derrick
The Glue that binds us together.
- Location
- On the edge of London
what a load of shite.
New cycling show C4/All4
- Thread starter carpiste
- Start date
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Alex321
Veteran
- Location
- South Wales
But very watchablewhat a load of shite.
Rusty Nails
We remember
- Location
- Living in the slow lane
I lived in Dowlais for the first 20 years of my life so, as a youngster, we spent a lot of time up there on our bikes.Yes, that got me on the Grayson Perry episode too. They start by the railway, then are having a conversation about 3-4 miles away by the 2nd (upper) part of the Pontsticill reservoir, then suddenly are back outside the railway building, while still having the same conversation.
It also seemed a little odd that they were filmed riding across the top end of the lower Pontsticill reservoir that leads to Dolygaer, when the road to Talybont branches off a few hundred yards before that
I know those roads very well, as I lived about a mile from Ponsticill village for 20 years until December 2019.
I now live in Cardiff but try to get up that way a couple of times a year to ride to Brecon and back. Haven't done it since Covid and some unrelated medical problems came along, and am a bit concerned that I will struggle over theTorpantau area, in both directions. The Glyn is impossible for me on the return trip so I take the gradual slope of the old railway track alongside Talybont reservoir.
Alex321
Veteran
- Location
- South Wales
You probably know where I lived then, as it was previously a pub - the Church Tavern.
I now live in Cardiff but try to get up that way a couple of times a year to ride to Brecon and back. Haven't done it since Covid and some unrelated medical problems came along, and am a bit concerned that I will struggle over theTorpantau area, in both directions. The Glyn is impossible for me on the return trip so I take the gradual slope of the old railway track alongside Talybont reservoir.
I never did ride all that much while we lived there, always seemed to be too much work to be done around the house to spare time for more than about half a dozen rides a year, and those were short.
I've only got back into cycling properly since the start of lockdown. Two months rented accommodation in Abercynon, cycling up and down the Taff Trail, until we completed the purchase of our current house in the Vale of Glamorgan. Haven't been back to Merthyr since we completed on the sale.
Rusty Nails
We remember
- Location
- Living in the slow lane
Spent many a happy hour in there when it was still a pub. A school friend of mine Tracey Watkeys was the son of the owner/landlord at one stage. A nice ride up from Dowlais via the narrow Blue Pool bridge.
Alex321
Veteran
- Location
- South Wales
Everybody from the area seems to have spent many happy hours there.
But not enough hours, it was just not viable as a pub prior to us buying it. They were trying to sell it as a business, but the previous year's audited accounts had 95K turnover, £15K profit, which is just not enough for the effort involved in running a pub, even in 1999. The two pubs in the village plus the Aberglais and (then) the Pontsarn picked up most of the passing traffic.
Rusty Nails
We remember
- Location
- Living in the slow lane
It was probably killed off by the drink and drive rules, it's size and the rather remote, off the main road location.
Nothing lasts for ever.
lazybloke
Considering a new username
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
The 1st episode seemed odd, with Ayoade a strange choice as it seems a little too unscripted to carry him.
There was better chemistry with subsequent guests, or pehaps I had just learned to accept the rather simple premise of the show : nice scenery and two mates talking b******s; it's an unsual format for an 'entertainment show' and presumably has a very niche audience.
I do rather like the scenery - i've been taking notes for future bike excursions.
conclusion: I like it.
The show reminds me of the Beeb "Walking with" series, where a comedian narrates a long stroll and their life experiences, whilst holding a 360 degree camera and trailed by a team of drone operators. I've only seen the Shappi Khorsandi episode on the Monsal Trail; an unusual mixture of introspection, mindfulness and spectacular views. I find those to be the 3 ingredients of any good bike ride, so I loved the show. My wife hated it, so it's probably another show for a niche audience.
There was better chemistry with subsequent guests, or pehaps I had just learned to accept the rather simple premise of the show : nice scenery and two mates talking b******s; it's an unsual format for an 'entertainment show' and presumably has a very niche audience.
