FREE February

It’s that month again, you know; the F word that trudges on between January & March. February (there said it!), has often been thought of as the most dreaded month of the year, whether its because of seasonal blues & sniffles or a silent letterbox on the 14th. I’m not knocking Valentines day but I do find it a smidge disheartening that you should only take one day per annum to celebrate your loved one. So here’s the deal, we’re becoming Finnish for February! In Finland they have “Friend’s Day” instead of Valentines day, the emphasis is on showing your friends you love & appreciate them & as the Finnish custom seems like its something that could only be improved upon by declaring that the whole month of February be given over to this noble pursuit (thus banishing winter blues with bike rides & bake offs, feasts & frivolity, all around the rosie glow of friendship..). So to show you how comitted we are to the spirit of this, we’re going to offer FREE POSTAGE for everyone for the month of February, save on postage & treat your friends with the savings.. simple eh? Visit cyclodelic.co.uk

Join the Great Fashion Cycle 2010

About this time last year I had the pleasure of meeting with Larissa from the Environmental Justice Foundation. Larissa had found out about Cyclodelic through an event she was planning at London Fashion Week to raise awareness of their first Great Fashion Cycle last June. Over a steamy coffee near the charities offices off Exmouth Market she told me all about the great work that EJF has been doing. Larissa explained that ‘EJF work on a ground level empowering local communities to investigate, expose and peacefully resolve abuses’. They campaign internationally on the issues that effect their grassroots partners working locally to solve problems including cotton production, pirate fishing, shrimp farming, pesticides,wildlife and climate refugees.

EJF is a relatively small charity by comparison but their list of fashionable supporters is vast. Their high profile cotton campaign definitely made an impact on me. We’ve all read about the horrors of child labour and the benefits of going organic but watching ‘White Gold – The True Cost of Cotton’ really hits home just how huge an issue this is and how easily we can all make a difference.

Larissa gave us the details of their Soil Association registered Organic printers and they are now the only ones we use for our Printed Tees. It seems this campaign has struck a cord with the entire fashion industry. Check out their range of exclusively designed T Shirts, my fave is by Zandra Rhodes but there are also stunning designs by the likes of Allegra Hicks, Giles Deacon and Alice Temperely.

If like me, you feel compelled to wear more than just the T Shirt, sign up for this years Great Fashion Cycle from London to Paris. The video from last year made it look like a blast. The ride is fun and female friendly and supports a fantastic cause. What’s more Cyclodelic are going to be collaborating with EJF to design the first Great Fashion Cycle T Shirt for all participants. So what are you waiting for! If you care at all about child labour or the environment then sign up now to join us on this style savvy adventure and make a difference to the lives of people who really are slaves to the fashion industry.

Winter Sale On Now

January is nearly over but the freezing temperatures are still tempting us to stay holed up indoors. However, we here at Cyclodelic refuse to let a little thing like weather keep us off our bikes. Instead we opt for layers of luxury ,cashmere against our skin & silk around our necks to help keep us toasty on the winter roads. Nothing beats the feeling or indeed helps one stay on track with those New year resolutions  like a little self indulgence & what better way than with fat free, no guilt cashmere!

OUR CASHMERE JERSEYS ARE FANTASTIC AND HERE’S WHY:

The cashmere we have sourced is manufactured by a small ethical operation in Mongolia(Nomadic herders raise the goats, comb them & sell it on to our supplier)rather than inferior manufacturers  who mass produce cashmere by un-ecological strip grazing & appalling working conditions.

Our Man in Mongolia treats the cashmere fibers with small amounts of non toxic, hypo-allergenic silver ions during his rinsing process. The silver ions bolster cashmere’s naturally fabulous sweat wicking & odor controlling properties by  making the fabric anti bacterial & as a bonus those pesky munching moths don’t seem as interested in chomping holes. For any of you out there who have fought the war on moths salvation is here!

A mix of 70% finest Mongolian cashmere & 30% silk is like slipping heaven over the skin, & our jerseys are cut longer to help keep draughts excluded. Our roll neck will keep you snug up to your chin, whilst the scoop neck was designed low enough not to interfere with most necklines if worn as a base layer. Both feature extra long sleeves with thumbholes.

Perfect on & off the bike. No, really, you won’t want to take it off. We know, we’ve been living in ours since October & haven’t lost any friends yet!

… AND NOW THE LAST FEW ARE ON SALE AT 30% OFF, CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOURS NOW AND SEE ALL OUR OTHER SALE ITEMS!

