Casquette issue 1 by Casquette

STYLE

THE HOTTEST INDEPENDENT BRANDS

ICONS

OLYMPIC LEGEND NICOLE COOKE

FLAVOURS

BRILLIANT AVOCADO AND BRUNCH IDEAS

FREEDOM FRANCE AND ITALY BY BIKE

L AUNCH ISS UE | A U T U M N 2 016

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Back Yourself! EMILY CHAPPELL: HOW TO LOOK FEAR IN THE FACE AND WIN

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Launch issue casquette.co.uk

Sprint

Style

Know-how

Features

09 Why I Ride Talking life, loves and taking risks with Lady Velo

43 N utrition Linzi B's Bangin' Recovery Smoothie

28 Emily Chappell The Transcontinental race winner on facing her fears

10 E ntrepreneur Queen of the Mountains founder, Alicia Bamford 11

ycle Sartorialist Style C spots from the streets of East London

12 Pit Stop Where to go for coffee, gin and bike stuff... 13 Science Sock doping explained (sort of...) 14 W orld News Kimberly Coats on launching a women's team in Rwanda 15 Cycling Truths The art of the quick pee by Marijn de Vries

irst Look Brooks bags: F vintage style we love

18 C ommuter Style Smart, sporty, shiny. Sorted

44 Avocado Delicious recipes for pre- and post ride fuel

20 I ndependence Day Gorgeous cycle style from around the world

46 Passport to Ride One picture-postcard reason to ride overseas

26 Beauty and the bike Make-up secrets from Fashion Popcorn

48 Bike reviews 5 brilliant bikes for all styles of rider

Regulars 06 L ust list The hottest sartorial picks this issue

34 Dream Team The cycle team from Milton Keynes that's making waves 38 Nicole Cooke The secret to the Olympic icon's #JFDI difference

50 The Knowlege Your training questions nailed 52 N ext-level gear The super-smart tech you need to know about

54 One Last Thing A great big, little life lesson

JERSEY GIRLS On location for our fashion shoot (page 20). "Where did we put those bikes?"

WIN!

Your chance to own a #JFDI cap, see p42

THE TEAM Editor-in-Chief/Co-founder Danielle Welton, danielle.welton@casquette.co.uk Co-founder Tan Doan, tan.doan@casquette.co.uk Sub Editors Emma King, Sarah Wolfe Consulting Editor Beth Hodge Design Giles Arbery, Russell Moorcroft, Jo Pearson, Paul Richards Copywriting Amy Bonifas, Bex Denne WITH EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS TO: Emma Bartley; Katie Burrell and Claire Beaumont of Condor; Claire Pepper of weareomnium.cc; Zara Tisma of Levi's; Libby Gordon, Carolina Ljungwaldh

and Mayuko Kanasugi of Dulwich Paragons; Suze Clemitson and Bloomsbury Books; Nic McCarthy for all the advice and support. © CASQUETTE MAGAZINE 2016 Casquette takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements placed in Casquette Magazine Casquette, 13-19 Herald Street, London, E2 6JT Email info@casquette.co.uk w casquette.co.uk t @casquettecc in casquettecc fb casquettecc

PRINT CPUK. Casquette magazine is printed on FSC® certified paper. Reproduction in whole or any part of any content of Casquette magazine without prior permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. All details correct at the time of going to press.

STYLE

THE HOTTEST INDEPENDENT BRANDS

ICONS

OLYMPIC LEGEND NICOLE COOKE

FLAVOURS

BRILLIANT AVOCADO AND BRUNCH IDEAS

FREEDOM FRANCE AND ITALY BY BIKE

STYLE

THE HOTTEST INDEPENDENT BRANDS

ICONS

TCR WINNER, EMILY CHAPPELL

FLAVOURS

BRILLIANT AVOCADO AND BRUNCH IDEAS

L AU NC H I SSU E | A U T U M N 2 0 16

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Back Yourself! EMILY CHAPPELL: HOW TO LOOK FEAR IN THE FACE AND WIN

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FREEDOM FRANCE AND ITALY BY BIKE

L AU NC H I SSU E | A U T U M N 20 1 6

Be More Nicole WHY THIS WOMAN’S BRAIN WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

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Contributors EDITOR’S LETTER

