Summer is here!

Now - I don't want to jinx it but I think it looks like we may be graced with an actual summer this year! This excites me greatly for many reasons but most of all because cycling in the British summer time - sun shining, breeze in the air, summer dress on... makes me super happy!
At Cyclechic we have been working away to find new products that will put a smile on your face this summer for being both practical to use and of course, looking fabulous.

Here's our rundown of what's HOT this summer!

First up is Baskets... Whether you are just throwing your handbag in, on your way to work or you are heading for the park with a book, blanket and a bottle of wine - a basket is a wonderfully practical and pretty addition to your bike.

Our faves baskets this summer are:

The Bobbin White Basket £23.99. An absolutely peachy companion for you and your bike. Connects to the handlebars with leather straps

And our new kid on the block, the Wald Grocery Basket £34.99. These baskets have a handsome retro charm and are hugely popular in the Sates. I have been using a Wald basket for the last 6 months and I LOVE it! It fixes permanently to the bike so is super sturdy and can take a hefty load of shopping and it does not interfere with your brake cables or steering at all. Full review coming soon but would highly recommend for a hassle free summer basket. 

Next up lets talk Panniers. We are delighted to have the Brand New Good Ordering range in, from London based designer Jacqui Ma. These bags have a fantastic 70's feel and remind me of the Fjallraven rucksacks. They are also amazingly practical and would be great for either the office or if you are off adventuring on your bike this summer. The Good ordering Shopper is £55 and come in 4 colours, has a specific laptop sleeve and also turns into a rucksack.

My other major fave is the Basil Bloom Carry all Pannier £45.99 They are such a good size and really with carry all and are so bright and summery - the ideal bag both on and off the bike this summer!

And finally as much as we hope for sunshine all summer long we are aware that the UK is susceptible to the odd spot if summer rain... so we have a whole host of stylish options for the summer showers. Our two faves are:

The gorgeous pink poncho £34.99

And if pink is not your thing try this cute as a button Navy Polka Dot Mac £34.99

Now all you need to do is get on your bike and enjoy the ride this summer! x

State of Style for Swedish TV

Last February I was asked to chat about cycling and cyclechic.co.uk for a Swedish TV show called The State of Style. It was a great day working with the all female crew who filmed and directed and I also had the pleasure of Lady Velo joining me for a cycle ride along the river. (It was so blinkin' freezing however so dont look too close or you may be able to see that my lips are turning blue). In the cycling scenes I am riding my new (ish) Bisou from Tokyobikes with Wald Basket and of course classic Bern helmet. Lady Velo is riding her handsome Pashley and sports a Bobbin Straw pannier. Hope you enjoy! 

Tell me why you love your bike??

If you are a lady who cycles and you have a spare 10 mins, I would love, love, love it if you would email me your answers to the 3 questions below. I am currently writing a book for women about cycling and want to pepper it with mini interviews from real women who cycle.

All you need to do is email me answers to the following 3 question.

Email me at caz@cyclechic.co.uk

Copy and paste the questions into the email, and rattle off your answers. pls dont spend too long on it just write whatever comes to mind.

Also if you have a photo of you on/with your bike that you would be happy to be printed attach it to the email. Thank you!

1. What bike do you ride and why do your like it?

2. What do you love about cycling/ how does it benefit your life?

3. What's your favourite outfit to cycle in?

4. Do you cycle to work? If so tell me about the benefits? And how you carry stuff you need for work on your bike?

Also, you DO NOT have to be London based, I would love to hear from people from all over the globe!

The deadline for answers is 28th June 2013.

If your profile is going to be selected for the book, you will be emailed by 24th July.

Thank you! Cant wait to read your answers and see you pics.

Caz x

Competition Time... the winner is...

Update 14/6/13: And the winner is Millie Wilson! Thanks to everyone who entered, we will have more competitions coming up this summer!

We are giving away one of these delightful Purple Bern Lenox helmets. All you need to do is like our Facebook Fanpage before 2pm this Friday (14th June) and the winner will be announced on the Facebook page at 3pm that day!

Good Luck! x

Trend Alert: Bowie

We can't be sure if this Trend Alert is inspired by this Red Or Dead Raleigh Starstruck with its classic 1970s retro shopper design, OR, the current David Bowie is exhibition on at the V& A. Either way, it has got us seeing stars. And thunder flashes.

Here are our favourite Bowie-esque buys:

Add a subtle flash of Bowieness with these fun acrylic thunderbolt earrings that pay homage to his   iconic Aladdin Sane album cover.  With this look, Bowie did everyone who has been invited to a fancy dress party last minute (and the makers of red and blue face-paints) a MASSIVE favour. Thanks Dave.

Thunderbolt Earrings. £4.50 from the V&A shop.

We feel that is Bowie was going to wear a bike helmet this might be it and its mirrored so you can check your Glam Rock make-up is still on straight, Bobbin Gold and Chrome helmets £36.99

This is such a versatile easy cotton t-shirt. Wear it in the daytime with denim to be a Jean Genie or dress it up, put on your red shoes and dance the blues.

Embellished Bowie T-shirt. £25 from ASOS.

Our red star Miss Bobbin reflective sash blows our minds and will ensure you are a Star(wo)man.

