Our friends at Cafe du Cycliste recently branched out from the Cote d”Azur and opened up a classy new store in our adopted homeland of Mallorca. We visited last month and were quickly salivating over the beautifully made cycle wear and Cervelo bikes to rent, mentally writing our Christmas wish lists as we went.
The guys at C du C have wasted no time in getting to know the island, but rather than taking the beaten track and sticking to the infamous road rides we know and love, they completed a punishing gravel ride in the centre of the island. Read their stunningly illustrated report on the ‘Toros de Gravel’ here:
Read MoreThe last few years have seen increasing popularity of unsupported ultra cycling or bikepacking races like the Transcontinental or Japanese Odyssey. The concept is that competitors can choose their own route as long as they hit certain checkpoints. The Transcontinental has grown from a small event with only 30 competitors, to 350 riders taking part this year, racing 4,000km across Europe in just seven to ten days.
If the idea appeals to you but you’re a bit nervous of tackling several thousand kilometres in a limited timeframe, not to mention competing against some of the best ultra cycling stars around, like Emily Chappell, there is another option.
Read MoreWith political turmoil and the sad death of some of the greats of the music, art and entertainment world, 2016 seemed a bit bleak at times. But, as HG Wells once said, “Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair of the future of the human race.” So, while the year had its tricky moments, we were lucky enough at Ride Velo to see plenty of adults (and children) on bikes as well as ride a few ourselves. Here are some of our highlights of the year.
Read MoreWhen we went to Nice earlier this year for a bit of spring cycling in the sun we decided to pop into Café du Cycliste to meet their boss, Rémi Clermont. We’d been fans of the brand for sometime, but being able to see all of their products in one building certainly set the heart racing. As we composed wish lists of the Claudette and Francine jerseys, not to mention the very cool Antoinette blue and white striped bib shorts, I also came across the Josette jersey which looked rather different to any of the road wear stuff I’ve come across before.
Read MoreThis week I have been mostly wearing dhb ... the latest threads from Wiggle. dhb, for those not in the know, is online cycling retail giant Wiggle's own clothing brand. I was pretty excited to get to choose two items from their autumn/winter range to review because I'd always secretly admired their distinctive but classy designs - and with lower end prices I'd long thought the brand looked hot - but not so hot as to tempt me to buy it.
Read MoreMost of us were blessed with glorious summer weather this weekend - perfect for dusting off the short-sleeved jerseys and exposing our winter white legs! But under the beautiful blue skies, the contents of Ride Velo's cycling drawer looked decidedly grey and, in one or two spots, moth-eaten (why do moths love merino so?) Ride Velo decided it's clearly time for a cycling wardrobe update. Here's our top pick of road cycling wear to get your heart racing this summer.
Read MoreThe Cote d'Azur was looking more gris than bleu the morning Ride Velo turned up to interview Café du Cycliste boss Rémi Clermont. But the soggy weather didn't dampen our spirits when the elegant new café cum shop came into view in the old port of Nice. Rubbing shoulders with the super yachts moored outside, this slick cycle 'hub' reflects the hard work and vision of owners Rémi and business partner Andre Stewart, a Mecca for the aspirational cyclist in the South of France.
Read MoreThink of all the great Italian bike brands and their heritage goes back many generations: Bianchi started at the end of the 19th century, Wilier in 1906, Cinelli in 1948 and Colnago in 1952. Passoni only began manufacturing frames in 1989, but its name, amongst those in the know, is spoken in hushed reverent tones, along with tales and rumours of how the likes of Pantani, Chiappucci, Bugno and many others of the late 80’s and early 90’s were in fact winning Alpine stages of Grand Tours on disguised titanium Passonis some 2kg lighter than the steel bikes of their counterparts.
Read MoreSee the Ride Velo Top 10 award winners from the NEC's Cycle Show 2015...
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