to "danger either of injury to any person or of serious damage to property".
The charge of 'wanton and furious cycling' can also be applied if an injury is caused in the case of a collision.
Interesting stuff in the comments section this morning, more than a few of you suggesting points along the lines of just because you can doesn't mean you should...
bob zmyuncle: "Crossroads with limited visibility from both sides. Pub with outside seating. Pub goers and hikers wandering across road. 44mph is just death wish stuff. Like any group of people, the group labelled cyclists contains a percentage of idiots."
AidanR: "I get that it's a fun descent and that technically speed limits don't apply to cyclists, but going through a village at 44mph in a 30mph zone is a dick move."
RobD: "While doing 44 in a 30 zone through a village is stupid, regardless of whether it's legal or not, should it not be more concerning that seven per cent of the drivers were speeding, including one doing twice the speed limit? These are the ones who were still speeding despite likely spotting the high vis wearing volunteers and either hadn't slowed down enough, or didn't bother to.
"The fact that the comment regarding most drivers noticing and dropping their speed seems to be just an accepted thing is also worrying, as if most of the drivers will only drive anywhere near the speed limit when there's a risk of being caught.
But you know, war on motorists etc."
We've got some local knowledge thanks to Colin McC too...
"I use this road regularly although often turning at the offset crossroads beyond the pub in the picture. I think it's significant that cars exceed the speed limit regularly both here and when the limit is 50 on the eastern and western sections (up and down the hill) either side of the 30 section at the crossroads. Vehicles also regularly close pass cyclists (I get a close pass almost every time I use the road.)"
[A.S.O Pauline Ballet]
Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard has vowed to "make sure" he never misses an anti-doping test again after revealing that he has a missed test on his record. His excuse? Speaking to Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet, Vingegaard said his phone was in the kitchen when the doping inspectors came, but his doorbell was not working so he missed them.
The leading Grand Tour rider of his generation did not disclose when the missed test occured, but stressed he has been tested in the region of 60 to 70 times this year, another test being undertaken two days after his missed one.
"I had left my mobile phone in the kitchen, and then our doorbell didn't work. They tried to call me, and it was clear that it was impossible to answer," Vingegaard said. "Of course, it's not cool. But then they came two days later. You get tested there, but of course, it's not great to have a missed test hanging over you. It's definitely something I think about afterwards to make sure it doesn't happen again."
[Luis Angel Gomez/ASO]
Avoiding the well-trodden path of the 'I've never tested positive defence', Vingegaard said it's a "good thing to be tested all the time", but that at the same time the negatives "ring hollow because 20 years ago they were tested too".
"Somehow riders can still cheat, so I don't want to just say – as they did in the old days – that I am the rider who is tested the most. I don't test positive. They did something back then, and people will definitely believe that riders will do it again," he said. "I don't take anything, and I don't think that the rest of the peloton does either."
Those comments were of course followed by questions about Michel Hessmann, the Dane's Jumbo-Visma teammate who is facing an anti-doping ban after testing positive for a diuretic this summer.
[Alex Broadway/SWpix.com]
"I don't know how it got into his body," Vingegaard said. "But I think every cyclist's biggest fear is that you get it through some food or something you eat, and that way test positive without your intention has been cheating, but you still get it into your body."
Talking more widely about public suspicion, he added: "I think it is a shame that we are suffering from what happened 20-30 years ago. I don't want to hide it, but because it has happened, I still think it's important to talk about the past. Because if you just sweep it under the carpet, then it's clear that people might still not care if everyone cheats.
"If you talk about it, there's a better chance that you won't cheat, I think. Maybe it's a way to prevent it from happening in the future. I don't take anything, and I don't think that the rest of the peloton does either. Since I can win the Tour de France twice without taking anything, I also believe that everyone else doesn't take anything either."
Cycling UK has released a statement from director of external affairs Sarah McMonagle reacting to the Autumn Statement from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt...
The Chancellor claimed he wanted to give people more opportunities, boost the economy and help the workforce. A surefire way of doing that would have been to increase funding for walking and cycling to give people more transport choices, which he failed to do.
Every pound invested in cycling and walking makes our streets safer, more pleasant places and more profitable with a return on investment of nearly six pounds.
