LONDON FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE TM
& SUNDAY STROLL TM

From: Week on Wheels <wow /at/ lfns.co.uk>
Subject: [wow] Week on Wheels: one Moorskate to Moorgate
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 15:24:32 +0100

This Week, on Wheels:

* Last week, this week: LFNS and Sunday Stroll news
* Marshal profile: Roger
* Skate maintenance: more than you ever wanted to know about your axles
* Halloween Skate and Santa Skate previews
* Skate off those mince pies!


== THIS WEEK ==

"Around the city with hardly any rough tarmac? How?" - Kensey

Does Summer seem like a distant memory already? Now the nights are
drawing in, do you start to wonder if you actually dreamt all those
warm evenings where the light was only just fading as we got back to
the Park?

Good. In that case you're even less likely to remember that we've done
this week's LONDON FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE route before, about three months
ago. That time we had to cut it short because it was too hot to skate
the full distance and still get back in time. This time, just maybe,
it might be a little chillier - and you know what that means.

Route passes through Fitzrovia and Farringdon to meet the City Road,
then back along London Wall and the Embankment, finishing with a mad
dash through Pimlico and Sloane Square. Half time is at London Wall
near Moorgate Tube: Liverpool Street also only a few minutes away.

                            http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20061013


The SUNDAY STROLL is heading north, as we've been down south for most
of the last month. The half time stop will be at Maida Vale tube.

Lead marshal Bren will do his best to keep the skate at a nice, even
Stroll pace and the roads as nice and smooth as is possible in
London. There will, however, be a couple of short hill climbs, which
are unavoidable. To help you along, be assured that after last week's
unfortunate delve back to the 80s (which brought back painful memories
for many marshals) we'll be putting something less cheesy in the music
bike this time.

                              http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20061015


== LAST WEEK ==

The SUNDAY STROLL saw lead marshal Christian leading thousands of
people in yellow and green T shirts from our start point on Serpentine
Road.

No - wait a minute, that was the Nike 10K. Lots of people getting
horribly tired and sweaty in their efforts to run six miles. You have
to feel sorry for them when there we were, strolling gently through
the late summer sunshine and generally having a great time window
shopping through Kensington and Chelsea.

Ono kept the mood up with great tunes from the FireBrox and we didn't
get horribly sweaty at all and we all made it back without anyone
collapsing or needing an ambulance. Perhaps that's why we didn't get
medals!

Well done to Mike for completing his first Sunday Stroll last weekend.

                           http://www.lfns.co.uk/route.php/20061008/01

Remember, thanks to global warming, Sundays in October provide ideal
Strolling conditions so if you're thinking of stopping skating now the
days are drawing in, read on to our *Skate off those mince pies!*
feature.


FRIDAY'S skate was fabulous (fable n. "A falsehood; a lie"). If the
weather had let us hold it, it would merely have been amazing. Better
luck next week!


== MARSHAL PROFILE - the one we (sometimes) call Roger ==

Roger is the latest marshal to have earned his yellow vest, although
he first got into street skating years ago, doing the occasional
Sunday skate in Paris, and then a night-time street skate in San
Francisco. "Seeing the sparks fly from people's skates as they hurtled
down those famous SF hills was an amazing and inspirational sight,"
said Roggie, his face aglow like that of an errant child extinguishing
the hair of his younger sister.

He found our Sunday Stroll about 2 years ago, and has been a regular
there and on the LFNS ever since, despite the motoring community's
best efforts to bury him. Cars exiting concealed driveways have been a
consistent theme, including one that scooped him onto the
bonnet. "Maybe I should consider rubber pants so I don't slide off the
paintwork!" mused the madman. Actually, Rog, we'd rather you stick
with traditional clothing.

Sqodger is into the occasional game of roller hockey with Alex and the
crowd at the Albert Memorial. He's also a trained skate instructator -
his word not ours. On the hotter days, he has sometimes been spotted
wearing distinctive bright green and somewhat see-through lycra
hotpants and shirt. The one called Cafe Roge also partook in the Le
Mans 24 hour skate race in 2006, which he blames for his interest in
all things lycra. For the record, we think he was born that way.

In his spare time Rogina enjoys finding ways to make household items
smell like a heel brake after an emergency stop. Some things in life
we'll never understand, but in this case evolution will no doubt take
its course in the fullness of time. Till then, give him a few words of
gentle encouragement as he passes in his yellow flappy marshal vest
thingy.


