BBC wrong again! Rant!!!

[Hilldodger]

Yesterday that long haired Scottish so-called historian, whilst claiming that Macmillan's machine was the World's first bicycle, said that "at the time the machine was known as a Velocipede"

That'll be 25 years before the French word was even invented then.

There was also the implication that without Macmillan we wouldn't have the bicycle today.

Utter crap.


Rant over for now

 

[lazyfatgit]

I haven't looked into the history of the bike much, but Im sure you're right.

If your talking about Neil Oliver, then according to a friend who knew him before he was in the public eye, hes a bit of a diddy anyway.

 

[Saddle bum]

He's only following the policy of "The Scots invented everything...."

 

[lazyfatgit]

You implying we didn't?

 

[Greedo]

He's only following the policy of "The Scots invented everything...."

We did. We invented everything didn't you know that! tut tut!

 

[adscrim]

We did. We invented everything didn't you know that! tut tut!

A large part of it is indirect though - we invented the Chinese, then they did quite a bit on their own.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

A large part of it is indirect though - we invented the Chinese, then they did quite a bit on their own.

Do you mean the building with the sign - and they did the cooking part?

 

[Hilldodger]

I dunno wok he's talking about

 

[Globalti]

All the Coast presenters are quite Oxbridge aren't they?

That Alice Roberts really annoys me when she pronounces Coast as "Kewst".

 

[irc]

I haven't looked into the history of the bike much, but Im sure you're right.

If your talking about Neil Oliver, then according to a friend who knew him before he was in the public eye, hes a bit of a diddy anyway.

The Only An Excuse send up of him is at 8.02 in this video.



View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM9gHfG3QoQ

 

[Saddle bum]

It is reputed that Nick Crane is "well hard", despite his bookish looks.

 

[phaedrus]

Yesterday that long haired Scottish so-called historian, whilst claiming that Macmillan's machine was the World's first bicycle, said that "at the time the machine was known as a Velocipede"

That'll be 25 years before the French word was even invented then.

There was also the implication that without Macmillan we wouldn't have the bicycle today.

Utter crap.


Rant over for now

You're easily upset, aren't you?

 

[Hilldodger]

You're easily upset, aren't you?

Not upset just annoyed that the BBC broadcast incorrect facts. It's not difficult to find out the true facts but it would appear that many BBC researchers just use Wikipedia.

 

[mr_hippo]

Yesterday that long haired Scottish so-called historian, whilst claiming that Macmillan's machine was the World's first bicycle, said that "at the time the machine was known as a Velocipede"

That'll be 25 years before the French word was even invented then.

There was also the implication that without Macmillan we wouldn't have the bicycle today.

Utter crap.


Rant over for now

'Velocipede' is not a French word - it's Latin. In modern usage, 'velocipede' refers to any of the early forms of bicycle in the same way that 'hoover' in the UK now means any vacuum cleaner! The term 'velocipede' was in use in the late 1810s.
Did MacMillan invent the first bicycle? It is reported that he added pedals and connecting rods to the rear wheel in 1839.

Not upset just annoyed that the BBC broadcast incorrect facts. It's not difficult to find out the true facts but it would appear that many BBC researchers just use Wikipedia.

If it is not difficult then why haven't you done it?

 

[Hilldodger]

'Velocipede' is not a French word - it's Latin. In modern usage, 'velocipede' refers to any of the early forms of bicycle in the same way that 'hoover' in the UK now means any vacuum cleaner! The term 'velocipede' was in use in the late 1810s.


Did MacMillan invent the first bicycle? It is reported that he added pedals and connecting rods to the rear wheel in 1839.

It is reported, yes. But is it true? There's evidence against in the very newspaper article reporting it. And there is no evidence of it ever being called a Velocipede as claimed by the BBC

That invention was made in isolation and did not lead to the development of the modern bicycle as claimed by the BBC


The First known usage of the word velocipede to describe a bicycle was in Paris in 1861. There is no mention of the word being used in reference to a bicycle before then


If it is not difficult then why haven't you done it?

I have, I work as a professional cycling historian. That's why I get annoyed.