Vélo-City-Girl

Spring in my step...

2012-01-19T15:22:00.000Z

Spring-time Cycling in London may seem like a distant dream at the moment, but there is no harm in getting ready for it starting now. Besides, January is the best time to pick up some serious fashion bargains - especially if you're not a slave to 'Seasons' & like me, will happily wear clothing and accessories that make you feel good, no matter when they came out.

My 1st piece of bargain hunting came via of one of my favourite online shopping haunts, Net-A-Porter...

You can't beat the feeling of glamour when one of their big black boxes turns up, right?

The joy in the box - Swedish Hasbeens!

Even though I don't "do" Heels on a regular basis, I've wanted a pair of these for ages. They went in the NAP sale, reduced to £48 - I HAD TO!!!

With wooden 4.1 inch high heels and 1.2 inch high platforms, they actually make for a comfortable shoe. Granted, I've been walking around my house in them to break them in, but I plan on doing some cycling in these too!

Look out for them on the Pashley when the weather changes... I can't wait.

Cycle Style - The Book...

2012-01-10T17:35:00.000Z

Do you remember that Photo-Shoot that me and my Pashley took part in last Summer?

Well, it was for Horst A. Friedrichs third book, 'Cycle Style', which celebrates the brilliant and varied fashion in London's cycling scene. I'm very pleased to finally be able to tell you that I'm going to be in the book, along with featuring on the back cover too!

"Cycle Style" Book Cover courtesy of waterstones.com
Photo by Horst A.Friedrichs

Horst and his assistant Filip Milovac contacted to let me know the news, and to ask me to be in the promo-video for the book launch. I was over the moon to know I'd made it into 'Cycle Style', and was bouncing off the walls about the cover... that's something I never expected to happen.

I met up with Filip last month for the video shoot on Columbia Road. It was a gorgeous Friday afternoon in December - a bit chilly but very bright... perfect winter cycling weather! It also meant I could wrap up warm on the bike, and not be smothered in heavy & plain clothing...

Photo by Filip Milovac*

Scarf: See by Chloé

Leather Biker Jacket: Topshop

Black Jumper: M&S

Bag: Vintage Mulberry

Tweed Shorts: Mango

Big Ben Tights: Henry Holland

(I had to wear those tights - celebrating London's cycle style, right?)

Brogues: Topshop

The adorable Filip - photo thanks to a kind passer-by who clicked the button!

I can't wait to see the finished video & of course the published book. It's been a wonderful experience and a fantastic project to be a part of... roll on March for the launch!

*Thank you to Filip for these shots of the day for the blog.

New Year...

2012-01-02T15:52:00.000Z

Happy New Year everyone! 2011 was a brilliant year for Vélo-City-Girl. A lot of great stuff that I never expected happened and I met some fabulous people along the way. Thank you all for being such a major part of it and coming along for the ride... and I hope you'll join me this year too!

Suitably holidayed out, I'm getting ready for new adventures on Frankie in 2012. I'm rather pleased that some of the festive treats I got at Christmas will be powering me and the Pashley (and the blogging) along...

... first up, this wonderful book I got from The Boy's Mother

'Britain by Bike' accompanies the BBC Four series of the same name, and includes cycle routes around Britain (which I'm planning on trying if possible), excellent cycling nostalgia and some wonderful photographs and illustrations.

Of course, this section of the book caught my eye, especially learning the origins of the term "loose woman" came from women's cycling fashion!

The next festive-fashion treat which will feature on VCG without doubt is this gorgeous Tatty Devine Owl Necklace, which came from The Boy...

I've got a bit of a thing for Owls on jewellery & clothing AND I've had my eye on this for ages, so top marks to him for remembering. It's been pointed out to me that the Owl's eyes look like bicycle wheels... how on earth did I not pick up on that first?!

My blogging fuel usually consists of Cakes, Coffee or Tea... and this has already been put to use (while I'm writing this actually)

I adore the tea-sets by V&A (another thing The Boy's Mother picked-up on!) and this lovely Bone China Mug now sits long side my mini teapot set I bought early last year

So, expect a lot more cycling, fashion, blogging and everything else that comes in between... 2012 - Lady Vélo is ready for you!

Review: The Handbag Hugger...

2011-12-24T23:25:00.003Z

Even though we're well prepared for this Christmas, there are always some bits that need to be picked up closer to the day. For us it's some of the West-Indian elements of Christmas dinner by Mamma Vélo, and this year I was able to hop-out on the Pashley to pick them up for her. A ride to the Market to pick up the extra fruit and veg was planned, and this was a great opportunity to put the Handbag Hugger by CycleChic to a proper test.

Although the Handbag Hugger is designed to be attached to the front of your bike without the Basket, I needed all the storage space I could get, and have no issue reaching for my bag - so the Wicker went back on, alongside the Hugger...

They both sat on the front of my Pashley with no problems. The Hugger attaches to the handlebar stem with two screws and bolts - a simple method which takes only minutes to do and with no mechanical skills necessary! The position of the attachment didn't interfere with the leather straps of the Basket, so no issues there at all.

My bag of choice on the shopping-cycle was my Mulberry Messenger. Its one of my favourite handbags, so I'm quite precious over it. The Hugger held it in place securely: with its spring loaded grip function, it didn't slip out when riding, and wasn't dislodged when I went over any bumps in the road.

Getting into my bag while it was in the Hugger wasn't a problem either - although it provides a secure grip, I could still get stuff out of it with ease while I was on the move.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the Handbag Hugger: it's easy to attach to my bike, secure & from an accessorising point of view, the Chrome goes really well with the Pashley! The other thing that impressed me about the Hugger is that the grip didn't leave any marks or scratches on my bag - this was another of my concerns with it, but I'm glad to report nothing of the sort happened.

The Handbag Hugger is available from Cyclechic.co.uk, and retails at £19.99.

Minx it up & start again...

2011-12-21T12:04:00.000Z

"the lady vélo session" photos courtesy of minx-girl.com

Surround me with gorgeous clothing and cycling, and you're guaranteed to make me happy - give me the opportunity to do this with a like minded person for a styling shoot, and the result is amazing amounts of fun!

I had exactly that experience with Debbie Burton of Minx-Girl. After bonding on twitter over a love of cycling and fashion, Debbie suggested we collaborate on a styling session with a twist: incorporating some of the high performance pieces available on Minx with elements of my everyday style. I loved the idea, and after a bit of diary-shuffling, we got together for the shoot...

With a case packed with some of my favourite wardrobe pieces and a lot of accessories, I travelled up to Warminster with a spring in my step. I was already jotting down ideas on the train journey in my beloved Moleskine for the next session we're going to do, as this one was just a taster of what's to come...

Meeting Debbie was fantastic: we gelled immediately and quicker than you could say "fashion!" we'd surrounded ourselves with piles of clothing, mixing and matching to create different looks:

From putting Twin Six with Tatty Devine, and Marc Jacobs with YMX, it was fabulous to see different styles going so well together & great showing it's possible to work high performance cycling wear into your usual wardrobe.

You can see the results of our collaboration with details of the pieces here... but keep an eye out for a bigger collaboration between us in the New Year!

New Riding Boots...

2011-12-08T14:18:00.001Z

I'd been in a bit of a quandary recently, hunting out new boots for the Winter. The requirements were simple enough: nothing tacky looking (not wanting to end-up looking like a bad impression of those "Pretty Woman" boots), a nice style that could be matched with almost everything in my wardrobe and of course not too much heel to walk or cycle in. My search finally came to an end when I spotted these on ASOS...

ALFIE Chelsea Boots, £50

With their trademark elasticated sides, the Chelsea Boot is a practical piece of footwear, being easy to slip on and off and also stands the test of time as a stylish wardrobe staple. Now, the last time I owned a pair of boots like these, I was in Secondary School: the wannabe Mod in me loved them back then, and the fact they're featuring in current winter trends now shows they are a timeless classic.

These ones ticked all the boxes: fantastic colour, as it's nice to veer away from the usual Black or Brown coloured boots, and they should do a good job on keeping my feet warm and dry while on the Pashley in this weather. I'm going to be putting them to the test tomorrow, as I'm meeting up with Horst Friedrichs for more work on his upcoming Cycle-Style book (big announcement on that to follow soon!) - will let you know how they roll on the bike!

A few of my favourite things...

2011-12-05T00:35:00.001Z

Cherries on Cupcakes and Icing on Cookies

High-heels on Pedals and Skirts sat on Brooksies

Baskets with Flowers and Ding-Dong Bell rings

These are a few of my favourite things...

My love affair with cycling, fashion, coffee & cakes is more than apparent on my blog, but when someone decided to pick-up on this and create something beautiful from it, my heart skipped a million beats at once!

I was rather excited when Alyssa Ramsey of Arcobaleno Jewellery Design contacted me about designing two bespoke pieces. The only clues were they would be related to the blog & my personality: I wasn't told what they were going to be, so my imagination was running wild thinking about them!

Once the pieces had been completed, Alyssa and I set a date and she chose what was the perfect venue for our meet-up... Sketch London! This was my first time there (I've been wanting to visit for so long) and we had a delightful Afternoon Tea...

The fact they have a Bicycle on their Parlour menu made me love it even more - thumbs up from VCG and I will return!

Delicious Cakes and various treats consumed, it was time for the big reveal of the pieces that Alyssa had made for me: a Charm Bracelet and a Coffee Bean-Heart Necklace: and they are amazing...

The pendant on the necklace is made entirely of real Coffee Beans, put together by hand. Alyssa used a very lightly scented lacquer on it, to allow the aroma of the Beans to still come through - I LOVE that it smells of Coffee, and the detailing of the hand painted Chinese Beads is beautiful...

Her use of organic materials in jewellery making is brilliant - especially with fragile items such as Coffee Beans. Alyssa explained that organic items are something she is really excited about possibly using more often in her designs:

"I'm constantly testing new techniques for preserving, finishing and varnishing day to day items to use in designs... I want to make loads of jewellery that looks good enough to eat!"

The Charm Bracelet is a stroke of genius...

Featuring Bicycles, Cupcakes, Coffee Beans (Porcelain ones on this piece), Cocktails, Heels and even a miniature version of my Cat-Eye Glasses, it captures the spirit of Vélo-City-Girl & really made me smile! Unique to my loves and with an eye for detail, it's pretty clear that Alyssa didn't miss a thing when it came to making this piece, as she points out:

"The best thing about Bespoke designs is that they are individual to the person they are made for - I would never replicate a bespoke design as it's been developed with someone specific in mind. I love it when I'm given artistic licence - to be told someone's three favourite things and left to create is amazing!"

I'm completely over the moon with these pieces - they're special, unique and have been made with a lot of care and love - just like the silver heart on the bracelet says.

You can view more pieces and request bespoke items by visiting the Arcobaleno Jewellery Design Website, or contacting Alyssa via twitter on @Arcobaleno_UK.

Twirling in Tweed: The Rugby London Tweed Run...

2011-12-02T10:58:00.001Z

Me, capturing the "Spirit" of the day...

What-ho Dames & Chaps! The Boy and I attended the Rugby London Tweed Run last Saturday - all of my last minute dashing around on Friday fell into place, so we were both more than ready for the day... phew! I'll give a quick run-down of my attire for the day - elements of which you'll see in more pictures:

Dress: Runaround Sue by Vivien of Holloway

Red Elastic Belt: Vivien of Holloway

Tweed Jacket: H&M

Pheasant Feather Brooch: Katherine Butler

Red-Seamed Stockings: Jonathan Astor

Heels: Aldo

Necklace: Dorothy Perkins

Hair Corsage: Made by me!

Rose Ring: H&M
Brown Leather Kelly Bag - Vintage

Pearl Earrings: TopShop

Nails: Thanks to O.P.I at Selfridges

(You may have noticed that the fabulous hat I bought for the day is not featured - I got my Twists re-done on the Wednesday & my hair was too big for the hat!)

Once again, the Weather-Gods looked down on the event, as we were blessed with bright skies & crisp winter air for the day... if it had rained, I suspect there would have been a lot of damp Tweed cycling through London! Arriving at the meeting point, we were greeted with a sea of beautiful outfits and bicycles. Being in Covent Garden, there was even more of a tourist-attraction element to the day, with many people pulling out cameras and phones, snapping away. The Tweed-Runners make for a rather dashing display, so I'm sure the tourists must have enjoyed seeing us!

Ralph Lauren laid on breakfast for us all, which was a rather nice touch indeed. Men (who I'm sure were all models!) dressed in the Rugby RL colours were on hand to dish out savouries, cakes, teas & coffees to fuel us up for the ride. I must admit to being a bit too excited to eat my Muffin - there was so much going on around me, there was no room for an appetite to build up!

After the official Tweed Run photo was taken on the steps of the Rugby Store, we had the chance to quickly catch-up with some familiar faces and meet other people taking part...

Tony and Victor, the stylish brothers who I met last year, helping each other get ready

I loved her Brogues and bright Lipstick - sadly we didn't catch her name!

The 'Vintage News' team, looking spiffing while covering the event

The Dapper-Chaps of The Guvnors Assembly

Setting off, the route for the ride was great, taking in a few more of the tourist attractions of London. Making our way through Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and past Buckingham Palace (where we certainly got a lot of tourist attention!), we arrived for our Tea Stop in Chelsea. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea were the sponsors of the Stop this year - they provided a wonderful spread, including some tasty little Cupcakes, and of course a nice drop of tea in China cups...

It's not Lady V unless she's drinking Tea...

It was also another chance to stop and have a good catch-up with friends on the ride with us too... and get some photos of them looking glamorous...

The Lovely Loughton Brothers John and Jim, who Piped-Up for the day

Kathryn King of BikemindedRBKC, looking like a Matinee Idol! I loved her vintage Fur Stole

With Kathryn, the gorgeous Jemma of "Help! My Chain Came Off" and the Dapper Mark Ames of the "i b i k e l o n d o n" blog

During the Tea Stop, I had the pleasure of meeting Fleur de Guerre, who is absolutely stunning and simply oozes elegance and grace!

Strike a pose ladies...

The kind of accessorising that I love - when your Pashley Matches your Outfit!

Fleur looked beautiful in her Ralph Lauren velvet jacket, H&M Blouse, Tarantula Clothing Capris & those lovely red leather gloves and tights! I must admit to having the nicest Hat-Envy...!

