Bike shorts in January? Cold cycle lane clip sparks clothing debate amid motorist meltdown over “Lycra clad speedsters” riding in “wrong lane”; London “world’s slowest city for drivers” study slammed; “Disrespectful” cyclotourists + more on the live blog

To layer up, or not to layer up, that was the question raised by a brief clip of yesterday’s morning commute on London’s Cycleway 4, thanks to the presence of a tough/foolhardy [delete as appropriate] cyclist making his way to work with his knees firmly on show as the temperature barely nudged above zero.

With the mercury rapidly plummeting this week, the clothing choices of the cyclists around us can certainly divide opinion.

And while we’ll never tell you what to wear while on your bike (it’s up to you at the end of the day), I’ve always been in the ‘more layers the better’ camp – and, in my wilder, youthful days, have been known to express derision towards the ‘hard men’ in the group ride steadfastly intent on donning shorts as ice glints in the background (wearing shorts throughout winter is not a personality trait, alright?).

Cycleway 4 this morning. Bit nippy at 2C. Kudos to the guy in shorts 🥶 pic.twitter.com/AWrK9F5ctw

— Greenwich Cyclists (@GreenwichCycle) January 9, 2024

Anyway, off my soapbox I go, and back to Greenwich Cyclists’ clip, which the OP captioned with “Bit nippy at 2C. Kudos to the guy in shorts.”

Others, such as Clare, were also impressed by our Le Col shorts-sporting friend’s attire:

Chapeau to the shorts guy. Serious effort that. pic.twitter.com/kp7K8Obs8o

— Clare McMenemy (@highpoh) January 9, 2024

And Pablo even said he “saw a guy in a t-shirt on his bike today”. I’m cold just thinking about it.

However, others weren’t as impressed. “Saw two or three in shorts on my way in this morning. Far too cold for me to be doing the same!” wrote Clarissa.

“Yes and, er, no,” road safety guru Bob Davis replied. “The only people I have known who went out with uncovered knees at temperatures below 5 Centigrade developed knee problems.”

“Steep learning curve for a few gloveless Lime users yesterday,” added Guido.

2C? It was -8C here this morning. My Shimano hub gears had frozen, I only had 1st gear & the onboard computer controls also solid (water from rain last 3 weeks behind buttons) - bike thawing out in the office.

— David Wright 🐧😈🤦‍♂️😎 (@wright_de) January 9, 2024

However, since the clip was posted on Twitter, we also had the usual hordes of commenters moving the conversation away from the important stuff – like whether shorts in winter is a good idea – and criticising instead the cycling on display on Cycleway 4.

“Oh yes indeed passing the cyclists decked out in black, they’ll be finishing work before it gets dark,” Nigel chipped in with the obligatory dark clothing remark.

Meanwhile, most of the other anti-cycling snoopers were intent on criticising the decision by a number of the riders to overtake the FedEx delivery cyclist.

“Why are cyclists riding on the wrong side of the cycle way? Cyclists coming the other way (correctly) had to move out of the way,” said Tony.

“Is that bad cycling in an oncoming cycle lane?” asked Ian, while Oliver wrote: “Some pretty impatient cyclists there including the camera crossing hard white going on the wrong side and almost clipping oncoming just to get a few yards ahead.”

Looks safe and considerate pic.twitter.com/d46u2jX1rY

— Mr Biggun (@Mr_Biggun_) January 9, 2024

“And ‘kudos’ to you for showing all the cyclists who don’t know how to ride on the left of a two-way bike lane, but would scream if a car did the same thing,” added Xuan.

“Look at how they use their own cycle lines,” said Lucian (and I assume he meant ‘lanes’). “Close passes, dangerous overtaking, inconsiderate, wrong side, almost head-on collision. Then they take this onto the real roads and always claim that it’s the motorists that are the danger.”

Finally, the very observant Ged wrote: “If car drivers are supposed to give cyclists 1.5 metres when they pass so the cyclist feels safe, shouldn’t cyclists also give 1.5 metres? I think if I was out cycling and one the lycra clad speedsters hurled past me too close I would feel very unsafe.”

