LONDON FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE TM
& SUNDAY STROLL TM

From: Week on Wheels <wow /at/ lfns.co.uk>
Subject: [wow] Winterval Wheels: demob happy
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2006 14:33:42 +0000

This week, on wheels

* This week: last skates of 2006, to Notting Hill and Trafalgar Square
* Last week: West london, with photos
* Keep left
* Santa Skate
* Consumerism gone wild
* New Year's Resolutions


== THIS WEEK - LAST SKATES OF THE YEAR! ==

On FRIDAY we're off through the back streets of London through
twisting mews up to Little Venice, then under the M40 to Notting Hill
for half time. Then it's off into the back streets through Holland
Park and back into Knightsbridge before looping around Hyde Park
Corner and doing a lap of honour past Victoria, Westminster and No 10,
then the final ascent by the Ritz for a last mad dash down to Hyde
Park Corner.
                              http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20061215

The SUNDAY STROLL is a good traditional skate to Trafalgar Square, and
back through Victoria with a brief soujourn south of the river.
Though, honestly, looking at the map it's more like "east of the
river" at that point. Half time at Trafalgar Square, by the Christmas
Tree. "Cos it's christmas. Innit."

                              http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20061217


== LAST WEEK ==

FRIDAY'S skate was just like our Lead Marshal, Sol - small but
perfectly formed and very, very fast. Many skaters seemed to have
been put off by cold, rain and the possibility of local tornados but
those who braved the elements were rewarded with a crisp, clear and,
above all, dry night and an exhilarating excursion around West
London. Proof that there is excellent skating to be had, even in
December.
                              http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20061208/1

== TIS THE SEASON TO BE VERY CAREFUL OUT THERE ==

The season of goodwill doesn't seem to extend to drivers, who are all
desperate to get the latest hi-tech electrical gadget for Christmas.
Any inhibitions drivers may otherwise have about mowing down skaters
are all cancelled by the absolute necessity of beating Geoff to the
last Wii[*].

This may pose a problem for you if you insist on skating out on the
right because you don't think anyone would deliberately run into you.
It almost certainly causes a problem for the marshals, who have to
skate even further right to get past you. At least two marshals
became intimately acquainted with moving motor vehicles on
Friday. Please don't take the risk.

OK, lecture over.

[*] so much wasted effort, really. He says he doesn't want one.


== SANTA SKATE '06 ==

We're expecting over 300 Santas this year. Wave them off from
Serpentine Road at 5pm (or from the Victoria pub, a bit earlier) on
Saturday. Or say hello as they wend their seasonal way around the West
End. If you want to join in, a few (very few) tickets are still
available from our friends at LondonSkate. Don't ask us, ask them:
read the stuff on serpentineroad.com

          http://www.serpentineroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22326

Top tip: bring your own belt - the ones supplied aren't that good, and
it's hard work skating with your trousers around your ankles. Also,
if you're coming to the party afterwards: BRING SHOES. Our friends at
The Vic have requested that no skates be worn on the premises for the
duration of the party.

This is the LondonSkate's main fundraiser of the year so do join in if
you can. It's also the most awesome thing you'll see on skates this
year.


== SKATING STOCKING FILLERS ==

Or, what to get a skater for Christmas...

We'll start with a large supply of COMPEED. Available in large Boots
stores throughout the land, it's a tried and tested way of healing
blisters and smallish scrapes. Leave it on till it falls off. For
cheapskates: give the gift of onion skins (aka Gavin's Ye Olde Saffa
Blister Remedye). Peel off the brown, outer skin of the onion (tip:
don't use red onions) and tape it to your blister. In one skater
study, the onion skin was as effective as a compeed in healing the
blister.

How about a GPS DEVICE? The Garmin Foretrex and Forerunner series are
wrist-mounted and capable of producing a range of output showing where
you've been and how fast you got there. Or get a handheld GPS unit:
they're usually designed for in-car use rather than skating, but also
have street maps, voice directions, etc. Rather not spend that much?
The A-Z still costs less than a tenner.

For the freestyle skater in your life: cones. Starway SLALOM CONES are
80mm tall, non-toxic, come in five colours and don't hurt when you
land on them. About EUR15 for ten. Closer to home (Club Blue Room)
are the Seba cones: our source says "can't remember how many colours
they come in or how much they cost (but probably yellow and orange,
and cost UKP5-10 for 10)"
                        http://www.starwayroller.ch/english/e28cone.html

Cone't afford to spend that much? Plastic cups - traditionally from
IKEA - or get some tennis balls and cut them in half

               http://www.serpentineroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14388


FLIGHTS: send your friends away to Berlin (Sep 29) or Le Mans (first
weekend of July) or St Gallen (Inline One-Eleven, Aug 19) to
experience one of the big foreign races. Cheap flights usually from
Easyjet or Ryanair, book well in advance. Look at the LSST forum to
find out who else is going. Closer to home, the 144 bus will get you
from Turnpike Lane to Tatem Park for the LSST club race (Apr 15). And
Hillingdon Cycle Circuit (likely home of the 2007 London Inline
Marathon) is only a short train journey from Paddington.

Salomon T-Bar ALLEN KEYS - cost a fiver, very good for general bolt
tightening and bearing extraction. Stingy gits, just ask someone
who's already been to Ikea. But be warned, rounding off your axles
with cheap Allen keys is likely to work out more expensive in the long
term...

It's important to stay hydrated skating, especially if it's hot or if
you're working hard. Water is good (beer is less good, sadly) but an
ISOTONIC DRINK is better: it contains electrolytes so is more quickly
absorbed into the body. Energy drink brands include SiS, Lucozade
Sport, Viper, Powerbar and others. If your financial liquidity is not
that great either, make your own. For an isotonic drink, mix 200ml of
orange squash with a litre of water and a pinch of salt.

                            http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/drinks.htm


Five times a day? Fruit and veg are a great source of fibre and
antioxidants, and help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and
some cancers. This rotating MECHANICAL APPLE PEELER (as seen on the
LSST "Sardinia Lite" workshop in September) will appeal (sorry) to the
health nut and the torture fetishist alike.
                                                   http://qurl.net/1cx

Bank account down to the last pips? Use a small knife. Or stop
whining and just eat the skin, it's a good source of fibre.


== AFTER THE BREAK ==

We're done for this week - we're done for this year, in fact. This
Sunday is the last skate of the year, so this issue of Week on Wheels
is also the last until we start back up again. What's to look forward
to next year?

* 2007 is the FIFTH ANNIVERSARY of the SUNDAY STROLL. We'll be
celebrating with a special skate this summer: details nearer the
time, but if you have ideas, or can spare some some time to get
involved, let us know.

* the THAMES FESTIVAL : after the massive success that was this year,
we'll be doing it again bigger and louder.

* RECORD BREAKING - this spring we're planning to break the World
Record for the most people skating in a single line. At the moment
we're still sorting out details with the Guinness people, but keep
reading Week on Wheels to find out when and where.

* the bug in the ROUTE MAPS, fixed. Yes, some of them only display
some of the time; we're working on it.

* we might even do some skating too ...

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trademarks are acknowledged. HAPPY CHRISTMAS, ONE AND ALL


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