Let's Go Round Again: The VCG 2018 Review!

I'm stunned at what's happened with the blog over the past 12 months and the adventures that have occurred. 

I'm thankful for all the love and support I've had from all of you this year... with a majority of you thinking I'm mad for the late nights infront of my laptop! I do it because I love cycling & I adore blogging about it all; it gives me the greatest amount of joy and if 2018 is anything to go by, my heart might actually burst in 2013...

It's almost the end of the year. Time to stop for a moment, and take stock of some of the highlights of 2018 for VCG...

JANUARY: After being told some surprising news by Horst and Filip in December 2011 which I had to keep quiet about, I could finally announce I was going to be on the back cover of Cycle Style! Being asked by Horst to feature in the book alongside some stunningly stylish bike-lovers was amazing enough, but when he revealed that he got me on the cover of the book I was beyond lost for words... as was Mamma Vélo.

FEBRUARY: One of my favourite British designers Tatty Devine opened their pop-up store in Selfridges. Part of the 'Words, Words, Words' installation which was "a celebration of the beauty of words and the joy of writing", the blogger in me HAD to see it! Team TD invited me to see how they make their name necklaces on the spot... and I was lucky enough to me made & given a special cycling-related one from them on the day!

MARCH: Stylish cycling clothing came to town... This was the month Vulpine Cycling Apparel was launched by Nick Hussey; a rather nice chap who I shared a great passion about cycling and fashion with. I loved his designs the moment I saw them. I did a spot of modelling for Vulpine which was a lot of fun. Little did I know how much that day would change the course of the year...

APRIL: Vélo-City-Girl gets referenced in Marie Claire magazine! Named as one of the "go to Brit-blogs for cycle style tips", this was a HUGE honour. I still see VCG as 'my little blog', so to be on the radar of Marie Claire in their 'Reporter' section was a proper pinch-yourself moment!

MAY: Another chance to get dressed-up and enjoy the most sartorial bike ride in the world... the London Tweed Run came back to town! Once again, over five-hundred of us gathered to cycle in style through the capital. It was a bit cold and a tad wet (typical British weather), but this didn't dampen the spirit of the day. Graham Coxon took part in this edition of the ride, but if you ask me, the big stars of the day were Ted Young-Ing & Jacqui Shannon for organising yet another fantastic event.


JUNE: I was separated from my Pashley for the first time! Frankie went off and did a Photoshoot for the new Brooks Catalogue! It meant a few days of not being able to cycle to work, but she was in good hands and well looked after. And she came back looking like a new bike too...

JULY: Yet MORE magazine madness for Vélo-City-Girl: I do a little feature for LOOK Magazine about stylish Cycling! VCG makes the final shortlist for 'Best Lifestyle Blog' in the Cosmopolitan Blog awards! This was a mix of recognition by Cosmo and most importantly, the general public - massively touching, resulting in me feeling emotional all over again!

AUGUST: It was a long time coming, but a show 100% dedicated to cycling was FINALLY on our TV screens! The Cycle Show started on ITV4, much to the delight of fellow riders and myself. And then I got contacted by the production team, asking me to be a guest on the 2nd show. OMFG. So I said yes (in between shaking with excitement and pure nerves). Got there. MET EDDY MERCKX.  Did a spot of interviewing... and was then asked back to do some more throughout the summer. Met some more fantastic people & cycling heroes. MENTAL.


SEPTEMBER: The greatest show on Earth came to my neighbourhood; the London 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Games happened in Stratford, Newham. I'm not going to deny that I got Olympic fever, bad. I went to see the torch pass through the borough & like millions of others, put in applications for tickets. I was desperate to see Track Cycling at the Velodrome. I didn't get any tickets in the lottery, but was extremely lucky to be invited as a guest of Adidas to see the penultimate Paralympic cycling session! It took my breath away, and being seated so close to the action was brilliant. It's an experience that I will never forget.

OCTOBER: Fair to say this was a rather busy month...The Cosmo Blog Awards ceremony happened - there was no prize for VCG, but it was a lovely evening & I was still buzzing about being nominated! I was contacted by the BBC and took part in a piece they did on Cycling... I spoke about the relationship between Fashion and Cycling & then was stunned when it appeared on the main BBC News Channel! TFL and the Bicycle Film Festival held a special conference on Cycling in London, and I took part as one of the guest speakers. I was on the Women's Panel alongside Jill Putman and Jacqui Shannon who are both fantastic advocates for cycling... honoured to be a part of that. I also got illustrated by a rather talented man called Ste...

