Rate the Super Worlds

r0bh

Cycling nirvana or cycling overload?

flite

An interesting experiment, but from a BBC TV spectators point of view, there was too much to watch. We had to decide which events to watch or skip through, and which to just look at the results.
A highlights show each evening would have filled the gaps, and been more useful for many folks - avid cycling fans or general public. We didn't watch any of the BMX or indoor stuff, but a few minutes on a highlights show might have got our interest.
But the BBC never does highlights for cycling- they boast that they show so much live, but we don't all have the time to watch all day. Same applies to the Olympics etc that the BBC have the rights to. ITV4 do it so much better.
We didn't watch on GCN at all - no time

DeVlaeminck

I've put every year only on the grounds I did actually watch a bit of the MTBing but not that fussed. I've not watched any track at all - possibly not enough time - but I'm not sure I ever watch any except the Olympics.

pblakeney

The whole event has been awesome! But every 4 years seems right. Two votes?
The routes were special and unique. They should stay unique and not be copied.

r0bh

BBC definitely do a daily highlights show for the Olympics. I don't know but I'm going to guess that the production budget didn't extend to a highlights show.

flite

BBC highlights for the Olympics, if I remember correctly, covered all sports and it was difficult to find specific sports.

andytee87

Definitely helped having a GCN subscription to make the most of the schedule as a TV viewer.

On the Super World's, a good idea every 4 years. Think it would limit potential host cities too much to be every year.

The circuit was fine generally (except the downhill 90° onto pedestrianised paving. The weather made it sketchy at times, but plenty of races are crash fests with mixed ability/experience bunch. Bergen route was as tight in places as well in person. Classics seem to being raced more from the front these days, and nobody wants a wheelsucker to win.

vincesummerskRoxcBTr

Awesome, but then it was in my part of the country, so had a chance to see events and soak up the atmosphere.

kingstongraham

I only watched the road events and was aware that there were other things going on but watched much less of the track than I normally would (i.e. none this year compared to some most years).

MTB I was more aware of it happening than usual, but still didn't care enough to actually watch.

For actual spectators on the ground, it must have been amazing.

Pross

I went for the middle option but did find there was sometimes just a bit too much going on. There's some outright strange events there that whilst performed on some sort of bike would be a stretch to call cycling disciplines but I assume all come under the UCI. The atmosphere at the track was very good and I enjoyed the MTB downhill which isn't something I've really watched before (missed the MTB XC which comes under my comment about there just being too much going on at times).

I wasn't a fan of the circuit on the road race course. Having a circuit is good but I feel something a bit longer, or maybe a few laps of a longer circuit before a city centre finishing circuit, would have been better. Likewise, I'm happy having technical circuits as part of the mix of courses used to run a World Champs over time but I did feel it was just a bit excessive. Also, having never been to Glasgow it wasn't the sort of circuit that highlighted the city as a place to go. Surely they could have found something with a few more iconic features? If that was the best the city has to offer it isn't high up my list of places to visit. In the end though the road races gave deserving winners - I doubt there are many who wouldn't accept the men's and women's winners as being at the top of the sport. I enjoyed the TT course though other than the really odd position of intermediate time checks.

joeyhalloran

I like the idea and the format but the media coverage needs to catch up. As said above a good highlights package is essential when there is this much going on. I watched the mens MTB and mens RR and bits of the TT but couldn't keep track of what was going on and often busy during the day. I would have watched a 30-60 minute highlight package covering all the sports though.

bobmcstuff

Pross said:

. Also, having never been to Glasgow it wasn't the sort of circuit that highlighted the city as a place to go. Surely they could have found something with a few more iconic features? If that was the best the city has to offer it isn't high up my list of places to visit.

Glasgow is definitely worth a visit IMO.

Circuit was great as a spectator on the ground, I saw more of the race than I did in Harrogate.

I'd have watched the XC anyway, but it was great spending a few days riding up at Glentress and seeing all the courses, pros practicing etc then coming into Glasgow to watch the road race on the Sunday.

rick_chasey

Absolutely no way I would have even paid attention to any of the other disciplines otherwise.

r0bh

I think some of the more fringe cycling disciplines will have benefitted from the coverage. I watched some of the trials after the Men's XCO and it was awesome, I imagine in a normal year it wouldn't have been televised at all

gethinceri

It was great.
GCN Sub.

JimD666

Still need to go and watch the Trials bits but fully enjoyed all that I have seen. Would love to see it yearly but I think it would massively limit where you could hold the Champs to their detriment.

andyrac

Every 4 years is the best solution - one year before the Olympics, and give some younger riders that 'athletes village' feeling a year out from the big one; as some can be overawed.

