A basket fit for a Poppy....

Since we blogged about the gorgeous Pashley Poppy we've been inundated with feedback about how stunning the bike is. All of you Poppy-lovers out there are very satisfied customers.
But there's a pertinent question that needs answering - is there a basket available that will fit the Poppy, with its distinctive handlebars?
A product is literally being developed as we write, and more information will be available soon on price. Keep checking cyclechic.co.uk for some more basket news very soon.
Meanwhile proving that cycling can be stylish at the very top level, here's Olympic gold medallist and top cyclist Victoria Pendleton posing with a home-grown Poppy in grass green.
The photoshoot, with the Daily Mirror, was to promote Green Britain Day and there's no disputing that Victoria looks utterly stunning in her green Union Jack dress, made using recycled materials by British designer Wayne Hemingway.
But we can't get over the new shade - what do you think of the green Poppy? It looks like the bike is a one-off, but do you think Pashley should expand the colour palette? What colour Poppy would you like to see?

Cylechic.co.uk makes front page of the Observer Review

I stumbled into the News Agents on Sunday morning with a slightly sore head, feeling a little sorry for myself (I was at a very good friends wedding on Saturday and perhaps had one too many glasses of bubbly!)In my hazy state I manged to purchase The Observer and a cold can of Iron Bru... my mood suddenly lifted. What a treat to see a picture of my business partner, Lavinia and myself gracing the front cover of the Review!
We were part of The Observers Cycling special, celebrating the 'New two wheeled tribes'. It was a smashing Review that really captured the wonderful diversity of cyclists on the streets today and we felt very privileged to be a part of it.

New Product! The Minnehaha Utility Pannier

They don't make them like they used to.. But now they do with these marvelous Minnehaha Utility Panniers! I have always been a big fan of traditional, classic panniers.
I bought a fabulous second hand number from a shop in East London about 2 years ago. Despite it looking the part, it was was not terribly practical as the attachments had broken. After failed attempts to strap it on with bungees, it now has a second life as a magazine holder.
Any hoo, the Minnehaha's are ruggedly handsome and eminently practical and available now at cyclechic.co.uk for the respectable price of £67.95.

Bike Couture

The Love affair between Cycling and high Fashion continues. Fabulous Pictures from US Vogue and Australian Vogue proving that the bicycle can be the ultimate fashion accessory. And our very own Queen of fashion, Vivienne Westwood arriving at the premiere of 'The age of stupid' by bicycle.


Lovely pics from fellow Cycle Chic blog Riding Pretty

Can storage be stylish?

We love celebrating the inherent style in cycling but when it comes to storing your bike, things get more difficult. Anyone who lives in London will be familiar with the problem of bike storage - firstly there isn't enough of it, and secondly what there is, is pretty basic and hardly easy on the eye.
But things are changing and there are some fabulous storage solutions out there, including turning your bike into a work of art.
Rather than hiding your bike away in a garage or shed, or leaving it cluttering up your living room, mount it on your wall with one of these amazing bike racks. Perhaps not the most accessible of storage solutions but certainly a talking point at dinner parties...

This Cycloc storage rack isn't just practical - it has actually won awards for its design. Saving space and showing off your bike to its best advantage - what's not to love? Well, apart from the price. This little green number, which is available in the UK, will set you back nearly £60. But for an uncluttered living room and a bike rack which even ELLE Decoration has commended as looking like a sculpture in itself, it could be a small price to pay. And for those who don't want to shell out, everyone's favourite budget superstore Lidl is offering wall mounted bike racks for under £20 in selected stores.

For the more traditional out there who would rather not have a bike dripping oil and mud down their nice clean living room walls, there's always this good old-fashioned garden shed from Shedstore.

It's not just home storage that can be a challenge. If you cycle to work, you will be familiar with the rusting, aged and easily-moved bits of metal most employers call 'bike racks'. Get on your boss's case to replace them with one of these Cyclepods. Not only are they far more secure and easier on the eye than a traditional bike rack, but they are made of sustainable and recyclable materials. Some 12,500 aluminium cans go into each pod making them both chic and environmental, two of our very favourite things. Sadly, blue skies and beaches are not included.

A suitable lock for a lady

Despite being very happy with my new Pashley Poppy, I did suffer from a touch of bike envy when I passed this rather lovely cream shopper last week. What also took my fancy was the bright pink 80's style lock. It's made by Raleigh so as soon as I got home I phoned them up to see if they still stocked them, thinking they could be a perfect addition to our online shop Cyclechic.co.uk.
Unfortunately Raleigh no longer make them. It seems in this day and age when bike theft is rife, it is no longer acceptable to sell pink locks. They now have to be boringly black, tough and serious looking, no feminine or fun locks allowed. But as we girls know it is possible to be beautiful and strong so why are there no bike locks that encompass these two qualities. Would a liberty print look wrong on a D Lock or painted polka dots perhaps? I don't think do. If anyone has a stylish lock or knows where I can get one from please let me know?

Topshop launches in New York with the Bicycle Club

Topshop celebrate all things cycle Chic to launch their first store in New York. Topshop offered free bike rental to the trendy young things on NYC and gave out maps to various city hotspots.







They also ran competitions for best dressed cyclist, you could either go in store and be snapped by nickydigital or send your own photos in to Chictopia.com There are some sterling examples of Cycle Chic, proving the girls have NYC have very much embraced the trend.
Well done Topshop, we more than approve!

Introducing....

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed there are now two of us blogging for cyclechic.co.uk.
So hello! My name is Cathy and I will be joining the lovely Caz in keeping you updated on the latest developments in the women’s cycling movement.
A little about me – I’m 28, a journalist and I live in South London. I started cycling to work and back about 18 months ago but until recently, was more of a boringly functional and practical cyclist than a two-wheeled style goddess.
Obviously I can’t now claim to be Agyness Deyn but it’s fair to say I’ve embraced the cyclechic.co.uk cause. In the last few months I’ve traded in my boy’s mountain bike for a super-girly Pashley Poppy, swapped gloomy grey panniers for this cute satchel, and started cycling dressed like a human being not a traffic cone.
And that’s just the start.
So, that’s me, and here are a few of my favourite things.

1. The towpath between Putney Bridge and Richmond. Love it in the spring, summer and autumn but tend to avoid it in the winter months as I’m not into extreme sports.

2. Roger and Me – this blog, from ‘wheeled Weenie’ Rachael, is a lovely little account of life as a London lady cyclist, and anyone who christens their bike ‘Roger’ has got to be worth reading about. Plus, I feature in it from time to time. Hurrah!

3. The London Freewheel. If you’ve never cycled in the city before, it’s the perfect way to get started, and if you’re a seasoned cyclist, it’s still a fantastic day celebrating cycling in the capital. This year we will be having a Cyclechic convoy so start organising your outfit now, more info to come on this soon.
4. Cropped camo-style shorts from New Look. Available in a range of colours, ideal for cycling in and cheap as chips – what’s not to love?

5. These Love and Hate gloves. I’ve got a pair on order already.

6. The leather accessories range from Pashley. A bit steeper than I can reasonably justify unfortunately, but nice to gaze longingly at from time to time.

7. London to Brighton – at night. Somehow I’ve been coerced into signing up for an overnight London to Brighton bike ride this Friday. We leave from Hyde Park at midnight. I cannot wait, there’s something almost romantic about the idea of an overnight cycle and leaving traffic-sodden London for the ride to the coast. I’ll keep you posted with how it went!