Cycling lawyer's tongue-in-cheek post suggesting cars should be high-vis goes viral; "Even decent(ish) cycle infrastructure can't protect you fully from lazy, inattentive driving"; Timmy Mallett's cycle travels; Alpe d'Huez rumours + more on the live blog

Eden Hazard begins his new career with Intermarché-Circus-Wanty 🤩

The football superstar chose our CUBE Litening to start his post-football adventures 🚴

Welcome to the family Eden! pic.twitter.com/hIShndld3g

— Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (@IntermarcheCW) October 18, 2023

Zac Williams/SWpix.com

The UCI's president, David Lappartient, has spoken of his satisfaction with the first combined World Championships, the so-called 'mega worlds', where all cycling disciplines' annual championships were rolled into one Scottish celebratory festival.

Calling the event an "unprecedented success", Lappartient pointed to the TV figures as proof and suggested "disciplines that do not normally benefit from such a high level of TV and media coverage" will thrive thanks to the "increased exposure".

Pauline Ballet/SWpix.com

The UCI released a press release stating the championships had attracted 11.9 million viewers in the UK, 18.2 million in France, and 15.5 million in Italy.

"The TV figures show that the public massively followed the UCI Cycling World Championships competitions and that events and disciplines that do not normally benefit from such a high level of TV and media coverage benefited greatly from the increased exposure that will boost their popularity and development at international level," Lappartient said.

"The event saw around 8,000 athletes (elite and amateur) from 132 countries take part in the various disciplines on the programme.

"The first edition of the UCI Cycling World Championships was an unprecedented success."

The Shropshire Star reports that the cycle track at Shrewsbury Sports Village is to be repaired. Two weeks ago we reported that the facility, the scene of a national cyclocross victory for Tom Pidcock, had been described as "in ruins" with a cracking surface and "brambles shooting out of everywhere".

The works follow reports that 32 people had to be treated after falling off their bikes at events earlier this year.

"It is unfortunate that the surface has cracked due to the quality of the ground beneath, and we expect the new asphalt will provide a solution to that problem by flexing rather than cracking," councillor Robert Macey said.

Trackside trees are also to be cut back in an attempt to reduce the number of leaves which fall on the track, in turn making things even more dangerous.

> "Going back is not realistic": Councillor stresses "need to change" as Oxford LTNs made permanent – but angry residents say "we can't get on bikes"

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Timmy Mallett is living the dream...

Way to make us all feel jealous. Currently enjoying the Western Isles by bike, and stopping to paint the landscapes, the presenter and broadcaster is one of my favourite Strava follows. I mean just look at all those envy-inducing photos. He offers a daily report too...

"Cycling over 50 miles is tough on any day. Today it feels like an epic celebration of my year. I am so ridiculously proud of this....

"With the sun shining, the Isle of Lewis is at its finest in nine degrees and no wind. I made the effort to make the most of the day. Discipline is not a word I associate with Mallett. I'm far too in the moment.

"Today I left Elaine and Scott at the hotel and only stopped three times in the first mile along stunning Loch Erisort, and barely a dozen or so times before reaching Callanish standing stones 20 miles across the burnt sienna peat bogs and heather of North Lewis. Framed by the mountains of Harris this route undulates with rich brown tones and an eternal vista.

"Deep blue lochs and secret pools intersperse the sheep and occasional village."

We're kicking off today's live blog with some cycle lane chat... 

Over in Colchester there's a conversation happening about cycle lane usage, with Colchester Cycling Campaign chair Stuart Johnson making the case for why the figures — obtained through a Freedom of Information request that show cycle lane usage on one popular route dropped by 44 per cent compared with three years ago — aren't actually that bad.

In short, Johnson told the Daily Gazette and Essex County Standard, the baseline figure being used comes from a time when cycling levels were especially high — July 2020, when "people were furloughed, a lot of people were working from home, and traffic on the roads was mostly down, so people felt safer cycling on roads than they do now".

"There happened to be good weather in the lockdown in the spring and summer, and the roads were so much quieter," he added. "Unfortunately, what's happened is that the amount of traffic has picked up again, so we are not surprised that the current numbers of cyclists are lower than they were in July 2020."

Back then (the month of July 2020) there were an average of 478 users per day, however examining and comparing with a 479-day period between May 2022 and August 2023, usage fell to an average of 265 cyclists per day.

Again, Johnson defended the numbers: "Towards the end of August there were 300 cycling trips per day – we think that's very encouraging because the routes at the moment don't join up properly. The next thing is the need to make the lane permanent and make sure it joins up areas like Mile End and the hospital through the city centre.

"When people do actual surveys, like on YouGov, 77 per cent of people support measures to support cycling and walking. There's a silent majority of people wanting to make our streets safer."

You'll get no arguments from us there...

In fact, research from YouGov in November 2020 found that the public overestimates opposition to new bike lanes by 50 per cent. In short, when asked about whether they support schemes to encourage people to cycle or walk, only a fifth (19 per cent) opposed them and a tenth strongly opposed them (10 per cent).

But what about 15-minute cities?

Forget the conspiracy theories, 15 minute neighbourhoods are popular in Britain.

Here's what amenities do Britons want within a 15 min walk from their home

Bus stop: 90%
Post box: 87%
Pharmacy: 85%
GP surgery: 83%
Park: 81%

More in chart 👇https://t.co/9sHKzqhD1I pic.twitter.com/ZnlWS4nedS

— YouGov (@YouGov) March 6, 2023