PSA Chris Boardman on Desert Island Discs

11am today
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000ntrq

Isn’t he meant to be a bit of a twunt?

speaks highly of you too

Isn’t he meant to be a bit of a twunt?

Maybe a whiff of Nigel Mansell about him but otherwise sound I think.

Maybe a whiff of Nigel Mansell about him but otherwise sound I think.

He’s grown a moustache and bought a golf course?

I think for what he’s achieved in sport, Chris Boardman is relatively well grounded – or at least appears that way. Might be a bit monotone in some of his commentary but most of the time he says it like it is without being too offensive or arrogant.

Depends what you want to se I spose, as some will like hugely aggressive OTT ex pro sports stars and the relative normality of Chris Boardman may seem boring.

I thought he had been a bit nasty and **** over Graeme Obree?

Well I quite like him…seems like a nice bloke.

Sound guy, look what he’s achieving for cycling.

Not convinced he was clean tho!

who was??

who was??

Chris Boardman.

Seems a top bloke to me.

I’ve met him when he was doing the secret squirrel stuff for BC – was a pretty down to earth guy. The guy that was a comlplete prick to O’Bree was Chris Newton.

He seems like a good guy and interesting. He is clearly very focussed on what he is working on, which could seem a bit intense. I’m not sure you could achieve all the things he has without that.

Seems like a great bloke to me. I enjoy his coverage of the Tour de France. He’s more tolerant than I would be in the face of Matt Rendall’s endless drivel and constant interuptions. He’s a powerful advocate for cycling too.

Isn’t he meant to be a bit of a twunt?

Quite the opposite I think. Intelligent, articulate and always worth listening to.

His autobiography is complimentary of Obree if anything.

Seems self-deprecating too.

Maybe the (tabloid) story sounded better if they hated each other?

I’d say not a twunt unless you can point out why, but hey it’s STW so never stops people posting drivel. Used to see him quite a lot out locally on the bike always said hello, would have been a lot more successful if he doped, lived over the road from my brother for a few years, his front door needed varnishing but that’s my only complaint.

Thanks, just listened and enjoyed.

Thought he sounded like a pretty down-to-earth bloke. He always comes across as straight-talking in the media. Nothing wrong with that. The media will try and exaggerate any controversy though.

Seems a top bloke to me and continues to go up in my estimation. Spoken to him a couple of times and he seemed a nice, polite and normal fella.

Who said he was a twunt? can you elaborate @gobuchul ?

Ride for a Wirral based club and never heard a negative comment. Same with Steve Cummings, always say hello and time to chat.

The guy that was a comlplete prick to O’Bree was Chris Newton.

Who said he was a twunt? can you elaborate @gobuchul ?

In my OP it was a question, I wasn’t 100% certain.

I thought that Boardman had pushed to get O’Bree disqualified and his bike banned as he didn’t like the competition. Apparently this isn’t the case at all.

Good choices of music, intelligent, articulate and a brilliant choice of book and luxury. Good man!

Yes I approve of his luxury item.

I shall look forward to listening to that later – Thank you.

He’s one of my favourite people.
He’s done so much for cycling.
Can’t fault his attitude to life, especially when his mother was killed by a motorist while out cycling. I think many others wouldn’t have stayed so calm.

Not listened to it yet but by chance I heard this yesterday – he came over very well imo.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/chris-boardman-on-giving-up-his-car-pushing-through/id1359195562?i=1000490071515

I thought that Boardman had pushed to get O’Bree disqualified and his bike banned as he didn’t like the competition

Even if it was the case not the actions of a twunt. Just a case of competitor being competitive. If you were competing and though a competitor had equipment not conforming to the rules you’d raise a complaint. Pretty standard practice I’m sure in any sport where the kit is regulated.

I had a very brief meeting with him – literally passed him on the finishing line of the Caledonian Sportive. He was supporting the Caledonian Sportive about 5 or more years ago and rode the course with the first group. I came rolling in in the early afternoon and he was on the finish line meeting and greeting everyone as they passed making sure he said congratulations to everyone with eye contact and shaking hands when he could. Must have stood there most of the day. Seemed a nice thing to do. There was one chap in front of me who was dressed head to toe in Boardman clobber riding a Boardman bike, as soon as Chris saw him he called him over and had a chat with him and gave him some signed clobber to add to his collection. Seemed a pleasant chap from what I saw.

As far as I recall, Chris B lent Graeme O an aero helmet for one of his record attempts as Graeme didn’t have one at the time. Always seems to come across as a pleasant chap, what with his bike range and his work to promote cycling he’s done an awful lot for cyclists.

No evidence of twuntishness then. Glad about that because he’s always been one of my Benchmark Britons. Last seen strongarming Manchester City Council into investing billions into cycling infrastructure.

I’ve moaned a plenty about the state of the cycle lanes in Manchester and was cynical with regards the council’s ability to deliver. Being proved wrong daily over the last few months as the new infrastructure is being built all around me, all well thought out and well designed.

Chapeau Chris.

I remember reading a blog years ago about the 2009(?) etape du tour, which was up Ventoux, The guy said that he’d gone out too hard and by the time he got to the woods at the bottom of Ventoux he was just knackered, so he had to stop and sit under a tree for a bit to rest. He was feeling pretty dejected and annoyed with himself, but then looked to one side and saw a fella sitting under the next tree, clearly feeling about the same as him. He then realised that fella was Chris Boardman, so didn’t feel so bad 🙂

I recommend reading his autobiography to know more about him. It was a good read.

Just caught up on the BBC Sounds app. Well worth a listen.

Been listening to it this morning whilst working.
Comes across a decent bloke to have a beer with. 👍🏼 Thanks for the PSA.

I couldn’t find it on BBC Sounds but I was looking for Desert Island Calipers

Bigjohn, very poor.

+1 for he’s a decent bloke. Have met with him a few times, had a good chat about his lotus bike that was outside our office door, I’ve got a picture somewhere of us next to it

Two twunters?

I was waiting for the presenter on that video to keel over with a heart attack.

Not wishing I’ll on him at all but a little bit of exercise would do him the world of good.

Finally caught up with it on Sounds – he’s a hero of mine (can someone your own age be a hero?) and comes across as a nice, genuine bloke who was so lucky to find something he excelled at, and then find an angle or two that let him continue to have a role after his competitive career came to an end.

Always seems very grounded and pragmatic on the practicalities of getting more people out on bikes. As he says, it’s not about convincing (I might say pandering to) the people who already ride. It’s about the people in the cars who would give it a go if only….. He seem to properly “get it”.

Two twunters?

Cox needs to stick to his “Fair Fuel Tax” and not obfuscate his argument by dragging cyclists in.

Just looking on Amazon for his Autobiography, the paperback edition comes up with an odd cover!

Wrong picture by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr