| |
Main
Date: 14 Nov 2007 21:34:35
From: vey
Subject: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/bicycle-wins-top-gear-race-13142 UK motoring show Top Gear has dented its anti-bike image after a cyclist won a commuter race filmed for the programme. Popular presenter Richard Hammond, who narrowly escaped death after a 288mph crash last year, took his life in his hands again to bike across London. The contest saw Hammond race fellow show hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May, along with programme driver The Stig to get to City Airport first. And the 37-year old beat his fellow competitors by some 15 minutes. Clarkson, who travelled by speedboat came second, The Stig arrived third after taking the Tube, and May came in last, after paying the congestion charge to crawl across the capital in a 5.5litre Mercedes ML500 SUV. As he pelted through the Blackwall Tunnel Hammond, told viewers, "I've got 19mph showing on my little speedo here. I've got to keep that up. I feel sick." Meanwhile, zooming under Wandsworth Bridge in a Cougar speedboat a confident Clarkson yelled, "Okay Hammond and May, live with this!" But he didn't know that "The Hamster" was a mere eight miles from the airport, while Clarkson still had 17 to go. And his faster speed didn't help him in the end. Hammond was simply determined to come first. "I've got to beat Jeremy and I cannot be beaten by James," he muttered to himself as he undertook a row of lorries in a narrow cycle lane. And Clarkson was forced to eat his words when he arrived at the airport to find Hammond already checked in and relaxing in the first class lounge. "You've killed Top Gear", he lamented. You can watch some of the race footage on the Top Gear website now. The programme was first shown on BBC2 on Sunday night.
|
|
| |
Date: 15 Nov 2007 04:59:19
From:
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
On Nov 14, 9:34 pm, vey <jun...@ericvey.com > wrote: > http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/bicycle-wins-top-gear-race-13142 > > UK motoring show Top Gear has dented its anti-bike image after a cyclist > won a commuter race filmed for the programme. > > Popular presenter Richard Hammond, who narrowly escaped death after a > 288mph crash last year, took his life in his hands again to bike across > London. > > The contest saw Hammond race fellow show hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James > May, along with programme driver The Stig to get to City Airport first. > And the 37-year old beat his fellow competitors by some 15 minutes. > > Clarkson, who travelled by speedboat came second, The Stig arrived third > after taking the Tube, and May came in last, after paying the congestion > charge to crawl across the capital in a 5.5litre Mercedes ML500 SUV. > > As he pelted through the Blackwall Tunnel Hammond, told viewers, "I've > got 19mph showing on my little speedo here. I've got to keep that up. I > feel sick." > > Meanwhile, zooming under Wandsworth Bridge in a Cougar speedboat a > confident Clarkson yelled, "Okay Hammond and May, live with this!" > > But he didn't know that "The Hamster" was a mere eight miles from the > airport, while Clarkson still had 17 to go. And his faster speed didn't > help him in the end. > > Hammond was simply determined to come first. "I've got to beat Jeremy > and I cannot be beaten by James," he muttered to himself as he undertook > a row of lorries in a narrow cycle lane. > > And Clarkson was forced to eat his words when he arrived at the airport > to find Hammond already checked in and relaxing in the first class lounge. > > "You've killed Top Gear", he lamented. > > You can watch some of the race footage on the Top Gear website now. The > programme was first shown on BBC2 on Sunday night. and let's not even count how much the ride cost. the biker probably spend $2 in food, the mercedes.... probably agood $100 in gas, tolls, insurance, depreciation, etc carlos www.bikingthings.com -ride longer, get fit, live better, be happier-
|
| | |
Date: 16 Nov 2007 05:28:48
From: datakoll
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