This Autumn Statement was said to benefit business and employees but has done nothing to give those people sustainable transport opportunities, whether they're taking public transport, cycling or walking.
The latest statement comes a month and a half since Cycling UK accused the Conservatives of an "ill-fated attempt to win" votes with pro-motoring policies "undermining" active travel success.
You know you're a cycling fan when... you can't watch Bake Off without wondering if anyone else has noticed Tom Pidcock's (questionable) doppelgänger storming into the final...
I'll let you try to work who's Pidcock and who's Matty, 28, a PE teacher from Peterborough (and now Bake Off finalist)...
The 1997 Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich has spoken to German magazine Stern ahead of the release of a documentary about his life and career, which is called 'Der Gejate' (The Hunted) and will air on Amazon Prime in Germany from November 28.
Addressing many aspects of his troubled post-cycling life, Ullrich explained how the two-year process of the documentary helped his recovery, the 49-year-old struggling with drinking, drug abuse and the law since the breakdown of his marriage.
"The mix of whiskey and cocaine made my heart colder. It brings up all the evil qualities in you. It turns you into a monster in a very short time," he said. "If you no longer have a heart, you are no longer human... I'm hungry for life again. I want to see my children grow up."
Commenting on his doping past, Ullrich said it was all part of a wider attitude that not cheating would be "like going to a gunfight armed only with a knife" and that "if you wanted to keep up, you had to take part".
"In 2006 I wasn't able to talk because I didn't want to be a traitor," he said. "I didn't want to come out with half truths and certainly not with the whole truth. The lawyers told me 'either you go out and tear everything down, or you don't say anything at all'. I decided on the second recommendation at the time. Because tearing everything down would also have meant that I'm dragging a lot of people down with me into the abyss.
"From today's perspective, I should have spoken. It would have been very hard for a brief moment, but after that life would have been easier."
Tourmalet at 1800m altitude today, no cycling we think😛 https://t.co/m2tZojGHBS
— MyCols app (@mycolsapp) November 21, 2023
Makes eight degrees and dry look quite pleasant...
Huge exclusive: cycling website has lots of bike-related content. Definitely better bikes than Chris Froome's Strava drawings, that's for sure...
> REVIEW: Cube Litening Aero C:68X Pro 2023
> Remembering the Trek Madone 9 Series road bike: a bit odd... but very cool
> Best kids bikes 2024 — from beginner-friendly balance bikes to junior sized road bikes
Oh, and if you're lucky you might find some here too...
No, not that one that's apparently well off...
Just some questionable Strava 'art'...
Asked if she's a cyclist, Louise Haigh replied: "God no, have you been to Sheffield?"
Concern as shadow transport secretary comments on plans for active travel, says Rishi Sunak "demeaned himself" by saying the Labour Party would pursue a war on motoristshttps://t.co/vKmYjLR56npic.twitter.com/t2D3wEDbr7
— road.cc (@roadcc) November 21, 2023
A bit of reaction to this from last night...
In short, this was Labour shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh replying to a question about if she cycles by saying: "God no, have you been to Sheffield?" She then said Rishi Sunak "demeaned himself" by suggesting Labour would pursue a war on motorists, argued 20 mph speed limits and LTNs should be decided by local people, and said there would be no Whitehall diktat under a Labour government to cycle or walk more.
The implication is of course that Sheffield is too hilly to cycle in, something the Steel City's road.cc community was keen to refute...
There are lots of us #Sheffield#cyclists who would be more than happy to take her on a bike ride - we've already had @olivercoppard and @Ed_Clancy with us..... what do you say @LouHaigh ?
— CyclingInASkirt (@CyclingInASkirt) November 21, 2023
If she's in Sheffield there are plenty of us she could come out for a cycle with
— Steve Hunt (@cyc1one1000) November 21, 2023
Sheffield has an amazing cycling community.
— JamesT (@Love_Not_Money) November 21, 2023
Looked like this last time I was there 🙌 (admittedly, Dom Whiting was in town) pic.twitter.com/pjsXwlyuNi
— Hotel Bastardos (@philbarrowcloug) November 21, 2023
Christopher Day: "I'm disappointed by this, as she has said a lot of good stuff about public transport."
Boopop: "I'll wait for the manifestos to turn up but this isn't looking good."