== TECHNICAL AXLE-ENCE ==

Axles of Evil? Prevention is better than cure ...

* With one-piece speed axles bolts (which fit most FSK's and many
speed skate frames) there are two types: light aluminium axles with
a deep 7mm socket and shallow 3mm socket steel ones. Avoid the
latter, you will hit problems eventually
* Don't over-tighten them, but if they keep coming loose, a bit of
thread-lock like Loctite should hold them in place.
* Is your skate tool still up to the job? If the end of the tool is
more round than hexagonal, throw it away, or file the rounded end
off. A new tool is better than a rounded axle.

Prevention? It's a bit late for that mate:

Method 1 (a.k.a "Once more with feeling")

To undo axles that look like they are rounded or seized, drench both
ends in WD40 and leave for about an hour. Drench again, then get your
best tool and have another go. Hammering the tool slightly into the
socket can help you get a better grip. Or sore fingers, if you miss.

Method 2 (a.k.a "If all else fails")

You'll need to drill a hole into the socket end and use something
called an "easy out" or Screw extractor (product code 040213030 in
Machine Mart). It's a big hardened steel cone with a reverse thread
on it, and it hasn't failed to do the job yet.

                http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=040213030

If you break or strip the thread on the frame (so it never tightens
up), you can replace a speed axle with a Salomon two-piece aggro axle,
which should save the frame for a few more seasons.


== GHOULS, GHOSTS AND TINSEL, ALL GOING ROUND IN CIRCLES ==

The clocks go back on the last Sunday of this month, giving us an
extra hour in bed. But we'll be spending it running around cobbling
together bandages and cobwebs and fake blood to prepare for a rather
special evening street skate.

It's the annual HALLOWEEN SKATE. Not only an excuse to dress up (and
how many people do we know that love to do that) but also more of a
reason to skate round the capital and scare the tourists. There are
rumours that an after skate party is planned, but Bren (the main
organiser) was not available to confirm this, as he was too busy
trying to convert the FireBrox into a hearse.

The Skate starts at 5pm from the east end of Serpentine Road (the
Sunday Stroll start point) and will last approx 2 hours, covering
about 9 miles. Please note that this is not an official LFNS or
LondonSkate event, but marshals from both skates will be helping
out. The event is free, apart from the time you put in to dressing
up. And we hope you will, or you'll definitely feel underdressed, if
the pictures from last year's skate are anything to go by.

                         http://www.chuci.org/pictures/2005/20051030/


As announced at the end of last week's Sunday Stroll, we are planning
this year's run of the famous CIRCLE LINE SKATE. This special 19+ mile
LFNS will occur on the 17th November, starting (and ending) at the
usual place in Wellington Arch. More details about the skate will be
available in next weeks Week on Wheels.


And finally, SANTASKATE: a reminder of the festive skate you won't
want to miss. On 16th December our friends at the LondonSkate will be
dressing up as Santa and confusing the Christmas Shoppers yet
again. They tell us that to join in, and to guarantee your Santa suit,
you'll need to see one of Santa's Little Helpers, who will be around
on most of the street skates running up to the event. For more info
keep an eye on the SerpentineRoad forum, or ask one of the marshals
who can point you in the right direction.


== SKATE OFF THOSE MINCE PIES! ==

Some of you might be wondering what will take the place of skating now
that summer has ended. How about ... skating? The fun doesn't have to
stop just because the weather is a little cooler. In fact, it can be
even more fun if you are not passing out from the heat, in colder
weather you'll probably find you're moving faster to stay warm. The
LFNS and Sunday Stroll run all-year round (except Christmas) and last
year only about one Friday or Sunday per month was rained off.

We realise that fashion is important to some of our readers. Many
people find that a long-sleeved t-shirt or similar is appropriate
skating apparel for the temperatures we're seeing currently, but if
you feel the chill, you'll feel more comfortable wearing a few thin
layers as you can take them off once you get into your stride.

And if you don't usually wear a helmet for skating, the insulating
effect of a block of polystyrene around the head is another reason to
start (or you could wear a hat). And we can't say this enough, but
lights are a really good idea.


== THAT'S WHEELY IT, FOLKS ==

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