Tour of Britain

jonny_trousers

No talk of it?

I've only just finished watching highlights of Stage 1, but I thought it was a stonking race (although perhaps not for poor old Jens Voigt).

Anyone planning to go spectate any of it?

NGale

I'll be at the Exeter stage on Thursday!! on marshalling duties.

spen666

ToB? Is it a commuting event?

No


Have you thought about looking/ posting in the sections devorted to racing on here?

suzyb

spen666 wrote:

ToB? Is it a commuting event?

No


Have you thought about looking/ posting in the sections devorted to racing on here?

There are sections devorted to racing on here :shock:

I would have went to see the start on Sunday but was doing pedal for Scotland. So it'll be highlights only for me again this year.

I feel a tad guilty though, Scotland broke Jens Voigt

jonny_trousers

spen666 wrote:

ToB? Is it a commuting event?

No


Have you thought about looking/ posting in the sections devorted to racing on here?

ToB? Is it a cycling event?

Yes

Are those who commute by bicycle interested in cycling?

It would appear so

We were discussing cheese recently. That has nothing to do with cycle commuting. Should we perhaps have sought out a forum devoted to dairy produce?

Have you thought about looking/ posting on a forum devorted to bitter, little pedants?

Kieran_Burns

spen666 wrote:

ToB? Is it a commuting event?

No


Have you thought about looking/ posting in the sections devorted to racing on here?

Have you considered being slightly less insufferable on here?

Mark Bom

Yes, I'm going down to stay with family in Devon to watch Stage 5.

Hoping to ride the last ten miles of the route the day before hand so that I can imagine sprinting along the seafront at Exmouth (the barriers and hoardings will be up by then, won't they?), then Thursday gonna ride to Exeter to catch the sign on and back to Exmouth for the finish, or I might miss the start and ride out to Dartmoor, I don't know yet?

Then on the Friday I'm hoping to catch a bit of the start in Taunton before heading home.

All in all quite an indulgent few days away from the wife and kids with a few beers and a curry to boot.....quite looking forward to it!!!

Oh, and if I can swing it, I might try and get up to watch some of the final stage in London!!

ads2k

On marshall duties myself for the last stages in London on Sunday

I hope the weather is fine 8)

essex-commuter

ads2k wrote:

On marshall duties myself for the last stages in London on Sunday

I done that a few years ago, when I turned up they wanted to me marshal the toilets, couldn't even see the road.

I declined and said I would marshal on the course or nothing at all. I got a position in Westminster keeping the tourists off the roads when the peleton came past and then opening the road when there was a gap. Was a mental day, really enjoyed it!

ads2k

^^^ Yeah was wondering how they decide where we all go, will make sure I can at least see the race

Really looking forward to it, have know idea what to expect really. Will be the first time I have seen a road race in the flesh so to speak .

Downside I have to catch the 0620 train

EKE_38BPM

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

spen666 wrote:

ToB? Is it a commuting event?

No


Have you thought about looking/ posting in the sections devorted to racing on here?

ToB? Is it a cycling event?

Yes

Are those who commute by bicycle interested in cycling?

It would appear so

We were discussing cheese recently. That has nothing to do with cycle commuting. Should we perhaps have sought out a forum devoted to dairy produce?

Have you thought about looking/ posting on a forum devorted to bitter, little pedants?

Very well said.

Twostage

I spectated (is that a word ?) a couple of years ago when it ventured to Newcastle. It was brilliant. A commentary car stopped where we were gathered and gave us a quick run down of what was happening, who was in front, breakaways etc. and thanked us for being there. about 300 motor cycles went through next followed by the peleton. Couldn't believe how fast they were going on the uphill section we were on, you got pushed back by the draft as they came past. Is there a technical term for the displaced air of a peleton ?

spen666

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

spen666 wrote:

ToB? Is it a commuting event?

No


Have you thought about looking/ posting in the sections devorted to racing on here?

ToB? Is it a cycling event?

Yes

Are those who commute by bicycle interested in cycling?

It would appear so

We were discussing cheese recently. That has nothing to do with cycle commuting. Should we perhaps have sought out a forum devoted to dairy produce?

Have you thought about looking/ posting on a forum devorted to bitter, little pedants?

The difference is that we have sectios of the website devoted to racing, we don't in relation to cheese

Perhaps we should abolish all sections and just have one huge section

BTW There are already at least 5 threads re the ToB in the race section

Is it wrong to direct someone to the relevant section?

