"Those London Lights": Late Night Ride, Thurs Dec 4th

Bastard fucking Coppers!! He should loos his job over that just like the twat in CM NYC! Get his badge and throw it away! CUNT!!

Is the Geekhouse Ok H?

where are the yellow squares? they are lovely

dude they are not just yellow. they move through all the colours......gorgeous

I think the coppers were gagging for a bit of hot salt beef, and knowing that we'd get there first and clear them out, had to act. To be honest the main guy seemed a bit nervous and defensive, as if he was thinking "shit shit shit shit shit!".

Still don't know where Simon J disappeared off to.

Thanks PJs for the ride. And while it maye have taken twice as long as it was supposed to it merely meant I got to spend more time on my bike with the awesome forumers. It's always a pleasure to be riding with you guys and great to meet so many new people each time as well. Thanks for the awesome route.

Cornelius, you are a rock steady legend. I'm fairly sure I saw you diffuse about 3/4 situations even before the police incident and you kept everything cool there as well. Cheers for all the help and hope the lack of sleep today hasn't been too bad. Personally I just woke up like 45 minutes ago, hehe. The joys of being a student. That said it still wasn't enough sleep. I got into my flat just as my flat mates were getting up to get ready for college, it was awesome.

Everyone else as well who helped out at the scene. Giving details, making sure Henry had enough clothes to try and keep a little warm, wrangling up the milling crowds. Sorry I don't know all your names (I'm terrible with them at the best of times) but you guys rock and I am honored to have the chance to ride with you guys.

Henry, glad your ok and checked the bike over. Did you get breakfast in Oxford and what time did you get up? I still think you're a bit of a tool for turning down medical attention from the guy with the big green first aid kit but ah well, what's done is done. Nothing aching too much I hope and good luck with the project extension. I'm sure the accident won't hold you back in the slightest from Japan (considering you walked away from the accident and your first thoughts on being hit were Japan) but take it easy out there and don't piss off any snowboarders as they can have a tendency to cut people up as well.

Thanks to everyone who helped each other out through out the night, it's always great to see that, especially in London, where comradery and chivalry are fast dying ways. I will hopefully see you all on the next ride and hopefully by then I will have had the time to buy the fairy lights for my bike and properly pimped it out. I expect more and more bright colored garishness from you all as we come closer to the holidays (not that you really need an excuse).

Cheers again for a great night.

PS. Some awesome pics on the wall: nice. Off to my first day at a new job :)

It is always comlicated the the police. A freind on my Dads was knocked off his bike by the police over a year ago and they have only just admitted liability. They kept on changing the story despice there being witnesses. It is shit. Heny, I really hope you resolve this quickly and positively. The main this is that you are ok now and the bike is fine.

Shit only just saw the stuff about Henry getting mowed down by the P I G's, hope he mends soon. Sorry I disappeared early guys was getting late and I've had a long ol day at work so far!
The ride was amazing, brief highlights for me:

Cornelius and crabtree, you guys both have such a great sense of humour, keeping the laughs goin all night, and almost getting busted shortly after we sat down by the greenwich footpath!

Crispin glover and his crazy pavement mounting and dismounting!

Meeting so many cool people and everyone having such a great attitude and creating such a great vibe.

The two jobsworth security guards in broadgate, thanks for giving me endless ammunition to take the piss out of you whilst I was waiting for crazy exploding inner tube guy to fix his puncture.

Just about scraping throught 4 red lights in a row with pajamas hillbilly and a couple of others before realising we had left pretty much everyone behind!

The greenwich footpath......never has so much fun been had, by so many, in such a small little tunnel, awesome!

The trippy blue led lights, i'm sure I didn't take any acid last night.......did I?

Giving away a sesame snap mid ride, whilst almost hitting a bollard! great fun.

All in all a great night out and despite the mechanical gremlins that kept plaguing us, I really enjoyed myself.

SHit Henry! heal quick man, just think of the other side man.. lifes gonna get so much better! you better be out for the christmas drinks or we'll organise a mass Oxford night ride to head up and BITCH slap you to a higher State of HTFU!

That photo of the "light floor" is right outside my office!!
What time was it taken? I was back there from drinkies around midnight.

Sleep in the office again Hippy?

Bastard sesame snaps!

I'm going to buy a whole box today, in leu of having none last night.

That photo of the "light floor" is right outside my office!!
What time was it taken? I was back there from drinkies around midnight.

Think we were still there gone midnight. Perhaps just after.

Bastard sesame snaps!

I'm going to buy a whole box today, in leu of having none last night.

Sorry dude, I gave them all away by the time I got to you!
I'll have to bring some extras next time!

I'd forgotten about my exploding tube (or Fiddy's - I owe you). Two old semi-retired security guards on their last gig before putting the slippers on permanently, rock up to find 50 bikes riding around Broadgate and try to figure what the hell is going on. They ask, they are reassured, the relax a little...then BOOM!...it's all been a sophisticated distraction and the bad guys have finally arrived. I swear both their jaws dropped and they nearly hit the deck for cover....

"Airforce One, Airforce One, Polly Has Her Pants Down, repeat Polly Has Her Pants Down, request Immediate Cover, over......oh hold on - inner tube not seating, you say?"

