Paint 'spatter' on bikes (1990's). The bike companies have sucked at Marketing for decades. They don't have the $$ (€, £, ¥) invested to market their product on TV, etc. Much as they'd like to think they're hip and progressive, the Bike Industry is still very parochial and very staid in their Traditions. And don't forget that each Bike Market is very very different from each other. USA is different than Europe, Asia, etc.
Unbound gravel - the lottery system. Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad about not going, I live close. I just think they would make more money if they let everybody participate.
Eyy, I won the caption competition! I actually won a bottle last summer, so since I already have one/won: GCN - feel free to maybe donate this one to a kid who's a GCN-fan or something?
A very well known brand recently described their return to lace up cycling shoes as something like "22 points of individual tension adjustment" Madness
Great show as usual. Would love to see a deeper dive into cycling specific prescription glasses options; and not an infomercial, but a genuine multi brand/option approach.
GCN episode idea 💡 Make a series of episodes focusing on “A Day in the Life of a Pro-Peloton (bus driver, mechanic, director, manager, cook, etc.)” Celebrating the hero’s behind the scenes that make the dream work thru teamwork! 😊
#CaptionCompetition: Taking aerodynamic analysis to its logical end, Soudal Quick-Step has reduced the frontal area of its team by fitting eight riders into two bodies.
Bicycle manufacturers have a: 1. Making bikes you can't fix yourself without expensive tools problem. 2. A non round bottom bracket problem. 3. Rubbish QC problem. 4. Claiming to be green and making stuff out of carbon fibre problem.
😂 😂 😂 Aluminium will last decades, carbon will fail way before. That's why carbon aircraft have a short service life, temperature, light, fatigue index. I don't see non destructive testing /inspections being offered at local bicycle shops. Carbon is great but is so fragile.
Biggest marketing snafu I experienced was a Fizik bib short ad saying they fit EVERY rider. They’re only produced in a men’s version. They dint answer my comment about women riders 🙈 love you guys 💗
"Hankerman" - cycling action figure Hankerman captures the essence of a true cycling champion, as he leeds his team to victory. From his sleek aerodynamic suit to his superbike, every element exudes power, style and sheer determination. Hankerman is crafted to detail and is more than just a cycling action figure. Hankerman embodies the true cycling spirit. Made from 100% recycled inner tubes and 15 cm tall. Available in the GCN Shop from 6 June 2023.
Not 'Peak' BS because there will surely be more to come. But well done on calling it out - so much of it, as you have shown, is quite ridiculous! Caption contest: "Please welcome on stage our next contestants in the Italian Riverdance pairs contest Sue and Dal doing the quick-step".
Si, I've tried prescription inserts for cycling glasses from a well-known high street Opticians in the UK, but found the insert too flimsy and they didn't last long. For a few years now I've been using prescription cycling glasses from a company called Optilabs. The frames have survived many miles and a re-glaze when my prescription changed, can't recommend them highly enough.
Not to mention elitist pro wannabe dickheads insultingly referring to ANY cycle less than 1500$ as BSO.(Bicycle Shaped Object). I routinely see these jerks with their expensive cycles and out of shape bodies. I refer to them as HSB (Human Shape Blobs)
I am reminded of a comment in my latest performance review “we thought you reached rock bottom last year, but since then you’ve continued to dig downwards”. If we think this year is peak marketing BS, I am sure this time next year we will have a different opinion. Problem is we constantly underestimate the point at which we reach rock bottom…
Have to say that your channel is one main contributor to marketing campaigns irrespective of the quality or features of the product. Something to consider
They know, but it pays the bills. I think it is a reasonable tradeoff, and there are other channels that offer a different take. Personally, I can enjoy both.
To be fair to GCN, they’re pretty transparent when they drop into shill mode - if anyone falls for it when there’s a massive “paid promotion” banner onscreen, then I also have some magic beans for sale. It pays the bills allowing you muppets to watch content for FREE.
@@dominicbritt Yeah I’ve always disliked that they can’t flat-out review bikes and stuff, but they do thankfully make it incredibly clear-either directly via graphics or just by the tone they speak in. I was originally hoping GCN was essentially the Top Gear of cycling when I found them many years ago.
@@dominicbritt UA-cam pays for their channel, UA-cam get paid by add, and so pay for their application to watch races whereby the commentators do a good job. As for marketing, imagine if you are a client that bought the wrong product based on their advise. How would you feel?
Everything we buy is about marketing. Frankly very few of us can prove or even notice the claims manufacturers make but we buy into it because it sounds good. They can tell us anything and we'd just have to take their word for it, as long as they package it up nice and neat it'll always appeal to us.