On Nov 16, 8:00 am, datakoll <datak...@yahoo.com > wrote: > On Nov 16, 3:30 am, Tom Sherman <sunsetss0...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com> > wrote: > > > datakoll aka gene daniels wrote:> Bike Commuting in Fort Myers, FL where road codes are modern including > > > bike lanes and paths, I found, as an average for the time spent, > > > travel time during rush hours 15 minutes slower per ten miles than > > > using IC and over 15 mile routing, 30-45 minutes faster than the bus, > > > also up to date, heavily subsidized - like the IC. > > > I commute 25 miles through an urban area in 35 minutes. Rather hard to > > match on a bicycle, even if I was a world class time trial rider. > > > -- > > Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia > > "the grinning buddy bear carries a fork." - g.d. > > oh good - now try it on the bike after carefully planning the route > THEN report. > the bear has a unifork and a crazed expression. the poached egg told me to write this: the deal is traffic runs say east to west but you're route is in average reality not road planning, north to south. the inbetween occupied by 'burbs, industrial zone, vacant land, a park a park or an assembly hereof NOT available for easy IC commuting. Off course, boundless correlations exists eg the homeowner on quiet street overcome by IC discovery of a new IC route thru to the new Woolmort: CAUTION CHILDREN
|
| | |
Date: 16 Nov 2007 05:00:50
From: datakoll
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
On Nov 16, 3:30 am, Tom Sherman <sunsetss0...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com > wrote: > datakoll aka gene daniels wrote:> Bike Commuting in Fort Myers, FL where road codes are modern including > > bike lanes and paths, I found, as an average for the time spent, > > travel time during rush hours 15 minutes slower per ten miles than > > using IC and over 15 mile routing, 30-45 minutes faster than the bus, > > also up to date, heavily subsidized - like the IC. > > I commute 25 miles through an urban area in 35 minutes. Rather hard to > match on a bicycle, even if I was a world class time trial rider. > > -- > Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia > "the grinning buddy bear carries a fork." - g.d. oh good - now try it on the bike after carefully planning the route THEN report. the bear has a unifork and a crazed expression.
|
| | | |
Date: 16 Nov 2007 19:23:45
From: Tom Sherman
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
datakoll aka gene daniels wrote: > On Nov 16, 3:30 am, Tom Sherman <sunsetss0...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com> > wrote: >> datakoll aka gene daniels wrote:> Bike Commuting in Fort Myers, FL where road codes are modern including >>> bike lanes and paths, I found, as an average for the time spent, >>> travel time during rush hours 15 minutes slower per ten miles than >>> using IC and over 15 mile routing, 30-45 minutes faster than the bus, >>> also up to date, heavily subsidized - like the IC. >> I commute 25 miles through an urban area in 35 minutes. Rather hard to >> match on a bicycle, even if I was a world class time trial rider. >> >> -- >> Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia >> "the grinning buddy bear carries a fork." - g.d. > > oh good - now try it on the bike after carefully planning the route > THEN report. There are no good shorter routes, unless I want to ride through the worst part of the 'hood in the dark. > the bear has a unifork and a crazed expression. Unifork????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? -- Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia "the grinning buddy bear carries a fork." - g.d.
|
| | |
Date: 15 Nov 2007 16:32:20
From: datakoll
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
Bike Commuting in Fort Myers, FL where road codes are modern including bike lanes and paths, I found, as an average for the time spent, travel time during rush hours 15 minutes slower per ten miles than using IC and over 15 mile routing, 30-45 minutes faster than the bus, also up to date, heavily subsidized - like the IC.
|
| | | |
Date: 16 Nov 2007 02:30:22
From: Tom Sherman
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
datakoll aka gene daniels wrote: > Bike Commuting in Fort Myers, FL where road codes are modern including > bike lanes and paths, I found, as an average for the time spent, > travel time during rush hours 15 minutes slower per ten miles than > using IC and over 15 mile routing, 30-45 minutes faster than the bus, > also up to date, heavily subsidized - like the IC. > I commute 25 miles through an urban area in 35 minutes. Rather hard to match on a bicycle, even if I was a world class time trial rider. -- Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia "the grinning buddy bear carries a fork." - g.d.
