Cycling on the BBC.

Never liking to be too quick to the news as it happens, FMFT finally got to settle down and watch the recent BBC4 cycling programme, only a week or so after it went out on the telly.

Luckily for lazy bloggers like ourselves BBC iPlayer now means that it’s possible to still talk about it – even without it being too late to watch it yourself.

So I could tell you all about it and spoil the story as far as it goes, but it’s probably better to watch it yourself. As a cyclist and as many cyclists are also slight bike-geeks it gives everything you’re hoping for. There’s the freedom of being on a bike, a bit of engineering history, some social history highlighting how the bicycle allowed a widening of the gene pool and the emancipation of women, some messing around on bikes and a chance to look into the factories of the iconic companies that make the parts you love.

I still don’t know why exactly it was necessary to go to California to get wheels built, but at least it made a bit more sense than flying all that way just for a headset, and obviously it tied in nicely with the chance to ride the Repack. Either way it left me, and I’m sure many other cyclists out there, wanting to head out and do the same trip, building up your own dream bike.

Although you’re not really a proper cyclist if you can be satisfied with just one bike for the rest of your life, so my money’s on Rob Penn finding himself loitering with intent in a bike shop sooner than he expects.

Have a look for yourself here on the BBC’s excellent catch-up service.

A