London Fixed-gear and Single-speed

After spending the last half a year researching and being very much involved in the Ghost Bike project as I create a book I have been moved by the unity within the cycling community not just on this forum but all over, while documenting and collating data I have decided to put across an idea.

I believe we should have a date set in our diarys where everyone takes part in a memorial ride in Central London, The point of the ghost bikes is not just as a memorial to that specific cyclist but to serve as a reminder and a memorial to all cyclists who have died. I believe this is what the ride should do as well, not only serve as a time to reflect on the vulnerablility of cyclists but also hopefully raise awareness.

I have not put this in the rides section as I would not be best suited to organizing this as I have a rather hectic life at the moment, and am also not based in London. What I believe should be done is we set a single date or possibly two a year where we would ride a specific high profile route through London, this is not to cause disruption although this would inevitably happen and would help to raise awareness through the disruption of traffic, it is more to just raise awareness, and to show our support to the friends and families who have lost loved ones. I believe we should include various landmarks within the route which might include such places as Parliment, Trafalger Square etc.... I believe that if we impliment a dress code such as black suits then this would be a striking image to see, and somehow have the names of the people who have been killed on the roads in London displayed throughout.

I am aware that this idea is not very structured but I think it is something we should do, and I think that the Eilidh memorial ride touched so many people that we need to do this.

just an idea, open to discussion

Nick

Nick
I think this could be an excellent idea and would be happy to help in any way the discussions see fit.
I'll be keeping a close eye on the thread.
Ed

Might be just an idea but it's a good one... who organised the ride for Eilidh ride?

i like this idea Nick, They do this in the US no the same date every year, its a nice way to remember those without the permentant fixture.

I have all the locations of accidents that could go into the route, but i am out for 2 weeks now so can't help out for a while.
The Eilidh ride was a group effort using her commute and Bills knowledge - it wouldn't take much to do it again

Thats cool greasy as I said this is just an idea, and one that I think may take a while to develop.

i'd be happy to help out in any way.

ditto - will help if I can

A touch funereal.

Perhaps a heavy white dress code for a combination of ghostly and angelic.

Still a good idea though.

this is good idea, i'm also sure the families of the victims would also interested in taking part.

it would be great if this ride could generate some widespread awareness of the dangers cyclists endure on a daily basis. i think it's a crap that part of my cycle (commute) route has now been painted over from green to black.

I am also happy to help in any way if I can

Happy to help again in any way I can.

I would agree with that. Take the idea of the ghost bike to the road. A great way to raise awareness. (and keep you visible)

It's a great idea.

A simple central route would be good - like cut down version of the tweed one -where it would be very visible, including BoJo's house, Houses of P etc. Short-ish to allow for a lot of people. Finishing somewhere where there could be access for the press.

A large group of cyclists all in white would present a more striking image I think. Can even wrap a couple of crepe-bandages around your frame (if it isn't raining) to make the bike white too.

A lot of cycling gear is black, so that's quite a normal sight. People dressed all in white is not usual in this country and would stand out more.

It ties in much more with the ghost bikes themselves as well, if the riders are in white.

I'd be up for this, any day. Just name a date.

If we hammered off a shedload of flyers and dropped them in bike shops, they might agree to hand them out to customers. Although, I wonder if the might worry about promoting the image of cycling-can-kill-you. But blagging the office photocopier for a while and boshing them on the counters of my local bike shops, I could do that... If a date can be organised and a decision made about what we do/route we take etc. then I'll help wherever I can.

So...

Midweek or weekend?

A sunday perhaps, when the roads are quiet? Or midweek when the roads are full and it will create more impact?

I think a colourful/happy dress code (most of the rides i've seen on here are usually quite colourful anyway, so it would be what people normally wear) with a black armband would be more suitable. It would show more of a message that cyclists are going to be on the roads whatever happens and it's not us who should change. The black armband would be the sign of respect.

I think this is a great idea, all white is the way to go so it shows some kind of relation to the ghost bikes, in my opinion.

+1

Its been done several times here, if you ride/walk around holborn, clerkenwell, Dalston and a few other places there are several ghost bikes in memorial to our fellow cyclists that have had their lives cut short.

Some have messages, and I think other just have a bike with flowers or similar things.

Oh, okay, sorry. I am a newbie.

Everyone was new once...

Saturday, IMO. Most people available to go on the ride, most visibility to shoppers etc.

Of course anything from TCR east to Shorditch is very quiet on a saturday, could reach a lot of people (actual londoners/commuters rather than tourists) by hitting the city on a week day.

Maybe we could swing by Boris' gaff at some point as well

Saturday is good. And people don't need to take a day of holiday to go.

It feels to me like this would need to be done quite soon, I think - like, by late August/early September. Don't quite know why. Maximum visibility with the extra sunlight perhaps.

Anyone know how long it took to organise other rides? Is 4-6 weeks enough time to get it arranged? I know you have to clear the route with the police and I don't know how long they string the paperwork out for.

We should invite Boris to join 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?

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.

+1

+1000

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.

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

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.

+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

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.