If you've ever seen the 2004 film by the same name, you'll understand that the butterfly effect refers to how small occurrences can effect major changes further down the line.

For most of us, a chain jumping on a bike ride counts as little more than an annoyance. A small occurrence, if you will.

But for Hampshire bike racer Bobby Buenfield, what should have been an innocuous mechanical blip that would have been forgotten well before he'd finished his training ride back in April, the butterfly effect took full hold and turned his day – and his entire year – upside-down.

Instead of the chain settling on to the next sprocket, Buenfield lost control of his bike, which took him up a grass verge and deposited him headlong into a tree at 60kph. The result? A broken back – and months off the bike.

The 18-year-old Tor 2000 Kalas had suffered a compression fracture of the T8 vertebrae, midway up his back. He didn't ride the bike outside again for months.

When he did though he made it count, with an impressive comeback that saw him win what probably counts as Britain's best-loved non-British time trial – the Duo Normand, which happened to be making its own comeback at the same time.

After a false start on the indoor trainer, which only ended up setting him back, Buenfeld made a tentative return to circuit racing in July, getting a few late-summer events under his belt.

But last weekend he dug out the time trial bike for the first time since before his accident – "I'd not even looked at it since April," he says – to see how his back would bear up under the more extreme low-pro position.

He teamed up with friend Jack Baldie of TrainSharp, after a last-minute call-up for what was the return of a Continental time trial that has always enjoyed a special place in the hearts of British testers.

The Duo Normand, based in the small French town of Marigny in the Normandy region, is a two-up time trial that has been won by some of the UK's biggest time trial stars.

It's honours roll dates back to 1982, and among those winners are Chris Boardman, who has won three times, including with Paul Manning (1996) and Jens Voigt (1999), Michael Hutchinson, who teamed up with arch time trialling rival Stuart Dangerfield in 2002, and Sir Bradley Wiggins, who partnered Michael Elijzen of the Netherlands to the win in 2007. More recently, Visma-Lease a Bike star Victor Campenaerts took victory alongside his now-retired countryman Jelle Wallays in 2015.

The 'Duo' was cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic, and until last weekend, had not been seen since. Many wondered whether it would ever really return, and a false start last year that came to nothing certainly didn't help.

But last month, 21 September, Marigny once again thrummed to the sound of disc wheels and time trialling fans, as well as townsfolk serendipitously caught up in the fray – the Duo Normand was on once again.

Unsurprisingly, it looked a little different to its pre-2020 incarnation. The course – made up of Normandy's bucolic but lumpy back lanes – was shortened from 54km to 40km and run off in the opposite direction. And instead of UK riders making up a significant proportion of the field, Buenfeld and Baldie were left to further the cause alone as the only all-British pair.

Despite the fact he would barely been out of primary school when it was last run, the Duo Normand's reputation preceded it, Buenfeld told Cycling Weekly.

"We knew about it, knew it would be a cool thing to do," he said, "so I was quite excited to get the call-up."

When it came to their hopes of glory, Buenfeld said the pair thought they could have a reasonable chance of doing well in their chosen 'open' category.

"But it was more about going over and enjoying it all," he says, "and any result would be bit of a bonus."

Unfortunately the weather did its best to dampen the occasion, but the riders and the people of Marigny remained unperturbed.

"It's so good," he says. "All the people love it as well. We went on a recce the day before, before we even left the house, we had a Frenchman running up to us with his little course map, telling us all about it… they just all like cycling."

Buenfeld and Baldie recorded 51:17 for the 40km (25-miles) course, which is no pan-flat dragstrip – enough to put them more than a minute ahead of the next pairing, and just 56 seconds behind the only pair entered in the elite category – Clement and Matteo Guilbert, both of nearby Moyon Percy Velo Club.

Buenfeld hopes to be back again, he says, this time with a bit more training under his belt and who knows – if this is the rebirth of the Duo Normand, perhaps with a few more British pairs in support too, as the event makes its way make into the nation's conscience.

Cyclists could face life imprisonment in England and Wales if they kill pedestrians by dangerous or reckless cycling under government amendments to the crime and policing bill.

Dangerous or reckless cycling is currently punished with a maximum two-year custodial sentence. But the crime of causing death by dangerous cycling would be aligned with driving laws under amendments put forward on Thursday, according to the Department for Transport.

The new amendments recommence a planned law change under the Conservative party which was halted by the general election in which Labour came into power. Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, is leading a change to the law, which at the moment means reckless cycling was caught under legislation dating back to the 1860s.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said on Thursday: "Dangerous cycling is completely unacceptable, and the safety of our roads is a key priority for this government. The government is proposing new offences and penalties for dangerous cycling, updating legislation that is over 160 years old, to ensure that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full force of the law. These are being brought forward as part of the crime and policing bill and will be debated in due course."

The move has been met with a positive reaction from campaigners. Speaking to The Telegraph, Matt Briggs - whose wife, Kim, was killed by a cyclist nine years ago aged 44 - welcomed the new policy legislation and said he was "heartened to say the least" that life sentences were now being considered.

"I'm absolutely delighted that this Labour government has followed through with our calls for new legislation," Briggs said. "This isn't just a victory for me and my family, it’s also a victory for all the families who have worked tirelessly through their unbearable tragedies to have these laws changed."

He added: "I recognise that any death on the road is a tragedy. But, this campaign has been focused on correcting a gap in the law. I believe updated laws will serve as a deterrent and make our roads safer for everyone."

Meanwhile the proposed law change has been criticised by some, with Chris Boardman - the national active travel commissioner for England - who has previously said that the suggested new laws could prevent people from cycling in Britain.

Chris Boardman is one of Great Britain's best ever cyclists, specialising in the time trial and individual pursuit. He's an Olympic gold medallist, a two-time world champion, and three-time holder of the Hour Record during his career. He also won three stages of the Tour de France, claiming the prologues in 1994, 1997 and 1998. Since retiring from professional cycling, Boardman has been a prominent cycling and walking advocate, and was appointed the National Active Travel Commissioner in 2022. 

What was your first bike? 

It was a Raleigh Chipper, with big, fat, white tyres. I used to bat around our cul-de-sac in Hoylake, where we used to live. Like everybody else, it was your first way to extend territory with your mates, and do stupid things that would probably get you injured in some way. 

What was the first race you remember watching? 

I followed cycling by default because it was my family's sport. I had a family of time trialists, and that's what we did. At five o'clock on a Sunday morning, we piled everyone into a minivan with a canoe and a bike strapped to the roof, then my dad would go and do whatever he did for an hour, we played, and then we'd go and do something as a family. 

I didn't pay a great deal of attention to the sport until I was probably about 10. Then I realised my dad was quite good at it, and that felt quite cool. He was, by default, my first sporting hero. I used to go and stand by the results board so I could listen to people talk about my dad. 

Did you have any other cycling heroes growing up? 

A bit further on, the first one that really stuck in my mind was Greg Lemond. It was the fascination of the story, really, of the guy who changed the sport. You know, sunglasses, million-dollar contract, aero bars, pointy helmet. So much innovation that was led by one individual, that popularised it all. Then 20 years later, I ended up sharing a room with him [at GAN-Lemond]. 

You were known for being at the cutting edge of innovation during your career, like with the Lotus 108 and the superman position. Where did that interest come from? 

I've always liked making things, be it out of wood, be it an article, a business. And I'm fascinated with making things better. With my own performance, I was really lucky to bump into Lotus in the early 90s, who put me in a wind tunnel, and then showed me the numbers changing when I did things, which was fascinating. 

The second bit, which I think is really important to note, is I didn't innovate those positions. Graeme Obree did, and I copied him. He was the guy who had the courage of his convictions and said, 'I'm going to do something that is outside the norm, and people will ridicule me for it, but I'm still going to do it.' That was pretty amazing, so I copied him. I was an adopter, I wasn't a leader.

How did you get into time trialing? 

I got into it through my family, really, and then, at 13, I quite fancied having a go at 'this thing'. We used to go out on a Thursday night to a local time trial and get chips on the way home. It was a nice family affair and eventually my parents relented and let me have a go. 

I was initially ordinary. On the A4 piece of paper on the lamppost, my name was right down the bottom, at 29 minutes and something. The fascination for me at the time – I wasn't having a great time at school, I was quite bullied – was I went back next week and went better. It was something that belonged to me. My time against me. That led into beating another schoolboy, and suddenly that felt great. It filled a gap in my life that was needed. 

What's the proudest moment of our career? 

The bits that I'm most proud of came well after cycling. It's what the cycling career allowed me to do. My aim is to give every child in this country transport independence, and the freedom to stay at after school clubs or to travel as they wish. And we're on that path now. The work I've done in Greater Manchester allowed us to show what was possible, and so that's the bit I'm most proud of - that we got a whole city region to go, 'Yeah, we're going to be more cycling and walking.'

What was it that spurred you into active travel advocacy? 

It was probably when I went on Newsnight in 2012, when we were at the Olympics and started winning stuff again. I was asked to go on and talk about cycling. It was a proper grown-up programme. I got some questions like, 'Shouldn't cyclists have road tax?', which was actually abolished in 1932, and it just really annoyed me. But at the same moment, in that same programme, I realised what an incredibly sturdy soapbox this was, and how powerful the potential answers were, that there isn't a crisis you can talk about that this won't make better. 

Around about the same time, my daughter asked me to ride to the park, which was about 500m away, and I said no, and that made me angry. I didn't feel I could keep her safe. It was 573m to be precise, I measured it afterwards. I thought, 'Somebody should do something about this, so I will.'

This summer, you're planning to cycle to the Paris Olympics. Tell me about that... 

Sport England's environmental strategy, which I'm bloody proud of actually, is £100 million worth of investment. As part of making that visible, very poignantly because of Paris and the Paris Accord – it's nearly the 10-year anniversary of the Paris Accord – we thought, 'What's the most sustainable way to get there? Let's cycle. Let's take some celebs with us, let's make some stops en route, do it with the BBC, and highlight some good stuff that's happening, to make sure that the people that are really making an effort with sustainability get some applause.' 

Along the way, we want every sporting organisation in the country to sign a pledge, I think we call it the Going for Green Pledge, that basically says: 'We will do stuff.' 

For more on the Pedal for Paris campaign, visit the Sport England website. 

Chris Boardman has pointed out that "more people are killed by lightning and cows than cyclists" as he spoke about the UK government's proposed new anti-dangerous cycling laws.

The former Olympic gold medal-winner and Hour Record holder, now National Active Travel Commissioner, said: "Everybody should obey the laws of the road, but I'm frustrated that the focus on something that is so good for society and joyous is in such a negative way."

On Wednesday, an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill was introduced, which said people who "kill or seriously injure because of dangerous cycling" could be charged with the same penalties faced by drivers and motorcyclists.

The government’s proposal creates the offence of 'causing death by dangerous, careless or inconsiderate cycling, and causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate cycling’. 

Appearing on BBC Breakfast on Thursday, Boardman said: "My mother was crushed to death by a driver. That day, there were four other people [killed by drivers], and the day after, there was another five people, and so on. 

"Yesterday, there was a young boy killed in Birmingham while he was walking. Then there'll another four. Today, there will be another five. There are more people killed by lightning and cows than cyclists. 

"Everybody should obey the laws of the road, but I'm frustrated that the focus on something that is so good for society and joyous is in such a negative way. I'd rather be sitting here talking about how do we save five lives a day. 30,000 people are killed or seriously injured on our roads every year, and less than three of those are involving cyclists. 

"There's no question that if everyone faces penalties for their behaviour on their road and has a duty to look after others. The point is what impact will it have when its in the same realm as lightning as cows. I don't have any problem with it, but there's other things I'd like to be talking about."

He is not alone in his criticism of the government's priorities. Adam Tranter, the former Cycling and Walking Commissioner for the West Midlands, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it was an "incredibly strange use of government time and resource given how rare it'll need to be used".

He wrote: "It is a proposal based on fear not evidence. Those working in road safety will be perplexed given England does not even have a road safety strategy (one of few developed countries not to) and many responses on topics that would save lives are still sat on ministers’ desks."

Tranter also listed things the government could do - some of which they have pledged to before - which they haven't. These include: new laws for hit and run offenders; a full review of motoring offences and penalties; a pavement parking consultation review; establishing a Road Crash Investigation Bureau; and clarifying the difference between careless and dangerous driving.

Will Norman, London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner, wrote: "I have no problems with a law on death by dangerous cycling – everyone must obey the rules of the road. But in 2022, 1760+ people were killed on UK roads – three involved someone being hit by a bike. What’s the government plan for stopping five people being killed a day by motor vehicles?"

According to Cycling UK, "cycles are involved in just 2% of pedestrian casualties reported to and by the police. The rest, 98%, are hit by motor vehicles."

"Last night, the government announced a knee jerk plan to do part of a job badly, Duncan Dollimore, the head of campaigns at Cycling UK, said. "Ten years ago, government ministers recognised that road traffic laws weren’t effective in reducing irresponsible behaviour on our streets and promised a full review of traffic offences and penalties, which still hasn't materialised.

"Having done nothing to address these much wider problems with road traffic laws, the government wants to legislate on one piece of the puzzle without having thought through how this will work more broadly - including how it plans to deal with e-scooters and other forms of micro mobility, or what other road traffic offences need to be changed.

"If the government is serious about making our roads safer for everyone, it should revisit the wider review it promised ten years ago."

Active Travel England (ATE) will advise on and help deliver cycling infrastructure on all future large developments, it was announced on Thursday. This will hopefully improve "public health, reducing emissions and tackling the cost of living crisis", according to Chris Boardman, although ATE does not have the power to enforce its planning recommendations.

The quango is the government body responsible for making walking, wheeling and cycling the preferred choice. It has officially become a statutory consultee on all planning applications for developments equal to or exceeding 150 housing units, 7,500 metres squared of floorspace or area of five hectares.