Regarding Simon's wanting prescription cycling glasses: the cheapest hack I've found as a -4.25 in both eyes is to purchase a triathlon aero helmet from Kask with both clear and tinted visors. No problems with fogging up, Not a drop of rain on my lenses. Best of all, I don't have to mess around with keeping up with contact lenses to wear when I ride. Would I rather be able to have a set of Oakleys? For sure. At 46, however, I've learned to prioritize seeing where I'm riding and basic utility over fashion.
I have the same issue. While aero helmet with a spacious visor is a solution, it's odd to ride with an aero helmet all the time. Especially on gravel or mountain bikes, So I usually end up riding just with my normal glasses on
I do wonder if bikes are approaching perfection - the last great innovation was disk brakes that do have some significant advantages. Everything since seems to be either fashion or has as many drawbacks as bonuses.
OMG peeing myself laughing, rolling on the floor! PLEASE KEEP THE HANKERMAN!! It was the only antidote to so much bike industry B.S. Best cycling shorts EVER!
Now that Si needs prescription cycling glasses, maybe GCN will finally get around to a video on that topic. I have Rudy Project Rydon with photochronic lenses I've been using for years that I bought from a local optometrist shop
Yes. Please help on the topic of cycling prescription glasses. I am very far sighted with a prescription in the range of +6.0. I am 47. When I was in my 20s and 30s I could wear contact lenses but now need progressive bifocals. I don’t care about aero sunglasses. I know that they can’t curve the lens. But I want large lens that cover up near the eyebrows so that when riding in the drops or aero bars, then the eyes are covered. Also the glasses shouldn’t slip on the nose. I can’t find this product on the market.
My thoughts exactly! The hosts are fun to watch. I appreciate GCN for what it provides, entertainment just like much of youtube content. It's about cycling but heavily sponsored, a portal for the bike industry to promote their stuff. However little journalistic value.
Thanks for having my chain hack on the show! This thing makes it WAY easier to connect/disconnect the master link without dropping the chain off the rings. I have a fancy carbon frame and if I drop it behind the rings (I'm 1X11 now) it would get surely get stuck. I wish I had one of these years ago!
I heard somewhere once the reason perfume/fragrance adverts are so mad is because you can’t sell a “smell” through the TV, so they make the ads crazy to make the brand stick in your mind. I think it’s a bit the same with bike industry marketing, you can’t really sell tangible improved performance through words in a mag/online - so they over compensate with the all the over the top buzzwords and phrases
You guys should do a review of Lynskey's Helix and test if the twisted tubes have the benefits they claim. I have one being built for me and am dying to ride. Reviews are few and far between though
Only certain shapes are possible with prescription sunglasses. Si's goggles aren't going to work. And stronger prescriptions mean the edges have to be really thick
I still think the biggest miss on marketing was for 2 wheels, but with motor. Harley Davidsion released a marketing campaign declaring "Remember over 90% of Harley Davidsons ever made are still on the road." This to a group as sarcastic and unforgiving as bikers for a product known for being unreliable. The response was "The other 10% actually got home." Cycling has become so expensive at the top end, they were bound to emply people to justify it. At the lower to middle end there is a lot of reference to trickle down tech and avoiding mention of where cost saving has taken place. One of my favourites is "quality product" with no mention of what level of quality they mean. A chocolate fireguard is a quality product, a low quality product, but still has a level on the quality scale.
To answer the question on rhino muscous relief systems... aka Snot Rockets. As an X-motorcrosser, I wore full face with goggles, etc... I used to loosen the strap on the tail, push the helmet up sort of pinching your ears and looking beneath the chin bar at a safe speed in a safe location, do the deed, pull helmet back down and re-tighten the strap. I did have friends who just planned on cleaning the chin area and let it fly mid-ride. I preferred the "slow and blow" method. To be honest, I'm not sure I'm ready to see people on the urban paved streets doing this. Seems a little grotesque now as an adult.
Hmmm, crocks in the jungle? The last time I was in the jungle, I had a leech crawl through the vent holes in my Keen branded closed toe sandals and have a damn good feed on my right foot. It was more messy than painful, but the risk of infection in such a place meant that I had to be careful for a couple of days after I found the little git!
I have a subject for your show. All the e-bikes that take up our bikes lanes. Cruise at high speed. Half of them food couriers. Never ring their bell. Pass at random and rapidly. And really mess with a decent biking city system. At least what happens here in Toronto. A problem. Can you discuss?
Si, for vision check out Ortho-K lenses. Pop them in at night and take them out when you wake up to enjoy perfect vision all day, with no glasses or daytime lenses to faff with. A bit pricey but absolutely game-changing, if it is suitable for you.
