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Star Wars star Harrison Ford snapped riding Genesis bike in London

Man who plays Han Solo naturally opts for steel over Carbon(ite)

Harrison Ford, currently in the UK filming Episode VII of the Star Wars saga, has been snapped in London taking his Genesis Croix de Fer bike for a spin.

The 72-year-old is back on set at Pinewood Studios reprising the role of Han Solo after sustaining broken bones in his foot in June.

According to The Daily Mail, which has a gallery of pictures of the star out on his bike, the injury happened “when the hydraulic door of Ford’s spaceship, the Millennium Falcon, fell on him.”

We knew he’d earned a few bucks in a career that has also seen him play the roles of Indiana Jones and Jack Ryan in long-running movie franchises, but enough to buy an interstellar craft? Wow.

It won’t come as a surprise to Star Wars fans that the actor has plumped for a steel-framed bike – in his role as Han Solo, as shown in the picture above, he’s probably sick of being surrounded by carbon(ite).

Despite the Mail’s pictures showing him dressed in a cycling jersey and shorts and compression socks – and, disappointingly, a pair of trainers – it turns out he was doing nothing more epic than a quick spin to the shops.

We’d like to think though that like many of us, any time he swings his leg over the top tube and gets the pedals spinning, inside his head is the thought that he is on a Solo break on the Tour de France.

What we really want to know though, is this; if Han Solo’s bike needs tweaking, will his friend Boba Fettle it for him?

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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36 comments

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Myriadgreen | 9 years ago
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The most amazing thing about the article in the Mail is that not one person has mentioned cyclists going through red lights, cyclists riding on the pavements, etc!

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joemmo replied to Myriadgreen | 9 years ago
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Myriadgreen wrote:

The most amazing thing about the article in the Mail is that not one person has mentioned cyclists going through red lights, cyclists riding on the pavements, etc!

If it was Carrie Fisher out on a bike no doubt the mail and it's attendant goblins would have torn her to pieces for having the nerve to be a middle aged woman visible in public. Ford though, wealthy, white male celebrity is immune. Clearly they've forgiven him for the film roles where he fights nazis.

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WolfieSmith | 9 years ago
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Friday Factoids:

I was mooching around the prop hire warehouse in South Mimms a few years back. They get old stock from Elstree and Pinewood. The original Han Solo in carbonite was just propped up in a corner gathering dust! I was so tempted to make a silly offer for it but I was living in a flat at the time and it would have been at bit much.

The other story is about Angels fancy dress shop on Shaftsbury Avenue. They'd been loaning out a brown Obi Wan Kenobi outfit for years until someone took a look at the label and realised it was the one Sir Alex actually wore in the film! It is no longer available for hire..

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johndonnelly | 9 years ago
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You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!

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Mike_B | 9 years ago
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Love that you guys have written an article about this but have no budget to actually pay to use the pictures you're talking about.
Could not make it up!

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bikebot replied to Mike_B | 9 years ago
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Mike_B wrote:

Love that you guys have written an article about this but have no budget to actually pay to use the pictures you're talking about.
Could not make it up!

Here's an artist impression

//mightymega.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/star_wars_kessel_run_print_l.jpg)

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notfastenough replied to bikebot | 9 years ago
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bikebot wrote:
Mike_B wrote:

Love that you guys have written an article about this but have no budget to actually pay to use the pictures you're talking about.
Could not make it up!

Here's an artist impression

//mightymega.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/star_wars_kessel_run_print_l.jpg)

That's quality! Did you do that? Any chance of a high-res version?

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bikebot replied to notfastenough | 9 years ago
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notfastenough wrote:
bikebot wrote:
Mike_B wrote:

Love that you guys have written an article about this but have no budget to actually pay to use the pictures you're talking about.
Could not make it up!

Here's an artist impression

//mightymega.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/star_wars_kessel_run_print_l.jpg)

That's quality! Did you do that? Any chance of a high-res version?

Oh no, just a surprising find from google image search.

