Bikes We Like!

I went way out of my comfort zone at the weekend and cycled 52 mile route of the London Bikeathon (for Leuekeamia and Lymphoma research). Worried my Pashley was not entirely the right set of wheels for the job, I borrowed a friends Specialized Vita. Although the cycling position was not what I was used too, it was a great, zippy little bike. Perfect for picking up pace on a longer ride. (and yes that is cycling shorts I am wearing but purely for their padded qualities and hidden by a pretty floral dress and vintage merino wool vest)

With an interest in the specialized brand I noticed that they do a rather attractive urban bike, The Globe Live 2 Mixte 2012. I chatted with the guys at Cycle Surgery to get a little bit more info on what there Globe has to offer....

The Specialized brand of Globe Daily women’s bikes are tailor-made for urban roads and are set to grace the streets of London, putting a little style into the cycle lanes.

This range of urban bikes is especially designed with city living in mind. Much like drivers who own cars in a city, cyclists too need to make regular short trips, park up and dismount frequently. For that reason, the Globe Live Mixte bike comes complete with a sturdy kick-stand so you can park it anywhere, but even better, it has a step-through frame which makes getting on and off an elegant affair. This means that for those of us who don’t want to wear any sort of sporty elasto cyclewear of become some kind of yogalates expert who can swing a leg over a central bar, dignity is preserved.

Similarly, while looking gorgeous and being user friendly, it’s also amazingly comfortable. The wheel fork has been specially constructed to bear the cobbled streets of Mayfair or Covent Garden, which means you can cruise smoothly along without fear of feeling, or indeed looking like you’re riding a washing machine on spin cycle. However not all of London’s roads are charming and lovely, so to protect you, and your bike, the Globe range are also fitted with super-tough tyres which have a deep tread to handle slippery surfaces and resist punctures. Perhaps best of all is the saddle. Available in tan leather or black, the seat has been thoughtfully moulded to be soft, comfortable and supportive for your lady-bits. Well, it is a woman’s bike.

Finally, the pedals are made to grip your shoes so you don’t need specialist footwear, just whatever you think goes best with your outfit, speaking of which, will be kept immaculately clean, even on a rainy day by the heavy-duty mudguards on your tyres - is there anything this bike cannot do?

The Globe Daily range is available online, but Cycle Surgery will match your price if you find one anywhere else that is cheaper; they’ll even deliver your bike for free.