“Why is it that cycling breeds #JFDI badasses? Is it a psychological trait that should be bottled and sold?” ave you ever dreamed about giving up your job to start a restaurant clothing label, band, magazine, whatever...? This magazine started out that way – a what-if conversation over coffee, a sketch on the back of a napkin and the desire to create a beautiful cycling magazine that inspires women to ride. As I chatted to more and more inspirational women in cycling, the thing that really brought Casquette to life was an attitude that seemed to unite us all. Make stuff happen. Get shit done. #JFDI. So that’s the theme of our first issue. Inside, you'll meet Alicia Bamford, who started bikewear brand Queen of the Mountains because she wanted more choice when it came to women’s performance kit. Kimberly Coats, who set up a women’s cycling team in Rwanda, where women are jeered at for riding a bike, because she sees cycling as a catalyst for change throughout society. And Emily Chappell, who took on the gruelling 3,800km Transcontinental race across Europe – a feat that had beaten and almost broken her the year before. Her aim was to finish, this time she won it. This got me thinking. Why is it that cycling breeds #JFDI badasses? Is it something they are born with – a psychological trait that should be bottled and sold? Is it because being a woman in the machismic world of cycling means it's the only way? Or is it to do with the addictive nature of the sport? I posed this to cover story writer Suze Clemitson and she got to work discovering the answer with Nicole Cooke, Olympic gold medallist and the greatest road racer this country has ever seen. #JFDI isn’t just the domain of Olympians and endurance athletes. There’s a bit of it in all of us who get on our bikes when it’s peeing it down or wake up insanely early every weekend for the love of cycling. I hope you enjoy the first issue of Casquette and I hope it inspires you to #JFDI. Or, at the very least, to get on your bike.

Danielle Welton, Editor-in-Chief danielle.welton@casquette.co.uk, @EditorWelton

RIA OSBORNE PHOTOGRAPHER Ria is a cyclist and food photographer who specialises in food porn. She took to the streets of Hackney for our Cycle Sartorialist section (page 11) and got fruity for our recovery smoothie shoot (page 43). Top sock brand: Tenspeed Hero Follow me: Insta @missria KITTY PEMBERTONPLATT (AKA KPP) GLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER AT RAPHA Kitty shares her favourite Pit Stops for life’s big things – coffee, gin, bike stuff – on page 12. Cycling snack of choice: "Chia Charge bar with salt flakes." Follow me: kittypp.co.uk TOM OLDHAM PHOTOGRAPHER Usain Bolt, Damon Albarn, Nick Cave... Tom has shot some absolute legends in his career, and now adds Casquette cover stars, Emily Chappell (page 28) and Nicole Cooke (page 38) to that list. Who everyone should follow on Instagram: @niallmcdiarmid Follow me: tomoldham.com HOLLY SEEAR PT AND CYCLING COACH Holly is a Level 3 British Cycling Coach. She answers five big training questions in The Knowledge on page 50. Biggest training myth: "Low-intensity riding burns the most fat! High intensity is the thing that gets it burning." Follow me: Insta @holly_seear BETH HODGE JOURNALIST Beth works in sport PR and enjoys racing cyclocross and the chippy. She gets her Jane Bond on for our hot kit feature on page 52. Bucket list ride: "Bike packing in Mongolia." Follow me: @brynridesbikes

EMILY FLEURIOT FASHION AND BEAUTY EDITOR Emily does her daily commute by bike and shares her advice for a super-quick change on page 26. Insta crush: Nicole Tur @onlygirlintheclub. Follow me: @fashionpopcorn

C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K | 03

NEW! HL.TIBURUTIGHTS_S7 12

EYEPROTECTION Zegho BODY INSULATOR SS.skinFoil_spring/fall_evo7 JACKET iJ.intermediate_S7 Lady

WHERE TO BUY? WWW.ASSOS.COM WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ASSOSOFSWITZERLAND

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TIGHTS (NEW) hL.tiburuTights_S7 Lady GLOVES tiburuGloves_S7 SOCKS intermediateSocks_S7

Blazin g s addl e s

Swa g b a g

Col our me ha p py

Ba n a n a rep ub l i c

The B17 Imperial has stood the test of time because it’s “a sure preventive to all perineal pressure” (1890 catalogue). Good looks help. From £83, brooksengland.com

Perfect for storing all your make-up essentials on the commute and a great little gift to yourself. Just because. £10.50, yellowstoneartboutique.co.uk

Pongo fluoro pink socks add an on-trend pop of colour to any kit. Note: Pongo stands for ‘Passion On The Go’ rather than stinky. £13, pongolondon.cc

Get one of your five-a-day with this brilliant banana cap. Vibrant yellow against neutral navy strikes a perfect balance between chic and cheeky. £10, lookmumnohands.com

E D I TO R’ S CHOICE

Cafe c ult u re The Claudette jersey boasts iconic stripes, plus a technical merino blend for fantastic performance and comfort across a range of conditions. £149, alwaysriding.co.uk

Lust list THE HOTTEST SARTORIAL PICKS CHOSE N BY US, J U S T FO R YO U

Ni ckel b l a ck Brompton’s nickel-plated special-edition fold-up is slick and stunning and – with only 1,500 made – it’s super sought after. £800, brompton.com