This will see ATE reviewing approximately 3,100 applications a year, equating to 60% of new homes.

“Active travel is essential to improving public health, reducing emissions and tackling the cost of living crisis," Boardman, ATE's commissioner, said in a press release. "That’s why we’re working to ensure millions more people have the opportunity to walk, wheel or cycle from their doorstep to where they need to be.

“Designing activity back into our neighbourhoods and creating places where children have transport independence is achievable – it just needs smart planning.

“As a statutory consultee Active Travel England will work with planning authorities and developers to help them ensure new estates give people what they need to get fresh air and exercise, save money on petrol and help fight climate change.”

The body has achieved its new statutory consultee status after a pilot project, which saw ATE work with 30 local authorities to assess more than 60 developments over the nine months up until November 2022.

Feedback from a survey from the start of the pilot saw 80% of respondents to the survey agree that ATE should have a part to play in the planning system.

The body will not actually have statutory powers to direct the outcome of planning applications, so the consultation will effectively end in advice. Despite this, ATE said that it had worked with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure its thresholds as a statutory consultee are set at an appropriate level.

Active Travel England is responsible for parceling out the Active Travel Fund money from the government to local councils in order to deliver walking, wheeling and cycling schemes across England.

However, this money recently received a two-thirds cut, with promised capital investment in infrastructure for walking, wheeling and cycling falling from £308 million to only £100 million for the next two years.

Thursday is the last day to add a letter from cycling and walking charity Sustrans to government calling for these cuts to be reverse, which can be done on its website.

Legendary bike designer and engineering pioneer Mike Burrows has passed away. 

Burrows' most famous work was the Lotus 108 which was ridden by Chris Boardman to individual pursuit victory at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona and he was also behind the first road bikes to utilise compact frame design. 

On Twitter, Boardman paid tribute to Burrows and his influence on his life and career.  Boardman said, "he was the Godfather of modern bicycle design and my life would not have been the same without his influence.” 

The frame builder, who was born in 1943, had been working on the designs for the 108 throughout the 1980s. 

However, before it could see the light of day in any competitive action the UCI would first need to overturn its ban on monocoque frames. 

Once the organisation lifted the ban, it enabled Boardman to ride to victory on the engineering masterpiece. Boardman’s gold medal at the Olympics in 1992 was the first for Great Britain since 1920 and put British Cycling firmly on the map. 

The Olympics were only the beginning of Boardman’s illustrious career which also included a stage win at the 1994 Tour de France riding a Lotus 110, a road bike version of the 108 designed by Burrows.

Designer Torgny Fjeldskaar worked as design director at BMC in Switzerland for five years and told Cycling Weekly that Burrows' work, particularly on the 108, was ‘game changing’ in so many ways. 

He said: “I remember watching the Olympics and they had recently changed the rules to allow bikes like that one [Lotus 108]. Before that happened, you know it was just ordinary bikes and it wasn’t that exciting in my opinion. This was such a game changer, it was just jaw dropping to see that a bike could look like that and then obviously perform that well. 

“It was one of those bikes from that era that really made me want to be a bike designer.” 

Fjeldskaar explained that Burrows’ influence was wide ranging and consequently encouraged people to think more outside the box. 

He added: “It inspired so many people in terms of thinking more about what a bike could be. I think it maybe didn’t necessarily inspire them to copy that design themselves, but more to open up their minds as designers and rethink what a bicycle could be. That’s what for me was so inspiring about Mike Burrows.” 

"THIS WAS SUCH A GAME CHANGER"

Burrows' work extended across all areas of bike design from road bikes, cargo bikes, track bikes and latterly recumbents, built at his Norfolk workshop. 

One of his other iconic designs was the original Giant TCR (Total Compact Road), the world’s first compact road bike frame. Its sloping top tube would eventually become a staple on almost all of the best road bikes seen today.

Before the rest of the professional road cycling world accepted this new design, it would need to win some big bike races and it first began to do that with the Spanish ONCE team. 

From there the TCR would prove to be completely innovative and began to be adopted across the whole cycling industry. 

Every road bike since can trace its origins back to Burrows famous design. 

Fjeldskaar said, “I was a student at that time and not involved with racing like I am now. Although what I saw was how much of an impact the TCR had on the whole industry, not just racing. One of the biggest impacts it had was on manufacturing costs. These new compact frames enable you to reduce the number of sizes which I think is really fascinating. 

“He [Burrows] was just so great at looking at the bigger picture. His body of work makes that so clear. He thought about everything from manufacturing costs to world record breaking aerodynamic designs and then cargo bikes and commuter bikes. He was someone who really believed that bicycles could change the planet. If you just look at all those things he worked on, it’s so clear that he had a massive impact on the industry.” 

"HE WAS SOMEONE WHO REALLY BELIEVED BICYCLES COULD CHANGE THE PLANET"

One of the other bikes designed by Burrows was the 8Freight cargo bike, a machine which cycle courier company Pedal & Post from Oxford in the UK use. The company claims that their business wouldn’t exist today without Burrows' work. 

Chris Benton from Pedal & Post said: “We’ve got 10 of the 8F that Burrows designed in our fleet at the moment. We use them for same day deliveries, medical deliveries around Oxford and they’re still going strong. Some of them have done more than 100,000 miles which is remarkable. 

“They were just designed so brilliantly. With moto forks and the ability to have such a big capacity on the back. Everyone in our team loves riding them. 

“That design that we picked up back in the day has meant we can expand and do so much. They’ve just been absolute work horses.”

At the front of Burrows ethos was the need to get more people involved with and riding bikes. 

In a 2013 article with Cycling Weekly, the pioneering designer said: “It's getting people on bicycles that matters, and the trickle-down effect.” 

An important statement and one which we could all certainly agree with. 

Norwich calling...

When I was still editing a cycling magazine, Mike Burrows and I were in semi-regular contact. In the days when we had desk phones, seeing a number with an 01603 area code was a welcome sign that Mike was calling from his Norwich engineering unit for a chat, and that I should put an hour or so aside.

To be honest, I rarely got a word in, but I didn't mind. Mike would hold forth on subjects ranging from why one of the latest bike designs wasn't all it was cracked up to be, to the benefits of shorter crank lengths or why I should find space in the magazine for more recumbent content. Of course, I was more than happy to listen, because Mike, as well as being hugely knowledgeable, influential and opinionated, was also great fun.

His love of recumbents - or human-powered vehicles - was our usual point of contention. However hard he tried, I couldn't be persuaded to try one out. He invited me to sample one at the HPV world championships and I sent someone else along instead. We talked about a trip to Norfolk to try out one of his Ratracers, but it never happened. Of course, I now wish I'd made the effort, as folk like Mike are few and far between - and getting rarer. Rob Spedding

Chris Boardman has been chosen as the first national commissioner for Active Travel England, the government’s new cycling and walking body.

The former Hour Record holder is to be in interim charge of the organisation, which launches today. It will be responsible for improving the standards of cycling and walking infrastructure and managing the national active travel budget, awarding funding for projects that improve both health and air quality.  

Boardman said that active travel can help in every situation. "Pick a crisis. We can help you with all of them. Health, climate crisis, pollution, segregation, levelling up. Pick one, and here's the evidence that says this is the right way to go."

Active Travel England will be building on the government's strategy for active travel, Gear Change, which was released last year. In that report, Boris Johnson, the prime minister, wrote: "This document aims to kick off the most radical change to our cities since the arrival of mass motoring."

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In 2020 Johnson officially launched the “cycling and walking revolution” with a £2 billion investment to be spent on thousands of miles of cycle lanes, cycling lessons for children and adults and plans to strengthen the Highway Code to protect cyclists and pedestrians.

On Saturday, £5.5 million in extra investment in cycling and walking has been announced, which includes a £300,000 top-up to E-cargo bike schemes, £3 million to improve cycling infrastructure around train stations, and £2.2 million to explore ‘active travel on prescription’ schemes. 

Boardman will be involved in the set up of the new body, including the recruitment of the chief executive and management team, while the Department for Transport conducts a search for a permanent commissioner.

In a press release, the former Olympian said: "The positive effects of high levels of cycling and walking are clearly visible in pockets around the country where people have been given easy and safe alternatives to driving. Perhaps most important of all, though, it makes for better places to live while helping both the NHS and our mission to decarbonise."

Speaking to Cycling Weekly, Boardman argued that the government's strategy was "a work of art". He continued: "It's so logical, it's so integrated with all other forms of transport. And it means when you're doing, and getting funding for, buses or city developments, you must incorporate active travel. That's fantastic stuff. 

"Setting up a new agency, an arms-length body is a big deal. It takes a bit of time, and at last it's on the way. The point of me coming in as interim is to just get that going, because there are lot of commitments and spending that need to happen before the agency even exists."

Active Travel England is to approve and inspect schemes, and will help local authorities, training staff and spreading good practice in design, implementation and public engagement. It is also to be a statutory consultee on major planning applications to ensure that the largest new developments properly cater for pedestrians and cyclist.

Boardman said: "We will set up our ability to act as a statutory consultee on all planning for anything over 150 houses. Anything that's built in the future must have active travel in it. It is amazing. I have been doing this for a very long time, and we've gone way past unprecedented. I think it's the biggest investment since the 1940s, which is sensational."

He also said that we need to "break the stereotype of what a cyclist is". 

"It's just people, doing normal things, in normal clothes, when they have a genuine attractive choice to not use a car," Boardman explained. "When you put it like that, people are with you. People don't want to have to give their kids a lift to school every day. 

"Hundreds of hours sat in a car, and you don't need to, and the only reason you do it is you don't feel safe enough to let them go under their own steam. Everybody is with you, if you make sure you use common knowledge."

Statistics from the Department for Transport show that while 45.7% more people were cycling in 2020 than 2019, the highest level since the 1960s, in 2019 people were using their cars for over 278 billion miles.

Boardman said: "There are 20 billion extra miles being driven around than there were just ten years ago. It's not sustainable, and it has taken away the right to do anything other than drive, and that's what we've got to unpick. 

"Things like social prescribing, that's really progressive policy. People aren't going to do it if they don't have safe space. It all comes together once you've made the safe space."

To move to his new position, he is stepping down as transport commissioner for Greater Manchester.

"I've changed my relationship with Manchester but it's still there," Boardman explained. "I effectively went on a very intensive four-year course and I'm incredibly grateful to Andy Burnham for that experience, and then I finished it off with a six-month masters by being transport commissioner. 

"I wouldn't be in a position to be able to get into this without my time in Manchester. This transcends politics, it's stuff we have to do."

Chris Boardman has heralded the UK Government's £2bn investment in cycling as unprecedented, saying "'we have never seen anything like this before".

The former Olympian and current Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester says the steps being taken will help solve short-term issues and will hopefully pave the way for longer-term problems to also be dealt with.

The UK Government said they will provide £2bn to create pop-up bike lanes, wider pavements, safer junctions, and cycle and bus-only corridors within weeks as part of new funding to support safe transport during the coronavirus pandemic.

Vouchers will also be issued to help people pay for bike repairs and plans are being developed to make more bike fixing facilities available.

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"More important than cash, the government has given cycling as a mode of transport a new status, not for ideological reasons but for practical ones, it’s the most logical solution to short-term problems and then, if we choose, it’ll help us tackle long-term ones," Boardman told Cycling Weekly.

Alongside the investment, fast-tracked statutory guidance was published, effective immediately, which will tell councils to reallocate road space for significantly-increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians.

"Wording in the announcement was strong, unequivocal and backed up by legislation with similarly clear wording for councils. We have never seen anything like this before, it is a step-change in the Government’s position that should not be underestimated," Boardman added.

These attempts to increase the number of people able to complete journeys either on foot or by bike are hoped to help support road, bus and rail networks, with public transport capacity to set to be restricted amid social distancing measures.

"The country, in fact, the world, has an opportunity to make a change for the better and it’s starting to look like we might just take it," Boardman said.

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, made the announcement on Saturday May 9, saying: "During this crisis, millions of people have discovered cycling – whether for exercise or as a means of safe, socially-distanced transport. While there is no change to the ‘stay at home’ message today, when the country does get back to work we need those people to stay on their bikes and be joined by many more.

"Otherwise, with public transport’s capacity severely restricted at this time, our trains and buses could become overcrowded and our roads gridlocked – holding up emergency services, critical workers and vital supplies."

Chris Boardman hopes to find new ownership for the Boardman Performance Centre after Halfords announced its closure alongside bike shop chain Cycle Republic.

"Some of you might have heard the news today. So thought I’d put my thoughts down here," Boardman said in an Instagram post following the news.

"Whilst I’m obviously disappointed the Performance Centre isn’t going to form part of our strategy going forward, I do understand the immense pressure Halfords, along with other retailers, is under right now.

"Pioneering, world-first things like this takes courage to back and we need to remember Halfords showed leadership in enabling us to do something different and wonderful. This was a tough decision and I know it wasn’t taken lightly.

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"It is my hope that we can find someone who is in a position to take the centre on as a going concern. It’s still an amazing place and most importantly, it has an amazing team. That’s what I will be striving for over the next few weeks."

The Boardman Performance Centre offers a broad spectrum of cycling testing and bike-fitting, including a wind-tunnel.

Halfords revealed on Monday morning (March 16) that it plans to close its high street cycle shops and the Boardman cycling facility in Evesham, in order to free up money and focus on the motoring aspects of its business.

There will be 226 employees affected by the move, which is being taken after Halfords carried out a "strategic review."

A Halfords statement to the London Stock Exchange said: “Our proposal links directly to our strategic update in November 2019.

At the time of the centre's opening in 2018, Boardman said: "I don’t get overexcited, I’m careful about using superlatives, but this will revolutionise cycling in Britain.

