Despite an official Department of Transport response outlining that all bicycles are part of a plan for mandatory helmets and high-vis, Tnaiste Simon Harris has said in the Dil this morning that bicycles are not included, but he left the door open for electric bikes to be included. In Irish and EU law, there is no distinction between pedal bicycles and those with electric assistance, provided the assistance cuts out at 25km/h, and the maximum continuous rated power does not exceed 250W.As covered in the IrishCycle.com explainer on scooters and e-bikes, helmets are already required for all e-bikes that do not meet the above-mentioned requirement to be classified as a bicycle. In a written reply yesterday, a Department of Transport spokesperson said: Requirements for mandatory helmets and high-visibility equipment are currently being considered for e-scooters, bicycles and e-bikes.In the Dil today, the Tnaiste said: Im certainly not behind that proposal, nor is there one. He said this in response to questions from Green Party leader Roderic OGorman. Deputy OGorman said he welcomed measures to tackle illegal scrambler users, and said: From media reports, I understand that a second report was withdrawn at or before Cabinet, one [a proposal] that would have made helmets and high-vis jackets mandatory for people using e-scooters and e-bikes. But also for people using ordinary push bikes.OGorman said no EU country makes helmets mandatory for cyclists because they know criminalising ordinary bicycle users in this way makes no sense. He said it would likely impact the uptake of cycling and questioned how DublinBikes and other bike share scheme such as Bleeper, would work. Of course, helmets are an important part of how cyclists can protect themselves, but criminalising the absence of a helmet is basically saying that youre going to reduce cycling deaths and injuries by reducing cycling itself, he said.He said the Governments focus should be on evidence-based proposals, such as those proposed by cycling groups at yesterdays joint transport committee meeting, including cycle paths and the abandoned 30km/h default limit rollout.He added: Irishcycle.com reports that you are one of the main people pushing mandatory helmets for cyclists, on a push bike. I dont know if thats true or not. Is it true?Tnaiste Simon Harris said: Im certainly not behind that proposal, nor is there one but firstly, thank you for raising this issue because road safety is an extraordinarily important issue, and our road safety stats, in this country, are going the wrong direction.And again, I think most people agree on this in relation to e-scooters, we do need to do more, most particularly in relation to our children. Its already not allowed for somebody under the age of 16 to be on an e-scooter. However, when we talk to our doctors, as we all do, the number one cause of childhood brain trauma in Ireland now is e-scooter accidents; its horrifying. Yes, it is illegal. But when I talk to Gardai, I think the current structure, in my view, is a bit cumbersome, he said.Harris said he wants to make it easier for Gardai to seize e-scooters operating illegally and ensure the devices are not returned to people. He said that the Minister for Transport, Darragh OBrien, and Minister of State Sen Canney are to return to a future Government meeting with proposals. He said more needed to be done around wearing education on our roads, and that helmets were important, but they should not be mandatory for cyclists of non-electric bicycles.There are no plans to change the law to make that mandatory [helmets for cyclists]. Quite frankly, I think that would be a really bad use of Garda time. On one level, I dont think the immediate answer to everything has to be new law, he said. He said: I actually saw some reporting of the comments yesterday [made by cycling groups at the Transport Committee], and I found myself largely in agreement to a lot of the points we made by Cycling Ireland, which is why I was rather abused with some of the reportage this morning, but such is life.He directly added: But we can differentiate. I think we should differentiate in this country. I think the letter e is a bit of a giveaway, and like, if something is motorised, if something is electric, if something can do great speed, I think thats one thing, and I think that needs to be looked at.As covered above, all e-bikes except pedal bicycles with electric assistance already have a helmet-wearing requirement. The Department of Transport regularly refers to electric-assisted bicycles as e-bikes.Deputy OGorman said: Thank you, Tnaiste, I absolutely welcome your confirmation that there is no plan, no proposals, for mandatory helmets for cyclists using push bikes. The Tnaiste said: We all want to see a reduction in deaths and injuries. I think were all alarmed. Im certainly alarmed at the the dangers that were seeing on our roads more distractions than ever before in cars and some distractions that are illegal that shouldnt be happening, others are just seem to happen that the environment in general being more distrcting, more road users, more volume of vehicles and indeed an increase in cycling, which is a good thing that we want to continue to support, but also both driver and cycle education is really important too.On e-scooters, I take your point that there are laws and regulations there. I remain to be convinced that theres not more to be done on e-scooters. I just think there is. Im deeply concerned about this, he said. He said he wants the Government to listen to the Gardai to ensure that whats in place for e-scooters is enforceable and practical.He added: Im happy to have further engagement with Cycling Ireland on this.

