Top Gear - Bicycle takes it

[sgendler]

I have no idea if its a new episode, but I just watched the Top Gear blokes race a bicycle, car, public transport, and a power boat from east to west right across London at the height of morning rush hour. Not surprisingly, the bicycle took it by a pretty good margin, followed by the power boat, then the tube, and then, finally, the car.

 

I'm very surprised that a motorcycle wasn't included in the contest. Hammond was on the bicycle (and was clearly not a novice cyclist), so maybe they didn't have someone to ride, or maybe the motorcycle just wasn't a fair competitor, since I imagine it would trounce the bicycle by a wide margin. AT any rate, it was an amusing bit.

 

Enjoy the first part here, the others are available as links from that page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KTLrVKCoeI

[Mike O]

...I'm very surprised that a motorcycle wasn't included in the contest.

As am I (or maybe a scooter). If you watch very closely, however, you'll see the front of a yellow R1200GS (I believe) that was likely carrying a video photographer filming Hammond.

 

Top Gear is one of my favorite shows. It's the 'I Love Lucy' show of moto sports. Setting aside the crazy races and expensive cars, of course.

 

Mike O

[steveknapp]

The boat did pretty good, and looked like a heck of a lot more fun!

[azkaisr]

I saw that too last night. I love that show! BBC America also had the episode on this week of them crossing Botswana in 2 Wheel drive sedans. That was good too

 

Kaisr

[Kitsap]

It looks like the youtube police have removed the clip

[90%angel]

I'm with Steve; the boat loooked like the least stressful way to go, but it begs the question as to whether the average joe would have a place to park the thing when they arrived at their destination! Also, if everyone started taking boats, it would get just as congested as the roads and be terrible too.

 

I agree, they should have tested a motorcycle, but yeah, they probably didn't have a rider (as far as I know, Hammond is the only "motorbike" (for our Euro friends!) rider, and he was testing the bicycle.

[russell_bynum]

They should have put Hamster on a scooter and skipped the bicycle.

 

 

My favorite part of last night's episode was when Hammond raced Wile E. Coyote and his jetpack rollerskates with a Aston Martin. Now that's good TV.

[BULLman]

It looks like the youtube police have removed the clip

 

Here is a clip of Car vs MC vs Boat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swtfx8Z8yxQ

 

Here is a clip of a Car vs Bicycle

[90%angel]

Or, make it really funny and force James May to learn and ride a motorcycle. Put him on a big wide Goldwing or Harley, just to make it really fun.

[Boffin]

Or, make it really funny and force James May to learn and ride a motorcycle. Put him on a big wide Goldwing or Harley, just to make it really fun.

 

Er, James May rides old Brit bikes....

 

Andy

[steveknapp]

What's the history of the chaps on Top Gear?

 

There used to be a show, 5th-gear I think it was with an Ex-F1 driver... But these guys, just don't know their background.

[russell_bynum]

Hammond was a DJ, I think.

James May is a classically-trained pianist.

I forget what Jeremy used to do.

 

They do have "The Stig", who is obviously a race driver, though his identity is secret.

 

Steve...you gotta add this show to your Tivo. They do great stuff like build amphibious vehicles out of VW vans (and attempt to cross the English Channel in them), have races between a guy on rollerskates with 3 jet engines strapped to his back and an Aston Martin convertible, and flog the hell out of everything from Enzo's to Minivans around their track. It is easily my favorite show on TV right now.

[steveknapp]

It's on the TiVo... The bios on wikipedia FWIW.

 

Clarkston's book(s) are quite good too. But I think the show is a bit more theatrics (did I really spell that right?) than about cars. It's fun to watch, and the filming is pretty good. Clarkston is the Simon of the car world.

 

I need to grab some new 5th-gear episodes to see how they've been going...