Hey, that was a great ride. I had a lovely time! Some genuine surprises there, like revisiting the former seat of London government, which is a slightly better building than the current seat. Tron Square, where I'd been before during the daytime loads of times but never realised ... and being so dazzled going at about .5mph that I hit an invisible bench and stacked it. D'oh!

All in all, lovely company, very competent riding all round, some seriously impressive bike handling, nice whizzy fast bits and twisty turny slow bits. Many highlights--Christmas decorations, webby fairy lit trees, Regent Street, east and west connected (so I imagine everybody got to see things they hadn't seen in a while, for me that was west London), getting a sense of ownership of lots of public spaces, giggling a bit at the three Tron security blokes' 'this is a private estate, you will have to get off your bikes and walk', the cyclo cross sprint carrying the bikes up the stairs to Westferry Circus, clack clack clackety clack, the London Eye lights. Nice group photo location, too!

And great timing getting to Westminster Bridge and hearing Big Ben strike 3.

Concerning riding surfaces, this ride was a real variety show, with Thames path twistings and turnings, especially where the riverside has been privatised and you can't carry on in a straight line. I felt mounting anger at times at people's inability to lay decent cobblers and delight at finding some old ones that were a delight to ride over. (They don't make 'em like they used to.) It's probably a silly thing to get upset about but why not make an effort?

I couldn't believe how busy W1 was at this time of night (3-4am) with victims of motor dependence. It was just like daytime traffic. Some seriously unhappy people out there, so it was good that we brought a sliver of joy to their sad lives. ;) The idiots who don't realise that even if they race ahead in London causing road danger all that will happen will be that they get stuck in the nearest queue or at the next set of lights, which is duly what happened to the pushy Mercedes driver. Small matter. They should all go on a ride sometime and see the lights.

Sorry you actually did get hit by that Coke, fresh, at first I thought no-one had been hit and I was right behind but I clearly didn't see that properly.

And heal up very soon, Henry, I was so glad when you got up and walked, it looked much more serious at first! Glad your bike's OK, too, as a bonus. Good luck with any ongoing proceedings! There are some good lawyers in London who specialise in car-bike collisions, PM me if you still need any recommendations, but it sounds as if everything's already in good order.

Major props to Pajamas for pulling it all together! It was a great theme to the ride, lots of variety, sensible decision to limit numbers, went to very unusual places, avoiding some of the more obvious destinations but that really gave a sense of purpose. Loved it. Cycling is definitely the best fun you can have with your pajamas on.

Bastard sesame snaps!

I'm going to buy a whole box today, in leu of having none last night.

It has to be chocolate Sesame Snaps FTW. Great food to share on a ride!

That's literally the most depressing photo I've seen all hour.

Thanks everyone. Even though i hadnt planned it. was glad for the distraction, and nice to ride with a bunch of fixed people for once. Never ever seem to see fixed people down my own regular channels(oo - er). Shall make an effort to come on the next one. and would have stuck with it had i not been in the pub all night and hungry. Good job i left when i did though, as i got a flat about 15 mins after i left you, which would have just slowed you down even more! Shitter about the cops + eyebrows. unbelievably stupid people.

is there a christmas ride scheduled?

Oh, and just in case anyone's up for a longer night ride to Brighton TONIGHT, reasonably fast-paced, hop on over to the thread:

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread13392.html

We'll need to await whether it's freezing tonight, it's looking pretty wet right now, so temperature out in the countryside will be the clincher. But for people who like to make quick decisions, meeting time and location is 10pm at Hyde Park Corner under Wellington Arch. I'll be there in any case even if we don't end up going on a ride for whatever reason.

So far, the weather forecast for East Sussex is looking good, well above freezing, possibility of crosswinds at first that will be turning into a tailwind around midnight.

We should make Brighton at around 3 if all goes well, have a bit of food (24-hour opening caffs in Brighton, there is also a train back to London at 3 for those who don't want to go back) and then the plan is to go back to London, but we'll decide when we get there.

Post on the thread if you want to come, thought I'd alert some people I now know to be inveterate night riders. ;)

Cornelius, you are a rock steady legend.

+1 I was thinking about this last night when I got back in. Just as a ride without a Corny spill is not a true ride, the forum without Corny wouldn't be the true forum.

getting to know your forum pt.1

Cornelius Blackfoot : "The Ambassador"

Always there helping the guys in trouble out, always there pouring oil on troubled waters.

You really are a rock big man.

testify.

Last night, around 7:30 I saw a group of about 8 pedalling police standing on Houndsditch by the Barracuda pub (bythe huge building site). Were they anything to do with this?

Where is Tron Square? Part of Broadgate?

Cycling is the most fun with your pajamas on.

fixed! :)

That's literally the most depressing photo I've seen all hour.

Ah, you should have seen it when it was still up (Linscott Road, E5). It was beautiful and uplifting--admittedly, this photo isn't very good but I couldn't find a better one. Perhaps I'll do an edit later to replace it. It was a combination of location, the building (very tall--standing in front of it makes it all grand and awesome), the white lettering and the message. Planning permission ran out, the building was redeveloped, and despite early mutterings they never restored it. :(

Work no. 203 by Martin Creed.

I think it's a beautiful photo, must have been great to hit that on the way back home Oliver.

Good to see you last night too!