Despite retiring from cycling four years ago, Sir Chris Hoy remains a busy man. He’s been racing cars at Le Mans, has launched various clothing lines and last week was on half term duty talking to dozens of children and their parents at The Festival Hall in London. No, he hasn’t become a children’s entertainer, but was there to tell us all about his series of illustrated fiction books, Flying Fergus.
Read MoreBrompton Launch My Unseen City Exhibition at Flagship Store
Ride Velo were lucky enough to be invited to Brompton’s classy flagship store in Covent Garden on Thursday for the launch of their Unseen City photography exhibition. Displaying some of the best of urban photography, it showcases finalists and runners up from a competition launched last year that encouraged Brompton riders to portray the hidden and unseen gems of city life from around the world.
Read MoreVentoux, a Stage Play of the Pantani - Armstrong Duel on Tour
A theatre company from Nottingham embarks on a national tour of its show Ventoux this month. Depicting the famous duel between Marco Pantani and Lance Armstrong in the 2000 Tour de France, it dramatises their rivalry as well as weaving in their history of doping.
Read MoreNed Boulting's Bikeology Show
Like a one-man TopGear, or should that be a two-wheeled Top Gear? Ned Boulting's Bikeology Tour reached the giddy heights of Eastbourne on Sunday. Boulting is that affable biking bloke we love to listen to while watching skinny men in lycra suffer and sweat their way round the Grand Tours. He's written some great books as well, so there's no arguing about his wit and intelligence. But a stage show? Boulting's moving up a gear...
Read MoreJens Voigt at Rouleur Classic
Jens Voigt is one of those cycling warriors whose career had enormous longevity. Like Fabien Cancellara, Tom Boonen and Adam Hansen he was, until his retirement in 2014, one of the old guard of the peloton, a work horse with a massive engine, huge work rate and an indomitable will to survive. He rode in 17 editions of the Tour de France in a professional career that really began when he won the ‘Peace Race’ in 1994 in Germany. Although he wore the Yellow jersey twice, he was never a GC contender, more of a breakaway specialist who could win the occasional stage through aggression and toughness.
Read MoreRouleur Classic Highlights
The Rouleur Classic moved to a new home this year in the Art Deco splendour of Victoria House in Bloomsbury Square. Having set the bar so high last year we were intrigued to see if "The world's Finest Cycling Exhibition" could pull it off a second time round. The opening night kicked off with copious amounts of complementary refreshments which were appreciated, not only by the punters, but by the Rouleur staff headed by Ian Cleverly. The night was hosted by Ned Boulting who interviewed some star speakers including Sir Dave Brailsford (launching the new Team Sky/Castelli kit), Christian Proudhomme and Jan Ullrich.
Read MoreEmily Chappell's Adventure Syndicate at Rapha
Emily Chappell, the former cycling courier, started making a name for herself last year when she published her first book, What Goes Around. Not content with cycling round the world and crossing Alaska on a fat bike (in winter), she then entered and was the first woman finisher of the Transcontinental bike race this summer.
Now she’s out and about promoting ultra endurance cycling events to women with snappily named The Adventure Syndicate. It’s an organisation she founded which aims to challenge perceptions of what women are capable of and to promote inclusive role models for them. She was a big draw at Velo Vixen’s Hub at this year’s Cycle Show at the NEC. And last week she could be seen hosting an event at Rapha’s central London store in Brewer Street where she invited five women to talk about their achievements on the bike.
Read MoreUrban Hill Climb, Swain's Lane
The Urban Hill Climb on Swain’s Lane in Highgate, made a welcome return this Saturday with over 200 riders taking part. There were a number of categories with men, women, youth, veterans and even cargo bikes represented.
Swain’s Lane is a well-known climb in this part of town that locals like to test themselves on and is arguably the most famous in London. At 900m it’s not the longest, but with sections as steep as 18% it’s not to be sniffed at. In 2014 Stanislav Cmakal ‘everested’ Swain’s Lane by ascending it 142 times in one day!
Read MoreEroica Limburg: a European Vintage Cycling Adventure
Eroica: a vintage cycling celebration and ride that started in 1997 on the Strade Bianche in Tuscany, has many incarnations these days. California, Japan, South Africa and even Uruguay have their own version. Eroica Britannia in Derbyshire just celebrated its third year and has developed into a full on festival with dressing up competitions, food stalls and entertainment on a scale that caters for thousands, winning the award of best non-music festival last year. So, Ride Velo were very excited to be invited to Holland for the first edition of Eroica Limburg.
Read MoreEroica Britannia 2016
Where can you dress like your grandparents, exhibit your dog, hang out with Chris Boardman and cycle with like minded people on some of England's most glorious rolling roads? The Eroica festival of course! Three days of vintage hedonism and heroism at its very best set in the stunning backdrop of Bakewell, Derbyshire.