S ize w is e

Mu l t i t a s k i n g m a r vel

F i n g er l ov i n’ g ood

Bl a z i n’ s q ua d

Made for the female form, the Liv Avail Pro is incredibly comfy. It can ride gravel or road and is made from carbon, so it’s super light. £2,599, giant-bicycles.com

The ultimate multisport watch, recording cycling, running, swimming and stand-up paddleboarding? Bluetooth syncs effortlessly to Strava. £280, amazon.co.uk

Rain-proof, wind-proof and chill-proof, the SealSkinz Ultra Grips have more than proved themselves in hardcore conditions. £28, chainreactioncycles.com

With a super-bright green laser projection on the front and a 100-lumen string of LEDs on the back, this Blaze light set makes for serious standout. £150, blaze.cc

06 | C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K

STYLE ROUND-UP

S hoe in

Su p p o rt sys t e m

Sma r t- a r s e

Jer s ey g i r l

The Specialized S-Works Women’s 6 Road Shoe can be summed up in two simple phrases – explosive speed and superior comfort. £280, evanscycles.com

Developed with the Castelli women’s pro team, the Rosso Corsa Light Bra is specifically designed with a focus on comfort for cycling. Win! £55, castellicafe.co.uk

This limited edition Ass Saver mud guard will save you from even the most intense splash. Awesome illustrations by Anna Neumann. €8, ass-savers.com

With a beautiful bird print, silk-effect finish and ThermoActive material, this seriously stylish top will do the business through the seasons. £90, morvelo.com

Brad -ical

He a d fo r fa s h i on

P l a te exp ecta ti on s

Ca tch the a cti on

With his abrasive wit, mod style and a list of accolades as long as his side burns, who doesn't want to sip from a Wiggo cup? £19, rouleur.cc

The Rapido features Kask’s ‘Up-N-Down’ cradle system, meaning its high-end structure fits perfectly to your head. Safe and stylish. £65, wiggle.co.uk

Hannah Grant is a Michelinstarred chef who now feeds pro team Tinkoff-Saxo at the Tour de France with these awesome recipes. £26, amazon.co.uk

The TomTom Bandit Premium is the first 4K HD action camera that lets you edit video without having to download it first. £543, thinksport.co.uk

S ee n o ev il

Read me

S a ved by the b el l

Ca r r y on commuti ng

You can't beat a grey marl sweater for post-ride relax factor. Add cool seam detail and a cycling monkey and you tick all our boxes. £40, victorychimp.cc

Juliana Buhring became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by bike after her boyfriend was killed by an alligator. This is her incredible story. £13.99, amazon.co.uk

The Spurcyle bell may be a lightweight number, but it has one hell of a ring. Gorgeous styling, plus it’s engineered to fit all handlebars. £35.99, bricklanebikes.co.uk

Tested in truly torrential rain, this dhb Waterproof Rucksack 25L is roomy enough to hold life and laptop and really does repel the wet. £49.99, wiggle.co.uk

V I S I T C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K F O R R E G U L A R S T Y L E R O U N D - U P S | 07

Natural Organic Health and Beauty

Wake up beautiful

Supplement your skincare and boost your beauty while you sleep; the perfect products for those who dream of waking up to beautiful skin. nealsyardremedies.com

OUR RAPID ROUND-UP OF CYCLING INSPIRATION ➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔

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Why I ride Jools Walker, aka Lady Velo, talks life, love and taking risks When East London-born Jools Walker bought a Pashley Princess bike six years ago, it inspired her to launch her own blog, Velo City Girl, and kickstarted a series of events that led to her presenting on ITV4's The Cycle Show. Here, she gives us a glimpse of what’s next… Your first biking memory? Terrorising everyone on my metallic green tricycle when I was four years old. The smell of a bike shop is… The first time I really experienced it was when I got my Pashley in 2010. I guess you could call it the smell of freedom, because everything changed when I got that bike. When were you happiest on a bike? When me and my boyfriend, Ian, hired one in Berlin. We cycled to almost every museum in Mitte. It was brilliant and the first time I’d cycled in a different country.

“Having a stroke earlier this year has really put things into perspective”

What advice would you give your younger self? Having a stroke earlier this year has really put things into perspective. I'd tell myself not to sweat the small stuff and to enjoy life as it comes along. What keeps you awake at night? Fear of failure. I keep waking up with this panic that giving up my full-time job to focus on Velo City Girl is a huge mistake. But then I tell myself to feed off that fear and stop panicking. The worst thing that could happen is not knowing what it could have been. Your bucket list bike ride I'd love to get a Brompton and cycle around Trinidad, where my mother is from. I’d travel incredibly light and cycle around the island, exploring it that way.