It started like a normal show but halfway, instead of Pogi wrapped in grandma‘s sofa announcing cycling shorts, there was this strange interruption. And after that Conor wasn‘t like before. I guess the extraterrestrials are taking over GCN. 😂
@Si, odds are your perscription has a high negative which means the back is more curved than the front- that makes the edges thicker than the center. This gets exponenially worse the bigger the lens gets, so large frames (like modern cycling glasses) would get really thick at the edges. They'd be heavy as all getout and if you crashed, they'd try to bore a hole straight through your eye socket. Probably best to stick with smaller frames. Or just contacts!
Gotta say that I think advertising and marketing (not just in cycling) has reached a new level of desperation where creativity seems to loose direction! Lets not forget what you are marketing and focus on that!
Si?!? What opticians did you go to? I wear glasses, I need 2 pairs, 1 for distance & 1 for reading. I don't want to wear my glasses on the bike as 1) they hurt both the tops of my ears & the bridge of my nose 2) if I came off my bike, I'm afraid that the arms would go into my eyes. SpecSavers, (here in Ireland anyway), have a range of sports glasses not too dissimilar to cycling glasses & they put a set of prescription lenses into them for me. I asked them if they could put in reactive lenses for when it's really sunny out. Change opticians. Love your channel.
@@Bu-22 I never thought to look at it from that angle at all bulitsantos. I suffer from Hyperopia (far-sightedness) & require glasses for reading. I am a commuter specific cyclist. Getting my sport glasses with my distance prescription lenses in them cost me nearly €500, but, was worth every penny. Granted, I have never raced! The sports glasses used in racing appear to be not suitable for prescription lenses. If you click on my name you should see the glasses I wear when I am cycling. I do often wonder how cyclists who need glasses to see where they are going manage to race, especially if they can't use contact lenses. I have the perfect eyeball for contacts, according to my optician. However, during training sessions with them, it took me almost a half hour to put each contact in & I couldn't take them out. I have this thing about touching my eyes. Don't ask me how or where it came from.
As someone who has returned to cycling after a 30-year gap, the staggering cost of bikes and the bullshit use of unnecessary technology is saddening. I would say that the only technical advance that benefits the average road-bike cyclist is having many more gears to choose from - my 90's vintage steel road bike has only 12, and my previous bike had 10.
For Connor. they make a "bump cap". it's basically a baseball cap that has a plastic liner inside used in industry for employees that are working in low clearance / ceiling heights.
I’ve seen a couple of Oli’s videos touring the various team buses but think he is missing the “what’s the state of the loo” segment! Maybe Conor can make a guest appearance. Just need to get him a nickname as good as Hanchorman!
It's true about the difficulty of getting prescription cycling glasses. Some years ago, I bought a nicely styled set of sunglasses and had the opticians apply my latest prescription. The glasses were unusable, giving me weird vision and headaches. The wrap-around style threw the prescription totally off. I think one would have to get a prescription customized to the style of the glasses to make it work, and that would likely be outrageously expensive.
That was one of the most hilarious GCN shows on record! Kudos to the nerdy Si' and the boisterous Conor! Still giggling about the preposterous inflatable baseball cap...!
In the US, the BS peaks within the Insurance Industry. Talking Gecko's. Talking Ducks. A man named Mayhem. The way Si clips into pedals, he has a future as a health insurance icon.
the two-by handlebar system… i actually have that setup on my trainer bike, with aerobars added. i can train in my mtb, road, or triathlon position. looks stupid, but is incredibly useful!
My helmet has not helped me make decisions and find my path so far... I think I need to change my bottom bracket to cope with the disappointment. Any recommendations?
Hack/bodge at 12:15 - the Lynskey. He may be playing with all us of here... this is a flat bar bike and he has just sat a road bar on the top for a photo. The road bar does nothing. Yes?
About the full face helmet segment: close to 20 years ago I sketched a design on graph paper, of a cycling helmet with a flip-down face bar (guard) that acts as an aero-faring on top of the helmet if preferred, or using the quick release lock / lever, you can flip it down to use for facial safety as an option any time you like it in that state. Maybe a helmet maker will do something like that.
@@gcn I didn't go further with it. Maybe I should have. It was / is a good design. I opted to pursue automotive products instead. I'll dig through some old things and if I come up with it, I'll reply here again.
This is like trying to market a new and improved hammer..."less air resistance,hits harder than before". The bike was perfected 100s of years ago. It's a simple machine, two wheels some cogs and a chain.Improvements beyond this point start to have diminishing returns.
SportRX does prescription cycling glasses! 16:04 they don’t come cheap but whoever told you that prescriptions don’t work for cycling glasses is a liar😂
Bend is absolutely a problem for prescription sunglasses - although the severity depends on how strong your prescription is. I am especially short-sighted and they have to do some clever mathematics to adjust each part of a curved lens. It's taken me multiple attempts to find one that is usable: the first one, even with that mathematics wasn't good enough - dead centre was OK, but the peripherals were just nauseating. A second company has done much better, and they are good for cycling in (and I appreciate them into a headwind, especially in insect/pollen season), however even these I can't wear for ball sports, as the peripheral vision is still a bit off, so I lose depth perception if trying to catch something. It's the biggest curse of having a strong prescription when you also don't like contacts - cool wrap-around sunglasses are still too much of an optical challenge.
