My view of Bespoked Bristol 2012

Slate Cycles

Long overdue but these are a few of my pictures from Bespoked Bristol 2012 event. It was a great show and it was nice to see a hall full of people admiring some of the finest bikes in the country. Including the frame above built by Christy Boothroyd of Slate cycles which is only his second complete build, showing great skills already.

Slate Cycles

Rapha + Feather

Rapha + Mather Cycles

Donhou

Donhou

il Soigneur

Schwalbe

Shand Cycles

Brother Cycles

Show winner by Robin Mather

Rapha's beautiful new Grand Tour shoes

Creux Clothing

Feather

Racer Rosa Cycles

Axalko - the wooden bike

 A quick search of the Internet will throw up a few different people's take on wooden bikes from Bamboo frames in place of steel through to some workshop built creations. There is however one company, Axalko, making some sublime bikes using Ash wood to great effect.

The small firm from the Basque region build incredible hand-built frames using a technique they have developed themselves including four specially designed finger joints holding the frame together. These joints ensure the frame is lightweight, the road bike comes in at 6.5kg when built up, but rigid enough to deal with the forces put through the frame when you push the pedals round.

I had the chance to try one out a few weeks when I met Enrique from Axalko at Bespoked Bristol. This frame was set up for 'city mode' which was very responsive and the acceleration was great. I had a quick ride round the train station over the cobbled streets of Bristol and was amazed at how little vibration was passed through the frame. The bike itself has been tested on both Paris-Roubaix and Bastogne - Liege so it can certainly cope with the pave and I just wish I could of took some time riding it round some twisting country lanes.

Every bike is fitted to the customers exact measurements and the whole process takes 3 months from initial consultation through to delivery. Much like a hand made suit from Saville Row the Axalko is the pinnacle of bike building and the sort of bike you hope to hand down to the next generation. The bike is a truly beautiful piece of craftsmanship and you get lots of admiring looks from people as you ride it around. With prices starting from £3,500 it would be an investment worth if you are thinking of spending a big amount on a bike.

Team GB kit for London 2012

Well the new kit has been launched in a blaze of publicity and it seems a lot of people don't like it. I personally think it looks great. Stella McCartney has taken the Union Jack as inspiration and created an iconic look from the flag. It definitely is the best looking kit for some time. 

And for those that say it hasn't got enough red in it then you need to look at the past team kits for Team GB. Red has never been a prominent colour so why start now?

Chris Hoy winning gold in China 2008

Kelly Holmes winning gold in Athens 2004

Mens coxless fours winning gold in Sydney 2000

Linford Christie winning in gold in Barcelona 1992

The most important thing about all these kits is that the people in them are winning gold regardless of how much red is incorporated in the design. Lets hope that Chris Hoy and the rest of the team can go on and win a load more golds. Go Team GB!

Melbourne Bikefest - Chasing Rainbows

Gareth Servant 

Another post from the land down under, Melbourne Bikefest ran a poster competition to promote the upcoming UCI Track World Championships in the city. Submissions seem to be of a really high standard and these are few of my favourite but loads more are in their gallery. Worth checking out if you like a bit of graphic design.

Gary Seaman

Karen Wong

Whitney Farrell

Creux Cycling - Campionissimo Polo

 

One from the other side of the world, the Campionissimo Polo is made by Melborne based Creux clothing is a beauty. Dedicated to the World Championship winners jersey they weave the colours in beautifully and subtly. Currently with a third off it looks like a cracking deal. Looking forward to seeing some of their other work at Bespoked Bristol when the iL Soigneur guys show off some of their tees.

5 of the best Jerseys

I've got my first ever organised road ride coming up in a couple of weeks, the Shakespeare 100km in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care. Rather than worrying about the best technique to ride up the hills or what cadence I need, I've been thinking about which jersey I should wear. My favourite one at the moment is a vintage long sleeve woolen one which I think is going to be too hot for the ride so I thought I would pull together a list of the best jerseys I've found whilst looking around.

1. Shutt Velo Rapide Signature White - £79

I featured this jersey back last year and still think it looks amazing, mainly because it doesn't scream cyclist and the rainbow stripe is a nice stylish touch. Made in the UK from high Merino content Sportwool it's a performance jersey which doesn't compromise on style. And you would know you're supporting the British economy by buying one.

2. Rapha Country Jersey - Great Britain - £105

Rapha have released three new country jerseys and with the Olympics coming up this year this is a stylish way to fly the flag for Team GB.