 

http://www.finalgear.com/news/2007/03/12/the-stig-speaks/

[Boffin]

Clarkson and May are journalists, Clarkson was expelled from Repton, a pubic school (Private schools here are called public schools - the non-private schools are called state schools). He worked as a salesman for the family stuffed toy business for a while - and is a demon with a sewing machine - then he trained as a journalist with a local paper.

 

May worked as a sub-editor for engineer and autocar magazines before getting into TV. He was fired from autocar for putting a hidden message in the annual roundup.

 

The Hamster started as a radio DJ on a variety of local radio shows before moving into TV, he has a couple of newspaper columns and has written for motorcycle news.

[90%angel]

I didn't know May rode motorcycles; I didn't see it in his bio.

 

I still think it would be hilarious to try and see him navigate the streets of London on a Hog! (of course you'd never hear what he was saying over the bike noise!)

 

[BrianT]

It is easily my favorite show on TV right now.

Absolutely my favorite show on T.V. I never plan to watch anything on T.V., but this show is a must for me. My favorite and the episode that got me started watching the show, was when they were trying to break the Toyota pickup but couldn't. I think it's still on youtube and a must see.

 

I am thankful BBC America carries this show in it's entirety unlike most of the other places that show it in an edited format and cut out entire portions of the show.

 

From comments made during the show, I think 5th gear is or was a competitor to this show. And yes this was the newest episode shown on BBC America so it will be repeated next week with the next new episode.

[BrianT]

OK found the Youtube links for their attempt at killing the Toyota pickup for those that havn't seen it. A definite must see.

 

Killing the Toyota part 1

 

 

[f86sabre]

Brian,

BBC America does not show unedited episodes of Top Gear. They usually trim out the news and other filler segments to make way for commercials. Either way, it is still one of the best things on TV.

[BrianT]

Brian,

BBC America does not show unedited episodes of Top Gear. They usually trim out the news and other filler segments to make way for commercials. Either way, it is still one of the best things on TV.

Well if that's the case it's still better than the 30 minute version shown elsewhere. Now I'm gonna wonder what I'm missing. Are there no commercials when it's shown on BBC Two?

[Boffin]

Brian,

BBC America does not show unedited episodes of Top Gear. They usually trim out the news and other filler segments to make way for commercials. Either way, it is still one of the best things on TV.

Well if that's the case it's still better than the 30 minute version shown elsewhere. Now I'm gonna wonder what I'm missing. Are there no commercials when it's shown on BBC Two?

 

Nope,

the BBC is paid for by the British TV Licence payer and the BBC are not allowed to show commercials in the UK. We do have plenty of other channels with commercials, though not as many as in the USA. The Terrestrial commercial channel has 10% of air-time as advertising, the cable/satellite channels about twice that.

 

Andy

[f86sabre]

Brian,

Like I said, they usually cut some of the news, which is usually just them BS'ing about a few cars and British lawmakers. Once in a while they cut other segments like the Cool Wall. Nothing much. I read somewhere that the show is setup to have pieces removed in order to allow for syndication. It doesn't hurt the flow that much.

[GelStra]

LOVE the show...first time caller.

Too many great episodes to mention adequately.

Crossing the South in $1,000 cars (rednecks & bigotry are ALIVE!)

Ski-jumping the Mini.

Tractors (Towing a 747! )

 

Now....American Top Gear with Adam Carolla??!!

[Boffin]

Top gear used to be a main-stream serious motor-journalist type show, then Clarkson arrived and it started to change. Then he left and the show just about folded. Then he came back and you have all seen the result.

 

Andy

[russell_bynum]

LOVE the show...first time caller.

Too many great episodes to mention adequately.

Crossing the South in $1,000 cars (rednecks & bigotry are ALIVE!)

Ski-jumping the Mini.

Tractors (Towing a 747! )

 

Now....American Top Gear with Adam Carolla??!!

 

The best was when they turned a Reliant Robin into a Space Shuttle.

[90%angel]

Paul, have you heard definitively that they are interested in Adam Carrola to host the American version? I knew they were trying to make an American version, but the last I read on it, they hadn't tapped a host yet.

