Falling for bikes I see at the Bespoked Handmade Bicycle Show has become an occupational hazard for me, so you can guess what happened when I saw THIS by Milk Bikes on display in April! Founder Mark Meadows debuted his new Series 01 range with the ‘Barra’ model… All photography by Ian James. At first glance this was a beauty: the design, build and wooden features looked stunning and taking a closer look would reveal some subtle and lovely detailing. Already curious about this collection and how the bikes would actually ride, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to take this one out on its maiden voyage on […]

  My favourite cycling event of the year swung around again last Saturday: the sixth annual London Tweed Run! Although VCG was there in spirit last year, I was counting down the days to taking part in the ride this time. With the temperature hitting 23 degrees, organiser Ted Young-Ing couldn’t have chosen a better day for the event… which also led to a last moment change of my planned outfit for the day. I doff my cap to those who preserved in full tweed, but I suspect I would have baked in Central London with the suit I had in mind! To be perfectly honest, my cyclestyle for the day faded […]

Coffee and bikes – a well known combination loved by many cyclists, including myself… but what if I said the same could apply to tea? Always partial to a good Rosie Lee (well, I am from East London!), I’ve been enjoying some quality blends recently – so I was thrilled and intrigued when Tokyobike invited me round for a cuppa or two at the Good & Proper Tea Brew Bar which was in residence at their shop for four weeks… They say that tea in hot weather cools you down, so the surprise spring heat a few weekends ago was the perfect chance to hop on my Pashley, head to Shoreditch and put the theory into action surrounded […]

The new year is upon us and if you’re thinking about getting on a bike in 2014 or looking for advice on cycling, ‘The Girls Guide to Life on Two Wheels’ by Cathy Bussey is a great place to start. I set aside time between work and the Christmas rush to settle down and read ‘The Girl’s Guide…’ and wasn’t disappointed. Cathy’s “handbook for the chic cyclist”, is bursting with information for ladies who like to ride… or would like to start. Cathy (who is also on twitter – certainly one to follow) is a keen cyclist herself, which clearly comes across when she talks about her own her own personal […]

I had lots of fun playing dress-up in her Redchurch Street shop, and fell for her bike shoe collection in a big way, so I couldn’t wait to put Tracey Neuls’ Bike Fern Boot to the VCG test in the city… I was given* them back in September to test out, and box fresh this is how they looked: buttery smooth leather from the tan inner to the grey outer, and that distinctive reflective ribbon on the back. They were stunning… almost to the point of being worried about wearing them on the bike for fear of scuffing them up! BUT that is the beauty of this ankle boot – […]

 You could call this blog post rather out of character for VCG, but it’s been rather out of character that I’ve not posted for a couple of months… and I feel I owe an explanation as to why. Things have been a little hectic on the other side of this screen, in a mixture of both good and bad… The good stuff includes all things work related at Vulpine going incredibly well. A few months ago I became Operations Manager of the company, after first joining the team as Sales and Marketing Manager (gosh, that’s coming up for a year now!) I’m really getting my teeth stuck into the role, and […]

This week I visited Tracey Neuls in Shoreditch. As an East London girl, I cycle around Brick Lane a lot & often stop to window shop at the hanging display in her Redchurch Street store… so it was a pleasure to be invited to spend an afternoon trying on her stunning shoes, and have a preview of her exclusive shoe collaboration with Tokyobike for the London Design Festival 2013. Tracey’s footwear has a loyal following amongst women in both the UK and Japan, and has also struck a chord with female cyclists who love the comfort and style of her shoes with their rubber sole to cycle around the city in. […]

(UPDATE: The feature is up on the BBC News Magazine site, which can be viewed anywhere in the world! Click here for article and video)   I was back out on my Pashley Princess yesterday for a ride to Broadway Market (fast becoming a favourite place to ride to) for one of my Cycle Saturdays with The Boy. This one was a bit different though, as I spent the morning filming a piece for Newsnight with BBC Hague correspondent Anna Holligan… Keen cyclist Anna, along with producer Hannah & camera man / editor Suraj set off from The Netherlands on 31st July for a grand bike tour to London. I was thrilled […]

What better way to mark Bike Week in the UK by being out on the saddle? It was a tale of two bicycles for me: a day on a Boris Bike rather far away from home, and another going for a spin around Shoreditch on my Pashley resulting in a street-fashion shoot… It was an early start on Tuesday morning, catching the train up to Berkshire to film with The Cycle Show. I spent the day with the crew at the Transport Research Laboratory in Wokingham. We filmed a bicycle safety feature at TRL. It was fantastic and an education to be there, and check out the safer cycling innovations […]

Can a girl have too many bikes?! When I started cycling I thought one would be enough… fast-forward 3 years and I’m now the proud owner of my FORTH set of wheels, a Colourbolt Ratty Black. When you’re a bit of a bike fiend, nothing beats the pure excitement of getting a new set of wheels. Two weeks ago I pretty much combusted with utter joy after picking up a new addition to my family… a Colourbolt ‘Ratty Black’. I’d first laid eyes on the bike in April at Bespoked Bristol. British bike builder and founder of Colourbolt Jay Pond-Jones and his colleague Kendal had Ratty on display alongside his other bicycles. […]