We finished the Tweed Run at the exclusive Caledonian Club in Belgravia. It was the ultimate luxury end to the day - an opulent members-only club, with some very expensive Whisky, Teas and live entertainment which was fantastic!

The shin-dig at the Caledonian also gave me the chance to finally meet one of the founders of the Tweed Run, Ted Young-Ing...

Another spectacular suit from Mr Tweed Run himself

After attending the last ride in April and having a blast, it was fantastic to say hello and have a chat with one of the forces behind such a fabulous event.

You can view more photos from the day on my Flickr Stream - again, a massive thank you to The Boy for being my brilliant Photographer for the day and for my blog!

It was a brilliant day from start to finish, and already I can't wait for the next one in April... is it crazy that I've already started thinking about my outfit for the day?! Pip-Pip!

Vélo-Run for the Tweed Run...

2011-11-25T18:33:00.001Z

It's less than 24 hours to go until the Tweed Run & unlike my usual organised self, I found myself doing a last minute dash to get the final pieces for the day together!

With a busy week off work, today was the only one I had to sort out some rather important elements of the Tweed Run - including picking up our Registration Packs from Rugby Ralph Lauren! I had a few pleasant surprises when I got there: the 1st was bumping into the lovely Loughton brothers John & Jim, who had just collected their packs from the store!

I met them at the April Tweed Run, so it was lovely to see each other again. Once I'd sorted out the packs for me and The Boy in Rugby (the staff in there are wonderful btw, and possibly the most immaculately dressed in Covent Garden), had my 2nd Surprise - seeing Tony (a.k.a Mr Soul Dandy) who I'd also met last April!

Tony and his brother Victor caught my eye on the Tea Stop and I had to get a picture of them looking super-sharp...

I can't even begin to imagine how good they will be looking this time round... Tony told me a bit about their outfits... pictures of them on the day have to be done!

The rest of my outfit was the next thing on today's agenda which was all about finding a Tweed Blazer (I would have loved a RL one, but I'm a bit too skint for that right now!) and appropriate Seamed Tights and a vanity-fix which was getting my nails done to match my dress.

Having not booked anywhere to get my nails done, I was expecting utter fail at trying to get seen anywhere on a Friday afternoon for a Manicure - but salvation came in the shape of the O.P.I Nail Bar in Selfridges, who could see me within half an hour of me turning up - result!

They did an immaculate job with my nails - classic round shaping and a deep Red was what I was after, and got exactly that. No doubt I'll be returning there again for another treatment!

The idea of running around Central London after getting my nails done to hunt down a Tweed Jacket? I won't lie, the thought of it filled me with utter dread - thankfully it wasn't a hard or expensive task, thanks to H&M having what I was looking for. The fact there was only one on the rail in my size must have been an omen...

The Seamed-Situation has also been sorted - but you can see those on the day :)

So, that's it - all set for tomorrows ride. Sadly I can't fix the weather, so I'll just have to wish for sunshine and clear skies for us all... See you at Covent Garden old bean....Pip-Pip!

Coffee | Cycle | Saturday: New Faces & New Places...

2011-11-24T11:30:00.000Z

I've fallen in love with cycling early on crisp winter mornings... they are the perfect weather setting for the darker months: cool & fresh air in your lungs, bright skies and a sense of peace and quiet all around you.

You get to take in a bit more of this crazy-busy city when it's quiet - like being able to stop and take shots like this of the ever changing London Skyline & not be disturbed! The slight chill in the air is also a great opportunity to layer-up... and who says you have to wear drab colours in the winter? Me and my chosen Cycle Wardrobe for the day certainly didn't agree with that - inject colours into a cold day!

Headscarf: Tie Rack

Knitted Cardigan: Topshop

V-Neck Jumper: M&S

"LadyVélo" Name Necklace - Tatty Devine

Handbag: Vintage Mulberry

Tweed Shorts: Zara

Tights: John Lewis

Brogues: Topshop

Me and The Boy were greeted with such conditions last weekend, as we headed out for a long overdue CoffeeCycleSaturday. Fellow caffeine fiend & friend Simon cycled in from Surbiton to meet us, and we were joined by a new member of CCS - the lovely Jo Halstead of Vélos and Vagabonds!

With a new route to explore and a new Coffee and Cake stop to visit, we had a busy day of cycling ahead of us. Before meeting up in Prufrock Coffee, I needed to take an bit of an unusual detour - I had to stop in Soho to pick up a new phone...

After being contacted by Nokia a couple of weeks ago via the blog, I was invited to their London HQ to collect a Lumia 800 to use, review & keep... yes, that's right - VCG is getting a bit more tech-savvy! I ended up being filmed throughout the morning about my experience, so keep an eye out just in case I turn up on the Nokia website! Filming and phone-fun done, we met up with Simon and Jo, fuelled up on Prufrock goodness and then made our way out of the City.

Our new route for this CCC was along Hertford Union Canal - a pleasant stretch of waterway in Tower Hamlets. I put my hand up and admit that I'd never even walked along Union Canal before, so it was interesting to check it out via bike. We were not the only cyclists who had the same idea on a lovely Saturday though...

Fantastic as it was seeing other riders out and about along the stretch, it was also a maneuvering-mash up trying to cycle along it! I wouldn't rule out seeing it by bike again as it's beautiful, but an advance warning to any others reading this thinking about doing it: be prepared for a lot of human and two-wheeled traffic! Coming off the towpath, we arrived at Victoria Park - another place in London that I haven't explored before on the Pashley... and haven't been to since I was a child.

There was certainly plenty of space for us all to cycle together for this part of the day. The Park was beautiful - autumn leaves scattered around, more happy people on bikes & lots of cute dogs to be spotted (Jo is also a lover of Sausage Dogs, French Bulldogs and Pugs like me...) so that brought lots of smiles to our faces!

After a leisurely and enjoyable cycle around the green spaces, we'd built up a suitable thirst and an appetite - perfect timing to ride over to our Coffee & Cake Stop for the afternoon!

A new one for the CCS team and for VCG - allow me to introduce you to Zealand Road Coffee. Located near to Roman Road Market, this is one of the newest Coffee Houses in East London & already has a firm local following...

With a relaxed atmosphere, it's an ideal place for cyclists to stop of and refuel - good coffee, sandwiches and of course damned good cakes are important to me ...

... ZRC certainly gets the Lady Vélo & CoffeeCycleSaturday seal of approval!

It was a wonderful day of Cycling and absolutely delightful to meet Jo. Another CCS is being planned around another part of London. Lets hope the crisp weather remains this way :)

Studio Fleuriot: The launch party...

2011-11-15T15:15:00.000Z

Last weekend I attended the launch party to celebrate the opening of Studio Fleuriot. A Friday evening of Bellini's, Cupcakes and Cycling Fashion on the agenda, it was guaranteed to be a fabulous event...

On a mission to create imaginative, high-quality clothing & accessories for women who love cycling, it was fantastic news to hear Amy Fleuriot, the woman behind Cyclodelic had acquired her first studio and retail space!

Amy and her team initially worked from her home in Hackney, and now with the addition of her studio based on Columbia Road, they are even more central to the buzzing hub of the East-End Cycling Scene. As Amy has said of the area, Hackney has "so many fantastic looking women on bikes" making the area a fantastic "wealth of inspiration"...

Studio Fleuriot is in the heart of Columbia Road: having seen how many people cycle along that route, it's sure to grab the attention of many style-minded riders.

I think the space itself is reflective of its owner and brand: quirky, stylish and very unique. Will real Silver Birch wood on the walls (provided by Amy's father), along with other fun additions, there is a real personal and natural touch to the surroundings.

The Sewing Machines and jars of Findings & Fastenings around the room are nice touch, giving you the chance to see the work stations of Amy and the Studio Fleuriout team. From the beginnings of the design, through to how they are made and are then ready to buy, it should prove to be an interesting shopping experience and insight for fans of Cyclodelic clothing and those coming to it for the 1st time.

It was an absolute joy to see Amy again, especially in her new surroundings in such a brilliant location! I'll be returning to Studio Flueriot again soon - in the meantime Amy, good luck with your new space!

*Many thanks to The Boy for providing the photography for this blog post!

Return of The Tweed Run...

2011-11-04T12:59:00.000Z

Image from the NYC Rugby Tweed Run 2011

It's time to dust-off your Plus-Fours and polish your Pashleys... after the successful collaboration last month for the NYC Ride, Tweed Run have teamed-up again with Rugby Ralph Lauren for the return of the Tweed Run to London!

Saturday 26th November is the date to note in your diaries, and I'm pleased to say that The Boy and I will be taking part, along with fellow Tweed-Run friends from earlier this year! This time starting-off from Covent Garden, the ride will end with what's been described as an "exclusive soiree". Of course the familiar elements of the Tweed Run will be present, including the Tea Stop and the coveted 'Most Dapper Chap' / 'Most Dashing Dame' awards.

With 22 days to go, planning ahead and getting a look together is a good idea, as the last thing I want to be doing is a last minute dash around the shops. Drawing inspiration from the previous Tweed Ride and some of my favourite designers, outfit ideas have been coming together already, and the first hurdle to be tackled - Accessories...

A very recent purchase means that I definitely have my Handbag for the day sorted out:

... it's a vintage Scotchgrain Leather Mulberry Messenger, and it only arrived yesterday! I've wanted one of these old beauties for so long and the timing of this could not have been better. The colour scheme is perfect for the day too.

The next item on my accessory list is a new hat. OK, so I could wear the gorgeous Cloche I wore in April, but as my outfit itself (more on that later) is going to be a bit of a departure from the last one, a different style of hat will be required. I was rather impressed with the Brielle Felt Hat featured on Rubgy, and have found a version that may fit the bill...

This wide-brimmed Felt Hat by Catarzi for ASOS has fantastuc autumnal tones - perfect for the seasonal timing of the Tweed Run... which leads nicely into another autumn-themed piece that has caught my eye...

Of course, a bit of Tatty Devine was bound to feature... you all know how much I love their pieces! From their current A/W Collection comes the Forest Cluster Necklace. Without giving away too much about the whole outfit I have in mind, the colours in this should be a brilliant match... more updates to follow :)

A Sunday in Surbiton...

2011-11-01T15:12:00.000Z

Before these dark evenings started drawing in and the temperature started to drop, me and The Boy met up with our friend Simon a few weeks ago for a CycleSunday afternoon ride around Surbiton. We'd been wanting to do this for ages as Surbiton is Simon's cycling-ground, and he sure knows the place! He planned out a wonderful tour of the area, including two of my favourite things - Coffee & Cakes... and an unexpected encounter with a famous resident of Bushy Park...

En route to Kingston we made two stops that were definitely reflective of our interests! 1st one was for The Boy. He needed to make a Rib-Stop on Brick Lane (he will explain this one on his Food Blog...), which allowed us to get a big-spicy breakfast. I muscled in on this pit stop, as the morning light was to lovely to ignore to get a photo of my Autumn-themed Cycle-Wardrobe for the day...

Head Scarf: Tie Rack

Earrings: Dorothy Perkins

Oak Leaves Wooden Necklace: Tatty Devine

Cable Knit Jumper: Forever 21

Drum Brooch: Tatty Devine

Shorts: Gap

Leather Boots: M&S

The second stop was one for me... our ride out of London would take us past the City Cycle Style exhibition in the Royal Exchange. Although I'd attended the celebratory drinks for the exhibition at the Grange Hotel a few weeks ago (all very posh indeed) I'd not actually seen it...

It was great to see the outdoor show in all its glory... and of course I had to get a cheesy photo in amongst those selected to be on display! Quick-stops done, we made our way to meet Simon for the leisurely 'Tour de Surbiton'.

Cycling along the Thames was beyond picturesque - the weather was fantastic, lots of people were sat along the river bank enjoying the day and the light glistening off the water was beautiful!

After a lovely ride along the water, it was time to feed the Coffee and Cake desire I always get from cycling! Our fuel-stop was Mada Deli - and when it came to cakes, it was more than a sweet treat...

Suitably fed & caffeinated, we got back on our bikes and headed to Hampton Court Palace Maze. I've done the Maze before - but there was no way I could possibly remember the lay-out of it.

Don't ask me how, but The Boy managed to work out the route to the middle of the Maze and back out again in one go! I think me and Simon are still a bit perplexed by this...

Anyway, back on our wheels and to Bushy Park we went. This was a new one for me - I'd never been there before and admit to being very excited at the promise of seeing Deer close-up in real life. Thing is, I didn't realise just how close-up my encounter with these creatures would be. We'd spotted what we assumed was a deceased Stag - his Antlers were standing tall above the blades of grass. Curiosity got the better of me, so as we all got off our bikes to investigate, I decided to walk a bit closer to check the poor thing out. The good news - he wasn't departed and just sleeping. The bad news - he was "The Beast of Bushy Park" and we'd just woken him up...

As captured by The Boy - the look on my face should explain the sheer levels of "Holy Sh*t!" thoughts going through my mind at this point!

This was the picture of the Stag-Daddy I got when he woke up, before slowly backing away from him. That saying about letting sleeping dogs lie? The same applies to these fellas too.

Thanks to not getting (deservedly) charged at by Mr Beast, the rest of the afternoon in Bushy Park went without incident, and some more Deer-Spotting happened as we made our way out of the beautiful area...

It truly was an amazing Cycle-Sunday, again reminding me there are so many beautiful things to be seen in the UK by Bike... happy cycling.

Winter Cycling Wardobe Updates...

2011-10-14T16:56:00.000+01:00

Illustration by Shelia McInnes

Ok - so it's not that cold just yet but October is actually remembering it's October, and after that random heatwave (which took my wardrobe by surprise) it's finally showing signs of the change of season.

I love wrapping up warm when it gets cold in London, and the time is fast approaching to get a Winter Cycling Wardrobe in order. Having yesterday off work, I took the opportunity to have a look around Westfield Stratford City and discovered two things about it - 1) it's much nicer to go in there on a weekday instead of a Saturday (nightmarish busy madness) & 2) there are some decent shops in there to pick up quick fashion-fixes for my Cycling Wardrobe...