"You’ve heard the figure a lot, you know, 80 per cent of your energy’s pushing air out the way, but you test power to the watt, speed to the tenth of the km an hour. And then for aero you’ve got hearsay and articles in magazines. It’s absolutely crazy," Boardman continued, explaining how people haven’t had affordable access to the best aero advice.

"That’s because people have no choice. And now they will. At a price that’s at least accessible for an enthusiast. It may change how people spend their sporting money."

Chris Boardman has called on the government to help fund a “revolutionary” cycle network for Manchester that could give a huge boost to cyclists in the city.

Former Olympian Boardman and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham have released further details about the ‘Bee Network’, a 1,800-mile, £1.5billion cycling and walking setup.

There are currently 12 cycling and walking schemes in development in Manchester, but Boardman says the authorities are “hamstrung” without a commitment from the government to help pay for the project.

He highlighted the fact that the government is spending £1.4billion on revamping a major junction on the A1 in Bedfordshire.

Boardman, the cycling and walking commissioner for the city, said: “With one-in-three car journeys in Greater Manchester being less than one kilometre, it’s clear we have to change. It’s impacting our air, our health and the place we’re expecting our children to grow up, get on and grow old.

“All ten Greater Manchester councils have taken on this challenge and they’ve already started transforming ambition into action. But without confirmed government investment, we are hamstrung. To revolutionise travel across a whole city region, we’re asking for the same financial backing over a ten-year period as it’s costing for a single junction improvement scheme in Bedford. I know which will return the best investment for a nation, never mind a region.”

According to Manchester City Council, the Bee Network could increase cycling or walking trips in Greater Manchester by 900,000 per day and bring in £6bn of public benefits, while helping to tackle the climate crisis, improve public health, and reduce congestion.

The network would include segregated cycle lanes, upgraded pedestrian crossing points and junction improvements.

>>> How to cycle in a group: Essential guide to group cycling 

Labour mayor Andy Burnham said: “Great Manchester is creating the blueprint for a real culture change in the way people travel.

“Now we have a world-class plan and we know how to deliver it, but we cannot do it alone. We need the government to back us with sustained funding over the next 10 years to enable us to complete the Bee Network.

“Put simply, if they help us change our city-region, we can help change the country too.”

A Channel 5 show asking if cyclists are the scourge of the streets has been branded “dressed up prejudice” by cycling campaigner and former Olympian Chris Boardman.

The one-off show ‘Cyclists: Scourge of the Streets’, which aired on Tuesday (July 9), was called "an unfiltered look at both sides of the fence" by its makers, but many have criticised the programme for targeting cyclists.

Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman and British Cycling have responded to the documentary, pointing out that thousands of people are killed or injured by drivers each year, while the number of people hurt by cyclists is significantly lower.

Channel 5 has responded to the criticism, claiming the show is "a balanced documentary" that includes contributions from police, drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

>>> London road users urged to take more care after death of cyclist in her 20s

In a short video posted on social media Boardman, who is now the first ever walking and cycling commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “Asking whether cyclists are the ‘scourge of our streets’ isn’t a hard-hitting, evidence-based documentary, it’s just dressed up prejudice and it does us all a disservice.

“By and large, those ‘street demons’ are mothers, fathers, grandparents and children all doing their bit to make Britain a healthier, greener and more liveable place.

“More people riding bikes is exactly what we need as a society, as a species, if we’re going to tackle big issues like rising obesity, congestion, pollution and of course the global climate crisis.”

The show has been condemned by a number of prominent pro-cycling voices, including The Guardian’s Peter Walker who called it “irresponsible, inaccurate and generally awful.”

>>> Bicycles are the future for transport, not electric cars, says report

In a statement, the makers of the new show said: “The big bike boom has caused a mighty backlash from hacked off motorists who see cyclists as rule-breaking know-it-alls, who freewheel all over our cities, hog road space and don’t have to adhere to the same laws as everyone else. But motorists themselves have a lot to answer for – when it comes to causing serious harm on the roads, it’s drivers who are mainly to blame.

“Tensions between two and four wheels have never been more fraught. We’re saddling up and belting up with riders and drivers from across the UK to tell the story of the turf war for Britain’s roads.

“This is an unfiltered look at both sides of the fence.”

When approached for comment on the criticism, a spokesperson for Channel 5 said: "Without public roads becoming ever more congested, this balanced documentary speaks to a range of contributors including the police, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to explore the daily challenges and issues faced by those who use them."

A pick-up truck driver has admitted causing the death of Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman’s mother.

Carol Boardman was hit by a car after she fell from her bike on a mini-roundabout in 2016.

Driver Liam Rosney has admitted causing her death by driving carelessly when he appeared before Mold Crown Court on Monday, Sky News reports.

Rosney drove over Ms Boardman after she crashed her bike in Connah’s Quay, North Wales.

>>> Cycling Action Plan sets out ambitious goals for improved cycling infrastructure in London 

The prosecution in the case alleged Rosney, 33, of Welland Drive in Connah’s Quay, was on the phone to his wife using a hands-free phone, but that the call had ended before he entered the roundabout.

He had been due to stand trial in July, but the case was postponed. A new trial due was due start on Monday when Rosney changed his plea to guilty.

He denied the more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Speaking after her death, Chris Boardman said: “A racing cyclist of some standing in her day, she gave up competitive riding when Lisa and I came along, but she never lost her love of the bike or of competing.

“Mum was one of those individuals who couldn’t turn anything into a contest.”

“Our mum was the most positive and outgoing person you could ever hope to meet and her generosity of spirit inspired everyone she met.

“Wanting to share her passion for cycling, even well into her 70s, she often took groups of young novices out on their first forays into North Wales.”

>>> Chris Boardman criticises Pickwick Bicycle Club for its policy of banning women members 

Chris Boardman won Olympic gold in the individual pursuit in 1992, and wore the Tour de France yellow jersey on three occasions.

Since retirement he has become a campaigner for safe cycling and is currently Greater Manchester’s commissioner for walking and cycling.

Rosney is due to be sentenced at a later date.

I’ve done it. You’ve almost certainly done it. Chris Boardman has definitely done it — in his case to great success.

I’m talking about getting aero. Whether it’s simply tucking into the drops to gain an extra mile an hour, or spending hours of expensive wind tunnel time in pursuit of Olympic medals, if you’re a cyclist you know what it is to cheat the wind. But very few of us know what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, or even if it’s doing any good.

Thankfully Boardman, for whom aero advancement has been a life’s work, is about to have if not the last word, then the first word in a game-changing conversation that affects, and benefits, us all.

The Boardman Performance Centre (BPC), due to open at the end of April 2018 on a small retail park in a quiet corner of Worcestershire, looks every inch a Boardman product from the outside, all snazzy wood cladding and stylised logos, but as anyone who’s been caught out by a rogue liqueur chocolate knows, it’s what’s inside that counts.

>>> Watch: Four top tips to reduce your aerodynamic drag

And at the heart of the BPC beat the blades of a 2.2m fan that drives a wind tunnel that for the first time in, well, forever, puts affordable high-fidelity aero testing at the hands of the average club rider.

“I don’t get overexcited, I’m careful about using superlatives, but this will revolutionise cycling in Britain,” enthuses Boardman, looking through the construction fence at his new baby.

“You’ve heard the figure a lot, you know, 80 per cent of your energy’s pushing air out the way, but you test power to the watt, speed to the tenth of the km an hour. And then for aero you’ve got hearsay and articles in magazines. It’s absolutely frickin’ crazy,” he protests, sounding almost offended that people haven’t had affordable access to the best aero advice.

“That’s because people have no choice. And now they will. At a price that’s at least accessible for an enthusiast. It may change how people spend their sporting money.”

It’s only fair to remind ourselves that the BPC will not be the only aero testing option open to British riders. Simon Smart at Drag 2 Zero and Xavier Disley of AeroCoach would be two of the first people to raise that point. However, the combination of fidelity (accuracy to you and me), repeatability, 30 degrees of yaw and the sheer affordability of the BPC all point to a new paradigm in going faster on bikes.

Boardman and the BPC’s new general manager Tom Payton — a youthful, lifelong cyclist who did time at Islabikes before moving into sales at Boardman Bikes — are giving Cycling Weekly the guided tour. We’re the only publication to enjoy a pre-opening peek. Considering the numbers expected through the door in the months and years ahead, from British club riders to WorldTour pros, this is a privilege.

This is no ‘come and try it’ invitation, though, as the place is still a building site. The three of us, plus photographer Andy Jones, pick our way through the detritus of the construction trade and into the main downstairs area — a large glass-fronted expanse.

Tunnel vision

“This is the retail space,” explains Boardman over the whine of a circular saw. All the brand’s bikes, plus accessories, will be available here, adds Payton. Boardman points out the ‘bar’ area (“I’m pushing to have our own brand of beer, but I seem to be the only one going for it!”).

There’s no cafe as such but customers will be able to get a good cup of coffee, he says.

Next to that is the workshop, where clients’ bikes can be fettled into their most aero selves, as dictated by the results from the tunnel. At the far end you can get a bike fit by Fizik, with whom Boardman continues to work closely on products. “Watch this space,” says Payton. There are also two changing rooms.

They explain there will be options to use as many or as few facilities as you like, from just getting a bike-fit through to a complete assessment including aero, VO2 Max testing and a physiological check-over. The aim being that you’ll go faster, be more comfortable and generally enjoy riding that bit more.

Stepping over more cladding, we head upstairs. Boardman points to a narrow yellow gutter: “A bike track for taking the bikes up. I wanted the stairs to be all yellow, but it was getting out of hand…”

Ideas man

When he talks, whether it’s about his bike company, the performance centre, Boardman beer or yellow stairs, his enthusiasm is almost tangible. You get the feeling that his colleagues are constantly rolling their eyes at a constant influx of ideas big and small that probably seem crazy or impossible to start with, but ultimately are bang on the mark.

>>> Power vs aerodynamics: how to get the balance right

Finally, upstairs, we step into the wind tunnel. It’s still in the fit-out stage like the rest of the place, but the fan, at least, has been installed. It presides over the space casting menacing shadows as Boardman poses next to it like a proud father, his latest project coming to fruition.

A control room off to one side waits for the electronic equipment that will run the custom-written software that will process information from four 4K cameras and the balance upon which the rider is mounted.

“It’s the least sexy bit, but the software will probably be the cleverest thing,” Boardman says. “I’ve got a picture of a 1930s wind tunnel on my phone, and it’s almost the same design as ours. Because wind hasn’t changed, air doesn’t change. But getting and dealing with the data is the cleverest bit, and that came from 10 years of learning with the Secret Squirrel Club [responsible for technical development].”

Visiting riders will get their data however they want, from Coefficient of Drag figures for the boffins or a simple watts saving if you’re less technically minded. The idea being that anyone can understand the benefits they’re getting.

The space surrounding the wind tunnel itself, as well as being temporarily lit with construction lamps that provide plenty of atmosphere, brings home how big the place is. It’s a huge warehouse-type structure. I chat with Payton, who informs me that the opening date for the centre is April 30 (six weeks away at the time of writing).

I can’t help but do a double-take, considering we’re standing in what is essentially an empty shell with a fan in the middle. Anyone who’s seen DIY SOS knows how fast a house can be fitted out, but even Nick Knowles’s mob would balk at this job. Payton, however, is unfazed, displaying a typically Boardman-esque enthusiasm for the challenge ahead: “You look at the opening day as the finish line, but that’s just when it all starts. It’s going to be great to see it finally open; the first person go in the tunnel, you know, and experience it.”

As we leave, Boardman takes us through the performance suite — a sort of foyer area with side rooms hosting the remainder of the BPC services, such as physical assessments. The foyer acts as a kind of wind tunnel waiting room and in the centre, on a plinth, an impressive centrepiece — one of Boardman’s original Lotus 108 bikes, as ridden in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

In a happy coincidence, explains Boardman, it was bought by a Halfords employee well before Boardman Bikes and its association with the company. When he eventually visited the Halfords offices for the first time, Boardman came across the bike “propped up in a corridor”. Now it’s come full circle.

>>> Which aero bike is actually the fastest? (video)

“I like making things. Working with wood, writing articles, even the TV stuff. Blank piece of paper, make something,” says Boardman of his drive to keep creating. “It’s fun. A fascination with understanding how things work and trying to do something with it.”

This latest ‘blank piece of paper’ could be Boardman’s biggest achievement yet, but he’s quick to credit the others who have been instrumental in setting it up. These include Matt Davies, the former Halfords CEO: “He listened to the business case for 10 minutes and he just said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it!’”

And then Rob Lewis — former F1 aero guru who was a core Secret Squirrel Club member — and the time they shared a now fabled curry over which the idea was born. “He said, ‘This is my disposable income, imagine if we could do it for that,’ and I said, ‘How would you do it?’”

Money, money, money

And in the end it all comes back down to money because it is affordability that will make this the game changer Boardman hopes for.

“From all the research we’ve done, it’s far and away the most affordable in the world,” he says. “Rather than spending thousands on a set of wheels come here. Spend two or three hundred quid, go faster — and with the money you save go on a training camp.”

Majorca in the spring, anyone?

Boardman Performance Centre essentials

Opens: April 30 Address: The Valley, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 4DS

Prices: From £195, depending on the package chosen.

What: The basic package will include 15-minute briefing, 30 minutes in the tunnel with your bike, evaluation of current position, testing up to two improvements, performance predictions, 15-minute debrief for £195. A more in-depth analysis is available with the above plus an additional 30 minutes time in the tunnel, testing at different yaws and wind speeds, trial of advanced equipment and greater guidance on positions for £350. Other packages were being finalized at the time of writing.

