Memorial Ride

We should do it at rush hour on the grounds most fatal cycling accidents happen during the commute and get reported as road incidents so motorists don't have to go through the trauma of delays.
A healthy delay caused around the worst areas by a troupe of riders in white would make a bit of a statement no?

Great idea. That time could be harder for some people to get to though - not everyone works 9-5. I think you'd get higher turn out at a weekend, however valid the reasons for doing it in the week.

We should do it at rush hour on the grounds most fatal cycling accidents happen during the commute and get reported as road incidents so motorists don't have to go through the trauma of delays.
A healthy delay caused around the worst areas by a troupe of riders in white would make a bit of a statement no?

+1

we should invite boris to join in.

+1000

We should invite Boris to join in.

It would be worth letting any cycling 'celebs' know when it is up and running. Sadly that's how you can guarantee more than a tiny mention in the press.

Yeah let's get John Snow to come. He bloody presents the news!

I'll be well up for attending something outside of office hours. For what it's worth, white dress code would seem to be more appropriate for me: the ghost bike thing; better visual impact for any cameras; higher visibility; and less threatening to the public.

Yeah let's get John Snow to come. He bloody presents the news!

ey, i know that pub! haven't heard lottsa gossip there though.

Awesome idea. I'm in.

sounds like a positive thing we can do

i'm in

Yeah let's get John Snow to come. He bloody presents the news!

John Snow... Dressed in white..? That'd be peoetic.

Yes. It has to be done.
I say all in white. Midweek rush hour. Its the idiotic motherfuckers rushing to make money we need to target. If we are late to work so be it, some of us never made it
Silent and slow. I'm in.

There are 4 white bikes in my daily ride now....

Weekends would be best as this is something for everyone who cycles in London to join. Midweek simply would not attract the support and rush hour would annoy people. We need a strong and positive message. One that would be picked up and reported in the media. One that would attract the support of passers by.

my housemate is the photographer for the london paper - will try and get her to come along.

i'd love to come along, but think i will probably be in cornwall. i still don't have a bike of my own again yet... saving up....

i like the idea of everyone in white - reckon it would make an amazing visual impact.

would be proud to take part.....i say all in white and rush hour, if one commuter thinks twice it could save a life, at the weekend it'll just be people who don't drive in the week anyway

I'm in whenever you choose, but FWIW do it on a weekend, its a slow news day you might get local beeb coverage. After all many cyclists in white ghostly riding round the town is a poignant image

as much as i would like to do it in rush hour i just think this will just compound the image cyclists already have of being a menace on the roads and do stupid things to get them selves killed, i think doing it on a weekend would cause as much attention with out pissing people off.
And all in white is a good idea i bet a lot of drivers have no idea what the skeleton bikes are all about it might raise more awareness of them too.

Also Mr G. Photo im assuming you have put this in other cycling forums?

Name the day and im in.

We should do it at rush hour on the grounds most fatal cycling accidents happen during the commute and get reported as road incidents so motorists don't have to go through the trauma of delays.
A healthy delay caused around the worst areas by a troupe of riders in white would make a bit of a statement no?

+1 Yes
Weekends in London are full of 'minority' marches/protests/parades and so there is the danger that a memorial ride would be perceived as just another 'cyclists doing their wacky thing again' and would not have the impact that doing it at rush hour would. This is a serious issue and I for one would willingly take time off work for it if necessary.
Just my thoughts...

I would deff take time off work for this, and would participate in rush hour, thinking it over again as long as the message of the ride is clear then people can't really get pissed off, i have changed my vote to Rush hour. I think the ride should cover all areas of london north, east, south, west so perhpas a cross shaped route. I think a circle would mean you wouldn't hit any major roads and wouldn't have as much impact

This is the first place I have put this as I wanted a discussion before any concrete ideas were made.

This is the spirit. A bunch of cyclist in white on a weekend would look just like that, somewhat festive, it will make people smile. I think we have to make a very serious and strong point: We are slowing you down today because some of us where killed going to work. The daily commute is not safe for us! Wake up, look both sides, use your mirrors. You can kill someone!

A slow and silent ride through rush hour chaos will have more significance, more impact Well worth some time off work

Now, how do we make this message clear?... I am thinking... Its important to move people's perception away from the 'those bloody cyclist doing it again' This is about death, lifes being put at risk

the more it looks like a nouveau funeral parade the more impact it will have in terms of getting our message across - critical mass is just cyclists getting in the way...

...being all in white would unify us and give it meaning which totally works thats a solid idea -

i am reminded of slow brass bands and the opening of live and let die : New Orleans jazz-style funeral processions where a sad event becomes happy...

rush hour will no doubt have the most impact

We should do it at rush hour on the grounds most fatal cycling accidents happen during the commute and get reported as road incidents so motorists don't have to go through the trauma of delays.

i like the idea of this ride / the route somehow being reported as an incident [or series of bike incidents that make up the route] so there is some pre-warning for motorists of delays in the area [on sat navs and news etc]...that'd be mad guerilla style tactics...

incorporating the ghost bikes somehow would be a good way of linking the white riders to the white ghost bikes that people may be curious about... perhaps a collection of them could be paraded float style?

well what about a date?

great idea, i'm in in whatever colour and time is decided. White seems good to me as it is not generally associated with death and negativity nor with being a 'tie-dyed' protest lobby. It would be a bold statement and would be an easy link for the press to the ghost bikes.

If it was to be on a week day during rush hour, as well as a group ride, (that perhaps not everyone could go on), how about spreading the word through all bike sites to try and get as many commuters as possible wearing white. Get the idea in the press a bit beforehand and then hopefully you would get a real impact across the whole of London (or wider) and it could be something regular that grows over time.

For a few days before, everyone hand out flyers at the busiest lights on your commute to every cyclist for half an hour or more - minimal commitment, wide reach, get some word of mouth going.

Just a thought.