October 28, 2015

FINDRA: too nice for mountain biking?

Is FINDRA mountain bike clothing for women really too good to ride in? Let’s find out.

Findra – super stylish merino mountain bike gear.

FINDRA is a mountain bike clothing brand exclusively for women. It is designed and made in Scotland by fashion designer (and mountain biker!) Alex Feechan who invited me to review the range here. It is really refreshing to be able to ride in such lovely gear.

FINDRA is designed for women who ride and, while being fashion led, it is performance driven.

The range is based upon high quality Italian merino wool, legendary in sportswear for its softness, durability and natural wicking properties that help keep your body temperature comfortable during exertion. Other sportswear brands use it of course, but it is style and thoughtful design that sets this range apart. Frankly, I’ve never looked more stylish on my mountain bike.

When I started riding it was about a trillion years ago. Mountains were bigger in those olden days, of course. Some still had dinosaurs. And bikes were way more basic. A dropper post was something that happened when your quick release had gone wonky. Rear suspension was provided by your knees. Little thought had been given to the ‘what to wear’ question. Full on lycra? Too roadie. Moto-cross inspired ‘downhill’ baggys? A sure fire way to make any woman look like a slightly awkward school boy. Mix roadie shorts with a downhill top (or vice versa) – and listen for the echo of the squirrels’ laughter, ringing around the hillsides.

But just look at me now: super-soft Caddon merino cowl neck cycling jersey with extended length and cut for a female shape? Check. Betty merino neck warmer, which can be worn over your nose on cold days, or round your neck while you’re warming up? Check. And don’t forget the Ms Mo Bike Short in French Navy with stretch and contrast zip pocket THAT MATCHES MY BIKE! (the shorts are so good that I’m saving the review for a later post).

But how will my outfit stand up to the rigours of a sweaty, muddy bike ride?

Temperature control is a big issue for sportswear because feeling too hot or too cold can ruin your ride. This jersey passed the test – a chilly autumn day – with flying colours: I rode up and down hill, and never felt uncomfortable. Its light enough to wear alone on cool days, and then I would layer with a vest or jacket when temperatures really drop. It is seam free for comfort, and features longer length sleeves with integral thumbholes to keep the chill off your wrists (not a substitute for gloves though – I think the fabric would wear pretty quickly against the grips, and obviously you don’t get the level of protection that mtb gloves offer).

I love, love, love the cut – really flattering and easy to wear. And the extra length meant no gapping between my top and shorts. Another nice attention to detail – the sleeves are loose enough to be able to wear lightweight elbow pads beneath.

A merino cowl is aleady a winter ride essential for me: I’ve had a similar one by Rapha for some time. They are just great at keeping you comfortable during the warm up phase of a ride, or keeping your face warm on a really cold day. The FINDRA option is not only cheaper, but it also comes in nine colour options.

This kit also will also keep you warm when you stop for a post ride coffee and inevitably end up sitting outside either to keep your eye on your bike or to avoid dropping a trail of mud across the café floor. The striped Betty beanie hat made from 100% British lambswool comes into its own here too – a great way to keep warm and hide your ‘helmet hair’, and small enough to carry in your pocket when you’re riding (and nine design options!). Refreshingly you’ll also look like a stylish rider rather than a woman who has been dragged through a hedge backwards. Call me superficial, but I’ve had way too many years of the latter.

Finally, the wash test: Merino is tougher than it looks and it doesn’t mind getting muddy (though steer clear of brambles, which will shred just about any fabric that isn’t chain mail). But you do need to wash with a little care if you don’t want to end up with a top that will only fit a toddler and to maintain its durability. So, machine wash on delicate/wool setting at 30C, and I always use a wool wash detergent. Admittedly I’ve only washed this top once so far, but it came out like new.

Then get out there and enjoy some happy – and stylish – riding!

This post is a collaboration with FINDRA.

Photography Paul Mitchell

October 21, 2015

Mary Portas on women, retail and cycle shops

How to make bike shops more inviting for women? Ask Mary Portas.

Woman, shopping (see *footnote) .

I’m in a room packed with bike shop owners at the Zyro Cyclevision 2015 expo, listening to a talk by retail and branding expert Mary Portas, and it is Q&A time.

Shop owner: “Mary, what’s the best way to make bike shops less intimidating for women?’

Mary: “Scented candles?”