PHOT OGRAPHY: IAN JAM ES

Who or what is the greatest love of your life? My boyfriend, Ian. He’s always stuck by me, including through this crazy time in my life. He’s usually there when I’m taking on new adventures for the blog and he does lots of photography for it too.

ON YER BIKE From a love affair with a Pashley to riding L'Eroica in Italy, Jools proves that starting small can take you further than you ever thought

Which living person do you most admire, and why? My mother. She’s incredibly strong, she's worked hard throughout her life and had to fight for a hell of a lot of stuff when she came over in the 60s. She’s also the most stylish person I know – still. velocitygirl.co.uk C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K | 09

SPRINT

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ENTREPRENEUR

Queen of the mountains For kick-arse performance kit with a killer back story, look no further than Alicia Bamford’s crowdfunded women’s range “As a serious female cyclist, I’d always found it really difficult to find performance kit that looked good and worked,” says Alicia Bamford, founder of Queen of the Mountains. Alicia decided to do something about it and created her own performance apparel range after showcasing it on a Kickstarter crowdfunding project. The demand was staggering, with Alicia meeting her £10,000 target within just 10 days of the launch. To make it all happen, Alicia quit her job, took a risk and went part-time. So, what’s the ethos behind Queen of the Mountains? She says that it’s about inspiring women to ride,

to challenge themselves and to feel confident. “My vision is to see as close to 50/50 men and women cycling on our roads over the coming 10 years,” she tells us. As part of her research into barriers preventing women from cycling, she identified limited access to the right gear and women not having people to ride with as the two main issues. She set out to address both, “firstly by designing clothing specifically for women, then creating a community of women cyclists who could get together and ride”. Her cycle clothing features tons of thoughtful details that have come about

through Alicia spending hours personally testing it. Take the Queen of the Mountains bib shorts: these feature Power Lycra to reduce muscle vibrations, a wide yoga band to avoid digging in at the waist and a medium length to help avoid cycling leg tan. All small features that make a big difference. When it comes to creating that community, Alicia intends to grow the sport at a grassroots level, so she’s set up regular rides designed to give women of all abilities confidence to get out there and cycle. queenofthemountains.co.uk

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN Instead of complaining about a lack of kit, Alicia launched her own brand

10 | C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K

IM AG E: RICHA RD LEWISOHN

“My vision is to see 50/50 men and women cycling on our roads over the coming 10 years”

BAGS OF ST YLE

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Timeless heroes and high-end trophies

Cycle sartorialist AMY VIDLER loves her bike so much, she brought it with her when she moved to London from Norway

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Made i n En gl a nd The quaintly named Percy is a beautiful, timeless bag that’s been created for Bromptons. £215, hillandellis.com

NATASHA BLOOM has three bikes. This one is called Fred

Col o u r m e h appy A pocket-packed pannier with retro styling. Available in a choice of colours. £60, goodordering.com

Pro per po s h If Coco Chanel had a pannier, this would be it. Gorgeous. £85, cyclechic.co.uk

B ag of tri c ks A Mary Poppins-esque Herschel that fits close while you ride and has a fleece-lined laptop pocket. £75, selfridges.com

HELEN WESTLAKE was spotted getting samosas on Broadway Market

EMILIE VERDU's bike was recently stolen, so she’s nabbed this guy from her flatmate

CASEY LAZONIC only lives a mile away from work, so often carries Alva in her basket. Alva would like a walk and some cheese when she gets home

V I S I T C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K F O R R E G U L A R S A RTO R I A L S P OT S | 11

TIME OUT

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Pit stop

Where Rapha’s Kitty Pemberton-Platt goes for life’s important things: coffee, gin, bike stuff... Get your fix...

THE DYNAMO

200-204 Putney Bridge Rd, London SW15 2NA

Picking a favourite coffee spot is like asking a parent to choose their favourite child: you love each for different reasons. My most frequent pre-ride haunt is The Dynamo in Putney, which offers decent coffee, space for your bike and pizzas named after mountains. For the full experience, visit for a leisurely weekend breakfast (eggs on toast with extra avo and extra toast), then roll out to Henley or Windsor. the-dynamo.co.uk

PROFILE Kitty Pemberton-Platt is global social media manager at Rapha. She spends most of her free time planning the next ride, poring over the pages of her sketchbook or standing in a coffee queue. Follow more KPP insights… Mostly aesthetics: instagram /kittypp Mostly gifs: twitter @KPP Mostly words: kittypp.co.uk

Get it fixed...

CONDOR

49-53 Gray's Inn Rd, London WC1X 8PP

My beloved steed is a Condor. The good folks at the Clerkenwell Condor shop always have my back if anything goes wrong by serving up solutions, not jargon. condorcycles.com

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Different gear...