NOVEMBER: I started working for Vulpine! I landed my dream job as the Sales and Marketing Manager for the company. Cycling... Fashion... people passionate about it & a REALLY cute dog? Unbelievably special and still pinching myself about it all.

DECEMBER: Life picks up at an every crazier pace, but it feels bloody good! I get stuck into my new role at Vulpine with gusto & then step back from everything to have a wonderful and relaxing Christmas.

I feel thankful for what I have, for everything that's happened & for all the love and support that's kept me going. The absolute rocks in my life - you know who you are on twitter and you know who you are in 3D too. I owe you more than you could ever imagine. Really.

2012 - thank you for being a kick-ass year on the saddle... 2013? Me and Frankie are coming to get you!

Lady V x

Post Christmas Cycle...

We actually did it... me and The Boy broke our Christmas circle (basically staying indoors relaxing/eating/sleeping ad infinitum) and went out for a ride on Sunday. Although we left the house on Saturday for a very well planned visit to the sales, we didn't ride to the West End (it was a bit too mad for that) and we were itching for a chilled post Christmas day cycle. 

Somewhat inspired by the spirit of festive colours, my cyclestyle for the day featured an Ivy wreath, incredibly red tights Santa would have been proud of and very metallic shoes...

Jacket: Barbour

Ear Muffs: UGG

Scarf: Chloé

Jumper: COS

Necklace: Tatty Devine

Tights: M&S

Shoes: Dr Martens

Old Spitalfields was our destination - it'd been waaaay too long since we'd done one of our early Sunday rides, and the romance of a London market at Christmas time was calling me. Even though it was absolutely freezing, the market was in full festive swing with plenty of stalls to visit. 

The magpie in me was drawn to the shiny and sparkly items including some gorgeous statement rings and a sequintastic 80's cardigan which I now wish I'd cycled away with.

It's always a joy to discover new UK designers for items to add to my cyclestyle wardrobe, and Old Spitalfields gave me absolute gold with two stallholders I met on the day: one who makes these stunning mini leather Saddle Bags, and another who presented me with the tweed coat of my dreams...

I think I need this coat in my life. A return trip to the Market to see the amazing woman who makes these Harris Tweed coats is on the cards for 2015!

There will certainly be more visits to London Markets by bike - there were not enough of these this year, and finding beautiful handmade items like these reminds me of the fantastic talent we have in London and the rest of the UK. Hmmmm... perhaps cycles beyond the city to more markets is in order - if you have any suggestions of places I should be checking out, let me know!

Happy cycling x

Magnificent Macarons!

 As I was going about my Sunday in Atlanta, I found myself craving a trip to the Virginia Highlands area. With a full day ahead of me, I followed my gut and found myself surrounded by the cutest restaurants, boutiques, and antique shops Atlanta has to offer. For anyone visiting Atlanta, take time (NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES!!!) to visit this beautiful neighborhood.

 One little restaurant/boutique in particular caught my attention as I walked down the beautifully landscaped streets: Cacao.

It is a small company, with locations in Buckhead and Virginia Highlands,specializing in chocolates, candies, and desserts. This beautifully decorated shop had an air of sophisticated elegance... There was a very Parisian vibe to the setup and style the owner's had created.

 After taking in the setting, I had just one choice left: which chocolaty treat would I try? I decided to go a slightly different route, opting for a raspberry macaron.It was the first macaron I had ever had, and the next macaron has a lot to live up to because of it!

 The treat had a light, airy texture with a creamy raspberry center. Needless to say... I was transported straight to Heaven at first bite! So, to anyone finding themselves perusing the streets of Virginia Highlands, make sure you eventually find yourselves inside the four walls of Cacao!

Curvy Kate's Sizing... Letting Us Down?

Today I saw an interesting graphic revealing the sizing for some of Curvy Kate’s upcoming, and long-awaited bras (you can see photos of their Autumn/Winter 2012 collection, and sizing information, here). Especially with the new “Smoothie” bra having been trumpeted as the first ever J-cup molded bra, I think a lot of people will be quite startled and disappointed to see that it doesn’t go up to a J-cup in anything other than 28 and 30 bands.