Last month saw the 5th anniversary of The London Tweed Run. As I was unable to attend, The Boy (Ian James) went along to represent for VCG! Here is his report on the day along with some beautiful photography he did at the event…  I was determined to be more prepared for the Tweed Run than ever this year. But it was always going to be a bit different as sadly Lady Velo was going to be out of town ogling lots of lovely hand-made British bicycles at Bespoked Bristol. So, that left me, The Boy on a bit of a solo mission. But you’re never alone on the Tweed Run: it’s […]

When Sweaty Betty contacted me about #TheFitCrowd, they certainly got my curiosity. Then, a couple of weeks later when I got an invitation to attend an evening of fashion and fitness, they definitely got my attention. Empowering women though fitness is Sweaty Betty’s primary aim, and since launching in 1998 there are no signs of this mission slowing down. Their latest stage in this is ‘The Fit Crowd‘ – a collective of likeminded women working together with SB to inspire new communities of fitness focused women. This was something that really appealed to me for two reasons: My absolute belief in cycling having a wonderful impact on your health and lifestyle Being inspired myself […]

Since starting VCG, I’ve made some wonderful friends in the cycling/blogging community and it’s always a joy to meet them beyond my laptop. This week, that finally happened with Caz Nicklin –  founder of online cycling accessories shop, Cyclechic! Although we’ve been in contact for almost two years, the first ever product review on VCG was for Cyclechic AND we live in the same city, our cycle paths didn’t cross until Wednesday… how long overdue is that?! We met-up after Caz asked me to work with her on an upcoming and rather exciting project, which involved us filming together at her lovely home and around Chiswick, West London. With perfect sunshine and […]

I first met Rachel Bonney at the launch party for Cycle Style at LMNH last April. She was friendly, full of energy and hyped about cycling and fashion = an ace vibe. I recognised her from her photos in the book; if you wear Brogues (which I have an addiction to) that are cool enough to have a page all to themselves, that will get my attention. She also had on a rather nice looking bag in her portrait and on the night which caught my eye… and it turns out it was all her handy work.  When she got her bicycle, Rachel decided to make a handbag for herself that would work while cycling. […]

I’m stunned at what’s happened with the blog over the past 12 months and the adventures that have occurred. I’m thankful for all the love and support I’ve had from all of you this year… with a majority of you thinking I’m mad for the late nights infront of my laptop! I do it because I love cycling & I adore blogging about it all; it gives me the greatest amount of joy and if 2012 is anything to go by, my heart might actually burst in 2013… It’s almost the end of the year. Time to stop for a moment, and take stock of some of the highlights of 2012 […]

 It’s one of the most popular cycling bags on the market, and after being sent the Bobbin Straw Pannier for a review* by the lovely folk over at CycleChic, I can understand why. Having seen this pannier on quite a few ladies bikes while out on my travels, one of the first things that struck me was how stylish it looks. Made from tan-coloured woven straw, it’s a simple, unfussy design with a rather vintage feel to it. This works very well with my Pashley and would do with any other vintage style bicycle. I do have a thing for loud and bright panniers, but a classic one like this certainly […]

This can be a rather personal subject but I wanted to talk about the importance of a good Bra when on a bike. Due to my Scoliosis, my body-shape goes though a lot of changes & has seen a lot more of since I took up cycling – especially my Breasts… so I finally went on a quest for a decent Sports Bra…  The last time I had a Fitting was in a well known high-street store when I was in my late teens. My Bra size always remained the same with their lingerie, so I stuck with them, including every time I needed a new Sports Bra. Yes, this wasn’t […]

After an fantastic Summer of Cycling in the UK this year and a certain ITV4 show dedicated to the subject, it was only fitting a wrap-party should be thrown to celebrate The Cycle Show! Just as the invitation stated, you needed to be jingling to get in… and there were plenty of bells at the event! Held at the Red Bull Studios in London, it was a great chance to see The Cycle Show team and everyone involved in the production again after all the hard work put in over the series. There were drinks, laughter, lots of bell ringing and of course… bikes! We were all treated to an […]

October is shaping up to be a busy month for VCG, and the 1st week was packed with cycling-related events to keep me on my toes… or should that be on my saddle? Starting off with an evening at the W Hotel for the Bicycle Film Festival (don’t forget, there is still the special event on the 12th which I’ll be at!) it was a chance to preview some of the ace films that were shown over the weekend, and to see Chinatown in its beautiful night-time glory. I adore how the huge lanterns suspended above the street looked like golden moons… The following day started off with an early […]

 Three weeks on with the Clubman Urban and it’s become my main commuting bike… something which has taken me by surprise. This doesn’t mean Frankie has been banished to the back of the cupboard forever (never!), but it’s become an unexpected addictive joy riding the Fixed Gear to the office. I finally had a chance this weekend with The Boy to take it out further than my working commute with a Saturday cycle to one of my favourite spots in London, Maltby Street. My route to Maltby and back is a 11 mile round trip – one that I regularly ride along the CS3 through Limehouse to Tower Gateway, turning onto Tower […]