There followed a short pause while the audience – probably 90% men – took a moment to wonder if she was being serious, followed by some nervous laughter when they realised she wasn’t. So, Mary had arrived with her sense of humour dialled to super-sharp, as well as a shed load of great advice based on her extensive experience in brand communication.

When I heard from cycle parts and accessories distributors Zyro that she was giving the talk I had begged for a ticket: Portas’ creative reputation is legendary – and it’s been cemented with her Queen of Shops series on C4: indeed she kicked off her talk with this:

Mary Portas is often a controversial figure, and she’s not a cyclist – but she is an expert in retail. So what could she tell the crowd of bike shop owners?

The bottom line? Great retailing is all about customer experience: “Put people in the centre of your business,” she began. “Inspire them and they will come”.

Research shows that 61% of people prefer shopping in a shop to online – if the shopping experience is done well. What’s more, 40% will spend more money than they planned to in a shop, while 25% do the same on line.

However now that most customers’ initial research ahead of a purchase is done online, so the shop’s role is changing to being a place of discovery and entertainment where the staff are advisors and specialists.

“We remember physical experiences better than online ones,” she tells us, encouraging a ‘play’ approach that the Apple store, for instance, has mastered so well.

“Your sales team are your product ambassadors, and the shop is your showroom, so deliver something unique,” she continued. “And employ happy staff!”. In other words, you can teach someone how to service a fork fairly easily – teaching them to be an engaging, smiley, beacon of joy who customers can’t get enough of may be a bit more tricky. Finally, it is essential to acknowledge people as they walk through the door – I think we’ve all visited plenty of cycle stores where that just doesn’t happen.

‘Delivering happiness’ is a wonderful ethos that sums up modern retail: Rapha – with its feel-good videos and lifestyle ethos – has nailed this perfectly, so that shopping almost feels second to the community they have created (I fully accept that some cyclists regard Rapha merely as pushers of overpriced padded pants – but, as Portas pointed out, you can’t please the whole market. Just know who your customer is and concentrate on making them happy).

She also talked about investing in social media, bloggers and brand ambassadors who are recognised by their peers before you pay for advertising, and building a community using everything from local events and drop-in evenings, to booking one to one appointments.

THE WOMEN ISSUE

So what about women? Well, here’s why I believe getting women into your store matters: there are only so many men who will get into cycling and we’re heading for saturation point – women, meanwhile, are taking it up in droves. Also, we love shopping.

“Put women at ease,” Portas suggested (though not with scented candles, obviously). “Women enjoy shopping that is an intimate experience, that feels free and easy, and they like guidance. So, make your store user friendly and think about the language you use to describe your product” (I think Waterstones on-shelf book reviews, written by staff, do this well).

‘And take a look outside the industry and instead consider how fashion and beauty brands, for instance, sell to women, and how women get fashion advice.”

So, if you spot a bike shop guy (beard, a race T-shirt and an oily rag in his back pocket) browsing the shelves of Space NK, Top Shop, Pret a Manger, House of Fraser’s beauty hall, as well as Asos.com and Net-A-Porter online, put it down to some astute retail research.

*Footnote: This picture of Hannah Walker was taken for a project I worked on for the Matrix Vulpine women’s racing team launch. The idea was to put a put cycling into a women’s context, so we headed into upmarket beauty store Space NK to shoot some pictures. Although Hannah and I were officially working, not shopping, neither of us could resist leaving the store without perfume (Hannah) and a lipstick (me): the power of great retail!

October 1, 2015

Who really inspires me to ride my bike?

A plea for diversity in marketing to women who love sport.

It may come as a surprise, but the women who inspire me to ride are not the ones that many sports brands are choosing to collaborate with. I don’t deny young, smiley, pretty girls with no commitments other than an insatiable Instagram account and a yoga mat the opportunity to make some money (and I am hoping they are actually paid, and not just given free kit). But I’d really love to see a more diverse bunch of women represented too.

Of course as I’m over 45, and apparently therefore no sports brand’s target audience, then most will not consider my point of view of any importance. Then again – and bearing in mind the sums of money some of my aged 50 plus friends are currently spending on their Alpine cycling adventures – it might be worth sitting up and taking notice.

So here goes: the women who inspire me to ride my bike are the provocateurs, the trail blazers, the mavericks, those who ‘don’t quite fit in’ but who ride their bike anyway – and have a great story to boot. I also value the way they communicate that story: great writing will never go out of fashion (enough of the feel good lifestyle quotes, please).

