LONDON FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE TM
& SUNDAY STROLL TM

F I R E B R O X

New to the skates in Summer 2006, the Firebrox. 2000 watts of music power, a pair of Celestion SR1 MK2 PA speakers (measured at over 120 dB) , two 12" subwoofers (the "rocket tubes" are not just for visual effect), a fiendishly complicated USB/MP3 head unit and a capacitor with some seriously funky blue LEDs.

The Brox Compact bike it's built on has 52 gear ratios, an articulated frame, and disc brakes all round, so even stands a chance of not running you over if you stack in front of it. We reckon it took about 150 hours of volunteer labour to get ready for the skate, we're currently on version 2, and the bike team is already thinking about Version 3 (much to the annoyance of their significant others).

But in the meantime, DJ Joe's collectic eclection is brightening up the skates each week, and everyone who's spoken to us (minus a couple of taxi drivers) is loving it. If you want to help things run more smoothly and make the rider's life easier (and who wouldn't?) here are a few pointers:

• Pushing the bike is welcome on uphills or fast sections - whenever the bike is moving slower than the skate. Please, though: push the black bit between the two speakers at shoulder height (you can put your hand flat and just shove forwards.) Please push forwards not downwards. Pushing downwards has the risk of snapping the axle, and you will cry if the bike collapses and lands on your foot. (Not nearly as much as we will cry when faced with the repair bill). Please only one pusher at a time, or you will get tangled up. If there are two of you, one person pushes you, and you push the bike. If there are skaters in front of the bike, there's rarely any point in pushing it, because it's nigh-on impossible for it to get around people if they're taking up a lot of space.
• Clearing a path is very helpful if the skate's waiting at traffic lights and the bike's somewhere in the middle - it wants to be at the front. Move out of its way, ask others to do likewise. Please stop short of threatened or actual violence, though, it gets messy.
• If you'd like a chance to ride the bike, get in touch. We strongly recommend starting with a Sunday, which you'll find considerably easier than keeping up on Friday's Black run.
• Music suggestions: these days it seems like everyone's a DJ. If you think your musical tastes or mixing skills deserve showcasing on the skate, again, get in touch.