The story of a practical insomniac in a pink hat — and the club of people who get up stupidly early to see the world in a different light.
The city belongs to whoever is awake* at 4:15 in the morning.
Johno Verity is a London-based filmmaker, content creator and urban historian. Most mornings, while the city sleeps, he's on a bike — riding empty streets in search of stories, history and conversation.
Victorian bodysnatchers. Plague pits under car parks. Boudicca burning Londinium to the ground. Shrapnel scars still visible on the V&A. Filmed from the saddle and told like he's sharing something exciting with a friend — because he is.
His films have been featured by the BBC and Cycling Weekly, who called him "London's cycling historian." He calls himself a practical insomniac.
Johno has always woken up aggressively early. When his father — the master stone carver Simon Verity — died of dementia, Johno decided to start learning things that were good for his brain. So he got on a bike at four in the morning and started exploring, talking about London's history as he rode.
It turns out he wasn't the only one awake. People started showing up — in parks, on bridges, at sunrise — saying the videos got them out of bed.
Get people motivated to get out and see the world in a different light. Literally.
Dawn Cycle Club is not a race and not a training plan. It's a slow roll through an empty city with stops for stories — open to anyone, on any bike, including the rental e-bike you grabbed five minutes ago. No lycra required. No one gets dropped.
Before the pink hat there were mountains — a pro snowboarding career in the 2000s and two decades behind the camera, shooting for some of the world's biggest outdoor and automotive brands.
Daily rides, hidden histories and conversations with strangers, watched by hundreds of thousands. Group rides across Millennium Bridge as the sun comes up.
Community dawn rides, events, films and small-run merchandise that keeps the wheels turning. Every drop funds the next film and the next ride.
Come and get the magic hour — and the whole city — to yourself.
