New Cycling Programs on TV

[flecc]

As well as the continuing Tour de France in it's last week, ITV4 nightly at 7 pm, there's these two programs which might be of interest to members.

Tonight (Thursday) 10.05 pm BBC4, Thoroughly Modern

How Edwardian technology helped the bicycle become a universal mode of transportation regarded as one of the most important inventions of all time. The bike was unhindered by class boundaries, enabling residents of urban areas to escape to the country and, surprisingly, it is also credited with widening the gene pool.

Tomorrow, (Friday) 8 pm ITV4, Take a Seat

New Series: Dominic Gill pedals his tandem from the northern coast of Alaska to the tip of South America.
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[Mussels]

Thanks, I'll take a look.

 

[oriteroom]

Hi flecc

Thanks for that - I was wondering how I was going to cope with the withdrawal symptoms next week after the Tour de France finishes. Come on Bradley!

Mike

 

[flecc]

Yes, fingers crossed for Bradley Wiggins, but he's up against some really tough competition to get on that podium this year.

He seems to be setting his sights on progressing to a 2012 outright win.
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[my.motion]

flecc check your pm.

Thnx

 

[fcurran]

Cyclescheme interview on BBC at 12.15 | Bicycle business | News by BikeBiz

More exposure for cycling on BBC radio 4 this morning! Its all good news for cycling as a whole.

 

[Danny-K]

Caught the Edwardian bicycle programme by sheer accident last night (was more than ready to enjoy it, started off well with the 'most important invention mankind has ever come up with, but thereafter it lost its way and went on to become a wee bit pish though). Thanks for the heads-up on tonight's programme/series - might have missed that otherwise.

P.S. Just coming over the Reuters news-wires as a main news story -

Electric bicycles ride "green" demand in Japan - Yahoo! News UK

A news item about e-bikes subtitled 'Move over Prius'.

If it's a quiet day it might survive and make it to the TV news tonight. (Sales of e-bikes in Japan more than doubles in a year).

Which would be something - a news item about electric bikes (ie., getting the thumbs-up from Japanese manufacturers looking to 'cultivate' this market).

Liked this quote from Yamaha:
"Once you've ridden one of our motor-assisted bicycles, you'll never go back!" a spokeswoman at Yamaha Motor beamed . . ."

Hee hee - now there's confidence in your product!

 

[Mussels]

P.S. Just coming over the Reuters news-wires as a main news story -

Electric bicycles ride "green" demand in Japan - Yahoo! News UK

A news item about e-bikes subtitled 'Move over Prius'.

Sales of electric bicycles more than doubled from 2000 to 315,000 last year

That's a hell of a lot more than doubled, typo?

 

[flecc]

Nice to see an admission from Yamaha that the latest generation batteries only last two years and cost a lot Danny. Up front honesty about that is better than selling e-bikes without mentioning that and letting customers get a shock later.

I see Wisper have beaten Sanyo though. Sanyo claim the world's first carbon composite frame e-bike, and it's $6,636 (£4037), ouch! Wisper's new 906 with carbon composite frame will probably be under half of that, take that Sanyo!

That's a hell of a lot more than doubled, typo?

Yes, it's a typo, e-bikes are very well established in Japan in huge numbers. That should probably read 120,000.
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[Danny-K]

That's a hell of a lot more than doubled, typo?

Yeah - I've just checked a couple of American sites who are running the same story and they too, have printed it verbatim. Sounds like Flecc has the right figure, and not Reuters!

In the UK, for this year 2009, there are estimates of e-bike sales numbering in the region of 23,000 units - a 50% increase over last year, (AtoB magazine).

So Japan's 315,000 definitely puts us in the shade. (Even though Japan's population is double that of the UK's)

 

[fcurran]

That's a hell of a lot more than doubled, typo?

Lol!

Perhaps sales have doubled from the year 2000 to 315000 in the year 2008!!??

 

[flecc]

Lol!

Perhaps sales have doubled from the year 2000 to 315000 in the year 2008!!??

Yes, I think you've got it Frank, including that magic word "year" makes it read as much more likely. Unlikely they'd double in one year as I suggested might be the case, given the present economic climate in Japan.
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