Cycling TV

46kgToDate

Over the last few months I have browsed to Cycling TV a few times.
Tragically,
<confessional> I have come to love the idea of being able to turn on the TV or the Computer and watch bit of great Cycling </confessional>.

The Ads for the Flying Scotsman ARE DRIVING ME BANANAS, apart from that, sometimes its just still images, sometimes it flows nicely, my speed is "cable extreme".

I was wondering if any fellow tragics can tell me
1. If you pay, what does it cost,
2. do you get to lose the BLOODY ADS
3. is the quality a bit better (I suspect not).

Have anyone tried satellite dishes and can you pick up the European Cycling channels?

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Now 64.1 kg to date. (and its 94.9kg but who's counting)

gogogogo

04.05.2007 - Bill Zwecker - Chicago Sun-Times "Turmoil and victory meet in remarkable 'Scotsman'" and "Miller is a revelation here" and "Unlike so many motion pictures, where all forms of mental illness are interpreted by over-the-top acting, Miller's approach is far more realistic and likely similar to the true fight that millions face with this wide-spread affliction worldwide." and "Even for audiences who normally would not be interested in cycling, "The Flying Scotsman" is a good choice, because this film is about so much more."

04.05.2007 - Tom Keogh, Seattle Times - ""The Flying Scotsman's" inspirational tale sends spirits soaring" and "Jonny Lee Miller ("Trainspotting") is enormously sympathetic and appealing as Obree"

04.05.2007 - Kyle Smith in the New York Post writes ""The Flying Scotsman" is different. It's an underdog story with teeth." and "the movie is refreshing in its suggestion that even victory may not cure every ailment"

04.05.2007 - Capone on Ain't It Cool writes "THE FLYING SCOTSMAN is a decidedly darker version of a sports movie because of Obree's mental health issues, but it still manages to tell its difficult story with a great deal of humor and hope." and "There is definitely something a bit different about watching a film about a guy cycling around in circles alone (as opposed to competitive racing in such a film as BREAKING AWAY), but Mackinnon pulls off getting us inside the head of someone whose only real competitors are the clock and his own unstable mind. It's easy to be impressed by THE FLYING SCOTSMAN."

04.05.2007 - S.James Snyder - The New York Sun "screenwriters John Brown, Declan Hughes, and Simon Rose turn those rules upside down in a third act that is less a celebration of celebrity than a sobering look at the costs that accompany it." and"...there are flashes of brilliance here. Director Douglas Mackinnon's racing footage, which cuts between a telescopic technique that offers the vantage point of the spectators and a closely mounted camera that shows Graeme's tunnel vision from the racetrack, is riveting." and ""The Flying Scotsman" is the rare film that stays with its hero after the gold metal is placed around his neck and the chase for glory has come to an end."

04.05.2007 - Steven Rea, The Philadelphia Inquirer Movie Critic - "Directed by Douglas Mackinnon, The Flying Scotsman boasts exciting competitive track cycling footage"

04.05.2007 - Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post review -" a classic tale of the heroic little guy that goes beyond the sport of cycling, told with elegant restraint in this sensitive and beautifully rendered film" and "Miller is key to the film's success, with his earnest, sweet-faced looks and evident dark side. He plays Obree with just the right understated intensity, a believable competitor who fights back fiercely with his wits and a few tight-lipped words."

03.05.2007 - John P. McCarthy, Catholic News Service, writes "Obree's bouts with depression prevent this film from being just a sentimental movie with a formulaic outcome. Director Douglas Mackinnon uses his subject's troubled psyche to generate suspense; and the cyclist's friendship with a Protestant minister, the Rev. Douglas Baxter (Brian Cox), lends a subtle religious dimension." and "Exemplifying the movie's good taste and sensitivity, lovely music and scenery don't overwhelm the central plight of this lionhearted athlete."

03.05.2007 - Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune, writes "Mackinnon, a TV star director making his theatrical feature debut here, has a flair for pace, colour and performances. The writing is more heartfelt than usual for a movie like this; one of the writers, Rose, has been working on the project for 12 years. "The Flying Scotsman," like many movie bios, invents some characters and plays with the truth, though not too much. But the movie, which endured a few bumps and trials of its own on its path to the screen, tells a tale both fast and moving. And when Miller as Obree takes his whirls around the track, it gets your heart pumping and your blood up".

46kgToDate

Oh good, more ads for The Flying Scotsman.

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Now 64.1 kg to date. (and its 94.9kg but who's counting)

grahamspringett

When I lived in Canberra I was told the AIS picks up Eurosport but the exhorbitant cost of a massive dish put me off any further investigation.

But with Cycling.TV, it's all moot. I paid for the annual subscription, it's about 50 or 60 bucks, and you get access to more races and faster speeds. I have a 24" iMac and running 800kbps or even 400kbps feeds full screen looks almost as good as real telly.

Yes, you do get the ads, but only when you try to get a feed you're not permitted access to, and here's my gripe. North America seems to get more stuff than we do here in Oz (although I somehow managed to see Paris-Roubaix live even though it said N America only).

I saw Flanders, Ghent-Wevelgem, Paris-Roubaix, Amstel, Liege, missed Fleche Wallone cos I forgot. That's more live cycling than I've seen since leaving the UK. And even then I never saw the midweek races live (Flech and Ghent Wevelgem) because I'd be at work. And I've never seen the Tour of Romandie!

Pay up, you won't regret it!

In short, I strongly recommend it. It's a very low price for what you get - precious live coverage!