Three piece suit

Kevin by Pete

Pete aka Dividenthal has started a tumblr blog using his great shots of Birmingham cyclists and their bikes. I urge you to go check it out both for the great photography but also the fact almost everybody featured is bathed in Birmingham sunshine. 


I'm a big fan of Kevin's, above, suit.

Commuting by bike looks better

Spring encourages more people to dust off their bikes and cycle to work. And who can blame them? You get views like this if you drive.

Cycle lanes in the sky

Kolelina

Would you fancy cycling on a steel wire above the traffic? That was Martin Angelov's idea, Kolelina, which he presented to the TEDx conference in Sofia. The Kolelina site is dedicated to being a 'lab for alternative transportation, crazy ideas and bicycle lifestyle' which is an understatement. The concept involves cyclists riding on a grooved track with a harness attaching them to the guide wire to keep you locked in. Touted as an option for navigating busy junctions it could be an exciting way to spice up your cycle to work in the morning.

Jess - A girl and her bike

photo by Dividenthal via A girl and her bike

Discovered via Birmingham cyclist Jess writes a blog called A Girl and her bike, all about cycling in Brum and encouraging more girls to cycle.The picture above is one of Jess with her bike in Brindleyplace by Dividenthal from his flickr page dedicated to Birmingham cyclists and their rides.

Spotted in the park

Nice pink gloves.

Summer is coming.

Sunset in Canon Hill Park. Looking forward to some nice long summer rides after work.

Lycra is temporary. Style is permanent.

via Sartorialist

The picture in the post below reminded me of the shot from the sartorialist above. Just shows that a nice bicycle and a blue suit will never go out of fashion.

80s stylish cyclist

Whilst reading through a blog of fellow Birmingham Cyclist, Spinwell, I saw this great shot from Doug Siple’s flickr page. I guess it show's that stylish cycling is nothing new. He wouldn't look out of of place on the sartorialist even today.

Delightful cycles

Iva Jean via Delightful Cycles

Another tumblr find, Delightful Cycles is a blog about is about 'simply cool bikes, and cool people'.

I think these guys illustrate that point quite nicely.

Steve McQueen rides a bike

via ridesabike.tumblr.com

I found a fantastic blog today on tumblr called rides a bike, it's a collection of vintage photographs of a whole host of Hollywood stars rolling along. Some beautiful shots and some fantastic outfits abound.


If the coolest man ever rides a bike, why not you?

Cycling makes you happy.

Cyclists already know this and many other studies have shown that cycling helps to boost levels of seratonin and the extra sunlight will help vitamin D intake which both make you happier. The infographic above shows the correlation between bicycle sales in a country and the Satisfaction with Life score for that nation too. With the exception of the French, who never seemed to be satisfied, the more bicycles sold makes for a happier nation. 


Now it could be Denmark's strong social values, progressive tax model, fantastic welfare system and beautiful residents but I reckon it's probably all the cycling they do.

The Sartorialist in Florence

via The Sartorialist

Longing for the warmer days of summer I found this pic on The Sartorialist which I think is pretty cool. It's difficult to be as stylish as the Italians, even on a bicycle.

Brother Cycles

After reading a piece in Boneshaker about Brother Cycles I was intrigued to check out their site. The two brothers, Will and James, decided to set up a business three years ago making frames for fixed gear and track bikes. They make some beautiful lugged frames and encourage their fans to get in contact and show them how they've built up the bike, including the one above from Jonesy in London and this lovely example. The gallery is incredible but unfortunately leads to a lot of envy. 


I hope business flourishes and I'm sure it will with quality like that, shall be back on the site in the summer once I've saved up for a new ride. They also have a great blog talking about all things cycling related.

Monocle - Designer Bikes

Monocle, a great magazine based out of London has got a video on their site talking about the importance of great design in bicycle culture and the manufacture of bikes. Its a great little video and mentions a firm called Biomega who approach the design of a cycle from the viewpoint of 'furniture for locomotion'. They have a great range of bikes including the Bamboo shown above. Based in Copenhagen, where else?, they aim to make urban-landscape-changing bikes. With a goal of 'creating a paradigm shift in the way society imagines transportation'.