Where: Just outside Evesham in Worcestershire. The BPC is located 15 miles from the M5 at Worcester and 19 miles from the M40 near Stratford-upon-Avon. Birmingham Airport is 30 miles to the north. The central location was chosen specially by Boardman. www.boardmanbikes.com

Boardman the pioneer

More than once during our visit, Chris Boardman referenced Graeme Obree as an innovator. “As soon as you write a line of text, he’d just see the gap you made between the text,” he said of the Scot. But while Boardman’s approach is perhaps more scientific, he has spent a career as an innovator himself:

The Lotus 108

Boardman’s famous Olympic bike was invented by Mike Burrows and licensed by Lotus, but it still needed a rider with pioneering spirit to ride it. Boardman eventually became sick of people crediting the bike with his Olympic win in 1992, but whatever the Lotus did or didn’t contribute, the medal was a pioneering work itself. After all, it took 72 years to achieve.

DIY spirit

Graeme Obree wasn’t the only one to make stuff. “In 1993, I sketched up my own one-piece handlebar and fork design because the UCI brought in the rule for equal-sized wheels,” Boardman recalls. “The only way I could get low enough was to design my own handlebar and fork. So I commissioned it.” Not a washing machine bearing in sight.

Secret Squirrel Club

In late summer 2004, Boardman was appointed “Head of Stuff” at British Cycling. Within a year, his small department became the Secret Squirrel Club, tasked with exploring all those ‘gaps in the text’ with a focus on Olympic medals. Using lateral thinking and exhaustive wind tunnel experimentation, the SSC helped Team GB to 26 medals over the next two Olympic cycles.

Olympic gold medallist, British Cycling policy advisor and Greater Manchester's cycling and walking commissioner Chris Boardman says that cycling on Britain's roads or crossing the street should not require bravery.

He made the comment as he announced details of a report on how to improve cycling and walking infrastructure that he is presenting to the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group (APPCG) on Wednesday.

Boardman's 'Made to Move' report for Greater Manchester outlines a network of cycle and walking routes that the average 12-year-old would want to use.

Writing for the British Cycling website, Boardman says: "When I said a network that a 12-year-old would want to use, I chose every word carefully.

"There are measures I could recommend such as multi-stage crossings of a junction that would keep people safe but take five times longer, but if people don’t want to use them, we won’t get change.

"People do the easiest thing, so whatever we create must be easy, attractive and safe – all three, in that order, to convince those that don’t cycle already to venture out in significant numbers."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxMF_YFVFaA

Boardman says that in Greater Manchester, 30 per cent of car journeys made are less than one kilometre in length, and therefore could easily be replaced by cycling and/or walking routes.

He explains that his plans for Manchester could easily be applied for the rest of the country, and that is what he is presenting to the APPCG.

"We want the Department of Transport to help us deliver this vision, let us prove the case, then follow suit, so that all transport investment across the UK meets this standard and allows us to reap the benefits in full," says Boardman.

>>> Chris Boardman: ‘Shame on the government’ for discussing compulsory cycle helmet law

Boardman says that he recognises that there are great pressures on public expenditure, but that he thinks the benefits outweigh the costs. Levels of obesity and air pollution are just two issues that could be changed for the better.

"Riding a bicycle or crossing a street shouldn’t require bravery, but after decades of prioritising the interests and needs of the motor car above all else, rectifying the situation in favour of people walking and riding short journeys will initially require enormous political courage.

"Creating cycling networks fit for our 12-year-olds won’t come cheaply, but building to a lower standard will cost much, much more."

Chris Boardman has written a strongly-worded article criticising the British government for discussing a law for the compulsory use of cycle helmets rather than focussing on the things that "really keep people safe and save the most lives".

Boardman's piece is in reaction to reports that compulsory helmet use and hi-vis clothing will be discussed as part of a Department for Transport review into cycling safety.

Former Olympic and world cycling champion Boardman, who now acts as British Cycling policy advisor and Great Manchester's cycling and walking commissioner, argues that the introduction of the compulsory use of cycle helmet in Perth, Australia led to a drop in cycle use by 30 to 40 per cent.

A drop in cycle use, says Boardman, could have dire health consequences as people seek sedentary forms of transport to travel to work and school.

"A recent study by the University of Glasgow showed that people who regularly commute by bike almost halve their chances of dying from heart disease and cancer compared to people who drive," writes Boardman on the British Cycling website.

"In fact their chances of dying prematurely by any cause, drops by 41 per cent. Let those numbers sink in.

"In the UK one in six deaths - nearly 90,000 per year - is as a result of physical inactivity related disease including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Clearly, any measure proven beyond doubt to reduce people's likelihood to travel by bike, will almost certainly kill more people than it saves."

>>> Transport minister hits back at reports of ‘plan’ for compulsory helmets and hi-vis for cyclists

Boardman uses the example of a case in New Zealand to support his argument. Rebecca Oaten campaigned for compulsory helmet use in the country after her son suffered a severe head injury after being hit by a car while riding to school in the later 1980s. Her campaign led to compulsory helmet use in New Zealand in 1994.

"Imagine if her understandable anger over her son’s terrible accident had been directed not at protecting people in the event of a crash, but at the cause of the incident, the person, who rammed her son from behind as he rode to school?" says Boardman.

Watch: Five commuting tips

"What if her campaign had been to have speeds reduced or areas around schools made car-free? Measures to make streets safe for children to do normal things in normal clothes? Imagine how many lives she would have saved then."

According to figures quotes by Boardman, the Dutch adopted the policy of creating safe infrastructure for cyclists, leading to a rise in cycle journeys and a drop in injuries.

"More than 50 per cent of kids ride to school in safety every day," said Boardman of the Netherlands. "Imagine the reduction in congestion if 50 per cent of children in the UK were not driven to school! It’s also no coincidence that Dutch obesity levels are less than half that of the UK.

"So if you want to wear a helmet, go ahead, whatever makes you feel safer but I won’t be letting the debate get sidetracked from the things that evidence shows really keep people safe and saves the most lives.

"To the government, I say shame on you that this even has to be discussed (again) and shame on you that we even have to campaign, so we and our children can travel safely in a way that benefits everyone, on the roads we all pay for."

Boardman's mother, Carol, died of her injuries after being hit by a pick-up truck while she was out cycling in North Wales in July 2016. Two people have been charged in connection with her death.

Two people have been charged over the death of Carol Boardman, mother of Chris Boardman, after she was hit and killed by the driver of a pick-up truck.

Carol Boardman died in July 2016 after being hit by the driver of a Mitsubishi L200 pick-up truck while cycling in Connah's Quay, North Wales, with two individuals being charged in relation to the crash.

North Wales Police said that they had charged a 32-year-old man with causing death by dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice, while a 31-year-old woman has also be charged with perverting the course of justice. Both individuals are due to appear in Mold Magistrates Court at the end of September.

Chris Boardman, who was recently appointed as Manchester's first cycling commissioner, has previously expressed his frustration at a lack of progress in the case, with the police taking more than a year to bring charges in relation to Carol Boardman's death.

"I originally didn't care what happened to the driver, it would change nothing for us and would we really want to ruin another life?" Boardman wrote in July.

"But if our justice system doesn't take road crime seriously, then someone will needlessly go through what my father is experiencing now."

Chris Boardman has been appointed as Greater Manchester's first cycling and walking commissioner.

The Olympic gold medallist and former professional rider will help to oversee initiatives that aim to increase journeys undertaken by bike in the area from two per cent to 25 per cent by 2025 as part of promoting healthy alternatives to car journeys.

Boardman, 49, said that he is "excited and daunted by the responsibility" of the position "in equal measure".

“My first priority will be to pull together all the people who need to be involved in making cycling and walking viable, attractive and important part of the transport network in Greater Manchester,” Boardman said in a statement.

“Cycling isn’t currently a big part of how people get around in the region but surveys have showed there is real desire to ride more, if we create an attractive, safe environment."

>>> Chris Boardman ‘dismayed’ after driver accused of killing cyclist is cleared

Since retiring from professional cycling in 2000, Boardman has continued to be heavily involved in a several aspects of cycling, including creating his own Boardman bike brand, campaigning for cycle safety and being involved with the British cycling team in a support role.

“With my background in sport, I’m a big fan of setting targets, being measured and being held accountable for results," said Boardman. "I’m going to spend several weeks talking to people to understand the landscape for cycling in Greater Manchester before setting a number of goals we want to achieve and timescales.”

Boardman was appointed by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham as part of the Greater Manchester Moving Plan.

"I am a big believer in physical activity because it has a positive impact on both physical and mental health," said Burnham. "Going from inactivity to activity is often one of the easiest and most positive lifestyle changes people can make.

"We need to encourage the people in our city region to move more, to cycle and walk and maximise the contribution to being a healthy society."

Boardman's cycling career spanned the 1990s, during which time he won three Tour de France stages, wore the Tour's yellow jersey, was 1992 Olympic pursuit champion and took three world titles on the track and road.

British Cycling policy adviser and Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman has issued a strongly-worded statement after a driver accused of killing a cyclist by careless driving was cleared by a jury at the Old Bailey on Thursday.

Gail Purcell, 58, of St Albans appeared at the Old Bailey after Cycling UK's Cyclists' Defence Fund had brought a private prosecution against her.

She was accused of causing death by dangerous driving after the Nissan Juke she was driving hit cyclist Michael Mason, 70, from behind. Mason suffered a severe brain injury and later died in hospital.

>>> Driver acquitted in crowd-funded prosecution relating to cyclist’s death

“We are disappointed and dismayed by the outcome of a case that further highlights that a review is needed of how the justice system responds to collisions on the road," said Boardman.

“Everyone should be concerned about this matter - no matter how you travel - because bad driving can affect us all. The standards of what constitutes careless and dangerous driving need to be looked at very carefully to make sure cases of bad driving can be dealt with effectively.”

The CDF took up the case, in part using crowd-funded money from members of the public, after the Metropolitan Police decided against referring the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

>>> Sainsbury’s treating incident of its lorry in close-pass with cyclist ‘very seriously’

“In any other activity we would not sit back and accept that certain actions or mistakes will inevitably cause the death of others. The police and CPS need to look carefully at this case to consider how the process of investigation and prosecution can be improved.”

Mason's family also expressed their concern and disappointment at the verdict. His daughter, Anna Tatton-Brown, said in a statement on Thursday: "It seems that failing to be aware of what’s in front of you while you’re driving is an acceptable mistake, not careless, and that no explanation for that failure is necessary."

Boardman's comments echo those of Cycling UK, with CDF spokesperson Duncan Dollimore saying after Purcell was acquitted: "Careless driving is supposed to be driving which falls below the standard expected of a competent and careful driver.

"If failing to see an illuminated cyclist on a well-lit road is not careless driving, and no explanation for that failure is required, that reinforces the arguments Cycling UK has made through our Road Justice Campaign for many years: namely the definition and identification of bad driving offences needs urgent review."

Chris Froome has emerged from the recent controversies surrounding Team Sky and British Cycling in a strong position, according to former pro and Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman.

Boardman has said that triple Tour de France winner Froome now appears to be comfortable in the role as 'statesman of the sport' having given a measured response to the furore over the use of therapeutic use exemption (TUE) certificates and the 'mystery package' delivered to Team Sky for Bradley Wiggins during the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné.

"What I've found interesting about the last few months is that Froome has become more of a statesman for the sport," Boardman said to news agency Reuters.

"He is more comfortable in that role now. He's clear on what he thinks and doesn't contradict himself. I think Chris Froome has handled himself very well."

Boardman  – who was formerly employed by British Cycling as a technical advisor – praised Froome for saying that there were still aspects of the controversies that needed clarification. In December, Froome commented on the package delivered to Wiggins at the 2011 Dauphiné.

“Those are questions for Brad to answer about what happened back then," Froome said at the time. "In terms of who did what at the time, I still don’t know all the answers myself."

>>> Chris Froome still ‘in the dark’ over Wiggins/Sky TUE controversy

“I can only deal with what I do know. From what I have seen for myself [at Sky], it’s been completely above board. It’s been clean. I’ve laid all my cards on the table. Everything has been out there for a while in terms of my TUEs.”

Boardman played down speculation that the relationship between Froome and Sky had become strained due to recent headlines.

"I think people have tried to infer things, spin what [Froome] said, which I think is unfair. But what he has said has been bang on."

British Cycling and Team Sky are currently the subject of a UK Anti-Doping investigation, with a report due from UKAD imminently. Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford and members of British Cycling have appeared in front of a Culture, Media and Sport select committee to answers questions relating to anti-doping.

One Pro Cycling will ride Boardman Bikes until the end of the 2019 season, having struck a three-year partnership as bike sponsor.

Following the withdrawal of Factor Bikes as the team's bike sponsor in the autumn and the subsequent knock-on effect it caused with One Pro being forced to drop down to Continental level because of the funding shortfall, this news is a welcome change of tone for the team and continues their commitment to racing British branded bikes.

One Pro's 12 riders will also be able to take advantage of the manufacture new performance centre, including the cycling-specific wind tunnel.

“I am delighted to welcome Boardman as One Pro Cycling’s official bike sponsor," Matt Prior, One Pro's CEO, said.

"From our initial meetings I was hugely impressed by the way they operated and their vision for the future. This is a brand that is clearly heading in the right direction and doing it the right way.

"I am thoroughly looking forward to working with Chris and all the staff at Boardman. To be working with a British bike brand is something I’ve always wanted for One Pro Cycling and this I’m sure is the start of a very successful relationship for both parties.”

Chris Boardman commented: “It’s great to be back in the peloton and even better to be doing it with a fantastic UK team. Along with the opening of our performance centre, 2017 promises to be an exciting one”.

One Pro's 12 riders - that includes sprinter Steele Von Hoff and new signing Tom Stewart but not Chris Lawless who has since signed for Axeon Hagens Berman - will race on the Boardman Air 9.8; the Boardman TTE 9.8 will be used in time trials and the training bike will be the Boardman SLR Race 9.8

Prior told CW in November that after Factor's withdrawal, a number of big named brands had been in contact about partnering up with his team. It remains his intention to see the team compete at WorldTour level in the future, and he is confident that they will race under a Pro-Continental licence once again in 2018.

