What better way to explore than with a camera strapped to your back or in your saddle bag to capture the scenery.

Here are six favourite sights:

Richmond Park

You just knew Richmond Park would be included? How couldn’t it be! It’s London’s largest Royal Park and it is also London’s most scenic destination.  The perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of the city, Richmond Park has everything you want for a ‘getting away from it all’ excursion.

With something for everyone – from herds of deer and ancient trees, to cafes and playgrounds – once you visit you’ll want to go back again.  On a clear day, and in the right place, you should be able to spot St Paul’s Cathedral.

For cyclists, the park has plenty of roads – speed limit 20mph – and even various trails for some off-road action.  A part of London that has remained relatively untouched for hundreds of years, Richmond Park is simply a must-visit if you’re looking for somewhere picturesque and awash with photo opportunities.

Battersea Park

Just because it isn’t as fashionable, don’t be fooled into thinking that Battersea Park doesn’t have the same charm as its famous cousin in Richmond.

The park is clean, really well maintained and – with its manicured lawns, large lake, blooming gardens and Peace Pagoda – is one of the capital’s underrated scenic gems.  The vast array of trees offer welcome shade on a sunny day and with a zoo, tennis courts, and bike and boat rental – there’s always something to get up to.

If you’re looking for an interesting way to explore the delights (don’t forget you can spot Battersea Power Station from here!) then you could have a go at discovering the site of the ‘Brown Dog’ statue.  Hidden away in a serene part of the park, this statue has a fascinating history and is worth a camera click.

Chiswick House

If we’re talking about visiting somewhere with heritage in London then, let’s face it, we could be here all year!  So, if we’ve got to plump for just one place that’s particularly scenic, and where you’re sure to get good shots, then today (could be different tomorrow) we’re going to choose W4’s Chiswick House.

Built in the eighteenth century; a Palladian (means Venetian, apparently) villa; and with famous visitors over the years that have included Russian royalty, British Prime-Ministers, American presidents, and Italian statesmen … Chiswick House has got a fascinating history.

What’s more important, though, is that it’s a beautiful place to visit.  On a sunny day, if you close your eyes you could almost be in Italy (remember the Venetian bit).  The gardens are magical, with lots of meandering walkways, and the lake is really romantic (if you’re with the right person!).

To get to Chiswick House you also have the option of getting stuck into an attractive cycle ride.  Starting out at the Barnes Railway Station, the route will take you along The Promenade and then continues with great views of the river.  You’ll also get the chance to take in the local pier and Chiswick itself with its quaint village vibe.  Once cycled, treat yourself to a cuppa’ in the café and capture the views.

Little Venice

Talking about Venice – London’s Little Venice is a really pretty part of the metropolis and it’s easy to see why this area of W9 is one of London’s most sought after residential spots.  What was once an integral part of the city’s busy canal system is now packed with cafes, pubs and restaurants.

Idyllic and totally chilled, spend an afternoon here on a balmy day – away from the hustle and bustle and drone of the traffic – and it really is hard to remember that you are bang in the middle of one of the world’s largest cities.  Take your camera and have a cycle ride (you will have to unsaddle and walk at times), or stroll, along the banks of the tranquil waterways and you’ll definitely get a new appreciation of London … if you needed it.

You can pick up the Regent’s Canal in Hackney (Victoria Park) and cycle right through to Little Venice (give or take a couple of unseated detours) – and even take in a canal museum and London Zoo on route.  A top, watery daytrip.

Notting Hill

Ok, so the film’s rubbish and bears no relation to reality (unless you’re Hugh Grant) but Notting Hill is definitely worth a visit.  The famous Portobello Market is here and there are some fashionable and really photogenic W10 streets to meander down.

Not sure if Hugh’s book shop (it’s in the film) actually exists – and if it does you can be sure Julia Roberts won’t be in it – but there are plenty of great cafes and places to eat after you’ve cycled here.  If you haven’t got a bike, grab one from Boris and work your way from St James’ Park, up the Mall and through Hyde Park.

Soho

Still with plenty of alluring charm, Soho hasn’t lost that bohemian vibe that it’s famous for.  With more interesting places crammed into it to explore than any other part of London – Soho is brim full of restaurants, cafes, nightlife and street art. Trust us, you won’t be short of a photo opportunity in this part of the city.

