Wheels and Heels

Who needs an over priced meal and forced romance on Valentines day when you could be at the Cycle Fashion event of the year, Wheels and Heels. Leading designers in Cycle Chic will be flaunting their fabulous designs at this evening of bicycle beautifulness. So get yourself down to the Columbia Road Flower Market in East London at 6pm on 14th Feb to be truly inspired!
For more information go to wheelsandheels

Second hand in Style

If you are a vintage lover on a budget then buying a second hand bike is definitely the way to go. Not only do they have character and retro charm but you can get some incredibly well built, reliable bikes for a fraction of their original price….and for all you green goddesses this is taking re-cycling to a whole new level!

5 CycleChic recommendations for second hand shopping

1. Camden Cycles
They specialise in re-conditioned bikes, this means all second hand bikes are fully repaired so there is no chance of being sold a dodgy set of wheels. You can get some great brgain here, the baby blue retro racer pictured above was on sale for the bargain price of £69.


2. Recycling in Elephant Castle is another good second hand bike shop
They will let you test ride but can be a little pushy so perhaps take a friend for moral support.

3. Ebay - go for bikes that are in your area or you may find you are spending more on getting the bike to you than you do on the actual bike. Ensure there is a good photo of the bike and plenty of information and if possible try and have a phone conversation with the seller to be sure you know exactly what your getting.

4.Gumtree is great as It's London based and you can get a bike for as little as £20. Same tips as above though, ensure you see a picture and get all the info before you buy. You could also try Going Going Bike, a new ebay style auction site dedicated to bikes

5. Re-Buy-cycle is a great website specializing in retro, vintage bikes, you can buy online.

The LCC website has a list of all the bike shops in London that sell second hand bikes. Some sell more than others so make sure you phone the shop before you turn up.

Perfectly Pashley

Perched elegantly on your Pashley you certainly will turn heads. With model names like Sonnet Bliss and Princess Sovereign the Pashley’s really do have all the classic charm and decadence you could want from a bicycle. And although you may feel like you should be cycling through a grassy meadow in a Merchant Ivory film they are actually very good city bikes.
All the classic bikes come with a spacious front wicker basket for you handbag, shopping, lapdog…. They also have the charmingly named double scoop in their tube rider range, a combination of classic elegance and modern chic (pictured above)
For more details go to the Pashley website There are 38 bike shops in London that stock Pashley’s, take a look at their Dealer list for specific details. Prices range from £435 - £545.

Go Dutch

Dutch women always look so sophisticated on their bikes. This is largely down to the type of bikes they ride. Dutch bikes with their ‘sit up and beg’ style handlebars put you in a far more graceful, ladylike, not to mention comfortable, position than regular hybrid bikes. They have a low step-through frame to avoid any undignified dismounting as well as mud-guards and chain-guards so your femininity is not compromised.
Luckily for us there are a number of shops and website that sell Dutch Style bikes both in London and elsewhere in the UK.

• The rather lovely Sunshine pictured above is from Littlehampton’s Dutch Bike shop , they have a fantastic range of both traditional and more modern Dutch bikes. Also on the South coast, in Brighton try Amsterdammers
• If you want to go Dutch in London try Velorution have a look at the Azor Oma, the bright yellow Kemper or the Retrovelo. Also try Bobbins bikes in Clerkenwell and Brixton Cycles
• Cambridge having the highest proportion of cycling commuters than anywhere else in the UK have cottoned on to the benefits of Dutch bikes with Cambridge Cycle Company selling renowed Dutch make Sparta and dutchbike.co.uk have a large range of models.
• If you want to go Dutch up north try Cycle Heaven

Prices range from around £300-£600 but check out the Amsterdammers second hand section for a cheaper deal and the Bobbins play bike is a bargain at £210

Anywhere else that sells Dutch Bikes? Please let me know.

Cycling Accessories with a difference

Amy Fleuriot’s Cyclodelic range is the reflective light at the end of a long dark tunnel, of traditional and rather dull, cycling accessories. Amy is one of the designers leading the way in Cycle Chic, with her innovative range of cuffs, belts and bags.
The Cyclodelic cuff (pictured above) cheered me up no end when cycling to work on a rainy Monday morning with the back to work blues! I then graciously accepted several complements from work colleges on my arrival and kept it on till lunchtime. This being the beauty Amy’s designs, they are as good off the bike as they are on.
The cuff, which is made of reflective material, is not only a safety aid but also maximises the range of trousers you can wear, easing any stressful outfit panics first thing in the morning.
Major fashion houses are following suit this year with non other than Chanel featuring cycling cuffs in their spring collection. (picture bottom left). Thus proving that cycling is most definitely pedalling it’s way up the style agenda!
For more information go to the Cyclodelic website or pop down to seriously stylish bike shop Velorution or SHOP 172 on Brick lane to buy yourself a pair.

Model Cyclist

Flicking through Vogue on Saturday morning I came across this photo of supermodel of the moment, Lily Cole, looking rather fabulous on a bicycle.
Bicycles are being featured more and more in fashion shoots as their aesthetic quality and style potential is recognized by the fashion elite. So forget your Manolo Blahnik girls, this seasons must have is a bicycle.

Search for a stylish helmet: Part 2

On my quest for the stylish helmet I have come across this rather lovely ‘Cycle Head Dress’. This fantastic design transforms your ghastly helmet into a stylish bicycle bonnet. It even has a reflective ribbon on it to alert drivers of your dazzling presence!
The Cycle Head Dress is brainchild of product design student, Hoai–Oanh-Vu. For more information go to CSM Fresh Talent

Tip 6: cycle yourself slim

Cycle your way to a slender figure and a healthy heart in 2008.

An average woman cycling on a flat road for an hour will burn off 555 Calories, running for the same amount of time will only burn off only 50 more, at 600 calories per hour. The difference being running hurts...cycling doesn't.

Cycling at least twenty miles a week reduces the risk of heart disease to less than half that for non-cyclists who take no other exercise. (Source: British Heart Foundation)

So if you want to get fit & healthy forget sweaty, expensive gyms or faddy diets that just make you hungry and pissed off …. get on your bike!

Picture from Copenhagen Girls on Bikes inspiration from the Danes.