Si, I use Optilabs in Croydon for my cycling glasses. Send them your prescription and choose the glasses you want online. This was a much cheaper option than doing the same with Oakleys from a high street opticians. Seeing well is more important than fashion…..no matter what the marketing department tells you.
The hack/bodge chain holder is used to measure the chain for the correct length before shortening. It holds the chain with tension in the correct gear to check rear mech articulation. HACK!
What is the biggest cycling marketing facepalm you’ve seen? 🤦
Paint 'spatter' on bikes (1990's).
The bike companies have sucked at Marketing for decades. They don't have the $$ (€, £, ¥) invested to market their product on TV, etc. Much as they'd like to think they're hip and progressive, the Bike Industry is still very parochial and very staid in their Traditions. And don't forget that each Bike Market is very very different from each other. USA is different than Europe, Asia, etc.
Shimano 105 Di2 😬 unexpectedly expensive! 💰
Ceramic bearings 😂
Unbound gravel - the lottery system. Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad about not going, I live close. I just think they would make more money if they let everybody participate.
Not so much road disc but the TdeF insisting all use it. Maybe there was palm greasing involved?
Eyy, I won the caption competition! I actually won a bottle last summer, so since I already have one/won: GCN - feel free to maybe donate this one to a kid who's a GCN-fan or something?
I’m 13 y/o, always available
Hi Oscar, Reach out to us on facebook or email and we can chat some more 🙌
Good on ya Oscar. Chapeau.
He’s a winner, metaphorically and actually, and a great guy too. This surely can’t be real? Chapeau that man….🙌
A very well known brand recently described their return to lace up cycling shoes as something like "22 points of individual tension adjustment" Madness
No way
Who?
Great show as usual. Would love to see a deeper dive into cycling specific prescription glasses options; and not an infomercial, but a genuine multi brand/option approach.
GCN episode idea 💡 Make a series of episodes focusing on “A Day in the Life of a Pro-Peloton (bus driver, mechanic, director, manager, cook, etc.)” Celebrating the hero’s behind the scenes that make the dream work thru teamwork! 😊
Nice idea Matt! We did do this day in the life of a track cyclist 👉 ua-cam.com/video/b-o5o90_wGU/v-deo.html
@@gcnit would also be interesting to see behind the scenes look at a day in the life of a commentator particularly the preparation.
Marketing BS of the week should be a regular feature on the tech show every week!
Hahahah is there enough out there for a weekly update? 👀
I thought that was the tech show 🤣
@@gcn More than enough. Let’s see how Campy can justify over £4000 for a groupset. Even Dura Ace’s £2,800 is too much in my eyes.
@@gcn Gut feeling says, there should be enough for daily update.
I think it's safe to say that ALL marketing is marketing BS... for instance, any mention of the phrases "waterproof breathable" or "sweat wicking"
#CaptionCompetition: Taking aerodynamic analysis to its logical end, Soudal Quick-Step has reduced the frontal area of its team by fitting eight riders into two bodies.
*Soudal Quickstep 🙂
@@rob-c. Ack! Thanks! I guess I can expect to be relegated, too.
Bicycle manufacturers have a:
1. Making bikes you can't fix yourself without expensive tools problem.
2. A non round bottom bracket problem.
3. Rubbish QC problem.
4. Claiming to be green and making stuff out of carbon fibre problem.
Though you don't have to smelt carbon fibre so swings and roundabouts it also has a longer service life than aluminium.
Don’t forget about the price they want you to pay.
Yes, each has its pros and cons. You can recycle aluminium easier than carbon fibre.
😂 😂 😂 Aluminium will last decades, carbon will fail way before. That's why carbon aircraft have a short service life, temperature, light, fatigue index. I don't see non destructive testing /inspections being offered at local bicycle shops. Carbon is great but is so fragile.
Biggest BS in Bicycle marketing was all the Hype surrounding OSPWs.
Biggest marketing snafu I experienced was a Fizik bib short ad saying they fit EVERY rider. They’re only produced in a men’s version. They dint answer my comment about women riders 🙈 love you guys 💗
🤦
"Hankerman" - cycling action figure
Hankerman captures the essence of a true cycling champion, as he leeds his team to victory. From his sleek aerodynamic suit to his superbike, every element exudes power, style and sheer determination. Hankerman is crafted to detail and is more than just a cycling action figure. Hankerman embodies the true cycling spirit. Made from 100% recycled inner tubes and 15 cm tall. Available in the GCN Shop from 6 June 2023.