RAPHA CLUBHOUSE

Rehydrate...

THE REGENT'S BAR & KITCHEN

85 Brewer St, London W1F 9ZN

Queen Mary Gardens, NW1 4NU

Visit one of Rapha’s Clubhouses and you’ll know why I love working for them: you instantly feel part of a community of likeminded people. Visit to add to your cycle wardrobe and walk out loving the sport even more than when you walked (or cycled) in. rapha.cc

The Regent's Bar & Kitchen, located on the Inner Circle in Regent's Park, is the perfect destination after a long ride or training session. There are plenty of tables so that you can sit alfresco, so all you need to worry about is: 'beer or gin and tonic?'. royalparks.org.uk

Refuel...

MILDREDS

45 Lexington St, London W1F 9AN

I love a restaurant that serves sweet potato fries, which is why veggie restaurant Mildreds is top of the list. Great atmosphere, awesome menu and brilliant service. That said, my main cravings after a big ride are for comfy chairs and no waiting, so we normally opt for Deliveroo. mildreds.co.uk

SPRINT

STYLE SECRETS

Socks appeal We investigate the sock fetish gripping cycling... The obsession with cycling socks has reached such epic proportions that it’s spawned a whole new term: ‘sock doping’. Designers have been quick to recognise this kit catnip, with a succession of funky, stripy and neon choices all vying for our attention. So, why the cycle sock obsession? Claire Richardson from the Sigma Sport Women’s Race Team says her Imelda Marcoslike sock mania is a style thing: “Put on a pair of crisp new socks and it can brighten up any cycling gear. It changes how a kit looks entirely. At the last count, I have more than 50 pairs…” Tinkoff-Saxo rider Chris Juul-Jensen goes so far as to cite socks as a performance booster. “They’re such an insignificant piece of clothing, yet so important to any cyclist’s morale. If I’m facing a rough morning, I know that putting on a pair will give me lactate-free legs.” Regardless of whether you’re adding to your stock stash for performance or pleasure, apparel brand This Is Cambridge (TIC) is worth a look. “Our socks are designed for people who want to stand out, which is why they’re deliberately odd,” says founder Daphne Kaufhold (pictured, right). “This mismatched approach comes from our ‘Stand out, don’t fit in’ philosophy.” It’s not just its socks that TIC takes a unique approach to, either. “With our jerseys we also design in a gender-neutral way,” says Daphne. “There is no him or her, just a collective.” To get more toe-hugging inspiration, visit this-is-cambridge.com

TIC TIC BOOM! This Is Cambridge founder Daphne Kaufhold shows us why odd socks rock

OVERHEARD AT… Sampa Coffee Shop, Clerkenwell: “If it isn’t on Strava, it never happened!”

The lights, Regent’s Park: “You can definitely eat two pieces of cheesecake. It’s protein.”

Man on Biggin Hill: “I use so much more shaving cream on my legs than I do on my face.”

Richmond Park: “It was disgusting. They had run out of avocado!.”

The Cycle Hub, Newcastle: “Is it carbon?”

C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K | 13

“These women face the stigma that cycling robs you of your virginity”

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SPRINT

BIG PICTURE Kim Coats: "I want the world to see legitimately talented cyclists, plus all the obstacles they’ve overcome to get here”

WO R L D N E WS

Mission Kimpossible Kimberly Coats is launching an allwomen’s cycling team in a country where women are taunted and jeered at for riding a bike. Here, she tells us why it’s about so much more than cycling...

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imberly Coats has worked with Team Rwanda for the past 10 years as Sporting Director, where her objective has been to develop the men’s national cycling team. A self-diagnosed workaholic, she has used this pit-bull tenacity to take on the challenge of forming an allAfrican women’s cycling team. “These women have so few opportunities and the odds are completely stacked against them, culturally and socially,” she says. “I hope to change the way women are viewed on this continent and not just in sport. We will

CULTURAL CHANGE Although Rwanda boasts a Parliament that's 64% women, Kimberly says it does not trickle down to young girls at village level. Women are the breadwinners, while the men enjoy the rewards. To become professional cyclists, they face social and cultural barriers, and the stigma that cycling robs you of your virginity. “A former rider told me that she was ostracised by her family for cycling and told that she would never get a husband and have children.” Kimberly tells us that Jeanne d'Arc Girubuntu, an athlete being nurtured by Team Rwanda and the first Black-African woman to ride at the UCI World Championships, has an incredibly supportive family. But others must still face taunts and jeers from those who think a woman riding a bike is disgraceful. So why do women in Rwanda want a career in cycling? “For most of the Rwandan men, it's about money and prestige for themselves. For the women it's about change,” she says. “That's one of the reasons I'm working more with women. It really is true: give a woman a chance and they will change their family and village and country.” I ask her what she thinks her greatest achievement is. “I like to think it hasn’t happened yet. In Rio, there were only three women from Africa and not one woman of colour. We are dedicated to getting nearer to ten on the start-line in Tokyo. It’s time to literally change the face of world cycling.” teamafricarising.org

