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 […]

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 – […]

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. […]

 “Sleek and stylish” were the first words that came to mind when I opened my delivery from Michaux. After reviewing their Weekender Bag, I was asked to review* their new Shadow Saddle Bag & couldn’t wait to put it to the test… The Shadow Saddle Bag is made from waterproof bonded canvas and finished with leather trims, featuring the signature Michaux reflective 3M Scotchlite material, to enhance visibility when riding. It’s immediate to the touch that the quality of the canvas used is very high, and as with the Weekender, the Shadow feels like it’s built to last. The versatility of the Shadow is a huge plus on the cycle […]

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. […]

 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 […]

 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 […]

 A small company in the Netherlands who make their products from recycled materials, Basil specialise in “fashionable, functional and fun” bicycle bags and accessories. Their latest product is the ‘Elements’ Bag, which at first glance doesn’t look much like a traditional Pannier at all. As you know, here on VCG, I quite drawn to panniers that break away from the norm, so when Basil sent me the Elements Bag for review*, it fitted right in… The design is certainly a nod to the “fashionable” philosophy of their products: it’s essentially a shoulder bag which attaches to your bike. Their Hook-On system (which includes a surprisingly strong Velcro strap) will work with most rear luggage […]

Time for another cycling product review, and this time it’s brought to you by Ian James! He’s guest posting on Vélo-City-Girl after falling in love with the Ally Capellino Tommo Bag and insisting on reviewing* it. The Boy has put the bag through its paces on his bike, and brings us this review of the Tommo…   So, ‘The Boy’ here doing a guest post on a rather lovely bag for Velo-City-Girl. This is entirely because from the moment I saw the Ally Capellino Tommo Despatch Bag I had to have it and have pretty much stole it from Lady Velo! It pretty much hasn’t left my side (on and off my Cannondale) relegating all […]

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 sent* to me by CycleChic to the 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 […]

 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. I’d seen one if their Panniers on display in a well known London Cycling Shop –  the design certainly caught my attention and I wanted to find out more about this very different Pannier. So, when I was contacted by them to review* one on VCG, I had to give it a whirl… 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 […]

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 […]