LONDON FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE TM
& SUNDAY STROLL TM

From: wow /at/ lfns.co.uk
Subject: [wow] Heat on Wheels: A Bicycle Built for Tunes
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 16:08:47 +0100

Look what we Wheeled in this Week:

* Last week, this week: LFNS and Stroll news
* Introducing our new music bike. And what a music bike it is *swoon*
* Marshal profile: Sol
* Extreme weather warning: take care this week
* SkateLondon!


== THIS WEEK ==

LFNS 21st July: Eastern Promise

What's the opposite of West? That's right, we're heading East towards
the City for a change, taking in Russell Square and Old Street
en-route, before returning along London Wall, the Strand and the
Embankment - and the almost-traditional run down Millbank. Magic
carpet optional, but may be considered cheating. Half time will be on
the grassy bit by London Wall, nearest Tube Moorgate.

It will be hot: bring water. It will be freestyling: the
LSFC/SkateLondon demo team will be along again at halftime to slalom,
dance, jump, slide, and generally style in a free manner. Don't miss
it.
                              http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060721


Sunday Stroll 23rd July: It's (not) grim up north

No crossing the river nonsense for us this week - lead marshal
Kensey is wending us onwards and upwards, towards Camden and
surrounds. Like last week's Stroll, we're running it at a
slow pace, ideal for newer skaters and we'll try and find the nicest
roads we can. Can't say fairer than that.

                            http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060723

Remember to check the skate status on the www.lfns.co.uk website - we
normally make the weather call at 5pm on Fridays and midday on Sundays.


== LAST WEEK ==

LFNS: South Park

Er, well we were off to South Park, but an incident in Chelsea meant
we would have skated into an almighty traffic jam, so instead we used
a backup route and wound our way in the opposite direction, without
getting too lost. Sol (profiled below) will be back next month to
take us on South Park: The Revenge.

                            http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060714/01


Sunday Stroll: Ambassador to skating

In beautiful sunshine, Natasha took us on a little skating holiday,
all around the world and then back again. We took in between 25 and 30
embassies around Mayfair, Marylebone and Fitzrovia in true chilled
Stroll style. Accompanying us were the LondonSkate's music bike and 2
of their ASBox portable sound systems, and our brand spanking new
bike.

Did our skate photographer take a photo of you on the skate or did he
have eyes only for the new music bike? Find out here:

                            http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060716/01


======= ANNOUNCEMENT ========

== WE'VE GOT A BIKE ==

If you were out on Sunday you can scarcely fail to have noticed the
new steed that Bren was pedalling: it had four wheels, it's black and
red, and it's Actually Quite Loud (and due to get louder still, just
as soon as a few teething problems are ironed out). A lot of time,
effort and money by a lot of marshals has gone into its creation and
we're all feeling quite proud right now - judging by comments
received, the regular skaters seem to have enjoyed its appearance
too. Unless anything awful happens it'll be back next week and every
week thereafter.

=== YOU CAN RIDE IT IF YOU LIKE ===

Like we said, the bike was funded by marshals (we don't ask you to
send money through Paypal to finance sound systems on a Friday or
Sunday skate, and any monies raised in this way don't come to
us). We're on the skates because we love skating, so the skate will
always be free. But you love skating too, which brings us neatly onto
the next point: how you can get involved and help out.

We are looking for: marshals. Bike riders and escorts. PR and
publicity experts. IT (web design, etc) people. DJs (people who can
compile music mixes for the bike to play). First Aiders. Other people
with skills we need that we don't even know we need yet (obviously,
we're not actively looking for those, but we would be if we knew who
they were). Stand up! Make yourself known! Go to our feedback form and
pen us a few lines! (But please don't send us music mixes unsolicited,
talk to us first).