With an idea of what I was after, I'd decided to just visit two of my staple shops: Topshop and M&S. Both of which would be good for what I was looking for - Winter Boots and Cable Knit clothing.

First stop - Topshop. This was the 1st time I'd checked out the Westfield Stratford City one - much bigger than the Canary Wharf branch & lots more variety of stock. Although none of the boots they had on display really called out to me, my attention was caught by items that were not on the agenda...

Red Patent Tassel Slippers: £22

Ring: £10

Breton Stripe Sweatshirt: £26

The Sweatshirt isn't a heavy top, which means that layering it with a jacket, scarves, etc. is possible. It's not super-cold at the moment, but this should still keep me warm on the Pashley and not make me break out into a cycling-sweat! Throw the top together with a pair of Jeans (Skinny or Boyfriend cut) or some straight-leg trousers and those Shoes, and you have a brilliant Beatnik inspired look.

Next stop: M&S.Cycling with cold hands isn't the nicest feeling (especially when my Raynaud's kicks in - ask The Boy, he'll tell you how freakishly cold and colourless my hands can get), but you know me - I've got to have gloves with a bit of style to them...

Fingerless Wool Cable Knit Gloves: £12

Fingerless Gloves are a must for me every winter, especially as I'm either taking pictures, tweeting on my iPhone or doing something that involves needing bare fingers out, without freezing my hands off! Last year's winners were my Purple N.Peal Cashmere ones - but this time M&S did it. They're a simple Cable-knit affair & the Pom-Poms are a cute addition to the design. Impressed with the Gloves, I had a long wander around the store on the look-out for a Jumper in the same style, but had no luck! As I didn't want to spend the entire afternoon in Westfield, I gave up looking and headed out towards the DLR - Passing Forever 21 on the way. I must admit - F21 never appealed to me when it opened, but I thought I'd give it a quick look to see if there was any chance of finding a Jumper: this is the last thing I expected to find...

Sweater: £14.75

... that's right - a lovely Mustard Sweater for a bargain price! This will work really well teamed with a pair of my tailored shorts, coloured tights and brogues (or last years Winter Boots)... another cycling outfit sorted! I was very surprised to find something like this in F21 and felt a bit bad for never really giving the place any thought on my shopping radar. I'll certainly pop in there again to see if there are any more pieces I can mix into my wardrobe & not break the bank at the same time.

I'll still be on the hunt for more winter warmers to add to my wardrobe - it's not about being freezing cold on the Pashley when the bitter cold creeps in :)

Cycles on Celluloid - The Bicycle Film Festival 2011...

2011-10-12T15:44:00.001+01:00

The 11th global Bicycle Film Festival touched down for it London-leg last week, and thanks to the awesome girls over on Pamflet (it's an excellent Zine - if you're not reading it, you really should be...) I won tickets to one of the film screenings!

I took my 'Plus One' (The Boy) with me to the Barbican Centre last Sunday to see the 2pm screening of 'By Women About Women' - a selection of ace short films, which lead into the main feature, 'Labour of Love'. This was a documentary by Virgina Hastings, who followed the Canadian "ultra-cyclist" Caroline van den Bulk as she attempts to complete the RAAM (Race Across America) - known as the hardest endurance race in the world. I had never heard of RAAM before, so not only was seeing this film a cycling education for me, it was also an inspiring watch. Caroline is an amateur rider who put herself through an extremely gruelling race to chase her dreams of completing it in 12 days. Just watching her doing it made me tired... can you imagine doing something like that on a Pashley? :)

After the film, we had a look around the stall set-up in the lobby. The Boy bought himself a cool cycling t-shirt (will post a picture of that when I get him wearing it) and I picked-up some of the bike-stickers on offer - including the rather cheeky one pictured above with my bicycle brooch....

We actually had to resist the temptation to pop into The Bicycle Library which was parked right outside the Barbican. Although The Boy is loving his new Cannondale, it doesn't take much to lure us into discussing purchasing new bikes... especially as I'm really toying with the idea of the next bike I want to get...

Stepping away from temptation, we spotted one of CycleHoop's Bike-Cars on the other side of the street. In stunning Pink it was pretty hard to miss - and it looked fantastic! Ace to see it there, along with many cyclists using it...

It was also very nice to unexpectedly meet one of my favourite stylish cycling-tweeters - Anna of The Pineapple Bikes Blog (@Pineapplebikes) in Look Mum No Hands! The Boy and I naturally gravitated there at the end of the afternoon, and while I was busy tweeting I didn't realise that Anna and I were sat next to each other all the time! It was lovely to meet her and see her bicycle... I need to sort out a ride with her soon.

The BFF was brilliant and I hope to catch it when it rolls into London again. Massive thank you to @Pamflet for the competition tickets and an ace day :)

More Cake-Loving Cyclists and The City...

2011-10-10T14:53:00.000+01:00

What do you get when you cross the opportunity to ride around one of the nicest boroughs in London with the chance to eat some rather lovely cakes? A lot of keen cyclists attending the first public BikemindedRBKC Cake & Coffee Cruise!

After the success of the inaugural ride for invited Bloggers, me and The Boy* attended the public ride last Saturday. Tickets sold out for the event which was brilliant news! It was fantastic to see such a huge turn out for the ride (and Super-Kathryn above, checking them all in) especially knowing what an absolute treat everyone was going to get for their £5...

The meeting-point for the day was of course Pedlars for the 1st Coffee of the day and a chance to meet even more cyclists... and catch-up with friends!

It was wonderful to see some of my favourite cyclists including Sam (top photo with The Boy), Adrian (Left) and Mr Ibikelondon.blogspot.com himself Mark (right) - all of whom I'd not seen properly since the Tweed Run earlier this year!

There was a slight cycling twist to the day for us - we did the ride on Boris Bikes instead of the Pashley and the Cannondale! Due to after-ride plans we'd made, we had to leave our beautiful bicycles at home and hire these for the day. I must admit, it felt like I was cheating on my Pashley being on another bike all day, but was incredibly handy... and I have to say my Tights seemed to match the bike - one iconic London Landmark with a bike that is fast becoming another London icon ;)

Head Scarf: Tie Rack

Earrings: Topshop

Denim Jacket: Gap

Knitted Jumper-Dress: M&S

Beig Ben Tights: Henry Hollans

Bag: Vivienne Westwood

Necklace: Tatty Devine

Shoes: Topshop

Speaking of fashion - I have to mention the most Dapper Chap on the ride - Mark! His outfit along with his classic Bicycle and Panniers was the perfect combination...

... and I admit to having serious Brogue envy, even if they are Men's shoes - they were utterly gorgeous!

The route, cycling pace and the cake-stops were fantastic - but the best part about the ride this time round was watching everyone enjoy themselves and the wide range of people and bicycles who came to the event. There were mature cyclists, some very young riders and a variety of bikes - including quite a few Boris Bikes too!

It just goes to show the absolute ease of taking part in a ride such as the Cake and Coffee Cruise - it's open to anyone & you are guaranteed to meet the like-minded via Bikeminded and make new friends along the ride.

Once again, a massive "thank you" must go to Kathryn for getting me involved in such a wonderful cycling project & I hope we get to work together on something again soon.

Further pictures from the Cruise can be viewed on Flickr here.

*and as always, a special thank you to The Boy - without your photography skills and general support, a lot of this wouldn't happen.

Creativity and Cocktails - the Tatty Devine Book Launch Party...

2011-10-08T10:49:00.001+01:00

It has been a rather busy week so far... and I'm pleased to say that it has all been fun social events & not work related now the mad period in the office has finished!

The first thing to keep me happily busy was the official launch party for the new Tatty Devine book, "How To Make Jewellery With Tatty Devine".

(picture courtesy of Tatty Devine)

I received a tweet from Team-Tatty inviting me to the event, so I got together with my lovely Tina and headed over to the event on Wednesday evening. The launch party was held in Drink, Shop & Do (a lovely boutique that I must make a cycle return on the Pashley to at some point), and the atmosphere was fabulous. The order of the night was a Tattytini Cocktail, which carried all the hallmarks of TD: glitter (which I'm still finding on my person days later!), pretty colours and of course a unique fashionable edge... the Cocktail Stirrer doubles-up as a hair pin...! I get the feeling I'm going to turn mine into a brooch :)

Tattytini in hand, we headed though to the workshop which had been set-up in the very well decorated back room. It was lovely to finally meet Sonja (who gave me the honour of being Customer of the Month earlier this year) & chat with the other wonderful ladies of TD. The Workshop Agenda was to make your own Tape Measure Rosette Brooch - something which I was really looking forward to!

Getting to grips with making the Brooch was rather fun - we both got the hang of it (and thanks to a lot of help from Lucy which I admit I needed!) I produced my 1st very own piece of Tatty!

I couldn't just leave it at one - there was custom made Tatty Devine Tape Measures all over the table in different colours, just begging to be turned into accessories... and I had a specific reason for needing more than one of them too. In between sipping on Cocktails with Tina & trying not to prick my finger through the laughter, chatter with other guests and fun we were having, I managed to make a few more Rosettes - result.

Of course, the main event of the evening was The Book and finally having the chance to meet Rosie and Harriet, who are a huge inspiration to me as a young woman trying to make my own way doing what I love. Without doubt, they looked as stylish as ever & have given me yet more inspiration for my cycle wardrobe - and the accessories that will go with them...

With my copy of their book to hand, I headed over to them to say "Hello" and get my book signed. Now, you can call this my geek-out moment if you must, but I was absolutely gob-smacked when Rosie asked "Should this be made out to Lady Vélo then?" Goodness me - they knew who I was!

That was HUGE for me & I think my reaction must have told Rosie and Harriet that too. It's incredibly touching and an honour to know that two women who I admire so much knew who I was and what I do - and for that I will forever have this smile in my mind.

As I said, I had a specific reason for making more than one of the Rosettes... of course they make a fabulous edition to my wardrobe, but why stop at adding them to your clothing?

Even the Pashley can rock a bit of Tatty Devine :)

I love how these look on the Basket and making these, along with reading through the book, has given me more inspiration for a project that I'm working on... more on that later.

Thanks Tatty Devine for a fantastic evening... and if Lucy remembers what I said about The Boy and his Cupcakes, we're working on that for you all... ;)

The Cake & Coffee Cruise with BikemindedRBKC...

2011-10-03T14:27:00.001+01:00

After all the ideas and planning, the inaugural BikemindedRBKC Cake & Coffee Cruise took place on the 24th September. Having taken part in the practice-cycle with Kathryn a few weeks ago, I was very excited about how the event would go with the group of invited cyclists & bloggers on the day. The Boy* and I arrived at Pedlars which was the meeting place for the Cruise, and were welcomed by a scene of bicycles & a lot of chic looking cyclists! Beautiful sunshine and smiles appeared to be the order of the day as we had a meet-and-greet session outside over some Flat Whites with our fellow riders.

This was a fantastic opportunity to meet other cyclists and put faces to Bloggers & Tweeters that I follow. It was excellent to finally meet Andreas of LondonCyclist (I didn't manage to get a picture of you - sorry Andreas if you're reading this!) & Tom of I Bike London & CycleHoop, who also provided the amazing Car Bike Rack for all of our bicycles for the day! I also finally met the lovely Jemma of "Help! My Chain Came Off!" and Tillie from "Tillie & Coco" - a blog that I recently found & am fond of already.

For just over two hours, we cruised around Kensington & Chelsea at a nice relaxed pace on our bikes. Assisted by the Marshals Bikeminded had organised for the day, there was the chance to ride through the traffic & quiet back roads and have the chance to take in some of the beautiful architecture and sights the area has to offer. Of course, the main events of the cruise were the delicious cake-stops that were planned for the day - essential sweet-sustenance to keep us all going!

Our first stop was at Buttercup - a lovely little independent bakery that focuses on mainly on Cupcakes. We were treated to these dainty Chocolate and Zucchini ones, which were amazing! They were quite an intense hit & a really interesting flavour combination - certainly worth the cycle...

The next stop was one that I can't deny being rather excited about... the Pierre Hermé boutique in Knightsbridge! After having a taste of them on the test ride & falling utterly in love with the Macarons, & knowing that French Vogue once dubbed Pierre as "The Picasso of Pastry", I couldn't wait for the return visit...

The group was given an informative talk on the history of Pierre & his Macarons and was then invited to choose a flavour to taste. Although very tempted to have an Olive Oil and Vanilla one again, I simply had to try the Pistachio...

... this is my favourite flavour of Macaron and as I didn't try this the 1st time round, it was only right to sample the nutty delight... and it was absolutely delicious!

Cycling on from Knightsbridge and heading to our next cake-destination, The Boy kindly took a photo of my cycle-wardrobe for the day. I guess being so pre-occupied with sweet-treats I was a bit distracted to remember to do this! As it was a sunny afternoon, I went with a touch of yellow...

Aviator Sunglasses: Chanel

Gold Tusk Earrings: Topshop

Dinosaur Necklace: Tatty Devine

Dress: Miss Selfridge

Leggings: Topshop

Sandals: Carvela

(and if you look carefully, you can just about see my new Tattoo...)

Riding on, our next destination was Cocomaya, a beautiful Artisan Bakery which could lure you in just with the aromas wafting from the shop!

We were treated to a lovely Sponge Slice , which was very moist and packed with fruit... and yes, it really was as yummy as it looks!

Before arriving to our final destination, I had the chance to cycle with the ultimate Chelsea Girl blogger, who is also one of Bikeminded's Bike Heroes - the fabulous Miss KingsRoadRocks!

We swapped bikes for the last part of the ride as I was immediately taken with her Brompton when I saw it! The colour scheme was awesome, and as I've been thinking about getting one as my "wizz around town" bike (sssshhh - don't tell my Pashley I said that!), it was fantastic to have a proper ride on one. I must say, that KingsRoadRocks looked stunning on my Pashley!

Our final stop on the Cruise was another that I was really looking forward to. We arrived at Kings Road, and locked all our bikes to the ingenious Car Bike Rack provided courtesy of CycleHoop, and made our way to the The Chelsea Teapot. Located towards the end of Kings Road, this beautiful shop had the perfect ambiance for a group of happy cyclists who all needed a perfect cup of tea after a wonderful ride.