"We have brands who have since heard what has happened to us and have contacted us because they want to jump on board to partner up with One Pro Cycling," Prior said in November.

"Big British brands who have seen what this team is trying to do and they want to be part of it because they see it as such a positive thing."

Boardman Bikes will also provide bikes to the Podium Ambition women's team in 2017 as part of their two-year contract that started in 2016.

If you want to get from A to B in the shortest amount of time, aerodynamics is always a consideration. To date the cost of wind tunnel testing has been prohibitive for the vast majority of riders.

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Last January we heard that Chris Boardman wanted to change this by building an accessible wind tunnel. The latest news is that Boardman bikes has just been granted planning permission to build the 18,000 square foot centre.

The performance centre will be located in Evesham, and will house a wind tunnel, physiology suite, a cafe as well as Boardman Bikes' head office.

Chris Boardman has been influential in the idea and it has been his "dream" for more than 6 years. He believes that "the possibilities for what The Centre can deliver are truly amazing". He believes it could be "revolutionary" for UK cycling.

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According to the gold medal holder, the whole purpose of the tunnel was to make cycling accessible. While the company wants the site to be used by Olympians and other world class riders, they still want to accommodate "weekend leisure riders".

Back in January, Boardman told Cycling Weekly that he has been wanting to create the performance centre, and the cycling specific wind tunnel, for five years and it all started over a curry with aerodynamicist Rob Lewis.

"At the moment there are two wind tunnels in the country to test bikes. They are multi-purpose facilities, you have to fit around what else they are being used for, you can't buy single hour slots and a booking costs around £15,000," he said.

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To get the most out of your time in a wind tunnel you need to have the opportunity to explore different set ups. "If you want meaningful testing, you need to test over and over, repeat positions etc," explained Boardman. "At the moment some serious enthusiasts might splash the cash on a red letter day, but they are in the minority."

By making a tunnel that is focused on testing bikes rather than cars and other vehicles, Lewis and Boardman were able to come up with a set-up at a price to consumers that is far more palatable.

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Boardman c: "You don't need a rolling road and you don't need to test at 150 miles an hour. If we strip out these functions, what does the fan look like? We sketched it out and realised we could build a tunnel that we could charge people a couple of hundred quid [for an hour session]."

"The idea is you can book just one or two hours. [From testing in the wind tunnel] You can get measurable feed back, not just rely on feel."

Using the wind tunnel may be more affordable for consumers but the performance centre project is much more than just a wind tunnel. The whole project is a substantial investment for Boardman Bikes.

Establised in 2007 Board-man Bikes' rapid growth prompted the company's acquisition by cycle and car parts retailer Halfords. Andy Smallwood, Managing Director of Boardman Bikes, confirmed that the backing of Halfords made the project possible: "From an investment point of view Halfords has given us the ability to fund things like the performance centre."

"We looked at the cost of sponsoring a WorldTour team, multiple millions, and decided that for a similar cost we could create the performance centre. I personally feel the performance centre gives the Boardman Bikes' brand a legacy, a long term venture," he continued.

Boardman explained that there is far more to the performance centre than just the wind tunnel:

"It is a performance centre in the true sense of the word. There'll be physiology testing and much more. It's not just for the elite of the elite. It will have everything to do with your performance, from a sportive rider to the highest level of racing."

"You'll walk into this place thinking what services do I need to improve performance, and it will be there," enthused Boardman.

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Boardman and Smallwood were keen to emphasise that, although the performance centre will include Boardman Bikes' R & D department, Boardman Bikes wants to do much more than just provide products.  

"We're not building a wind tunnel and a performance centre just for product development. It is for the public to explore their potential. We won't tell you what product is best, we want you to explore the options yourself."

Chris Boardman is to lead a campaign group which aims to consolidate and simplify Highway Code rules in order to make junctions safer.

The group is made up of British Cycling, The AA and pedestrian advocacy organisations with the intended outcome being safer junctions for vulnerable road users.

According to British Cycling, the Highway Code has some gaps and grey areas that need sorting to make roads safer.

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The key part of the campaign is a consolidation and strengthening of existing rules in the Highway Code.

This would mean that whether you are driving or cycling, you would be clearly obliged to give way when turning to people who are going straight ahead.

The obligation would be on the turning road user regardless of whether the person going straight on was in a car, on a bike or on foot.

>>> Chris Boardman pokes fun at British government’s inadequate cycling strategy

The Highway Code currently has at least 14 rules about junctions and the emphasis changes from rule to rule.

Highlighting Rule 170 as an example, which requires drivers to give way to pedestrians already crossing but with no direct equivalent rule for cyclists, the campaign is looking to cover the gaps in the current guidelines.

The new proposals are based on researched commissioned by British Cycling in the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden.

In practice, the outcome would see the emphasis and responsibility always placed on the road user with the greater capacity to cause harm, something Boardman has campaigned for previously.

>>> Government’s cycling and walking strategy needs funding to be a success, says Chris Boardman

In turn, this means that drivers turning at a junction would give way to people cycling and walking who may be on their nearside, or crossing the road that they're turning into.

Further, cyclists turning at a junction would then give way to people walking who are crossing the road they are turning into.

Both of these measures would mean that pedestrians get increased protection when crossing a side road or other junction.

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At a time when Paris is banning cars from its city centre and drastic action is needed to combat the hazardous air quality in London, these proposals are claimed to help reduce congestion and improve air quality, as well as enhance people's safety.

“The proposals put forward by British Cycling and partner organisations would eliminate confusion, improve efficiency and reduce congestion, while giving cyclists and pedestrians greater protection," Boardman said of the plans, before adding "therefore encouraging more people to take up greener transport options and making our streets healthier."

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The Olympian-turned-campaigner continued, “Whether driving, cycling or walking, negotiating a junction is the most hazardous manoeuvre you can make on the road.

"A change needs to be made – the rules need to be simple and unambiguous."

Chris Boardman has backed calls from several prominent figures in the cycling industry to publish therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) to try and eliminate the moral "grey area" that surrounds them.

The spotlight has been shone on the TUE process, which allows athletes to take otherwise banned medication to treat an ailment, in recent weeks after several high profile athletes, including Sir Bradley Wiggins, had their medical data leaked by hackers.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Wiggins, who was prescribed a corticosteroid on three occasions to treat allergies, but Boardman feels the process needs to be looked at to ease the ethical dilemmas that have been raised.

"The thing that people have only just touched on is that we’ve got a situation where everybody accepts this is legal and they’re still not happy with it being morally correct. Why is there that big grey area?," he told Cycling Weekly.

"You’ve got two things straight away. One is making all TUEs public and then you know that whatever you do is in the public eye, which will help massively – across all sports.

"In the professional world, if that’s to do with medical confidentiality then [they should] go round all the pro teams and ask riders if they’re okay with TUEs being public going forward. Then publicise a list of anybody who says no.

"Secondly, if you’ve got a world governing body who is signing off things that are uncomfortable then why are they doing that? Why not tighten it up and make the decision-making harder."

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Boardman confirmed that he was granted one TUE towards the end of his career to treat inflammation on his ankle, which he broke in six places, but says he didn't end up taking the medication.

He also explained that he requested another TUE to treat osteopenia - a bone density ailment - but the UCI turned this down

"When I had osteopenia I went to see the UCI and showed them my low bone density scan, explained that the treatment for it was testosterone patches, and they said no, which was fair enough," he said.

Team Sky manager Sir Dave Brailsford said he is looking into publicising TUE information from his team in the future, following the scrutiny on the team's handling of the Wiggins situation.

"I think it was Jonathan Vaughters who first suggested making them public and it’s a good idea. If [Brailsford] feels the same way, that’s great. He’s definitely in a position to do that. He’s in control of his own team and he can ask the riders why not [make them public]."

British Olympic cycling gold medallists Laura Trott, Jason Kenny, Mark Cavendish and Owain Doull have joined former Olympians Chris Boardman and Sir Chris Hoy in writing to the prime minister, saying that the best way to honour their achievements in Rio is to invest in cycling.

In an open letter to British prime minister Theresa May dated Thursday, September 1, the Olympic cyclists collectively asked May to provide a 'legacy of every-day cycling' as the best way to honour their achievements.

Great Britain dominated the cycling events in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August, particularly the track disciplines. In total, GB amassed six gold, four silver and two bronze medals, helping the nation exceed its total medal tally from the 'home' Games in London in 2012.

May was widely reported as saying after the Games that there would be 'no limits' to the honours that would be handed to GB's Rio medallists.

>>> Letter to Theresa May from British Olympic cyclists (PDF)

In the letter to May, GB's cyclists call for five per cent of the government's transport spending to be allocated to cycling to provide safe and efficient cycling infrastructure throughout the country.

“The best way to honour the achievements of our athletes would be to create a legacy of every-day cycling in this country – a place where cycling is the choice form of transport for people to get around in their daily lives," says the letter.

“Investment in cycling as a form of transport isn’t purely an investment in cycle lanes. It is an investment that will pay off for the nation’s health, wealth, transport infrastructure and the vibrancy of our towns and cities. It has the added benefit of just making it easier for ordinary families to get to work and get to school.”

A recent survey commissioned by British Cycling showed that 60 per cent of British parents are uncomfortable with letting their children use roads to cycle to school.

British Cycling policy advisor and 1992 Olympic individual pursuit gold medallist Chris Boardman has asked to meet up with May to discuss the issues further.

“Britain is the best elite cycling nation in the world – we’ve proved it at three successive Olympic Games – and yet we’re still massively lagging behind other nations in terms of every-day cycling," said Boardman.

>>> Chris Boardman pokes fun at British government’s inadequate cycling strategy

"How can it be right that we have so many Olympic champions but less than 2 per cent of Brits cycle regularly? We know why people aren’t cycling. The fact is that most will only ride a bike if they are separated from traffic on convenient, well-maintained routes.

“The ground work has been laid in that the government now legally has to come up with an investment strategy. But let’s see that published with a meaningful amount of money behind it. Under current proposals, investment will decline to less than £1 per head by the end of this parliament. This is a pitiful amount when you consider the £28 per head that is spent in the Netherlands on cycling.”

Full list of British Olympians who signed letter to Theresa May

Chris Boardman, policy adviser, British Cycling and Olympic gold medalist

Sir Chris Hoy, six-time Olympic gold medallist, joint most successful British Olympian

Laura Trott, four-time Olympic gold medallist and Britain’s most successful female Olympian

Jason Kenny, six-time Olympic gold medallist, joint most successful British Olympian

Mark Cavendish, Olympic silver medallist

Joanna Rowsell Shand, double Olympic gold medallist

Elinor Barker, Olympic gold medallist

Owain Doull, Olympic gold medallist

Becky James, double Olympic silver medallist

Katy Marchant, bronze medallist

Great Britain's rivals in the track cycling at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games will be worried by their barn-storming performance on the opening night of competition at the velodrome, according to Olympian Chris Boardman.

GB ended Thursday evening in Brazil with a gold medal in the team sprint, a new world record in the women's team pursuit and a fastest time of the night in the men's team pursuit, performances Boardman says will leave their rivals thinking 'oh no!'

"I think we've had a glimpse of form for everything that’s coming," Boardman, who is commentating for the BBC at the Games, told Cycling Weekly. "You saw Jason Kenny, his body language said: ‘I’m in great shape.’ It was total confidence."

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Boardman's comments were echoed by GB head coach Iain Dyer who explained that the team's performance on the opening night of competition would inspire confidence in the rest of the squad for the remaining five days of racing.

"Everyone has stepped up today, bar the female sprinters [who didn't race], and delivered everything we expected," he said.

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"When you’re executing [performances] as well as you are and you’re sitting next to the person you’ve trained with for weeks and months prior to this moment, you’ve got a barometer there, a gauge for how your training form is going, and that’s got to be fantastic for the rest of the team."

Dyer added that Jason Kenny's performance in particular led him to believe that further gold medals would follow for the 28 year-old from Bolton, echoing the thoughts of Sir Chris Hoy, whose record of six gold medals Kenny could equal with golds in the keirin and individual sprint.

"The sky is the limit [for Jason]," he said. "Coming away from an event like that and [his] confidence must be really, really high.

"You’ve seen the split times, you’ve seen the times he's got against some of his competitors he’s facing in the sprint and the keirin.

"We’ve seen what he’s capable in the last month’s training coming into peak form, he’s in super shape. We've got plenty to look forward to."

Chris Boardman's mother, Carol, died on Sunday night following a collision with a car while out riding her bike in North Wales.

The Olympic gold medallist posted a touching tribute on his Twitter page, calling his mother "the most positive, outgoing person you could ever hope to meet".

Carol was taken to hospital on Saturday after the collision with a pick-up truck in Connah's Quay, near Deeside.

In his statement, Boardman remembered her competitive spirit, her generosity, and her deep love for the sport of cycling.

"A stealth combatant and full of energy; mum was one of those individuals who could quietly turn anything into a contest," he wrote. "On the 10-minute walk to my nan's she would often force us to skip – it didn't feel as strange then as it sounds now – which inevitably turned into a dog-eat-dog contest, a woman and two children frantically speed-skipping along a suburban pavement with a blue garden gate as the winning post.

"God knows what it looked like to people driving past."

Boardman revealed that his mother's passion for cycling led her to take novices out on rides in North Wales, even when she was "well into her seventies".

A passionate and outspoken campaigner for road safety, Boardman says he "cannot yet conceive of a world without [Carol] in it".

High-profile figures in the world of cycling, including fellow Olympian Joanna Rowsell Shand, broadcaster Ned Boulting and Bob Howden, president of British Cycling, added their sympathies on a tragic day for the cycling community.

North Wales Police have appealed for any witnesses to the collision at 13:54 BST at the roundabout on Mold Road, Connah's Quay with the Junction of Ffordd Llanarth.

The vehicle involved was a white Mitsubishi L200 pick up, police said.

