girls cycling

Its not that I’m obsessed by gloves, its just that any clothing item having the ability to trickle in and out of your life with such frequency is worth of note.

Anna Glowinski is well known on what I like to call the ‘girls who ride bikes’ circuit. She’s a racer and sportswear designer, she also forms part of the Mulebar Girls Team which is how I met her. Following my love lost glove plight this very lovely lady has furnished me with a couple of pairs from her new range. They’re awesome, being white, very good for being seen and for looking a little bit like Michael Jackson.

All Anna’s stuff is great as she actually rides a bike, and has this completely in mind when designing her products. The label is called Ananichoola, check here for stockists of her awesome gettups.

A hardcore track rider, Anna keeps on trying to persuade me to join her. Watch this space…

According to a survey by sustrans less than 1 in 10 women cycle more than once a month.

It just seems so nuts. I can’t imagine how grim it must be not to be a cyclist and am making it my quest to get more girls out on bikes. It’s not a competition for toughness versus the gents its just that its such a brilliant way to get from A to B and everywhere in between.

Bike Belles has been developed by the sustainable transport charity Sustrans. Its a guide on all things bike for women. It starts with the basics, such as why ride in the first place and ending with the crucially important issue of what to wear. In between you’ll find sections on female specific cycles, different styles of bike, basic bike maintenance, info on where to get maps as well as some great tips for beginners. The booklet is free and you can download it right now by clicking here.

I love Rapha even more than I already did following news about this brilliant idea to raise money for the victims of the major earthquake and following Tsunami in Japan.

With Japan taking the lead Rapha are organising rides all over the world. To take part you must make a donation of minimum $10 and Rapha will match your amount. All riders will wear a printed black ribbon on their sleeves.

To find a ride local there is an app you can download here.

Or visit Rapha’s website.

I’ll definitely be there on the London ride which takes place on the 20th March and starts from Barnet Cinema.

Another invention!

However, unlike the cycle-in table and pop-up instant helmet, (both of which are super cool but alas not currently actually available to buy) this new light is looking to be the bees knees of illumination, staying safe, while still looking cool AND actually being a bit of an eco-warrior while you’re at it. Sounds almost too good to be true (bit like the pop up helmet) BUT take heart, its not too good - it just is.

• Super bright - CHECK
• 100% water tight - CHECK
• Good Looking - CHECK

The coolest feature however is the USB charger, which a) means you don’t have to fork out for batteries and b) means that the casing around the light is totally sealed hence no more water induced light death.

I am absolutely loving my new lights, so much so that I found it necessary to share their brilliance with my lucky friends and work colleagues. Note to anyone who has non-cyclist friends, this is not good chat and results in serious eye glaze which is either from boredom or blindness, either of which isn’t ideal at the dinner table. You have been warned.

I have misplaced/lost half of my favourite gloves. While this saddens me greatly, at least it was the ‘hate’ hand; I’d be inconsolable if I’d lost my love.

In light of this small tragedy I have created my top tips to avoid glove loss in the future:

Option 1: Always put them in the same place when you take them off e.g. right hand side pocket of jacket. Apparently after 21 days this will become habitual.

Downside – what if you are not wearing that jacket?

Option 2: String through back of jacket.

Downside – although not really appropriate over age of 5.

Option 3: Never take them off.

Downside – hot hands when inside and tricky to execute intricate tasks when doing so.

Option 4: Once glove removal is on the cards remove helmet too, place gloves in helmet – as with option 1, after 21 days this will become habit.

Downside – A lot of faffing involved.

To be continued…

Back in London town and the old routine. Luckily my day has long been formulated around two wheels and at least once a week my cycling commute buddies and I stop off at the excellent cycling one stop fits all café Look Mum No Hands.

For anyone who likes bikes, or in fact, just anyone who likes style and substance this spot – on Old Street in East London is not to be missed. It’s a café / venue / bike shop and a great place to begin or end your day.

The cafe is a hub for what’s going on in and around the cycling community and its often the meeting point for starting and / or finishing rides. Its also often the meeting point for accidentally having too many beers.

If I had my way there’d be one of these in every town. However, in the meantime they have set up an online shop so no matter where you hail from you can enjoy some of their quirky bits and pieces for sale.

Photos by Ben Brannon