The High Tea Chelsea Teapot laid on for us was simply stunning. From the gorgeous Bone China teacups and saucers to the delicious sandwiches, cakes and cream teas, it was fantastic. I was over the moon to see that Cucumber Sandwiches were on the table, as I'd developed quite a hankering for these after having them on the Tweed Run! I hope to do a return cycle-visit to the Teapot for lunch with The Boy... we were very taken with this place along with the very warm and friendly staff.

The brilliant news is that another Cake & Coffee Cruise will be taking place on the 8th October 2011, and it only costs £5.... yes - that's just FIVE POUNDS to sample some of the finest cakes in London, be marshalled through the traffic so you can ride at a nice, relaxed pace and meet other like minded cyclists!

The Cake and Coffee Cruise was a brilliant day, and BikemindedRBKC / Kathryn did a awesome job of organising the event. The route was enjoyable, cake stops amazing & the company brilliant. It's a fantastic way to discover parts of the Borough that you may never have known before, along with finding new places to discover sweet-treats and of course, cycle away the calories too! I'm honoured that I was able to help in the planning of this event, and work with Kathryn on such a fantastic idea.

*Many thanks to The Boy for once again providing his excellent photography skills for my blog!
Additional photos (more to be added) can be viewed in this Flickr Set.

Review: Grass-Shopper by Marsupial Bicycle Bags...

2011-09-27T21:44:00.002+01:00

Marsupial Bicycle Bags is an independent company based in Brentford. Founded in 2010, their aim is to make "interesting and practical bike luggage" that reflects the personality and character of the cyclist and their bike. When I saw one of their Grass-Shoppers on display in Velorution, the design certainly caught my attention and I wanted to find out more about this very different Pannier.

The material the Grass-Shopper is made from is something that I have never seen on the Pannier market before: it consists of a single piece of Astroturf (artificial grass) which has been carefully hand stitched and riveted into making a very sturdy Pannier.

Already unique in design, you have the option of customising the bag by choosing the colour of the waterproof drawstring liner, floral decorations & how the bag attaches to your bicycle. I opted for Purple lining, Lisianthus Flowers, and Hook attachments in order to use the bag on my rear rack.

I think the customisations are a really nice touch, as it allows you to personalise the bag to suit your own style and the style of your bicycle. Fixing the artificial flowers onto the Grass Hopper was easy to do: using the generous supply of Cable Ties provided, you simply thread them through the bag and tighten around the Stems.

Both the Stems and Leaves on the Flowers are made from flexible materials, meaning you can arrange the "floral spray" into almost any position you want on the bag.

Attaching the Grass-Shopper to my Pletcher was simple: the size of the rack was not an issue and both hooks clipped onto it easily and locked into place. With these hooks, the bag should fit on any standard sized bike rack (the 'Strap' attachment option is designed to fit outsized rack rails). Testing it with a gentle tug, the bag didn't come away from the rack and was a great fit.

The hooks are small in size and blended in so well with the colour of my Pashley, it actually looked like the bag had bloomed from my bicycle!

Of course, it was important to know just how well the bag fared when on the move with weight inside of it & how accommodating the dimensions of the bag are. I decided a good test for this would be to use it for some grocery shopping.

As the Grass-Shopper comes with an adjustable & detachable shoulder strap, you can take it off your bike and use it as a normal "everyday" casual bag - a brilliant feature indeed! Instead of my normal "Bags for Life", I used the Grass-Shopper to pack my groceries in. It certainly attracted a lot of lovely attention in the supermarket and didn't disappoint with the amount it could hold... (what you can't see are the two boxes of sticky Chicken Wings and a large bag of oven chips concealed under the healthy stuff!) - it held my shopping in place & still had room to spare.

While cycling, it sat comfortably on the back: it didn't knock or sway against the wheel, nor did my leg touch it when I was pedaling - I'm a tall girl, so this is a very important thing for me! The bag remained securely attached to my Pashley riding back home with my shopping.

All things considered, I think the Marsupial Grass-Shopper is a fantastic bag. It's a refreshing take on the world of Panniers: the design is unique, very eye-catching and makes a fashionable addition to your bicycle. The fact that it doesn't ignore the practical elements of a Pannier is also a plus: made from durable material, it has a sturdy build and should last you a very long time. I look forward to seeing more designs and products from Marsupial in the future, especially if they are as unique as this.

The Grass-Shopper can be bought directly from Marsupial Bicycle Bags, or from the following stores as listed on their stockists page.

The Bikeminded and VCG Project Begins...

2011-09-18T22:00:00.000+01:00

C&CC invitation image courtesy of BikemindedRBKC design team

Last month I met with Kathryn of BikemindedRBKC to discuss working together on ideas for future cycling projects. Plenty of progress has happened since that excellent meeting, and the first project to come from it will be the Kensington & Chelsea Cake & Coffee Cruise!

The C&CC will be a cycle cruise to some of the Royal Borough's Cafés, with the chance to sample some of the best Coffee & Cakes on offer with a degustation menu being specially arranged for the ride... including a very special luxury foodie stop along the way. With the various Coffee-Stops confirmed by Kathryn & the Bikeminded team, the next step was to get together for a practice ride of the route.

We met-up a couple of weeks ago to test out the route. It became a lovely day of group cycling as we were accompanied by The Boy*, @jackal420 and @thefixedfactor

Starting off from Portobello Road, we made our way along the planned route, taking in the beautiful quiet back roads of Kensington. There was the occasional stop to meet with some of the Cafés involved with the C&CC. Without revealing too much, we had to sample some of the delicious Coffee and sweet treats that would be part of the event... of course ;)

The practice run was fantastic & has us all very excited. The inaugural Cake & Coffee Cruise will lead on to another being organised with a larger group capacity, so keep your eyes on BikeMindedRBKC for further announcements. To those attending, see you very soon...!

*Many thanks to Ian James for the photography for the day.

More images can be viewed in the "Cake & Coffee Test Ride"set on Flickr.

From East to West: A Cycle to Melograno...

2011-09-06T01:18:00.002+01:00

A few weeks ago The Boy and I were invited to join our friend & Photographer Paul Winch-Furness for lunch at Melograno, a lovely Deli in Holland Park where he was working for the day.

Of all my Coffee-Cycle Days, this would be my most epic one to date! Having never cycled from Newham to Kensington, I loaded up the route on Google Maps and had it ready to go on my iPhone. The usual CS3 journey was fine: we broke away from it and followed the route Google had plotted. Along the way, there was the chance to take in some sights: cycling along Embankment, through a traffic free Mall & past Buckingham Palace... then it all started to take a bit longer than expected. When we ended up almost joining the A4, we realised something was rather wrong! Getting off the A4 before it was too late, I double checked the Map... The Boy pointed out that the route was actually completely incorrect! My 1st ever Google Map / cycling route fail had to happen at some point I guess! However, I did clock-up 13.4 miles on the Pashley - which is pretty good going!

Journey fail corrected, we finally rolled-up at Melograno and met Paul - capturing him at what he does best :)

I was instantly impressed when I walked in: the layout was beautiful & the food looked delicious... already I knew this was worth the cycle. Riding certainly gives me a caffeine thirst & the hunger, so the Flat White and the triple Sandwich platter I had did not disappoint at all...

Of course, after the savoury, must come the sweet... and boy was there a lot of sweet to choose from! We were caught eyeing up (and of course Instagraming) the treats on display, and had a lovely selection of them: Cannoli, a slice of Lemon Polenta Cake & a Panettone to share :)

There was time for one more Coffee before our lengthy cycle back to East London - and of course, time to capture my cycling wardrobe for the day - the sunshine meant that I could finally wear one of my Playsuits on the Pashley!

Playsuit: Motel Rocks

Earrings: Topshop

Necklace: Kenneth Jay Lane

Elasticated Bird Belt: Topshop

Bracelets: Dorothy Perkins

Open Toe Pumps: Poetic Licence

Ring: Orelia

It was a lovely day at Melograno & is certainly a place that I would happily ride back to again. It's cycle-friendly & I certainly recommend it to any other cyclists out there who love their coffee and cakes! Thanks Paul* for introducing me and The Boy to the place... we shall return soon - next time without my map fail :)

*also, thanks for the Instagram shots Paul, and The Boy as always for the Cycle Wardrobe shots of me.

A meeting of (Bike)Minded Cyclists...

2011-08-17T14:54:00.001+01:00

It's always rather nice when like-minded cyclists come together, and because of that some exciting things are in the pipeline here at Vélo-City-Girl... I'm currently working with Bikeminded on a fabulous new project!

Bikeminded is a fantastic campaign by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It's a cycling resource for residents and aims to encourage more residents of the Borough to get on two wheels and experience more of the area (a brilliant example of this being their recently launched 'Bike Heros' project).

I cycled to Nude Espresso on Hanbury Street to meet-up with the lovely Kathryn of Bikeminded a couple of weeks ago to discuss ideas for the project, which I'm very excited to say will include some of VCG's favourite things: Cycling, Coffee, Cakes and a touch of fashion.

I must say, as soon as I saw Kathryn arrive on that amazing Electra Bike I was blown away by how stylish she is... and I'm sure you'll agree!

Over a lovely sweet Pancake Lunch and some delicious flat whites (thanks Nude Espresso!) we were both bouncing ideas off one another and noting everything down!

(these were amazing...)

The ideas that we came up with have filled me with utter excitement and already things are in motion for later this year. More details will follow in due course so keep your eyes on VCG for more news and of course over on Bikeminded, who can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Time For Some Cycle-Chic at the LOOK Magazine Show AW11...

2011-08-03T11:45:00.002+01:00

Although still in its early days, it's been an amazing 17 months on Vélo-City-Girl. Since launching my blog back in March 2010, it has passed 18,000 views & has an increasing readership and loyal followers (also via my Twitter account) who I treasure. I've interviewed Victoria Pendleton, written reviews for CycleChic, contributed to This Big City on why London is one of the most fashionable cities for cycle chic and have been featured by London based art-jewellers Tatty Devine. So, to be given the opportunity to report from the front row at the LOOK Magazine AW11 Show at Westfield Stratford City would be an amazing chance for this blogging fashionista on a Pashley...

I believe there is no reason why Fashion & Cycling can't go hand-in-hand and also feel that riding on a regular basis doesn't mean having to sacrifice the latest trends & styles. London is one of the most fashionable cities in the world, and with around half a million journeys made by bicycle here each day, there is a huge captive audience of female cyclists out there seeking inspiration & advice on how to keep it chic on two wheels. With statistics like this, it should come as no surprise that keeping it stylish while cycling is fast becoming a fashion movement in its own right.

To wave the cycling-fashion flag for this slightly underrepresented audience at London Fashion Week would be a huge coupe not only for Vélo-City-Girl, but for LOOK by introducing a whole new audience of style seekers to the Magazine.

As a dedicated and passionate fashion blogger, I believe I should be on the front row of the LOOK AW11 Show in September! I am always on the hunt for the latest trends, as well as doing my own "Bike Wardrobe Remixing" of different styles in order to bring inspiration and advice to other female cyclists out there. It's all about keeping it fresh, individual & eye-catching, something I believe I do well... and something which was recognised when I recently completed a Photo-Shoot with renowned photographer Horst Friedrichs for his latest book which will showcase the best of London's Cycle Fashion!

Being given the chance to showcase London as a growing cycle-fashion hotspot would be an absolute dream. It would also be especially poignant for me as a local girl from Newham: reporting live from the front row for LOOK Magazine from the brand new Westfield at Stratford City... as a budding fashion blogger from the area, this would be a huge achievement.

So, you've read my entry & know what me and my blog are all about... fancy giving me the chance to show you what I can do?

Dunst does it well...

2011-07-25T15:02:00.003+01:00

Due to my recurring (read as "annoying") neck issue I've been off the Pashley for a little while - but should be back on it this week thanks to my Physio last weekend. Whilst dreaming of being back on the saddle, I came across this picture of Kirstin Dunst cycling on what looks like a classic Raleigh through New York. She looks fantastic - relaxed, happy and chic on two wheels... always a great thing to see.

I love this outfit: Ray Bans, a simple dress (which I suspect may cost a small fortune), little brown bag and Sandals. Weather permitting, I'm going to recreate this using some Wardrobe Remixing & my Ray Bans and Cambridge Satchel, but here's a version of it that I've put together which doesn't cost the Earth...

Ruch Front Dress by Annie Greenabelle - £59.99 at Topshop

Top-Frame Sunglasses - £16 at Topshop

Leather Cross-Body Bag - £35 at ASOS

Strappy Sandals - £25 at Miss Selfirdge

Thanks Ms Dunst for the inspiration - and please keep on cycling in style!

Leggy Fashion...

2011-07-20T21:36:00.001+01:00

The British Summer appears to be doing that "rainy" thing again... there I am itching to be cycling in Summer garms, yet the weather is not complying with my desire... g'ah.

A small ray of sunshine came my way when this arrived...

It's another Lanvin for H&M t-shirt (apparently you can wear it as a dress). I missed out on getting this in the madness of the launch, but picked up this brand new one on eBay... AND I didn't pay over the odds for it either! I love the idea of cycling in this, so perhaps when the weather sorts itself out I can.

I do wonder of the Tutu frilling at the top will blow back in my face and annoy me. Only one way to find out I guess... :)

Review: Kitsch Kitchen Pannier from Cycle Chic...

2011-07-06T19:53:00.011+01:00

As I've finally sorted out a Rear Rack for my Pashley, what would the next logical step be? Adorn it with a new Pannier of course...

I was very lucky (and utterly over the moon!) to receive this Kitsch Kitchen Pannier from CycleChic for a review. Founded by Caz Nicklin, this independent London-based online store offers an array of stylish cycling accessories for women, including Clothing, Helmets and of course Panniers.

The Kitsch Kitchen bags come in various patterns - this one is the Florapola, which is pretty lively! I went for the Yellow colourway (it also comes in White and Orange) as the contrast between it and the Pashley was nice and bright...and I reckon it'll go very well with my summer cycling wardrobe too ;)

Other than it being rather beautiful to look at, the Pannier also very practical. The clip-on system it uses is really simple, so attaching it to my Pletscher was smooth...

Cleverly concealed under a zip-up flap are two metal hooks that attach to the Rack. I found that they clipped onto it firmly and without any problems.

