Scientists hail breakthrough as cyclist stops at zebra crossing

A cyclist has made history by becoming the first member of his species to successfully bring a bike to a halt at a pedestrian crossing.

Dozens of stunned onlookers watched as the cyclist – a fully mature adult male – pulled off the manoeuvre at a zebra crossing in central Bristol this morning. Mobile phone footage of the incident has already been watched 11 million times on YouTube.

Over the years, there have been isolated instances of cyclists managing to stop at crossings in laboratory conditions, but this is believed to be the first time the feat has been achieved in the wild. 

Scientists have long theorised that cyclists have evolved in a way that makes it impossible for them to detect the white and black markings of a zebra crossing.

Helen Montgomery, a professor of Lycrapology at the University of Glasgow, who has spent three decades studying cyclists in their natural habitat, said: “In homo sapiens, the left side of the brain is responsible for logical functions, such as solving mathematical problems, while the right side of the brain performs more creative tasks.

“With cyclists, however, both sides of the brain concentrate on being reckless, self-absorbed and superior.”

Responding to this morning’s incident, Prof Montgomery said: “It is too early to say if this was an accident or if we are genuinely moving towards a new epoch in the evolution of the cyclist species. However, it is certainly an interesting development, and one which warrants further study and further research.”

Others were less circumspect.

Dr James Lincoln, an expert in pedals, chains and water bottles at Keele University, said: “I have watched the footage of the incident a number of times and I am in no doubt that the cyclist was fully cognisant that he was approaching a potential danger zone, and that the most appropriate course of action would be to apply the brakes in order to avoid a collision with the pedestrians in his path.

“This really could be a breakthrough in our understanding of how cyclists’ brains work, and how they interpret different stimuli.

“With further research, we may one day be able to understand other phenomena, such as why cyclists ride on pavements and only ring their bell to warn you of their presence when they are less than a metre behind you.”

A team of researchers headed to Bristol to try to capture the cyclist involved in this morning’s incident.

They had hoped to put him through a series of tests to determine if he was anatomically different from others of his species. However, he evaded his captors and is believed to have escaped to a nearby velodrome.