Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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Cowsham
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Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by Cowsham »

On channel 4 right now. Comedians David O Doherty and Mel Giedroyc touring England by the looks. Starting in Northumberland. Looks good viewing.
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pwa
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by pwa »

Watched it. It was quite good. For a programme aimed at a wider audience than us, it gave a good feel of what a couple of days out on a bike might be like. It casts bike use in a positive light. The presenter knows his bike stuff but doesn't put that front and centre because it would bore the pants off people who are less bike focussed than us. Two people amiably mucking about on bikes and not taking it too seriously.
Bonefishblues
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by Bonefishblues »

Richard Ayoade was dropping him on the hills - on a Brompton :lol:
Norman H
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by Norman H »

Also discussed here

I enjoyed the first two episodes but as I'm not a huge fan of Mel Giedroyc my expectations for last night's show were not high, I wasn't disappointed. Worth watching though for the beautiful Northumberland coastal scenery.

A positive feature of all thee programs so far has been the effective use of drone footage to capture the landscape. Used in moderation it can be very effective. On the downside the apparently obligatory inclusion of some sort of staged comic mishap is becoming a bit irritating. Last night's incident was the river Aln fording fiasco.
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Cowsham
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by Cowsham »

Agree with all said above -- not a great fan of either presenters but since I'm from NI it's nice to see the possibilities and get ideas for across the water. Liked the big viaduct, bridge or whatever that was "above the trees"
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pwa
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by pwa »

Norman H wrote: 7 Dec 2021, 10:43am Also discussed here

I enjoyed the first two episodes but as I'm not a huge fan of Mel Giedroyc my expectations for last night's show were not high, I wasn't disappointed. Worth watching though for the beautiful Northumberland coastal scenery.

A positive feature of all thee programs so far has been the effective use of drone footage to capture the landscape. Used in moderation it can be very effective. On the downside the apparently obligatory inclusion of some sort of staged comic mishap is becoming a bit irritating. Last night's incident was the river Aln fording fiasco.
The ford business was a fiasco, but I think that is just how David O is in real life. He likes to do daft things. The perfectly formed stepping stones were always the way to go in the absence of any underwater road surface, even if one were not concerned about water getting into bearings. But some folk like getting wet for a laugh. I have done rides where either myself or my companions have mucked about for a laugh. But I'd have kept the bearings above water.

The Grayson Perry episode in the Brecon Beacons / Gospel Pass was of interest to me because I have done the roads / tracks myself. I thought the programme was as good as any TV representation of cycle touring, giving some real sense of what it is like. Right down to having a gear malfunction and having to get a chain splitter out. GP looked very composed cycling up what I knew to be a particularly chewy hill on the way to Talybont on Usk, so he is definitely a strong cyclist. David, like me, carries a bit of spare baggage and pays a price on climbs.
DaveBeck
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by DaveBeck »

It's funny how we all see things differently.

Of the three so far, for me, only the one with Grason Perry was remotely watchable. Last Monday's I found quite tedious and the worst yet.

Stuck it out, but it felt like I was watching someone's home movie. Not sure if I'll bother with the last one.
Antbrewer
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by Antbrewer »

I tend to agree with a mix of most of what has been said.
Good to have anything on the box regarding bikes within reason. However it can be tedious with the 'ford' crossing for instance. That was just daft. Also it does depend whether one likes the people involved . The first chappy on a Brompton was fine and missed Grayson Perry. However last night with Mel Giedroyc leaves me a trite cold. I just get fed up seeing the same people presenting whatever all the time. Probably be an unknown couple called Ant and Dec next.
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VinceLedge
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by VinceLedge »

Only saw 2nd half of the last one, only really watchable for the scenery around Bamburgh as we know it fairly well.
The long line of cars stuck behind their crew van on the way over the causeway was interesting, I wonder if the drivers were more tolerant seeing it being filmed!
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Cowsham
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by Cowsham »

How many have I missed ?
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Bonefishblues
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by Bonefishblues »

2
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pedalsheep
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by pedalsheep »

I enjoyed the introduction and the quick glimpse of his bike collection but beyond that I would agree that it is only worth watching for the scenery. I suppose it would help if I had previously even heard of him or the people he rides with (I have vaguely heard of Grayson Perry)!
'Why cycling for joy is not the most popular pastime on earth is still a mystery to me.'
Frank J Urry, Salute to Cycling, 1956.
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Cowsham
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by Cowsham »

Bonefishblues wrote: 8 Dec 2021, 1:02pm2
I'll get them on catch up thanks bonefish
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by Bonefishblues »

Cowsham wrote: 8 Dec 2021, 2:24pm
Bonefishblues wrote: 8 Dec 2021, 1:02pm2
I'll get them on catch up thanks bonefish
Ayoade & Perry, as discussed.
pwa
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Re: Along For The Ride with David O Doherty

Post by pwa »

Programmes like this are designed to be primarily about the interaction between the presenter and the guest. Almost like an interview on the move, but with a journey to give them some shared experience to work with. As such, I think this series works quite well. It is gentle, slow paced TV with plenty of banter and some genuine cycling in nice places. But it doesn't focus too much on the bikes or the details of the route. When David's gears were playing up on the lower slopes of the Gospel Pass I found myself wishing I could take the bike off him and have a look at exactly what was going wrong with that bottom gear. He ended up taking a couple of links off the chain, which left me mystified. Surely that is what you would do if your rear mech was folding down on itself, but would that happen on the largest sprocket? Not knowing the answer bothered me but it wouldn't bother most people. This series isn't aimed at satisfying cycling nerds like me. It is about the banter. Where the banter works, the programme works, and where the banter doesn't flow, the programme struggles.
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