Welcome to Friday's live blog, with Jack Sexty, Alex Bowden and the rest of the team.
02/08/2019, 17:07
Bedford cycling ban extended for another three years
Controversial PSPO is being enforced ever more vigorously by private contractor.
02/08/2019, 16:09
Chris Froome's "road to recovery"
Tomorrow Team Ineos are going to bring you the story of one man who had a horrible crash, who then cycled with one leg for a bit until he was well enough to cycle with two legs. (We're guessing there'll probably a bit about the psychological impact too.)
“I’d like to share with people just what I’ve been through during the last few weeks.”
Chris Froome: My Road to Recovery - launching tomorrow pic.twitter.com/ytLEYRuMfO
— Team INEOS (@TeamINEOS) August 2, 2019
02/08/2019, 15:31
Campaigners ask questions of Canary Wharf Group
Following on from this morning's report on the fake anti-cycling campaign groups seemingly run at the behest of Canary Wharf Group (CWG), London Cycling Campaign are asking a few questions of the property firm.
The group says: "While publicly maintaining a paper-thin pretence of support for cycling, CWG have over and over attacked cycling schemes and/or attempted to weaken them behind closed doors.
"CWG appear to be the landowner responsible for putting in a ludicrous number of anti-cycling barriers where the National Cycle Network passes Canary Wharf.
"CWG also now oppose the Canary Wharf – Rotherhithe bridge crossing, as detailed in their submission to The London Plan’s examination in public, calling it 'very expensive and environmentally intrusive'."
02/08/2019, 14:59
Near Miss of the Day 293: Why wait when you’re driving the bigger vehicle?
02/08/2019, 14:13
Fiona Kolbinger still leading TCR
Tanja Hacker is currently the number 2 woman in the race. Second to leading woman and overall race leader, Fiona Kolbinger. She's now making her way through the climbs of the CP3 parcours.#TCRNo7#TCRNo7riders#TCRNo7women#TCRNo7cap222@PEdALEDjapan#LiveDressRidepic.twitter.com/YsK7k4vB5a
— The Transcontinental (@transconrace) August 2, 2019
02/08/2019, 14:08
Doing RideLondon? Don't fancy the extra mileage to and from the start and finish?
Taking part in Prudential @RideLondon this weekend?
Non-folding bikes can be taken on certain Tube, DLR and Overground services during off peak hours
Folding bikes are welcome on all services at any time
Check out this map for details - https://t.co/srE46xCEiR
— Transport for London (@TfL) August 2, 2019
02/08/2019, 13:02
Anti-cycling Facebook pages part of propaganda network run by Boris Johnson ally
Weirdly, and initially somewhat confusingly, Lynton Crosby’s firm also ran the Square Mile Cycling group. This fake grassroots campaign aimed to have the Embankment Cycle Superhighway redirected throught the City of London.
Seems like it's a Canary Wharf thing.
02/08/2019, 11:03
"Let's have another Olympics, shall we?" - Chris Hoy's tongue-in-cheek solution to the nation's problems
Sir Chris Hoy is sad that the nation’s apparently so divided. "Let's have another Olympics shall we?" he suggests.
The Scot is of course joking, but speaking to Motor Sport magazine he seems to be mourning the spirit of 2012.
“We were so united and there was such a feeling of ‘look what we can achieve and isn’t this great’. It was such a wonderful time, people were talking on the Tube and every morning I would wake up, open my curtains and see thousands of people flooding into the Olympic Park.
“It is sad when you think that in such a short space of time the country is so divided. You turn the news on and you think ‘Oh God, can it get any worse?’
“Let’s have another Olympic Games, shall we? That will sort it out.”
02/08/2019, 11:03
02/08/2019, 10:22
02/08/2019, 10:18
Zwift opens new virtual roads
Zwift has announced the addition of new roads on its virtual cycling platform.
"Titans Grove draws inspiration from the High Sierras [in California, USA], home to the world-famous Sequoia National Park," says Zwift.
"Sitting adjacent to the Fuego Flats, the mammoth-sized boulders and giant sequoias cast a most welcome shadow for those arriving fresh from a trip through the desert."
The new section of road features three gradual climbs.
"With a maximum gradient of 5%, these are climbs that will provide enough of a challenge to get the legs stinging, but still gentle enough that Zwifters can still sit back and enjoy the scenery," says Zwift.
"Each lap features 158m [520ft] of elevation gain."
02/08/2019, 07:38
The Away With Cars Report says London should be car-free by 2030, proposing a huge public transport service as an alternative
The report, from Common Wealth and backed by campaign groups We Own It and Greenpeace, says no Londoners should have private cars by 2030 and instead proposes a huge network of public transport services involving state-run electric cabs, e-bikes, auto-rickshaws, trams and e-scooters.
"Most Londoners won’t dare cycle because of a legitimate fear of being killed or maimed by a motor vehicle", says the report, which forms the basis of the initiative to remove private cars from the roads. They envisage a utopia where the only cars on the roads are shared vehicle or private hire cabs that are both managed and regulated by TfL, ensuring drivers get fair pay and annual leave.
For cycling, you could hire e-bikes quickly and easily via your annual subscription, and all bikes will be much more accessible with far improved cycling infrastructure: "Dockless bikes are now ubiquitous, booked and unlocked with the TfL app. TfL planners ensure minimum comprehensive coverage across the city, and cycle hire is free to annual subscribers, pensioners and under 18s. Segregated cycle lanes are everywhere, even down to quiet residential streets, which are no longer crowded with parked cars."
They go as far as to say life for professional drivers (now using electric vans of course) will be so much easier due to the little congestion that they will be on a shorter working week, and ambulance services will be less stretched because of the greatly reduced road casualties.
What do you think, could it actuall happen or is this all a bit too ambitious?
02/08/2019, 07:25
Shocking moment animal rights activist has bike crushed under lorry, narrowly escaping himself
The footage was captured by Claire Folan during a sit-in protest at Ramsgate port yesterday morning, with activists attempting to block a lorry carrying livestock. As a man on a bike appears about 14 seconds into the clip, the lorry ploughs through the bike with the man narrowly escaping being crushed himself.
Ms Folan told Kent Online: "I think the thought that went through my head was, 'am I going to see someone die today?'
"I honestly believe it's only a matter of time - someone will die at that port."
She also said the two minute interceptions of livestock lorries are pre-arranged, but the police fail to step in when activists are put in danger by lorry drivers: "Having been previously down at the front with the lorries, trying to slow them and almost getting hit myself, I've more recently started standing back to film.
"I'm very glad I was in a position to show what happened today. The disregard for life extends to humans too with these ruthless exporters."
02/08/2019, 06:58
Danny MacAskill gets thumbs-up from Scotland's Road Policing team
#OpClosePass in Eddleston today:
10 #ChatontheMat
1 Insurance warning
5 Speed warnings2 drivers charged with Careless Driving for overtaking our cyclist far below safe standards.
Pics of excellent overtakes, including @danny_macaskill's @DropandRollTour Van!#Rule163pic.twitter.com/S1CxH8vxHw
— Road Policing Scotland (@polscotrpu) August 1, 2019
The mtb hero was praised for an 'excellent overtake', whereas numerous drivers during this latest Operation Close Pass weren't so excellent with two charged for careless driving due to passing too close.