Yes, because those two things are exactly the same… Can’t we just have a nice debate about cycling shorts for once?

A recent study from Sat Nav company TomTom – which claims that London is the world’s slowest city for drivers, apparently due to the widespread use of 20mph speed limits – has been fiercely criticised by active travel campaigners and politicians, who have branded the study’s findings “misleading” and “disingenuous”.

According to TomTom’s analysis, journeys of 10km in central London took an average of 37 minutes and 20 seconds last year, the longest time of the 387 cities, from 55 countries, assessed.

“London really is the slowest place in the world to drive a car,” TomTom’s Stephanie Leonard said.

“Especially in the core city centre, you don’t have maximum speed limits of 50mph or higher, it’s a maximum of 20mph. You don't have the infrastructure for driving very quickly.”

Ah yes, it’s the lack of 50mph speed limits that are the main reason everyone’s not buzzing around London in their cars. Makes sense…

Naturally, TomTom’s rather shaky analysis has been skewered by people who actually know a thing or two about what they’re talking about.

“It’s that time again when private traffic companies disingenuously mix up correlation and causation to secure headlines,” West Midlands Cycling and Walking Commissioner Adam Tranter tweeted this morning in response to the study.

“Are TomTom really advocating for 50mph limits in built-up areas? Consistently lower speeds aid traffic flow and reduce congestion. 20mph saves lives.”

Replying to Tranter’s tweet, Rebecca wrote: “It’s partly thanks to TomTom that every single side street and through road is now a dangerous ratrun. So TomTom can go twizzle on themselves.”

> "Far more pleasant for walkers and cyclists": 20mph speed limit analysis hailed "astonishing", with drivers' journeys just 45 seconds longer

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “This study is misleading as it only includes analysis from a very small part of the city centre, not the whole of London.

“Roadworks are the biggest cause of congestion in cities, which is why the mayor’s infrastructure co-ordination service is working with boroughs and utility companies to reduce delays caused by roadworks, helping to save London road users over 1,250 days of roadworks since 2019.”

“We disagree with this analysis of road speeds and believe it is not representative of London as a whole,” TfL's director of network management and resilience Carl Eddleston added.

“This report only looks at data collected up to 5km from the centre, regardless of the city’s overall size and density, which means that fair comparisons with other cities cannot be made.”

> Go Outdoors aims to resolve national shortage of cycle mechanics by offering apprenticeships to store staff

(Featuring some insightful contributions from our regular live blog commenters – cheers!)

Four days after the news broke that pioneering mountain bike manufacturer Orange Bikes has filed its intention to appoint an administrator – a development itself emerging just weeks after the company’s racing team was wound down, citing the current “uncertainty” in the bike industry – the Halifax-based brand this morning a released a statement on Linkedin, assuring customers that “this is not the end for Orange Bikes”.

“We appreciate all the kind words and encouragement we’ve received from our loyal customers and fans. It’s heartwarming to see the continued support and passion for Orange Bikes,” the statement said.

“While we can’t provide many details at the moment, we want to assure you that this is not the end for Orange Bikes.

“We are committed to delivering high-quality bikes and maintaining our strong presence in the industry. Thank you again for your support, and stay tuned for more updates from Orange Bikes.”

> Orange Bikes - the story of Britain’s most iconic bike brand

Pogacar sendo Pogacar pic.twitter.com/RiBXrA11oO

— O País Do Ciclismo (@opaisdociclismo) January 9, 2024

Rumours that Pogačar is intent on wheelieing his way around the Giro d’Italia this year remain unconfirmed. 

#CyclismActu : à la prez de l’equipe @GroupamaFDJ avec ses 5 leaders 😇🚴🏻‍♂️

A retrouver sur https://t.co/hItDtvxPXA / @CyclismActu #GroupamaFDJ #Madiot #Madouas #Gregoire #Martinez #Gaudu #Kung #Cycling #Cyclisme #TDF2024 #Giro #LaVuelta pic.twitter.com/qQuDrUCSez

— Cyclism'Actu (@cyclismactu) January 10, 2024

Ah, professional cyclists, always the most fashionable and smooth of sporting stars. That snazzy blazer, white t-shirt, jeans, and white trainers combo – a very French chef’s kiss.