Scenic?  Picturesque?  Beauty … it’s all in the eye of the beholder!  So, if you’ve got any other London landmarks that are easy on the eye then let us know?

Article contributed by Jessops Group (Jessops /Jessops Photo).

The post Bring your camera: 6 great photogenic spots to cycle to in London appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Rapha’s lead product designer, Graeme Raeburn, has been working with his brother, Christopher Raeburn, to produce a special edition capsule collection for city cyclists. Christopher Raeburn heads up his own design studio in the UK which is famed for using repurposed fabrics and handcrafted construction. All hand made in England, the collaboration is focused on quality and functionality.

The collection consists of a lightweight merino henley, a cycle ready jean and the wind jacket that I’ve been lucky enough to test. In this collaboration Rapha and Raeburn went all out to make a packable, light and highly reflective jacket – in other words something perfect for the city cyclist – and it is certainly striking! The jacket is remade from a British issue parachute canopy. These nylon canopies are coloured orange, green and white which enables pilots to either camouflage themselves or signal from the ground. The parachutes have been deconstructed, cut and reworked to produce the jackets making features of the original seams. Reflective tape is added as part of the print which provides added functionality for the city cyclist.

The jacket in use

I’ve worn this jacket both on my daily commute and on longer rides on my road bike at weekends and I have to say it is ideally suited to both duties. For something so thin and lightweight it really does keep the wind and cold out effectively. Part of this effectiveness is down to the very close fitting cuffs which are made from wear-resistant Lycra. The jacket is ideal for cold early morning starts and will protect well enough in sudden showers – in short it’s pretty much perfect for riding in the changeable climate of the UK.

The jacket packs up small enough to keep it permanently in your rucksack without losing valuable space ensuring you always have a layer for when the weather changes, but doesn’t feel like a typical stowaway wind layer – which in my experience feels a bit like wearing a bin bag. No, this is a hand made, unique and exceptional high quality item and as you’d expect such quality and exclusivity comes at a cost – £300 to be precise. Now that’s a lot of money for a wind jacket, but you won’t find anything to compare this too on the market, after all how many repurposed parachute jackets have you ever seen?

The fit of the jacket is just tailored enough to not flap about on the bike, but not so much that it feels like wearing race gear on the commute. The fit for me is about perfect on and off the bike (I wear a medium for reference). It has the typical long-cut back for good coverage on the bike.

The jacket has 2 discreet side pockets with easy to use hoop pulls that are perfect for a phone or your tube pass. In use these are perfectly positioned for the contents to not interfere with your riding in anyway.

The Rapha & Raeburn wind jacket also has a stowaway hood. This can be rolled up and secured via a strap and popper when not in use – which for me is most of the time. In fact the only time I can imagine using it is off the bike if I am caught in an unexpected downpour, but even then it seems a little superfluous.

As mentioned, the jacket is certainly not to everyone’s taste from a styling and colouring point of view, but the fact that it’s so striking makes it the ideal jacket to stand out on the increasingly busy city roads. The large polka dot pattern is very reflective and pops out at the slightest exposure to a car headlight. There is a Rapha & Raeburn numbered panel on the rear of the jacket with an individual “race number” which is also reflective. All in all this is a jacket which stands out – whether this is for the right reasons depends on your individual view point, but for me it stands out in a positive way (but then I also own an orange bike….)

More information and where to buy

Rapha recently posted a typically stylish video and some images of the jacket’s production on their blog, if you like Rapha’s style as I do it’s worth a few minutes of your time. You can find it on the Rapha website.

The Rapha & Raeburn Wind Jacket, which is a very limited edition (just 600 will be made – 300 available in white, 200 in green and 100 in orange) is individually numbered has just launched and be available directly from Rapha for £300.

4/5 – Exclusive and effective, but very expensive

The post Rapha & Raeburn City Wind Jacket review appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

No cars, no buses, no lorries – Caye Caulker, Belize is a utopia for bicycles. A vision of a world where people get around on foot, by bike or electric golf carts.

The end result is one of the most charming, laid back destinations in all of the Americas. Couple this with endless sunshine, some of the world’s best diving sites and delicious food – it’s amazing travellers can ever drag themselves any further away than the coral reefs that hug the island. 

Cycling the entire length takes 15 minutes. At the far end, you can see the island of San Pedro. Despite being just a short boat ride away, the two islands are a world apart. 