Boardman said that his mother's "generosity of spirit touched everyone she met.

"We love you Carol," his statement concluded. "May the wind be ever at your back."

Chris Boardman described Shane Sutton as being "passionate and right on the edge" and says the Australian was forced out of British Cycling as the media were behaving like a "lynch mob" in April.

Sutton resigned from his post as technical director at British Cycling after allegations of sexism and discrimination were made against him, notably from track sprinter Jess Varnish and para-cyclist Darren Kenny.

In an interview with The Times, Boardman, who worked alongside Sutton in his role as BC's head of research and development, says he doesn't agree with how the coach was portrayed during the process.

“Whether we got on or not — and we didn’t always get on — I thought it was a horrible trial by press for a week with just one side of the story,” he said.

“Shane’s behaviour was always passionate and right on the edge, Australian. It’s a really sad way to end a career of 20 years.

“It was a bit of lynch mob. Sexism, bullying, selection... it was throwing mud at British Cycling and seeing what sticks. And one individual held responsible for everything.”

Boardman subsequently told Cycling Weekly: "I don't condone bullying by individuals or the media and I think it's ironic how many are happy to bully someone – without trial – who's accused of bullying. That was my point and I resent it being twisted.

"Let the review process do its job, with facts and evidence, and then come to a reasoned decision. That's what civilised people are supposed to do."

An independent investigation has opened into the culture within British Cycling, chaired by Annamarie Phelps of British Rowing. Boardman says he welcomed the inquiry as an opportunity "to look and rebuild". Former England rugby head coach Stuart Lancaster is on the board, which will also look at allegations that lottery-funded equipment was being sold online.

Former Olympic and world champion Chris Boardman has slammed the British government's proposals to invest less than £1 per person into the nation's cycling infrastructure, which is "less than the cost of a cup of coffee".

Boardman, who currently acts as British Cycling's policy adviser, is addressing Members of Parliament today at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling as they discuss the government's draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

Boardman's comments were backed up by the 40 businesses and organisations that are part of the #ChooseCycling Network group, which would like to see much more invested in cycling - £10 per head.

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“If I were presenting the government’s cycling investment strategy as a workable proposal for any of the businesses in the #ChooseCycling Network, I would be laughed out of the room," Boardman said.

"It is simply not possible to make cycling the 'natural choice' for short journeys by investing less than £1 per head – less than the cost of a cup of coffee. As the government run the country, I’d hope they know this."

The #ChooseCycling Network group has drawn up a three-point request to improve the cycling strategy:

Better places to cycle: meaning a programme of building segregated cycle lanes in towns and cities across Britain;

Smarter investment in cycling: by setting aside a greater proportion of the roads budget and budgets from related transport and infrastructure programmes;

Stronger leadership at national (Transport Secretary) and local level: to ensure cycling is integrated in all infrastructure and devolution programmes to normalise cycling as a means of transport.

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Boardman said: "The longer cycling gets treated as an afterthought or a charity case, the longer we are missing out on a unique opportunity to create a healthier, happier and more active nation.

"This is no longer just something that people who already ride bikes want to see happen, this is something that 70 per cent of people in Britain agree with and increasingly, as we have seen today, businesses across all sectors."

>>> What is 'Get Britain Cycling'

The All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group produced its 'Get Britain Cycling' report in 2013, which recommended that the government invest £10 a head on cycling in Britain to make a 'meaningful change'.

Chris Boardman has called on new Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to follow through on his promise to increase the funding made available to cycling initiatives in the capital.

Mr Khan told British Cycling's policy advisor during his election campaign that he planned to carry on the work of his predecessors Ken Livingston and Boris Johnson in improving cycling infrastructure in the city.

In his meeting with Boardman he said: “I’m not just going to keep the proportion of Transport for London spending on cycling the same, I’m going to increase it.

"Both Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone deserve praise for their plans for cycling, and I want to build on, and accelerate, the progress that we’ve made in London over the last few years.”

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Boardman, who met with all of the main mayoral candidates in the run-up to the election on May 5, says the "proof will be in the pudding".

"Mr Khan clearly recognises the challenges which face modern, expanding cities such as London, and that cycling is a ready-made solution to some of the most pressing of these challenges. It is crucial now that he sticks to this conviction and shows the will and the determination to see these plans through.”

Zac Goldsmith (Con) believes cycling in London "can double" in the next mayoral term and insists he is committed to ensuring it can do so if voted in on May 5.

The MP for Richmond Park met with British Cycling's policy advisor Chris Boardman to discuss his plans to improve cycling infrastructure and remove more vehicles from the roads during peak times, although isn't committed to keeping cycle superhighways if they're shown not to be working.

>>> Zac Goldsmith: ‘I’ll rip up London’s cycle superhighways if they don’t work’

Mr Goldsmith is hoping to be the second successive Conservative Mayor of London, following in the footsteps of Boris Johnson, who has developed key cycling infrastructure during his tenure.

“Boris Johnson has been one of the most pro-cycling politicians we’ve ever had, and we should pay tribute to him for that," Mr Goldsmith said. "He’s committed significant funds and, if elected, I’ve committed to continuing that programme with at least the same amount of money, right up until the end of the mayoral term.

“Ultimately, I am committed to ensuring that cycling can double - as we expect it to; that it is safer; and that more people – not just professionals but recreational cyclists, mothers, fathers and kids – find that it’s easier, safer and healthier.”

As well making people feel safer on the roads, Mr Goldsmith is keen to reduce the air pollution in the capital, which he says is a factor in more people not taking to two wheels.

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By reducing the number of trucks and haulage vehicles, he hopes to reduce the pollution that is estimated to cause around 10,000 premature deaths each year.

“It’s not just about safety, it’s about the air. A lot of people who choose not to cycle do so because they feel that London is just too polluted, so I think the two go hand-in-hand.

“I think that there are a number of things we can do to make a difference. For example, I’ve been talking to haulage firms and truck companies about how we can get more trucks off the road. It’s crazy that people are competing with HGVs at rush hour – it just makes no sense at all.

“They’re chucking out pollution, they’re grinding London to a standstill and they’re incredibly dangerous. We have the means to massively reduce the amount of trucks on our roads. There is a lot we can do to deal with congestion, to clean up our air and to make our roads safer for people who cycle.”

London goes to the polls on May 5, with Mr Goldsmith one of the frontrunners for London mayor alongside Labour candidate Sadiq Khan and Liberal Democrat candidate Caroline Pidgeon.

Chris Boardman has described London Mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith's recent transport manifesto as 'ambiguous' and says he eyes the Conservative MP with a degree of suspicion.

Goldsmith has so far not been able to find a time to meet with Boardman ahead of the Mayoral elections - the other main candidates have done so - and a series of anti-cycling statements made by the MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston have made Boardman question his stance on sustainable transport.

In recent months, Goldsmith has complained about being hounded by cycling campaigners, said he would rip up cycle lanes if they don't improve transport in London and said he would make Transport for London re-run a consultation that supported a cycle superhighway in Regent's Park.

“We’ve been trying to get a meeting in the diary for months and he’s finally come back this week with a very specific time and date; 11.30am one week from the election. As it happens, I can’t make that date so we’re going to try and get them to arrange a different one," Boardman told the Londonist.

“David Cameron said he wanted cycling in the UK to rival the rest of Europe but [Goldsmith's transport] manifesto contains no promises, no actions and no money. Coupled with some other statements he’s made about cycling recently, I view him with a degree of suspicion.”

While Boardman, British Cycling's policy advisor, is a key voice behind the cycling revolution in Britain in recent years he insists his goal isn't simply to ensure cycling is high on the political agenda.

He sees cycling as a means to end the overcrowded transport system in the capital - one of the key challenges facing the next Mayor of London.

“I’m not pro-cycling. I’m pro-common sense. There are 10,000 people a month coming to London and the transport system can’t respond," he added.

“Cycling is a tool to do a job. If someone doesn’t like the plans [for increased cycling infrastructure], they should be forced to come up with a better way of solving the problem. The status quo is not an option.

“TfL isn’t building the cycle highways out of any sense of benevolence. There’s the equivalent of a tube-train load of people arriving each week and not leaving. The only method of keeping everyone moving is by getting them out of motorised vehicles.”

The government's Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy will require sustained funding if it is to be successful, according to British Cycling and the CTC.

Having passed a law in July 2015, the government is now legally required to set out a strategy that details the financial resources that will be made available to promote cycling and walking as a mode of transport.

But, says British Cycling, the government's draft strategy falls short of the recommendations of Parliament's 'Get Britain Cycling' report, which called for an initial £10 per head annually to be invested.

The draft Investment Strategy has set aside just £300m over a five-year period, which amounts to just £1.39 per head outside London.

British Cycling policy adviser Chris Boardman said: “The Department for Transport has done some good work on cycling and walking, including developing processes to make it easier for local authorities to create infrastructure plans and identifying funding pots that could be used.

"But these are just baby steps. Far more ambition is needed if we have any hope of creating a cycling and walking culture to rival countries like Denmark and the Netherlands, let alone the government’s own modest targets.

“The truth is that without sustained funding, this strategy won’t be worth the paper it’s written on. We know that when faced with other priorities like road maintenance, saving bus routes and new housing developments, cycling and walking will be put at the bottom of most councils’ to-do lists."

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The CTC and British Cycling have listed five things they want to see come from the draft Investment Strategy:

• Funding of at least £10 per head per year (£530 million in England), rising to £20.
• A comprehensive plan of how the targets, objectives and ambitions of the strategy will be achieved.
• A definitive, nationally-adopted design guide for cycling and walking infrastructure.
• A framework for assessing progress in delivering the strategy.
• Independent governance to challenge and support the strategy.

>>> Chris Boardman appeals to Transport Secretary for cycling funding

CTC's policy director Roger Geffen said: “Despite its laudable aim to normalise cycling and walking by 2040, this strategy’s draft targets suggest that, outside London, English cycle use would eventually reach Dutch levels by the start of the 23rd century, while its funding allocations mean even slower progress.

"If ministers are serious about their stated aims, they need to reallocate some of their £15bn motorway and trunk road budget towards cycling and walking.  That could help tackle congestion, pollution, physical inactivity and climate change, whereas roads spending will do the precise opposite.

“Ministers need to invest in cycling to overcome congestion, pollution, physical inactivity and climate change, not make them worse."

The full version of this article appears in the special 125th anniversary edition of Cycling Weekly, which is on sale now, where you can see all six races that changed the history of cycling.

You can subscribe here or pick up the digital copy here.

Gold at last!

July 29, 1992: Chris Boardman ended Britain’s 72-year Olympic gold medal drought in spectacular fashion on the Lotus superbike — which got more attention from the mainstream media than its rider did.

By John Wilkinson

None of the British fans lucky enough to witness Boardman’s night of nights will ever forget the spine-tingling experience.

Britain’s 72-year gold medal famine ended in the most brilliant fashion with Boardman not just beating world champion Jens Lehmann but humiliating the tall, likeable German by catching him with just over one lap of the 250-metre Horta track to go.

From the gun he was moving fluently, 0.232 seconds up in half a lap and 0.307 starting lap two.

The gap was over a full second at the end of an opening kilometre covered in 1-10.325.

Smooth and comfortable in his exaggerated forward position, Boardman was nearly three seconds clear at halfway. After another two laps the electronic clock went haywire as he moved onto the same straight as Lehmann, the German now resigned to his fate.

Approaching the bell Boardman overtook, raising his right arm in triumph as he completed the most emphatic of victories.

Choose your favourite Cycling Weekly cover from the past 125 years

To accompany the special anniversary edition of Cycling Weekly, we want our readers to choose their favourite cover from the

A magical moment for British cycling

July 22, 2012: Bradley Wiggins broke the Tour de France hoodoo that had existed since Tom Simpson’s death in 1967 to become the first Briton to win the Tour, redefining the nation’s relationship with cycling forever.

By Hugh Gladstone

It was an image few had dared to even imagine until recently. But on Sunday afternoon, as the sun beat down on the cobbles of the Champs-Elysées, Bradley Wiggins crossed the finish line to claim Britain’s first ever overall victory in the Tour de France.

After an early season of success and three weeks of dominant riding by his team, Wiggins, on a bright yellow Pinarello, shared that moment hand in hand with team-mate Michael Rogers.

When called to the presentation, Wiggins projected a kiss to the fanfare. He then offered repeated bows to the legions of British supporters he’d inspired. British opera singer Lesley Garrett sang a soprano national anthem, then, given a microphone, Wiggins joked that he was going to be drawing raffle tickets.

In his by now familiar casual and confident style, Wiggins described the moment as ‘magical’, thanked everybody for watching and wished them a safe journey home. “Don’t get too drunk,” he added.

Sean Kelly: 'My greatest victory'

April 8, 1984: ‘King’ Kelly’s first of two Paris-Roubaix wins was sensational. The first English-speaking rider to win the ‘Hell of the North’ was, as described by another Irish legend, the journalist David Walsh, “contemptuously strong”.

By David Walsh

The Sean Kelly story just goes on. Last Sunday was perhaps the greatest chapter as Kelly, so strong and so confident, fulfilled a cherished dream when he won the most prestigious Classic, the Paris-Roubaix race.

It was something that Kelly (Skil-Reydel) had been threatening to do all season and the realisation was every bit as exciting as the expectation.

Into the velodrome in Roubaix he arrived with the Belgian Rudy Rogiers (Splendor), who was never a sprinting threat.

>>> Sean Kelly on riding the cobbles: ‘You have to be crazy to win here’ (video)

And so Kelly went past Rogiers on the turn into the finishing straight, zoomed about five lengths clear, glanced backwards, shot one hand into the air, then two — it was all so satisfying for the Irish rider.

“I regard it as my greatest victory ever. I was strong all through, never crashed once, never had even one puncture and was very lucky that it was Rogiers who came with me when I attacked.