I wanted to test out how secure it was when cycling, so I used it as the main form of storage on my cycle date with The Boy... notice the lack of front Basket on Frankie - she looks so different without it! Although I adore the Basket, it can be quite front-heavy when riding with everything in there. I had plenty of stuff in that bag, (including some bike accessory shopping that The Boy did), but there was no danger of it rattling off the rack while riding - nor did it bang against the wheel or my foot - Huzzah! Weight doesn't appear to be an issue with the Kitsch Kitchen Pannier - it's a very sturdy bag and anyone one with a heavy bike like mine will know that weight distribution is pretty important...

Now, I'm sure you realise with me almost everything forms a part of my Cycle-wardrobe, so I'm pleased to say that the Pannier fits in nicely with this. It certainly became part of my wardrobe for the day:

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

Earrings: Primark

Top: Warehouse

Brooch: Tatty Devine

Ring: Mawi for ASOS

Jeans: Diesel

Sandals: TopShop

All I needed to do was un-clip it from the Rack, zip up the flap which conceals the hooks and you have a lovely large handbag for the day - just like that :) It makes for a very spacious handbag or shopping bag & with the inner-zip pocket and two roomy outer pockets, you have plenty of storage solutions for your keys, phone and any other small items.

Retailing at £36.99 from CycleChic you certainly get your money's worth with this Kitchen Kitsch Pannier. This bag definitely gets full marks from me and Frankie: it's beautiful, practical & is certainly a very welcome and fashionable addition to my cycle wardrobe... certainly one to check out for sure.

More photos of the Bag in action can be viewed in this set on Flickr.

Many thanks to The Boy for the photography.

Rack and Rescue...

2011-07-04T23:04:00.006+01:00

A year and a bit later, Frankie is getting some upgrades to her frame. Last week I started hunting for a Pletscher Rack for my Pashley. It was time to get the rear sorted so I could get Pannier bags to carry more stuff easily.

As she's a Princess Classic, she didn't come with a Rack as standard. Yes, it was probably a bit slack of me not to have sorted out more storage earlier, but the big Basket was doing a fabulous job of carrying everything... well, up to a point.

Throughout the week, it started to turn into a mission to find the black Pletscher Athlete I was after. I'd found a couple of websites selling them, but delivery would be an issue as I needed to have it by Friday at the latest. Checked in with a few bike shops, but they didn't stock them... and then Velorution stepped in to the rescue :) I got a message on Thursday from them via Twitter, telling me they had one in stock which was excellent news as I could pick it up Friday evening!

I knew that when I arrived, I wouldn't just walk in, get my Rack and leave: one of the windows has a sign which reads "Not just the sexiest bikes in London..." and this is very true. Not only do they have some of the most beautiful bikes in stock (including a Pedersen that I was so tempted to get on) there are also some fabulous cycling accessories to choose from, and a very helpful & friendly team on hand.

It was lovely to finally meet Andrea, who I had a lovely chat with about my Pashley, blogging & other bike related matters :) In between chatting and admiring the bikes on show, my eye was caught by this fantastic looking front basket:

... details are not yet showing on their Website, but I must get further information about this - would be brilliant to give it a test on my bike in London - a garden on wheels :)

The Rack was perfect & is now pride of place on the back of Frankie:

Massive thanks to Andrea and the team at Velorution for your help in getting the Pletscher sorted out for me. There is a fabulous new Pannier bag which now graces the back of the bike... more on that coming up soon.

Sunshine and Shoots...

2011-06-30T22:12:00.001+01:00

Last Sunday the Sun was shining and London was glowing....the weather was finally perfect for the Photo Shoot with Horst Friedrichs to go ahead!

It didn't go quite according to plan on the 1st attempt earlier this month, so you can imagine our joy when the City decided to give us the light, at last. Thanks to The Boy being the brilliant photographer he is, he took some pictures of what was going on behind the scenes for the blog - thank you so much Sir for these!

It was lovely to see Horst again & also meet his assistant Filip, who bought me my favourite flowers (Peonies) to put in my Pashley Basket for the photos :)

The scene was very different to the Rainy Day that we experienced earlier this month - which also allowed us to do the shoot in two different outfits. The 1st one was quite relaxed and went a little something like this:

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

Necklace: Tatty Devine

Vest Top / High Waisted Shorts / Sandals: Topshop

Yellow Bangle: Camden Market

Ring: Tatty Devine

... and then for the 2nd outfit, there was a slight change in style:

Sunglasses: Tatty Devine for John Lewis

"LadyVélo" name necklace: Tatty Devine

Dress: LAFrock

Ring: Dorothy Perkins

Mary Jane Shoes: Vivienne Westwood

Spot the unexpected visitor who decided he wanted to be in the photos?

His name was Taco, and I could have easily put him in my basket and taken him home!

For a few more behind the scenes shots of the day taken by The Boy, the set can be viewed here - once again, thank you so much for these Sir :)

I can not wait to see Horst's photos from Sunday, and too see his book come together. It's such a fantastic project & I'm honoured that he asked me to be a part of it.

Get a Grip: The Gropes Family Gathering...

2011-06-27T12:50:00.008+01:00

When it comes to looking stylish on two wheels, it's not just about the cyclist looking good - the machine should also have a touch of style to it too. So when I was invited to the the launch party for the Gropes online shop, I had to be there to check out the gorgeous Leather Handlebar Grips & finally meet the man behind them.

Akira Chatani (Nonusual) held the "Gropes and Friends" gathering at the beautiful Family Tree Boutique in Exmouth Market. Those in attendance included Mechanical Alchemist and tokyobike, who made a stunning bespoke bicycle exclusively for the night.

The main event of the evening was the chance to win a special Golden Gropes Trophy.

Made of Handlebars covered in golden Gropes Leather, this was certainly an original piece for any cycle enthusiasts wall: like hunting down the ultimate Gropes - reminiscent of prized mounted Stag-Horns! I entered the draw for these but didn't win - gutted, as I would have put these on my Bedroom / Workspace Door!

As well as there being fabulous bike accessories for me to check out, there were some beautiful machines and stylish cyclists on view too...

As soon as I saw him, I had to get a shot! Photographer Yu Fujiwara arrived to the event on his Purple tokyobike single speed bike. Now, you know that I love my Pashley but I have to pay the tokyobike pop-up shop a visit when I'm in the area later this week for my tattoo consultation...

It was a brilliant evening, with the chance to meet like minded fashion & cycling enthusiasts, and of course to meet Akira and witness his passion for what he does so well.

My set of photos from the evening can be viewed here - and make sure you check out the Gropes Online Shop too.

Brighton Bikes...

2011-06-20T21:23:00.003+01:00

Got back home today from a lovely long weekend in Brighton. The trip wasn't cycling based, but that didn't stop me from noticing Bikes around town. I spotted another example of Bikes & Advertising together in the shop window of Hunted:

With it being Menswear there wasn't much shopping I could do, but their display made me smile all the same.

I'd like to go back to Brighton and see some of it by bike. There were plenty of people on two wheels and taking advantage of the cycle route along the seafront... I imagine that must be lovely in the sunshine (the weather was not kind over the weekend), so doing that is on my list of places to ride...

... also, massive "Well Done!" to the cyclists who did the London to Brighton ride on Sunday - in that weather, I really do take my hat off to you all :)

Bikes by Night in London...

2011-06-16T12:28:00.002+01:00

Where in this City could you see Penny Farthings racing one moment, watch Elite Cyclists in full speed the next, AND check out beautiful cycling accessories and clothing? At the London Nocturne of course!

Me and The Boy went to Smithfields Market on Saturday afternoon to see the event for the first time. We weren't on our Bikes, but were certainly in the cycling spirit. The atmosphere was fantastic: such a brilliant vibe & the support from the crowds to every rider taking part was electric... I'd never heard so many Cowbells in my life! It was also excellent to bump into some familiar faces & put faces to twitter names on the day too - one of which was this fella...

... @alien8 :) He was at the Nocturne working the Press & Technical Areas, and took a fantastic series of shots for bikehugger.com. If you want to get a feel of the action and thrills of the night, do go and have a look at his set of fantastic photos, here :)

In between watching races, I had a wander around the Expo Areas. There were some wonderful vintage bikes on display which caught my attention

... but there was one stand in particular that I simply had to visit for my love of fashion on two wheels: the fabulous Cyclodelic were at the Nocturne!

When it comes to combining fashion with cycling in style, Cyclodelic are seriously on it! I have been searching for a beautiful and original Saddle Bag for the Pashley & was especially taken with the designs they had on display...

It was so wonderful to meet Amy and to have a look at pieces from Cyclodelic's beautiful new collection, which should be available from their online store within the next week. Do have a look at their site & the blog as linked... I suspect some shopping is going to happen... :)

The London Nocturne is a fantastic event, which is a must for anyone with even the smallest interest in Cycling - no matter what level of cyclist you are, there is something for everyone there. Great atmosphere, beautiful fashion & a brilliant way to meet like minded people - and catch up with cycling buddies! See you there next year - perhaps on a Penny Farthing 'eh? ;)

Photo-shoots and Smiles...

2011-06-08T22:28:00.005+01:00

So, I don't get to say very this often: I was recently invited to feature in a Photo-shoot about cycling & fashion in London!

I was contacted by Internationally renowned Photographer Horst A. Freidrichs, to feature in a book he is working on which focuses on the fashion culture of cyclists in the City. To say I was excited would be an understatement! The First thing on my agenda: decide the outfits. With it being June and there was blazing sunshine last Saturday, I'd decided on these for a summer-cyclist feel:

Vest Top: Topshop

Floral Hot Pant Shorts: Topshop
Ballet Pumps: Topshop

"LadyVélo" Name Necklace: Tatty Devine

Earrings: Chanel

Vest Top: Dorothy Perkins
Wide Belt: Oasis
Skirt: Dorothy Perkins
Necklace: Tatty Devine
Sandals: Accessorize

The location Horst chose for us was was Jones' Diary, just off Columbia Rd Flower Market (which is one of my favourite Markets in London). Now remember I said that last Saturday was "blazing" Sunshine? Well, Sunday didn't quite follow that weather pattern. It rained...

... and rained

...and rained

... but we ended up having one of the nicest Sunday afternoons!

Despite the downpour, our spirits were high - there was great energy surrounding the shoot, and we were still hopeful of a break in the rain. We didn't know it at the time, but the shelter we took on Ezra Street was next to Lily Vanilli, who opened their Bakery for the first time that day. Watching from their shop & feeling sorry for us waiting in the Courtyard, they came out and gave us delicious Cupcakes to keep us going!

... how sweet of them was that?!

The rain didn't really ease up, but we decided to get some test shots of the day. Natural light was beginning to fade (mainly behind more black clouds) so dashing out from the dry, we set up and did a few shots...

None of the outfit changes happened - it was way too wet for summer shorts & skirts... but I guess what I had on became my cycle wardrobe for the day, right?

Jacket: Gap

Breton Stripe Top: Topshop

Jeans: Topshop

"Lady Leigh" Necklace & Earrings Set: Tatty Devine

Ring: Dorothy Perkins

Lady & Dog Brooch: Tatty Devine

Another session has been penciled into the diary with Horst - fingers crossed the Sun will be shining for that. Wardrobe planning is in process for this one, and the whole thing will be blogged about when it happens.

Massive Thank you to Horst for asking me to take part in this & for making it so much fun, and to The Boy, for taking the photos of me and Horst in action for my blog.... it's appreciated :)

Coffee | Cycle | Saturday

2011-06-03T01:27:00.003+01:00

Grobelaar | Lady Vélo | The Fixed Factor

Last weekend saw the 1st CoffeeCycleSaturday Ride: saddle up on a Saturday, have a brew at some of the best Coffee Houses in town and enjoy the ride & anything that happens along the way. The Boy planned the route, marking off the Coffee Stops for the day. We set off early and cycled towards Bermondsey. There was a slight delay getting there, thanks to Tower Bridge doing this...

I'd never seen this in action before, even though I've lived in London all my life! I have to be a geek and admit that this was pretty cool to watch. Bridge down, we made it south of the river and met Simon for our first stop: Maltby Street for St John Doughnuts and Monmouth Coffee...

Safe to assume the verdict is "GOOD" from these expressions :)

Caffeine & Custard munched, we moved on cycling through an almost silent City of London. I absolutely love the City when it's like that: hardly anyone around, the chance to cruise on the bike & quiet roads...

... quiet enough for me to lay flat on my back under the Gherkin to take this.

Shoreditch was next on the Run: Nude Espresso. This was a new place for us, but from the moment we pulled up I had a good feeling about the place...

Seal of approval has been given to the Flat White here for sure.

So, I was in Shoreditch and doing rather well in resisting the temptation to urge the fellas to take a detour from what I thought was the plotted path. Turns out The Boy had included a sweet & sneaky stop on the map for me. The Mega Sale was on. I'd already done a bumper shopping session online on Friday when it launched. But it would have been rude not to go in, right...?

It was absolutely lovely to pop into Tatty Devine and finally meet the ladies :)

And yes, more shopping happened!

A mention for the Bike Outfit for the day:
Earrings: Vivienne Westwood
T-Shirt: New Breed Girl @Topshop
Necklace: Tatty Devine (from my collection, innit)
Jeans: Diesel
Trainers: Converse
Handbag (in the Basket) - Longchamp

Laden with pretty shiny things in my Basket, our wheels rolled on.

Being powered by more Coffee than food, brunch needed to happen. Broadway Market & London Fields was the next destination - a busy place on a Saturday, but ideal for bike spotting and a tasty Croque-Monsieur too...

After relaxing on the grass, it was back on the Saddle again for the final Coffee stop, at a place that is becoming a firm favourite when out and about in East London... Prufrock at Present:

Three Feet and a Flat White.

CoffeeCycleSaturday's are certainly fun - and of course there is no chance of you feeling tired when you're knocking back the beans! Another of these rides needs to happen soon methinks.

Cycletta: An interview with Victoria Pendleton...

2011-05-30T22:40:00.007+01:00

Photo from Grazia photoshoot, taken by David Yeo.

A fantastic opportunity came up for Vélo-City-Girl... I recently took part in a Bloggers Conference to interview World & Olympic Cycling champion Victoria Pendleton. After having watched her win Gold in Beijing 2008, this was a very exciting chance to be given!

