Well, it was an interesting one to say the least! A real mix of not so great stuff (#houseflood) to some rather ace stuff on two wheels went down in 2014. I didn’t get to blog as much I wanted to, but I certainly didn’t forget how to ride a bike in those 12 months… here’s a quick look back at some VCG highlights… TV and bikes played a big role this year – I was back with ITV for The Cycle Show, reporting on Eroica Britannia and chatting the very lovely Matt Barbet on the sofa. It was great to be back working with the team, and I look […]

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 […]

 “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. […]

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 […]

So, you may have seen me tweeting about an exciting bike-related update coming to VCG, and last week it arrived in the form of the Clubman Urban! I’m over the moon to finally have this wonder for a review*, courtesy of Pashley. The Clubman arrived direct from the factory in Stratford-upon-Avon, boxed-up and needing assembling. Now, I’m not going to lie – I’ve never put a bike together in my life (something I will rectify) and I wasn’t going to risk “building” the Clubman and getting it very wrong… so I owe a massive thanks to the Look Mum No Hands workshop for bringing the bike to life. Aesthetically the Clubman […]