“Don’t go to San Pedro” you’ll commonly hear fellow travellers warn. What is it that can be so different about two islands that, on the surface, seem so similar?

On a diving tour, I found out. 

Where Caye Caulker is peaceful, laid back and inviting. San Pedro is an overwhelming blast to the senses. The charm of the island has faded behind noisy, busy and congested streets. Its slightly larger size has brought about development and along with it, cars and motorbikes.

It can be argued that this is the cost of progress, but the stark contrasts show the clear differences between two visions for our towns and cities.

Walking around Caye Caulker, you see cyclists of all ages. There are dads cradling their kids in one arm and controlling their bikes with the other. There are children riding with their friends sitting on the handlebars. There are people with a box tucked under their arm. Old, young, fit, overweight. The only thing you don’t see is lycra. Cycling here is a completely normal activity. 

The bikes themselves are mountain bikes and cruisers. The cruisers in particular fit in nicely with the style of the island. When you see a cyclist pull up to a shop, they’ll just drop their bike outside. On the odd occasion you spot a locked bike, it will be secured with a flimsy lock. 

The island has a couple of bike repair shacks which are always busy. For tourists there are many places where you can rent a bike. However, I never felt the need to. There was nowhere I had to be, so I took my time to walk around the island.

Half way through my stay, my laptop decided to break. In Belize, it’s not as easy as in London to head down the shop to buy a new laptop or get it repaired. I asked the hotel owner whether I could send it back to the UK. She told me it would never leave Belize! Just as there are advantages to tiny Caribbean islands, there are difficulties. Spending a couple of hours in a hammock however, will generally help you forget them. 

Keeping Caye Caulker car-free I’m sure is partly a result of conservation efforts and also a necessity due to the tiny size of the island. The locals and the government are well aware of the importance of preserving the island and the marine life surrounding it. I don’t believe anyone here would welcome cars on to the island. 

In London we’ve long accepted cars in our city. We’ve come to expect it to be scary at times, we’ve come to expect noise and pollution and not being able to send children out on a bike ride without a fear of traffic. 

London is certainly no Caye Caulker, but it’s a shining example of how a small community can exist without cars and how great a place that can be to live. 

The post Finding a bicycle utopia in Belize appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Now as I am sure you know I am a fan of all things Vulpine, having previously reviewed their Merino Polo and Lightweight Harrington. This time I am reviewing the staple of the Vulpine range – the Merino T-Shirt. In essence this is is the same as last years model, but is available in some new colours – Claret, Astral Blue, Fern Green and Grey.

The Ultimate Cycling T-Shirt?

Is this the ultimate cycling t-shirt? I certainly think so – it wicks sweat like a demon, is soft like a cloud and is cut perfectly for both on and off bike use. It’s in no way a body hugging Lycra-style fit so it doesn’t look out of place in the pub or in the office.

The merino used in this T-shirt is the highest grade wool from the best Tasmanian sheep and really is the softest I’ve felt. It’s so soft and light it’s almost possible to forget that you’re wearing anything at all – sadly another company has coined the “better than naked” line already but this T certainly fits that description.

I am fortunate enough to have 2 Vulpine merino items and I alternate these for my commutes to work – the merino does a mighty fine job of resisting odours so I am as fresh on the 3rd day of wear as I am on the first.

The T-Shirt has a single buttoned pocket on the rear which I’ve actually found quite useful for carrying my Oyster card on the days where I’ve been able to cycle without a jacket and have thrown my wallet in my bag. There’s also some subtle reflective detail on the rear to help you be seen when the light starts to fade. Talking of being seen, I have the Fern Green colourway which is a lovely vivid colour, and close to the Vulpine signature green.

If you follow the care instructions – cool wash, don’t use conditioner and dry flat – the t-shirt washes well and doesn’t bobble (which I have experienced with cheaper Merino items in the past).

I’ve been so impressed with this T-shirt that I’ve just ordered the Vulpine Alpine Jersey to wear on my upcoming End to End ride, and I am sure that will perform as faultlessly in that environment as this has in the city.

Pricing and availability

The T-Shirt is available from Vulpine’s website and also at select retailers and is priced at £55.

5/5 – cycling t-shirts don’t get better than this.

