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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 1h

Interesting. North-south split has been my preference as I don't see that the single county model has served Nuneaton + Bedworth especially well. But I also want to see the area join the WMCA to enable integrated transport + maybe (based on Coventry) better cycling resources. #LocalGovernmentReform

Devolution debate sees Warwickshire 'super council' plan agreed

The debate has county councillors also agree to join the West Midlands Combined Authority.

www.bbc.com

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 1d

If 43% of Warwickshire's population had cycled just one mile every weekday in September, the county's total mileage would be just shy of 6,000,000 miles! That would be 240 times around the world.

In context, 544 people cycling 73,237 miles doesn't sound quite so impressive!

Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 1d

Context: Warwickshire's populations is about 632,207 people; 662 registrants is around 0.1%. In the Netherlands, 43% of people cycle every day.

www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article...

Warwickshire residents cycle just under three times around the earth during Cycle September 2025! – Warwickshire County Council

In September, cyclists across the county got on their bikes and chose active travel for work and leisure clocking up an impressive 73,237 miles.

www.warwickshire.gov.uk

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 1d

Source of Netherlands cycling statistics: www.cyclinguk.org/article/camp...

Cycling levels in European countries

How does the UK's level of cycling compare with that of other European countries?

www.cyclinguk.org

Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 1d

Context: Warwickshire's populations is about 632,207 people; 662 registrants is around 0.1%. In the Netherlands, 43% of people cycle every day.

www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article...

Warwickshire residents cycle just under three times around the earth during Cycle September 2025! – Warwickshire County Council

In September, cyclists across the county got on their bikes and chose active travel for work and leisure clocking up an impressive 73,237 miles.

www.warwickshire.gov.uk

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 1d

You're doing it all "wrong", don't you know? 😜

It's so ridiculous - I mean, a takeaway for crying out loud! And a jewellers! If it was a furniture shop saying it, I'd at least get the argument (no, I wouldn't agree with it). But these? Come on people! Think a bit!

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 1d

Who knew - no-one wants to get a chippy dinner home on the bike. It is absolutely essential that food is only ever transported by car. Nobody told me when I've been to my local by bike. I obviously should have joined the mass of cars jamming up the nearby roads and pavements!

Extract of a road.cc article showing local business objections to cycle provision:

"Installing cycle lanes may be 'politically correct, but the reality is that when they impact parking provisions, it has a detrimental effect on local businesses. We do not have the climate to prioritise cycle lanes over cars," Alleddandro Varesse, the boss at the Blue Lagoon chippy told the Daily Record.

Hayley and Ewen Logan, of Logan the Jewellers, added: "We have yet to hear of a single business or resident who supports this idea, keen cyclists included. Even they like to get their takeaways home while they're still hot."

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 1d

Yes, okay, it's a cheap MVNO. But it is run by Three, the company which recently merged with Vodafone. So, it's not a tiny, tinpot outfit. They should know and offer better.

Besides which, Giffgaff allows me to change my name on the account page on the website, seemingly without question. [4/4]

Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 1d

The agent, to his credit, does appear to be trying to work around this once he realised he could accept a photo of current ID uploaded via the chat system. But this has been an absolute faff and their original request to share personal details via insecure email is quite worrying. [3/4]

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 1d

You'd be wrong. I have to contact customer services on their chat, only to be told they can't do it; it has to go to a specific team, that I should *EMAIL* proof of my "name change" along with verification details. Yes, I've pushed back on this. I haven't changed my name; I'm fixing a typo. [2/4]

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 1d

For some daft reason, when I signed up to #Smarty five years ago, I accidentally added an extra letter to my first name. I'm now trying to fix it. You'd think this would be easy, wouldn't you? [1/4]

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 4d

Didn't know this was happening! I read Lord of the Flies at school and it's stuck in my head ever since - it must have been good; I remember enjoying it! I'll have to read it again before the TV adaptation next year.

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

#TV #Books #WilliamGolding #LordOfTheFlies

First images emerge from new BBC adaptation of Lord of the Flies

Adolescence writer and producer Jack Thorne is behind the first TV adaptation of William Golding’s beloved novel

www.theguardian.com

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 12d

New announcements coming in: "if you see something that doesn't look right, don't text the British Transport Police. See it? Shut it! Ignore it!"

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 12d

This isn't good enough, though it's difficult if the resources aren't there. Can't CCTV reviews be given to admin staff rather than officers? Can technology help, with automated movement detection isolating when a theft might have occurred? A solution is needed rather than saying "sorry, tough".

sound+fury 🐉 @soundandfury.bsky.social · 12d

To say this is disappointing is an understatement.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Bike thefts at stations 'decriminalised'

The British Transport Police will not investigate many categories of bicycle theft, the BBC learns.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 13d

Excellent - #Cassetteboy has come for #KierStarmer! Things must be bad!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8uO...

