Hip Hip YAKKAY!

Cyclechic.co.uk are now selling the gorgeous YAKKAY cycling helmets

For all those style conscious cyclists who ‘don’t do helmets’ the YAKKAY could be your dream come true. Underneath is a fully certified helmet, you then choose from a variety of wonderful hat-covers depending on your style preferences.

The YAKKAYS have great designs for both ladies and Gents. We love the Trilby style Tokyo. Brighten up the streets with the Pink Jazz or, go for one of this summer’s big looks, with the Boater style beige. Or for a more casual look for you Cyclechic chaps the the Cap style Paris is a definite winner.



Worried about a sweaty head… don’t be. The helmet has a number of adhesive foam circles that circulate air. When you are riding your bicycle, air will be pushed into the helmet, pleasantly cooling down your head.



You can either buy online at cyclechic.co.uk or book an appointment at our East London office to try them on.

YAKKAYS website

Bike of the month - the Pashley Poppy

Firstly, a quick confession. I haven’t owned a ladies’ bike since I was eight and my parents bought me a Raleigh Bianca from a jumble sale.

I’ve always written off ladies’ bikes as impractical and a triumph of style over substance. Then I saw and fell in love with the Pashley Poppy. I don’t know whether it was the fabulous blush-pink shade, the elegant shape or those stunning creamy tyres that convinced me, but it didn’t take long before one was on order. After all, if a pink bike is good enough for Sarah Michelle Gellar, it's good enough for me.

Suddenly instead of hurtling into work feeling smug about my practical choice of boy’s mountain bicycle, I was resentfully slugging around counting down the days til my Poppy arrived.

At nearly £400 the Poppy isn’t cheap, but Pashley is a quality brand and you get what you pay for in workmanship. Depending on your views, it’s probably worth the £400 just for the immense amount of male attention a Poppy commands.

Even just picking my bike up, I was flirted with to within an inch of my life. Polite and uber-charming male assistants flocked around me, painstakingly talking me through every possible aspect of my new wheels.

Considering when I bought my mountain bike I was ignored for 20 minutes, then patronised so heavily I actually left the store and only came back when a female assistant was on duty, this was a definite improvement.

Pedalling home, I was conscious of all eyes on me. Apparently it’s not every day you see a bright pink bike on the streets of Streatham. Again, I’m taking this as a good thing if it can persuade motorists to occasionally allow me right of way and not simply try and push me and my fellow cyclists into the gutter.

The Poppy isn’t just a pretty face. The large, thin tyres mean it can pick up speed a good deal easier than a clunking mountain bike with wide, grippy tyres. It’s also exceptionally comfortable, largely thanks to the wonderful sprung saddle.

But the biggest surprise to me is how user-friendly the Poppy is.

I was a little apprehensive it would be too fragile to cope with the demands of a daily commute, especially as my journey to work takes me down a rather bumpy riverside towpath. In fact the Poppy is solidly put together, and it doesn’t just whizz down the towpath a treat, it actually gets me to work quicker than my old mountain bike.

And did I mention that it’s beautiful? It genuinely is a stunning looking bike, right down to the polished silver wheels and adorable matching silver pump.

There are a couple of negatives. Firstly, it’s a heavy bike, especially if you have a rack fitted for panniers. It’s not the kind of bike you can sling over your shoulder and haul up two flights of stairs, but on the plus side, it’s so pretty it’ll probably charm a nice strong man into carrying it for you.

But the biggest risk of the Poppy is the amount of money you’ll end up setting aside for accessories. Instead of bog-standard lights, I’ve got my eye on a set of Knog Frog lights in ice blue. My old grey panniers will have to make way for a far prettier cherry blossom pannier. The lovely curved silver handlebars are just begging for a traditional wicker basket to be fitted. And the idea of keeping my Poppy outside in the cold and the rain just doesn’t bear thinking about, so until the budget can stretch to this cute little garden shed, she’ll be kept indoors overnight. A bike this gorgeous deserves the best.  