“Now I can approach the remaining Classics of the season with a relaxed attitude. This was the one I wanted to win.”

Sir Bradley Wiggins has voiced his concerns about the behaviour of some bicycle users on London's roads, and the consquences their actions could have.

His motivation to step into the melee that surrounds riding in London stems from his new venture into selling children's bikes.

“Enforcement is inevitable if it starts to get out of control,” he told the Evening Standard.  “I’m starting to sell bikes to kids now so I have a responsibility and duty to help educate people."

Sir Bradley launched his new range of children's bikes with UK retailer Halfords on Friday, March 11.

>>> Zac Goldsmith: ‘I’ll rip up London’s cycle superhighways if they don’t work’

“We are seeing a boom in cycling but it’s how we all coexist that is important. Cyclists have to help themselves by behaving.

“This might be the beginnings of an Amsterdam or Copenhagen but everyone abiding by the rules and co-existing is key. New cycle lanes are great but you always get cyclists who give a bad name to the rest; people who jump the kerbs, jump red lights and ride around with iPods so you can’t hear the rest of the traffic. You would not do that in a car so why would you on a bike?"

>>> YouGov poll shows huge public support for segregated cycle lanes

Moving from professional cyclist to safety campaigner is something Wiggins's predecessor as Britain's best road rider Chris Boardman has already done, and he backed what Wiggins was saying.

“Nobody should run a red light in any vehicle, it’s the rule of the road.” Boardman also called for “less aggression” from cyclists and car drivers.

Chris Boardman had eight bikes and some scuba diving equipment stolen from his Merseyside home on Sunday night.

Thieves broke into the former world and Olympic champion's garage in Gayton between the hours of 7pm on Sunday and 9:20am Monday and stole over £10,000 worth of bikes including a top-of-the-range Dura Ace Di2 equipped SLS Disc 9.8 worth five thousand pounds.

Here is the full list of stolen items:

Cycling equipment

• Two electric Gtech eBike City bikes, with black electric battery packs on the frame and Gtech light sets
• A Boardman Junior Mountain bike with disc brakes
• A Boardman Hybrid Pro with Continental hybrid tyres and Halfords light set
• A Boardman Hybrid Pro (aluminium with carbon forks)
• Two Boardman Pro 29er bikes
• A Boardman SLS Disc Di2 with carbon frame and forks and Shimano Dura-ace electric brakes

Diving equipment

• A Dumpy 12 litre diving cylinder with ‘Steve Mac’ written on it
• A Halcyon BCD with handmade lead back plate

Police were called to the address on Monday morning after an overnight burglary was reported. They have carried out a forensic examination and door-to-door enquiries.

The crime is thought to have been carried out by a gang who broke into his home. Chris Boardman is currently commentating on the UCI Track World Championships for the BBC.

Detective Constable John Molyneux said: “Fortunately there was nobody at home at the time of the burglary, but the victim is understandably distressed about the fact they have been targeted in this way.

“I would appeal to anyone who was in the Gayton area and noticed anything suspicious to contact police. Your information will be looked at thoroughly and could really help our enquiries.

I would also ask anyone who thinks they may have been offered items matching the descriptions of the items, or seen them being stored, to contact police.”

Anyone with information can call Merseyside Police on the 101 number or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Boardman has responded to the thefts on Twitter:

Chris Boardman is a keen advocate of cycling safety, so when his mother was involved in a 'close pass' with an Aldi lorry on a Birkenhead North End Cycling Club club ride he entered a debate on Twitter about safe cycling procedure.

Twitter user @trucksimdriver messaged Boardman with a video of the BNECC ride to ask if the riders or the driver was in the wrong, with Aldi apparently claiming the pass was perfectly safe.

In the video, we see two riders ahead of the rider with the camera riding two abreast, with an HGV passing at some speed. We've seen closer passes by vehicles, but it still looked close enough - especially for such a large vehicle travelling at such speed - to cause distress.

>>> Watch: Chris Boardman explains how to safely overtake cyclists

Another Twitter user, @_NickWhite, agreed with the original poster that the truck was too close, but said the riders should have ridden in single file to mitigate the dangers.

Boardman, who has presented a video on why riders travel two abreast, responded saying it could have posed a bigger danger if the group.

Cycling Weekly has contacted Aldi for a response to the incident.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Was the truck passing too close? Should the riders have been riding single file? Let us know in the comments below.

Britain's most successful Olympian Sir Chris Hoy and former time trial world champion Chris Boardman will be among the star attractions at the London Bike Show at ExCel London this week.

The four-day show, which will feature new technology from brands such as Cannondale, Cervelo, Specialized and Pinarello, kicks off on Thursday with talks from Franck Strack, founder of Velominati’s The Rules, Steven Green, the producer of upcoming documentary Milk Race 1966: On and On..., and a Q&A with newly-formed women's team Drops Cycling.

>>> Watch: Mark Beaumont’s epic non-stop ride around the north of Scotland

Friday will feature Mark Beaumont, who will be discussing his recent world record-setting solo ride from Cairo to Cape Town in only 42 days, followed by the official launches of both Team Jadan-Weldtite and Drops Cycling.

The stars are out in force on Saturday, with talks from Hoy on his Olympic success on the track, Boardman on his career and life beyond professional cycling, as well as a Q&A with former mountain bike trials world champion Martyn Ashton, who was paralysed from the waist down during an exhibition in 2013 but has since returned to two wheels, riding an adapted bike.

>>> Festive skills: Chris Hoy wraps Christmas presents while on the rollers (video)

And the jam-packed show finishes in with a bang on Sunday, with talks from former UCI Hour Record holder Alex Dowsett on racing at the top of the sport, Stephen Roche on his incredible Tour-Giro-Worlds Triple Crown in 1987 and the retired Dean Downing, currently directeur sportif at JLT Condor, on his recovery from a collision with a van in 2015.

For further information and to purchase tickets please visit www.thelondonbikeshow.co.uk

Chris Boardman, British Cycling's policy adviser, has written an open letter to the Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin asking him to clarify his department's position on investing in cycling.

Following the Comprehensive Spending Review on Wednesday, when Chancellor George Osbourne announced that £300m will be available for cycling initiatives over the course of this Parliament, Boardman said that it was "essential" that this was in addition to "the vital investment required to make our roads and junctions safer".

The former Olympic individual pursuit and world time trial champion warned against stop-start investment in cycling and pointed out that cycling returns as much as six times on investment when compared to road building or projects such as HS2.

>>> Cycling minister ‘blown away’ by Danish infrastructure after Copenhagen visit with Chris Boardman (video)

Boardman wrote to the Transport Secretary: "With your Department’s budget now set following the Comprehensive Spending Review we urge you to leave room in finances to deliver a credible Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

Watch: Cycling Weekly's Bike of the Year 2016

"Your Department’s own figures show that cycling delivers a far higher return on investment than road building or HS2, nearly 6:1, and the sums involved are a fraction of overall budgets. The national investment needed starts at just £10 per head a year – this is just 3% of what is spent per head on transport.

"Under your leadership, the Department for Transport has overseen a steady increase in investment in cycling infrastructure. However, this is now set to dramatically reduce if funding is not secured."

"Stop-start investment for cycling does not deliver increases in journeys at a national level... What is needed is a long-term commitment to deliver the capital and revenue investment needed to make cycling and walking a genuine alternative to our congested roads."

He added: "You now have everything you need to deliver. A supportive Prime Minister, a manifesto commitment, a parliamentary majority, cross-party support and the legislation to underpin long term investment has already been passed.

"You have examples from cities in the UK and other European countries from which to learn, along with the full-throated support of businesses that know an active, healthy workforce is good for their bottom line."

The Chancellor also announced on Wednesday that he would be supporting a British bid to host the UCI Road World Championships, as well as a 7% increase in funding for UK Anti-Doping.

Minister of State for cycling, Robert Goodwill, says he was blown away by his recent trip to study cycling infrastructure in Denmark, saying it encourages him to continue finding ways to improve the lives of cyclists in the UK.

Invited by British Cycling and Chris Boardman, Mr Goodwill visited Copenhagen to discover the reasons why 63 per cent of Copenhageners' commutes to school or work were made by bike.

“It was rather a shock to see just how many people were cycling," Mr Goodwill said of his visit. "When I say people, I mean just that - ordinary people in ordinary clothes; people of all ages, people with young children, and a lot of women.

“The other thing that struck me was that if all of those people on their bikes had been in cars, the place would have been completely jammed. So I think the motorists understand that having all these people on bikes actually gives them more space to get around. It’s all very impressive.”

Mr Goodwill acknowledged that the UK has some way to go in order to reach the levels of infrastructure seen in the Danish capital, but the visit has opened his eyes to 'innovative ways of working'.

“Here, we’ve seen vast numbers of people on bikes, very good provisions on the roads and a lot of innovative ideas that I’m sure we’ll be taking back with us," he added.

“This has happened over a long period of time. The problem we have in Britain is that we should have started 30 years ago. That means we need to re-double our efforts to ensure we get what the Prime Minister called a ‘cycling revolution’ in the UK, so we can come here without having to hang our heads in shame a little bit.

“I’ve been blown away by what I’ve seen in Copenhagen, and that’s given me an additional feeling of wanting to re-double our efforts back home to ensure that we can do more for cyclists.”

The Government's cycling minster, Robert Goodwill, will join Chris Boardman on a trip to Europe's 'cycling capital' to see what the UK can learn from Danish infrastructure.

Boardman and Mr Goodwill will travel to Copenhagen next week to discuss how the city's cycling provisions could be implemented in Britain.

Olympic gold medalist Boardman is urging political leaders to make cycling a priority as part of an integrated, sustainable, transport strategy.

“Countries such as Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany have all put cycling at the heart of their transport policy, and are now reaping the rewards," Boardman said on the British Cycling website. "Copenhagen is regarded as one of the most progressive cycling cities in the world, and it is only right that we should want to learn from the best.

“We can clearly see from examples such as Copenhagen that, given adequate investment, cycling can provide a solution to so many of the problems currently faced in Britain’s towns and cities.

“The people who, at Government level, are making decisions which will affect our future and the future of our children should see the alternatives and the possibilities first hand. This trip will be a fantastic opportunity for us to see exactly what can be achieved on our roads.”

The longest standing cycling record on the Isle of Man is no more, with Team Sky's Peter Kennaugh beating Chris Boardman's time on the Snaefell Mountain Course.

The Manxman, who won gold for Team GB in the team pursuit at the London 2012 Olympics, made his way round the TT course in 1hr 23m 48s to beat Boardman's time by just six seconds.

Former Tour de France yellow jersey wearer Boardman set the record way back in 1993, when Kennaugh was just four years old. The Sky rider got close to Boardman's time in 2012, taking the local record with a ride two-and-a-half minutes slower than the course record.

But Kennaugh returned this weekend to finally wrest the record from Boardman's grasp and pick up a £3,000 prize from local firm Shoprite, who have been offering an incentive for someone to break the record for the past few years.

Kennaugh, along with fellow British riders Luke Rowe and Ian Stannard, has renewed his contract with Team Sky for the 2016 season after a year which saw him win the British Championships and win a stage at the Criterium du Dauphiné.

Chris Boardman has called on the government to properly commit to the forthcoming Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy in order to reduce the number of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) related deaths, after figures estimated it causes 23,500 deaths in the UK every year.

The figures were released within a consultation paper by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to investigate levels of NO2 in the air, which says it wants ‘to make the UK a country with some of the very best air quality in the world.’

Boardman, who acts as British Cycling's policy advisor, reacted to the data by saying it was "staggering" and that the situation should be treated "as a national emergency," citing the Netherlands as a country which has properly committed to prioritising cycling and walking.

“The amount of deaths link to NO2 is a staggering figure, so I am mystified as to why these largely preventable deaths aren’t being treated as a national emergency; a full-blown crisis," Boardman said.

"This is particularly true since the solution is so obvious and is already being employed all across Europe.

>>> Chris Boardman explains why cyclists ride two abreast in new safety video

“We know that more cycling and walking could drastically reduce the death toll caused by pollution if we committed to it like our European neighbours.

"In the Netherlands - just 250 miles from where our government sits - 44% of all train journeys start with a bike ride and 50% of all school children ride to school. Why are we not striving for the same?

Prime minister David Cameron stated during the 2015 general election campaign that he would be willing to commit £10 per head funding through the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. But Boardman has called on those in charge to think further about the investment to prevent what he describes as "needless" deaths.

“The forthcoming Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy could, with serious commitment and adequate funding, establish an infrastructure which would give people a genuine option to leave their car at home and travel to offices and schools on foot or by bicycle," said Boardman.

“Prioritising cycling and walking in our transport system is a proven, cheap, effective and sustainable solution to many of our problems. With so many needless deaths, the government shouldn’t be asking themselves ‘why should we?' invest in cycling, but rather, start explaining why they aren’t.”

Chris Boardman says the response to two videos he featured in about road safety is 'extremely encouraging', with support coming from cyclists and motoring groups alike.

The videos, made by Carlton Reid in collaboration with British Cycling, feature Boardman explaining safe overtaking procedure and why cyclists ride two abreast.

The first video, titled 'Space', has been viewed 300,000 times in its first seven days online, with support coming from the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group and Edmund King, president of the Automobile Association.

“The response so far has been extremely encouraging," Boardman said. "Our aim was to make people more aware of rule 163 of the Highway Code. The fact that over 300,000 people have already viewed the video online suggests that there is a genuine desire for a culture of mutual respect on our roads to thrive.

“Getting more people on their bikes will have a series of benefits for this country, and ensuring that the roads are safe places for cyclists is a crucial step towards this.”

https://vimeo.com/136215353

Martin Key, campaigns manager for British Cycling, said: “We were very pleased to support the video, and are delighted to see the impact it has already made across the media and social media channels.

