Jeremy Corbyn's 'dream bike' is a bit expensive for a Socialist, according to the Telegraph
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn covets a £475 Raleigh Criterium, according to a column he wrote for Stylist magazine, but the Telegraph think this is a bit pricey
If you could choose your ultimate bike, what would it be? A Canyon Aeroad? A Pinarello Dogma? A Raleigh Ultimate?
If you're Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn then the answer is the latter of the three - a road bike retailing at £475, although according to Telegraph reporter Helena Horton this is a bit pricey for a Socialist leader - although the remark was later removed from the end of the piece.
In light of the pseudo-scandal of Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon turning up to flood-hit areas in a pair of £130 Hunter wellington boots, scrutiny is on the excesses of party leaders.
David Cameron opted for a pair of £12.99 boots for his trip to the floods, but Corbyn's dream of purchasing the Raleigh - one of the cheapest bikes in the Raleigh range - is sensationalised as being a little excessive.
>>> Five bikes we’d recommend to Jeremy Corbyn
In a guest column for Stylist magazine, Corbyn revealed the Raleigh bike was his "ultimate object of desire".
"This aluminium-framed Raleigh Criterium, like my own trusty red Raleigh, is light and therefore fast, but comfortable for longer rides too – I recently rode mine with Olympic gold medallist Sir Bradley Wiggins (shameless namedrop) and it ensured I kept up with him," he wrote in the column.
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At the start of the story it is stated that Corbyn's current old-school red Raleigh bike retails at £475 - a conclusion reached because he said his dream bike is 'like' the one he currently owns, "so it's likely to cost a similar amount".
The Prime Minister recently branded Corbyn 'the real conservative', which prompted the reporter to say his dream bike was certainly not a conservative choice.
Lucky that JezCo didn't choose a £7,000 superbike as his dream machine, or he'd have been hounded out of Westminster.
If you head to the Telegraph story you can also take part in a wonderful poll, asking whether a true Socialist can covet an expensive bicycle. One of the three options is that Corbyn's bike should cost no more than Cameron's £12.99 wellies. If you find one that price, let us know!
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Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.
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