3. Milltag Dandy Jersey - £70

A light hearted take on the good old days of cycle touring, Milltage have produced this Tweed print jersey complete with mock buttons, handkerchief and bike chain pocket watch. It looks great and made from modern fabrics it helps to keep you warm whilst wicking away moisture. 

4. Vulpine Merino Button Jersey - £80

Recently launched, Vulpine have come up with a very nice casual jersey which harks back to days gone by with button detailing. It features two pockets and a zip pocket for valuables and looks good enough that once you finish the ride you can comfortably walk into a pub and not look like you,ve been slogging around the Cotswolds.

5. Campagnolo Heritage Jersey - £29

Simple jersey from the Italian component manufacturers I really like the polo collar detail on this jersey just a shame it's too big for me. At this price this is a bit of a bargain if you are a large or above.

The Inverted Bike Shop, New York

A lovely video by Show Love about a really great idea for a bike shop in New York. 718 Cyclery like to talk to their customers about what sort of bike they need and help them build it around these needs. I really like the ethos here and think a lot of people would love to be involved in the process of building a bike rather than just buying something off the shelf from some guy who tells you how great it all is. Looks like a lovely workshop too.



The Inverted Bike Shop from Show Love on Vimeo.

Look Mum no hands!

I was cycling round East London on a Boris Bike last week and had the opportunity to pop into London's cycling Mecca, Look Mum no Hands! on Old Street. It seems like a lot of events from the launch of Boneshaker issues to Artcrank London are held at LMNH and for good reason. The place is a cafe come bar come bike shop, so you can grab a coffee or a beer and watch a bit of cycling, catch up with friends or buy some new bits for your bike. The idea came about after the founders couldn't find anywhere to watch the Tour de France and decided they should set up their own place dedicated to cycling. I imagine the atmosphere was awesome when Cavendish was sprinting down the Champs-Élysées to win the green jersey last July.

I was there to watch the first time trial of the Paris-Nice, (well played Wiggo!) and meet a friend for lunch. We both had one of their legendary pies which were really good and served with some really interesting salads. The coffee is also from the awesome Square Mile roasters and so obviously very tasty. Can't wait to catch up with them again at Bespoked Bristol, just wish they would open up in Birmingham. If you're in London you should definitely check it out, whether you like cycling, food, coffee or just beer!

Another addition to the wall of bike art

I received this little beauty in the post the other day from Lauren Peppiatt a talented illustrator who is also designer with the very cool cycling apparel company Shutt Velo Rapide. Her love of cycling comes out in a lot of her work which is available to buy at her Etsy store and the Shutt VR site. The Le Tour print is hand printed on a retro Gocco machine and the colours which come out are really nice. The print is also one of a  very limited run of 35, so get in quick before they sell out, at £10 it's a bargain!

As always you can follow her on twitter and facebook, if like me you fancy a bit of a cycling art collection she is definitely one to check out.

Togs + Cogs

Bianchi 12 speed with full Campy groupset - £600

Sometimes you come across a brand which seems to fit with you so well you wonder if the person responsible has read your mind in some way. I've been watching Togs + Clogs for while since they launched last year and recently bought a very nice pair of trousers in their awesome sale. They have a great selection of stylish clothes to keep you looking sharp on your bike and if you haven't got one they can even sell you one of their amazing collection. Featuring some lovely Bianchis and a host of great looking fixies, their vintage bicycle section is chock full of fine specimens with stock updated fairly regularly.

So if you need some new threads or a new bike I recommend checking out Togs + Clogs, and if like me you love vintage cameras and watches they have them too! One final piece they stole from my brain is the great selection of tea they have. So they stock stylish clothes, beautiful bikes, awesome watches, lovely cameras and tasty tea. Literally all of my favourite things!

One final flourish is the hand written thank you on the order delivery note, very nice touch from what seems a great company.

Brooks trouser straps

via Shutt Velo Rapide blog

I've posted about these straps in the past but I've noticed that Brooks have started selling them in a broader range of colours, the stylish guys from Shutt Velo Rapide featured them on their blog in a post from the London Bike show. My favourite is definitely apple green which would go very nicely with my blue and green commuter. At £14.99 they are a bargain if it keeps your trousers getting mangled or covered in oil. 

