After a non-stop writing schedule, I finally got a chance to down tools, escape London and have a seaside fling with a Brompton on their Bike Hire scheme… and now I want a Brompton so bad…

I took a mini break from writing about cycling to go watch some this weekend. The 2018 HSBC UK National Track Championships are on at Manchester, and British Cycling invited VCG to the evening session of Friday’s racing. The invitation wasn’t just about being a spectator though. I was at British Cycling HQ alongside several other bikeminded folks* to discuss ideas on how to widen participation in cycling. I’ve always been a strong believer that cycling is for everybody, but there is also no denying that many barriers to entry still exist for people wanting to get on a bike. I know from my own experience, that one of the […]

Well, hello there! Yes, I’ve been hiding away under a manuscript-shaped rock of late, but L👀K! I’ve crawled out from underneath it for a little bit of blog-time on this year’s Pashley Picnic Ride. Me and The Boy made a welcome return to Stratford-upon-Avon for the festivities, but we did it a little differently this time round. We headed there without our bikes. Yep. For the first time ever, he’d actually be on a Pashley for the ride, and I would be on a model other than my Princess. It did of course feel strange leaving Frankie at home, but the surprise of finding out which bikes we’d be riding […]

You know, there is nothing wrong with just having a bit of fun on a bicycle. No racing, laps or hard climbs – just a day on a bike taking your time and having a laugh. That’s exactly what VCG did on the Pashley Picnic Ride last month to celebrate a big birthday… and what a giggle it was indeed. As expected, England’s longest established cycle manufacturer marked its 90th anniversary in style. Their annual picnic for Pashley owners became a weekend long celebration of the brand, filled with bikes, vintage flare, booze… and some culture to boot. Adrian Williams (MD of Pashley) and his team laid on entertainment from […]

Every now and then the ‘not so hot’ bits of life have a funny knack of getting in the way of the things I love. Like cycling just for the joy of being on a bike. Not doing it because you have to be the best at it and smash all the goals, or because there are deadlines to be met for a project you’ve got to work on is something I lost sight of quite badly. When the memory of hopping on the saddle and just cycling the hell out of a weekend with no agenda feels like a distant one, it’s time to reassess and re-connect. Also, when something […]

It’s really not that long until Christmas, and some of you might still be on the look out for pressies for that special cyclist in your life (or just yourself, which is totally cool and you deserve it). If you’re having a last minute moment, here are some gifts you can still get in time for the 25th… OR enjoy over the holiday season and beyond… Tatty Devine x Design Museum Bicycle Necklace – £40: Team Tatty have created these necklaces to celebrate Cycle Revolution at the Design Museum. The wheels move, it’s got “Tatty Devine” hand-inked on the down tube, and if you like TD & Cycling then you’re basically […]

If you live, breathe and love all things two-wheeled, the exhibition of your dreams has arrived at the Design Museum… and you HAVE to go see it. I’d been looking forward to Cycle Revolution since meeting the show’s curator Donna Loveday back in July, and talk of what was planned had me buzzing with excitement – especially knowing the exhibition would be taking over the whole Museum. Founder Sir Terence Conran first had the idea of creating an exhibition about bicycles, and with this being the final show at the site before it moves to Kensington next year, his wish has been fulfilled and Shad Thames is going out in […]

I’ve taken on the luscious green hills of the Peak District twice and become a hero on home soil. After wondering what it would be like to do it in Tuscany, I got the chance to ride the climbs, descents and Strade Bianchi of Gaiole. It was a very wet and rain soaked Sunday – not the cycling scenario I’d usually be into. But this wasn’t hell. Surprisingly to myself, I loved every muddy & exhausting minute of it. Back in June at Eroica Britannia, me and The Boy were invited by Brooks England to experience L’Eroica in its birthplace. There I was, mentally preparing myself to ride the Peaks again, while […]

So, we know that London Bike Kitchen are pretty bad-ass, and on Saturday Jenni Gwiazdowski and the gang further proved it with their first ever LBKWAGFEST! Earlier this year, Monika Zamojska came up with the idea of holding a WAG (Women and Gender variant) bike festival. The idea of celebrating all things bike blossomed into an amazing event, held at Oakley in Residence. The setting was perfect – sunshine, cycling and positive people and a day filled with inspirational talks, lively discussion and some fly cycling gear on sale to boot… I was honoured to be a panelist discussing Urban Riding/Commuting and how to get more under-represented groups cycling. Chaired by […]

I was already thinking about going along to it, but when The Cycle Show asked me to report on last Saturday’s Red Hook Crit, I jumped at the chance. This was the London debut of what is regarded as the world’s premier track bike crit, with riders coming from all over the world. With the chance on offer to get very up close and personal with the action, there was no way I was going to miss that chance. The event was created in 2008 by David Trimble, with the aim of combining the thrill of bare knuckle alleycat races with the organised mountain bike and track races he’d competed […]

After 12 months of anticipation (I kid you not – I’ve been looking forward to it since last year’s adventure), the big weekend finally came round for Eroica Britannia 2015! Returning again as a guest of Lush Cosmetics, this year I had The Boy join me for a 3 day jolly in the beautiful Peak District… and to take on 30 miles of the rolling countryside with me! Arriving on the Friday afternoon with our luggage and his 1982 E.G Bates in tow, we settled into our home for the next few days at Darwin Forest Country Park – a gorgeous pine lodge with all the creature comforts of home, and a […]

From its inception in East London back in 2013 (and with fond memories of that for VCG and the Colourbolt), Spin London returned last weekend in a new venue – The Sorting Office in Holborn. The Urban Cycling Show took over the whole building for its biggest event ever. With the intention of hosting much more of the ever growing cycling scene, they certainly didn’t disappoint with the line up. There was a vast array of exhibitors including returning faces and new brands upstairs, and live talks over the weekend. Downstairs, the Sorting Room basement had been converted into a test track with some amazing looking bicycles being ridden around. […]

The beauty of frame building is something I have come to really respect and admire. Over my 5 years in the world of cycling, I’ve been lucky enough to become the proud owner of a British hand-built bicycle, and become friends with some of the incredibly talented UK artisans in this field. One of these frame builders I recently had the pleasure of meeting was Darron Sven Coppin, of Sven Cycles. Hosted in the stunning B1866 Brooks England store, Darron & Keith Noronha of Reynolds Tubing gave a Q&A session on “The Custom Bicycle”. Elements of a custom build from fit and geometry to tube selection was covered at the event, with everyone having […]

Mixing cycling with my favourite time of the year is guaranteed gold, so my Christmas radar was cranked up to 11 last weekend when Spin London rolled back into town for its second SpinXmas edition… something which I wasn’t going to miss. This year, the celebration of London’s urban cycling culture invited some like minded neighbours from across the Atlantic to join in the festivities. Detroit based Shinola and their bike designer Sky Yaeger, exhibited their city bikes and accessories at Spin for the first time, alongside Jason Hall, co-founder of Slow Roll Detroit. The two Motor City residents joined forces to host the very first #SlowRoll across London, with […]