The Cycling Podcast

jimmythecuckoo

Worth a bump as the last few weeks I think have been among the best episodes to date.

Really thoughtful analysis by Mark Cavendish on the thorny issue of Motos last week.

No_Ta_Doctor

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

Worth a bump as the last few weeks I think have been among the best episodes to date.

Really thoughtful analysis by Mark Cavendish on the thorny issue of Motos last week.

In 2 minutes he managed to bring more sense to the debate than all of Twitter had managed up to then.

rick_chasey

In fairness, the bog roll I've used for the first wipe after a coffee accelerated sh!t makes more sense than the majority of Twitter.

Richmond Racer 2

Rick Chasey wrote:

In fairness, the bog roll I've used for the first wipe after a coffee accelerated sh!t makes more sense than the majority of Twitter.

That would make a fine epitaph

dav1d1

They have been brilliant, enjoyed the rise of HTC and the interview with G and the cav interview also.

Paulie Walnuts

Are the friends of the podcast specials worth it so far this year? Haven't subscribed so far this time

argyllflyer

Paulie Walnuts wrote:

Are the friends of the podcast specials worth it so far this year? Haven't subscribed so far this time

I see it as a nice little contribution to keeping them going as much as anything. Marvellous value when considering Waldorf and Statler are charging £8 a month for their 'view from the couch' with 'non-optional twitter echo chamber,' that is.

rick_chasey

Paulie Walnuts wrote:

Are the friends of the podcast specials worth it so far this year? Haven't subscribed so far this time

Yeah they're not quite as good if I'm being a bit brutally honest. Still good mind.

Having said that, for £10 a year, having hour-long episodes where people who know what they're talking about discuss cycling is very soothing.

Friebe is still the star of the show. When he puts the effort it in it does sparkle.

tailwindhome

Rick Chasey wrote:

Friebe is still the star of the show. When he puts the effort it in it does sparkle.

I feel the need to confess that for a while I assumed that Ciro fella was a character Freibe was doing.

The_Boy

TailWindHome wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Friebe is still the star of the show. When he puts the effort it in it does sparkle.

I feel the need to confess that for a while I assumed that Ciro fella was a character Freibe was doing.

I thought that very same thing the first time I heard him. Then, when I realised he was real, spent the rest of the interview thinking "no one is *this* Italian, shirely?".

argyllflyer

The_Boy wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Friebe is still the star of the show. When he puts the effort it in it does sparkle.

I feel the need to confess that for a while I assumed that Ciro fella was a character Freibe was doing.

I thought that very same thing the first time I heard him. Then, when I realised he was real, spent the rest of the interview thinking "no one is *this* Italian, shirely?".

Not sure if you need to follow @friebos for this to work but Ciro at his barmy best during TdF 2015...
https://twitter.com/friebos/status/624996010419449857

Richmond Racer 2

argyllflyer wrote:

Paulie Walnuts wrote:

Are the friends of the podcast specials worth it so far this year? Haven't subscribed so far this time

I see it as a nice little contribution to keeping them going as much as anything. Marvellous value when considering Waldorf and Statler are charging £8 a month for their 'view from the couch' with 'non-optional twitter echo chamber,' that is.

Being the Saviours of Cycling™ doesn't come cheap, you know

stagehopper

Happy to contribute the £10 (a year!) for the specials to prop up the weekly podcasts which are superb. The recent Cavendish, Armitstead, Basque Country, Flanders etc all superb. That extra journalistic instinct and access just lifts it above the rest.

takethehighroad

I've not listened to any of the Friends specials so far this year, but I don't mind, because I see it as keeping the show on the road for another year.

jimmythecuckoo

I am looking forward to the Ciro special...

rick_chasey

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

I am looking forward to the Ciro special...

Meh, saw it.

I don't think his English is good enough.

jimmythecuckoo

#spoiler

dish_dash

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

argyllflyer wrote:

Paulie Walnuts wrote:

Are the friends of the podcast specials worth it so far this year? Haven't subscribed so far this time

I see it as a nice little contribution to keeping them going as much as anything. Marvellous value when considering Waldorf and Statler are charging £8 a month for their 'view from the couch' with 'non-optional twitter echo chamber,' that is.

Being the Saviours of Cycling™ doesn't come cheap, you know

I stuck with them for a while but couldn't hack the ranting any longer...

The Cycling Podcast Friends Specials are superb value for money. Good insights and actually worth listening to a couple of times over. Though the uber-critic would say that the HTC one was trying to bite off too much and so came up a bit short.