Though surely they could have managed to put together a stage big enough for a handful of spindly climbers and Marc Madiot? Or make sure their new Wilier bike could stand up on its own without the help of Stefan Küng? And why did it take place in what appears to be the abandoned basement of a new university? So many questions…

HUUUGE thank you to ⁦@myworcester⁩ ⁦@MalvernHills_DC⁩ and ⁦@WorcsTravel⁩ for the prompt cleaning of the paths following the recent floods, notably riverside and Hams Way Bridge.

This is enabling active travel.

⁦@activetraveleng⁩
https://t.co/5qkehL8ivQ

— SHIFT (@goSHIFTscheme) January 10, 2024

While last week’s live blogs tended to focus on the slow, lethargic response from some local authorities when it came to dealing with the plethora of flooded cycle routes across the UK, over in Worcester – where one cycle path is under water an astonishing 20 days a year on average, according to the local cycling campaign group – the council has earned praise for its swift clean-up operation.

> “I can’t help but feel that the response would have been much swifter if it had been a road”: Cyclists bemoan flooded bike routes – and delayed response from authorities – as Storm Henk hits UK

According to Bike Worcester, last week’s Storm Henk-induced bike path cleaning took place “just hours” after the roads were dealt with, and the group’s chair Dan Brothwell tweeted this morning: “HUUUGE thank you to Worcester City Council, Malvern Hills District Council, and WCC Highways for the prompt cleaning of the paths following the recent floods, notably riverside and Hams Way Bridge.

“This is enabling active travel.”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Bike Worcester (@bikeworcester99)

Nevertheless, despite the good reactive work from the council, Bike Worcester also noted that “while the routes are great for a safer route from the south of the city, they're the first to close when floods occur.

“If Worcester City Council are to meet the aims of their ambitious Active Travel Plan by 2030, we need better infrastructure that doesn’t spend so much time underwater.”

But at least cleaning the paths is a start I suppose…

Over in New Zealand (like Scotland, but further), two Swiss cyclists have been criticised for “disrespecting” the fragile environment and cultural significance of the country’s Tongariro National Park, after they were filmed riding their mountain bikes through the restricted Dual World Heritage site.

Located in the central North Island, the Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand and includes three active volcanoes and a number of religious sites sacred to the Māori people. Under the park’s laws, it is an offence to use any vehicle, including bikes, off-road in the park.

But in November, two Swiss tourists were filmed by bemused hikers on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing – deemed one of the world’s best one-day hikes – riding their mountain bikes through the park.

The oblivious tourists’ bikes were subsequently confiscated by the Department of Conservation (DOC), who returned them after the weekend, and the pair were fined $400 each, reports Stuff.

DOC Tongariro operations manager George Taylor told reporters that to get to the point where they were filmed, the cyclists had to pass signs warning mountain biking was not permitted in the area, as well as climbing hundreds of steps and pass numerous walkers, while not encountering any other person on a bike.

Taylor also said their ride was “an affront to those working to protect the fragile environment and cultural significance” of the Crossing, and that they “deliberately disregarded the rules and clear communication of those”.

“Bicycles on walking tracks can damage sensitive alpine environments, present a safety risk to trampers [hikers], and are generally disrespectful of this taonga national park,” he said.

The DOC added that the tourists booked their trip through the crossing and would have “received confirmation emails containing safety and cultural information to perhaps avoid their embarrassing mistake”.

Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro spokesperson Te Ngaehe Wanikau added: ““The use of mountain bikes on a track created solely for pedestrian use, places both the users of the crossing, and the unique environment of Tongariro at risk.

“Ngati Hikairo ki Tongariro condemns mountain biking and any other non-pedestrian activity compromising the safety and well-being of people and Tongariro.”