I was invited to the conference to speak to Victoria about Cycletta: a series of cycling events created to encourage women to take up cycling, have fun doing so and build up confidence on two wheels. As the primary ambassador for Cycletta, Victoria is committed to inspiring more women to take up cycling as a meaningful lifestyle pursuit. This was a brilliant chance to ask Victoria about her thoughts on the event for the more leisurely rider, and of course talk about fashion on two wheels...

You've been listed by Red Magazine as one of the most influential women of 2011. With the launch of Cycletta, how do you hope to inspire and influence more women into cycling?

The idea is to give women the opportunity to cycle on traffic free roads, and to make it as appealing as possible. I think that women tend to band together and do things in large groups fairly easily. We [as women] encourage each other and support each other, and I really wanted to get involved with this event to promote it. I think it's a great opportunity, if I can encourage more women to cycle.

I only started cycling a year ago, and admit to initially finding it intimidating after having not been on a bike since I was 18! With you being the Ambassador for Cycletta, what do you believe are the advantages of having "Women Only" cycling events and do you feel this is a positive thing?

Yeah - I think so! The biggest draw for me is the traffic free roads, because there are a lot of women that lack confidence on the roads on their bikes There are a lot of women who are put off cycling by the amount of traffic on the roads. I think being given the chance to ride in a traffic free environment takes away that stress a bit, so that you can just enjoy what you're doing, and hopefully gain something positive from it & take forward with you. Knowing what it's like to train and ride with men, I know can get a bit competitive! Although I admit to being a competitive woman myself, this element may not appeal to all women, so removing any competitiveness may make it more approachable and encourage more women to come along to the event.

This ties in nicely with the three levels of cycling ability that are covered in the event. It's fantastic that it isn't just a "race to the end", as different people cycle at different paces. I'll be taking part in the event as a "Leisure / Commuter" rider on my Pashley Princess - clearly not a sporting bike, but that's the level of cycling that I enjoy. What would be your advice to other women like me who enjoy leisurely rides, who are thinking of taking part in Cycletta?

A Pashley Princess? Oooh, lovely! I think that when you cycle in a group like this, it will probably split out naturally, so those who want to go faster end up at the front, medium pace riders in the middle and so on. Of course, your level of ability and the machine you are riding will have a big impact on the distribution of riders. You'll probably end up cycling with people on the same level as you, so it will just naturally balance itself out. I say give yourself plenty of space and ride within your limits and don't force yourself to go beyond your own personal comfort zone. It's one of the best things that you can do, especially on a ride like this.

Now, I must ask some fashion based questions, as my cycling blog focuses a lot on Fashion on two wheels & "keeping it chic" while riding. When you are away from the track and not training, what would be the style of bike you ride for leisure?

I'm usually training 6 days a week on my bike, but when I'm not, I have an old Shopper Bike... I don't even know how old it is! It's a proper old black frame with fat pedals, massive handlebars and Panniers - it's ancient! I've got to remember though on that bike, going up hill I really can't give it too much welly because it's a bit flexible! I would love a new bike with a basket on the front, but I haven't found the right one yet.

Victoria modelling the Wayne Hemingway "Union Flag" dress

We are all very familiar with you in your athletic clothing when competing in Championship and Olympic events, but have also seen you away from that style with some of the beautiful photo shoots you have taken part in! What would your day to day cycling wardrobe consist of?

Having also done a photo shoot recently dressed in full Victorian clothing, I know that anything has to be more comfortable than that on a bike! When I do cycle into town, I'd probably be wearing flat Ballet Pumps, a nice little Blouse and some Skinny Jeans and probably my Mac - there is never a situation when a Mac is not appropriate to cycle in! It's difficult sometimes in Jeans when you're sat up on the saddle, so I'd insure the length of the top that you cycle in is ok. Don't wear too little a Blouse because obviously no one wants to see your "builders bum" when you take your Mac off! Wearing a decent length t-shirt would help avoid that!

Victoria - thank you so much for answering my questions today in regards to Cycling and Fashion! What would be your three top tips for all riders taking part in the Cycletta events?

My three top tips would be:

1) Go at your own pace

2) Invest in some cycle shorts - this is always a good idea!

3) Make sure that you are adequately hydrated and have some food / energy bars on you - if you run out of energy it's no fun. I say be well prepared like a girl scout!

****

There are two Cycletta events scheduled for 2011:

Cycletta South: Whipsnade Park on Sunday 11th September

Cycletta North: Tatton Park on Sunday 2nd October

Entry to the events cost £45 and the deadline for entry is 31st July 2011.

Registration and full event information can be found on : www.cycletta.co.uk

Lady in Paris...

2011-05-25T19:33:00.003+01:00

Saint-Michel (Paris Métro) - 2004.

If I remember the outfit correctly...

Top: Urban Outfitters

Skirt: Once a pair of Levi's 501 made into a skirt!

Sandals: Birkenstock

I found this picture during the massive clear-out of my bedroom. It was taken in August 2004... Memories that come back: I'd just finished Uni & was out in Paris with 2 of my best friends for a short break / friends birthday celebration.

This was long before the days of Lady Vélo happening, but take a look... even back then I sure had an eye for a pretty bike. Next time I'm there, I have to see Paris on two wheels :)

Bikes and Coffee...

2011-05-23T18:03:00.006+01:00

There is a wonderful relationship between Cycling and Coffee. This is something that makes me rather happy... especially when it's a combination of beautiful bikes and a beautiful brew :)

I attended the first CoffeeSaturday Pop-Up event at Prufrock Coffee last weekend, with The Boy*.

We didn't cycle there, as I was still slightly under the weather & he needed to get his Speculoos for the Bake-Off there in one piece! However, in between sampling all the biscuits and drinking lovely coffee throughout the day, I did manage to do a lot of Bicycle spotting:

in the window of Prufrock Coffee

locked-up on Leather Lane

in the window of Department of Coffee and Social Affairs

on Hatton Garden with a helmet

Gorgeous Guv'nor in St John's Square

All of these two-wheeled beauties were either inside of or very close to coffee houses - something tells me I'll be seeing a lot more of this on my Coffee / Cycling date this weekend!

*Yes - "The Boy" finally has his blog up and running... do go and have a look :)

Prehistoric Pleasure...

2011-05-19T02:31:00.004+01:00

Yesterday morning took a very happy turn (I have a rotten Cold & Asthma issues at the moment) when the Post Man knocked on my Door. I wasn't expecting a delivery on Wednesday, but those girls at Tatty Devine are pretty fast indeed...

This is my awesome "thank you" present for being Customer of the Month!

I've wanted this Dinosaur Necklace for ages, so thank you very much TD for asking - amazed I got it :)

Expect to see the debut of Dina the Dino on my Pashley soon.

And I have to say, this made me smile when I saw it on Wednesday afternoon:

Front Page joy for the Pashley & Cycling in style... huzzah!

Devine Intervention...

2011-05-17T20:17:00.008+01:00

Now, I'm guessing most of you may have realised I am a massive Tatty Devine fan & have been collecting their pieces for a while. Their beautiful jewellery features very heavily in my style & pops up frequently in my "Bike Wardrobe Remixing" posts. So, it's an absolute pleasure (whilst squealing like an overexcited Seal Pup) to announce that Tatty Devine named me their "Customer of the Month" for May!

I was absolutely over the moon when I received an email last week from the lovely Sonja at Tatty Devine to say that I had been chosen. It was a total joy to answer the questions, and a challenge to myself to keep my lips sealed until it was official :)

To know that Tatty Devine has been reading and like Vélo-City-Girl is a total honour - not just for me personally as a fan, but for the Blog & the message of riding in style. I've only been Cycling & Blogging for just over a year, so to have one of your biggest fashion inspirations recognise the Blog and its theme is absolutely fantastic. This feels like wonderful exposure for keeping it chic on 2 wheels, and hopefully inspiration for more of us to do it!

Anyway - you can read the full interview and see pictures (including my ever growing collection) on the Tatty Devine Blog, so PLEASE check it out... and be sure to peroooze the jewellery also:

Tatty Devine Diaries: Customer of the Month: Jools

Once again, thank you so much Ladies... expect to see more Lady Vélo in Tatty Devine for sure! x

Windows into Bike Fashion...

2011-05-16T23:37:00.002+01:00

I've been spotting a lot of bikes in fashion advertising at the moment.
This is no bad thing - anywhere I see cycling and fashion being mixed together is always a happy place for me!

Stripes + Spokes

Bermuda's & Basket

Saddle and Shorts

I'm enjoying seeing window displays like these around London... fingers crossed it encourages more people to cycle & perhaps with a bit of flare... you never know, eh?

Two-wheeled beauty...

2011-05-08T14:53:00.003+01:00

Sometimes, there is nothing better than seeing a beauty on a bike.

Spotted her on Shoreditch High Street, waiting at the Traffic Lights. I loved her gorgeous Pashley and relaxed outfit. Also loved the shopping poking out the top of the basket - always a nice touch.

There were a lot of chic girls on pretty bikes around Shoreditch yesterday - a lot of whom I've taken some fashion inspiration from... so thanks Ladies... keep it gorgeous, innit? :)

Loving Aubin & Wills...

2011-05-05T15:57:00.002+01:00

The latest acquisition to my cycling wardrobe arrived yesterday.

Ever since walking into Aubin and Wills to collect my Tweed Run pack, I've been in love with their clothing. I'll be perfectly frank; I'd never ventured into an A&W before, and had no clue how gorgeous their line is. Totally resisted buying a whole new outfit for the Tweed Run when I walked in there - that was hard...

Thanks to my regular clothing haunt The Outnet, I picked up this vest top for just £12. It's another item that will be ideal to cycle in - not too hot, freedom for your arms & has a very British feel to it. A&W clothes look like a perfect match to the Pashley I say :)

Discovering London...

2011-05-02T19:18:00.000+01:00

Thanks to "The Wedding" and May Day, London was blessed with another long Bank Holiday Weekend - so what better way to spend the Sunday than a on a cycling Tweet-up? We met-up with the lovely @thefixedfactor for a cycle exploration of London. The route (which was suggested by Simon and planned by The Boy) covered some of the Docklands and the South East, including my old University stomping ground, Greenwich.

The weather is still being kind for the BH Weekends, so riding in a T-Shirt and Jeans combo was not out of the question... here was my Bike Wardrobe for the day:

Sunglasses: Gucci

Earrings: Grandmothers

Necklace: Tatty Devine

T-Shirt: See by Chloé

Watch: Sekonda

Jeans: Topshop

Sandals: New Look

Meeting point was 10:30a.m St Pauls. It was nice to get into Central London early - hardly much traffic & a relaxed ride. Parked-up at Paul for Coffee & Pastries to get us ready for the day ahead:

The Pashley and the Ridgeback...

Simon's Condor Pista - beautiful bike!

Once fuelled-up, we headed for the Docklands & South of the River...

Now if you follow me on Twitter, you know there is no way that I can't not mention food in the day :) Lunch Stop was at the Trafalgar Tavern - a beautiful pub in Greenwich that I have not been to since I left Uni - the food there is rather "Nom" & exactly what our bodies needed (along with some liquid refreshment, of course)

One of the most enchanting parts of the ride was "discovering" Russia Dock Woodland. It wasn't a part of our loosely plotted route & none of us knew that the place existed! It was a lovely surprise on our cycling meander, with some lovely bits of nature and life dotted along the way...

It really was a fantastic day, and such a brilliant way to explore more of the City!

Thank you Ian for the route and Simon for the suggestion... and thank you BOTH taking turns in carrying my Pashley up and down the stairs we encountered on the day - you are both utter Gentleman!

Easy Riders...

2011-04-25T21:43:00.005+01:00

Sunny Bank Holidays in London are made for bikes :)
After a pleasantly busy weekend me and The Boy managed to get out for a ride: there was no agenda - just to cycle in the sunshine and see where our wheels would take us...

Simply riding through the City in no hurry is lovely... and by bike, you certainly get the chance to take in some sites easily... such as ones like this in Limehouse...

Ended up in Look Mum No Hands - my return visit (this time with bike) & The Boy's first visit there. Goes without saying he was happy with the place, the bikes around us and the Kernel Beer+frosted class combo there...

Joy for me was a cold bottle of Coke and the sweet sustenance that followed...

To go with the laid-back vibe, I threw together an "easy outfit" for the cycle-day:

(click picture for full details)

Hat: Bought from a shop on St Marks Place (NYC) back in 2009

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Earrings: Grandmothers

Feather Necklace: Tatty Devine

Tee: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Boyfriend Jeans: Diesel

Bracelets: Presents from The Boy

Bag: Yves Saint Laurent

Sandals: Birkenstocks

Playsuits for Pedal Pushing...

2011-04-19T14:45:00.004+01:00

It's fairly safe to say that Summer is creeping in - which has me thinking about a Summer Cycle Wardrobe...

Playsuits will feature heavily this year. I became a fan of them after falling head over handlebars for this Chloé one I bought in 2009:

Other than trying it on in that picture, I've yet to wear it outside my house, which is a total disservice to how pretty & colourful it is! It should be fantastic to ride in: light material, not clingy and very breezy.

I have 2 other Playsuits (bought last year) but I've been eyeing up the selection Topshop currently has on offer. These ones are definitely on the shopping list:

Red Lotus Print Playsuit

Love the cut of this one & the pattern so much

Vintage Wash Denim Dungarees

I've not worn anything like these since I was a kid, so surprised that I like them. Reckon these ones would look wicked when I'm riding on my Raleigh 20 - fits the era nicely!

If you're not super comfortable cycling in a short skirt (I've still not done that yet), I suspect the Playsuit makes for a good alternative: you still have the freedom of getting your legs out in the sunshine, they look easy to cycle in & you can hide your modesty at the same time!

Do you have any Summer Cycle Wardrobe plans or tips?

Cycle Cafe Joy...

2011-04-17T21:59:00.001+01:00

I finally (sans bike) visited Look Mum No Hands today. Shameful as I've had my Pashley for a year & I don't live that far away from LMNH at all! Headed there for lunch with my lovely friend Amy as we both were long overdue checking the place out... and it's fantastic!

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you how lovely the vibe is in there: friendly staff, friendly fellow cyclists and some of the nicest pies I've tasted in a long time...

