Hovis, a boy on a bike, cobbled streets...ahhh the memories

Central London
Ever wondered what it'd be like if you closed central London to cars and let the bikes take over? Well, it'd be a bit like it is with cars really - congested. Only it'd be congested with bikes. Funny that.

Actually that's a scewed view of today's Hovis Freewheel event - a bike focused day in central London. It just got a little congested around the hub in St James' although one cyclist's comment from the above video mustn't fall into the hands of any black cab or motorist lobby group as it would nullify any ground we pedal pushers have gained in the turf war of transport in London.

The below was more indicative of what it was like. In fact the underpass beneath Blackfriars Bridge was a riot of hollers, shouts, whoops, bell rings and horn honks. A better sound than the revving of stationary exhaust clogged traffic, you can't help but agree.

Above: doing something I shouldn't - film & cycle. Not because it's Whitehall and I could have been busted for doing recon for a subversive militant cycle organisation with a view to aggresive direct action. It's just the last time I tried to do anything but concentrate on cycling when on my bike, I fell off and sprained my ankle. Doh!

Adam, Pat, Cosima (sleeping) & Milo getting into the spirit.

I really hope whoever owned this bike rack had lost their lock key and had to divorce the rack from their bike and they hadn't (as I suspect) had their bike pinched for the sake of some short sighted bike security.

Shirt or Squirt: a kind of scaled down, bike-centric It's A Knock Out but without Arthur Ellis.

[By the way, did you know that (Sir) Ridley Scott directed the original 'New World Symphony' Hovis ad back in 1973? No? Well you do now. Never let it be said that Spratticus isn't educational as well as primarily pointless.]