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!