IMAG ES: CHRIS SAUNDERS / TEA M A FRICA RISING

do it through the sport, but ultimately we are looking for the same thing women all over the world are looking for: equality.” Her plans for an all-African women’s cycle team have been bubbling for years, but Rio was a powerful trigger. “When I watched the Olympic women’s road race a few weeks ago and saw so few women from Africa, I knew it was time.”

TRUTHS

“If there’s a passer-by, they won’t see any nude body parts...”

CYCLING TRUTHS

The art of the quick pee

The race waits for no one and especially not for women taking time to get undressed and pee on the side of the road. So, how do we do it? (To all male readers, stop here if you prefer to think of women as creatures without kidneys or bowels, who only enter the toilet to clean. This information is not at all interesting for you anyway, unless you feel like sharing it with the women around you, which would be great. Anyway, you have been warned.) Ladies, to explain this technique in words is somewhat difficult, but here goes... Pull one of the trouser legs up as far as possible. Hold it from the inside with two hands. Put one at the front and put your other hand behind your back and grab the bib shorts from that position. Pull the trouser

leg as far as you can towards the opposite leg. The position of the hands here is crucial: if you don’t follow the instructions, you’ll end up with wet hands. If you do it correctly, there’s an opening big enough to pee through. Squat and pee. The great thing about this technique is that it’s not only fast but there’s hardly any exposed flesh. If there’s a passer-by, they won’t see any nude body parts, let alone intimate nude body parts. And if you are a racing woman, it’s fast enough to hop back on your bike and find your way back to the peloton before the last team car has passed.

Ride the Revolution This brilliant book celebrates the glorious, sometimes murky, often bizarre and frequently hilarious world of women’s cycling in all its soapy operatic glory. To get 20% off Ride The Revolution, visit bloomsbury. com and quote GLR JB4 when you place your order. Offer ends 31 October 2016.

Extract from Ride The Revolution by Suze Clemitson (Bloomsbury Sport)

Kit fix Not convinced by Marijn’s technique? Then get your hands on dhb’s Aeron Women’s Halterneck Bib Shorts, which offer a halter-top strap to provide brilliant bathroom-break accessibility. £70, wiggle.co.uk

C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K | 15

ILLUS TRATION: NIM URA DA IS UKE

Dutch pro cyclist Marijn de Vries shares her celebrated instructions for fast roadside relief in bib shorts

YOUR ESSENTIAL ROUND-UP OF FASHION AND BEAUTY LUST-HAVES ➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔

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STYLE SPY

First look They may be famous for their iconic saddles, but it’s their cycle bags that have us drooling...

V I N TAG E ICON

Brooks saddles have been in vogue ever since John Boultbee Brooks decided to ditch the wooden saddle (ouch!) and craft his own leather one 150 years ago. Their range of cycle bags are less well known, but because they're made using designs from the Brooks archive, they reflect the same style and vintage appeal. The Glenbrook saddle holdall (pictured) replicates the original Brooks design from the 1950s, but updates the textile material to make it more hardwearing. Perfect for style seekers on shorter city jaunts, rather than long-distance Lycra sessions, the large main compartment will easily accommodate "tools, an oil can or a picnic lunch", according to Brooks. For those not still living in the Fifties, the holdall is the perfect size for a jacket or your issue of Casquette, while the side pockets provide easy access to your purse or mobile phone (£125). Check out Brooks' pannier, rucksack and saddle bags: brooksengland.com

POPPY-ING INTO TOWN? The Brooks bag range is just the thing

C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K | 1 7

C O M M U T E R FA S H I O N

DESIGN HERO

C l os ca Fu g a The Closca Fuga is a modern design icon that has it all going on. Not only does it look super-stylish on the bike, but it collapses down to 50% of its original size (see above), making it easy to slip into a handbag or backpack when you’re heading into a meeting. Genius! £110, www.closca.co

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❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱ ❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰ ❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱

BIKING NINE T

FIVE

FOR THOSE SEEKING STYLE, STANDOUT AND SAFETY ON THE DAILY COMMUTE

B i ke t o b oa rdro o m

Lig ht up

Cycle star s

Comfy enough to bike in and smart enough (just about) to wear at work.

There's no need to forego style for standout thanks to this pick of reflective kit.

Bridging the gap between personality and practicality. What's not to love?

