Festive Friday 2025: Ride Report

How great it was to be riding with so many friends, old and new, on the annual Fridays Festive Ride between Christmas and New Year. Although there wasn’t a headcount as such - it was a relaxed friends and families ride after all - I reckon around 60 people turned out to be guided round some of the Christmas lights in our great capital city. And what a splendid mix of people it was. Young and old. Long-time members and new riders. Big bikes and small bikes. New bikes and old bikes. There were plenty of sparkling lights, but disappointingly only a couple of Christmas hats.

I always look forward to this ride - not only because I love riding round town, but because there’s always quite a few who come a long way to join in the festivities. And so it was lovely to catch up with folks with whom I have ridden many miles over the years, but maybe not seen so much recently.

After the pre-ride briefing, we set off to fight our way through the revellers crowding around Covent Garden before heading west to admire the decorations on the green Monopoly Board squares, namely Regent’s Street, Oxford Street, and Bond Street (grouped together on the Monopoly Board because they are all shopping streets). As has always been the case since they first appeared in 1954, the lights in Regent Street were the traditional angels - probably the most elegant we saw on our tour. Then we freewheeled down Bond Street and I was amazed at how many people there were hoping to grab a bargain. Fat chance!

Further west via Buckingham Palace and up Constitution Hill we went, at the top of which long term members were able to reminisce about all the night rides that used to start at Hyde Park Corner before the move to Fridays Central. Great memories. 

The traffic on Knightsbridge was fun (and thankfully brief) and soon enough we were cruising round Sloane Square on our way down to the Embankment from where we enjoyed a magnificent ride along the cycling superhighway admiring twinkling lights of the north and south banks and the splendid view of St Pauls and The City as we followed the river back east. The London Bridge sprint - one of my favourites from the years I used to commute home from The City - was followed by refreshments and ‘rehydration’ in the Horseshoe Inn, which has plenty of room for a large group of cyclists and is nicely tucked away making bike security that much easier. And it wasn’t even that busy - until we arrived that is!

I always think socialising at the end of a ride is an important part of the Fridays experience, so it was wonderful that so many were able to stay and join in the fun. Even the cold air didn’t dampen the spirits of those who chose to sit at the outside tables.

All in all, a most splendid Christmas ride, well organised and marshalled by Santa’s Chief Elf Titus, with all his little way marking and all-upping elves in support. It’s just a shame we all have to wait 12 months to do it again!

Keep pedalling