I think it needs a few tweaks, but that is to be expected - and I imagine not every cycling country can hold them.

When the men's Downhill is live on BBC1 on a Saturday afternoon, then you know it's a good thing; that is unlikely to happen at a normal MTB Worlds.

thegreatdivide

Pross said:

If that was the best the city has to offer it isn't high up my list of places to visit.

Get a grip.

thegreatdivide

Having a city loop was ideal for fans. We started in Hillhead with a coffee and a few pints. Caught the first climb for two laps, then walked the course back into the city centre so we never missed a lap. It was defo the best way to do it. Dropped into a few route side pubs on the way (the Stravaigin was bathed in sunshine and heaving with fans). The atmosphere was tremendous!

Pross

thegreatdivide said:

Pross said:

If that was the best the city has to offer it isn't high up my list of places to visit.

Get a grip.

Are you telling me that circuit was showing the best the city had to offer? I'd be genuinely surprised if they couldn't have done something with a few notable icons rather than some 1950s architecture. There were some OK bits but visually I simply didn't find it inspiring.

blazing_saddles

I agree with the general consensus that it was too much to follow more than a couple of disciplines.
It did feel special though. Moving to road back to it's old slot meant it lost that end of term feel.

pblakeney

Pross said:

thegreatdivide said:

Pross said:

If that was the best the city has to offer it isn't high up my list of places to visit.

Get a grip.

Are you telling me that circuit was showing the best the city had to offer? I'd be genuinely surprised if they couldn't have done something with a few notable icons rather than some 1950s architecture. There were some OK bits but visually I simply didn't find it inspiring.

My guess is that the cameras were focusing on the cycling, not the architecture.
Try walking around, looking up. I had a great time!

focuszing723

I didn't see any Cav, so what's the point?

No_Ta_Doctor

I liked it, but it's definitely too big to do every year, 4 years is good.
I also found it difficult to see everything I might have liked to see, but then again, I probably saw twice as much as if it was separate events.
I was particularly keen on the para stuff being held alongside the able bodied events, which should be the norm for track and road imo. There should be more tandem events. Lots more. Everything on tandem. Elite men's madison tandem.

JimD666

No_Ta_Doctor said:

Elite men's madison tandem.

Also known as "Death Race 2000"

Probably with Jason Statham in it.....

Lanterne_Rogue

Agree with the tandems on everything call, though the trials might be a step too far...

Once every four seems right to me, partly because of the logistics and potential paucity of venues (though a single country hosting, rather than city, ameliorates that), but also because it'll keep it feeling special. I definitely agree with those who mention the benefit that disciplines you'd never even heard of came across your radar - I'd wager that quite a few of these saw record viewing figures.

alan_a

I had the best 2 weeks of my life.

I never made it to, or saw anything at the velodrome or Fort Bill, but I saw lots of everything else. . . Granted I was paid to talk about lots of it.

Glasgow is a city to be viewed from the street and looking up, not from a helicopter... When we get the grand depart that's when the heli shots of Dukes Pass etc will be priceless.

Glasgow had no idea what was going to hit it. Elite men's Sunday blew the minds of everyone non cycling related. 250,000 for a sport event... And no trouble.

Better than anything for me, was walking or driving round the course and seeing sooooo many people I know who are not regular cycling fans out enjoying the spectacle alongside their Glaswegian kids who were being inspired by the whole thing.

My rugby club kids couldn't believe the speeds both up Montrose and down into George Sq.

For them the BMX racing was the favourite.

They all want to be cyclists now.

Super Worlds every 4 years feels right

TheBigBean

Unless I'm missing something, the links on the BBC could be improved a lot, so you can easily pick an event.

alan_a

bobmcstuff

Pross said:

thegreatdivide said:

Pross said:

If that was the best the city has to offer it isn't high up my list of places to visit.

Get a grip.

Are you telling me that circuit was showing the best the city had to offer? I'd be genuinely surprised if they couldn't have done something with a few notable icons rather than some 1950s architecture. There were some OK bits but visually I simply didn't find it inspiring.

There's lots of nice buildings in Glasgow, it's a nice city. Kelvingrove and so on. I think some of the brutalist stuff might be significant as well.

The race went past some nice buildings - certainly I was hiding from the rain in some nice Georgian shopfronts... The photos I put on the race thread were taken outside the Gallery of Modern Art which is a handsome building ( https://goo.gl/maps/hNkPH6JVHDExn9v29 ).

No_Ta_Doctor

Lanterne_Rogue said:

Agree with the tandems on everything call, though the trials might be a step too far...

Pah, no adventure.

Chris Hoy weight rider on the back, Pidcock weight rider on the front and jobs a goodun