As an example of women who make me go ‘wow, I’ll cite Rebecca Rusch: 47 year old, multi-title winning U.S endurance mountain biker, self-titled ‘queen of pain’ and firefighter (how’s that for a job description?). She also wrote this – a letter to her former self – which is just about the pinnacle of authenticity that really only comes with age, and the last word on finding your own way forward. Interestingly Rebecca is clearly pretty heavily sponsored – perhaps there is nothing to be feared in collaborating with older athletes after all.

And then of course there is the lovely Jools Walker – cycle style blogger and The Cycle Show presenter. She’s a great communicator, 30 something, charmingly quirky, and totally authentic: you just want to be best friends with her. She’s also black – there I said it – how wonderful it would be to see the diversity that exists in cycling – be it age, gender or ethnicity – more widely represented.

Jools at the Matrix Vulpine ride in Richmond Park

I’ll also flag up Sian Roberts, mountain biker and co-owner of the fabulous Oldskool Mtb Accommodation near the Coed y Brenin trail centre (I’m share the link on the condition that you don’t book yourself in when I want to be there) who let slip, over a cup of coffee, that she had been a Welsh and UK MTB elite racer – and had persuaded key sponsors to come on board when Coed y Brenin (the first and largest trail centre in the UK) was set up. You really don’t get much more trail blazing than that.

There are loads more inspiring women riders of course. Who would you add? Let me know below – and the more diverse the better, please.

September 29, 2015

Trail nemesis of the day! #1

Everyone has their trail nemesis. I’ve decided to name and shame mine in a vain attempt to be less intimidated by them. So here goes… number 1.

That root.

TEN YEARS. That’s how long I have been trying to ride a bike over this uphill root step. 26″, 29er, 650b, full sus, locked out sus – makes no odds – I just can’t manage it.

‘Just lift the front wheel over!’ advise blokes with arms the size of hams, as they look on in bewilderment as yet again my front wheel comes to a grinding halt against it or I topple off into the adjacent bush. Unfortunately just riding round isn’t an option as its actually a detour around an extremely sticky puddle.

To be fair to me, the run up to the slope is short, overhung by branches, and rooty so its difficult to get any speed up. The slope is steeper than it looks, and the root seems to suddenly grow six inches as you approach it. But still it seems to exist to let me know that I have reached my limit in technical riding or at least – crucially – that’s what my head believes.

I once spent half an hour trying to tackle it with a really experienced technical rider to help me.

“Just lift the front wheel over the root, put your weight forward so the back wheel can hop over it and then pedal hard’ he said.

Embarrassingly – but not surprisingly given the above information – I still failed.

In my own defence, I’m not usually beaten by a trail. Ten minutes later and further down the trail I popped over another root without giving it a second thought (at which point my expert friend looked at me with utter bemusement and said “That was so much more technical”). Go figure.

Is it really just a case of lack of a combination of a good run up and brute strength? According to Rachel Atherton in Singletrack magazine: ‘Remember, men are naturally stronger and heavier, so you’re probably a better rider”. Wise words, but they’re still not getting me over that root.

September 28, 2015

The Cycle Show 2015

There were some rather beautiful bicycles and accessories at the NEC 2015 Cycle Show – here’s a few favourites.

High shine and a limited edition from Colnago

Colnago

This bike by Colnago is a limited edition reproduction of a 1984 30 year anniversary model. That’s all I know, other than the fact that it is also rather lovely.

Award winning MET Parachute HES

MET Parachute HES

An award winning design, this is the lightest full face helmet in the world and is ideal for Enduro riders and those who like to ride on the edge. It is strong, lightweight, highly ventilated. And pink.

Women’s cycling by Velovixen

Velovixen

A great range for women cyclists – highlights include Urbanist padded knickers in a new range of designs, this cute Bobbin leather saddlebag, Morvelo’s colourful road kit and this mountain bike t-shirt, which speaks for itself.

Dirt jumping display

Dirt jumping

Great to see some bikes in action. Rather them than me though.

September 15, 2015

I’m nominated in the Singletrack 2015 reader awards!

I am stunned and excited to have been nominated in the Singletrack 2015 Reader Awards, in the Best Written Article category. I’ve been shortlisted for my post ‘The trouble with womens’ mountain bikes’, which was originally published on the Singletrackworld.com site earlier this summer.

Singletrack had approached me about writing for them after I published a story on this site celebrating their choice of a female rider for the magazine cover – a hugely popular story that even Rachel Atherton retweeted!

