Design experts downloadable to London Sky Riders

Normally we’d urge extreme caution when it comes to even considering using an MP3 player to listen to podcasts while cycling, but there’s an exception to every rule.

If you are taking part in this Sunday’s London Sky Ride, a series of podcasts released by the London Festival of Architecture could well be of interest. The podcasts, recorded at a selection of their recent Sky Ride cycle tours, feature commentary on some of London’s most inspiring sites and landscapes by leading experts from the architectural world. They allow anyone with an interest in architecture to ride their own ‘virtual guided tour’ around London routes with the help of an MP3 player

“The cycle tours are always a very popular aspect of the Festival, with many of them selling out. We could run some of them twice over so the podcast is a great way for people who missed them to check out the rides,” said Peter Murray, director of the Festival. “They will enable riders to take a self-guided tour around some fascinating London locations, while benefitting from the expertise of our engaging ride commentators.”

The podcasts will be accompanied by downloadable maps to help listeners navigate between the different points of interest on each tour.

The recordings were made by Jack Thurston of Resonance FM at six of the headline LFA Sky Rides. There were 18 rides in total during the June festival, all of which were led by top architects and cultural commentators.

The podcasts and maps are now available to download at www.lfa2010.org.