|
| |
Date: 14 Nov 2007 19:37:06
From: Ted Bennett
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
In article <fhgb7d$dc$1@news.datemas.de >, vey <junker@ericvey.com> wrote: > http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/bicycle-wins-top-gear-race-13142 > > UK motoring show Top Gear has dented its anti-bike image after a cyclist > won a commuter race filmed for the programme. > > Popular presenter Richard Hammond, who narrowly escaped death after a > 288mph crash last year, took his life in his hands again to bike across > London. > > The contest saw Hammond race fellow show hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James > May, along with programme driver The Stig to get to City Airport first. > And the 37-year old beat his fellow competitors by some 15 minutes. > > Clarkson, who travelled by speedboat came second, The Stig arrived third > after taking the Tube, and May came in last, after paying the congestion > charge to crawl across the capital in a 5.5litre Mercedes ML500 SUV. > > As he pelted through the Blackwall Tunnel Hammond, told viewers, "I've > got 19mph showing on my little speedo here. I've got to keep that up. I > feel sick." > > Meanwhile, zooming under Wandsworth Bridge in a Cougar speedboat a > confident Clarkson yelled, "Okay Hammond and May, live with this!" > > But he didn't know that "The Hamster" was a mere eight miles from the > airport, while Clarkson still had 17 to go. And his faster speed didn't > help him in the end. > > Hammond was simply determined to come first. "I've got to beat Jeremy > and I cannot be beaten by James," he muttered to himself as he undertook > a row of lorries in a narrow cycle lane. > > And Clarkson was forced to eat his words when he arrived at the airport > to find Hammond already checked in and relaxing in the first class lounge. > > "You've killed Top Gear", he lamented. > > You can watch some of the race footage on the Top Gear website now. The > programme was first shown on BBC2 on Sunday night. YAY! Thanks, vey. [set to a tight beat, repeat] YAY! Thanks, vey. These sorts of events are not rare, but they are stunts, not be confused with scientific analysis. Here in bike-crazy Portland, IIRC cars won at least twice. Of course, the results can be fixed in advance by a suitable choice of route and time of day. There's no way I can get to Voodoo Donut http://voodoodoughnut.com/ at 2 AM faster than a car. Especially if the car driver feels the same about observing stops and red lights as the cyclist. -- Ted Bennett
|
| | |
Date: 16 Nov 2007 22:20:55
From:
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
On Nov 15, 11:51 am, "Barry" <a...@b.c > wrote: > > The wildcard of the boat was pretty entertaining, though: I sometimes > > wonder why cities with substantial central waterways don't see more boat > > commuters. Vancouver could be one place where you could get away with it. > > I've been told that some people in Ottawa commute in winter by skating on the > frozen canal. Indeed, some of us do! When I first moved here I had heard tales of skating commuters, and sure enough during my first skate a fellow zipped by wearing a trenchcoat and carrying a briefcase, heading in the direction of downtown. It can get a little hectic on the canal during Rush Hour: http://www.bellcold.com/SweetShots/Skating on the Rideau Canal.JPG (OK, so the above photo was taken during a busy winter carnival day...) And after (or during) your skate you can replenish your energy with a Beavertail: http://www.nomadik.com/blogs/the_nomadik_fanatik/archive/2007/03/19/outdoor-life-guide-to-beaver-fever-on-the-rideau-canal.aspx Yum... There's no snow here yet, but it's coming. And the colder weather means the canal will soon freeze and another skating season will begin. And in the meantime, I should get my winter bike ready... Mark (who has also won a car / bike commute challenge)
|
| | | |
Date: 17 Nov 2007 11:37:53
From: Barry
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
>> I've been told that some people in Ottawa commute in winter by skating on >> the >> frozen canal. > > Indeed, some of us do! When I first moved here I had heard tales of > skating commuters, and sure enough during my first skate a fellow > zipped by wearing a trenchcoat and carrying a briefcase, heading in > the direction of downtown. > > It can get a little hectic on the canal during Rush Hour: > > http://www.bellcold.com/SweetShots/Skating%20on%20the%20Rideau%20Canal.JPG Thanks, great picture. I was in Ottawa a couple of years ago (on Canada Day) and went biking along the canal. What a great place!