                            http://www.lfns.co.uk/feedback.php#contactus

=== IT'S GOT A BASKET, A (HUNDRED DECI) BEL AND THINGS TO MAKE IT LOOK
GOOD ===

Actually it's got a basket, a 2000W amplifier, two Celestion SR1 Mk 2
PA speakers, two 12" subwoofers (the "rocket tubes" are not just for
visual effect), a fiendishly complicated USB/CD/MP3 head unit, a
battery which has powered it for over three hours, and a capacitor
with some seriously funky blue LEDs. And 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. But all that's nothing compared to the stitching on the
seat cover.

                         http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060716/39
                         http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060716/73
                         http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060716/76
                         http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20060716/78


(Syd Barrett, RIP - you will be sorely missed.)


== MARSHAL PROFILE - Sol ==

Friday's Lead Marshal was Sol, the only woman to lead the LFNS on
Fridays. And she always wears orange.

'Sonic' to her friends, she resembles the famous hedgehog in being
fast (she was in the Ladies' A team that came fifth in Le Mans this
year), not liking water (no, I didn't know that about Sega's Sonic
either) and looking nothing like a hedgehog. She has also been known
to wear blue (because they're the LSST colours) but only if she can
have orange underneath.

Sol comes from Estonia where she learned to ice skate as a child. She
has lived in London for 13 years and started skating here five years
ago. Two and a half years later, she took up marshalling and she
hasn't looked back since. She skates every chance she gets and races
regularly. Last month she was even one of the lunatics who skated to
Brighton with the cycle run.

In Real Life, Sonic is a pillar of respectability. She has been
married for 12 years and has a 7 year old daughter (who also
skates). She is a pillar of the her school PTA and a brilliant
cook. (She has a part-time business making novelty cakes and eating
her samples is one of the perks of marshalling!)

On the skate, though, she reverts to the punk rocker who used to get
in trouble with the police in Estonia - a sort of Dr Sol and Mr
Sonic. (But, unlike Dr Jekyll, she is totally loveable in both
guises.)


== PHEW! WHAT A SCORCHER! ==

In case you haven't noticed, it's been a bit hot lately. At the time
of writing, we are hitting record temperatures. The forecast for
Friday is that it will be cooler but, possibly, more humid - which
makes skating a sticker experience because you don't sweat as easily.

This might be a good time to remind people that last summer saw
several runners in a half marathon die of HEATSTROKE. Heatstroke is
not a joke - NHS advice is that you need to dial 999 and get yourself
to hospital if you pass out because of the heat. So:

- If you feel faint, dizzy or nauseous STOP SKATING. Get out of the
sun and rest.
- Bring water or a sports drink and drink it - before you feel
thirsty. Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics, so in this weather it's
best to avoid drinks that contain them.

People die of heatstroke in part because one of the symptoms is
confusion. You stop thinking straight. So if you see someone who is
losing control and appears over-heated, talk to them. If necessary,
call one of our First Aiders (in the green vests).

NHS Direct says: "The seriousness of heatstroke should not be
underestimated. You can die from the condition as a result of heart
failure, kidney failure or brain damage caused by excess body heat."
Be careful out there.


== SKATELONDON ==

SkateLondon 2006 will take place on the 22nd July (this Saturday) at
the Imperial War Museum in Southwark (nearest tubes Lambeth North or
Elephant and Castle). It will be the English IFSA cup. It has been
organised by the LondonSkaters Freestyle Club, the brand new English
freestyle skaters association.

Skaters will be able to compete in the official IFSA Speed Slalom,
Style Slalom and High Jump on Saturday the 22nd - additional
activities (tbc) include Free Jump, Slide Contest, Tug of War, and
Rollerbasketball.
                                        http://www.skatelondon.com/


== AND LASTLY ==

If you like this email, pass it on! We've started Week On Wheels only
a few months ago and already the audience is growing fast. But we'd
like it to grow faster. If you have friends who are interested in
skating, why not forward them this mail (no spamming, please, we're
British) and let them know how to subscribe and get their own copy.

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                           http://www.lfns.co.uk/feedback.php#contactus


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