The Great Cycle Fashion Ride 2010

Looking for a challenge this year, The London to Paris Great Cycle Fashion Ride, could be right up your street. Not only will you raise funds for the Environmental Justice foundation's fairer cotton Campaign but you'll get a days shopping in Paris and a chance to have an absolute ball from the looks of the film from last years ride.

"The 2009 fashion cycle ride was AMAZING! I met so many lovely people and although every inch of my body is hurting it was one of the best things I've ever done in my life!" Caroline Reader, Sept 2009

Dates: 14-18 July 2010
Challenge days: 4 days cycling, 1 day in Paris
Registration: £99
Sponsorship: £1300
What’s included: Travel by ferry to France and return to London on Eurostar, accommodation (3* hotels), mechanics, guides, medical support and meals

'Combine your love of fashion and feel for adventure by making a 300-mile bicycle journey between two of Europe’s iconic style capitals – London and Paris – to promote a fairer future for the fashion industry.'

So if like me cycling and shopping rate highly on your 'ways to have fun' list and you want to raise some funds for this fantastic cause give the EJF a call on 0207 239 3310 or check out their website for more info

Bicycle Blues

With all the excitement of Christmas over and done with there no wonder we can feel a little blue come January. Our poor bicycle feel it to as they often get neglected in favour of warmer modes of transport on these crispy Januray mornings. So cheer yourself up and your bicycles with our Blue Sale. For the whole of January we are giving you 20% of selected Blue Products. Cyclechic products singing the blues so you don't have to are Swrve jeans, midnight blue Bern Baker, Lowie Merino handlebar covers and the rain poncho

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Last minute stocking fillers under £10

If, like me, you have left your Christmas shopping to the last minute, don't panic... You still have 5 days to order with us and ensure delivery in time for Christmas, within the UK. (Orders can be taken until 2pm on Monday 21st Dec) Simply go to cyclechic.co.uk or phone us on 0207 613 7316. We will also be doing appointments on Mon 21st & Tues 22nd at our office in Old Street but please call us before hand to book a time! A few stocking filler ideas for under £10:

Reflective claqs £4 each

Frog Lights £8.50 each

Knog puncture repair kit £6.99

Bicycle clips £5 for a pair

Reflective safety wing £7

Top 10 products from 2009 No.1 Deluxe Shopper Pannier

This was our top seller this year! From Wimbledon to Wyoming you guys ordered the Deluxe shopper Panniers in abundance. These panniers look marvelously vintage, you can cram enough into them for a short break and they are easy peasy to clip on and off your bike... but most importantly they are excellent value for money at £40 a pop.

No.2 The YAKKAY helmet

The YAKKAY has caused quite a stir this year. A touch of the 'Marmite effect' about them (you either love them or you hate them) We love them so they have made it in at no.2 this year..

No. 3 Po Campo bags

The Po Campo bags wins our best newcomer award. These bags fresh, innovative and beautifully made. Our first customer to buy the rack bag liked it so much she bought the handlebar bag straight after and another rack bag for her sister! A true investment buy.

No.4 The Knog Beetle

Just as easy to attach as the frogs but with a larger/stronger bulb, the Beetles £13.99 are our favourite light this year!

No.5 Bern Muse

Revolutionising the cycling helmet, the Bern Muse £44.99, has been our top selling helmet this year. And its a sad far well to Gloss Cranberry as we have new colours coming in for next year. We still have a few Mediums left though so get in there quick...

No. 6 Dashing Tweeds Flat Caps and Legwarmers

Classic style with a contemporary twist. Dashing Tweeds designs have a reflective weave sown in, that by daylight is hidden but by night dazzles and shines. I adore the legwarmers £40 and am giving the flat cap £55 to all the cycling men in my life this Christmas.

No.7 The Fjallraven Kanken Classic

The Kanken classic was a new product this year and we love it's retro appeal. We selected a few of the colours we liked but would love your suggestions for colours to get in next year? Take a look at the extensive range on the fjallraven website and post comments with the colours you like?

No.8 The Rain Cape

The Rain Cape in red and navy, £35 has been a firm favourite with the all-weather cycling brigade.