The post Vulpine Merino T-Shirt review appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

One day, cycling around Soho, a Rolls Royce with blackened windows was stuck behind me. With cars parked on the left, the road was too narrow for the driver to pass. It felt a little intimidating to be holding up this big hunk of metal.

Eventually, the road widened and the car overtook me. Pulling up in front of me, Simon Cowell, the brains behind talent TV shows such as X-factor, stepped out from the back and walked in to an office. 

Simon Cowell’s decision to drive, negative impacts the people around him. The car causes pollution that others have to breathe in. It requires space to park, which could be occupied by 8 bicycle parking spots, or space for pedestrians. His decision to drive, means that others will decide not to take their bikes to work. It means shops won’t benefit from more pedestrians. It means visitors in London will leave with memories and stories of noisy, congested streets. Office workers won’t be able to open their window without being greeted by the sound of cars. 

Am I angry at Simon Cowell?

Not at all. 

It’s not Simon Cowell’s fault. He is a smart businessman that I look up to. 

It’s the fault of Westminster council. 

Westminster Council, led by cabinet member for transport Cllr Algar has decided that everyone should have the unchallenged right to own, drive and park a car in central London. 

Do I expect Simon Cowell to walk, cycle or take the bus to his office? 

Not really, but I also don’t believe any special provision should be made for him at the disproportionate expense of everyone else.

However, that’s exactly what Westminster council is doing.

For the few people in central London who insist on using a car, the rest of us have to suffer. 

Cycling should be thriving in Westminster and we should all be reaping the benefits. The only reason it isn’t is because Westminster council has decided against it. 

Here’s how they plan on keeping the cyclists and pedestrians out, and the cars in:

Public space should be allocated for people to park their car

If you’ve ever cycled, walked or driven around Soho, you’ll recognise there isn’t much space. The pavements are tiny, there’s nowhere to leave your bike and driving here is a nightmare. 

Why then is it, that with such limited space available, it is agreed that it is a fundamental right for the residents here to use public space to park their car?

Residents of Soho have made the conscious decision to live in the very heart of the city. Everything they could possibly want or need is walking distance away. If it isn’t, then there are plentiful public transport options.  

One person, parking one car outside their home, is inconveniencing 100′s if not 1000′s of people.

Road narrowing

Perhaps the oddest of Westminster’s road design policies is to narrow roads. They reason that cars and cyclists should mix together and that without enough space for cars to overtake, everyone will travel at the same speed.

Anyone who has cycled on these narrows streets will agree that this is incredibly intimidating. I’m sure drivers will also attest that it doesn’t work. 

For more on the ill conceived policy of road narrowing read here and here.

Maintain current speed limits

Westminster council controls 92% of the roads in the borough. Average driving speeds in London are already around 10mph, yet occasionally a road will be clear and cars will speed up to 35-40mph. It’s easy to see how that would be intimidating and irritating to both pedestrians and cyclists.

A uniform speed limit of 20mph could really help reduce dangers and improve conditions for cyclists.

Give cyclists free “bike bells”

I was baffled to read in the Cyclists in the City blog that the council plans on giving out free bike bells to cyclists to encourage them to warn pedestrians of their presence.

Ugh! 

We’ll never see the benefits

In the draft version of the 2013 – 2026 version of the council’s cycling strategy, it’s clear the benefits of cycling in Westminster are recognised:

• Sustain its population growth and new jobs
• Ease congestion on its roads
• Offer a viable way to its population of travelling at minimal cost
• Significantly improve the health of its residents, workers and visitors
• Improve local air quality

Yet, Westminster council, spearheaded by Cllr Algar, is planning to fail cyclists. If they fail cyclists, then they’ll fail the Mayor’s cycling vision. They’ll fail the local residents, they’ll fail visitors to London, they’ll fail businesses, cafes, shops, workers and they’ll fail London as a whole. If they were hoping that at least they’d be making a handful of car owners happy, then ask any car owner if they are happy with driving conditions in central London.

Image via Cyclists in the City

The post How westminster plans to keep the cyclists out and Simon Cowell in appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Maybe it’s the outdoor cinema showing The Flying Scotsman, the proximity to London, or the 180 mile route that covers some of the most beautiful British countryside. Whatever it is, the MITIE London Revolution has just become the largest multi-day sportive in the country, with over 1,800 riders attending and that number is only going up!

I tried the route last year and had a great time and this year London Cyclist writer Sam is going to be covering it for us!