Another visit is already being planned, and I intend on spending some hazy summery days there after a cycle around the city. Silly me for not checking it out sooner, but glad to find out what I was missing! Perhaps I'll catch you in there in the summer? :)

The Tweed Run 2011 - A Beautiful Day!

2011-04-10T20:49:00.008+01:00

Riders 091 & 134 :)

We certainly got our Tweed on!

What Ho dear readers! I must say, The Tweed Run has to be the best & most stylish cycling event in London... utterly spiffing!

Riding towards St Paul's in the splendid sunshine, I was filled with excitement - every so often we'd encounter other participants heading there, who dinged their bells or tooted their horns to say "Pip Pip!" This was an understatement of how friendly everyone there was going to be :) Even though I knew that it was a big event, it was still breathtaking to see so many cyclists together in Paternoster Square all decked out in seriously chic Tweed...

Cycling through the roads of Central London was unbelievable! The Marshals did a tremendous job of getting us all through without incident (I doff my Tweed Cloche to you all!) and having to deal with any slightly disgruntled drivers along the way... although it was rather refreshing to have some motorists beeping to compliment us!

There was always an opportunity to chat to people along the ride: just cycling beside someone, conversation was struck-up almost instantly. It was such a happy and jolly vibe which is rather hard to put into words - every ones smiles said it all!

Of course, I must give you a bit of my Cycle-Chic for the day:

Hat: Anna Chocola

Pheasant Feather Brooch (on hat): Katherine Butler

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

Pearl Earrings: Topshop

Pearl Bracelets: Dorothy Perkins
Ring: Dorothy Perkins

Gold Locket & Chain: borrowed from Mum

Vintage Louis Vuitton Silk Scarf: also borrowed from Mum

Blouse: ASOS
Tights: M&S

Tweed Shorts: Mango

Brogues: Topshop

Bag: Topshop

It was a truly marvelous experience & I am still smiling from ear-to-ear about just how great it was. It was also lovely to have met fellow Tweeters and Bloggers, who I hope to see again soon. Also, I managed to cycle alongside a chap by the name of Ewan McGregor...

The day is certainly best explained in visuals, so please toodle along to our rather spiffing set of photos of the day from me and The Boy, which you can view on Flickr:

The Tweed Run 2011: The Most Stylish Ride in London

Hope to be back next year to take part... in the meantime, Tally Ho old bean - it's been amazing!

Ready for the Run...

2011-04-07T23:50:00.003+01:00

I finally have my outfit together for the Tweed Run!

The Shoes and the Bag were the last items needed to complete it... almost had a breakdown at work today as the delivery didn't show up until 16:00 - and our Post Room closes at 16:30!

Just a quick iPhone picture of it - there will of course be proper pictures and details (including accessories) on the day, but this is a taster of it :)

Again, if anyone wants to meet / say "hello" on Saturday, drop me a message on Twitter (@ladyvelo82) or email me using the link on the blog... see you on Saturday... Pip Pip! :)

Cycle Saturday: Loving East London...

2011-03-29T00:42:00.002+01:00

It may not have been blazing hot, but finally the sunshine touched East London over the weekend. Me and The Boy took advantage of this & got on our bikes for a Cycle Saturday. It just so happened it was the weekend the Tweed Run registration packs were ready for collection, so cycling to Shoreditch to get them made perfect sense!

As we were out so early, there was no way that we couldn't do a bit of breakfast and food shopping... of course ;) Taking a leisurely cycle via Tower Bridge, our first stop was Maltby Street in Bermondsey to buy the MOST delicious doughnuts (and Sourdough Bread) you will ever eat in London from St John...

Basket loaded up, next stop was Monmouth Coffee for a "light" breakfast...

and then onto Aubin and Wills in Shoreditch to collect our registration packs, as seen hanging on my Pashley :)

The cycle home was fantastic, even if it did start raining half way... that didn't spoil the feeling of being in London, enjoying weather and being able to ride in a T-Shirt and jeans at last! So, the cycle-chic for the day...

Glasses: Christian Dior

Dagger Necklace: Tatty Devine for Charlotte Olympia

T-Shirt: Lanvin for H&M

Cardi: New Look

Bag: Punkyfish

Bracelet: See by Chloé

Jeans: Topshop

Shoes: Melissa for Vivienne Westwood

One year later...

2011-03-06T21:16:00.003Z

Tomorrow will be the 1st anniversary of having my Pashley Princess :)

I wanted to mark the occasion by getting a little something made especially by one of my favourite London based Jewellery Designers. I got a call on Wednesday telling me my order was ready, so yesterday me and The Boy went out on a special Cycle Saturday to Brick Lane (via Spitalfields) to collect my piece.

First stop was St John Bread & Wine for breakfast - we'd set off early enough (breakfast is only served between 10 - 11am) to stop there for something to eat. On a cold March morning, the pots of Tea and quite possibly the best "door stop" Bacon Sarnies you'll ever eat in London were necessary!

After filling our faces, we cycled on towards Brick Lane to collect the Name Necklace that I had ordered from Tatty Devine...

... I'm sure my smile tells you that I'm more than pleased! A massive "thank you" goes to the lovely girls at Tatty Devine for this - especially as they made sure the necklace was made on time for the anniversary - that was a very nice touch indeed which was appreciated :)

The past 12 months have been fantastic & I'm loving all of the links, friendships and adventures that have come with it... and I hope it continues to be this way... Cycling & Fashion - it works! :)

Of course, I can't blog without mentioning the outfit for the day...

(Do double-click on photo for the full picture!)

Glasses: Christian Dior

Scarf (in previous picture): Alexander McQueen

Leather Jacket: Topshop

Shirt: Lyle & Scott

Jumper: Uniqlo

Brooch: Jennifer Loiselle

Ring (in previous picture): Juicy Couture

Earrings & Necklace: Tatty Devine

Bag: Vintage Christian Dior

Jeans: Topshop

Pink Brogues: Kazbar @ Topshop

The dash for Tweed...

2011-02-28T08:14:00.000Z

I got a place on The Tweed Run 2011 :)

Registration for it was an intense affair and the places went faster than I could have imagined. I knew that it was going to be busy - but I had no idea how fast it would go.

I'd managed to register by 11:57 & had a bit of a tweet about it after...

... and then by 12:03...

The Q&A Post on Registration that Tweed Run did earlier in the week said something about being on the page a "bit before noon" for registration. When I loaded up the site at about 9a.m (I had to be up early on Saturday morning for something else anyway) I saw a message saying it would be open at 11:55... so the early morning plans I had got a bit sidetracked by me being glued to my Mac from 11:45 & hitting Refresh... a lot. Within the 2 minute window of getting registered, I was given Rider #91 & The Boy (who also got a place roughly at the same time as me) was Rider #134.

The Tweed Run team quickly gave an understandable explanation and very sincere apology as to why registration had to open a tad earlier than Noon. It seems that next year, a lottery-system might be used, which gives an idea of how popular the Tweed Run is becoming.

I can't deny I'm thrilled and feel very lucky that I managed to get a place for this... looking forwards to meeting new faces on the day & hopefully meeting Bloggers / Tweeters who I "know" that are coming along too... x

Tweed Hopes...

2011-02-22T16:35:00.004Z

Image from Tweed Run

Tweed Run 2011 is coming... and I want to be a part of it!

The 3rd annual Tweed Run is happening in London on the 9th April 2011 and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that me and my Pashley will be there. The coverage & pictures of it last year (thanks to the Tweed Run site and bloggers such as ibikelondon) looked fantastic & convinced me that I'd take part in the next one.

Registration is £5 and opens at midday on Saturday 26th Feb (this weekend) - and all proceeds go to bikes4Africa! I know that places go pretty fast... so that will be me glued to my MacBook in the morning :)

I'm already sourcing out Tweed for the occasion so that I'm prepared (and it's a fabulous excuse to add to the wardrobe too!) Any other Cyclists going to try for a place? Lemme know if you are!

Dame on a Pashley...

2011-02-18T14:53:00.003Z

Picture from blikeblog, 2009

I absolutely love Vivienne Westwood. Anyone who knows me is more than aware of this... so finding this picture of her on a Pashley really made me smile... so I had to share it :)

My kind of Cycling Shoes...

2011-02-15T17:26:00.002Z

These new and very blue Brogues arrived today - and they were only £10 from the Office Outlet shop on eBay - bargain or what?! I ordered these knowing that at some point soon I would be riding in them.

Now, some people may say that they are not very practical cycling shoes at all: the main material is Suede, the laces are made of Ribbon and they hardly have any grip on the soles (they're rather polished underneath)... but I reckon that with these shoes, I'm adhering to Point 2 of the fantastic Cycle Chic Manifesto:

"I embrace my responsibility to contribute visually to a more aesthetically pleasing urban landscape"

... surely seeing such blue-beauties gliding past on a Pashley would brighten up any landscape in London, right? :)

Bike about town...

2011-01-29T21:11:00.002Z

Spotted this beauty while out with The Boy shopping on Maltby Street this morning. No idea if it belonged to one of the traders or a customer, but it would have been good to see the owner of this Pashley Tube Rider... along with their outfit! Whoever you are, you have great taste in bikes :)

Wardrobe Planning...

2011-01-23T21:21:00.000Z

Even though we're not out of Winter, I'm preparing for the change of season on Frankie. I'm getting bored of the darkness - you could say that I'm desperately craving sunshine and Spring. This craving is resulting in new additions to the wardrobe and plans to remix the old with the new for more Cycle Chic :) The latest additions will arrive next week:

First to come should be this Markus Lupfer T-shirt from The Outnet. I love the look of this: simplistic chic, and I reckon it will be comfortable to ride in too. Feeling very inspired to re-create the outfit it features in on its Outnet page, but I think the Lanvin Shoes are a little out of my reach at the moment...

Next up, an unusual Ring that will rest on the Handlebars, by Mawi:

It comes from the latest collaboration Mawi have done with ASOS, meaning that it's not too hard on the pockets... hopefully will use said change for some accessories for the Pashley. No reason why the bike can't get accessorised too, right?

Music & Bikes

2011-01-20T20:24:00.003Z

So this track has been out for a while but this is another music video with Bikes that really makes me smile... and is also mentally gearing me up for Summer in the city on Frankie. Roll on the hazy days, balmy evenings & free flowing clothing... I can't wait!

The Bike Song
Uploaded by rockohoward. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Back on track!

2011-01-16T22:19:00.005Z

I'm back on my bike!

Boy does it feel good to be back on the Saddle - it has been way too long. The tail-end of last year was a bit messy for me... I had a major bout of illness that wiped me out! There were hospital stays, copious amounts of steroids and antibiotics to take and lots bed rest which equated to a very bored and unhealthy feeling girl. Unfortunately cycling was one of the last things that I could have done, so my Pashley remained inside the house for the longest stint ever. Now that most of that is behind me, I intend on getting back into both my cycling routine and back to my take on keeping it Chic on two wheels :)

Went out for an afternoon ride with The Boy, which is another element of my cycling that I've missed so much. The weather wasn't the greatest today, so we kept it local just in case we got caught out badly by the black clouds above that would not go away! I just felt alive again being back in the open on my bike, with no restrictions. It was so good feel that way again - was worried that I'd actually forget how to ride... haha!

Anyway - I managed to throw together a bit of Cycle-Chic for the day, which went like this:

Cat-Eye Glasses: Christian Dior

Scarf: Alexander McQueen

Jacket: GAP

Pin Badges: Mark Pawson for Tatty Devine

3-D Glasses Brooch: Tatty Devine
Fingerless Gloves: N.Peal Cashmere
Ring: MADE Jewellery

Tartan Shirt, Jeans and Shoes: Topshop

Bag: Vintage Gucci

Apologies to those who have been checking in on my blog and finding a total lack of updates... and to the blogs that I need to check in on again, I'll be having a look!

It feels good to be back :)

Cycling & Shopping

2010-08-22T16:12:00.124+01:00

Relaxed Sunday Cycle-Chic:

*Misfits T-shirt: Urban Outfitters

*Skinny Jeans: Topshop

*3D Glasses Necklace: Tatty Devine

*Indian Slipper Shoes: Stratford Market

Me and The Boy headed out on our bikes for the day - I took him (yes - I actually lead the way!) to Columbia Road to meet up with Tyla for lunch and shopping - which was a 1st as I've never carried more than my Handbag, Camera and Lock in Frankie's basket! Although I still need to sort out Panniers for the bike, getting stuff home in the basket was fine - especially when you encounter thoughtful shop owners. I bought a new top and a pair of Vivienne Westwood / Melissa Shoes from Marcos & Trump (which will make an appearance in my Cycle-Chic). The lovely lady who served me clocked my cycle helmet attached to my bag, and without asking, took the shoes out of the box and wrapped them in a shoe-bag for me and just said "for the journey, OK?" I liked this :)

Sunday mornings on Columbia Road are always a lively & pretty affair - and not just because of the flower stalls...

... you can easily get something nice to eat - like cakes in a hodge-podge Vintage Shop that has a crazy tea-room in the back...

... and be entertained by live music on the street!

Cycling on a Sunday is always a good thing :)

Music & Bikes

2010-08-17T14:57:00.001+01:00

Another music video that includes the essential combination:

Girl on bike
Chic-clothing
Pretty bike

It's a few years old, but this never fails to raise a smile from me - It's the carefree riding in that outfit that gets me everytime!

Ridin' in the Rain...

2010-08-04T23:35:00.002+01:00

My excitement of finally being able to cycle to work again (back in my normal office after having to move out for a major refurb) is what probably caused me to neglect checking the weather report before leaving home this morning. This meant that I pulled the rookie-move of not being quite rain-proof on my Pashley! When I left it wasn't raining - then the sky collapsed over East London at lunchtime, and I knew I was gonna be a bit screwed!

Leaving the office there was not a drop of rain, so I gathered evidence in the Cycle-Shed of a dry, but unprepared Lady Vélo...

Rookie-exhibit A: Lack of waterproof jacket / poncho. The Cardigan you see me in? That's all the cover I had over the sleeveless top I was wearing.

Rookie-exhibit B: Footwear. Yeah - strappy sandals. Possibly the brightest thing in East London this afternoon for the lack of sunshine... but not exactly great foot-coverage.

