Bikey Things on BBC4

Cleat Eastwood

Just a heads up guys n gals.

Tuesday 27th

8.30 Britain by bike - the clare balding thing

9.00 Ride of My life- Rob Penn goes round the world trying to get parts to build his dream bike.

10.00 The Story of Tom SImpson. This is a repeat but last time I saw it it was on about 1 in the morning.

11.00 Thoroughly Modern- about Edwardian cycle technology (or if you live in Crewe cutting edge bike technology)

northernneil

cheers - the thoroughly modern thing sounds 'interesting'

Cleat Eastwood

Bumpity bump incase you miss them.

Gotte

Just noticed them all myself now. There seems a positive slew of non-tour (excepting Tommy Simpson tonight) progs on tv now. There's the one following in Hadrian's footsteps, and the one about cycling Britain using old an old guide (forget the name), and now all these.
Hoorah.

campagone

This 'Ride of my life' is actually rather enjoyable

LazyBoycp

campagone wrote:

This 'Ride of my life' is actually rather enjoyable

Especially that art student at about 40 minutes in. :shock:

lemon63

I met Claire Balding once, she was stood next to me in the urinals.
:?

awallace

Ride of My life - really enjoyed it...except for the colour he chose! Even Mrs W seemed interested in bits of it. I think when he disclosed the cost she thought what i spend is small change.

Campagnolo didnt seem too friendly though, Im sure sram would be nicer! ;-)

plowmar

Or even that big Japanese company - look I like them O.K. :twisted:

Buckled_Rims

I missed the first 10 minutes of "Ride of My life" can someone tell me what frame he got.

Also looks like Chris King has been on the same industrial security course as Campagnolo.

Cleat Eastwood

its on again at about half twelve. Th eframe was a custom built by Brian Rourke.

cougie

953 steel.

PostieJohn

Is it just me or did the 'ride of my life' bloke build 2 bikes and stick them together.

Cinelli, Campag, wheels.

&

Steel, Brooks, wheels.

Both sets were great but, didn't seem to gel together.

markmod

Mmm I thought that too about the the slight mismatch of parts... But I spose if it's what he wanted then fine with me. Campag was a good choice even if they didn't let us see around the campag willy wonka factory with groupset been fangled from unobtaineum and moondust spangle!!! I enjoyed it though. Good viewing.

mrushton

Both good programmes but the bike build programme was excellent. Not sure about those wrap-around seat stays but that's a Brian Rourke thing. Brian at TWMP was in Portland last year and wrote about on the Washing Machine Post site.
Whats not to like - custom bike,custom wheels,Italy and bikes all in one programme (and I suppose that artist 40 mins in)

fatfreddy

and tonight at 10.30pm BBC4 - Belleville Rendezvous.

if you haven't seen it - a beautifully made animation about a TDF rider kidnapped by bad guys

FF

Gotte

Wow, is it Christmas. If it is, can I have a new bike, as well?

Marky

This link may be useful if you want to catch up on the programs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... h_Borders/

I use the iplayer quite a bit. Very useful. All the best.

timmyflash

As a whole i thought his bike looked terrible! Great individual parts and little stories behind each, but as a whole just looked crap.

anto164

I also had the same thought, everything looked nice when not on the bike, but the bike looked very pick and mix at the end.

Then again, if he likes it, that's all that matters.

slunker

Watched the Tom Simpson part and was rather good.

But being fairly new to cycling I couldn't get my head round to why he was a cycling "legend".

He was a drug cheat at the end of the day, along with most of the peleton according to the documentary. Now this is just my opinion but he was that much of a user it killed him, where's the legendry status in that?

(cue the pelters)

sampurnell

slunker wrote:

Watched the Tom Simpson part and was rather good.

