The Bike Show presents the British premier of Raes’s Symphony for Singing Bicycles

Have you ever dreamt of playing in a symphony? Have you heard of the early-20th-century-futurists favoring the street over the canvas or the stage? Maybe Godfried-Willem Raes’s 2nd Symphony could be your chance. And, it isn’t even very difficult: join the symphony with your bicycle. We carefully prepare and tune your instrument; you and bicycle orchestra ride in a long row at a regular pace; the last cyclist overtakes the whole group. The Symphony will delight in a wonderful and exciting way.

Godfried-Willem RaesThe Bike Show is organising a performance of Godfried-Willem Raes’s (pictured, right) second symphony for ’singing bicycles’. It will take place on the morning of Saturday 7 July on London’s South Bank. This is first day of racing of the Tour De France’s Grand Depart in London, and the Symphony will almost certainly be the most eccentric contribution to a weekend of cycling in the capital. Continue reading

2 July 2007: The Lowdown on Cyclosportives

CyclosportiveIn conversation with Julian Bray, a journalist and rider with the Rapha Condor team. Julian came to competitive cycling after falling in love with the continental tradition of the cyclosportive: mass-participation road races of historic or cultural significance, such as the annual Etape du Tour and the Gran Fondo Campagnolo. We discuss the appeal of cyclosportives, the practical issues of how to rider one and Julian gives his impression of the London-Canterbury ‘British Etape’ cyclosportive and his all-time Top 5 events. Also in the show a chance to win one of three copies of a new DVD about the route of the 2007 Etape and two tickets to a talk at London’s Design Museum by the curator of a new exhibition about fixed wheel bicycles. Continue reading

25 June 2007: Flandrien

Preview of a new exhibition of stunning photographs by internationally acclaimed photojournalist Stefan Vanfleteren that capture the essence of Flemish cycle racing. Interviews with Vanfleteren and with British former world champion Tony Doyle and three times Paris-Roubaix winner Johan Museeuw aka ‘The Lion of Flanders’. Live music from the sensational Orchestre International du Vetex. If you can’t make it to London to see the exhibition, some of the photos appear in the current issue of Rouleur magazine and a book is also available.

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18 June 2007: Style on two wheels

StyleT’ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it. Andrea Casalotti of Velorution and Jean-Marie Orhan (Frenchman-about-town and founding member of the Tweed Cycling Club) offer sartorial advice to urban cyclists. Tribute is paid to the stylish riders of the golden era of professional bicycle racing, including a pilgrimage up Le Mont Ventoux to the spot where stylish British cycling world champion Tom Simpson collapsed and died in the 1967 Tour. Philippe Bordas, former cycling reporter for the L’Equipe newspaper, laments the new era of blood doping that has replaced heroic athlete-artists with boring man-machines.

Upcoming events: Pret A Rouler fashion show on Thursday 21 June. Rapha’s Smithfield Nocturne on Saturday 23 June, featuring an elite criterium race, ‘Le Mans start’ folding bicycle race and bike messenger mashup. Plus Continental Drift DJs.

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The Bike Show featured in Momentum Magazine

Momentum coverAlongside articles on bikes at Burning Man, Cherokee spoke cards and a penny farthing race, the summer edition of the excellent Momentum Magazine features an interview with Jack Thurston, presenter of the Bike Show. Momentum (the magazine for self-propelled people) comes out of Vancouver in Canada but is read around the world. It is free in both its paper form and as a download. Chapeau to Momentum!

11 June 2007: ‘Slow Bicycling’ in Italy; on two wheels in Provence

Cezanne’s Sainte VictoireThe Bike Show this week has a distinctly Mediterranean and gastronomic feel. Kieron Yates reports from northern Italy, the world capital of the Slow Food movement, on a ‘slow bicycle’ ride along the length of the River Po (for more on ABICI bikes, look here) Meanwhile, Jack Thurston is joined by William Greswell in the sunny south of France, relaxing in Aix-en-Provence while considering an imminent attempt at the fearful Mont Ventoux. Plus new statistics on the dangers to cyclists from bendy buses and a heads up for Rolling to the Stones, a night rider to Stonehenge on the night of the Summer Solstice, 20-21 June.

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