[Closed] The Cycle Show, on for an Hour tonight

just an hour of total bollocks about bimbling around london ,should be called the hippy save the planet by riding to work show .

......thought this would have been canned by now. I hadn't watched it since the fabled 'first' instalment 🙄

Looks like they've been listening to what people have said on here or the same feed back from somewhere else. On the assumption they read this we ought to be suggesting ideas esp as they have an hour to fill each week now.

Watched it with the missus, my sister and her husband who are visiting from SA. In this audience the men are both keen cyclists, girls dabble occasionally. They (the girls particularly) spent the first 30 mins laughing at it, 'how naff is BMX', 'Could they not afford a studio?', and then asked if it could be turned off.

Just boring liberal twaddle was dozing off at about 40 mins , seems to be too many ad breaks. Bearing in mind that we like our tech and innovations the cycle show would be better in a gadget show style, I'd like to hear about new innovations and more product reviews, maybe some repair tips too. Was the cycle show produced by enthusiasts or liberal democrat voters?

My word, that was boring. From now on I'll just see what's coming up at the start and then turn off if nothing jumps out at me. What a waste of an hour.
The only bits I enjoyed were the section about measuring power output against the top pros and the BMX track.
Zzzzzzzzz.

I gave it another go

As others have said, it's far too London centric and that sort of riding is about as far removed from what I do as unicycling on Mars.
Don't any of them cycle in the countryside?

Just boring liberal twaddle was dozing off at about 40 mins

What were you hoping for? some sort of Hardline Right wing cycling show?

seems to be too many ad breaks

Granted but then again they probably are 'on the fringes' on a commercial channel I think they'll need all the advertising and sponsorship revenue they can get to make the case for a 2nd series.

Bearing in mind that we like our tech and innovations the cycle show would be better in a gadget show style, I'd like to hear about new innovations and more product reviews, maybe some repair tips too.

We like our Tech? Do [I]We[/I]? I like cycling and its a show about that (Mostly).

The internetz and MBUK is full of waffling bollocks about the latest and greatest innovations for the bicycle, a show about participation rather than toys for fat middle aged IT gimps is probably slightly more worthwhile... IMO of course.

Was the cycle show produced by enthusiasts or liberal democrat voters?

While its certainly a bit [I]London-Centric[/I] (and I still don't really see what a "fashion blogger" adds to a cycling show) I don't think we were watching quite the same show, I didn't quite get the same sort of lefty, Socio-political propoganda that you seem to have percieved, might be time to let the nurse give you your tablet and pop the Bacofoil hat back on...

It was better than the first one, but then watching the test card would (ask your dad kids)

Seemed a bit like countryfile for the the city. Some kind of interesting segments, but actually no informative content. BMX bit was kind of good, but if she's going there to get some coaching, why was the only hint to go a bit faster so you hit the downslope at the back of the jump ?
Sure they buggered up the exposure on one whole section, and made everything go brown.

seems to be too many ad breaks

watching the test card would (ask your dad kids)

I'm not defending TCS as The Greatest Show On Earth, but in its defence...

'Too many ad breaks' - how do you think programming gets made? Or magazines get written, designed, photographed? We want to watch commercial TV 'for free' and enjoy mags at a reasonable cover price - so putting up with advertising's the price we pay.

'Too London-centric'- understandable for the first few shows. It's made in London, it'll be more affordable to shoot stuff in London, London has a higher concentration of bike commuters/casually keen cyclists than anywhere else - and that will be the target market for a show like this. I don't live in London. It would be disappointing if future shows didn't venture out of the capital, obviously.

'We like our tech and innovations' - WE'RE not really the target market for this show though, so it's no surprise it hasn't featured discussions on 650b wheels or titanium bottle cage bolts. As important to the bike industry as we might think we are, die-hard MTB-ers won't figure too high in the broadcasters/advertisers considerations for delivering decent audience figures and thus viable ad revenues. Hardcore roadies won't have had their fancies tickled either - in the grand scheme of mainstream-ish broadcasting we're far too niche a group to worry about over-much.

Was the cycle show produced by enthusiasts or liberal democrat voters?

You MUST be joking. A show like this produced by enthusiasts? What enthusiasts? Cycling enthusiasts? What flavour? MTB-ers? XC-ers? Or DH guys? Maybe roadies? Racers, or sportivers? Or commuters? Time-triallists?

They'd all spend so long arguing about the minutiae of what from their particular discipline should go in that the show would never get made. And if it did, only 14 people would watch. And it would cost 3million quid per show, what with the features from the Etape Du Tour, Utah, Cass Gilbert's touring round Chile etc etc.

TCS is a massive, frothy compromise as far as dyed-in-the-wool bikers are concerned. That's just the way of a show like this.

I think the producers are making a pretty decent fist of getting it off the ground and I hope it sticks around long enough to improve and include some decent content from 'our' side of the sport/activity. It's about as much as we can realistically hope for I think...

It would be disappointing if future shows didn't venture out of the capital, obviously.

Didn't they do a feature from the Mega in an earlier edition?

as an enthusiast I thought it was ok. My kids loved it, so I would say it is probably hitting the mark for the average viewer. Anything that gets cycling profile up is good and maybe this feeds the interest of those who have caught some of the bug from watching the Tour and Olympics and want to know a bit more. All good I say.

Well, I watched 20 minutes of the first show, which was dreadful, and I watched the whole show last night, which I thought was entertaining. So I shall stick with it and see what it develops into.

Was I the only one who spotted the erm... larger sized couple sitting right behind the presenter? I fancy that someone in the team has a sense of humour.

I am a bit biased but I do think it has improved massively and the one hour slot works well. My "occasional commuter" girlfriend enjoyed it and I think she is more of the target audience than us Xtreem freeride gnar-heads.