Not 'Peak' BS because there will surely be more to come. But well done on calling it out - so much of it, as you have shown, is quite ridiculous! Caption contest: "Please welcome on stage our next contestants in the Italian Riverdance pairs contest Sue and Dal doing the quick-step".
Si, I've tried prescription inserts for cycling glasses from a well-known high street Opticians in the UK, but found the insert too flimsy and they didn't last long. For a few years now I've been using prescription cycling glasses from a company called Optilabs. The frames have survived many miles and a re-glaze when my prescription changed, can't recommend them highly enough.
I've always said "cycling industry is 20% China/Tawain factory, 80% marketing and BS" 😂😉
Not to mention elitist pro wannabe dickheads insultingly referring to ANY cycle less than 1500$ as BSO.(Bicycle Shaped Object).
I routinely see these jerks with their expensive cycles and out of shape bodies.
I refer to them as HSB (Human Shape Blobs)
I am reminded of a comment in my latest performance review “we thought you reached rock bottom last year, but since then you’ve continued to dig downwards”. If we think this year is peak marketing BS, I am sure this time next year we will have a different opinion. Problem is we constantly underestimate the point at which we reach rock bottom…
15:22 is like a clip in prescription inserts and definitely exists as a product from different manufacturers. So the job is well done.
Have to say that your channel is one main contributor to marketing campaigns irrespective of the quality or features of the product. Something to consider
This video is just another fake drama designed to generate clicks, GCN exists only because of marketing BS so obviously they can't be against it.
They know, but it pays the bills. I think it is a reasonable tradeoff, and there are other channels that offer a different take. Personally, I can enjoy both.
To be fair to GCN, they’re pretty transparent when they drop into shill mode - if anyone falls for it when there’s a massive “paid promotion” banner onscreen, then I also have some magic beans for sale.
It pays the bills allowing you muppets to watch content for FREE.
@@dominicbritt Yeah I’ve always disliked that they can’t flat-out review bikes and stuff, but they do thankfully make it incredibly clear-either directly via graphics or just by the tone they speak in.
I was originally hoping GCN was essentially the Top Gear of cycling when I found them many years ago.
@@dominicbritt UA-cam pays for their channel, UA-cam get paid by add, and so pay for their application to watch races whereby the commentators do a good job. As for marketing, imagine if you are a client that bought the wrong product based on their advise. How would you feel?
Everything we buy is about marketing. Frankly very few of us can prove or even notice the claims manufacturers make but we buy into it because it sounds good. They can tell us anything and we'd just have to take their word for it, as long as they package it up nice and neat it'll always appeal to us.
Like your new Cycling Shorts reporter. Easy peasy for him compared to the other things you make him do. 🤣Well done,Hank!
Believe it or not reading an autocue is the hardest thing Hanks had to do. 😂
@@gcn 😂
Regarding Simon's wanting prescription cycling glasses: the cheapest hack I've found as a -4.25 in both eyes is to purchase a triathlon aero helmet from Kask with both clear and tinted visors. No problems with fogging up, Not a drop of rain on my lenses. Best of all, I don't have to mess around with keeping up with contact lenses to wear when I ride. Would I rather be able to have a set of Oakleys? For sure. At 46, however, I've learned to prioritize seeing where I'm riding and basic utility over fashion.
I have the same issue. While aero helmet with a spacious visor is a solution, it's odd to ride with an aero helmet all the time. Especially on gravel or mountain bikes, So I usually end up riding just with my normal glasses on
Hank's cycling shorts was good. Also, the glasses made me chuckle 🥸
It must be difficult to market a product that is over 100 years old. The only things left are sparkly paint and batteries in every moving part.
That is quite a wild statement. Would you say the same about cars?
@@michaelmechex Autos peaked with the Studebaker Champion. Now they are just environmental disasters with cup holders.
I do wonder if bikes are approaching perfection - the last great innovation was disk brakes that do have some significant advantages. Everything since seems to be either fashion or has as many drawbacks as bonuses.
OMG peeing myself laughing, rolling on the floor! PLEASE KEEP THE HANKERMAN!! It was the only antidote to so much bike industry B.S. Best cycling shorts EVER!
Thanks for the shout out GCN! Was back on the indoor trainer, amd gave me a proper boost of power when i heard my name. 😊
Conor, you need a “bump cap insert” as we call them in the US. Fits nearly any hat and protects against all kinds of bumps into things!
The award for the advertising facepalm has to be the 'Facepalm d'awe'.