#UKPolitics

Cassetteboy vs Keir Starmer

YouTube video by cassetteboy

www.youtube.com

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 13d

Love this idea, but currently it's a no from me. Reading by app is a sub-par experience to an e-reader. So, until books are made available in a standard ePub format which I can download and keep, I'll sadly have to continue with other options (Kobo store usually). Pity.

Bookshop.org UK @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social · 13d

Ebooks are HERE! uk.bookshop.org/ebooks

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 15d

ICYMI: I want to see legal obligations on councils and highways authorities where, by default, they MUST properly provide for active travel in ALL highways schemes. If you support this, will you write to your MP to push for change?

Spread the word! Details + my letter at: fiets.uk/2025-09-26/r...

Reform-led Council Omits Cycle Link in Highways Scheme

Warwickshire County Council has approved the design of an "upgraded" roundabout that sits between Bedworth and Coventry, just within the county border. The junction is an important link in the Coventr...

fiets.uk

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Reposted by Ben (BicycleBenUK)

Pharmacist on a Pushbike @ppushbike.bsky.social · 15d

The two tests of cycling infrastructure should be

1 - would this be okay for a 12 year old child on their own?

AND

2 - would this be okay for lone woman at night?

If the answer to either of these is NO then it's not adequate.

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Reposted by Ben (BicycleBenUK)

Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 17d

We need to put an end to councils ignoring active travel in their highways schemes. Will you write to your MP to ask for a legal obligation on councils to cater for people walking, wheeling, and cycling? I have, but my voice alone means very little.

See my letter here: fiets.uk/2025-09-26/r...

Reform-led Council Omits Cycle Link in Highways Scheme

Warwickshire County Council has approved the design of an "upgraded" roundabout that sits between Bedworth and Coventry, just within the county border. The junction is an important link in the Coventr...

fiets.uk

1 6 8

Reposted by Ben (BicycleBenUK)

Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 17d

ME ON A TRAIN: Oh no, I accidentally clicked a video with sound! Oh god, people heard a second of loud sound from my phone. I have torn the social contract.

EVERYBODY ELSE ON TRAIN: Shit yeah, train time, time to watch the loudest TikToks

62 290 3.5K

Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 17d

Yes, although the way things are going, the "anything is better than nothing" mindset is really coming into play with me. But this is why I want to see stronger obligations on councils. LTN 1/20 should not be optional. Providing for active travel should not be optional.

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Reposted by Ben (BicycleBenUK)

Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 17d

Nish Kumar, "What is the Green Party's vision for how we redraw the economy of this country?"

Zack Polanski, "The first thing is to have a big conversation about public ownership"

"Nothing we need, and need to use, should be in private hands. All of our utilities should be nationalised"

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 17d

It's a mess. It just needed a shared use path on the east side + routing into it (though I'd prefer proper separation, at least shared use is better than nothing). There'd be minimal impact on the roundabout itself or the new junctions. As it is, there'll be little use of the south side provision.

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Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 17d

We need to put an end to councils ignoring active travel in their highways schemes. Will you write to your MP to ask for a legal obligation on councils to cater for people walking, wheeling, and cycling? I have, but my voice alone means very little.

See my letter here: fiets.uk/2025-09-26/r...

Reform-led Council Omits Cycle Link in Highways Scheme

Warwickshire County Council has approved the design of an "upgraded" roundabout that sits between Bedworth and Coventry, just within the county border. The junction is an important link in the Coventr...

fiets.uk

1 6 8

Reposted by Ben (BicycleBenUK)

AAAAH-riadne Griffin @ariadnereviews.bsky.social · 18d

the twin task is honestly one of their greatest yet #Taskmaster

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Reposted by Ben (BicycleBenUK)

Ben (BicycleBenUK) @ben.fiets.uk · 18d

New on the blog today: More on Warwickshire's omission of a cycle link in a major roundabout "upgrade", and writing to my MP about creating obligations on local authorities to properly provide for active travel in all highways schemes.

#ActiveTravel #Cycling

Fiets! Let's Cycle Like the Dutch @fiets.uk · 18d

Reform-led Council Omits Cycle Link in Highways Scheme

Warwickshire County Council has approved the design of an "upgraded" roundabout that sits between Bedworth and Coventry, just within the county border. The junction is an important link in the Coventry-Bedworth-Nuneaton urban corridor and indeed has been part of a long-planned cycle route. But with

fiets.uk

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