I do rather like the scenery - i've been taking notes for future bike excursions.
conclusion: I like it.
The show reminds me of the Beeb "Walking with" series, where a comedian narrates a long stroll and their life experiences, whilst holding a 360 degree camera and trailed by a team of drone operators. I've only seen the Shappi Khorsandi episode on the Monsal Trail; an unusual mixture of introspection, mindfulness and spectacular views. I find those to be the 3 ingredients of any good bike ride, so I loved the show. My wife hated it, so it's probably another show for a niche audience.
My partner (not a cyclist - not even as a child) enjoyed it and watched all four, which led me to believe that the show had a wider appeal than cyclists (and judging by some feedback I've heard from "cyclists", a narrow appeal within the cycling fraternity).My wife hated it, so it's probably another show for a niche audience.
T4tomo
Legendary Member
slight tangent, but I watched an episode of that walking Cleveland way from Staithes to Whitby ages ago.
Last summer the OH & I walked this route (from Runswick Bay) - I was convinced and told her we had walked it together before, describing parts of the route in detail - she was convinced I'd done the walk "with your other girlfriend" and I was in right bother until I remembered it was only the TV program I'd watched (& she hadn't).
figbat
Slippery scientist
- Location
- South Oxfordshire, UK
I tried watching this week's with Joe WIlkinson. Gave up - just a load of waffle that happens to be on bicycles rather than in a studio or any other location. It did make me think about Suffolk as a place to visit, but beyond that I found it inane and puerile.
T4tomo
Legendary Member
I found it puerile but amusing, but I do have a childish sense of humour, things like him lobbing his helmet into the hedge tickled me. It was the daftest programme of them all, quite "top gear" on bikes and definitely not one to watch for the cycling aspect.
lazybloke
Considering a new username
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
Puerile is fine. My output on a tour would be similar drivel, so I can hardly object.
I enjoy seeing guests outside of thier normal setting, Grayson Perry and Mel Giedroyc in particular. It leads to situations and discussions that you wouldn't get in a bog-standard interview.
But the choice of location remains the star of show.
The obvious comparison is the Tour de France coverage; I find the actual racing is often rather tedious,!!! I perk up the moment the camera zooms out to show horses galloping past a field of sunflowers / a quaint medieval town / a mountainside / bridge / valley, or one those clever animations of a giant bike made by farm-workers with tractors. The commentators also wake up when there's such a view.
I enjoy seeing guests outside of thier normal setting, Grayson Perry and Mel Giedroyc in particular. It leads to situations and discussions that you wouldn't get in a bog-standard interview.
But the choice of location remains the star of show.
The obvious comparison is the Tour de France coverage; I find the actual racing is often rather tedious,!!! I perk up the moment the camera zooms out to show horses galloping past a field of sunflowers / a quaint medieval town / a mountainside / bridge / valley, or one those clever animations of a giant bike made by farm-workers with tractors. The commentators also wake up when there's such a view.
For me, I wanted the episodes to capture the essence of enjoying a bike ride, taking in the scenery, the odd interesting thing on the way, a bit of camaraderie: I wanted it to give my partner a little bit of insight as to what it can be like going on a little low-intensity "tour". I think it did that and my partner said that she felt that it did.
It's definitely a "head up" not "head down" style of bike ride and that's how I like to ride and it's what I liked about the show.
Personally, I would have liked a little more detail about the route, the type of road/track, the elevation - but that would have not gone down so well with other viewers and not made good "telly", I suspect. Similarly, I would have liked to know more about the bikes. I would also have liked a bit more about the luggage/catering side of things - but that really is getting into touring-nerd territory, I suspect.
It's definitely a "head up" not "head down" style of bike ride and that's how I like to ride and it's what I liked about the show.
Personally, I would have liked a little more detail about the route, the type of road/track, the elevation - but that would have not gone down so well with other viewers and not made good "telly", I suspect. Similarly, I would have liked to know more about the bikes. I would also have liked a bit more about the luggage/catering side of things - but that really is getting into touring-nerd territory, I suspect.
