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” […]

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 🙂

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

I have been rather lacklustre on updating further adventures on Frankie. I’ve not been able to ride her over the past week due to things & events happening after work, which would not correspond well with me on a Pashley. Will be back on the saddle next week… I’ve been missing the feeling of how energised I get riding! In the meantime, it would appear that the Sun has decided to stick his hat on – meaning more people are out in force on two wheels – which is always lovely to see. I’m in Portsmouth at the moment (a long weekend which started on Thursday afternoon) and there are […]

“Thank you!” Spring for finally showing your sunny face today… “Thank you!” Easter Holidays for giving me clear & quiet roads this morning… After not getting to ride over Easter, a cycle on Frankie was just what I needed to start up the (short) week. Left home at 08:00 in the sunshine & took a leisurely pace… clear roads meant that I wasn’t freaked by cars – I even managed not to get spooked by any Buses behind or in front of me. Cycling back at 18:00 was really lovely: sun was still out and everything looked rather nice in my corner of East London from the Vélo view… I’ve […]

Back on the Saddle after a slight absence – I’ve finally started cycling into work 🙂 Last Friday I received my set of keys to the secure Cycle Shed for staff on Campus, meaning that I have a safe location to lock Frankie in. Saturday was the day: I was going into the office and with there being no DLR running, riding in was the perfect answer. Although I’ve done a practice-ride to the office, this was a bit of a big deal for me, as I was doing it without the guidance of The Boy: cycling alone on the road = huge. Left home at a reasonably early hour, […]

I got the news I was hoping for this morning: I have a bay in the secure Bike Shed at my workplace! Put in an application for one last week etc and its all been sorted… I’ll be given the key tomorrow morning, so I can finally start riding Frankie into work. Coming into the office on Saturday (which isn’t an ideal weekend, but work needs doing & I certainly won’t say no to the overtime…) and the DLR is down – how else to get in but in style on a Pashley, right? The path to work should be pretty quiet too as I’m planning on leaving home early. […]

The feelings of attachment to my Pashley are official: this weekend will be my first without Frankie and I’m going to miss her terribly! I’m heading to Portsmouth to see The Boy for the weekend, but will not be taking her with me. As I’m still not cycling to work yet (currently sorting out a personal Bay in the secure Bike Parking sheds for staff on the Campus), I can’t peddle her in on Friday & have her parked-up someplace secure. I’m also no where near the point of being brave enough to ride to Waterloo from East London… When the time does come for me to take Frankie to […]

After nearly a week of not riding I was back on Frankie* today. There was the plan of heading out for rides in the week but due to working late (boo) and meeting up with friends (yay!), it didn’t quite happen. It was great to get back on the Saddle today & continue finding my cycle legs. As it was just a casual ride to work out a cycle route, it called for casual cycle-chic – or my take on it at least… Hat: Missoni Track Top: Emilo Pucci for Adidas Scoop Neck Top: Topshop Jeans: Topshop Trainers: Adidas Bagwise – practical and the right size to fit in Frankie’s […]

I’m amazed at how a bicycle can have an influence on a persons wardrobe and style… Since making the decision that a Pashley Princess was the bike for me, a wardrobe revolution was put in motion & is gathering pace! Some of this style inspiration has come to me in many guises, including: the visual romance of the bicycle itself: a traditional loop-frame like this conjures up images of classic style & grace. Add to this the quintessential Britishness of a Princess, and you get the idea of the style direction it may point you towards international cycle-fashionistas, thanks to the excellent blogs/sites that I’ve come across. From those listed […]

I am now the proud owner of a Pashley Princess Classic! The day started off on a good note: no rain & bright sunshine – which is exactly what I’d hoped for… not to say that I’m going to be a fairweather rider, but I really didn’t want my 1st experience of riding through the city to be in the wind and rain. As the weather was nice but stil pretty cold, I went for the cycle-outfit that I thought would be practical for the weather, but still stylish (it was really too chilly for one of my new tea dresses): Coat: Warehouse Jeans: Topshop Vintage Saddle Bag: Absolute Vintage […]

So, lets get this started… Even at 20something, I’m nowhere near as accomplished as the bloggers I’ve listed as my inspiration here. I’m essentially a new girl to the world of Cycling – both as an adult & in this City. The last time I actually owned a bike was years ago: I’d been given my sister’s BMX, which had been lovingly restored by our older brother. It was simple (if not a little boyish), but I loved it. He taught me how to ride on it & used to take me to Gloucester Park on a weekend to go cycling & build up my confidence on 2 wheels. As […]