EKE_38BPM

spen666 wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

spen666 wrote:

ToB? Is it a commuting event?

No


Have you thought about looking/ posting in the sections devorted to racing on here?

ToB? Is it a cycling event?

Yes

Are those who commute by bicycle interested in cycling?

It would appear so

We were discussing cheese recently. That has nothing to do with cycle commuting. Should we perhaps have sought out a forum devoted to dairy produce?

Have you thought about looking/ posting on a forum devorted to bitter, little pedants?

The difference is that we have sectios of the website devoted to racing, we don't in relation to cheese

Perhaps we should abolish all sections and just have one huge section

BTW There are already at least 5 threads re the ToB in the race section

Is it wrong to direct someone to the relevant section?

Thats the problem right there. There are so many ToB threads in the race section that it has reached bursting point and they have exploded into commuting.

You're going to have to concede defeat on this one Spen. Commuting Chat is exactly that. Chat. If you want to discuss nothing but commuting, I would suggest Commuting General.

You may not have realised this yet, but the various 'communities' in Bike Radar have their sections where they chat about off topic stuff. Hence Cake Stop, Crud Catcher, Commuting Chat etc. I'm sure if you look really hard you'll be able to find a section strictly for pedants.

optimisticbiker

spen666 wrote:

[The difference is that we have sectios of the website devoted to racing, we don't in relation to cheese

Perhaps we should abolish all sections and just have one huge section

BTW There are already at least 5 threads re the ToB in the race section

Is it wrong to direct someone to the relevant section?

No, but in your zeal to be a pedant you are missing the whole essence of the OP's question.... who else (in this forum) is going to spectate? The question was not aimed at, or relevant to, those who frequent other Forums.

hmbadger

spen666 wrote:

Is it wrong to direct someone to the relevant section?

Not really, no. But there was a more pleasant way of doing it.

jonny_trousers

spen666 wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

spen666 wrote:

ToB? Is it a commuting event?

No


Have you thought about looking/ posting in the sections devorted to racing on here?

ToB? Is it a cycling event?

Yes

Are those who commute by bicycle interested in cycling?

It would appear so

We were discussing cheese recently. That has nothing to do with cycle commuting. Should we perhaps have sought out a forum devoted to dairy produce?

Have you thought about looking/ posting on a forum devorted to bitter, little pedants?

The difference is that we have sectios of the website devoted to racing, we don't in relation to cheese

Perhaps we should abolish all sections and just have one huge section

BTW There are already at least 5 threads re the ToB in the race section

Is it wrong to direct someone to the relevant section?

Ah, so you weren’t just being a know-it-all toss-pot then? Do forgive me.

The bottom line here, I’ve recently enjoyed and taken part in threads regarding The Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana in this forum. I no doubt could have done so in ‘Professional Race’ too, but I’m used to, and like, the interaction of a large number of ‘Commuting Chat’ regulars and so thought a Tour of Britain thread would not be remotely out of place.

I’d walk away and chalk this one up as a fail if I were you Spen666.

suzyb

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

The bottom line here, I’ve recently enjoyed and taken part in threads regarding The Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana in this forum. I no doubt could have done so in ‘Professional Race’ too, but I’m used to, and like, the interaction of a large number of ‘Commuting Chat’ regulars and so thought a Tour of Britain thread would not be remotely out of place..

+1

UndercoverElephant

suzyb wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

The bottom line here, I’ve recently enjoyed and taken part in threads regarding The Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana in this forum. I no doubt could have done so in ‘Professional Race’ too, but I’m used to, and like, the interaction of a large number of ‘Commuting Chat’ regulars and so thought a Tour of Britain thread would not be remotely out of place..

+1

Plus, the road section scares us commuting folk, they would smell our inability to know when any given team came into existence, and would castigate us accordingly.

rick_chasey

UndercoverElephant wrote:

suzyb wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

The bottom line here, I’ve recently enjoyed and taken part in threads regarding The Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana in this forum. I no doubt could have done so in ‘Professional Race’ too, but I’m used to, and like, the interaction of a large number of ‘Commuting Chat’ regulars and so thought a Tour of Britain thread would not be remotely out of place..

+1

Plus, the road section scares us commuting folk, they would smell our inability to know when any given team came into existence, and would castigate us accordingly.