For the nominated post on women’s mountain bikes I went back to the drawing board and spent a lot of time checking facts and researching details from brands such as Santa Cruz, Trek, Specialized and Orange, as well as talking to female cyclists and local bike stores. The result – I hope – peels back the layers of marketing and gets to the bottom of why it can be so difficult for women to find the right bike. It also addresses the fact that there is actually no such thing as a ‘men’s’ bike: perhaps it is time to start using the term standard bike instead, make more sizes and fit options, and also show women riding them alongside men in advertising.

There are several categories to vote for, but I believe Manon Carpenter (nominated for personality of the year) and I are the only women up for a prize. So lets hope at least one of us gets to make a victory speech and fly the flag for women’s mountain biking at the awards ceremony on the 25th September!!

Voting closes at midnight on Sunday 20th September and (hint, hint) you can vote here or on the link to the post above.

September 9, 2015

Video – Odlo jacket review

We shot this little video of me riding my Epic for Total Women’s Cycling and Odlo. Enjoy!

July 14, 2015

The Grand Tour Cookbook & Tour de Cuisine: Recipe books for cyclists

The Grand Tour Cookbook and Tour de Cuisine are two new recipe books created for cyclists.

The Grand Tour Cookbook and the Tour de Cuisine cookbook

The utterly beautiful and fascinating Grand Tour Cookbook is a visual feast as well as the pinnacle of ‘performance cooking’. It is compiled by Hannah Grant, the pro chef who accompanies the Tinkoff Saxo team to ensure a nutritious and consistent standard of food during events such as the Tour de France. This book is full of healthy – and mouth wateringly delicious – recipes as well as information to help understand the body’s requirments under extreme exercise stress.

The layout follows a 21 day ‘Grand Tour’ plan (including rest days!) with 21 evening meals of 3, 4 or 5 recipes each. Most are dairy or gluten free.

The Grand Tour Cookbook

Recipes range from coconut chicken with ginger and lime (pro cyclists eat a lot of chicken, apparently!), to sashimi, cold buttermilk soup with beetroot to home made rice cakes. There is a little indulgence too: check out the recipe for hazlenut spread (with 70% chocolate) for proof of that.

The Grand Tour Cookbook is an investment at £40 – but if you enjoy healthy eating I think its worth every penny. Available here, along with more information.

The Tour de Cuisine is produced by BORA, stove top manufacturers and sponsors of Pro Continental tearm Bora Argon 18. It contains 200 favourite recipes from 53 pro cyclists (all men!) from 12 countries and is based on the belief that ‘intense physical exertion needs to be rewarded at the dinner table’ (not going to argue with that!!!). The book includes a short bio of each rider along side their favourite recipe, and ranges from soups and starters through to dessert.

Tour de Cuisine

As you might imagine, it’s all hearty fare ranging from recipes for Marcel Kittel’s favourite lasagne and Tony Martin’s pizza with tomato sugo, to Berard Eisel’s Wiener Schnitzel and Peter Sagan’s Jerusalem Artichoke pancakes.

If you want to know more about the BORA-Argon 18 team mobile kitchen on the Tour de France take a look at this great video from GCN.

Tour de Cuisine is available here in English translation, at 40 euros

May 15, 2015

Top Tips for a mountain bike newbie

Mountain biking on the Barry Knows Best trail in Surrey women's cycling

Riding Barry Knows Best and trying to avoid running over the photographer.

New to mountain biking? Find out what to wear, who to ride with, how to have fun and how to get home in one (happy) piece! (plus loads of other handy tips!!)

Below is a link to my latest post on this very subject, for female specific cycle clothing retailer Velovixen. Enjoy!!

Top Tips for a Mountain Bike Newbie.

May 12, 2015

The Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series – 2014 photo blog

The Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series, 19th May – 11th June 2015, is a women’s event that runs alongside the men’s Pearl Izumi Tour Series. It consists of five rounds on city centre circuits and, if you’re anywhere near Redditch, Motherwell, Croydon, Peterborough or Bath then I heartily recommend you take an evening out to go along and watch. Find out more here.

Last year I got a ‘back stage’ press pass for the Woking event. It was a fantastic opportunity to witness an event from warm up to post-race interviews, as well as see top riders such as Sarah Storey, Eileen Roe and Helen Wyman in action. And the sun shone, which always helps a photo pop!! My 2014 pictures are below: