In the news

Plenty of close passes, I assume not deliberately to frighten people (hard to tell from outside), but the effect is similar. Because people are people - it seems that lots of people recognise the hazards to them eg. cycling wide to control ones own exposure to hazards, being berated by impatient drivers who think it's perfectly safe to pass you because "I didn't hit you did I?", but don't easily recognise when they are the hazard doing pretty much the same thing. Not the same actual level of risk obvs, but still taking that sense of control away from the more vulnerable party.

(hurm, pointless late response... )

Should be front page cycling related news, not relegated to halfway down additional pages:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-41026832

On the subject of honnest reporting - lol

Leading article on the BBC web site, I'm glad to hear that:

Two white South African farmers who forced a black man into a coffin have been convicted of attempted murder and kidnapping.

But I don't see any mention the 500 attacks on farms and the 50 farmers (and family) murdered EVERY year !! ??

They tell us just what they want to; That's not news it's PROPAGANDA

Not excusing this but it is late August. Silly season, so the turnover of news is slower.

This seems like an Onion headline but it's real:
http://nypost.com/2017/08/24/rapper-who-stared-at-eclipse-abruptly-cancels-concerts/

SA has one of the highest crime rates in the world with farm murders forming a small percentage of horrific murders that are committed on a daily basis for all manner of reasons, but many of which i suspect are, for better or worse, related to the perceived and actual injustices of the apartheid regime.

You don't hear about news from SA, largely i suspect because people outside of SA have stopped giving a fuck about what happens there because rainbow nation, flowers and unicorns reign supreme now, don't they?

It's worth noting that not all farmers in SA are white and members of the non-white farming community are just as likely to be the victims of attacks as white folks.

So no worries to those of you I've put ignore at some point in the last few days. I will still be able to read your one-sided rants in the national news media. All good.

But propaganda

next stop, "white genocide!"

Christ. Just skimmed a few of those comments to see your replies. Eyes now bleeding from reading words.

(Not yours btw :)).

Its not aggressive.

I just want people to question themselves privately.
I don't for one second think anyones gonna be dumb enough to openly try and justify it in this thread.
I can't hold a moral high ground either, I have an mtb with no rear brake.
Bit bigger than bragging rights all this, thats a bit horn tooty, but I'm sure you feel me.

Edit;
I kept reading the thread. Some appalling attitudes here lmao.
We can't control or be honest with ourselves, it seems, let alone the vastly diverse (in every way) national population of pedestrians.
People don't even listen to each other anymore, when did riding your bike become such a circle jerk hahahahah

No. they should protect pedestrians by making cities safer to walk about in. Our urban spaces should not be ruled by fast moving vehicles and made impassable by roundabouts and junctions. Peds should have priority.

Can you clarify that for me?

Are you suggesting that there should be no reason people should be at risk of harm from walking around a city looking down at their phone?

A friend of mine was killed by stepping out onto a road without looking and got hit at 5mph by a bus.

How do you make a city safe enough to prevent that from happening?

And why is it not a good idea to teach people about the dangers of walking onto the road while looking at your phone?

And why is it not a good idea to teach people about the dangers of walking onto the road while looking at your phone?

They know. They don't care.
Everyone focuses on them self and distracting them self and that's about it.
We are unstoppable, unbreakable, incredible people!
Not vulnerable to anything ever in any way, 'negativity' has no place in life!

dunno if this has been posted anywhere or not, but just saw this vid from the MET, did LOL pretty hard.
http://news.met.police.uk/videos/comparitive-stopping-distance-test-between-cycles-30256

Such Science.

Next week they solve Diana's death by driving a milk float into a wall.

I could do that, with some kit from Maplin.
I haven't the words, but why was this not carried out by the department of some university where they have actual experience of processing and analysing data.
This doesn't really cut it, and Charlie's defence should've highlighted that.
Not defending CA's actions for one moment.

Yeah, I think riding without a brake is fucking dumb FWIW.... and this is coming from someone who rode brakless fixeh bieks for years..... my opinion on that matter is pretty irelivent though TBH.
the vid just made me burst out with laughter that the MET would actually consider it scientific evidence. Thought it was worth sharing.

Interesting thread on Twitter

The needy hyperventilating and hand-wringing on this platform from the cycling world's Victor Meldrews is a disgrace to our community.

The Charlie Alliston case (which on appeal with a competant set of briefs/addmission of their own expert evidence/concentrated refutation of CPS 'expert evidence' I believe should be thrown out) is just a smokescreen to further justify the anti-cycling hatred present in our society.

I have been riding for 20 years in London with no front brake and no issues; my daughter of 12 years has also comported herself well with respect for her surroundings and personal safety. Navigating poorly though out junctions, dangerous road conditions, errant, erratic pedestrians, dangerously driven/parked private and commercial vehicles.

As a young girl she has been subject to hatred filled verbal assaults and dangerous manoeuvring from vehicles, including ironically by those displaying 'baby on board' stickers.

Even fully compliant cyclists are routinely abused, threatened or endangered (wilfully or through inattention) by frustrated drivers full of entitlement on our roads.

Any driver of a vehicle, who is chuffed to do a cheeky 25 in a 20 zone or regularly cruises along at a steady 33MPH through posted limits disqualifies themselves from this conversation.

The froth, bile and rank hypocrisy of these upstanding members of the community wilfully increasing their potential stopping distance puts them squarely in the camp of the young Alliston.

Every mile over the posted limit a driver chooses to drive is no better than some kid removing his front brake on a low speed fixed-wheel bicycle.

So open your eyes and get the fuck down from that high horse you intend on riding side-saddle.

You have no case for schadenfreude or moral superiority over this immature kid who got tangled in a web of foolish mistakes and unfortunate circumstance; regardless what you heard, he will spend the rest of his life dealing with it.

#savethefixeh

Repost 😃

Poignant post, John.

It is pretty accurate and sums up a lot of the hypocrisy

Damn right!

DN thread - check
In the news - check
Commuting on a Planet-X (shudder) - check.

Did Facebook too..

If I have to type more than 12 words in a post I may as well get milage from it.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/cyclists-on-london-fixed-gear-and-single-speed-forum-complain-of-witch-hunt-against-cyclists-after-a3619741.html

Any driver of a vehicle, who is chuffed to do a cheeky 25 in a 20 zone or regularly cruises along at a steady 33MPH through posted limits disqualifies themselves from this conversation.

From all comments and coverage I've read over the past weeks, it's the least discussed but probably most contextualising proposition to drivers involved in the discussion. But their involvement is key to the discourse and helps highlight the hypocrisy and bias at play both at a personal level and in the media ...