|
| | |
Date: 15 Nov 2007 09:48:48
From: Marz
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
On Nov 15, 10:51 am, "Barry" <a...@b.c > wrote: > > The wildcard of the boat was pretty entertaining, though: I sometimes > > wonder why cities with substantial central waterways don't see more boat > > commuters. Vancouver could be one place where you could get away with it. > > I've been told that some people in Ottawa commute in winter by skating on the > frozen canal. The dutch commute by skate too, my old office in the Hague was close to a canal and in winter a few guys would switch from bike to skate to get to work. No lights, stop signs or motorised traffic.
|
| | | |
Date: 15 Nov 2007 18:58:48
From: Lou Holtman
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
Marz wrote: > On Nov 15, 10:51 am, "Barry" <a...@b.c> wrote: >>> The wildcard of the boat was pretty entertaining, though: I sometimes >>> wonder why cities with substantial central waterways don't see more boat >>> commuters. Vancouver could be one place where you could get away with it. >> I've been told that some people in Ottawa commute in winter by skating on the >> frozen canal. > > The dutch commute by skate too, my old office in the Hague was close > to a canal and in winter a few guys would switch from bike to skate to > get to work. No lights, stop signs or motorised traffic. That must be a while ago. We didn't had a proper winter for 10 years or so. Lou -- Posted by news://news.nb.nu (http://www.nb.nu)
|
| | |
Date: 14 Nov 2007 20:08:03
From: Orin
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
On Nov 14, 7:37 pm, Ted Bennett <tedbenn...@earthlink.net > wrote: > In article <fhgb7d$d...@news.datemas.de>, vey <jun...@ericvey.com> > wrote: > > > > > > >http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/bicycle-wins-top-gear-race-13142 > > > UK motoring show Top Gear has dented its anti-bike image after a cyclist > > won a commuter race filmed for the programme. > > > Popular presenter Richard Hammond, who narrowly escaped death after a > > 288mph crash last year, took his life in his hands again to bike across > > London. > > > The contest saw Hammond race fellow show hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James > > May, along with programme driver The Stig to get to City Airport first. > > And the 37-year old beat his fellow competitors by some 15 minutes. > > > Clarkson, who travelled by speedboat came second, The Stig arrived third > > after taking the Tube, and May came in last, after paying the congestion > > charge to crawl across the capital in a 5.5litre Mercedes ML500 SUV. > > > As he pelted through the Blackwall Tunnel Hammond, told viewers, "I've > > got 19mph showing on my little speedo here. I've got to keep that up. I > > feel sick." > > > Meanwhile, zooming under Wandsworth Bridge in a Cougar speedboat a > > confident Clarkson yelled, "Okay Hammond and May, live with this!" > > > But he didn't know that "The Hamster" was a mere eight miles from the > > airport, while Clarkson still had 17 to go. And his faster speed didn't > > help him in the end. > > > Hammond was simply determined to come first. "I've got to beat Jeremy > > and I cannot be beaten by James," he muttered to himself as he undertook > > a row of lorries in a narrow cycle lane. > > > And Clarkson was forced to eat his words when he arrived at the airport > > to find Hammond already checked in and relaxing in the first class lounge. > > > "You've killed Top Gear", he lamented. > > > You can watch some of the race footage on the Top Gear website now. The > > programme was first shown on BBC2 on Sunday night. > > YAY! Thanks, vey. [set to a tight beat, repeat] > YAY! Thanks, vey. > > These sorts of events are not rare, but they are stunts, not be confused > with scientific analysis. Here in bike-crazy Portland, IIRC cars won at > least twice. Of course, the results can be fixed in advance by a > suitable choice of route and time of day. There's no way I can get to > Voodoo Donut http://voodoodoughnut.com/ at 2 AM faster than a car. > Especially if the car driver feels the same about observing stops and > red lights as the cyclist. It's not at all surprising for London, even riding legally. Sure, at 2am, the results are different, but at the times that matter, the bicycle will win. When I commuted by bicycle in London, it took about 25 minutes by bicycle, 35 by the fastest public transportation and 45 by car for a whole 5.5 miles and that was in the early 80s. By all accounts, it's not got any better by car... If this was a 'stunt', I suspect it backfired on them. The last thing that particular show would want would be that their fancy car be beaten by a bicycle. Orin.