Now that Si needs prescription cycling glasses, maybe GCN will finally get around to a video on that topic. I have Rudy Project Rydon with photochronic lenses I've been using for years that I bought from a local optometrist shop
Yes. Please help on the topic of cycling prescription glasses. I am very far sighted with a prescription in the range of +6.0. I am 47. When I was in my 20s and 30s I could wear contact lenses but now need progressive bifocals. I don’t care about aero sunglasses. I know that they can’t curve the lens. But I want large lens that cover up near the eyebrows so that when riding in the drops or aero bars, then the eyes are covered. Also the glasses shouldn’t slip on the nose. I can’t find this product on the market.
For Conor’s head injury issues. You can get things called bump caps, which are hard hats in a cap shape.
Electricians wear these when working inside steel enclosures. Go to a general industrial supply specialist.
Hankerman! Please have this every week, love it
oh golly the irony of a GCN video on BS marketing is palpable
My thoughts exactly! The hosts are fun to watch. I appreciate GCN for what it provides, entertainment just like much of youtube content. It's about cycling but heavily sponsored, a portal for the bike industry to promote their stuff. However little journalistic value.
Totally agree GCN are the biggest BS marketing culprits period.
Lol it's about as ironic as the BBCs new "misinformation department"
@@bikedockbicyclesCGN verify!!!😂😂😂😂
Yet here you all are, following the channel, watching the videos and commenting 😂😂😂
#captioncompetition Reporter: "where is the rest of your Soudal Squad?" Rider lifts arm, "it was me. I fatted!"
Thanks for having my chain hack on the show! This thing makes it WAY easier to connect/disconnect the master link without dropping the chain off the rings. I have a fancy carbon frame and if I drop it behind the rings (I'm 1X11 now) it would get surely get stuck. I wish I had one of these years ago!
I use the small device to measure chain wear. Works like a treat.
I heard somewhere once the reason perfume/fragrance adverts are so mad is because you can’t sell a “smell” through the TV, so they make the ads crazy to make the brand stick in your mind. I think it’s a bit the same with bike industry marketing, you can’t really sell tangible improved performance through words in a mag/online - so they over compensate with the all the over the top buzzwords and phrases
Can we have a vid of Conor and Hank just shooting the breeze? Must be fascinating to just sit and watch them in conversation.
Fascinating is one word for it 😂
Please don't - they'd just break science!!
Came for the marketing BS, stayed for the prescription insert talk, did a double-take at The Hankerman. 😂
Sounds like we got your attention 👀
#captioncompetition It’s called last man standing so we need one of you to quick step up
Caption: In a communication blunder for the ages, Soudal-Quickstep mistakenly sends its Madison team to the Giro instead of its GC squad.
You guys should do a review of Lynskey's Helix and test if the twisted tubes have the benefits they claim. I have one being built for me and am dying to ride. Reviews are few and far between though
Caption: Just smile and wave boys, just smile and wave.
Could you please make this marketing game a regular segment on the GCN show?! Someone needs to poke fun at those marketing shysters
That‘s what I thought too. There is enough gravel specific nonsense to fill at least a year.
Conor - what you need is a "pudding cap." They were popular in the 18th century for toddlers learning to walk.
Caption:
Where is everyone else?
Conner was third in the queue on the bus.
Ah.
Only certain shapes are possible with prescription sunglasses. Si's goggles aren't going to work. And stronger prescriptions mean the edges have to be really thick
I still think the biggest miss on marketing was for 2 wheels, but with motor.
Harley Davidsion released a marketing campaign declaring "Remember over 90% of Harley Davidsons ever made are still on the road."
This to a group as sarcastic and unforgiving as bikers for a product known for being unreliable. The response was "The other 10% actually got home."
Cycling has become so expensive at the top end, they were bound to emply people to justify it. At the lower to middle end there is a lot of reference to trickle down tech and avoiding mention of where cost saving has taken place.
One of my favourites is "quality product" with no mention of what level of quality they mean. A chocolate fireguard is a quality product, a low quality product, but still has a level on the quality scale.
'I'm going shoe related, errrr cycling shoes'. Classic Connor 😂
Lol, this episode is a "Connor's special!" 🤣😂🤣😂
Loved seeing Hankerman present Cycling Shorts, however I think he can really embrace the role with a good suit jacket. And a shave.
A shave! We want to see that tache grow 😂
@@gcn ...into what? I've picked peaches with more fuzz!
Don’t force the poor guy to shave; his aero advantage will mean he will suddenly put the others to shame.
To say nothing of personal freedom
#captioncompetition: Team Soudal demonstrating how to dance the Two-Step.
To answer the question on rhino muscous relief systems... aka Snot Rockets. As an X-motorcrosser, I wore full face with goggles, etc... I used to loosen the strap on the tail, push the helmet up sort of pinching your ears and looking beneath the chin bar at a safe speed in a safe location, do the deed, pull helmet back down and re-tighten the strap. I did have friends who just planned on cleaning the chin area and let it fly mid-ride. I preferred the "slow and blow" method. To be honest, I'm not sure I'm ready to see people on the urban paved streets doing this. Seems a little grotesque now as an adult.