Read MoreLance - by Kieran Hodgson
Is everyone in Yorkshire into cycling? It certainly seems that way. Kieran Hodgson hails from Otley like current World Champion and Women's Tour winner, Lizzie Armitstead. But Hodgson has created his comedy show, Lance, based on his youthful obsession with American Lance Armstrong, rather than any home grown talent. That said, Lance is a completely Northern coming-of-age tale, with Armstrong taking a cameo role in the form of Kieran's bedroom wall poster in this semi-autobiographical story.
Read MoreNed Boulting at Look Mum No Hands!
In between busily commentating on one cycling event after another, author Ned Boulting made a guest appearance at Look Mum No Hands! on Monday night. Coming straight from the Dauphiné and via his publishers, he waved around a manuscript of his latest book, Velosaurus, with more red ink corrections on it than a GCSE English paper. He was embarrassed to admit that he'd been chastised for spelling Eddy Merckx wrong, and not the tricky surname. But it was was the imminent Tour de France that everyone wanted to talk about of course.
Read MoreDrink to the Tour de France!
Wine, art and pro cycling - three of Ride Velo's favourite things have joined forces with the collaboration of the Tour de France, Bicicleta wines and artist Eliza Southwood. Actually this is the third year that Cono Sur's Bicicleta wines have been official partners of the Tour, but the first time that Eliza Southwood has been involved; as designer of the limited edition bottle labels. Ride Velo managed to wangle an invite to the launch party where there was much to celebrate!
Read MoreLondon Nocturne
Well done to Mr Porter for laying on such a fantastic event in the London Nocturne on Saturday night. Returning for its 10th edition there was a new 1.6 kilometre course around the St Paul’s area of The City making for a tricky and technical circuit of ten bends.
Read MoreChris Boardman Speaks Out at Spin
Having tried, in vain, to get a quote from Chris Boardman during the London Mayoral Campaign, we weren't optimistic about him speaking candidly when interviewed by Rob Spedding of Cycling Plus at Spin London last weekend. How wrong we were! Far from tactfully withholding his opinions, as he appeared to do throughout the London mayoral elections, the hour-record winning cyclist spoke openly on a range of subjects. He freely voiced his views, not only on our new mayor, but his rivalry with Graeme Obree, Britain's prospects for the Rio Olympics, doping in the Tour and even what a 'git' he'd been!
Read MoreSpin London 2016
What we love about bike shows is that however many we visit, they are always really different to one another. At this year's Spin, held at the Old Truman Brewery in trendy Brick Lane, we saw many of the same friendly faces - but there were also loads of new designers, manufacturers and retailers displaying their wares. And that's aside from the huge variety of guest speakers on offer throughout the three days too. Ride Velo not only heard Chris Boardman's very enlightening talk, but discovered some new brands of bikes to love and lots of clothing and accessories to die for. The only down side, we spent quite a lot of money! Thank goodness we'd cycled to the event or we would've bagged much more.
Read MoreTweed Run 2016
Luckily, my old chum Bunty knew a chap and sourced a ticket on this year’s spiffing Tweed Run for yours truly. It’s the 8th edition and rumour has it they sold out in 30 seconds flat! Higgins worked like a Trojan to prepare the velocipede, dusted down the Tweeds and packed a damn fine hamper to boot. Good old Higgins.
Read MoreZen and the Art of Bicycle Touring
Jet McDonald is a guy with a pretty cool name. He has a pretty cool lifestyle too - he's a psychiatrist who also writes for Boneshaker Magazine. He's done a bike ride to southern India and back. And now he's writing a book about cycling and philosophy - or is it the philosophy of cycling? Either way, he admits it's all a bit 'Pseuds Corner'. Jet's been doing the rounds, fundraising for his latest project, 'Mind is the Ride'. Ride Velo caught up with him at Bespoked UK in his hometown of Bristol.
Read MoreBespoked: the Handmade Bicycle Show
Bespoked 2016: basically a long weekend of pure fantasy bike shopping! Absolute heaven. The 6th UK Handmade Bicycle Show featured, not only scores of bike builders, but also some fascinating speakers with inspiring tales of circumnavigating the globe and tips on dealing with taxi drivers too! Ride Velo hot-footed it to Bristol’s Brunel Old Station last weekend to indulge in a gluttonous feast of the best customised creations in the country.
A Stephen Roche Velodrome Masterclass
World Champion road cyclist, Giro and Tour de France winner Stephen Roche jetted into London on Wednesday from his home in the South of France to give an exclusive masterclass at the Herne Hill Velodrome in South London. Ride Velo were lucky enough to be invited along and receive the benefit of his wisdom.
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