Potholes and cracks can cause a danger to cyclists

While the state of local roads has been in the headlines this week, in the United Kingdom the pothole problem continues to be an ongoing nightmare.

While the danger to cyclists is the greatest problem, personal injury claims often being in the thousands, it appears that motorists are shouldering some of the problem as well.

Halford’s Press Office put out figures this week that show that the current state of the roads is increasing motoring costs.

They report that, in their Halford’s Autocentres, steering and suspension repairs have risen by 25% in January this year, and between November and January steering alignment jobs alone rose 18%.

Here’s the CTC’s ‘Fill that Hole’: http://www.fillthathole.org.uk/

Proposed in Parliament on Wednesday by back bench MP Andrea Leadsom is a bill increasing the sentence for dangerous cycling. As expected this has met with little support from the cycling organisations: the CTC point out that the bill is probably unnecessary, given that the number of pedestrians killed by cyclists is dwarfed by those killed by motor vehicles. If one uses the data from 2009, only two pedestrians were killed by cyclists while 426 were killed by drivers.

The Conservative MP used as an example the sad case of a 17 year-old girl who was killed by a cyclist in Buckingham in 2007. The cyclist was convicted of dangerous cycling and fined £2,200. Andrea Leadsom drew attention to the maximum 14 year prison sentence that motorists can receive for causing death by dangerous driving. The Bill will get a second reading in November.

If you’re thinking of visiting the South Downs, you will be interested in this new book from Cicerone: ‘Mountain Biking on the South Downs’. The guide takes in Hampshire and Sussex, using routes between Eastbourne, Brighton and Winchester. The routes are graded by length and strenuousness, and the author feels that even the less-experienced rider should manage most routes. There is a mix of hills, descents and single track in such beauty spots as Friston Forest, Queen Elizabeth Country Park and Stanmer Park.

Due out on 15th May, you can download a free sample route here: http://www.cicerone.co.uk/article/view.cfm/articleId/146/title/mountain-biking-on-the-south-downs—free-sample-route

The UCI, the International Cycling Union, whose recent handling of the ‘Approved by the UCI’ sticker saga was quite an eye-opener to bike manufacturers, have now suggested bringing skate boarding to the Olympics. Pat McQuaid, the UCI president, said that as skate boards had wheels, they could see cycling being the sport that would introduce the new discipline.

The UCI successfully brought BMX to the Games in Beijing in 2008.

The Institute of Contemporary Art is holding an auction of 30 works of art which includes 13 bicycles that have been customised by such luminaries as Damien Hirst, Gavin Turk, and Jake and Dinos Chapman. With the least expensive piece estimated at £5,000, you might prefer to invest your money into something a bit more practical.

See the catalogue: http://www.ica.org.uk/27822/Music/Psychedelica-The-ICA.html

As if the UCI don’t have enough on their hands, with wishing to overturn the Spanish Cycling Federation’s acquittal of Alberto Condor and his clenbuterol-lace steaks, they now face a challenge from eleven Pro Teams that want to break away from UCI control and start their own series of races.

The two men, said to be behind this move are Jonathan Vaughters, manager of the Garmin-Cervelo Team, and Johan Bruyneel, manager of Team RadioShack. Vaughters has devised a 10 point plan that he thinks will revolutionise the sport, it certainly will engage a wider audience and will possibly demystify some aspects of professional cycle racing.

Among his suggestions are:

A larger number of top-level races outside Europe.

Pro teams to be guaranteed places in the Tour de France on a long term basis.

Use of technology such as cameras mounted on bikes, helmets or inside team cars with the aim of making the “craziness and danger of the peleton more real to the viewer”.

Radio communications to be opened up to fans so they can hear what their favourite teams are up to mid-race.

Allow riders to be tracked by GPS to add to the viewing experience.

It would look like a poor performance for Team GB in last week’s World Track Championships at Apeldoorn in Holland. If only one could forget the unbelievable results that Britain’s track riders achieved at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, then their medal haul at Apeldoorn would look quite good. Eight medals from ten events would probably please most countries, although most were bronze, the Women’s Pursuit Team of Wendy Houvenaghel, Laura Trott and Dani King did secure gold.

And finally,

It often happens in ‘Bike Week’, but now a pilot scheme in Bradfield, near Sheffield, is offering cyclists a discount at various cafes, pubs and other businesses. These discounts are available to anyone who has taken part in a training scheme run by Pedal Ready. Businesses taking part in the ‘I Bike Bradfield’ scheme include three cafes, a pub and a dairy.

Arthur Lamy is a freelance writer specialising in cycling: www.cycleinjersey.com