Davina McCall's Edinburgh to London cyclothon almost derailed when she's affected by 'hypothermia'

I'm with Dunks517 and Bobingnogs she is obviously in need of more self promotion, she really does emphasise the fact you can be a talentless nobber and get on in the entertainment industry.

It's the same on children in need when all the B list tribe rush to be involved. I have nothing against folk helping good causes but would have more respect for them if they just got on and did it without the entourage that they will always have in tow to maximise the fact that they are so smashy and nicey "it's all for charity". Am I not the greatest?

When I was riding the London-Edinburgh-London 2013 I suffered very much from cold rain on the descend part of the road from Edinburgh to Traquair. I can't even imagine what is it like to ride from Edinburgh to London in February.

Well, I've done 120 miles in a day starting out in sub zero air temperatures skirting with hypothermic conditions. All I can say is chapeau Davina

Like most people reading this site, I've never completed 130 miles in one day's ride. Let alone overnight, in shitty weather and in bloody cold February. I've done several charity rides, the Dun Run, and a number of other silly things, and none of them match up to what Davina's done on day one of a week of serious effort. Chapeau to her; she kept going and she got the job done.

@Welsh Boy & @Stealth

As you can see from this link I was talking absolute nonsense.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=positive+mental+attitude&ie=UTF-8&oe=U...

By the way I have been criticised, I will remind anyone in the future not to criticise any other cyclist's efforts unless they have cycled exactly what they had done on that day.

Regards

Duncs

Let's face it, z list celebs need to keep their brand in the shop window or they might face having to live off their lack of talent. Hence, the main reason irksome brats like Davina are always up for charity is to fly their own flag first and foremost.

Makes me a cynic but I would prefer celebs just to go and do charity incommunicado, like helping out at the local Sally Army without feeling the need to bring along a publicist and photographer or incessantly tweet about the great and good they are doing.

As far as I am aware if you spot 'positive mental attitude' in somebody that you suspect is suffering from hypothermia it is time to get the spaceblanket & hot tea out!! It's called being delusional!!
In a situation, under no circumstances should you let them carry on 'coz they say that they're fine.

Else look like a douchebagel?

She's not actually doing a "cyclothon" or a charity bike ride. It's a triathlon. Cycling will be done over six days but only three days will just be cycling. It is also due to include running 26 miles (split over three days) and a swim in Lake Windermere.

We shouldn't judge her from the point of view of a seasoned cyclist. We should put ourselves in the shoes of someone who doesn't go out every week/weekend in the 4 seasons and was counting on people around her to guide her.

Her support crew should have been looking after her which (if this is a true story and not a publicity stunt) they clearly did not.

Does anyone know who was meant to be supporting her. These are the people to blame for all the preparation and execution of this ride.

Also, regardless of what we personally think of her she is doing this for charity. Even if some of it is also publicity whatever she raises in funds and awareness for the charity(s) is better then not doing anything. (As someone has said, she doesn't have to do this or even cycle.)

We all have our opinions about one another but credit where credit is due and a non-cyclist out in the UK during winter deserves credit.. she is a cyclist now! Even if this is a publicity stunt so what its for a good cause and she's riding a bike!

Probably a longer ride than most of you lot managed today though

I bet Marianne Vos et al don't complain when it's cold and windy. And they don't even have any super buff 15 second workout DVDs to flog from it. There are more interesting and inspirational people doing and promoting cycling.

Have you ever seen a James Brown show?

Same principle, different stage.

130 miles in wet conditions is a bigger day's ride than I've managed so far this year. More than a few critics here too I guess, looking at strava footers above Fair dues. (It's disappeared now? Was only pulling your leg a bit chap!)

Cycling celebrities has to be good for general exposure of cycling to the Big Bro-watching non-exercising masses. For that, a chapeau from me.

It's really cold and wet up here, I've the right gear and eventually feet and hands were freezing. In reality, nothing works when it's so wet and so cold, the kit does one or the other.

I would have thought though that with support they could supply her with dry shoes, gloves etc. as required.

Come on guys, give the girl some support, she is out there trying to raise money for good causes, I'm sure you lot are so perfect you have never got home cold or wet because you dressed wrongly.

Good luck Davina and keep going.

Three degrees (or minus three, for that matter) shouldn't really trouble anybody who is adequately prepared, even with the levels of wind chill you can get zooming downhill on a bike. But it is cold enough to have fairly serious consequences for the unprepared. Probably not when they have a support crew on hand, but not everybody does, so it's no harm to see hypothermia getting a bit of publicity.

Pretty easy to get caught out by hypothermia, it doesn't take long to set in. Fair play to her, nobody forces her to ride for charity.

Her condition was totally avoidable:

Insufficient clothing
Insufficient calorie intake
Lack of positive mental attitude
Medics and support staff that recommend you withdraw at the first sign of difficulty.

It's the old cliche: 'a winner never quotes and a quitter never wins'. Although it's the man in the arena that counts, bugger me, her skin is waterproof, a short rest, food and some warm clothing and she would have been as right as rain.