BTW, the budget is tiny but they do actively ask for suggestions on FB and twitter.

Anna will be doing another non-London MTB piece soon and there will be Lizzie Armitstead and Dani King and their medals on the couch next week.

IsitonanykindaiPlayerthingy?

ITV player i think.

Get one of them out on a peaks pootle.

Anyone else think they have misjudged their market?
I watch "The Cycle Show" because I am into cycling and bikes... I get a show that appears to be aimed at non-cyclists, trying to persuade them to get into cycling cos it's great and some celebs do it.
That commuting section was so bloody irritating! Either they are treating me like a moron, or its not aimed at me at all.
Then there's the boring roadie chat, which must have these non-cyclists switching off.
What a strange mish-mash.

That must be a good cafe - tins of Tate and Lyle syrup on the tables!

I found it rather amusing that the piece on cycle safety was immediately followed by the presenter cycling in a busy cycle lane then coming to a halt without either looking behind or signalling his intention.

I liked this last one! It's a bit of trivia on a Monday evening, what's not to like! Hope hey keep Ned though!!

(See Snowheads if you want some real vitriol re Ski Sunday!)

So there is another place just like here then.

Someone makes a program about the thing you are supposed to be interested in.

And the first thing on people's minds is how to friggin moan about it.

They should ban all cycling related stuf from TV just in case it doesn't quite suit the STW "experts"

theres's the Vuelta and the Tour of Britain coming up - I reckon we'll see some features on the latter if the show is still running in September.
I think it's ok. I record it then watch it later, that way I can fast forward the drab bits like the canal cruising hipster stopping off at cafes on her leisurely roll to work (does she start at lunchtime?), and some of the interviews which can be a bit tedious, but I don't like any chat shows so it's not just the ones on the cycle show.
Given how much it's improved over only 3/4 episodes it should be good by the end.

So there is another place just like here then.

Vitriol is probably a bit of a strong word, but there's certainly mixed views of Ski Sunday and what it turned in to.

But any programme covering a minor sport is going to upset the devout enthusiasts, if it has to be aimed at an entire 18-40 demographic.

Hmmm gonna miss the Vuelta - will be away for most of it.

[i]And the first thing on people's minds is how to friggin moan about it[/i]

And all you can do is discuss other people's opinions...how useful is that?

Enjoyed the bmx bit apart from that half-whit coach turning his every statement into a chuffing question. What is the point of that? Boils my [i]pish?[/i]

And all you can do is discuss other people's opinions...how useful is that?

I wasn't discussing other peoples opinions, I was commenting on them.

A discussion would require that I was willing to listen to someone else. 😉

Anyone catch this last night? Worth going to the ITV4 player to watch it?

thanks for the reminder i will check this out tonight, good or bad it beats the normal TV drivel

It was worth the watch IMO - I've missed the last few but last nights was much better than the first couple. Feels much less rushed in the new 1 hour format.

i think last night was the best made yet, its actually pretty watchable if still a touch rough round the edges

Yep - and Jeff Banks was way more interesting than their previous "cycling celebrity" types. Oh and Lizzie and Dani

Hhhhmmmmm Lizzie and Dani......

Gee Atherton next week.

Yep, last night's was pretty good, IMO.

The weak link remains that "fashion blogger" girl, not least because last night she interviewed two of the dullest men in cycling!

That said, overall it's getting better. Banks was great value, especially as it's clear he's genuinely in to cycling, as opposed to being someone who just happens to have a bike.

Saw this for the first time last night - not impressed, I have to say.
Testing three folding bikes - and they didn't even fold them?? I was really looking forward to seeing them fail with the Mezzo 😆 And what was the point of testing them out of the saddle? You just don't ride that sort of bike like that.

I'm not really getting the blogger girl from the ones I've seen either.

Banks was brilliant - really knowledgable

Is the blogger girl not the sister of a poster on here?

I believe an ass whooping was being promised for any criticism of her 😀

nope, my sister is the one who gets sent off to crash a different type of bike each week!

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Is the blogger girl not the sister of a poster on here?

I believe an ass whooping was being promised for any criticism of her

No, you're thinking of Anna Glowinski (the blonde girl who did the Megavalanche and the bike polo articles), she's the sister of 'leggyblonde' on here (Philip).

The "fashion blogger" is the black girl (Jules?) who did an article about towpath commuting last week and then last night interviewed two blokes who've set up a bike community website called bikebuddy.

Edit: Philip beat me to it by 15 seconds! Very similar to our racing days when he'd normally beat me by about the same...

Watch out for Dani King's mysterious fuzzy jumper on the bike folding section! Not sure what was going on there?!

I've only watched the last two episodes but it's certainly not as dreadful as people are making out. I don't think Anna or Rob Hayles are natural born TV presenters, but then they're also the ones who know a bit about their subject and can walk the walk.

Remember that Top Gear was on telly for 25 years before it became half decent (and even then your enjoyment of it depends on your tolerance to Clarkson and the one with hair like a dog).

I think Hayles is good - he's a natural on the pre-recorded stuff.

The revelation for me last night was Geoff Banks. He was lurking a couple of shows ago but he's obviously nuts about cycling.

Ignoring the penny farthing, pointless bike "folding" and the bike blogger interview (I think that just leaves the sofa chat) it was a marked improvement.

Geoff Banks was great guest, very interesting guy who obviously loves cycling.
......and Lizzie looked great ;o)

Other potential guests to have?

Alan Sugar - He loves his bikes. Loves them!
Paul Smith - As with Banks, a real bike nut
Helen Skelton (I think that's her name!) from Blue Peter re the polar bike stuff
Any others?

me! I loves bikes me.