Apple green strap via brooksengland.com

Bespoked Bristol 2012

Due to the success of last year's event Bespoked Bristol is back and it's grown so much they've had to move to a bigger venue in the centre of Bristol. Almost 100 exhibitors will be showing off their handy work in Brunel's Old Station over the weekend of 23rd to 2th March. People showing range from makers of beautiful handcrafted frames like Brother Cycles and Donhou Bicycles to stylish clothing providers Rapha, Velobici and Shutt Velo Rapide; as well as a host of other components makers you might need to finish off your custom ride.

They also have cycle coffee lovers Look Mum no Hands! coming down from that London to run a pop up cafe in the venue. A definite blessing after having to run out in the rain last year.

Tickets are £7.50 on the door or till the end of February they are running a special offer of 2 for £10.

Hope to see you down there.

Proud to Ride Classic

Simoncini 

When doing some research on the restoration of my bike I came across a really interesting company in Lancaster called Proud to Ride Classic. Their ethos is all about renovating and restoring beautifully constructed lightweight steel frame bikes to sell on. At the moment they are still working on the stock they have and will be selling soon. In the meantime you can check out their website and keep and eye on their twitter and facebook activity. Nice to see people recycling these fine bicycles and getting them back on the road where they belong!

Good looking re-cycling

 With a little help from Bike Man Dan the old Raleigh is looking pretty sweet now. There are quite a few new bits and pieces on it now including a new seven speed rear cassette and derailleur, NOS front chainset plus a lovely new Brooks saddle. She rides really nicely and I'm hoping it should be able to take me through the various rides I've got coming up including the ridetoweymouth.com. Plus, it looks good enough now that I could put it on one of those wall shelves once the ride is finished!

Great bike storage by Elevated Woodworks

Once you've finally got that perfect bike you've always wanted surely you to show it off? Well these shelves by Elevated Woodworks would certainly help with that. I really like this idea, what better to decorate your walls than a nice vintage bike? And at $60 for the Cedar version shown here they are also great value too. They would definitely create a focal point at home, mind you the British weather might stop your bike looking this clean. Or I think a few of them in a lofty office would look great. Not sure my employers would use them.

Genesis Equilibrium

I've entered myself in for a few charity rides recently and plan to do big ride from Birmingham to Weymouth to raise money in memory of brother in September. As such I'v been out on my road bike a bit more which has led to me to start thinking about buying a new one too. The old Raleigh frame is pretty heavy and is a little bit too big for me too but there is one thing which keeps stopping me committing to a new bike. That is most of them look dull, samey and are lacking real style.

Well that was until I found the Genesis Equilibrium, I'm already a big fan of their fixed wheel Day One and I was glad to see the Equilibrium shares it's retro styling and Reynolds steel frame. It's had  some great reviews and as they say on their site 'it proves that steel is still a material to be reckoned with for a fast road bike.' I wish more bike designers in this field considered the look and ride of the bike rather than just the weight and speed but I don't think I'm your average road biker.

Best get saving some pennies though as the entry level 00 model comes in at £899.99 which is a bit out of my price at the moment. But seeing as they are a British company surely I would just be helping out the country's economy by buying one, right?

Helmet B

                         

Should you always wear a helmet when you ride a bike? This is one of those issues that crops up regularly on blogs and in the media and more often than not written by people who don’t ride regularly. I’m not going to go into it now, it’s a personal choice and people should be left to make their own mind up in my opinion.

One of the reasons people cite not wanting to wear a helmet is they are often bulky, heavy and can be quite hot too. Well French designer Julien Bergignat has come up with an idea called Helmet B, also known as ‘Tatou’ or Armadillo. Using the Armadillo as inspiration for the form of the helmet it creates a protective shell when riding but can be laid out flat when you’re not on the bike.

I think it makes a pretty nice looking helmet but not convinced it would protect you that much on impact. It’s just an idea at the moment but I would love to see it put into production to offer something different in the helmet market.

                         

                               

Feats per minute - the bike which is also a record player

'What if you were able to generate music by the simple act of riding your bike?'

This was the question which drove a group of Dutch designers to come up with Feats per Minute. They took an old bike, switched the crank to the left side and added a vertical record player to the rear. After a lot of tinkering then adding a cone and amp to increase the volume of the record they had managed to build a working prototype where the speed of the record was determined by how fast you ride. So if you're a fan of Barry White it might slow down your commute to work.

The video below shows the guys bringing over the bike to London to show at a pop up exhibition at Dezeen. At the moment they don't have plans to get the bike into a mass production by they would like 'every city will have at least one Feats per minute biking around.'  And maybe a few DJ battles along the way.