Big goal, I hope they can do it. 

boneshaker magazine

I returned home to my first edition of Boneshaker magazine sitting on the door mat. which was an unexpected delight. Boneshaker is:

a celebration of cycling and the people who do it. Full of articles, personal stories and anecdotes about people and projects doing great things with bicycles around the globe.

It is our hope that the magazine will both inspire and entertain, raise awareness and bring a smile

to your face.

Appealing to both bike-heads and those who may not yet have experienced the true joy and freedom that can be found from our two-wheeled friends.

And for me it delivers just that, inspiring for those who want to spread the love for the bicycle and gently encouraging for those looking to be persuaded into cycling to work. I particularly liked the sentiment behind the piece by Doug Gordon entitled 'We don't need more cyclists. We need more people who ride bikes.' I couldn't agree more.

The magazine is full of like minded comment on cycling and how it can enrich your life, that and some great illustrations combined with fantastic design. You can buy a copy online here or if you're lucky enough to live anywhere near one of these great shops.

The little details

They say it's the little details that finish off a look, well I reckon this Brooks Leather trouser strap is pretty much the most stylish trouser clip/strap on the market, perfect for keeping those tailored trousers out of the chain. Available from Cycle Chic which is a great source for other stylish accessories and they have a pretty good blog too.

The Ebay gamble

Cycling is in main a sport dominated by men and a lot of these men will tell you that you need to spend lots of money on a bike with a high spec and low weight. Don't listen to these people. Bicycles haven't really changed much in terms of mechanics since the chain driven models were first introduced in 1885. Sure, there are some amazing bikes that I'm sure if you have a few grand to spare are worth every penny and will shave precious seconds off your Time trial time. However, if you're looking for a nice sturdy, reliable, easy to maintain, comfortable ride which won't cost the earth then Ebay may be the place to go.

This little beauty is going for £99 at the moment, a bargain if you ask me.

Now here's where these vintage cycles will divide opinion. They may well need a lot of work but so long as the frame is sound there isn't anything too complicated that can go wrong. There are also a lot of websites out there to help you out if you need it, like the Park Tools blog, Evans will even teach you how to do if for free. When you learn these skills they stay with you for ever and will help in the future if the wheels do fall off.

4. Axalko Wooden Frame

Here's one which you certainly won't find in Halfords or Evans, created by a Spanish firm who according to their website went through a long R&D process to bring cycle frame manufacturing back to its roots. Every frame is handcrafted to ensure perfect balance, strength, lightness and style.

Not sure how well it will hold up in the great British weather but you will win a lot of kudos for this lovely environmentally friendly ride.

If you're Spanish is better than mine you can find out more on their facebook page here..

Creme Vinyl Uno Fixed Gear

3. Creme Vinyl Uno 

Fixed gears aren't for everyone, depending on the terrain of your ride to work they make life a lot quicker or a lot slower if hills are involved. Super light and uncomplicated they represent cycling in it's purest form and are really easy to maintain due to the fact there are very few components to deal with. They are very popular with couriers, students and trendies from Shoreditch. I like the Uno above for it's nod back to traditional styling whilst remain very modern looking.

Pashley Guv'nor

2. Pashley Guv'nor

Pashley  are one of the finest British manufacturers of bicycles, every one is hand built in their factory in Stratford-upon-Avon, and they have lasted the test of time as mainly because they make beautiful bikes. The Guv'nor above is one of the best looking bikes on the market and has three speeds to ensure you can cruise to work in style and not work up too much of a sweat. A definite head turner with it's white tyres and distinctive handlebars this ones sure to keep you looking stylish for a long time.

Kristin Tieche caught this guy looking pretty cool in Downtown San Fransico showing the Guv'nor truly has global appeal. The shot lead me to a very cool, like minded site called Velo Vogue, definitely worth a look through.

via Flickr Kristin Tieche