I HEART SUMMER SURF PARTY – TONIGHT!

If the cold days are starting to get to you, get yourself down to the Macbeth I HEART Summer Surf Party. Free entry, Free tropical BBQ, Sea Breeze Cocktails £2.50 til midnight and live sets and DJ’s. See flyer below for further info.

Fill that hole!

Has anyone noticed just how many new pot holes appear in London at this time of year? It’s a lot. A year ago a good friend of mine was badly injured and incurred £900 of damage to his beautiful yellow bicycle when hitting a pot hole near Whitechapel. There are two new ones in particular in the city (Theobolds road and Threadneedle Street) that send a shudder through me every time I dodge past them on my skinny tyres.

Such was my excitement when I found out you can report them, I had to write about it here. What’s more is if just 20 people report the same hole then TFL have to fill it in. SO get reporting everyone please, lets have a Summer of smooth roads around London.

http://www.fillthathole.org.uk

Photograph source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com

Saddle Bag in Sportsister

This is the second time that our saddle bag has been featured in the fantastic Sportsister Magazine. Now in print. Sportsister also voted our saddle bag in their Top 10 Bike Accessories review last year. Get yours now here!

Beauty and the Bike

Truly inspirational. For more see the Beauty and the Bike blog. To give a heads up to any of you in Cambridge I found out today that the CCC are planning a special screening of the entire 55 minute documentary in March, followed by a series of women’s cycle socials that will be supported by ourselves. More info as soon as we have it.

Tips for cycling in the snow

Photograph by NZPA (p.s. if anyone is up for recreating this at London Fields later let me know!)

Being back on my bike for the first time in 5 weeks as I cycled into central London last night felt like heaven despite the snow. Chris mused that in an ideal world in weather like this he’d add a front disk brake and cyclo cross tyres to his fixed gear bike to make the ultimate two wheeled snow-mobile but as that probably isn’t feasible to most of us here are my top tips for cycling in the snow:

+ Stay in the seat if possible – As soon as you stand up your weight moves forward losing traction in the rear wheel.

+ Let your tyre pressure down a little to increase grip.

+ Follow the tread patterns in the road – this is where the snow has already melted. Take a defensive line and don’t be intimidated into cycling in the gutter, on treacherous cycle paths or icy parts of the road.

+ Take wide corners – Slow down before reaching your turn to avoid breaking in the corner.

+ If there are no tyre tracks to follow, ride in the powder rather than smooth snow as smooth snow is often icy.

+ Wear glasses – Snow will sting your eyes making it difficult to see. I’m yet to find a pair of cycling glasses I like but my prescription vintage specs from Klasik have large lenses and do just fine.

+ Layer – Wrap up warm, our cashmere jerseys are perfect for keeping you warm and comfortable in the snow, I layered two together with a wind proof jacket, two pairs of socks and lined leather gloves. In comments on the London Cyclist website Andreas also recommends Northwave thin neoprene inner (with suede palms) with Pearl Izumi waterproof outer shells. Chris is coveting Vans water resistant AWT trainers, although hard to find and doesn’t look like they’ve considered a ladies version. I find that patent leather shoes are great in wet weather, water resistant and glam.

Geelong Women’s Racing

Women’s race at the Geelong Bay Cycling Classic.

SPOTTED: Taped together lycra shorts anyone?

The You Yangs

Since meeting with Rachel Atherton and Jaymie Mart at our women’s events at The Cycle Show I’ve been yearning to give mountain biking a go. Today I finally got the chance to trade in skinny tyres for fat and tarmac for dirt as we headed to the You Yangs in Victoria, Australia to hit the trails.

After all the anticipation I’d like to say I loved it but after a month off from any bicycle action between my thighs, coupled with the unfamiliar terrain and a bike that was built for a 6 ft boy and not a 5 ft 5 girl I actually found it rather unnerving.

It wasn’t so much the steep downhills or dodging the rocks and tree roots but the tight, narrow turns and weird s

ensation of being on a free wheel, relying on brakes that made the wheels slip in the gravel covered paths that caught me off guard.

The boys consolidated me by admitting they had, perhaps, picked a route that was actually rather tricky for a “beginner” . Despite this I still had fun and seeing an echidna on the top of the route and stroking its quivering spines made the day all the more worthwhile!

Hopefully with a more suitable bike and familiar mud and dirt tracks I can give it another go when back in the UK in time for the Muc Off 8 event that we’re set to sponsor in the Spring!

If anyone has any tips or advice on where to ride do let me know!