There’s also a bonus for anyone who refers a friend. Get your friend to sign up by the 12th of May and make sure they state your name in their application. Both riders will receive either a free delicious lager or ale at the Windsor Racecourse, to be enjoyed watching the best of London’s Buskers playing a variation of wonderful instruments for the riders, friends and family.

It’s not all about the half way entertainment of course. There’s plenty of riding to be done before that. After exiting London, the roads quieten down and you start to enjoy the best of the countryside.

On the second half of the route, if you complete both days, you’ll be riding around Box Hill and along parts of the 2012 Olympic road race route. Finally, it’s over Tower Bridge for the final stretch.

In all, it’s a really fun challenge, that’s incredibly well organised and supported. It’s no shock that it’s quickly become so popular among London cyclists and it will be excellent to see the event continue to grow.

The MITIE London Revolution is also a testament to the growth in popularity of cycling in London and in the interest commuters are showing to pushing themselves and enjoy riding around the UK.

There are plenty more details on the ride on the London Revolution website:

http://www.london-revolution.com/

The post MITIE London Revolution is now the largest multi-day sportive in the UK appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Many of us have probably been on a cycling tour or two. A few of us may have even dreamed of setting up our own tour company. Today, I wanted to bring you an interview with Alex Baines-Buffery who has accomplished exactly that. Combining the experience of wine tasting and cycling, his new tour company Wine Rides, is certain to be an interesting experience for cyclists.

1. How did the idea of setting up a bicycle tour company come about? 

Cycling through the wine country in Germany, we stopped one day realising we had pedalled right in to the middle of a massive wine festival. It was an opportunity not to be missed!

We simply had to go around and sample all the local wines.

The party atmosphere and the fact that we chanced upon it by cycling to this strange place, made it all feel more magical. It wasn’t a huge leap of the imagination to see that cycling and wine really go well together. A year or two later, we went away for a weekend to Hastings and started cycling around Britain’s wine country.

The majority of our vineyards in the UK are in a part of the world called the Weald of Kent. It’s a mediaeval landscape that hasn’t changed for about 400 years. It was formerly the geographic centre of Roman iron production and was formed during the same geological period as the Alps in France. During several outings, south of London, We just found ourselves starting to gravitate towards vineyards.

Buying a bottle of wine and drinking it later with friends always made it seemed like you’d come back from your trip with a trophy. Eventually I realised that my work in TV as an Associate Producer setting up shoots, should give me the skills I’d need to set up my own touring company.

2. What are your dreams for Wine Rides?

My hope is that the experience I’ve gained setting up documentary TV shoots all over the world will help me create interesting and inspiring holidays for people here at home.

Wine Rides Ltd should play its role in getting people out of cars and onto bikes. Cyclists have already discovered the joy of cycling through the countryside, getting the full HD experience rather than a passing view from a car window. I’d like to bring that to as many people as possible.

In practical terms, that means I want to get to the stage where we’ve got four trips running at one time. Working with two pairs of vineyards, with cyclists travelling in opposite directions, will give us that real kind of festival feeling every weekend.

3. What have some of the challenges been along the way?

The biggest challenge was my own fear: leaving the work you do, is scary.

When you first have an idea, even if you’re really passionate about it, you’ll quickly find a lot of naysayers. The most amazing thing though is the transformation in people’s attitudes. When I first floated that I was thinking about building a business like this, a lot of people immediately threw up doubts. Very few people then went on to say how we could solve those problems.

The changing point is when I started looking people in the eye and telling them “I’m doing this”. They immediately have a very different response. I think when people realise that you’re actually going ahead, they must internally think: “well he’s doing it, so it must be a good idea!” When you commit to doing something, it becomes a lot easier, people start supporting you, they start telling you who they know, who you could speak to who might be able to help.

I suspect that is typical of anybody setting up a business. You just have to believe that you’ve got the ability to work around the problems. The thing that I’ve been most pleased with is that people do really seem to want this.

There is a sense of community among cyclists; we want to be taken seriously. We want more services offered to us; we want more businesses starting that are thinking about cyclists first. I really hope more people do what I am doing and have a go at setting up cycle related companies.

