Get on your bike with these fancy pants products, selected by Danielle Mustarde
BY DANIELLE MUSTARDE
I love a good bike ride, I do. But I have to admit, the move from Sheffield to London a little over a year ago saw my bike taking an unplanned sabbatical.
To be honest, I was more than a little nervous about getting out on the roads in this bustling city of nearly nine million people. This summer though, I decided it was time to get back in the saddle and do some serious city bicycling. Geddit? Bicycling? It’s funny ‘cos I’m bisexual.
Anyway, once Blue – my affectionately named baby blue mountain bike – was given a quick MOT, I decided it was time to kit myself out with all the essentials in a bid to join the official London Commuters Club…
BOLLE — B ROCK
Caught the cycling bug? These bad lads are great if you’re cycling a fair distance day-in, day-out — even more so if you’re planning a longer cycling trips. Featuring B-Max technology for a wide field of vision, these beauties aim to maximise comfort and air flow, and can even be fitted with prescription lenses. Nifty, eh?
CAMDEN WATCH CO. — CYCLING WATCH
Designed in collaboration with British cyclist Kitty Pemberton-Platt, the Camden X KPP model’s design is based on vintage cycling and the Penny Farthing wheel. Though not a technical sports watch, it’s bloody lovely looking and the perfect gift for that special cyclist in your life.
SUEME — BEECH SHORTIES
Perfect for keeping you cool, dry and comfortable, I’ve got a few pairs of these babies. Designed especially for doing sports, they wick away moisture (yes, that’s a polite word for bum sweat) and make cycling oh-so-comfortable. Plus, they’re made from 95% beech tree pulp so they’re environmentally friendly. We’re a little bit in love with the “boi boxer” look.
BLINKERS — SMART LIGHTS
Worried about cycling at night? Blinkers are a new breed of smart lighting systems which let you remotely signal to nearby drivers when you’re turning left or right, braking, or slowing down — handy, eh? Though I still found myself using my arms to signal during the day, these are great for cycling at night — something we’ll all be doing more of as the nights draw in. Great for city commuting.
FAT LASS AT THE BACK — CLOTHING
Fat Lad At The Back offers high quality cycling gear in sizes that don’t make the average wearer “look like a shrink wrapped chicken”. Not long after launching, they expanded their range to cater for those with curvy bods too, and Fat Lass At The Back was born. Super comfy and super stylish, the cycling shorts are perfectly padded, so potholes are no problem. Planning on joining your local lasses’ bike gang? Look no further..
ANITA – SUPPORT BRA
Most of us with boobs that require it know that a good sports bra is an essentialwhen it comes to running — but what about cycling? With those aforementioned potholes that grace much of this fair land, our boobs can often take the brunt of a bumpy ride and, I have to say, cycling with a sport bra has made quite the difference in terms of comfort. Check out the nifty Delta Pad range from Anita Active — their sport bras will soon be your very breast friend.
ELLIPSES — SMART LOCK
Bicycle security is super important – especially somewhere like London — so what better way to combat thievery than with a 17mm-thick steel lock that can text you when it thinks your bike’s being stolen? That’s right, it texts you. Locking and unlocking at the tap of your phone, the Ellipse will also send you a message via the Ellipse app if it detects that your precious two-wheeled steed is being tampered with. As the website says, “half of cyclists have had a bike stolen — be the other half”. This is next level fancy, people.
BEELINE — BIKE COMPASS
Warning: I’m about to gush. Though not a necessity, the Beeline is a joy to behold. It’s fun, real adult-shaped fun. Compatible with all bike handles, slap your Beeline onboard and — entering your final destination through the accompanying app — let it guide you with a simple arrow showing you the direction and distance toward your destination, leaving you to decide when to turn and which route to take. Genius, eh? Oh, and you can also hook up your Beeline to your Strava account (strava.com) so that each ride you do can be uploaded to your online profile (because really, if it’s not on Strava — did you even do it?)
This article first appeared in the October 2018 issue of DIVA – grab your digital copy right here!
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