Caption Competition "Hey, are there any riders out there? Quick, Step forward"...
Hmmm, crocks in the jungle? The last time I was in the jungle, I had a leech crawl through the vent holes in my Keen branded closed toe sandals and have a damn good feed on my right foot. It was more messy than painful, but the risk of infection in such a place meant that I had to be careful for a couple of days after I found the little git!
GCN team you don't know how much I love you all 😍
Aw shucks! Thanks 😳
I wear prescription glasses and have never found anything for cycling that I would bear to have on my face, there's a gap in the market there.
I have a subject for your show. All the e-bikes that take up our bikes lanes. Cruise at high speed. Half of them food couriers. Never ring their bell. Pass at random and rapidly. And really mess with a decent biking city system. At least what happens here in Toronto. A problem. Can you discuss?
Si, for vision check out Ortho-K lenses. Pop them in at night and take them out when you wake up to enjoy perfect vision all day, with no glasses or daytime lenses to faff with. A bit pricey but absolutely game-changing, if it is suitable for you.
It started like a normal show but halfway, instead of Pogi wrapped in grandma‘s sofa announcing cycling shorts, there was this strange interruption. And after that Conor wasn‘t like before. I guess the extraterrestrials are taking over GCN. 😂
Intergalactic Cycling Network... it's coming! 🛸
Great show and great duo. Caption competition: I will take quick steps back to the bus I want to sit in front now.
@Si, odds are your perscription has a high negative which means the back is more curved than the front- that makes the edges thicker than the center. This gets exponenially worse the bigger the lens gets, so large frames (like modern cycling glasses) would get really thick at the edges. They'd be heavy as all getout and if you crashed, they'd try to bore a hole straight through your eye socket.
Probably best to stick with smaller frames. Or just contacts!
As an eye surgeon, Si could also consider laser refractive surgery (LASIK or SMILE).
“Like modern cycling glasses” - particularly Si’s! 😅
Gotta say that I think advertising and marketing (not just in cycling) has reached a new level of desperation where creativity seems to loose direction! Lets not forget what you are marketing and focus on that!
GT is a star. MC gave a very heartfelt post race interview on s4c. Great stuff.
Si?!? What opticians did you go to? I wear glasses, I need 2 pairs, 1 for distance & 1 for reading. I don't want to wear my glasses on the bike as 1) they hurt both the tops of my ears & the bridge of my nose 2) if I came off my bike, I'm afraid that the arms would go into my eyes. SpecSavers, (here in Ireland anyway), have a range of sports glasses not too dissimilar to cycling glasses & they put a set of prescription lenses into them for me. I asked them if they could put in reactive lenses for when it's really sunny out. Change opticians. Love your channel.
@@Bu-22 I never thought to look at it from that angle at all bulitsantos. I suffer from Hyperopia (far-sightedness) & require glasses for reading. I am a commuter specific cyclist. Getting my sport glasses with my distance prescription lenses in them cost me nearly €500, but, was worth every penny. Granted, I have never raced! The sports glasses used in racing appear to be not suitable for prescription lenses. If you click on my name you should see the glasses I wear when I am cycling. I do often wonder how cyclists who need glasses to see where they are going manage to race, especially if they can't use contact lenses. I have the perfect eyeball for contacts, according to my optician. However, during training sessions with them, it took me almost a half hour to put each contact in & I couldn't take them out. I have this thing about touching my eyes. Don't ask me how or where it came from.
Can you do a segment on politics within the team, how riders are selected for which events, how personal relationships play into selection and so on?
This has been Connor and Si's best show.
As someone who has returned to cycling after a 30-year gap, the staggering cost of bikes and the bullshit use of unnecessary technology is saddening. I would say that the only technical advance that benefits the average road-bike cyclist is having many more gears to choose from - my 90's vintage steel road bike has only 12, and my previous bike had 10.
For Connor. they make a "bump cap". it's basically a baseball cap that has a plastic liner inside used in industry for employees that are working in low clearance / ceiling heights.
I’ve seen a couple of Oli’s videos touring the various team buses but think he is missing the “what’s the state of the loo” segment! Maybe Conor can make a guest appearance. Just need to get him a nickname as good as Hanchorman!
It's true about the difficulty of getting prescription cycling glasses. Some years ago, I bought a nicely styled set of sunglasses and had the opticians apply my latest prescription. The glasses were unusable, giving me weird vision and headaches. The wrap-around style threw the prescription totally off. I think one would have to get a prescription customized to the style of the glasses to make it work, and that would likely be outrageously expensive.
Bus toilets and snot rockets - best GCN show ever!