On the one hand, this is a rare reversal of what the sizing looks like for many bras. Most companies seem content to either end the sizing at the same cup size over every band size...

Masquerade 'Capella' Size Range

....or to go up to higher cup sizes in only the higher band sizes, which doesn’t really make sense. For instance, Bravissimo's bras go up to a J in 28 band, but up to K-L in bigger band sizes.

Bravissimo 'Alana' Size Range

This seems odd as a 30J would have the same or similar cup volume to a 28JJ; it’s obviously a decision they make based on demand rather than ‘fairness’, but it has always annoyed me.

So Curvy Kate’s sizing for these bras does technically make a little more sense—they end the cup sizes at a proportionally equal volume for every band size (except the 28, which would need to go up to a JJ for all to be equal). This does at least convince me that Curvy Kate knows how proper bra sizing works, with cup sizes changing proportional to band size, something I’ve never been convinced that Freya is fully sentient of.

However, Curvy Kate’s decision also goes against what I think of as their whole philosophy of inclusive sizing, and especially the way in which they bring certain types of bras to sizes that have never had them before. I thought that’s what they were trying to do with the creation of a molded bra up to a J-cup. But for those wearing a 38 back, this bra only goes up to a G, which is hardly revolutionary; I know plenty of people who need sizes bigger than that. I’d also prefer if this bra went up to a K cup in a 28 band--that way even if they do cut off the sizes proportional to band size, at least they'd make it up to a GG or H in the 38 band. Curvy Kate’s Showgirl and padded bras have always come in fewer sizes than their unpadded bras, which seems like a real shame as it is often those with the biggest boobs who most desire the shape and support of padded bras, and who have the fewest options elsewhere. I know what I should say—that “it’s a start”—but I wish they would have started this with a bigger bang. I’m sure Curvy Kate wants to make sure to get the shape and support exactly right before they put bigger sizes into production; maybe I'm wrong about this, but I’m convinced that most people who are sized out of the Smoothie would have been happier with a slightly imperfect version rather than none at all. 

Product Review: Tracey Neuls Bike Fern Boot...

I had lots of fun playing dress-up in her Redchurch Street shop, and fell for her bike shoe collection in a big way, so I couldn't wait to put Tracey Neuls' Bike Fern Boot to the VCG test in the city...

I was given* them back in September to test out, and box fresh this is how they looked: buttery smooth leather from the tan inner to the grey outer, and that distinctive reflective ribbon on the back. They were stunning... almost to the point of being worried about wearing them on the bike for fear of scuffing them up! BUT that is the beauty of this ankle boot - they are designed to be worn on the bike, and sculpted to take what cycle life has to give it.

The Bike Fern's reflective ribbon on the back of the boot certainly has the cyclist in mind. This visibility feature is subtle and doesn't distract from the aesthetic of the boot. I really like how it's integrated into the Fern, working as a visibility feature and a nice detail of the design as a whole. The positioning of it is brilliant for capturing the lights of motorists, and along with your bike lights / any other visibility garments you have on, is effective. 

After three months wear, the aesthetic of the Bike Fern started to change, with the leather developing a different feel and colour. This is no bad thing. Neuls' choice of using vegetable dyed leather is brilliant, as it highlights the natural beauty of the material: as it gets more worn/used, it becomes better with age. 

When it comes of the comfort of the Bike Fern, there are two things to look at: the feel of your feet in the boots and the feel of the boots on your pedals. The already well cushioned innersole of the boot eventually moulds to the shape of your foot, making it even more comfortable to cycle in. There has been no painful rubbing of the boot against my feet or issues with breaking it in, and the height of the boot against my ankle was just right. 

The Bike Fern is designed to be a heel to cycle in... yes, cycling in heels. Designed to sit right into the pedal and not slip, the Bike Fern achieves this with its integrated sole with 1.5 cm of rubber at the base. This hard and sturdy sole does sit nicely on your standard pedals - with no signs of your feet flying off them when your riding. Also worth a special note to the top piece of the heel... no chance of losing that or it wearing down on these.

Retailing at £250, Bike Fern Boot is at the higher-price end of the market, but when you consider the quality, craftsmanship and design process behind Tracey Neuls footwear, they really are an investment pair of boots that will serve you well, both on and off the bike.