No.9 'I love my bicycle bell'

We get them up in the morning to face the wind and the rain, we leave them on the street while we go to the pub for a drink... Isn't it about time you showed your bike some love!
The wonderfully Kitsch 'I love my bike' bell £5.99, as featured in the Metro gift guide, wins our best value for money award for 2009

Our top 10 products from 2009: No.10 The Dannebrog Bicycle

No. 10 The Velorbis Dannebrog £745. We have been testriding the beautiful Dannebrog and have been fighting off the admirers, now we know how Angelina feels, poor love. This bike truly has Film Star appeal. Its smooth as can be to ride, no clunky gear changes and the upright position is perfect for waving at your fans as you go by. It gets our vote as Bike of the year and gets extra brownie points for its festiveness!


the rest of the chart coming soon

Beauty and the Bike - A short film

Why don't teenage girls cycle? This is a discussion I have had many times since I started the blog. Its seems to be combination of safety fears and most importantly it just not being 'cool'. Despite cycling becoming fairly mainstream now for women in their 20's/30's, it seems teenage girls are a harder nut to crack. This film is a short version of a documentary made by Darlington Media workshop looking at this issue with local young women. There is also a book coming out and an exhibition of images. Hopefully it will help cycling get its way into that exclusive club... the club of the 'teenage girl'.

Our little Black Book: Cycledelik

I know a lot of ladies are entirely competent with their own bike maintenance and I have a huge amount of respect for spanner wielding women. Unfortunately I am not one of them. I have tried, but repairing a puncture is about my limit before I start stamping my feet an calling my bike names.
If like me you are not the best bike mechanic (we can't all be good at everything) Cycledelik could help you out in these winter months. The main USP of the company is that THEY COME TO YOU (any where in London). They can come early in the morning before you leave for work and will repair your bike right there on the spot. It's fantastic, your bike is fixed and ready to go, all you have to do is open the door.
We like the company so much we have got a fabulous winter deal for all our readers. For the whole of December 2009 any customer who quotes the word 'Cyclechic' will get 10% off Cycledelik's repairs and servicing.

Riding jackets

Tweed is back in fashion. For me it never went out, whether its capes, trilbys or jackets, tweed garments have always been a stalwart in my wardrobe. I recently bought a Harris tweed hunting jacket at Hammersmith vintage fair and it is fabulous for Autumn/winter cycling. I fully recommend scouring the charity shops for a bargain tweed but here are some nice ones available online too. Above, tweedy traditional from Laura Ashley

Slouchy style from urban outfitters

Fabulously fitted from Joules

And I'm not alone as a tweed loving cyclist. The tweed runs have now become a global phenomenon. The London Ride back in January that saw 150 cyclist turn out in breeches and flat caps. Although there did seems rather disproportionate amount of men to women, we'll have to rally up some ladies for the next one.

The Americans it seems have also got the tweed bug, with rides happening in San Fracisco, New York and Washington DC. Spiffing video of the DC run on riding pretty.

If you are looking for a Tweedy Christmas pressie for your dapper chap this Christmas we have Dashing tweeds fabulous flat caps on sale for £55. The caps are beautifully traditional but have a reflective weave sown in.. clever eh!

Bern Knits and other winter warmers

Its well and truly winter wardrobe time. So while your digging your winter coat and boots out of the bottom of the wardrobe here a few suggestions for winter cycling accessories.
Our love affair with the Bern helmets continues and the new Winter helmets with plaid knits are to die for. The knits simply press stud into the helmet so you can be warm and snuggly in the winter but can be removed for summer cycling. What is also quite fabulous about Bern's winter helmets is that they can also be used for skiing/boarding . And from my experience, quite a lot of us cyclists enjoy swapping our bike for a board and launching ourselves down snowy mountains once a year.
My personal favourite is the Brighton with Hunter knit £74.99.
A few other winter warmers. Wonderful handlebar covers £65 from designer knitwear label Lowies - get these down on your Christmas list!

Wacky but wonderful reflective earwarmers from Two and Fro £19.99
Sheepskin effect Paws, cosy and cool £29.99.
Both have reflective arrows on to alert drivers to your presence as you turn left or right.
















And finally look after your boatrace and protect your skin from the cold. Drink lots of water and wear heaps of moisturizer. For some more detailed tips take a look at this article on Woman knows . Any other winter tips, please let us know??

Schmoozing in San Francisco

I had the pleasure meeting up with the lovely Shelly Shroeder of Riding pretty yesterday. She showed me around her favourite city haunts and took me for lunch in cycle-friendly area of Valencia. We chatted about the similarities and differences of our cycling cultures the rise of the Cycle Chic movement. I am a huge fan of Shelly's blog and regularly consult in for my fix of stateside Cycle Chic.
We also met, Meryl, along the way who had decided after a lunchtime glass of wine that her pink cycling helmet was the ultimate accessory both on and off the bike. We whole-heartedly agreed!

Cyclechic goes Stateside: Citizen Chain

Cyclechic is reporting from the rather splendid city of San Francisco this week. The cycling culture is very much alive and pedaling over here. Similarly to London, cycling in this city is on the increase despite the hills. More cycle lanes and cycle parking are being put in place to make cycling more accessible and there are some great bike shops. We stumbled across the charmingly named Citizen Chain with a fabulous range of retro bikes, they even had some Pashley's on display in the window.
Hoping to cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge before the end of our trip...