Another cycling-related petition closed on the UK Government and Parliament website yesterday, this time demanding that cyclists are required to "display registration, pay road tax and have insurance". Now, these petitions run for six months, giving them approximately 180 days to drum up support and achieve the relevant threshold for a response from government or to be considered for debate in Parliament.
This latest one, however, won't be requiring either, attracting a signature total of... drumroll please... 353. That's less than two per day... or, as someone in the road.cc office suggested, probably about one signature for every similar petition on the government website at any one time...
It had asked for support to "introduce laws whereby":
1) bicycles have to be identifiable in order for enforcement to be able to take place where they are breaking traffic laws.
2) bicycles are subject to a road tax charge
3) bicycles have to be insured to utilise the public highway
The reason being?
Bicycles/cyclists have been given greater priority in recent changes to the Highway Code. With greater power comes greater responsibility. Currently there is no way to identify cyclists who flout highway laws and act in an inconsiderate or dangerous manner. Cyclists should also have to contribute towards the cost of the public roads through a road tax charge. Cyclists sometimes cause accidents and therefore should have adequate insurance in order to indemnify themselves and protect others.
I'm not sure anybody will be losing sleep over this underwhelming shout from the people, the government having already definitively rejected a similar petition from Nick Freeman (Mr Loophole) in December 2021. That one, despite being pushed heavily on certain radio shows and in a few newspapers, still only just scraped across the 10,000-signature threshold for a government response, the Department for Transport quickly confirming what we all suspected... that there are"no plans" for such measures.
"The government considers that the costs of a formal registration system for cycle ownership would outweigh the benefits. The safety case for such a system is not as strong as that for drivers since, by contrast with motorised vehicles, cycles involved in collisions on the highway are highly unlikely to cause serious injury to other road users," a spokesperson said.
Tadej Pogacar is just a LEVEL above the rest 🙌
It's back-to-back stage wins at the 2024 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 💪 #VoltaCatalunya103 | @DiscoveryPlusUKpic.twitter.com/0KwVjbMOyk
— Eurosport (@eurosport) March 20, 2024
Boo! Boring! No 160km attack. No hiding in the bushes to fool the peloton. Just efficient, seemingly effortless climbing...
"Cambridge's first dedicated tandem cycle lane," Michael told the good people of Facebook, providing the amusing photo as proof. Hey, at least the pothole got fixed...
Strava has expanded its 'Best Efforts' feature so us cyclists can benefit too. You might be familiar with the concept already, it's that feature that tells subscribers about their personal bests for running activities. In short, very depressing when you go and look at how slow that ill-advised off-season 5km was...
Well, now the feature is available for cycling activities too, which is much more up our street. Subscribers will now be able to see their longest ride, activity with most elevation gain, biggest single climb, as well as power bests from five seconds to an hour.
> "Strava's 'Weekly Snapshot' makes me feel bad": should you be able to turn it off?
You can find your Best Efforts on the 'You' page of the Strava mobile app, with Best Efforts for 10km, 10 mile, 20km, 40km, 50km, 50 mile, 80km, 90km, 100km, 100 mile and 180km also displayed. For power, you'll get your best for five seconds, 30 seconds, one minute, five minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, one hour and two hours.
For an inspiring look at how much you're improved (or the opposite... although we're choosing to stay positive), Strava will also show you your top five efforts historically for every year you've been on the training app.
> REVIEW: Strava Premium subscription
Strava says its research found that 77 per cent of active cyclists achieved a Best Effort in 2023, and 33 per cent achieving one last month, so what are you waiting for? It's time to hit some PBs...
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip into the comments section here...
stevez123: "He actually loves the bike but it's hard to ride at speed with that BIG hat on."
fenix: "It's ok. Giro are working on the big hat problem."
Working on the big hat problem by at least making it a bit more aero (and Visma-Lease a Bike branded)...
Huw Watkins reckons he might be upgrading after finding out it didn't even come with Dura Ace. Those Ineos cheapskates. Although, as john_smith replied... God's surely a Campag fan...
henryb: "...something something religious dogma..."
Rendel Harris: "Surely his Holiness must ride a Genesis Croix de Fer?"
mark1a: "No sense in pontificating on stuff we don't know."
Creakingcrank: "Even the Pope doesn't enjoy that much mass."
And a personal favourite...
thax1: "Makes sense for the modernisation of the Roman Catholic faith. Ticked off women's ordination, married priests and same-sex relationships. Now they need to embrace the deep stuff such as disc brakes and fully integrated cabling."
marmotte27: "All progressive that I am, I'll lobby him for an en-cycle-ical on such traditional values as steel frames and rim brakes."
Obviously this is absolutely terrifying https://t.co/AhwTR2Jzl8
— Ned Boulting 🏳️⚧️ (@nedboulting) March 19, 2024
It's got me thinking about what cycling-related "defend the indefensible" Ned could get chucked his way should he make the top two... something to do with a certain Lance Armstrong and his victories being reinstated to the record books, I'm guessing...
The West Midlands Cycle Hire project has suffered, like many other similar schemes, from extensive vandalism and thefts. The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has revealed that 300 hire bikes have gone missing, while 280 need repairs, the cost for such loss and damage reaching £360,000, the BBC reports.