But being fairly new to cycling I couldn't get my head round to why he was a cycling "legend".
(cue the pelters)

why is this not on the iplayer??

mrushton

He was the first British rider to really succeed in such a closed environment that had been dominated by the French and Italians. As for the drugs, well they were par for the course and hindsights a marvellous thing but back then, amphetamines,brandy,cocaine were par for the course for anyone wanting to succeed in a brutal sport.

Frank the tank

I've never condoned drugs in any sport.

Not making excuses for Tom, but mrushton makes a valid point, in the 60's drugs were the "norm" in top level cycling. I would say if most were on the gear the playing field was perversly levelled. :?

stfc1

sampurnell wrote:

slunker wrote:

Watched the Tom Simpson part and was rather good.

But being fairly new to cycling I couldn't get my head round to why he was a cycling "legend".
(cue the pelters)

why is this not on the iplayer??

I don't know, but it is being repeated at 2.15am tomorrow morning if you have a recorder (or suffer from insomnia).

Beatmaker

slunker wrote:

Watched the Tom Simpson part and was rather good.

But being fairly new to cycling I couldn't get my head round to why he was a cycling "legend".

He was a drug cheat at the end of the day, along with most of the peloton according to the documentary. Now this is just my opinion but he was that much of a user it killed him, where's the legendry status in that?

(cue the pelters)

How could he be a cheat? He didn't break any rules. Controls came in post Simpson's death.

slunker

Beatmaker wrote:

slunker wrote:

Watched the Tom Simpson part and was rather good.

But being fairly new to cycling I couldn't get my head round to why he was a cycling "legend".

He was a drug cheat at the end of the day, along with most of the peloton according to the documentary. Now this is just my opinion but he was that much of a user it killed him, where's the legendry status in that?

(cue the pelters)

How could he be a cheat? He didn't break any rules. Controls came in post Simpson's death.

So every single racer was on drugs then???

mrushton

Possibly. If you read the history books the Euro race circuit was brutal but these guys were stars and the pressure they were under from teams to succeed was immense. They could get v.well paid and even rich but winning was required or at least be seen to be a good contender. Road and track racing esp.the 6 day circuit were v.lucrative and a blind eye was turned to riders taking 'pot belge' or stimulants. Simpson had the chance to make a good living and retire in some comfort but the efforts cost him his life.

Bobbinogs

My god, that Claire Balding thing was a bit boring. I Just watched it (or most of if until I found myself mapping the route on mapmyride to keep myself amused) and have just realised just how good people like Michael Palin and Robbie Coltraine are when they do their bits on B Road Britain or Around the World, etc. Then again, may be it is the the script writers? Not blaming Claire because the whole thing came across like one of those "educational" programmes.

Weejie54

I met Claire Balding once, she was stood next to me in the urinals.

Cue the 'dyke on a bike' comments....

shouldbeinbed

slunker wrote:

Beatmaker wrote:

slunker wrote:

Watched the Tom Simpson part and was rather good.

But being fairly new to cycling I couldn't get my head round to why he was a cycling "legend".

He was a drug cheat at the end of the day, along with most of the peloton according to the documentary. Now this is just my opinion but he was that much of a user it killed him, where's the legendry status in that?

(cue the pelters)

How could he be a cheat? He didn't break any rules. Controls came in post Simpson's death.

So every single racer was on drugs then???

there was a quote in the program itself basically saying that it was a closed shop to a 'clean' rider and they would be ostracised by the peloton if they didn't dope.

For some more recent perspective (80's) have a read of Paul Kimmage's book Rough Ride (contraversial as either an expose of the reality of what it took to just be a domestique let alone a contender or a good foot in the door from a journeyman ex pro looking to get into journalism).

TBH even as a pro cyclist with access to world class coaching, nutrition and training doing 3000odd km over some of the lumpier bits of France in 3 weeks at an average of 30mph seems superhuman without some help -and in the 60's it was 4000 odd km. its all well and good villifying pople as drug cheats but it's spectators demanding faster, higher and more spectacular that created the monster.