Racing roadkill
Guru
The fact they have been referring to it as "one of the world's toughest bike races"
is enough to make me not want to watch it.
is enough to make me not want to watch it.
Tour de Celeb: Louie’s cycling safety demo
- Thread starter mjr
- Start date
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AlanW
Guru
- Location
- Not to sure?
Pity they didn't say what the FTP results were, unless of course
I'd nodded of by then...
I'd nodded of by then...
OP
OP
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Was it a support car, or was it the camera car, perhaps doing double duty?
Why not, if they want to? But giving her good rubber block pedals would clearly have been better IMO and reduced the risk of hot foot.
I don't think they said... but does it matter anyway? I know my hematocrit but not my FTPPity they didn't say what the FTP results were, unless of course
I'd nodded of by then...
AlanW
Guru
- Location
- Not to sure?
Sunny Portrush
Guru
- Location
- Musselburgh
I`m orginally from Northern Ireland so FTP means something completely different - I was gonna put lol at the end but again, that means something different too
Slick
Guru
Haha, brilliant.
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
At 146 km and 3,300m of climbing I'd suggest that a hell of a lot of novice cyclists wouldn't be able to complete the Etape, support or no support, professional training or not. It's 90 miles at 120ft climbing per mile which is extremely hilly. I've done rides like that and know how much they hurt, anyone who can complete them deserves my respect
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Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Back in the early 80s I was working as a programmer and wrote a program called ftp (this was before the file transfer protocol was widely famous, certainly in the area I was working, so there wasn't a name clash). We had a meeting and I was explaining what it was and what it did and how to use it and one team member (from your neck of the woods) was sat at the back creasing up with laughter and shouting "FTP".
Slick
Guru
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I watched a couple of episodes of this. It was in part mildly diverting pap, and in part hugely annoying.
It paints a hugely unfavourable picture of cycling. One where people are constantly falling off, being sick, and where cycling is incredibly difficult.
They had some absolute novices and were insisting that they ride clipped in (with almost inevitable results) because without them, they said, "the hills would be harder". What total, utter cobblers. A cynic would have almost thought that they wanted the riders to fall off and get upset, because it would make good TV.
Without wishing to ignite the "pulling up on the pedals is/isn't a myth" debate, it's pretty certain that if there is any benefit to be gained from cleats you need some advanced skills and training and good technique. A beginner is going to derive no benefit at all, apart from making their falls more frequent and more telegenic.
Indeed the children's telly presenter lady ended up walking up the hills because being clipped in had destroyed her confidence in riding at low speed.
They did the same thing with learning to drink from a bottle, instead of first getting the novice confident in riding one handed, and then moving on to getting the bottle, they had someone else thrust a bottle at her while riding: she clung on to the bottle and the other person, and fell, making more good TV.
I was exhausted at the end of the program from making vigorous V signs at the telly.
It paints a hugely unfavourable picture of cycling. One where people are constantly falling off, being sick, and where cycling is incredibly difficult.
They had some absolute novices and were insisting that they ride clipped in (with almost inevitable results) because without them, they said, "the hills would be harder". What total, utter cobblers. A cynic would have almost thought that they wanted the riders to fall off and get upset, because it would make good TV.
Without wishing to ignite the "pulling up on the pedals is/isn't a myth" debate, it's pretty certain that if there is any benefit to be gained from cleats you need some advanced skills and training and good technique. A beginner is going to derive no benefit at all, apart from making their falls more frequent and more telegenic.
Indeed the children's telly presenter lady ended up walking up the hills because being clipped in had destroyed her confidence in riding at low speed.
They did the same thing with learning to drink from a bottle, instead of first getting the novice confident in riding one handed, and then moving on to getting the bottle, they had someone else thrust a bottle at her while riding: she clung on to the bottle and the other person, and fell, making more good TV.
I was exhausted at the end of the program from making vigorous V signs at the telly.
OP
OP
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Actually, I was far more concerned by this than the clips. It seems irresponsible and negligent to be encouraging someone to train on the public highway when you know that they will not take their hands off the bars and therefore presumably aren't signalling and probably aren't looking behind. Addressing that should have been their top priority and I don't mean shouting at them repeatedly as they rode past a target to hit.
If the edited broadcast was an accurate reflection reality, that's pretty shocking and it's testament to the safety of cycling that I think the only serious injury has been from the mad idea of sending the non-sportspeople on an assault course which I feel was another attempt to injure them to inject a little drama/uncertainty into the process.
Leaway2
Lycrist
- Location
- Manchester (Sale)
Andrew_P
In between here and there
I am enjoying it as a bit of not to be taken too seriously light entertainment. Although the Rugby bloke is coming across a bit of knob, even if he seems pretty good on the bike. My vote goes to Darren Gough not sure I have that right but he doesn't look anything like he sounds on Talkshite but pulling that weight around on the ride of the roses was pretty good and he was clearly chuffed! Some of the falls by Louie seem deliberate but I think it is a bit of fun. Wonder what the bike sponsorship is about, Rob Hayles clearly does work for Brecon, Gough is on a Genesis can't remember the others. The yellow kit reminded me of this
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I'm trying not to take it too seriously, but I was watching with my wife who is a bit of a nervous cyclist and had to keep pointing out that no, cleats are not mandatory for going up hills, no, people do not keep falling off like that ... etc etc
I like Austin. He is a complete and utter knob and windup merchant. And has been known to get his comeuppance (If you're interested read about his spat with Justin "plank" Harrison on the 2001 Australia Lions tour. Austin lost that one comprehensively, and JH managed to single-handedly steal the series for Australia - sort of).
I remember not long after he retired they disinterred the series "Superstars" which was a multi-sports competition for ex-sportspeople. He won it I think.
