GCN Show: How dangerous is road rage and what can we do about it?

The main talking point of this week's GCN Show derives from our recent interview with Peter Norton, an associate professor at the University of Virginia, who sought to explain the reasons for, results of and solutions to the matter of road rage.

Read more: What causes road rage between cyclists and drivers? We asked a transport historian

Whether you are a weekend warrior, keen amateur or professional by trade, all cyclists have encountered road rage from drivers in their time. Be it a horn beep, aggressive driving or something even more sinister, road rage can be a thorn in our sides whilst out on the bikes, and Norton pins the blame for road rage squarely on design.

Over the last few months, we have been investigating the issue of road design, from the failure to shared spaces, to new cycling lanes and Jeremy Vine's divisive awareness campaigns. In this week's show, Conor Dunne and Simon Richardson expand on the issue to assess just how dangerous road rage can be for cyclists.

Simon raises some remarkable research which has recently surfaced from Belgium, which shows that if a pedestrian is hit by a pickup truck, rather than a small car, the risk of fatal injuries increases by 200%.

Thankfully, things aren't all doom and gloom, and as we like to highlight as much as we can, there are plenty of examples of cycling-friendly street design which has sought to foster harmonious relations between motorists and those of us on two wheels. From Canberra, Australia, to Denmark and the Netherlands, there is reason for optimism.

What has been your experience of road rage, and what do you think can be done to reduce it? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

Cycling Shorts

As we sit on the eve of the first WorldTour race of the season - the women's Santos Tour Down Under - the cycling community is abuzz with excitement surrounding new kits, new transfers and, of course, new equipment. Whether it be Mark Cavendish's latest bike of choice or Tom Pidcock's experimentation with shorter cranks, the tech news has not stopped since the new year.

The latest big announcement in the professional ranks is that of Lotto Dstny, who have revealed that they will ride Orbea bikes through 2024. The new partnership was announced just days ago, but we will have to wait a while longer to see the first official pictures of their bikes - much to Conor's disappointment.

Read more: Orbea officially announced as Lotto Dstny bike sponsor for 2024

His sadness would be short-lived, however, with the news that Precision Fuel and Hydration has partnered with GCN to prepare our fleet of presenters for another year of adventures, challenges and everything in between. Precision's founder Andy Blow graduated from the University of Bath, not far from GCN megabase, and the company will be putting our presenters through a sweat test shortly enough. Watch this space.

Elsewhere, entries to the Garmin UNBOUND Gravel have opened for another year, though we think Conor might need some persuasion to try his hand at the event once more, and US pro criterium veteran Cory Williams has left the L39GION of Los Angeles five years after co-founding the team alongside his brother Justin.

Hacks and Bodges

It's time to cast an eye over this week's Hack and Bodges, submitted by all of you! Keep in mind, if you want a chance to be featured in an upcoming show, submit your uploads here and please remember to include as much detail as possible.

Patrick's twin brother has devised a nifty bit of kit to introduce an extra dynamic to his indoor training sessions. The top-of-the-range Wahoo Kickr Move smart trainers offer side-to-side movements these days, but for those unable or unwilling to splash out on a new setup, Patrick's submission might be up your street.

The Wahoo Kickr has been strapped to what looks to be a metal rocker, made functional by springs, in order to create a more stimulating and realistic ride in training. "Weights can be distributed for smooth, even side-to-side rocking," says Patrick. What do you reckon? Is this an ingenious contraption or an accident waiting to happen?

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The age of physical tender may be coming to an end around the world, as phone payments replace pocket change and contactless cards do away with the need for banknotes, but a trusty wallet is never far from a rider's reach.

Whether it be bank cards, house keys or small tools, a wallet will remain a valued companion for years to come. Perhaps that has encouraged jameslovesbikes to manufacture his own, lovingly-made tan wall wallet. At first glance, James' submission is simply a folded tyre, but upon further inspection, you will find this to be a handy wallet made out of an old, recycled Vittoria Corsa tyre.

"I love a tan wall tyre," says James, "especially my old Vittoria Corsa, so now it’s done it’s time on the bike it can now do some time as my hand-stitched wallet! Used wax thread to stitch the tyre together and then used a handy band from Project 76 Bikes to hold the flap down. Big enough for cards and a multi-tool on rides."

Does this inspire you to manufacture your own wallet? Or does a wallet made of rubber offer far too much purchase for ease of use? Let us know, and James, know in the comments!

© GCN

Coming up on the channel this week

Wed 10 January: The top 10 mistakes that every new cyclist makes in the winter

Thu 11 January: Our top 10 tips to avoid getting dropped on a climb

Fri 12 January: Does endurance really improve with age? We investigate each side of the debate

Sat 13 January: The latest instalment of our Epic Climbs series: Mt Lemmon

Sun 14 January: How long will it actually take to burn off a Big Mac?