 

I hope he's not going to be the host! Actually, I am not sure who I would pick to be the host...maybe Leno, since he's up on the Tonight Show in a couple years anyway, and is a huge car buff, but he'd need some funny and knowledgable sidekicks.

 

I'm just not sure an American version is a good idea.

[motoguy128]

I'd love to see Leno do a motorcycle and car show. Just call it Leno's Garage. there was a great article about Leno's collection in Car and Driver recently. It's truely amazing. I know he makes mad cash doing the Tonight Show, but he must spend a sizeable portion of his earnings on his collection alone.

[ghaverkamp]

I'm just not sure an American version is a good idea.

 

Oh, come on. They'll get The Stig to test everything via a lap of Indy or Daytona. They'll love everything about American cars. And a laugh track... We'll get a wonderful laugh track.

 

What's not to like?

[90%angel]

Oh, come on. They'll get The Stig to test everything via a lap of Indy or Daytona. They'll love everything about American cars. And a laugh track... We'll get a wonderful laugh track.

 

Yup...that'll be great!

[f86sabre]

Paul, have you heard definitively that they are interested in Adam Carrola to host the American version?

 

I actually think Carrola would do a good job. He is a certified car nut (have you seen his Datsun 510?) and has some of the same sensibilities as the UK presenters.

 

Listen to this and imagine Carrola's voice replaced by Clarkson's and ignore the others:

 

http://files.phyrefile.com/file/2008/03/02/AdamCarollaOnEuropeanMotorsport.mp3

 

Also, I've been to both Goodwood and the Paris Air Show and everything he says is dead on.

[James Clark]

I'd love to see Leno do a motorcycle and car show. Just call it Leno's Garage. there was a great article about Leno's collection in Car and Driver recently. It's truely amazing. I know he makes mad cash doing the Tonight Show, but he must spend a sizeable portion of his earnings on his collection alone.

 

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/

[velomoto]

I'd love to see Leno do a motorcycle and car show. Just call it Leno's Garage. there was a great article about Leno's collection in Car and Driver recently. It's truely amazing. I know he makes mad cash doing the Tonight Show, but he must spend a sizeable portion of his earnings on his collection alone.

 

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/

1931 Henderson KJ

80ci inline 4. First bike to go around the world. Favorite feature: "cheater speedometer"

[Mark P]

What's the history of the chaps on Top Gear?

 

There used to be a show, 5th-gear I think it was with an Ex-F1 driver... But these guys, just don't know their background.

 

5th Gear is still around, the name is based on the fact that it's on a channel here in the UK called Channel 5 (original thinking huh?). This is the website http://fifthgear.five.tv/jsp/5gmain.jsp?lnk=400

 

Tiff Needell is the Racing Driver - he only raced in a couple of F1 races, but he has done lots of other racing - personally I find his style of delivery on TV somewhat irritating, but the show's OK overall.

[f86sabre]

Doesn't Jason Plato (British Touring Car ace) do most of the really high speed stuff for 5th Gear? I actually bumped into Tiff on the grid for Sebring a couple of weeks ago. He seemed ok.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/r15chp/2008SebringSaturday/photo#5178726533029145874

[Mark P]

Doesn't Jason Plato (British Touring Car ace) do most of the really high speed stuff for 5th Gear? I actually bumped into Tiff on the grid for Sebring a couple of weeks ago. He seemed ok.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/r15chp/2008SebringSaturday/photo#5178726533029145874

 

 

They seem to share it out between them, but Needell seems to be treated as the Racing expert, although as you say Plato has a good racing record over many years.

 

http://www.btccpages.com/driv/platojason.php

[ghaverkamp]

Paul, have you heard definitively that they are interested in Adam Carrola to host the American version? I knew they were trying to make an American version, but the last I read on it, they hadn't tapped a host yet.

 

More info (sort of) in the SF Chronicle.