Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
This is a recent Guardian article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/20 ... city-bikes
Scroll down to the Roberts. AFAIK, a Roberts frame alone is £1250, not the whole bike. Is that not a really silly mistake or have I missed something?
But more to the point, they say this:
A good place to start is Roberts of Croydon where Chas Roberts, the proprietor, will create you a timeless beauty. Expensive, but it'll last a lifetime
Actually that's also silly. It isn't expensive because it will last a lifetime (lots of cheaper frames will do that) but because it's a good frame. Even more to the point, the bike as such won't last a lifetime, only the frame will. Nearly everything else will need to be replaced, some bits quite soon and many bits over and over again. The saddle, handlebar tape, the whole drive train, tyres, rims, BB, hubs - and that's not even allowing for the inevitable upgradings. Even the frame will need a paint job at some point.
Finally, to describe the Roberts Audax as a city bike is IMV breathtakingly silly.
So: is the Guardian silly?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/20 ... city-bikes
Scroll down to the Roberts. AFAIK, a Roberts frame alone is £1250, not the whole bike. Is that not a really silly mistake or have I missed something?
But more to the point, they say this:
A good place to start is Roberts of Croydon where Chas Roberts, the proprietor, will create you a timeless beauty. Expensive, but it'll last a lifetime
Actually that's also silly. It isn't expensive because it will last a lifetime (lots of cheaper frames will do that) but because it's a good frame. Even more to the point, the bike as such won't last a lifetime, only the frame will. Nearly everything else will need to be replaced, some bits quite soon and many bits over and over again. The saddle, handlebar tape, the whole drive train, tyres, rims, BB, hubs - and that's not even allowing for the inevitable upgradings. Even the frame will need a paint job at some point.
Finally, to describe the Roberts Audax as a city bike is IMV breathtakingly silly.
So: is the Guardian silly?
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
YES it is, or rather many of it's writers are lazy and sloppy and do not research topics sufficiently rigorously and as such the papers' opinions on more weighty matters tend to be sniffily dismissed by "snobs" who value good journalism.
Still better than the Times though!
Still better than the Times though!
Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
I agree its always been a very silly newspaper. Now with a miniscule circulation.
Al
Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
horizon wrote:So: is the Guardian silly?
In this case yes,I don't read "news"papers so I can't say if everything in the Gaurdian is silly though.
horizon wrote:..........Scroll down to the Roberts. AFAIK, a Roberts frame alone is £1250, not the whole bike. Is that not a really silly mistake or have I missed something?.................
Have you seen this thread:- viewtopic.php?f=1&t=76670
Last edited by reohn2 on 16 Jun 2013, 5:49pm, edited 1 time in total.
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
The churnalist in question is Martin Love, the Observer's motoring correspondent
Once or twice a year he'll review some posh bike (often badged by a car builder) and completely mis-describe some function. It's very obvious he doesn't ride.
On the other hand, I think the Guardian's regular cycling correspondents do a fair job at promoting cycling.
Once or twice a year he'll review some posh bike (often badged by a car builder) and completely mis-describe some function. It's very obvious he doesn't ride.
On the other hand, I think the Guardian's regular cycling correspondents do a fair job at promoting cycling.
Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
Ant wrote:YES it is, or rather many of it's writers are lazy and sloppy and do not research topics sufficiently rigorously and as such the papers' opinions on more weighty matters tend to be sniffily dismissed by "snobs" who value good journalism.
Still better than the Times though!
They're having a hard time sniffing at Prism, though. Well done Grauniad there.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
CREPELLO wrote:The churnalist in question is Martin Love, the Observer's motoring correspondent
Once or twice a year he'll review some posh bike (often badged by a car builder) and completely mis-describe some function. It's very obvious he doesn't ride.
On the other hand, I think the Guardian's regular cycling correspondents do a fair job at promoting cycling.
It looks like this explains it - thanks crepello. The worst thing is that there really wasn't even a single useful bike in the line-up - it was all for posers (nothing wrong with that, just don't head it up as a list of good city bikes).
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
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Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
Ant wrote:YES it is, or rather many of it's writers are lazy and sloppy
its
(sorry, couldn't resist )
cycle.travel - maps, journey-planner, route guides and city guides
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Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
If it drums up a bit of business for Roberts well good.
And it seems to have provided something for people in need of something to hurrumph about with something to hurrumph about. So it can't be all bad.
And it seems to have provided something for people in need of something to hurrumph about with something to hurrumph about. So it can't be all bad.
Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
andymiller wrote:And it seems to have provided something for people in need of something to hurrumph about with something to hurrumph about. So it can't be all bad.
There was a certain amount of hurrumph about it but it also got me thinking about the way these sentences such as "last a lifetime" are bandied about. Roberts might have a busy Monday morning fielding calls from hopeful buyers though. I'm no expert either but the journalist wouldn't have made the mistake about the frame price of he really knew his stuff.
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
for those of you who can't be ..ed to read the offending 'article' here's a taster..
etc etc....
pass the sick bucket, eh....
cheers
the Grauniad wrote:As cars become ever more homogenous, cyclists have taken it upon themselves to fill our streets with colour. Stop at any junction and you'll see a two-wheeled cavalcade, from moustached tweedy types on butcher bikes and Lycra loons on carbon racers to dreadlocked urban warriors on skip-find frames covered in stickers. Here are seven very different bikes for the budding hipster. They're all high-quality with an emphasis on design, because that's the way we roll…
etc etc....
pass the sick bucket, eh....
cheers
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Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
Martin Love has form. He seems to be a bit of an idiot and/or lazy.
But don't tar the rest of the Grauniad journalists with the same brush.
Indeed. and they also made things quite uncomfortable for some current and ex News International employees, Police and Polititians with the phone hacking. How is Rebekah Brooks's case progressing?
But don't tar the rest of the Grauniad journalists with the same brush.
Audax67 wrote:Ant wrote:YES it is, or rather many of it's writers are lazy and sloppy and do not research topics sufficiently rigorously and as such the papers' opinions on more weighty matters tend to be sniffily dismissed by "snobs" who value good journalism.
Still better than the Times though!
They're having a hard time sniffing at Prism, though. Well done Grauniad there.
Indeed. and they also made things quite uncomfortable for some current and ex News International employees, Police and Polititians with the phone hacking. How is Rebekah Brooks's case progressing?
Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
Nah, the Guardian has it right, tourers are the new fixies. Total hipster mobiles
The UK appears to have gone mad for two of my favorite things, ale and bikes. Good times
The UK appears to have gone mad for two of my favorite things, ale and bikes. Good times
Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
Richard Fairhurst wrote:its
(sorry, couldn't resist )
Ahem. You missed the opportunity to correct papers'
(sorry, couldn't resist )
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
Re: Silly Guardian - have they got it wrong about Roberts?
Yes it was a mistake. I just checked The Roberts Website and the price is £1295 for the Frameset.
Personally living in a large city I found that an Audax bike was the best all round solution for what was needed.
I do not need to carry large loads from shops as I use the Motto Give us this day our daily (fresh) bread and other stuff.
I felt that the speed and comfort was a good compromise.
The reason for the past tense was the frame was bent to the left by a car, just over a year ago.
Personally living in a large city I found that an Audax bike was the best all round solution for what was needed.
I do not need to carry large loads from shops as I use the Motto Give us this day our daily (fresh) bread and other stuff.
I felt that the speed and comfort was a good compromise.
The reason for the past tense was the frame was bent to the left by a car, just over a year ago.
Keith Edwards
I do not care about spelling and grammar
I do not care about spelling and grammar