Chris King is all about creating precision bike parts that are both serviceable and expected to last a very long time. In this second major (golden) announcement from the companys 50th anniversary celebration, a new tool was introduced in the fight against friction. Lets meet the new Chris King Gold Grease. This is a new lubricant formulated specifically for their hub and bottom bracket bearings as part of Kings ongoing performance improvements.(Photos / Chris King)They developed the new Gold Grease lubricant after extensive testing of various options. Looking for better speed and durability characteristics when compared to the now-discontinued Silver Grease.Gold Grease (gold line), Silver Grease (silver line)The testing results show measurable performance differences. Gold Grease produces 25% less drag than Silver Grease right out of the box. And, it maintains a 16% advantage even after 1000 miles of use. The lubricant also demonstrates what the company calls a wear-in effect. This effect occurs when drag decreases by 18% over the first 1000 miles compared to the initial performance. This addresses the balance between two key bearing characteristics: reducing drag for speed while maintaining long-term durability. Chris Kings President, Kirby Bedsaul, had this to say: Obviously, we put a lot of effort into making our components look good and last a long time, but at the end of the day, riders want components that perform. And that has always been one of our core tenets, too. Gold Grease reduces bearing drag and improves bearing life, so it quite literally makes you faster. Its also a more stable lubricant, so it extends service life, too.Gold Grease Retail & SizesRetail: $15 25g (.9 fl. oz.) According to Chris King, this is enough to service about 12 hubsets.$29 100g (3.5 fl. oz.)According to Chris King, this is enough to service about 48 hubsets.Gold Grease represents a completely new formulation rather than a rebranding of existing products. Its now available as a permanent addition to Chris Kings lineup through authorized retailers and their website at the link below. ChrisKing.comThe post Chris Kings New Gold Grease Might Be the Gold Standard in Lubrication appeared first on Bikerumor.

Riders made to swap TT bikes for road bikes on stage two of Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

Remco Evenepoel has won stage 2 of the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana. The time trial on the second day of racing was always going to put the World Champion in the favourite position, however the times on the day were not counted as the strong wind on the road has meant that the times were neutralized...

A US court has granted final approval of the settlement in the class action case over the Shimano Hollowtech II cranksets that were recalled in 2023. The preliminary settlement was agreed between the plaintiffs and Shimano in July 2025, and has now been approved by the court, Shimano said in a statement published yesterday. The deal covers US owners of Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra cranksets manufactured before 2019, and sees Shimano extend its express warranty for bonding and delamination to 31 July 2027. Shimano will now distribute a magnifying device with enhanced lighting to every recall retailer free of charge, alongside a manual, and the retailers must affirm that they have reviewed and will utilize all materials provided by Shimano related to the Inspections. US riders affected by the recall can now submit reimbursement claims on Shimanos dedicated website. The lawsuit was filed against Shimano, Specialized and Trek soon after Shimano issued the recall of more than 760,000 cranksets in North America and 2.8 million globally. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said the recall applied to cranks sold over an 11-year period, from January 2012 through August 2023, after a reported 4,519 incidents of cranksets separating. According to the CPSC, the incidents resulted in six injuries, including bone fractures. BikeRadar first reported on Shimano road cranksets delaminating in 2020, but the 2023 recall was the first time Shimano acknowledged a widespread issue with its cranks. Shimanos statement, released yesterday and translated from Japanese, said: The impact of this settlement on the Companys future business performance is expected to be immaterial. Should timely disclosure become necessary in the future in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, we will promptly make the appropriate disclosure.

Remco Evenepoel was the winner of the day at the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana, but at the same time perhaps the rider who has lost the most due to its neutralization. The Olympic, World and European time trial champion rode to victory in Spain, but it was only a mental win against his rival on a day...

Mandatory helmets and high-vis for cyclists are now not being looked at by the Government, the Department of Transport has confirmed. The introduction of mandatory Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for bicycle users is outside the scope of the current measures being looked at by the Government, a Department of Transport spokesperson has said this afternoon.The Department issued what it terms a clarification about 24 hours after it said that bicycles were included in a move to make helmets and high-vis mandatory for e-scooters and e-bikes, and hours after the Tnaiste, Simon Harris, contradicted the Departments statement from yesterday. This afternoon, a spokesperson at the Department of Transport said: The Government decision of Wednesday 4 February noted that Ministers for Transport would return to Government with proposals for updated regulations on e-scooters and e-bikes.The first regulations to allow for the legal use of certain e-scooters and e-bikes were introduced in May 2024. As we approach the two-year anniversary of that date, it is appropriate that we look at the evidence and consider if additional regulation is warranted to promote road safety, the spokesperson said. Proposals are being developed and will be subject to Ministerial decision.The Department added: Requirement for personal protective equipment on e-scooters and e-bikes will form part of any consideration. The introduction of mandatory PPE for users of bicycles is outside the scope of the current measures. Measures to protect the safety of all road users are kept under constant review.

Great Britain top medal table at five-day event in Konya, Turkey

Stage 2 of the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana saw Remco Evenepoel take the stage win, but this was not the topic that has been discussed throughout the peloton before, during and after the stage. The day's times were neutralized due to the strong wind on course, and this split the opinion of the rider...

We take a look into their Strava data to see what training they're doing during their winter camps