ToB on ITV 4

natrix

What is it with those annoying 'infomercials'??

'A leather saddle is stretched using the rivet at the front' - what utter rubbish

'cycling clothing uses golf ball dimple technology' - not that I've ever seen

'gear changers are now on the handlebars so that people can't see you change gear' - and there's me thinking that it was so you didn't have to move your hands off the handlebars.....

I'm thinking of making a few up and sending them in............

Hinzy9

'Riders wear helmets to keep their head warm and stop their hair getting blown about'

LeicesterLad

''Riders ride bikes. Thats why its called bike racing''

ex-pat scot

natrix wrote:

What is it with those annoying 'infomercials'??

'A leather saddle is stretched using the rivet at the front' - what utter rubbish

'cycling clothing uses golf ball dimple technology' - not that I've ever seen

'gear changers are now on the handlebars so that people can't see you change gear' - and there's me thinking that it was so you didn't have to move your hands off the handlebars.....

I'm thinking of making a few up and sending them in............

Brooks saddles. OK 30 - 40 years ago

Zipp on the dimples (rims); USCF Olympic squad on the clothing.

natrix

ex-pat scot wrote:

Brooks saddles. OK 30 - 40 years ago

No, I've had a Brooks saddle, you adjust the bolt underneath, you don't adjust the rivet.

schweiz

natrix wrote:

'cycling clothing uses golf ball dimple technology' - not that I've ever seen

http://gearjunkie.com/pearl-izumi-pro-l ... y-and-bibs

prawny

The Europcar TT helmets are dimpled also

Chris James

natrix wrote:

ex-pat scot wrote:

Brooks saddles. OK 30 - 40 years ago

No, I've had a Brooks saddle, you adjust the bolt underneath, you don't adjust the rivet.

And how does the leather attach to the adjusting bolt? No rivets = no strecthing.

lemon63

I agree, utter tosh. Although I did see somewhere that some TT skin suits have dimple "technology" on the shoulders, back and others areas. I think it was on a documentary about Armstrong, but then again I might be talking bo***cks.

ju5t1n

I think it’s great to see an electronics giant like Sharp taking an interest in pro cycling sponsorship. OK their adverts might be shit but we shouldn’t discourage them by moaning. I for one will be buying their electronic products in large quantities.

mouth

'On the rivet' came from when the leather is stretched over the seat, it's then pinned with a rivet.

The idea behind the quote is that when you're thrashing yourself you move forward on the seat, hence being on the rivet.

dave milne

Has there ever been any sort of tv sponsor ad that isn't annoying?

Gazzaputt

Can't believe that it was put back to 10.30 last night so we could watch Birmingham City reserves.

C'mon ITV Birmingham City in Europe? Now that is real minority viewing.

Maurice Thepity

Gazzaputt wrote:

Can't believe that it was put back to 10.30 last night so we could watch Birmingham City reserves.

C'mon ITV Birmingham City in Europe? Now that is real minority viewing.

+1

roadiesean

Recent introduction of golf ball style dimping on skin is due to be added to the banned list saving many bike racers the indignity of having lumpy legs

Pross

I actually think they are quite good as they are aimed at cycling novices who are tuning in for the first time. Other than the gear lever one I think all the information given is correct, to my understanding the gear lever position changed because the technology allowed them to be located on the bars which was far easier although the main benefit of STI was touted as the ability to change gears under load.

ALaPlage

dave milne wrote:

Has there ever been any sort of tv sponsor ad that isn't annoying?

Love the Skoda cycling ad and despite seeing it an awful lot I still enjoy seeing it. I also like the Yo Valley ads they ran on last years XFactor breaks - funny P take on rapping. Other than some of the classics from my youth a lot of TV ads currently really are boring or cringeworthy - Hugh Lawrie and his L'Oreal ad for Men is a great example where you think I know you are probably taking the P out of yourself with this but Why Man Why? And the Jenson Button Ad - not good cred.

That said I think it is great to see Sharp sponsoring a British Team and supporting the ITV4 ToB coverage with their information ads even if they are a little misleading.

mroli

Sharp adverts have been driving my wife mad trying to work out who is doing the voiceover. She's chuffed to have finally got that it appears to be Tom Hollander - who we once saw whilst on a London Sky Ride. Which is nice.