4. What are some of the first rides you are offering?

On 25 May we are doing a pilot ride. That’s one where everyone coming is providing their own bike and tent, and we’re doing the trip at a substantially reduced cost which includes: Two nights, 3days cycling (planned route), two dinners, 2 breakfast, one lunch, two wine tastings (6 wines each), and snacks. Instead of £275 pp for the weekend it is £95, that’s as low as we could get it without re-mortgaging the house!

I’m running that weekend with my brother who is a cordon Bleu trained chef. We are doing it at a reduced cost, because we want to get some feedback from our first customers on how we can improve the weekends. If any of your readers want to come on that and be a part of making Wine Rides a reality, then we would be delighted to have them.

There are only a few places left, if you want to register your interest for the pilot weekend, then you should email info@WineRides.co.uk. 

Our web site is: www.winerides.co.uk

5. How did you research your rides?

The British wine industry is still a really small and friendly place and these businesses support each other. I collated a list of their phone numbers and cold called all of them. I then had to go and speak to them in person and see which ones we could work with.

I’m also lucky that I worked at ITV for a short while on a series called: Ray Mears: Wild Britain. The final episode of that series was in the Weald of Kent, which is this area of the UK. It also happens to be the area of the UK where Ray lives, so was an episode that was really close to his heart. Doing that show I fell in love with this area. It is beautiful and has a fascinating history. Apparently all the Cornish pirate stories are actually based on real events with French pirates that happened on the coast of the Weald.

6. Where do you hope to expand it to next?

That’s an interesting question: I don’t think the answer is geographic. I think I want to expand into the winter. When we’ve got the summer holidays working perfectly, I think we can focus on trips which look at using mountain biking or cross-country biking as the primary activity.

7. What’s your favourite wine?

Wines are like children. You’re not supposed to have favourites, but you do. The trick is to avoid saying what it is so people don’t judge you.

Without a shadow of a doubt my favourite wine is Port. I am desperately waiting for a friend to get back to the UK so I can share a Sandeman port with him that has been aged in an oak cask for 20 years.

I recon, you can often tell where someone grew up by the wine they turn to when they have a steak. If I am treating myself I don’t want to mess it up with a bad wine selection, so I will always turn to what I know: Full flavoured South African reds. I served fleur du cap at my wedding and would recommend that as well. That wine will always have a special place in my heart.

Finally, I love to drink wine in context. I don’t think I have ever had a Lambrusco in the UK, but I have wonderful fond memories of the farmer’s wife who rented us a cottage on our honeymoon in Italy bringing me a bottle every other day. I would sit there and read The Name of the Rose, drinking the local Lambrusco and eating Parma ham, all in the landscape where they were created. You can’t replicate that at home. And nor should you. We have a deep, rich food culture here in the UK and a fantastic history. If you want to know what wines we have here in England that are worth boasting about then you will have to come on Wine Rides and sample them and decide for yourself.

Visit winerides.co.uk

The post Setting up a wine tasting cycle tour company – interview appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

You return one day to find your bike has been stolen. Then, you spot it for sale on eBay.

What do you do?

• Confront the seller directly?
• Just pay them?
• Contact eBay? Contact the police?

Sometimes miraculous recoveries do happen.

This is the story of how one London cyclist, Stuart, got his bike back.

In the early hours of Thursday 11th of April, Stuart discovered that a thief had cut through two padlock straps on his bike shed. They’d managed to free the bike in the same way as three other bikes in his local area.

Stuart immediately registered his stolen bike with Bike Shepherd and then used www.findthatbike.co.uk.

Find That Bike along with Bikeshd are two websites that give you an easy way to glance through the listings on online auction websites such as eBay.

The Cannondale Supersix bike was quickly spotted for sale on eBay. The distinctive wheels were easy to spot as they’d been bought to replace the standard wheels that come with the bike. This little customisation was to prove crucial in the recovery.

With the bike listing in hand, he called and emailed the Cycle Task Force.

Time was of the essence and the listing only had two days left.

When he was able to describe the non-standard parts and was able to provide receipts, the police had enough to be able to execute a search warrant on the address that they found.

Fortunately, the bike was there as expected and it was returned to Stuart almost immediately. The thief was apprehended and the police believe there’s a good chance of a prosecution.

Key takeways:

• Register your bike
• Non-standard features on your bike make it easier to identify
• Always keep receipts
• If you are in London, contact the Cycle Task Force: cycletaskforce@met.police.uk. They are often better equipped to deal with bike theft.
• Bike sheds are not necessarily as secure as you may be lead to believe. Stuart had his bike locked in a Trimetal bike shed.