*These boots were kindly gifted to VCG by Tracey Neuls for a review. 

The Panache Tango II: Not the Heaviest of Heavy Lifters

I’ve just read a review of the Panache Tango II on My Curves and it reminded me that this is another bra I feel pretty negative towards. It’s a very popular bra that many people depend on daily, but it also seems to let down a lot of others who try it… literally. Every time I’ve tried it, I’ve hated the low, unsupported, pointy look it gave me. I think some people struggle with the Tango II’s shape because the bottom section doesn’t come up to meet the strap, like the far right image on my handy diagram:

For those of us with heavier boobs and certain shapes, the cut and style of the Tango don’t perform as well as we might hope. The really disappointing thing about the Tango II is that comes in so many colors, so many sizes, and a plunge version AND a balconette—so it would be a REALLY handy bra to fit into well! 

Tango II Balconette

Tango II Plunge

When I used to shop at a specialty store in the US, they had lots of things in a 30HH--but the Tango II was the ONLY bra they carried in a 28J, and in nude at that. Despite this it’s a bra that fascinates me because of how polarizing it is, so I decided to do a little poking around out of curiosity. I’ve found one of the best ways to discover a bra’s weak points is to read the reviews on Bravissimo, and especially look for that little “but…” in the positive reviews.

Here are some of the complaints I found in the reviews for the Plunge version of the Tango, pictured again below… though it has good ranking overall, many reviewers slipped in a few jabs.

“My boobs are naturally very high up and round, this bra totally transform them! Compared to the balconette version this is better in terms of shape for me, the balconette makes my boobs look like a triangle from the side, this is less triangle like but still very unflattering. It pushes my boobs down and really, there's a pointy shape to this one too… Lumpy under clothes but that's to expect from this bra.”

“I really didn't like Tango. It looked ok from the front but it was awful from the side. It gave my boobs a horrible pointy shape. I couldn't have left the house in it, unless I was going to a fancy dress as Madonna! I'm sending it back.”

“This bra is great if you want to wear a low cut top but don't want to appear too 'cleavagey'. It does make you look a bit pointy though!”

“Meh. This bra is OK but gives me conical breasts which is not a look I'm too fond of.”

“Lovely colour, durable fabric, I'd like it give a bit more of a round shape to my boobs, but it compensates for it with the support it gives.”

“I loved this bra when I first bought it as it was my first ever Bravissimo bra so wearing the right size felt amazing! However I've now noticed the shape is a bit strange, making my boobs feel pulled apart and slightly outwards, my friend has the same bra and she mentioned the weird shape to me. It's still a good bra however.”

The thing I find the most interesting about these reviews is that most of the reviewers seem to sort of shrug and concede that at least it’s serviceable. I can’t help but think that many of them would prefer a different bra, but have just accepted that this must be the best thing out there. That makes me sad.

And for the Balconette:

 “…it doesn't give the most spectacular shape - it's a little on the frumpy side for me; I would prefer to have a higher, more rounded shape. But I'm giving it 4 stars as it fits my breasts very comfortably and it is very sturdy and reliable…”

“This bra gave me a set of boobs I couldn't recognize as my own! TORPEDO!!! So ugly, not what I wanted! Torpedo facing north but still not as north as my boobs do naturally without a bra... Terrible fit to honest! It squished me down a bit leaving me with a mini quad-boob effect (very subtle). From the side it looked like a triangle! I'm not even exaggerating! From the front it looked okay though.”

“I know a lot of women rave about this bra. …It is very comfortable but it just doesn't get my boobs front and center- it makes me look too wide.”

Obviously not every bra is perfect for everyone, but I think the Tango II is the best example I’ve ever seen of a polarizing bra—one that inspires love, hate, and “meh”. And while I know many people genuinely love this bra and the shape it gives, I wonder if some of the reviewers, even the somewhat positive ones, might be happier with different options.

I was also interested to learn, if this bra is the Tango “II”, what is the Tango 1? It seems like the original Tango is this, the “Tango Classic”:

Not exactly the most lust-worthy bra out there. I’ll be the first to admit that the updated, decorated and colorful Tango II has a little more spice, at least, compared to this most basic of basics!