Calling all Britsol's Bike Beauties

Cyclechic are going on the road and we will be at Bristols Biggest Bike Ride on Sunday 21st June. We will have a stall in Millennium square, selling all our lovely products so if you're Bristol based please come down and say hello!,
This event is part of bike week, this year there seems to be more bike events than ever... Bristol is officially Britain's first cycling demonstration city so we thought it would be a good place to go and shake our Cyclechic thang!

Another addition to the women's cycling movement...

Sometimes even we are surprised to be reminded that men are still three times more likely to cycle than women.
Shockingly, three quarters of women will never even get on a bike at all. Whether it’s down to fear of traffic, a lack of confidence or simple practicalities like wanting to arrive for work fresh as a daisy as opposed to sweating through endless Lycra, there is still much work to be done to encourage women across the UK to try out the two-wheeled form of transport.

With this in mind sustainable transport charity Sustrans has launched BikeBelles, its new website exclusively for female cyclists.
Billed as ‘what every woman needs to know to get out and about by bike,’ the site is a combination of practical hints and tips including getting started, staying safe and looking good on two wheels, and diaries from real-life ‘bike belles’.
The latter is a panel of women from different backgrounds from across the UK, with differing levels of cycling experience, who share their views, opinions and experiences.

Although the belles have varying levels of commitment to their online diaries – some have only posted once – these short snippets provide an insight into the lives of female cyclists.
Some also review products, such as these fabulous Knog Gekko bike lights.
Users can sign up to email updates for news and offers, and the site carries a host of useful links including to this very website and to Sustrans’ range of information and services.
BikeBelles is a nice concept and the addition of real women in the Bike Belles themselves is a quirky little twist. Anyone visiting the site can easily be guided to hints and tips on everything from choosing a bike to how much money you can save swapping a car trip for a journey by bike.
It is also very visually appealing – Sustrans’ main website, although excellent, is rather lurid and not terribly easy on the eye. BikeBelles is far prettier with a good use of inspiring photography.
All in all we’re giving the site the thumbs up, as anything that encourages more women to get on their bikes has to be a good thing.

A tart up for TFL

Transport for London went and got trendy! We love their new cycling micro- site. Inviting pics of girls in skirts with long hair floating in the breeze..., some great info on rides and events. A cycling specific journey planner, competitions and blogs from various types of cyclists. Info on the forthcoming cycle hire scheme.. all very exciting.
It wasn't long ago that any promotional pictures of women on bikes would be geeky, sporty and generally unappealing. Times are indeed a changing.

Saddle up for the Strike...

With the tube strike looming, what better a time to try cycling to work. A bit nervous about your route go to LCC's fab site Bike Tube. They have info on organised bike rides into town from different areas in London or advice on how to plan your own route.

TFL also have their fab new cycling site up

We also have some tips and advice to get you started and you need accessories, you know where to come... cyclechic.co.uk

New Cape in town

Budding new designer Claire Smith has created this rather beautiful garment. The 'Orenna' Reversible Pleated Cape is made from 100% pure wool on one side and 100% recycled polyester on the other, the reversible cape allows the wearer to adapt the look and function on and off the bike. The generous cut and sunburst pleats enable the rider the move easily and provide ventilation. Whilst the recycled polyester side provides a water-resistant function for the ride into work, when reversed the pure wool side creates a smarter look for when worn off the bike. Scotchbrite reflective binding is used around the hem and sleeve edges for subtle high visibility.


The cape is put on over the head and closed with magnet fastenings to allow the cape to drape beautifully from the neck. The cropped sleeves provide further ventilation for cool winter mornings and can be worn with the 'Rena' knitted arm length finger-less gloves, which extend upto the shoulder to create easily removable sleeves. Allowing for a highly adaptable cape depending on the wearers physical and social environment.

Claire is currently studying at The London College of fashion. We are digging the cape and think she has a bright future ahead. Let us know what you think?