Women’s British Cycling Trenchcoat, £395, vulpine.cc Levi’s Commuter High Rise Skinny Jeans, £90, levi.com Lone Ranger Casual Boots, £80, office.co.uk

Herne Hill Harrington Jacket, £208.33, lumo.cc Contour Crop Workout Leggings, £50, sweatybetty.com Nike Free 5.0, £130, nike.com

Star Printed Sweater, £89.95, scotchsoda.com Anna’s Legs Star print, £105, velovixen.com Chuck Taylor All Star Sting Ray Metallic Leather, £62, converse.com

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(L-R) May wears: Aqua Race Jersey, £120; Race Shorts, £110 – all Queen Of The Mountains. Glorious Brits Socks, £16 – The Wonderful Socks. Lina wears: Aqua Cap, £25; Coral Race Jersey, £120; Race Shorts, £110 – all Queen Of The Mountains. The Climb #2 Socks, £16 – The Wonderful Socks. All available at weareomnium.cc

Championing independent designers from around the world, new online store We Are Omnium is a style hunter’s dream. We take a spin in a few of our favourite pieces…

INDEPEND PHOTOGRAPHY CLAIRE PEPPER MAKE-UP AND HAIR NINA SAGRI

FA S H I O N

DENCE DAY.

FA S H I O N

Spektrum Jersey, £90 – Angeles Creative. Available at weareomnium.cc

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Jungle Cap, £18 – Forward; Base Layer, £35 – Good Cycling. Race Shorts, £110 – Queen Of The Mountains. Paincave Socks, £14 – God & Famous. Available at weareomnium.cc

FA S H I O N

THIS PAGE The Navigator Cap, £18, and The Navigator Jersey, £70 – both Twin Six; Race Shorts, £110, Queen Of The Mountains.

OPPOSITE (L-R) Lina wears: Jungle Kitty Cap, £18, and Welcome To The Jungle Jersey, £75 – both Forward; Race Shorts, £110 – Queen Of The Mountains. Glorious Brits Socks, £16 – The Wonderful Socks. May wears: Kitty Cap, £18, and Saved By The Bell Jersey, £85 – both Forward. Race Shorts, £110 – Queen Of The Mountains; Dash Socks, £12 – Twin Six. All available at weareomnium.cc

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BEAUTY

❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱ ❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰ ❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱

SKIN WINS

Beauty and the bike Emily Fleuriot, aka @FashionPopcorn, reveals her bike-to-work beauty secrets ALL ABOUT THE BASE

GRATEFUL HEAD

You don’t always need it after riding because your skin has a great glow anyway, but I usually start with Mac Strobe cream, which is brilliant for boosting dull skin (£24.50, maccosmetics.co.uk). I then apply Mac Face and Body foundation, which is really lightweight and won’t slide (£22, maccosmetics.co.uk).

For hair, I keep a mini of Batiste original Dry Shampoo (£1.50, superdrug.com) in my bag and sometimes use a Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray just to pep it up a bit (£9.50, boots.com). It’s best to go for easy hairstyles, so you don’t necessarily need to brush it.

BRIGHT EYES

N I G H TRIDER

I keep it pretty simple, adding a flick of Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner (£7.99, superdrug. com), which is industrial (it doesn’t shift!) across the top lid and a few coats of Maybelline Great Lash Mascara (£4.99, superdrug.com), mainly because I love the packaging. I then apply the brilliant bright-red Mac Lady Danger Lipstick with a lip brush and my face is complete (£15.50, maccosmetics.co.uk).

At night, because you do get a bit grimy in London, I use Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish (£15.50, uk.lizearle.com), and then the moisturiser set that goes with it. Generally, the more you ride, the stronger and healthier you are and the better your skin looks anyway. Perversely, riding makes you less preoccupied with how you look. Instead, you become much more aware of the power of your body and how you feel.

“Riding makes you less preoccupied with how you look. Instead, you’re more aware of how you feel” BEAUTY HERO

Slather on a rich Body Butter the night before a long ride to lock in moisture. Neal’s Yard Beauty Sleep Body Butter is organic and paraben-free, leaving limbs smooth and lightly scented with essential oils. Almost good enough to eat. £22.50, nealsyardremedies.com

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For all fellow sufferers of Obsessive Cycling Disorder