It seems it was created as a limited run print for charity. Details here - http://www.artvcancer.com/product/kessel-run

Unfortunately the prints are sold out, and the site says they don't restock.

Biggest image is here - http://images.cdn.bigcartel.com/bigcartel/product_images/58136967/max_h-...

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Mike_B replied to bikebot | 9 years ago
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Brilliant!

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campagnolo123 | 9 years ago
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I bet he's listening to the "Moss Isley" Brothers, hanging on to his "Dago"Bar and is shifting his derail"Leia".

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Chuck replied to campagnolo123 | 9 years ago
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campagnolo123 wrote:

shifting his derail"Leia".

I think your determination here should be acknowledged  1

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campagnolo123 replied to Chuck | 9 years ago
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Chuck wrote:
campagnolo123 wrote:

shifting his derail"Leia".

I think your determination here should be acknowledged  1

Some would say that I should get out more often !

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mike the bike | 9 years ago
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Old man. Croix de Fer. First-thing-out-of-the-drawer clothing.
Good God, I am Harrison Ford.

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Beaufort | 9 years ago
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Easy to spot in all black.

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mr-andrew | 9 years ago
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Those socks... What is it with Americans and long socks?

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bikebot replied to mr-andrew | 9 years ago
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mr-andrew wrote:

Those socks... What is it with Americans and long socks?

They're compression socks. He's probably been running on a treadmill or something. They can help recovery.

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farrell | 9 years ago
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I can't help but thinking that he is 72 years old and has ridden bikes for decades, longer than I've been alive in fact, so if he wants to wear trainers when riding I'm not going to question his choice.

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Beatnik69 replied to farrell | 9 years ago
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farrell wrote:

I can't help but thinking that he is 72 years old and has ridden bikes for decades, longer than I've been alive in fact, so if he wants to wear trainers when riding I'm not going to question his choice.

He's Han Solo. You can't question his choices, He WILL shoot first.

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earth | 9 years ago
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If his bike need fixing he will no doubt reach for the hydro-spanner.

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allgearnoidea | 9 years ago
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just seen the dailyfail article - i like the fact he completes what looks like a decent set up of bike and cycling clobber with running shoes  39

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kcr | 9 years ago
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Super Domestique | 9 years ago
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Maybe he thought he'd pop to Look Mum No Hans!

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notfastenough | 9 years ago
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Good god, it's like geek's corner in here.

Boring conversation anyway...

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ajmarshal1 replied to notfastenough | 9 years ago
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notfastenough wrote:

Good god, it's like geek's corner in here.

Boring conversation anyway...

I find your lack of faith disturbing........

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notfastenough replied to ajmarshal1 | 9 years ago
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ajmarshal1 wrote:
notfastenough wrote:

Good god, it's like geek's corner in here.

Boring conversation anyway...

I find your lack of faith disturbing........

[chokes]

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bikebot | 9 years ago
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Someone should have warned him that the possibility of successfully navigating London's traffic is approximately 3,720 to one!

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chokofingrz | 9 years ago
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I had a Peugeot made of 'Carbolite 103' - it used to make me think of Han's fate.

That thing could get down the Kessel Strava Segment in less than 12 parsecs...

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Vin Cox | 9 years ago
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Well, I'll never see another "If it's good enough for Vin Cox " type of Criox de Fer related headline!
Fine choice Harrison.

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tangledfeet | 9 years ago
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It 'Lukes' like it was a 'Solo' trip - wonder if he tried to ride no 'Hans' at all..? Hope he was dressed properly, lots of thin 'Leia's' that he could 'Tarkin' on and 'Moff', else it could be the 'Darth' of him. At least with socks that long there's no way he could get an oily chainring 'Tatooine' on his right leg.

LOL, ROFLMAO, IGMC, etc., etc...

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gazza_d | 9 years ago
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surprised he's riding a Genesis & not a Falcon?

Maybe the Tandem group who own the brand could give him one & get some much needed publicity for the flagging bike business

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