This wasn’t the first time..

This wasn’t the first time Stuart had experienced a bike theft and has managed to beat the thieves.

After a bump with a van, Stuart was hailing down a black cab on Victoria Embankment. When he turned round to pickup his bike, his damaged bike had been stolen.

Despite looking away only for a couple of minutes, that’s all it took and his bike was gone.

Three months later, Stuart is cycling along near Clapham South on his replacement bike. Unbelievably, he spots a guy riding his old bike.

His Scott Expert Hardtail mountain bike had a very distinctive paint job and graphics. When he spotted the big dent on the top tube and the replacement hand grips he’d bought, he was certain this was his bike.

He went over to the thief and ran his hand over the top tube to check for the familiar dent.

Confronting the thief, he asked what he was doing with a stolen bike and that he would be getting the police involved. After a short sharp conversation, he told the thief that he wasn’t going anywhere with his bike.

The thief ran off and Stuart got his bike back.

The story proves that if your bike is stolen, there is always hope you can get it back.

The post How one London cyclist got his stolen bike back from eBay appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

The London Bike Kitchen

This particular collective is a non-profit do it yourself workshop that provides the tools and knowledge cyclists need to make basic repairs and cycle maintenance. With the goal of making cyclists more self-reliant and the act of cycling less expensive, the London Bike Kitchen offers a variety of courses that include bike building, long distance tour preparation and emergency repairs.

Membership includes discounted classes and parts plus regular rides and other cycle events, for the yearly cost of just £10.

Ealing Bike Hub

If you live in Ealing and you dream of maintaining your own bike then their courses are excellent. You bring your bike along and they’ll show you the ins and outs of maintenance in a well structured course. The London Bike Hub website has more details on courses available. Cycle training is also offered. If you’ve got an old bike then they’ll happily recycle it for you. You can also get a bargain here on a second hand bike.

Cycooldelic Revolution

The stated goal of Cycooldelic Revolution is to let no parts go to waste, which is why you’ll notice tons of cycle-related art and materials on display. This collective or “bicycle recycling social enterprise,” as they prefer, focuses on all aspects of cycling from learning how to ride, pedal powered technology and bicycle maintenance.

The Cycooldelic Revolution offers repair and maintenance workshops, service repairs, in addition to promoting the health and sustainability benefits of cycling to the local community.

Tower Hamlets Wheelers

Located in the East End, the Tower Hamlets Wheelers are dedicated to creating more avid cyclists, improving conditions in London for cyclists and teaching workshops at Limehouse Town Hall with Dr. Bike on the third Saturday of each month. Get access to tools for bicycle maintenance, advice on emergency repairs and friendly chats.

The Wheelers also meet monthly to organize social rides and other events aimed in improving the overall conditions for London’s cyclists.

56a Bikespace

With goals that include self-reliance and sustainability, this bicycle collective takes the approach that learning bicycle maintenance and repair is best done among friends and like-minded individuals. At 56a workshops you will get access to second-hand parts and inexpensive new parts so you can rely on your own skills to make repairs to your bicycle.

Volunteer your own time to help teach other cyclists what you know about cycling culture and maintenance.

Magnificent Revolution

This unique bicycle collective is made up of engineers, artists and scientists focused on using bicycle power as an alternative energy source. Magnificent Revolution bicycle collective holds workshops teaching participants the basics of pedal powered generators and basic designs.

With a unique twist on the recycled bicycle program, Magnificent Revolution turns old cycle parts into modern art and alternative uses. This is collective is quite different from the rest, however if your goal is renewable energy and sustainability, this organization will interest you.

Hackney Cyclists Workshop

This is a non-profit organization that is run solely by volunteers dedicated to promoting bicycling as an alternative form of transportation in London. By offering maintenance and repair workshops, the group in Hackney seeks to make bicycling more appealing and affordable for all. Learn how to build, repair and replace bicycle parts at self-help workshops held on the first, second and third Tuesdays of the month.

Become an accomplished amateur bicycle mechanic at any of these bicycle collectives in London.

Any more I’ve missed? Leave a comment below!

