Flickr: Portland Bike Lane Stencils

Bicycle Ballet

Bicycle Ballet
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Car free day! Shame nobody told the motorists. Those two drivers who crashed head-on outside the Phoenix gallery would have been a lot safer on bikes! I spotted the mayhem as I was on my way to watch the Bicycle Ballet, which was actually quite entertaining (apart from the smelly coloured smoke!) from my high-level vantage point. It was pissing down earlier on, but the sun came out just in time. Spotted Nick Sayers amongst the 'dancers' - with clothes on!

Critical Mass cuts crime

Critical Mass cuts crime
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Have you ever wondered where the coppers are when you need one? One concerned citizen couldn't believe his luck when he spotted this month's critical mass accompanied by its usual huge number of cycle bobbies and their van. He'd just witnessed a couple of dodgy looking geezers half-inch a bag from a marquee in Brunswick Square. Immediately six of our cycle bobbies sped off on their Smith and Wesson police bikes in pursuit. As we looped back onto the seafront we saw the alleged thieves helping the police with their enquiries. Tip to would be criminals – avoid Brighton seafront on the last Friday of each month between 6.30pm and 8pm.

YouTube - World Naked Bike Ride Brighton: my 3 minute video of the Brighton naked bike ride!

BBC - Radio 4 - The Fall and Rise of the Bicycle: Mark Stephen discovers the importance of the bicycle as a global barometer of social, economic and environmental change.

Lets Talk: cycling: Emily Thornberry MP made a short film for Channel Four on the joys and benefits of cycling in the city.

Cyclists win police court battle: "London's cyclists have won a legal contest against the police who wanted to make a monthly bike event unlawful."

My weird cycle lane website gets a mention in Pikle - Brighton Cross - 31 - Of cycling and lanes (long and weird), of bowling (mixed), and a rainbow of huts - a fascinating piece of psychogeography, a walk east to west through Brighton and Hove.

City gridlocked after bike ride: "Hundreds of motorists were stuck for hours in traffic as the annual London to Brighton Bike Ride once again left roads gridlocked ... Roads were plunged into chaos, renewing calls for a park-and-ride scheme and complaints that rail companies would not take bikes on trains during the event." Well, what did they expect? Bring back the slam-door trains!

Website for Les Cyclistes.

Cyclists bare all for greener living: an account from The Argus of the World Naked Bike Ride in Brighton last Saturday.

And another from Mock Duck: World Naked Bike Ride

Another great set of photos of the World Naked Bike Ride 2006 in Brighton.

Brighton Naked Bike Ride

Brighton Naked Bike Ride
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

The Brighton leg of the World Naked Bike Ride set off from The Level around 10.15am after much body painting and disguising of 'naughty and rude bits' under the supervision of a handful of police bobbies (far fewer than on the average Critical Mass). It was a scorcher of a morning and about 160 people cycled down to the seafront, west to Hove, through the North Laine, into Kemp Town and finally to the nudist beach where they could get dressed again. Some were off to London for the rally in the Big City. More photos on Flickr tho none of the ride itself cos I was too busy videoing it.

York Hill

York Hill
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Hoorah for the council for legalising my short cut from Town to home via Preston Circus with this short but sweet contra-flow cycle lane. But there was a missed opportunity on Cheapside where they've made a cycle lane go with the one-way traffic instead of creating another contra-flow. And on London Road more cycling obstacles have been appearing - see the main Weird Cycle Lanes website for more.

Les Cyclistes

Les Cyclistes
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

Les Cyclistes, devised by David Furnham, is a play of two halves: Danny Schlesinger opens with an amiable Jacques Tati-type mime based around his Brompton with a flat front tyre, improvising with all the weird and wonderful tools that come with a puncture-repair kit! Then Simon Hedger, dressed as a hard-core cyclist takes over and does a Reg-type monotonous monologue about his Audax exploits as he brews a cup of tea in the cyclists' kitchen. There's quite a bit of Clarion interest - first thing he does is shout Boots! to the audience (I replied Spurs! which identifies me as a Clarionnette). Great entertainment - and it's all free - on Hove Lawns by the Peace statue. There's also several films on the go, in the marquee and in the Citroen van next door, including hilarious archive Pathe footage and the company's own film Allez, Allez, Alllez. There's also an interactive bike taking you on a dicey ride around some suburban streets. It's on until 18 June (not Mondays) from 10am until 6pm. Shame the sunshine is proving to be a bigger draw!

the cool hunter - BIKE PARKING: I think this makes the point!

Riders cover up 'rude bits': "Cyclists planning to take part in a naked bike ride will cover up their modesty with fig leaves after being warned they could be arrested if they expose any 'rude bits'. Up to 100 people are expected to strip on Saturday for a World Naked Bike Ride through the streets of Brighton and Hove."

Cyclist in bike ride court battle: "A cyclist has launched a High Court challenge against police claims that a long-running monthly cycle ride through London is unlawful."

Cyclists strip for a naked protest: "Nude cyclists will be riding through Brighton and Hove as the city hosts its first World Naked Bike Ride. Brighton and Hove will be among 40 cities around the world joining the June event, which will also be a celebration of the human body. Wearing just a pair of flip-flops and a cycle helmet, Nick Sayers, 33, from Hove, was part of the 250-strong protest in London last year."