Quite right too.

Our knowledge is unrivalled.

Redhog14

Ah.. I like to lurk in both the Commuting section and the Road Forum but as you will see I employ a picture of me on an MTB just to insense the Roadies and they have and continue to be played like fish...

WTF is Rick Chasey anyway?

Redhog14

Yes Page 2 - (Hands Aloft) -oops sorry wrong thread.

scuttle scuttle

deptfordmarmoset

I'm thinking of taking some dolcelatte, maybe with ham in a baguette, along to the final stage in London. I've no idea where the best place to watch and have a cheese picnic would be but I thought I'd stick close to Tower Bridge for the time trial, and then go for a ride before the circuit race starts. Does anybody have any idea what kind of crowds there might be - and where a good place to watch it might be?

Twostage

UndercoverElephant wrote:

suzyb wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

The bottom line here, I’ve recently enjoyed and taken part in threads regarding The Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana in this forum. I no doubt could have done so in ‘Professional Race’ too, but I’m used to, and like, the interaction of a large number of ‘Commuting Chat’ regulars and so thought a Tour of Britain thread would not be remotely out of place..

+1

Plus, the road section scares us commuting folk, they would smell our inability to know when any given team came into existence, and would castigate us accordingly.

Yes, I visited the road race section during the TdF. It was like strolling into a dog fight, much gnashing of teeth so I withdrew quietly and haven't ventured since.

rolf_f

A bit spur of the moment I took the day off and blatted across the Pennines to have a look at the Stoke stage. AA said it would take an hour and a half. Unfortunately, the AA didn't bank on the crap side of the Pennines not having road signs to places like Buxton and Macclesfield so I got lost a few times and only just made it.

I'd been told the feed station would be slower and a better view than the hill tops - Gun Hill in this case. Anyway, loads of motorbikes came through, then a commentary car, then some more motorbikes, then some cars, then some bikes, then some more cars, then loads of bikes, then some cars with bikes on the roof and then nothing!

Followed the Peloton for a bit (seemed to be an accident coming off the ridge before Gun Hill but nothing too serious). Then I parked up and punished myself for the trip by cycling up Gun Hill and on for a very hilly 30 miles including my first trip up Mow Cop. Which wasn't quite as hard as I'd expected but still pretty silly.

Might go for a start/finish line session next time.

jonny_trousers

Well stage 2 was a let down!

I'm tempted to head into town for Sunday's final stage, but am wondering how exciting a time trial could be to the spectator? My last experience of watching professional cycling live was when I was about six and my primary school class headed into town to watch the Milk Race go by. My memory is, distant whir - whir, whir, whir, whir - whoosh! - day trip over. Was fun all the same.

deptfordmarmoset

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Well stage 2 was a let down!

I'm tempted to head into town for Sunday's final stage, but am wondering how exciting a time trial could be to the spectator? My last experience of watching professional cycling live was when I was about six and my primary school class headed into town to watch the Milk Race go by. My memory is, distant whir - whir, whir, whir, whir - whoosh! - day trip over. Was fun all the same.

There was me thinking most cyclists would have been blown away by stage 2....

As I understand it, there are 2 races on Sunday: the early TT, a gap and then the circuit race between 15:45 and 17:45 when the sprinters have their day. http://www.tourofbritain.com/_ns_race/d ... e8_route-b

jonny_trousers

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

As I understand it, there are 2 races on Sunday: the early TT, a gap and then the circuit race between 15:45 and 17:45 when the sprinters have their day. http://www.tourofbritain.com/_ns_race/d ... e8_route-b

Aha, well that sounds more fun. Cheers! I'll see if my girlfriend fancies a trip into the West End on Sunday.

Hot Orange

I have VIP tickets for the Suffolk and Norfolk stage on Saturday, thanks to my wife's job with one of the sponsors. This includes a "complimentary breakfast", apparently:-

"Why, Hot Orange, you look particularly handsome this morning."
"Thank you, er, croissant."

jonny_trousers

Stage 3: another quality race

I have to say, ITV4's highlights show is really nicely produced.

jzed

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Stage 3: another quality race

I have to say, ITV4's highlights show is really nicely produced.

+1 - lightyears ahead of the Vuelta coverage, and it seems that there are a few riders intent on making the breaks (seeking bigger pro team contracts?) and an appetite from the teams to race.

Loving it.