Cyclechic Convoy at The London Skyride

This years London Skyride (formerly called the Freewheel)takes place on Sunday 20th September. The roads around central London will be closed off to cars and thousands of cyclists will take over the city streets

This year we thought we would bring some cycling style to this wonderful event in the form of a Cyclechic Convoy. So if you fancy showing off your Cycle Chic finery and sharing a G & T with like minded folk, come and join the Cyclechic Elite.. THE RULES:

1. Register for free through the Skyrides official website.

2. Start planning your outfit - items of clothing we would like to see of the day.
Ladies: Vintage dresses, Floral frocks, swishy skirts, wicker baskets & pretty panniers.
Gents: Tweed, blazers, boaters, breeches, brogues & Bern Helmets

3. Join the Cycle Chic facebook group and we will be in touch with more details nearer the time, meeting point etc. or email us at caz@cyclechic.co.uk

Let's hear it for Cycle Fridays

Studies have shown a lack of confidence on the roads is one of the main barriers stopping women from cycling. So let's hear it for the lovely people at Transport for London and the London Cycling Campaign who have come up with Cycle Fridays.
Experienced cycling marshals will shepherd cyclists into town every Friday morning between now and October. There are six routes to choose from, all heading into central London, and the idea is to encourage more people to cycle to work.
Meeting points include Brixton, Finsbury Park, Mile End, Ravenscourt Park, Swiss Cottage and Greenwich. Each ride will depart at 8am and take around an hour.
Cycling to work isn't just fun and quicker than public transport - it's great for your figure, your pocket and the environment.
For our top tips on how to arrive at work fresh as a daisy, not pouring with sweat, click here.

Dashing Tweeds Summer Cycling Suit

And very Dashing it is too. Dashing Tweeds are the experts in debonair cycling wear. We love their Summer cycling suit. The military style jacket is made of jacquared woven cotton and has a reversible reflective belt and a reflective fabric under the collar. I particularly love the Breeches, why don't more chaps wear breeches? a fabulous garment in my view.

A girls' day out?

As if further proof were needed that women on wheels are spearheading a growing movement, this year's Cycle Show, to be held in London in October, will have a distinctly girly theme.
Organisers have cottoned on to the increase in female cyclists and the day will see leading fashion brands and celebrity experts offering help and advice on cycling chic.
A series of women's sessions will be held through the day and leading industry experts will discuss the issues facing women who cycle.
Show director Andrew Brabazon says: 'We've known for years that female cyclists are just as passionate about cycling as their male counterparts, but it is encouraging to see that so many new cyclists are women.'
And so say all of us!
Our friends at Cyclodelic will present the Girls Guide to Cycling which will cover nutrition, fashion and make-up, training kits and much more.
A series of women-only maintenance sessions will also be held throughout the day.
Its likely there will be much more for the girls by the time the show rolls round so keep checking cyclechic.co.uk for updates.

Your bum looks damp in that...here let us help

We will be distributing Cyclechic saddle covers to bikes we like in around London over the next month. We know how these pesky summer showers can leave you with a soggy saddle, resulting in a damp derriere. We hope our saddle covers will help you avoid the damp patch and enjoy your summertime cycling. We will be working our way around various parts of town but if you need our protection, suggestions for bike parking areas, stations etc. are welcome.

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!

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?