Michael Owen takes a dive after forgetting to unclip; Cyclists share weirdest things they've swerved to avoid...including giant sex toys; Jeremy Vine's message to motorists; Drivers reclaim bike lane after segregation removed + more on the live blog

First ride of the year and I forgot the golden rule - if in doubt, clip out!😂🙈 pic.twitter.com/CHZm01XZ5N

— michael owen (@themichaelowen) February 26, 2021

We'll bet it's not the first time Michael Owen has been accused of going down too easily... no yellow card for this offence, just a red face. The former England striker shared a video of his embarrassing moment to his 3.7 million followers on Twitter, and didn't get much sympathy from his fellow ex-pros...

Contact, definitely contact. Fully entitled to go down. 🤣 https://t.co/e84NtNdhoa

— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) February 26, 2021

😂😂

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) February 26, 2021

As one of England's best ever strikers and a Ballon d'Or winner retreating to his (presumably very large) home to review the comical footage on CCTV, perhaps Owen won't feel quite so defeated as us regular Joes who have ever took a cleat-related tumble from our bikes. 

A quick brainstorm from the road.cc news team made a pretty decent five-a-side team of footballers who've come round to life on two wheels...Ben Foster in goal, Lee Dixon at the back, Geoff Thomas in midfield with Owen and Shearer up top. Managed, of course, by Neil Warnock. Beat that if you can...

Sustrans and Arup have begun work with Transport for Greater Manchester and local councils to design ten new low traffic neighbourhoods. The project's aim is to build travel aternatives and deliver safer streets, improved air quality and stronger communities for residents. The schemes will form part of the Bee Network, a ten-year plan for Greater Manchester to deliver the UK's longest joined-up cycling and walking network.  

Work has begun with communities in Bolton, Bury and Stockport to gather feedback from residents. Principal urban designer at Sustrans, Rory Davis said: "We’re very excited to be working with local communities on this ambitious programme, which will help transform residential streets across many areas in Greater Manchester that suffer from high road traffic accidents, health problems and poor transport links.

"Community engagement is central to our design process and under normal circumstances this is carried out through group meetings and workshops, so the pandemic throws up obvious challenges. Our team will be working hard to ensure that we give as many local people as possible the chance to have their say through online workshops, printed leaflets delivered to residents, and an interactive website."

Copulating tortoises!

— ButCyclists 🚴🏽‍♂️💨💨💨💨 (@but_cyclists) February 26, 2021

There's a cracking forum up and running on the site today about the weirdest things you've had to swerve to avoid on the bike...The comments started fairly normal: squirrels, a badger, a chicken crossing the road...It didn't take long for the replies to turn weird...

What have I won? pic.twitter.com/KuVvPtdwFf

— Jon (@samuriinbred) February 26, 2021

Unfortunately for Jon, we had a higher bid...

pic.twitter.com/G2cToO6QbS

— ɹnɯʇɐɔ uoɯıs (@SCatmur) February 26, 2021

Thinks you can top that...let us know the weird and wonderful items that have made you swerve...

People who drive private cars in London are a minority. If they break traffic laws in front of cyclists — as happened here, tonight, with me — they will be reported to the police. In say this in a spirit of respect and love: you will get busted. pic.twitter.com/ofm3RLEF6D

— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) February 25, 2021

Sharing a video of a driver ignoring a red light in Hammersmith, Jeremy Vine had a simple message for motorists who commit offences in front of him. "I say this in a spirit of respect and love: you will get busted," the broadcaster tweeted. Vine regularly uploads videos of his experiences of poor driving in the capital and he confidently stated that the driver in his latest clip would get a ticket for their actions. 

Jeremy's warning attracted a lot of attention on Twitter, with talkRADIO presenter 
Julia Hartley-Brewer replying: "Couldn't agree more. Shame we can't do that with cyclists too. But they don't have number plates."

Another user, with a black cab as his profile picture commented: "Shame on you Jeremy playing copper and grassing up motorists? That’s fine but get a balanced view and report all the cyclists that jump red lights too? Oh ...you won’t cos they don’t carry any ID do they, so all those cyclists do as they please." Vine responded pointing out that more people are killed by lawnmowers than cyclists...

Some of the Channel 5 presenter's recent video highlights include a driver blaring their horn as they pass only to get stopped at the next set of lights and a motorist who was seen driving down the Hyde Park cycleway...

THREAD👇Once again @GlasgowCC s abject lack of care given for the safety of people cycling and active travel priorities comes to the fore. Quietly and without consultation, they have removed the protection from the remaining pop-up cycle lane on Dumbreck Road leaving this: pic.twitter.com/ybUZnNfydw

— Chapman Crispfield (@isersmalone) February 25, 2021

Chapman Crispfield, from GoBike, shared this video of what's happened to a cycle lane just outside Glasgow. The Dumbreck Road pop-up bike lane was segregated giving cyclists the full lane on the right of the picture. However, since taking away that segregation it's been reclaimed by drivers who in the video are using it as a third lane...

Green Party councillor, Jon Molyneux said: "Pretty much the only fully-segregated on-road cycle route in my ward was a circa 200m ‘pop-up’ lane leading to Pollok Park, put in to help safe, active travel in lockdown. It appears to have been taken away, without notice, and contrary to clear direction from elected members."

Local cyclist John Chivall added: "I used this lane regularly to cycle with my children to Bellahouston Park, as Pollok Park - our nearest park - is often not safe for us with the number of people taking cars on the narrow park roads. Now getting to Bellahouston is less safe and less pleasant."