Miss Bobbin Reflective Sashes. £22.50 from Cyclechic.

Stars AND flashes in neon OH MY. You can totally Bowie up your bike with these. They can also act as percussion as you sing and ride. Yeah, we do that.

Snap on bike spoke beads. £6 from Topshop.

For some added glam (rock) here is Kate Moss' Lasting Finish Lipstick for Rimmel. No, not for your lips. For drawing a massive flash across your face. 

Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick. £5.49 by Rimmel.

Kate knows:

Lastly, is it pronounced 'Bowie' or 'Bawie'? Discuss.

'David Bowie is' runs at the Victoria & Albert Museum until the 11th August 2013. See vam.ac.uk for more details.

Jude Brosnan

Tweed Run 2013

As usual a wonderful display of vintage tweedy finery. We've picked out a few of our faves pics from the event for you to marvel at, thanks to Jude from I Speak Bike who gave us the insider scope.

We'd like to hear three cheers for these two dashing dames above who get the 5 star Cycle Chic seal of approval for looking lovely. Bonus points for accessorising with the top notch Bobbin Straw Pannier.

And what do you know? Here it is again. Perfect peddling from that Pashley.

And another pink Pashley rider who again deserves plaudits for matching bike with skirt and bow-tie. Not sure if one would have shown quite so much leg back in the day but she looks great so who cares. Great pic from Time out

I totally love this Blue tweedy two-piece. Part Miss Marple, Part Mary Poppins - a wonderfully authentic look. See more brilliant images at Fashion Stable.

This lady has got it going on; leather plus fours, shoes matching the bike, a touch of fur, hat, shades. A good look.

Words can not express how cute this is, can I please adopt them both...

New Berns helmets... and pants to match

New Bern Lenox - Watermelon £49.99

It's that time of year when we get the New Bern helmets in and we have some lovely colours to go alongside the old favourites. Not that I have ever been one to wear black but this season, more than ever, my spring wardrobe is full of BRIGHT COLOURS.

Selection at Gap

In previous years it's usually my top half that's bright and bold but this spring I am loving the fact that you can get, jeans, in all the colours of the rainbow and more. Uniqlo and Gap have a great selection and I am already the proud owner of purple pair and a a pair in sky blue and am having lots of fun matching them with my bike, helmet and overall cycling look.

Bern Bandita (petite) £39.99

Selection from Uniqlo

Skinny jeans, jeggings or legging jeans are great for cycling in as they taper at the ankle so wont get in the way of the chain. The stretch makes them great for ease of movement too - so they move with you as you cycle instead of restricting you.
Top Tip: When trying on jeans or trousers do the invisible bicycle dance in the cubicle to ensure you have enough space or ease of movement in knee, gusset and waist.

So if you are buying a Bern Helmet this spring, why not get yourself a pair of slacks to match, . Either go for bold colour blocking or a more subtle touch by matching colours in the logo.

Selection from Uniqulo

Extra credit to Uniqulo for cute bike pic on their homepage... she just needs a helmet now to match...

Spin in Style

Did a spot of filming for the Barclays cycling films - to encourage more ladies to get on their bike this spring. Christine Bleakly is fronting the campaign and she was completely lovely. Take a look at the others vids at Barclays page on You tube

And go to cyclechic.co uk to check out the products featured.

On Top of The World

Very cool photo (although the Mum in me is a a little worried about her getting down safely) I came across on  John Daniel Reiss's flikr.

It reminds me of some of the old bicycle illustrations from the early 1900's when artists and bike companies were  capturing how cycling was empowering and liberating women.

Trend Alert: Leopard Print

We are going WILD for this safari print Bobbin Birdie. Often associated with bar maids in soaps, we don't care, we love leopard print so much we are fully prepared to model ourselves on Pat Butcher giving Bet Lynch a hug.

Here are our favourite leopard-ey catches:

If you think full on leopard print is a bit too bold these Vans are only half leopard. Era style vans are ideal for cycling in as they are super comfy with a thick sole.

Era Leopard Vans. £56.99 from Office.

We love wearing this helmet and mixing it up with other prints to create a style statement. See how our model has teamed it with a nautical striped top and sequined bolero. HOT.

Sawako Furuno Leopard Helmet. £84 from Cyclechic.

This is great for anyone who caries the world upon their shoulders. We carry so much stuff around around with us it's not unusual for us to be backpack and pannier laden.  We love this Mi-Pac backpack with it's contrast pocket.
Mi-Pac Leopard Backpack. £25from ASOS. 

Add a subtle flash of leopard spots to your outfit. Great with jeans or to jazz up a black dress this belt  goes well with smart or casual looks. There is a danger you may wear it all day, everyday. Not a problem.
Leopard-Spotted Skinny Belt. £28 Anthropologie.

We love it when you get two trends in one. This long sleeved bodycon top is not only leopard print but it also features a cat face *contemplates Trend Alert: Cat Faces*.
Cat Face Bodycon Top. £45 Lazy Oaf.

If you really aren't much impressed by this trend, here is a video of Shania Twain working the look from hood to toe that might change your mind. We are sorry.

                             
Jude Brosnan