The Cycle Show

[PaulB]

I finally got to watch this week's edition and won't be going out of my way to view further episodes. It is all talk and very little action to engage your average rider. I'm not into the "celebrity" culture and have no idea who the last guest in white slacks was. I do not recognise the main presenter either, although he is fairly natural with his guests but not in Claire Balding's league.. The item on two people overcoming crashes was a waste of almost half the programme. No disrespect to either rider but this show is supposed to be about cycling not "human interest" stories that can be found elsewhere on TV.

It was well into the second half of the programme before we actually saw some bicycles on the move. The mountain bike feature was mildly amusing but could have done without the thumping music and snap camera shots. The hill climb segment was OK but, like the rest of the programme, it portrayed cycling as a challenge to endure rather than a pleasure to enjoy. Where are the features about enjoying a leisurely ride in the country, a bit of cycle camping or using a bike instead of a car?

The L'Eroica feature was a disaster - all short sharp camera snaps of people smiling or dancing and only brief fleeting shots of any bicycles. The presenter said something like "There is a feast of classic bikes to enjoy" (I paraphrase) but we were not allowed to enjoy them! If there was a classic Bianchi there - let me see it!

Please do away with that chainwheel dropping into the screen to mark the end of a segment it is really annoying! It would also be good if the Media Studies 'tech bods' learned that zoom lenses can remain still for some shots and that there are such things as tripods.

All in all this programme is very poor. If you want to have a chat show watch Michael Parkinson in his heyday. I want a programme about bicycles to feature bicycles, not people talking about how they've recovered from falling off one or how they have risen to the challenge of a sportive. Claire Balding's "Britain by Bike" paints the best picture of what cycling has to offer anyone who wants to see the countryside, get fit and enjoy fresh air. Record the Bike Show and skip through the adverts and the "coming up" and you can watch it in 40 minutes. I'm going to give it a miss.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Yes its not worth watching, tis a pity to waste all that money, I wonder if the presenter/s knew what we think, whether they would keep taking the money , they would of course.
If you want to make a cycle show it has to at least talk about bikes as opposed to showing fast pan in out multi angles.
Just like car adverts, I want the tech stuff not a fleeting shot of it wizzing round the main street.

No...........waste me even thinking it will change..............nuff said.......

[mjr]

The presenter (itn newsreader for channel 5, I think) knows what we think: https://mobile.twitter.com/MattBarbet/s ... 180288?p=v

Don't think he agrees and he's not the producer anyway.

[theDaveB]

Wasn't it Tom from TomsBikeTrip website this week ?

I follow his blog and am sure he mentioned it, think he wanted to talk about his almost free bike and cycling from Lands End to Edinburgh for £0.25p Not sure how much he mentioned though as I don't watch it.

Dave

[mjr]

Yes, it was that Tom. I don't remember details now.

It seems the series is over. If you accept it as "the ITV sport cycle show" then it's OK. If you want a broader view of cycling, as claimed in its advertising, then you'll be unhappy with this.

Discussion of the locks item is at viewtopic.php?f=1&t=89697

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Last week I skipped the sad duffers interviews, sorry but fed up with the same stories, makes it all rather depressing, not that its uncomfortable to watch it just repeating what other full length documentries have covered.

This week about locks with a supposed kid from the street with hoody and mask using angle grinders with one hand
My locks are all a few quid, if they need cutters then they will ALL be off after 53 seconds any way, I always park my bike where I can see it, and defy any scroat to mount up before I get there. Otherwise it has no front wheel and they will have to carry it.................

Great Knock Pass looks good, luv to do that.

Oh and the london hundred and how many nobody celebs and queens honors can you fit into a 10 minute show A lot.......dont do it for me to have all them lot parade themselves whilst us plebs just make up the numbers.

You see that CYCLING is the new politicians tool even if you never rode since you parents bought you a brand new bike then used for a day to collect dust in the garage and finally skiped when you parents pop their clogs and I buy it and the local recycling centre

Our local politician fell off their bike and suffered what horse riders get when they do the same.......before that they were a keen cyclist now they stay away......................

Need a cycling show full of what cyclist do week in week out and some tech stuff, not a platform for poor souls and well know celebs......................improving their profile........

[TrevA]

Hardknott Pass!

[groberts]

Like ITV4's excellent coverage of the Tdf a very good attempt at a programme that covers cycling for many, sometimes quite original, aspects of cycling. Other media have just missed the boat on what is becoming a cycling revolution in the UK or just plain got it wrong or always looking for the 'big story' and big characters. Credit where it's due to ITV4 (pity about the ads), also head and shoulders above much of the other sporting drivel on TV (and I like other sport just not the TV coverage). My only complaint is that so far it's just x6 weeks each year. Stop the whinging / turn it off it you don't like it.

[Mark1978]

This years has been a massive improvement over the previous 2 years and I think it's certainly worth watching now.

You can't keep everyone happy. An enjoyable ride in the countryside is nice but does it make good telly?

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Stop the whinging / turn it off it you don't like it.

Two years ago not good - last year better - this year gone backwards I.M.O. Each to his own

Is there any other thing about cycling on TV thats good apart from the Vuelta soon yipee..............

[mark a.]

I thought this series was excellent. The new presenter is better than the previous one (who is better suited to his shorter segments). He can be a bit smarmy, but a big thumbs up for doing interviews on the move, one-handed and not crashing and taking out Laura Trott .

The hill climb guy has been fantastic in every episode. Even he struggled on Hardknott, but still managed to talk his way up it!

For me the main thing is that the program is making cycling a normal thing. Interviews with people from all walks of life, from celebrities to people having a laugh, from olympians to people recovering from accidents or health issues.

The program is big on equality too. Paralympians, people with big health problems, women's racing - they're all given equal billing.

I know they concentrate more on racing or big challenges, but I can see why they do that for the telly.

[Bicycler]

Great Knock Pass looks good, luv to do that.

Hardknott Pass!

Ah, I was thinking Great Dunn Fell (the road up which starts near the village of Knock). That's also a great climb if you're ever up East Cumbria way Natural Ankling.

[geocycle]

Have to admit its got much better. The first episode suggested it was going to be another lycra fest but it has been much better and varied. Sensible stuff from Chris Boardman as usual. In fact the last episode was quite interesting, even Mrs Geo put down her book at times. I like the presenter.

[mjr]

Chris Boardman on the last episode was great, as usual. If only they'd spent more time with him but I guess he's a busy man. If they come back, maybe they could let him suggest some topics through the series.

As for the "Stop the whinging / turn it off it you don't like it", I think constructive criticism (like "cover move than sport, please!") is better. If this becomes a better cycle show, then we might get more viewers and more related shows. If we turn it off, it'll just get cancelled without replacement.

[Psamathe]

I was disappointed.

Although the race/MTB/climb/lycra bits did not interest me I can quite accept that it is not the job of a program to include only stuff that interests me.

What I found disappointing was the bits that should of interested me (e.g. locks, e.g. lights) were poorly covered and could easily have been so much better. They really gave the impression some producer visited a cycle shop, asked what they had, bought or borrowed some and that was the segment. They missed out so much on what were important aspects to many cyclists (e.g. being seen/seeing after dark and stopping having your bike nicked). It is that those bits were so poor that I found disappointing. All they need to do is to put in a bit more work (maybe an occasional Google search as well) and they could have been interesting and useful to loads of cyclists.

Ian