|
| | | |
Date: 15 Nov 2007 19:18:24
From: Jasper Janssen
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:08:03 -0800 (PST), Orin <orin.eman@gmail.com > wrote: >If this was a 'stunt', I suspect it backfired on them. The last thing >that particular show would want would be that their fancy car be >beaten by a bicycle. Actually, they didn't use a fancy car, they used a big Mercedes SUV which is a) wholly inappropriate for London traffic and b) not actually a well-liked vehicle type among the Top Gearers. The episode *before* was dedicated to the premise "let's show those Chelsea people that you *don't* need an SUV if there are leaves or a bit of mud on your driveway", which they did by going to Botswana or somewhere around there, buying some 2-wheel-drive wholly region-inappropriate cars and driving them across the country, through salt flats, marshes, and just generally tricky terrain. I don't watch Top Gear for the facts, which are after all rather thin on the ground, I watch it for the entertainment. Which make it doubly amusing when they get TV awards like "Best unscripted programme" or "best reality show". Jasper
|
| | | |
Date: 15 Nov 2007 02:42:05
From: Ben C
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
On 2007-11-15, Orin <orin.eman@gmail.com > wrote: > On Nov 14, 7:37 pm, Ted Bennett <tedbenn...@earthlink.net> wrote: [...] >> >http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/bicycle-wins-top-gear-race-13142 [...] > It's not at all surprising for London, even riding legally. Sure, at > 2am, the results are different, but at the times that matter, the > bicycle will win. > > When I commuted by bicycle in London, it took about 25 minutes by > bicycle, 35 by the fastest public transportation and 45 by car for a > whole 5.5 miles and that was in the early 80s. By all accounts, it's > not got any better by car... I knew the bike would win (I've done more or less that commute myself). Was quite surprised the car was only 15 minutes slower than public transport. I can understand why people take the car. > If this was a 'stunt', I suspect it backfired on them. The last thing > that particular show would want would be that their fancy car be > beaten by a bicycle. I don't think they really care.