“It is good to see our attempts to raise awareness of the current rules and to encourage a culture of mutual respect on our roads is getting traction. However, it is also vital that this is combined with clear action from government in making our roads and junctions safer for everyone who uses them."

Earlier this week Chris Boardman advised motorists how to safely overtake cyclists and now he's back with driving instructor Blaine Walsh to explain why cyclists are allowed to ride side-by-side.

In the video by Carlton Kirby, Boardman informs viewers that according to the Highway Code, cyclists are encouraged to cycle no more than two abreast, meaning that side-by-side riding is perfectly legal and often safer for all involved.

>>> Watch: Chris Boardman explains how to safely overtake cyclists

While it is a common gripe of motorists when they come across a bunch of cyclists taking up the road, but as Boardman explains in the video it's quicker and safer to overtake a group riding two abreast than it is to pass a long line of single file riders.

“Think of it like this," he says. "In your car you have the driver’s seat and the passenger seat, that makes a car suitable for two people to travel next to each other. Cyclists riding next to each other are doing the same thing, maybe chatting just like you would do in a car."

>>> Boardman: Helmet debate being used to avoid making real decisions

He added: "Cyclists will thin out into single file when it's safe for cars to pass if it is the most appropriate action."

While eight riders riding side-by-side may take up 10 metres of road space, the same eight riders in single file will take up 20m, meaning it is more difficult and less safe for a driver to overtake.

If a driver is to give a cyclist the space recommended in Boardman's previous video - i.e. passing onto the other side of the road when passing - then it's quicker and safer to pass.

With the Tour de France behind us and the Vuelta a Espana still over a week away, the amount of racing footage on show this week is a lot lower.

This week's cycling videos round-up includes Chris Boardman once again hitting the nail on the head when it comes to safely sharing the road. We also have footage of Matt Brammeier's horror crash at the Tour of Utah, a crash that he thankfully looks set to fully recover from.

Elsewhere there are tips on teaching your children to ride a bike and some vintage footage of a Penny Farthing race, all here in this edition of cycling videos of the week.

Chris Boardman being spot on again

https://vimeo.com/135884468

Despite being one of Britain's best ever competitive cyclists, Chris Boardman's passion these days lies not in marginal gains and gold medals but in the everyday use of bicycles as transport.

This video aims to re-humanise bicycle users and gain them the respect they need to ride safely on main roads. "People on bikes aren't just obstacles, something to be avoided, they're flesh and blood".

Matt Brammeier's horror crash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRM3bFXlyNk

Matt Brammeier crashed out of the Tour of Utah last week in dramatic fashion, as this spectator footage shows. The MTN-Qhubeka rider has since been tweeted about heading home and looks to be in good spirits as he begins his recovery.

Teach your child to ride in just 45 minutes

Few of us may remember how long it actually took to learn to ride a bike, but it was probably significantly longer than 45 minutes. Here Isla Rowntree, former pro and founder of Islabikes, shows how parents can get their children up and riding in under an hour.

Four tips to nail any climb

This one will come in handy for anyone heading out for a late season trip to the alps, or those already planning their winter getaway to Mount Teide.

Four tips for the way up and one for the way down.

Here's something a bit older

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HRpVV_x3N4

This footage is a lot older than a week and wasn't even uploaded to YouTube recently, but came to my attention a couple of days ago. This race looks both exhilarating and pretty scary. After the addition of the longest lap, maybe the Revolution Series might look at other novelty races.

Highlights from the European Championships

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-LXfRotHr4

The commentary isn't the most charismatic, but the footage is good as it might be showing some future pros.

Chris Boardman has said that he "won't waste air time" discussing the safety effects of helmets and says the debate over them is "being used to deflect from making real decisions" about cycle safety.

The Olympic gold medalist was speaking to the Western Morning News in Exeter after a filming a new road safety video in the local area when he said that decisions should focus on how we stop accidents and not on whether a cyclist should be wearing a helmet or not.

Boardman, who has spoken out a number of times on the issue, was heavily criticised in November 2014 after appearing on the BBC Breakfast news programme discussing cycling safety while not wearing a helmet.

"I had the audacity to ride a bicycle in normal clothes and was pilloried for it,” he said.

"I dressed as I would to drive down the shops. I have nothing against helmets.If I go on long ride I wear one – sometimes out of habit, often on a mountain bike – but I am under no illusion about the effect on my safety. I manufacture the things. In an incident with a car they will have almost no effect.

"They are being used to deflect from making real decisions and I won’t waste air time talking about them. The danger for me is being hit by a vehicle doing something it shouldn’t. We should focus on how we stop accidents not what happens to people who have them.”

>>> Boardman calls on David Cameron to ‘get moving’ on cycling promises

The 46-year-old, who has been a long-term campaigner on cycle safety and now acts as British Cycling's policy advisor, also says that the huge amount of data available to those in charge should be a wake-up call to promoting cycling as a primary means of transport.

"We are drowning in data – economic, health, pollution, you pick any battleground you want and using cycling as a mode of transport for short journeys wins hands down,” Boardman said.

"The only way to get people to exercise more is to get them to include it in their daily life. It is not about cyclists but communities. We need infrastructure and there need to be laws to protect people.

"At the moment the easiest way to kill somebody is to do it in a car with the minimum penalty. As a logical person I am desperately frustrated that we are even talking about this. The fact that we have to push for it is ludicrous.”

Boardman has previously said that he wants "to focus the debate on the cause and campaign for things that will really make cycling safe" but understands "exactly why people feel so passionately about helmets or high vis."

After coming under criticism last year he responded by saying that helmets were "not even in the top-10 things" to keep rider safe.

“That is why I won’t promote high vis and helmets," he said. "I won’t let the debate be drawn onto a topic that isn’t even in the top 10 things that will really keep people who want to cycle safe.”

It could not have escaped anyone's notice that the Tour de France is now in full swing, and what a race it's been so far.

As a result, this edition of cycling videos of the week is pretty Tour heavy with cobbled stage highlights, stage previews and one man who really wanted a souvenir.

Away from la Grande Boucle, British cycling legend Chris Boardman went on a pedal around Copenhagen to see how well two-wheeled transport has been integrated into the daily life of the city.

Tour de France stage four highlights

Stage four was seen as an early make or break for the GC contenders due to the damage caused by the cobbles at last year's Tour de France.

Chris Froome was the surprise package for many viewers with the way he coped with the pavé and came to the front of the race to try and drive a split in the peloton.

As was the case last year, Vincenzo Nibali looked particularly strong across the cobbles, but this year could not turn that strength into a time advantage.

Everyone wants a souvenir

http://youtu.be/to6pM7wes34

Anyone who's been to watch the Tour will be familiar with the 'merchandise' that the caravan spills out on the crowd. Key rings, cycling caps and travel pillows are some of the choicest things on offer.

However, getting a souvenir directly from a rider is the ultimate prize for the discerning fan, as this enthusiastic man proved when he just had to grab that bidon.

Chris Boardman rides around Copenhagen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7YVqhEQ8_k

The Olympian and utility cycling hero opens by saying that he's been told Copenhagen is the cycling capital of the world.

>>> Paris aiming to become new ‘global cycling capital’

He may have revised this claim after his trip to the Netherlands for the Tour de France over the weekend, but the Danish capital still looks very impressive.

Naysayers will point out how much bigger London and other British cities are, but the infrastructure seen in this video is scaleable and could be rolled out anywhere.

Brace yourselves for the 'singing'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx2rF_g6fxY

Apologies in advance for this one. Cannondale-Garmin took a leaf out of Orica-GreenEdge's book to tell us who's in their Tour de France team. But with slightly less tuneful results.

Cycling Weekly's guide to the Tour de France stages five to nine

Covering Wednesday July 8 to Sunday July 12, we look ahead to the upcoming stages. There's plenty for the sprinters to her excited about, and so there is ample opportunity for Mark Cavendish to get off the mark with this year's stage win tally.

Chris Boardman and his eponymous bike company need no introduction to UK cyclists. From a stellar riding career, Chris has moved seamlessly into parallel careers as cycling advocate, race commentator and bike manufacturer.

Boardman Bikes manufactures the Elite series which is sold through independent cycle shops, as well as the Performance series sold through Halfords. Top of the Elite range is the Air 9.8, a fiercely aero bike with a no-holds-barred spec.

There is a Dura-Ace Di2 build available with a Zipp 404 clincher wheelset at a cool £7999.99. We have in the next level down AiR 9.8, a cheaper option at £4999.99, although Boardman has not exactly skimped on the spec – it’s still decked out with SRAM Red and Zipp 60 wheels. There are four other bikes below this spec in Boardman's AiR road bike lineup.

Boardman bikes: the range explained 

The frame

Boardman has taken many of its design cues for this bike from time trial bikes, with concealed brakes, chunky forks and narrow tube profiles.

The down tube has an almost startlingly narrow horizontal cross-section when looking from above, with a barely there look to it. In contrast, the vertical cross section is wide, although the frame stays within the UCI’s 3:1 tube section ratio.

The forks too are thin from the front but broad when viewed from the side. Tucked away towards the trailing edge, where they are less likely to produce drag, are TRP’s mini V-brakes. The forks’ cross section is flat on the inside face but curved on the outside, as are the seatstays, again for aero benefits and stability.

There’s an FSA tapered headtube for steering accuracy and stable handling. All cables are routed internally, disappearing vertically into the frame just behind the head tube, with barrel adjusters just before they do so.

Boardman sets great store by its computational analysis and wind tunnel testing of its bikes during the design process, particularly its testing at greater yaw angles where there’s more of a side wind – an area where aero designs often suffer.

Drivetrain

The drivetrain is almost exclusively SRAM Red 22 speed, with the exception of the cassette and chain. These are SRAM 1170, so the next level down from Red. For components with a limited lifespan, a downspec makes a lot of sense.

>>> Guide to road groupsets

There’s a SRAM BB30 pressfit bottom bracket – a choice which should ensure pedalling efficiency due to the oversize spindle and bearings.

The chainring/cassette combination is geared towards racers with a 53-11 top ratio and a lowest gear of 39-25; not something for the unfit to haul themselves up hills on.

Wheels

The Boardman runs on Zipp 60 clincher wheels. These are 58mm deep carbon wheels with an aluminium braking track. The carbon part of the rim has Zipp’s classic toroidal section with a dimpled surface, a design which Zipp has proved in the wind tunnel to be aero in headwind and crosswind conditions.

They have aluminium hubs and are laced with Sapim’s top CXRay spokes, 18 radial up front and 20 2-crossed at the rear. Nipples are external, which should allow easy truing if this becomes necessary.

At a claimed weight of 1820g these wheels aren’t light, but with a rider weight limit of 250lb – 113kg or almost 18 stone – they should be robust.

The tyres are Continental’s GP4000 clinchers in 23mm width, so dry and wet grip should be excellent.

Components

All top drawer stuff here. The bars and stem are both Zipp Service Course SL alloy. There’s an FSA integrated headset with 1 ½ to 1 1/8 inch tapered bearings. The top cap is carbon – more cosmetic than functional, as the weight saving over an aluminium top cap is marginal.

>>> Guide to bike saddles

The Fizik Arione saddle is a classic racer’s choice and should be comfortable for big miles and hard efforts. It has titanium rails and is finished in black with a yellow stripe to match the rest of the bike’s colour scheme.

This sits on the Boardman’s integrated aero seatpost, which has a four position clamp, allowing its angle to be changed to move the saddle forward and aft, effectively changing the seat tube angle between 73 and 75 degrees.

This allows road riders and time triallists to set up their optimal riding position dependent on whether or not they are using aerobars.

The front brakes is a TRP aero V-brake, a choice which allows it to be tucked away out of the airstream, TT bike style. It is mounted towards the rear of the chunky forks and is so well shielded that it takes quite an effort to get a good look at it.

The rear brake is a TRP direct mount calliper mounted under the bottom bracket, again protected from the airflow – in this case by the bottom bracket shell.

In conclusion

The complete bike weighs 7.65kg without pedals – light for an aero bike. We’re looking forward to seeing how its aero credentials play out in real world riding conditions, particularly in crosswinds.

It will also be interesting to see how it performs on hillier courses, where the extra strain on the bike when climbing will test its rigidity and power transfer while its aero features should come into their own on descents.

For more details visit the Boardman website.

British Cycling's policy advisor Chris Boardman has called on Prime Minister David Cameron to 'get moving' on delivering the promises he made about cycling before the General Election.

The Conservative leader, who gained a majority government in the May 7 election, wrote to Boardman during the campaign to signal his commitment to making Britain a cycling nation.

Mr Cameron indicated a commitment to doubling the number of journeys made by bike by 2025 and boosting Bikeability training, with £200m set aside for these provisions.

>>> Wales decreases cycle spending despite cycling investment rules

But now Boardman says there's nothing stopping him from delivering on these promises and that there's no time to waste.

He says on the British Cycling website: “Cycling is booming in Britain despite having been a political afterthought, but this year for the first time during a General Election there was an argument between the major parties about who would do more for cycling. Some good commitments were made and there is real common ground.

“There are basic steps such as publishing the cycling and walking investment plan required under the Infrastructure Act, and ensuring that roads and junctions are fit for cyclists. The Prime Minister has made some important commitments on this.

"Now he has a majority in the House of Commons there is nothing to stop him from delivering, and we have written today to the Secretaries of State for Transport, and for Culture, Media and Sport, in an attempt to get this moving."

>>> Chris Boardman calls for cycling training for all children

He added: "Campaigning for better conditions on our roads is a key part of the service we offer to our 108,000 members, but it’s good for the whole country. Active travel is on the front line of the fight against obesity and its spiraling cost to the NHS.

"More cycling will reduce pollution and make our towns cleaner, more prosperous and more vibrant. Breaking down the barriers that stop more people from cycling – namely poor investment and poor infrastructure – are easy wins for any government and this Prime Minister has a unique opportunity to transform Britain into a cycling nation. There is no time to waste.”