I really liked Yanto Barker on the back of the motorbike today - thought that it was a nice little gimmick and gave you a good idea of the pace.

alan_a

mroli wrote:

I really liked Yanto Barker on the back of the motorbike today - thought that it was a nice little gimmick and gave you a good idea of the pace.

Yanto is doing a good job, however...

ITV4's production team have shown a massive lack of responsibility with two features Yanto was in.

Whilst Cycling up Gun Hill it saddened me that he was not wearing helmet, only a cycling cap.

And

Whilst doing the Chedder Gorge stage in the back seat of the race control car he was not wearing a seatbelt.

Two simple things that send the wrong message to younger viewers.

Other than that they were nice features for those new to the sport.

SLX01

Alan A wrote:

mroli wrote:

I really liked Yanto Barker on the back of the motorbike today - thought that it was a nice little gimmick and gave you a good idea of the pace.

Yanto is doing a good job, however...

ITV4's production team have shown a massive lack of responsibility with two features Yanto was in.

Whilst Cycling up Gun Hill it saddened me that he was not wearing helmet, only a cycling cap.

And

Whilst doing the Chedder Gorge stage in the back seat of the race control car he was not wearing a seatbelt.

No doubt they shouldn't allow standing on the back of motorcycles to film, slipstreaming cars at 60kph, changing into a rain jacket whilst in a bunch of 150 cyclists on the move, hanging on to moving cars or anything else thats dangerous???

Beatmaker

We should be applauding ITV4 for supporting not only the TDF, TOB and Vuelta but also minor races like the Tour series.

I cannot think of the last time we had a 1.5 hour highlights show from a relatively small race on terrestrial TV.

Instead of moaning about a major electronics giant making cycling specific adverts which may not be 100% correct, we should be ecstatic with the amount of coverage a minority sport in the UK has received on TV this Summer.

And as an aside, a Europa League tie, no matter how small will appeal to more viewers than a cycle race, and ITV will have an obligation to air it as part of the rights package they acquired. I don't like the fact either but that's the way it is.

Anyway. I'm off to email ITV to let them know how happy I am that they support UK cycling.

blim

You have to take the rough with the smooth: crap adverts are the price we pay to get cycling on terrestrial TV.

I thought the ITV4 coverage of the ToB was really good; better than their Vuelta coverage (which annoyed me so much it prompted the thread elsewhere).

Salsiccia

Beatmaker wrote:

We should be applauding ITV4 for supporting not only the TDF, TOB and Vuelta but also minor races like the Tour series.

I cannot think of the last time we had a 1.5 hour highlights show from a relatively small race on terrestrial TV.

Instead of moaning about a major electronics giant making cycling specific adverts which may not be 100% correct, we should be ecstatic with the amount of coverage a minority sport in the UK has received on TV this Summer.

+1

Gazzaputt

Beatmaker wrote:

We should be applauding ITV4 for supporting not only the TDF, TOB and Vuelta but also minor races like the Tour series.

I cannot think of the last time we had a 1.5 hour highlights show from a relatively small race on terrestrial TV.

Instead of moaning about a major electronics giant making cycling specific adverts which may not be 100% correct, we should be ecstatic with the amount of coverage a minority sport in the UK has received on TV this Summer.

And as an aside, a Europa League tie, no matter how small will appeal to more viewers than a cycle race, and ITV will have an obligation to air it as part of the rights package they acquired. I don't like the fact either but that's the way it is.

Anyway. I'm off to email ITV to let them know how happy I am that they support UK cycling.

+2

Does pee me off though it got moved for Birmingham City in Europe.

SLX01

I have almost no issues with the coverage on ITV at but feel the problem with the Sharp advert is it treats all viewers as if they have never seen a cycle race before. The same problem is beginning to get on my nerves in other TV coverage particularly the TdF in which the same attitude that we have just discovered cycling and need to be treated like numpties. How many times do we have to be told the purpose of riding in an echelon, drafting, domestiques etc? I'd be far happier in the 'dull' moments to be given background info on the bikes or equipment used for example. In motor racing a great deal of time is given over to the technical side yet in cycling if it were not for team sponsorship its not even obvious at times what make of bike is being used let alone technical issues such as gear ratios etc. With modern GPS etc it should be possible to get live on screen data such as speed and power output without having to rely on the moto cam filming the bikes speedo.

andyrac

Regarding makes of bike - if it were up to me, that would be part of the Team name.
e;g Sky-Pinarello, HTC HighRoad-Specialized, SaxoBank Riis-Specialized, etc