|
| | | | |
Date: 15 Nov 2007 19:20:54
From: Jasper Janssen
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:42:05 -0600, Ben C <spamspam@spam.eggs > wrote: >I knew the bike would win (I've done more or less that commute myself). Hell, it was pretty much a gimme. Everybody who's seen London traffic knows that bikes get through it faster. They stacked the deck a little against the bike by putting the start and end points a bit outside the most violent congestion zones, or the difference would have been not even funny. >Was quite surprised the car was only 15 minutes slower than public >transport. I can understand why people take the car. And it was even just tube-transfer-to-train, so not exactly a hard route, unlike some of the previous challenges where the public transport side of the race involved last-mile transport with slow and nasty buses on both sides. Jasper
|
| | | | | |
Date: 16 Nov 2007 01:57:19
From: Clive George
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
"Jasper Janssen" <jasper@jjanssen.org > wrote in message news:0c3pj3da5p914fg8edt19pv5vccfju5j91@4ax.com... >>Was quite surprised the car was only 15 minutes slower than public >>transport. I can understand why people take the car. > > And it was even just tube-transfer-to-train, so not exactly a hard route, > unlike some of the previous challenges where the public transport side of > the race involved last-mile transport with slow and nasty buses on both > sides. Bus, tube, DLR actually. cheers, clive
|
| | | | | | |
Date: 17 Nov 2007 15:21:15
From: Jasper Janssen
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 01:57:19 -0000, "Clive George" <clive@xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk > wrote: >"Jasper Janssen" <jasper@jjanssen.org> wrote in message >news:0c3pj3da5p914fg8edt19pv5vccfju5j91@4ax.com... > >>>Was quite surprised the car was only 15 minutes slower than public >>>transport. I can understand why people take the car. >> >> And it was even just tube-transfer-to-train, so not exactly a hard route, >> unlike some of the previous challenges where the public transport side of >> the race involved last-mile transport with slow and nasty buses on both >> sides. > >Bus, tube, DLR actually. Hmm.. yeah, you're right, I forgot about that bus. Jasper
|
| | | | |
Date: 15 Nov 2007 15:33:58
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
In article <slrnfjo1kn.m63.spamspam@bowser.marioworld >, Ben C <spamspam@spam.eggs > wrote: > On 2007-11-15, Orin <orin.eman@gmail.com> wrote: > > On Nov 14, 7:37 pm, Ted Bennett <tedbenn...@earthlink.net> wrote: > [...] > >> >http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/bicycle-wins-top-gear-race-13142 > [...] > > It's not at all surprising for London, even riding legally. Sure, at > > 2am, the results are different, but at the times that matter, the > > bicycle will win. > > > > When I commuted by bicycle in London, it took about 25 minutes by > > bicycle, 35 by the fastest public transportation and 45 by car for a > > whole 5.5 miles and that was in the early 80s. By all accounts, it's > > not got any better by car... > > I knew the bike would win (I've done more or less that commute myself). > Was quite surprised the car was only 15 minutes slower than public > transport. I can understand why people take the car. > > > If this was a 'stunt', I suspect it backfired on them. The last thing > > that particular show would want would be that their fancy car be > > beaten by a bicycle. > > I don't think they really care. More to the point, that clearly wasn't Hammond's first time on a bike. I think they could have predicted the result pretty accurately. The wildcard of the boat was pretty entertaining, though: I sometimes wonder why cities with substantial central waterways don't see more boat commuters. Vancouver could be one place where you could get away with it. -- Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/ "My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook. Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing
|
| | | | | |
Date: 15 Nov 2007 11:51:27
From: Barry
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
> The wildcard of the boat was pretty entertaining, though: I sometimes > wonder why cities with substantial central waterways don't see more boat > commuters. Vancouver could be one place where you could get away with it. I've been told that some people in Ottawa commute in winter by skating on the frozen canal.
|
| |
Date: 15 Nov 2007 03:19:38
From: Pete Biggs
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
vey wrote: > http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/bicycle-wins-top-gear-race-13142 /snip > As he pelted through the Blackwall Tunnel Hammond, told viewers, "I've > got 19mph showing on my little speedo here. I've got to keep that up. > I feel sick." It wasn't the Blackwall Tunnel - which wasn't on the route and isn't legal to cycle through, by the way. ~PB
|
| | |
Date: 14 Nov 2007 19:51:02
From: Ted Bennett
Subject: Re: Bicycle wins Top Gear race
|
"Pete Biggs" <p@biggs.tc > wrote: > vey wrote: > > http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/bicycle-wins-top-gear-race-13142 > /snip > > As he pelted through the Blackwall Tunnel Hammond, told viewers, "I've > > got 19mph showing on my little speedo here. I've got to keep that up. > > I feel sick." > > It wasn't the Blackwall Tunnel - which wasn't on the route and isn't legal > to cycle through, by the way. > > ~PB I knew it. No donut for Hammond. -- Ted Bennett
|
|