> Andy Burnham urges residents to not chuck hire bikes in canals
In October, just 780 bikes remained available to users of the scheme but this is, WMCA says, still "well below the required targets". That figure improved to more than 1,000 as of 30 January and should rise to 1,100 by the end of the month, however Transport for West Midlands said the ongoing vandalism issue is "a challenge for cycle hire schemes nationally and internationally".
> Nextbike resumes Cardiff cycle hire following "staggering" vandalism and thefts
A "full mitigation and recovery plan" has been enacted and early signs are that is has been "very successful". A TfWM spokesperson commented: "Since launching the hire scheme in 2021, backed by government funding, the level of use in Birmingham and Coventry particularly has exceeded original expectations."
Sean Biggerstaff, the Scottish actor best known for his role as Oliver Wood, Gryffindor's quidditch captain in the first two Harry Potter books and films is also a cycling fan.
Thank God for Vingegaard, MVDP and one or two others, without whom the Pogačar epoch would just be boring. #VoltaCatalunya
— Sean Biggerstaff (@Seanchuckle) March 19, 2024
Apologies, Sean, we've read you've been talking about cycling for years but it was just noticed by many for the first time yesterday...
No no. I love Jonas, just not as much as I love my son, Tadej, obviously.
HATE Jasper Philipsen though. Horrid wee bam. https://t.co/AyH6l2H5Mc
— Sean Biggerstaff (@Seanchuckle) March 20, 2024
A fundraiser has raised more than $114,000 for a cyclist's medical bills and to support his family after he was left in a critical condition fighting for his life after a saddle sore developed into the rare bacterial infection Necrotising Fasciitis, also known as the flesh-eating disease.
[Busto family/GoFundMe]
Ryan Busto's family updated the fundraiser to say that there have been some positive signs in the past week, his heart function improving to 47 per cent and a brief moment where he was able to open his eyes, "filling the room with hope and gratitude".
Busto will need further surgeries, but the family says that "while his medical team grapples with the intricacies of his case, they are amazed with his progress". The infection took hold during a cycling trip in San Diego after the cyclist developed a severe saddle sore.
"That turned into a life-threatening infection known as Necrotising Fasciitis, commonly referred to as the flesh-eating disease," the family explained.
"The week leading into his sickness Ryan was on a cycling trip in San Diego. He was training every day and had aspirations to race this year. During the rides he would be the first person to jump in the front and protect his teammates from the wind. He loves to ride and does it with the biggest smile. When he would get back from a ride he loved to celebrate with his friends with delicious food and a cold beer, laughing, smiling, and sharing stories about the adventures of the day.
"Ryan is well known for his generosity and selfless commitment to his friends and loved ones. We remain hopeful for Ryan's recovery, but the road ahead is uncertain. The strength and resilience he has shown throughout his life will undoubtedly fuel his fight for recovery. However, this journey will be arduous, and the support of our community is crucial."
There are many types of bacteria that can cause Necrotising Fasciitis, the NHS describing it as a rare and life-threatening infection that can happen if a wound gets infected. It needs to be treated in hospital straight away. Symptoms can develop quickly within a few hours or days, with intense pain around the wound, swelling and flu-like high temperatures and headaches also associated.
As much as it might surprise you, us mere mortals and Tadej Pogačar are not the same. Shocking hot take, I know. I'm not just talking about our apparently inadequate efforts to push the pedals when compared with a generational talent's superhuman abilities, but also our definitions of "a little bit of fun".
Now, I can't speak for you lot, but in my book "a little bit of fun" would probably be something along the lines of Tuesday evening 5-a-side or a weekend spin followed by drawing the curtains for a sporting sofa marathon and a roast... NOT attacking a professional bike race with 160km to go, stopping for a piss and then hiding in a bush until the peloton has passed so they all keep chasing, baffled by the strength of your attack. That's just me though... different strokes for different folks, and all that...
Tadej's attacks are getting even more ambitious 😂
The Slovenian and his team-mate Domen Novak attacked with over 160km to go on Stage 2 of Volta a Catalunya - the pair were caught, but Pogačar attacked solo on the summit finish to win by 1'23''😳💪
📸 Getty Images pic.twitter.com/vRq2fYlbes
— Velon CC (@VelonCC) March 19, 2024
Yes, obviously he won the stage after the early tomfoolery.
Tadej Pogačar and Domen Novak during their attack in today’s stage. #VoltaCatalunya103
📷: oscar_penelo pic.twitter.com/sfywNSZYJP
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) March 19, 2024
Speaking to reporters and the TV cameras after winning Volta a Catalunya's second stage by more than 1:20 atop the HC Valter 2000, Pogačar explained how his two-up pisstaking breakaway with Domen Novak unfolded as the pair rolled to the front of the bunch...
"Nobody held our wheel so suddenly we had a gap of 50, 100, 200 metres so then we went a little bit... we stopped for pee pee and hid in a bush so the peloton didn't know where we were... it was just a little bit of fun!"
We're not meant to have favourites, impartial reporting and all that boring stuff... but Tadej's great, isn't he? A cycling superstar... (sorry, Jonas)...
Taylor Swift has nothing on Tadej Pogacar…….. pic.twitter.com/2ZGiNXtdPn
— MarkContador (@MontVentoux23) March 19, 2024