BBC 4 tonight 8.30pm - Britain by Bike

tailwindhome

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t4lqf

Clare Balding sets out on a two-wheel odyssey to re-discover Britain from the saddle of a touring cycle.

In a six-part series, Clare follows the wheeltracks of compulsive cyclist and author Harold Briercliffe whose evocative guide books of the late 1940s lovingly describe by-passed Britain - a world of unspoiled villages, cycle touring clubs and sunny B roads.

An antidote to your stressful day

lost_in_thought

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh good spot!

Sky+ duly textededed.

Aidy

Cool, I'll try and catch it on iPlayer at some stage.

Plotting some touring action next summer, should be a good incentive

jonginge

Nice.

Sasson-frasson. Stupid non-Sky+ DVR

jonny_trousers

TailWindHome wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t4lqf

Clare Balding sets out on a two-wheel odyssey to re-discover Britain from the saddle of a touring cycle.

Clare Balding in lycra eh? Phwooar! No wait...

DevUK

I think there's a book to accompany this. My flat mate bought it a few weeks back...

Here it is - http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/1187 ... oduct.html

mroli

Virgin+ box set to record - ta very much. And hurrah for slingbox...

lost_in_thought

DevUK wrote:

I think there's a book to accompany this. My flat mate bought it a few weeks back...

Here it is - http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/1187 ... oduct.html

Is it good?

Tramdodger

lost_in_thought wrote:

DevUK wrote:

I think there's a book to accompany this. My flat mate bought it a few weeks back...

Here it is - http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/1187 ... oduct.html

Is it good?

It's OK, I didn't get the impression it was written by someone who knows a lot about bikes. Not sure it's worth the money.

vorsprung

I would guess that Clare Balding is going for the tweedy lesbian look seeing as this is supposedly a wistful trip down memory lane about cycling in the 20th Century

When she goes down the hill to Hunters Lodge, think of me. Last time I went down that hill I broke my collar bone and spend 3 months off the bike

DevUK

Tramdodger wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Is it good?

It's OK, I didn't get the impression it was written by someone who knows a lot about bikes. Not sure it's worth the money.

That's the impression I got, but I've only flicked through it to be honest. It's printed in an old fashioned style (much like those children's action/activity books which were popular last year), which is quite nice.

SmellTheGlove

When she goes down the hill to Hunters Lodge...

Now there's a euphemism I've never come across before vorsprung

pigeon42

Why is it the BBC insisting on spoiling potentially great programmes with irritating presenters? First Julia Bradbury smugly tramping through the Wainwright walks, now Clare Balding pedalling her way across Britain... :roll:

jonny_trousers

Anyone watch that ITV4 documentary on the guy who did the America coast to coast race? That was very interesting.

rich_e

Thought I'd watch the repeat of this before I went to bed.

Wish I hadn't bothered, for one I hate Clare Balding and still fail to see how anyone likes her as a presenter.

The show seems to loosely be based on the history of the guy writing original cycle touring guides, but it mainly just focuses on whatever scenery or what have you is in the area, much in the same way existing BBC documentaries do, like Coast for example.

The only thing I liked was the fact that some of those Devon places they visited reminded me of when I went there in my youth.

What annoyed me most though is it's obvious she isn't really touring, she is just riding a bike in the various shots where they need to be. Would have been a better show with a better, younger presenter who was actually really cycling Britain fully.

dondare

Weii, it's certainly not much about the bike.

If she's really doing all of it then she might get into better shape than she seems to be at the start.

always_tyred

Rich_E wrote:

Wish I hadn't bothered, for one I hate Clare Balding and still fail to see how anyone likes her as a presenter.

Well, she's educated at a top private school and her daddy was famous in sport (horse racing trainer) and so naturally she'd be a good sports reporter for the BBC. That's how it works isn't it? We all pay our license fee so that the BBC can be carefully nepotisticand ensure that mediocre children of successful people they've heard of can be successful in their own right? Look at Dan Snow.

ITs a bit like US politics and that works great too.

tailwindhome

So much hate

Where will it all end?

Didn't watch it in the end, watched TDF highlights on ITV4 +1, will try to catch it on iplayer.

beverick

pigeon42 wrote:

Why is it the BBC insisting on spoiling potentially great programmes with irritating presenters? First Julia Bradbury smugly tramping through the Wainwright walks, now Clare Balding pedalling her way across Britain... :roll:

You forgot Michael Portillo's train journeys....

Bob

always_tyred

TailWindHome wrote:

So much hate

Where will it all end?

Didn't watch it in the end, watched TDF highlights on ITV4 +1, will try to catch it on iplayer.

It will never end.

lost_in_thought

I tuned in briefly when she was talking about water damage to somewhere.

I had hoped it might be more about cycling and less about history. Nonetheless I shall give it another go on the old sky+ this weekend.

Chewy Cheeks

I watched this it was much more about the points of interest in the area rather than cycling. There were some comments from the authors (Brierfield ?) old cycling club and a brief naming of his bike - which could have been interesting to some.

it felt more like a travel show to me.