Massive vote for bicycle as ‘best invention’ was part of “orchestrated campaign”, claims BBC Radio 4

FAVOURITE INVENTIONS:

* Bicycle – 70% ("influenced by voting campaign," says Radio 4)

Cat’s Eyes – 2%

Computer – 4.5%

Internal Combustion Engine – 4%

Internet – 3.5%

Light Bulb – 3%

Penicillin – 4.5%

Radio – 5.5%

Telephone – 1.5%

Television – 1.5%

LEAST FAVOURITE INVENTIONS:

Atomic/Nuclear Weapons – 31.5%

Car alarms – 6%

Internal Combustion Engine – 11%

Landmines – 21.5%

Mobile Phones – 7%

Plastic Bags – 8%

Sinclair C5 – 2%

Speed Cameras – 7.5%

Television – 3.5%

Tetrapack© Cartons – 2%

"As good an invention as the bicycle may be, it is clear that there was an orchestrated campaign by some groups to get people to vote for our two-wheeled friend," claims the website of the Today programme.

"Today has located a number of websites that linked directly to this page, calling on its readers to ‘vote for the bicycle’".

Bikemagic.com, singletrackworld.com and bikebiz.co.uk all hold up their online hands and plead guilty. But surely you’re allowed to promote your favoured option in an election campaign?

Come the Labour landslide at the next General Election will the Today programme belittle the result because Labour "orchestrated a campaign" to be re-elected?

Anyway, BBC2’s science presenter Adam Hart-Davis (a Brompton user) told Today programme listeners that the rapid and successful pro-bike campaign was evidence that cyclists had "superior brainpower" and that the bicycle had a right to win on the grounds of efficiency and elegance.