Hahahaha you can always rely on Conor for some VERY personal stories 👀
#captioncompetition: After the Giro Soudal is changing their name and sport, so they will now be the Soudal Two-Step Dance Team.
That was one of the most hilarious GCN shows on record! Kudos to the nerdy Si' and the boisterous Conor! Still giggling about the preposterous inflatable baseball cap...!
Second one, ‘enhances the pleasure’, has to be Durex-Ace.
In the US, the BS peaks within the Insurance Industry. Talking Gecko's. Talking Ducks. A man named Mayhem. The way Si clips into pedals, he has a future as a health insurance icon.
the two-by handlebar system… i actually have that setup on my trainer bike, with aerobars added. i can train in my mtb, road, or triathlon position. looks stupid, but is incredibly useful!
Advertising sells you an emotion and attaches a product to it.
My helmet has not helped me make decisions and find my path so far... I think I need to change my bottom bracket to cope with the disappointment. Any recommendations?
Connor and I said "Chammy cream" at exactly the same time, in exactly same way.
Love it when shit like that happens.
Hack/bodge at 12:15 - the Lynskey. He may be playing with all us of here... this is a flat bar bike and he has just sat a road bar on the top for a photo. The road bar does nothing. Yes?
Connor SMASHING IT in entertainment value!
About the full face helmet segment: close to 20 years ago I sketched a design on graph paper, of a cycling helmet with a flip-down face bar (guard) that acts as an aero-faring on top of the helmet if preferred, or using the quick release lock / lever, you can flip it down to use for facial safety as an option any time you like it in that state. Maybe a helmet maker will do something like that.
Wow! sounds like a great little sketch 👀 Did you ever get tempted to get it made up?
@@gcn I didn't go further with it. Maybe I should have. It was / is a good design. I opted to pursue automotive products instead. I'll dig through some old things and if I come up with it, I'll reply here again.
Si's charismatic delivery makes marketing BS alarmingly listenable! 🤣
That's how they get you! 😂
Caption:
“Yes, we’re Quickstep, the rest of the team had to Foxtrot Oscar”
CAPTION COMPETITION: "Which one of you two wants to be the next one to go home early?"
We are learning way, way, way too much about Conor today. I sort of appreciate some of the honesty, some.
I'm with Si, just drop the chain off the chainring to rejoin the chain. Zero faff!
Thumbs up for the chapter on marketing bs segment. Hilarious!
Si, you're right re: the shape of the glasses. But some brands like Oakley makes Rx sunglasses that can work. They're just dual lens vs. shield style.
This is like trying to market a new and improved hammer..."less air resistance,hits harder than before". The bike was perfected 100s of years ago. It's a simple machine, two wheels some cogs and a chain.Improvements beyond this point start to have diminishing returns.
You can buy bump hats shaped like baseball caps - truck drivers sometimes wear them. Try a safety equipment store.
I love the new Cycling Shorts!
10:15 : Si so close to finding where the problem of over-consumption really is...
Hank crushed cycling shorts. Keep that going forward! 👍
Sanne Cant sustained a horrific facial injury from a disc rotor in Paris Roubaix 2023. Thankfully she has made an amazing recovery
SportRX does prescription cycling glasses! 16:04 they don’t come cheap but whoever told you that prescriptions don’t work for cycling glasses is a liar😂
Bend is absolutely a problem for prescription sunglasses - although the severity depends on how strong your prescription is. I am especially short-sighted and they have to do some clever mathematics to adjust each part of a curved lens. It's taken me multiple attempts to find one that is usable: the first one, even with that mathematics wasn't good enough - dead centre was OK, but the peripherals were just nauseating. A second company has done much better, and they are good for cycling in (and I appreciate them into a headwind, especially in insect/pollen season), however even these I can't wear for ball sports, as the peripheral vision is still a bit off, so I lose depth perception if trying to catch something. It's the biggest curse of having a strong prescription when you also don't like contacts - cool wrap-around sunglasses are still too much of an optical challenge.
It's fun to hear about life on the team bus, but TMI guys, TMI 😳🤣
#CaptionCompetition: I don't know about you, but I don't fancy our lead-out trains chances.
Ride London Surrey Classique, in Essex. Hank, never change!
Caption competition: I wish our team had amore riders
"With every stroke you will experience the benefits of a system of specially designed tubes that are stiffer and more responsive"
🍌
Si, I use Optilabs in Croydon for my cycling glasses. Send them your prescription and choose the glasses you want online. This was a much cheaper option than doing the same with Oakleys from a high street opticians. Seeing well is more important than fashion…..no matter what the marketing department tells you.
The hack/bodge chain holder is used to measure the chain for the correct length before shortening. It holds the chain with tension in the correct gear to check rear mech articulation. HACK!