But for a tenner a year to support those guys do the specials and the weekly shows is a complete bargain. Really appreciate The Cycling Podcast team's level headed handling of issues, plus they frequently leave me chuckling as I sit listening to them on the train.

dav1d1

The Cycling Podcast Friends Specials are superb value for money. Good insights and actually worth listening to a couple of times over. Though the uber-critic would say that the HTC one was trying to bite off too much and so came up a bit short.

But for a tenner a year to support those guys do the specials and the weekly shows is a complete bargain. Really appreciate The Cycling Podcast team's level headed handling of issues, plus they frequently leave me chuckling as I sit listening to them on the train.

This 100%

rick_chasey

So many of us will have been listening to the Giro episodes.

It's a curious experiment with their presenter rotation.

By the end you will have heard every pairing, and so let's hear you rankings.

Firstly, favourite pairing.

Secondly, favourite individual.

Andany other comments on how the dynamic changes when people are removed or added.

dish_dash

Friebe - Brinie: The dynamic just seemed to work better, I think partly because they didn't have Richard there to be the father figure allowing the other two a bit more freedom in the 'characters' that they play. Though lets see how Richard - Friebe pan out...

Friebe's my fav of the three because he speaks a range of languages and so manages to root out more info.

carbonclem

I like the Birnie/Friebe combo ... opposites together that provide a great balance. I enjoy Friebe playing up his semi-dour, unpretentiousness against Friebe. That's not to say I don't like Moore's input however.

All that said the podcast's don't seem to have been up to the standard of last years Tour ones where they seemed much more engaged with proceedings. A couple of the KM Zero's have been a bit weak I thought? The coffee one seemed stretched out just to make it into something. Overall though, they've been a great little insight/catch up into the race.

RichN95.

Friebe reminds me of the kid in the film Breaking Away who desperately wished he was Italian so adopts all sorts of affectations. (This is an observation not a criticism).

shazzz

I've struggled to keep up with all of the podcasting going on at the moment and was also worried they would spread themselves too thin, but think it has worked out well. They (quite rightly) have kept the pods shorter when there is less to talk about, and the separation of the less newsy km0 stuff in to separate episodes that can be listened to at any time without losing relevance works well.

Friebe is clearly in his element on the Giro. The diversion to the Cobra's home town had me in stitches on the train, and there have been some other nice touches. I even bought a copy of La Gazzetta after this morning's Podcast fix!

jimmythecuckoo

Rick Chasey wrote:

Firstly, favourite pairing.

Secondly, favourite individual.

And any other comments on how the dynamic changes when people are removed or added.

Pairing - Moore and Friebe ... No disrespect to Lionel but these two have the right balance of tactical analysis and anecdotes from the race.

Individual - Moore ... Not great when reading something out (in fact my wife always laughs at him when he isn't ad libbing), but comes into his own when he is flowing and regaling us with a story.

Comments - It's been a really excellent series of shows for the Giro. I do a ten minute weekly podcast and know how much goes into that, so even though these guys are a lot more pro, there is still plenty of effort.

I have really enjoyed the cultural element of the kilometre zero episodes and how they fit nicely with the regular daily content.

No_Ta_Doctor

As this is an internet poll of sorts, and as internet polls with any form of Arsenal related question are always won by Arsenal, I'm obliged as an Arsenal fan to vote for Friebe as best individual.

narbs

Interesting poll.

My favourite combo has definitely been Friebe/Birnie. How much of that is assisted by more exciting racing I don't know, but the two of them work come across vey well together.

It's nitpicking though really. It's a superb podcast, the guests work very well (I really enjoy Caley Fretz and the Dutch guy has been fab) and they all have a proper journalist's nose for the story behind the races.

KM0 has been just as good this time as it was for last year's Tour (coffee and Dolomites especially) and the Friends of... puts most cycling magazines to shame.

ddraver

I don't really feel the need to play favourites but I'll add my voice to the chorus of praise and approval. Friebe's insights to coffee, the north south divide and stuff have really given some insight into "the real" Italy.

nickice

I didn't warm to Friebe at first as sometimes he could come off as a bit childish but I've really enjoyed his insights for the Giro episodes. In fact the giro episodes have been my favourite so far. It's quite funny listening to Lionel's voice and then seeing his face. The two don't go together somehow!

chrisday

Yup, adding to general chorus of approval - been loving the Giro coverage. As others have said, the KM0 stuff really adds to the feel of the race - had the added enjoyment of being in Italy again this weekend, and they captured the coffee vibe exactly.
Individually, I am a big Moore fan - I like his 'avuncular, slightly world-weary uncle' approach, but the three of them work very well against each other. The different pairings have all been enjoyable, as they allowed different dynamics to appear.
Of all the podcasts I pay for, this one brings the most consistent pleasure.