About 15 minutes into my ride - along came the rain! It wasn't too bad as I was pretty close to home at this point, but that shower came down heavy and fast. I made it to my door, with a bit of a wet saddle...

... and a rainy-chic look!

Strange thing is I actually kinda enjoyed it. Riding always puts me in a good mood, so it was hard to be pissed-off about the weather. And besides - I had to get my feathers wet in the rain at some point :)

Sunday Cycle Fun!

2010-08-01T13:23:00.026+01:00

This morning I cycled to Columbia Road Flower Market, to meet up with my good friend Tyla for a Photography shoot of the Market being set up. Nothing too unusual sounding about this - other than I left my house at 04:10a.m and completed my 1st cycle from Canning Town to another part of London and back... alone!

Although I've cycled part of that route before, I've never done it solo - nor done anything like that on my Pashley before sunrise! It was fantastic & so peaceful. Seeing East London before it was "awake" from the Vélo-view was also an eye opener... from the odd Fox scuttling back home, to late shift workers & lads returning from a night out - so interesting to observe! It was also awesome to ride without getting spooked by too much traffic! Cycling in London still makes me nervous, but this was another boost for my confidence in getting out there and doing it!

I arrived at Columbia Road at 5a.m and was quite pleased that I did the journey in under an hour! The Stall Holders had just started to set up, so it was straight to work with the D80.

All that cycling made me hungry, so it was time to take a break and grab breakfast. This came in the form of what was essentially a fried breakfast in a Bagel! Seriously - this was one of the nicest Bagels I've ever had - and washed down with a Mug of tea, it was delicious!

It was back to shooting and chatting away with the Stall Holders - who are such a friendly group of people! I'm sure they thought we were slightly insane early-birds, but all the same it was a fantastic experience from beginning to end. Of course, I can't blog this trip without a mention of the Wardrobe for the day:

Top: Dorothy Perkins

Baxter Skinny Jeans: Topshop

Swallow Earrings: Tatty Devine

Necklace: Topshop

Bracelets: New Look / Topshop

Ring: Orelia Jewellery

Ballet Pumps: Primark
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

Peonie Flowers - Columbia Road Flower Market :)

There really is noting better than seeing London by bike so early in the morning - it was such a fantastic feeling, and if you haven't already - I highly recommend cycling to Columbia Road Market. I have to add a huge "thank you" to the Stall Holders, who kindly kept an eye on our locked bikes while we were taking pictures, eating breakfast and getting to know them all!

The whole set from today's Cycle can be viewed here.

Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme: A Chic 1st time user!

2010-07-31T23:20:00.003+01:00

It's Day 2 of the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme, and I had the pleasure of interviewing one of the newly registered members of it!

Meet Tyla: she lives & works in London and is an enthusiastic and rather chic cyclist, which is exactly what we like to see :) Today was Tyla's first time using the Scheme. She tells Vélo-City about her initial experience using the Cycle Hire Scheme in London...

*What was the nature of your journey today?
The nature of my journey was leisure & to commute back home. I hate changing at Green Park as it's very crowded and stuffy and I nearly passed out the night before at that station! I chose to cycle to Holborn instead - a lot more comfortable way to move around :)

*Was this your 1st time on one of the bikes?
Yes, the very first time. I was Boris bike virgin till this evening.

*Where did you start and end your Cycle Hire Journey?
Southwark to Holborn.

*How long did your journey take?
About 10 minutes plus about 15 minutes messing around with a certain Jools before I got on the bike (!) and 5 minutes of double checking and panicking afterwards if I docked it correctly.

* Did you find it easy to use (from taking the bike to docking it at the end)?
It was fairly easy. The bit with docking it and trying to pick a different bike was slightly confusing but I am guessing there is a couple of minutes block between returning and picking a new bike. When I dropped off the bike, I used a docking station that was labeled as 'coming soon' but all the lights were working so I am hoping that I won't get overcharged. The downside is that the web service is not working at the moment hence I cannot even check if it all worked alright.

* The bike itself - what did you make of it?
I liked it. It was bit heavy compared to mine but I guess it added stability. Adapting the seat and changing gears was easy and I like the bag holder at the front!

*Did you get any interesting reactions from people while you were on it?
People starring, pointing and gesturing in a kinda 'Oh look it's the new bikes' way! Drivers were polite and stayed out of my way unlike when I am on my bike. I won't mention certain Jools who had to document every step of the way and including nicking the bike to have a ride of her own...

*Did you see many people on Barclays Bikes on your Journey?
Nope. I saw one person earlier in the evening but no one on my journey.

*What was your reason for joining the Scheme?
Because I love cycling and I prefer to bike between places in Central London than get on the Underground. Plus it's dead cheap.

*Would you recommend the scheme to other cyclists... and if so, why?
Yessss! Because it is a fun way to commute and well, it's so much cheaper and greener than any other mode of transport in Zone One.

*Your Cycle-Chic today is fantastic... What are you wearing today for your ride?
Today I am wearing...
"Baxter" black skinny jeans: Topshop
Shoes: Hush Puppies
Jacket: Diesel
Black top: H&M
Jewellery: Kizmet Jewellery
Coral-Red handbag: Topshop

Many thanks to Tyla for this interview! You can catch more of Tyla over on her Flickr Stream.

Saddle Up London!

2010-07-30T12:02:00.001+01:00

Today sees the official launch of the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme in London. I'm not one of the people who registered for it, but I'm very keen to have a go when the casual scheme launches! Be great to see these bikes in action in London: it's always fabulous to see more people cycling around the city. There has been talk of perhaps extending the scheme to allow Oyster PAYG customers to use their cards to pay for the hire - be interesting if that were an option, as I would certainly use it.

As highlighted by Mark over on his wonderful i b i k e l o n d o n blog , the scheme will hopefully inspire a new wave of Cycle-Chic across the City, with the casual user being able to hop-on a bike and go for a ride to get across town quickly. (thank you Mark for selecting me in your Chic round-up).

If all goes to plan, I should be heading out on Sunday for a cycle though East London, starting at an insane hour of the morning... hopefully I might spot some of the Barclays Bikes and people using them.

Have you signed-up for the scheme? Have you given one of the bikes a go yet? Drop me a comment and let me know! :)

Cheeky-Chic!

2010-07-05T20:38:00.001+01:00

I love finding new things to wear to add to my Cycle-Chic wardrobe - and this T-shirt will be mine when it comes back into stock:

(Yes - it does say "Hold my bicycle while I kiss your Boyfriend")

This "Cycle-Cheek" comes from the very style focused Copenhagen Cycle Chic online shop. More designs can be found here and are certainly worth checking out. I'm sure this tee and the rest like it will turn some heads on the roads! :)

Canning Town Blues

2010-07-02T14:29:00.001+01:00

If you didn't already know, the Barclays Cycle Superhighways are currently being rolled-out across London. I've had a ride along (bits of) the Highway from Cable Street onwards - and now its arrived in my part of East London:

Work started on repainting the old Green Cycle Lane along this stretch of the A13 yesterday morning...

...and by the afternoon, they'd moved along quite a bit. Slight battle between Cyclists and Pedestrians yesterday, as the only lane available was the walking path. Really, the fella on his bike should have dismounted as the sign asked - naughty! The original cycle-lane wasn't in too poor a condition, but I don't think this has been resurfaced, just painted. You can't really confuse the Cycle Lane and the walkway now, can you? :)

Music & Bikes

2010-06-28T22:34:00.002+01:00

I adore this version of the song, and have done for some time. It takes on a whole new meaning when she sings it, which gets me. It's also fantastic that the video is of Meghan looking beautiful while riding that wonderful red bike.

Her style in this is simple elegance and it's amazing. This always makes me want to throw on one of my Polkadot dresses, jump on Frankie just ride around, without a care in the world. Escapism on 2 wheels is a wonderful thing - something that I need to do a lot more of... if I can look this chic while doing it, that would be a bonus :)

Enjoy.

Big Days Out: My 1st Cycle Saturday

2010-06-22T01:48:00.007+01:00

I went on a “Cycle-Date” from East London to Richmond with the Boy and our friend Tyla on Saturday. I was pretty excited about this, as it would be my 1st ‘real’ riding experience in London (and beyond) on Frankie - something that was long overdue! The date-plan: meet Tyla at Richmond Station & then cycle along the River to Hampton Court Palace. The weather was kind enough to hold back on the rain that we’ve been having in London this week (huzzah!) - allowing me to wear my planned cycle-chic for the day :) I raided my wardrobe and put this together:

This was my 1st time cycling in Shorts... “short” ones at that too, so I was concerned that it might not work. It was in fact a great outfit to ride in - comfortable & no wardrobe malfunctions with the pants riding up too high... and no snagged tights either - result!

Headscarf: Dorothy Perkins

Jacket: Gap

'Tache Necklace: Tatty Devine

Earrings & Bracelets: Topshop

T-Shirt - Tee & Cake at Topshop

Belt: Oasis

Shorts: Gap

Tights: M&S

Winklepicker Shoes: Topshop

We set off early so we could have a breakfast-stop along the way... Borough Market was the order of the morning, as it was en-route to Waterloo Station. I’ve seen people cycling into the Market early on a Saturday morning, park-up, grab a bite & just sit and enjoy the atmosphere of the place and now I can totally understand why :)
Breakfast had, we cycled to Waterloo Station, which presented another new experience for me and Frankie: manoeuvring a bike through a train station! The Boy has done this many times when he comes from Portsmouth with his, but a Pashley is a different matter. She’s not exactly a small bike and Waterloo is a manic station - add to that people heading to Royal Ascot, it was busy! Managed not to get stressed at this (or run over any Ascot toes) and nabbed the space on the carriage for us to store our wheels:

We met up with Tyla at Richmond Station and started our cycle to Hampton Court. Richmond is a really pretty stretch along the Thames - but I didn’t realise how gorgeous it actually is until cycling though there. Other than the beautiful houses along the riverside (I want one!) and the nature/flora, there were cows. Yes COWS!

... and this little one came over to me to say hello & get a pat on the head! Hey - I’m a City Girl, so seeing Cows roaming around like that isn’t something that happens every day :)

Continuing along the river at a lovely pace, we ventured back onto the roads and arrived at our destination of Hampton Court Palace. I have to say - the bike-parking facilities there are very impressive as they are located next to the reception, with a constant guard watching them! This put me at ease, as this was the 1st time I’d left Frankie locked in public, so I was a little apprehensive about that.

We spent a few hours checking out the Royal Gardens and getting lost like children in the Maze - fantastic fun indeed!

A summer cycling date would not be complete without a nice lunch / dinner to round it off. On the recommendation of a local, we headed to a rather nice pub, for an epic pub lunch! The amount of cycling we did for the day totally justified the portions of food we ate - and it would all be burned off on the journey back to East London, right?

It was a fantastic day and further reminded me of why I wanted to get into cycling so much. I encountered so many happy cyclists and pedestrians enjoying the day - all very friendly and happy to stop and chat. That’s exactly what it’s all about - getting out on your wheels, and being happy. It certainly provided a boost to my confidence on the roads around London too. I’ve never cycled that much around London before & realise that I do have it in me. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll be doing anything crazy on the roads, but I’ll certainly be doing stuff like this more often.

More pictures can be viewed here on Flickr.

Inside My Locker - Check it out!

2010-06-17T11:11:00.002+01:00

A few months ago, I did a cycle-interview with the rather cool Bianca for a project that she was working on... this project has now come to fruition in the form of the excellent Inside My Locker - a blogazine for women who like to mix style with sport.

It's always fabulous to see fashion & cycling together - especially when the message is being promoted to a wider audience & reminding girls that you can look good while on two wheels! It was lovey to be featured on their Bicyclette Edition in this interview.

I totally recommend checking the site out - I know I'll certainly be keeping my eye on this one for tips & more!

Berlin on a Bike: The Update

2010-06-16T19:52:00.003+01:00

A bit later than expected - but this was how Berlin on a Bike went...

Berlin itself is a wonderful city - but the one thing that really blew me away about the place was the cycle culture. In all honestly that was the 1st thing I noticed when we were heading to our hotel in the car. Bleary-eyed and tired (we'd been up since 3am that morning), I was staring out the passenger window and every other person I spotted was either on a Bike, or parking one up somewhere... already I was impressed.

The initial plan was to rent Bikes from our hotel when we got there, but even in my excitement I realised that going for a cycle the 1st morning & feeling so knackered probably wasn't a great idea. After a much needed breakfast and freshen-up at The Circus, we headed out for a walk to check out "home" for the next 5 days. It didn't take long to encounter more cycle enthusiasts on our walk - other than being surrounded by seriously chic people on 2 wheels, we bumped into a cycle tour that was just about to set-off from Rosenthaler Straße:

They looked like they were going to have fun touring the City... my mind wondered about doing that instead of renting bikes ourselves and heading out.. but then I saw these 2 beauties parked up together:

As I was busy taking pictures, I didn't realise the couple that owned them were stood behind me watching! Had a brief chat with them (thanks to my limited German) and gathered that they were having a day off work together & just heading out for a ride across the city... which swayed me back to doing exactly that with The Boy :)

The "rent from the hotel" plan didn't happen: they had run-out of bikes the morning we wanted them - but I have to say I wasn't that taken by selection they had. Instead, we hired from the excellent Fat Tyre Bike Tours!

We set off from under the TV Tower with nothing more than a Map, and an idea of places we wanted to visit... and that was really all we needed!

The freedom of just jumping on a bike and seeing Berlin from the velo-view was excellent. It was also surprising how easy it was to navigate and follow the routes The Boy had mapped out. Our stops included the Deutsche Guggenheim, the Dali Museum... and of course, a stop-off for the ultimate German food experience...

Yummy!

I was nervous about cycling out there: I still consider myself a newbie to cycling, so the idea of riding around the roads of a new city spooked me a bit. But in comparison to London? - I felt much safer in Berlin than I ever have cycling in London. The cycle-culture out there is a world apart from that over here - cycling accounts for 12% of total street-traffic & the City's riders are catered for with the awesome wide and smooth cycle lanes on both the roads and sidewalks. London really could learn a lot from Berlin & I hope one day that it will happen over here.

In a nutshell: it was fabulous...and I'll certainly be going back for more :)

More pictures from the break can be viewed here.