The Firebrox delivers 2000 watts of music power via a pair of Celestion speakers and two 12" subwoofers

New to the skates in Summer 2006, the Firebrox delivers 2000 watts of music power — measured at over 120 dB. The bike is equipped with a pair of Celestion SR1 MK2 PA speakers, two 12″ subwoofers (the “rocket tubes” are not just for visual effect), a fiendishly complicated USB/MP3 head unit and a capacitor with some seriously funky blue LEDs.

Firebrox takes its name from the Brox Compact bike frame that it’s built on. We’ve modified our Brox Compact  somewhat and ours currently has 52 gear ratios, an articulated frame and disc brakes. So it even stands a chance of not running you over if you fall over in front of it. We reckon it took about 150 hours of volunteer labour to get ready for the skate, we’re currently on version 3, and the bike team is already thinking about Version 4 (much to the annoyance of their significant others).

In the meantime, our funky choice of music breathes even more excitement into our skate events each week.  Everyone who’s spoken to us (minus a couple of taxi drivers) loves it.  If you want to help things run more smoothly and make the rider’s life easier, here are a few pointers:

• Pushing the bike is welcome on uphills or fast sections – whenever the bike is moving slower than the skate. Please, though: push the black bit between the two speakers at shoulder height — you can put your hand flat and just shove forwards. Please push forwards not downwards. Pushing downwards has the risk of snapping the axle, and you will cry if the bike collapses and lands on your foot. We’ll also cry when faced with the repair bill. Please only one pusher at a time, or you will get tangled up. If there are two of you, one person pushes you, and you push the bike. If there are skaters in front of the bike, there’s rarely any point in pushing it, because it’s usually impossible for it to overtake.
• Clearing a path is very helpful if the skate’s waiting at traffic lights and the bike’s somewhere in the middle – it wants to be at the front.  Move out of its way, ask others to do likewise.
• If you’d like a chance to ride the bike, send us a message using the “Leave a reply” box below.  We strongly recommend starting with a Sunday, which you’ll find considerably easier than keeping up on Friday’s Black run.
• Music suggestions: these days it seems like everyone’s a DJ.  If you think your musical tastes or mixing skills deserve showcasing on the skate, again, send us a message using the Music discussion area.

Firebrox and friends at the Thames Festival