The post London’s Bicycle Collectives – From bike repairs to second hand bikes appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

You may or may not know – I certainly didn’t – that a Harrington jacket is a lightweight waist-length jacket, typically made of cotton, and that Harrington jackets have been made by British Clothing companies since the 1930s. That gives the Vulpine Lightweight Harrington a big pair of boots to fill as far as British Tailoring goes. I am happy to say – that in my eyes at least – it succeeds. The style of the jacket is understated and simple, yet laden with lots of discrete hidden features that make it a reliable partner on the daily commute. These bike specific features are what set this jacket apart from myriad other lightweight cycling jackets and include a higher than usual collar, the longer cut back and the almost obligatory rear pocket. 

When would you wear this?

The Vulpine Lightweight Harrington is substantial enough to be worn all year round, either as a windproof and shower proof outer layer in Spring/Summer/Early Autumn or as a base for a more substantial winter jacket when the weather turns colder. As mentioned the jacket is billed as “shower proof” – it’s made from silicon impregnated cotton – and while I am certain that it won’t stand up to a full battering by a heavy downpour, it has kept the drizzle out well on a recent unexpectedly damp evening ride.

The windproof qualities of the silicone impregnated cotton make the jacket feel warmer than it’s weight would suggest on blowy days, but being cotton it should breath well when it does eventually get warmer – the open back (with mesh liner) will no doubt assist in this regard also.

I’ve had many jackets that make claims to be waterproof and windproof, but then use cheap quality zips that leak like a sieve as soon as the rain hits your front and leave a cold stripe where wind penetrates the zip, thankfully the Vulpine Lightweight Harrington suffers from no such problems. The zips are high quality waterproof items which keep your shirt dry and your front uniformly warm when even when you’re cycling into a headwind in the drizzle.

Features and attention to detail

As with all of the Vulpine gear that I’ve experienced so far, the attention to detail is fantastic. This is no mass produced cycle-fashion wear, this is highly tailored, well thought out, handmade cycling gear looks good on and off of the bike. I’ve been using this jacket for everything since I’ve had it, from commuting to work, going to client meetings, and even walking the dog and it’s felt perfectly at home in every situation. 

A particular hit feature with me are the magnetic closures on the rear pocket and the soft collar. This might seem like a gimmick, but it makes it really easy to keep things in the rear pocket without worrying that you’ve not zipped it closed, or struggling to do so with gloved hands. The collar magnets are great in use, but also help to create a nice shape to the collar when you don’t have the jacket zipped up by weighting it down slightly. Just another illustration of the thought and craftsmanship that goes into the design of these clothes. 

As well as the rear pocket the jacket also has 2 zipped side pockets and a buttoned chest pocket. The side pockets are nicely positioned to be a little higher than a regular jacket which adds to the comfort on the bike if you have bulky items in them. These pockets are sizeable enough to fit most items you’d carry around town and deep enough to not worry that things will escape if you fail to zip them up. The pockets zips are also waterproof meaning you shouldn’t arrive at your destination with a pocket full of wet things. Due to the clever manner in which these pockets are made, they also create 2 deep secure internal pockets which you can stash your valuables in for even greater security. 

The jacket also has reflective detail around the wrists and waist adjusters which light up like a floodlight at the slightest hint of a light making it a very visible jacket whilst not appearing overtly ‘hi-viz’. 

Cost, fit and availability

The jacket retails at £135 which is not too bad for a bike jacket generally, but especially good when you consider the quality. The jacket is available in 2 lively colours – Sage and Sky Blue (which is what I have) which make a nice change from the typical black on black cycling attire that seems to be the current thing. 

I have this jacket in a Medium which fits me perfectly with the waist adjusters in the tighter of the 2 positions, I am a 36-38 chest so it fits true to the size guide on the Vulpine website – it’s a tailored fit, but by no means a skinny racer fit which means it remains comfortable with a range of layers underneath.

My one criticism of the jacket is the sleeve length. On the bike they are good, not riding up and keeping my wrists covered and warm, but off of the bike they seem a little long and bunched up. While I appreciate that this is a worthwhile compromise, some additional adjusters on the sleeves may have helped to avoid this.

The Vulpine Lightweight Harrington is available from the Vulpine on-line shop at www.vulpine.cc and through a select number of retailers (which now includes four London branches of CycleSurgery) 

5/5

The post Vulpine Men’s Lightweight Harrington Jacket review appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.