"If there's a proper cycle lane, safer and easier than travelling on the road, 99.9% of cyclists will take it": Cycling club chairman hits back at drivers moaning about riders using the road; Weekend round-up + more on the live blog

[📷: Markus Stitz]

Check out the full story of Mark Beaumont's latest mind-boggling achievement...

> Mark Beaumont smashes North Coast 500 record by half an hour

Correctly uploaded with the appropriate title when posting a leg-breaking super-human ride (take notes, Remco and Annemiek)...

"morning ride"
fuxker (in the best possible way).
Has to be one of the biggest understatements on strava👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/7B1iDHXEFY

— Real Gaz on a proper bike (@gazza_d) September 25, 2022

Long live the nonchalant 'Morning ride'... 

The DfT has banned councils from enforcing 15mph speed limits

It rejected a request from Tha City of London, due to concerns over speedometer accuracy https://t.co/aXXSyFn3Wo

— APPGCW (@allpartycycling) September 24, 2022

 The government has prevented the City of London from enforcing 15mph speed limits due to concerns about the accuracy of speedometers at low speeds, and the fact that some are not marked with a 5mph scale. The Independent reports other councils in built-up areas were expected to follow the City of London's lead, a plan the authority outlined last year, but the Department for Transport has now stepped in.

> Wales set to reduce default speed limit to 20mph in residential areas

The government department told the Independent it would be difficult for some drivers to comply with the lower limit and it would be problematic to enforce. In response, the City is expected to set an "advisory" 15mph speed limit, but it will not be legally enforceable.

Shravan Joshi, chair of the City of London Corporation's planning and transportation committee, said: "Evidence shows that lower speeds help to reduce road danger and prevent injury to people travelling in the Square Mile.

> People most likely to commute by bike where traffic speed below 20mph – but presence of lorries on roads makes no difference, says study

"Despite this, we will continue to work to achieve a culture of slower speeds through street design and behaviour-change initiatives to help achieve our Vision Zero goal."

London Living Streets chair, Jeremy Leach, said the news is "disappointing", while Dr Suzy Chapman of the Road Safety Foundation said there is "no doubt that reduced speeds are absolutely critical to achieving a goal of zero road deaths and serious injuries."

Christchurch Bicycle Club's chairman David Orme sprung to the wider cycling community's defence to try to explain some of the reasons why riders might opt against using a cycle lane, choosing to ride in the road instead.

 A Poole community Facebook group post took off when a local suggested, "all the cycle lanes in the world won't help with congestion if cyclists don't use them"... ah yes, we're doing the cyclists cause congestion thing again...

How public transportation reduces traffic congestion pic.twitter.com/U0TLZzrYko

— H0W_THlNGS_W0RK (@wowinteresting8) September 17, 2022

Others said riders on the road "drives them nuts"...

Responding to the complaints, David largely echoed the sentiment of the Highway Code, saying cycle lanes are to be used at cyclists' discretion, where they make our journey "safer and easier".

> Row over Dorset cycle lane that drivers claim is "too wide"

He told DorsetLive: "If there's a proper, designated cycle lane that is safer and easier than travelling on the road, then 99.9 per cent of cyclists will take it. The trouble is the vast majority of cycle lanes are either badly designed, they're inconvenient or cars block them."

Time for this classic to be reposted in all its glory...

He added that riders cycle on the road, ignoring the cycle lane, normally "because it's less convenient or less safe — they're usually the two reasons that people don't use the cycle lanes."

David said: "As a cyclist you can go the way that motorists go, or you can stop for every single junction and wait at the traffic lights. If I'm trying to get somewhere in a hurry, why should I want to stop at each individual lane, when I could just do what the traffic does which is a lot quicker?

"It's also dependent on how efficient the lane is. If it's inefficient and you're trying to get somewhere you'll take a shortest route because you don't want to go around the house or keep stopping. Stopping takes up so much energy as a cyclist. If you have to keep stopping, it just uses twice as much energy.

"If I take people on rides, and I see a cycle lane in a place that I don't know, I often don't take it because I know that nine times out of ten I'll go on it and suddenly it will dump me into a dead end road or pavement. It's the trust in them that they're not going to just dump me after ten yards and it becomes a bit of a waste of time going on it."

Forget Down Under, road.cc reviewer Ed Morgan won the U23 Men's National Road Series this weekend after a burst water main on the Central U23 Classic meant the final of the three events was cancelled. With Ed in the lead, he's the winner, adding to a very impressive 2022...

The final race of the shortened U23 Men’s National Road Series, the Central U23 Classic, has been cancelled due to a major burst water main on the circuit.

This means Ed Morgan (Wales Racing Academy) is the Series winner after two rounds.

1/2https://t.co/tMOyteqslA

— The British Continental (@BritishConti) September 24, 2022

Congrats, Ed!

For a sneak peek at what Ed's got on-test at the minute, check out our recent five cool things...

> The making uncool things cool edition: Five cool things coming soon from BMC, Pirelli, Van Rysel, Velotoze and Hornit

> Five cool things coming soon from Garmin, Lezyne, Crono, Tronsmart and, um, Lezyne again

[📷: Alex Broadway/SWpix.com]

Maybe it's because I got up at 6am on Saturday morning to get our race report ready and watched every pedal stroke of the final 70km, but I have to admit I found Annemiek's win far more enjoyable than Remco's. Both fantastic, in different ways, but the adrenaline-packed final of an injury-battered underdog snatching dramatic victory did more for me than a prodigy proving his greatness with a prolonged procession.

> From Coppi to Van Vleuten: Cycling’s greatest ever seasons

If I'm no longer allowed entry to Belgium for this opinion then that's just something I'll have to live with... 

[📷: Alex Broadway/SWpix.com]

Netflix better have been there or we riot. It really was the least expected day...

#ElDiaMenosPensado @Movistar_Team Good title for the next title of the Netflix serie episode 4. 😉 #Wollongong2022 pic.twitter.com/heOOY7v1jh

— Annemiek van Vleuten (@AvVleuten) September 26, 2022 

 [📷: @cauldphoto/Specialized]

Quiet news day in Belgium this morning?

World Champion 2022! 🇧🇪🌈🥇🔥

Dreams do come true, can’t wait to wear the Rainbow Jersey next season!! 🙏🏼

Thanks to the entire team for the amazing work today, a perfect race for us and very proud to finish it off!! 👊🏼

We are Belgium ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2mSUAp2sJT

— Remco Evenepoel (@EvenepoelRemco) September 25, 2022

Remember before the Vuelta when everyone was asking whether Remco would ‘ever’ deliver on his promise of greatness? I mean…🤣

— Orla Chennaoui (@SportsOrla) September 25, 2022

From one champion to another 🌈

Julian Alaphilippe congratulates Remco Evenepoel on succeeding him as men's world road race champion 🤝

📸 @gettysport
__________
🌎 #Wollongong2022 pic.twitter.com/sGPAq1y85n

— Velon CC (@VelonCC) September 25, 2022

To be a fly on the wall of Patrick Lefevere's residence these past 24 hours. Specialized is, of course, very happy with the win too — the bike brand's sixth men's world champ in nine years, a run that includes a trio of Sagan rainbows, a duo of Alaphilippe's, and now a Remco win to go alongside Michal Kwiatkowski's 2014 success too.

[📷: @cauldphoto/Specialized]

The brand is quick to point out in its post-Worlds celebratory press release that it hasn't exactly been slouching on the women's side of things either...with five wins since 2015 too.

Congratulations to @EvenepoelRemco , your new Elite Road World Champion! pic.twitter.com/4eTFHwpD39

— Specialized Bicycles (@iamspecialized) September 25, 2022

pic.twitter.com/yXN80iskl2

— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) September 25, 2022

Fridays...

pic.twitter.com/vKE2hSEgUn

— Amy (@akwca) September 25, 2022