2016

I N S P I R AT I O N

I’ve survived all the things I was ever afraid of Emily Chappell believes that facing your fears is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Here, the former bike courier and Transcontinental race winner tells us how she got there… PHOTOGRAPHY: TOM OLDHAM

n the final morning of this year’s 2,361-mile Transcontinental race across Europe, I stopped for breakfast on the outskirts of a Greek seaside town and checked the remaining distance on my phone. Ravenous after a full night’s riding and thankful for a brief respite from the blazing sun, I wolfed down lattes and pastries. Two hundred miles to go. All of a sudden, I realised I was going to succeed. Until then I don’t think I’d really believed I’d finish, let alone win it. I could ride for 24 hours. I’d done it so many times before that I’d lost count. Cycling from London to Manchester to see my sister. Competing in the Strathpuffer 24hour mountain bike race. Those horrendous few days where I’d raced through Eastern China on as little sleep as possible, desperate to catch the ferry to Korea and beat my visa deadline. There had been moments during all of those rides when I thought I wouldn’t make it – moments when I cried and panicked and sat with my head in my hands thinking it was all over – but I had always made it. And that meant I probably would this time too. I bought another armful of pastries for the road, filled my bottles and reapplied my sun cream, feeling as if I were preparing

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for battle. Then I rolled off along the coast, telling myself as I went that all I had to do was keep going and I’d make it to the finish. I could handle whatever the race threw at me now. I’d seen it all before: the breakdowns, the hills, the headwinds, the

“But isn’t it dangerous? You know, as a woman?” heat, the blisters and calluses, the fear, panic and exhaustion. No matter how hard it was, I could handle it. A FLASH OF BELIEF I still cherish that moment. Like anyone else, no matter how much I achieve in life, I’ll always dwell on my inadequacies, my shortcomings, the mountains I have yet to climb. For that one brilliant morning (before the heat really set in, the saddlesore took hold and the final day turned into the nightmare I’d feared), I knew I had it in me. I haven’t felt like that before or since. It all started with failure. It’s surprising how often things do. In 2008 I fell into

working as a cycle courier because I couldn’t get PhD funding. I loved riding my bike and liked the sound of a job where I’d get to do that every day, but really it was because no one else would have me. Eight years later, I tell people that of all the adventures and influences that have shaped me, couriering has had the most profound effect. The morning I strapped the radio to my bag and wobbled off into the Vauxhall traffic was, it turns out, the day I took my destiny into my own hands. A lot is written about how unfair the courier industry is, how few rights couriers have and how unfairly they’re exploited by the companies who begrudgingly give them their daily crust (minus equipment hire, uniform hire and insurance charges). None of this is untrue. But another side of the story – and probably the reason so many couriers stay in the industry for so long – is that while you’re on the bike, you’re your own master. You’re the one doing it. FREE WHEELING Your controller gives you nothing but the most minimal coordinates: pick up the job from this office in Holborn; take it to this warehouse in Hackney. The rest – the route you take, the speed

IF THE CAP FITS Emily cycled for 24 hours at a time to win the Transcon race... and get those tan lines

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I N S P I R AT I O N

DREAMING BIGGER After a couple of years of couriering, I realised I was riding over 1,000 miles a month within the same small circuit of Zone 1 and started to look for a bigger circuit. Eventually, inevitably, I decided I’d cycle around the world. It was an idea that arrived in my head fully formed – as if it had actually always been there, propped up in a dusty corner of my mind, waiting for me to notice it. Although it was accompanied by a whole swarm of doubts and anxieties, it was something I was capable of. I compared myself to the late great Anne Mustoe, who wrote: “You don’t have to be 20, male, and an ace mechanic to

TALKIN’ BOUT A REVOLUTION

Emily’s cycling milestones...

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FAST FOOD Emily’s handlebar bag has special compartments for nuts and other snacks, making it a bicycle buffet

“I was used to proving people wrong. I did it every day. I’d keep doing it” set out on a great journey. I’ve cycled round the world twice now. I’m not young, I’m not sporty, I never train, I appreciate good food and wine and I still can’t tell a sprocket from a chain ring, or mend a puncture.” If she could do it, I definitely could. What I hadn’t anticipated was how many people would try to convince me that I couldn’t – or rather, that I really shouldn’t – because cycling around the world on my own would expose me to so many perils that I was very unlikely to make it back in one piece. “But isn’t it dangerous? You know, as a woman?” I’ve heard that single question more often than any other. It echoed constantly in

my ears during the year I spent preparing for the trip, it popped up again and again in hostels and teashops and petrol stations all across Asia, and now it’s the number one thing I’m asked whenever I give talks about my experiences on the road. There’s a lot of evidence that it isn’t dangerous for women to travel alone. I’ve now spent years of my life cycling through faroff lands without coming to grief, as have a whole host of other women I could introduce you to. And the only evidence I can find to support the ‘isn’t it dangerous?’ question is... the question itself. We’ve all heard it so many times that it’s started to feel like the truth,

PHOTOG RA PHS: K RIST IA N PLETTEN, JAMES ROBERTSON

you ride, the interactions at either end – is up to you. Your controller has no idea of the little adventures you might have along the way: the chance encounters, the angry motorists, the near misses, the spurof-the-moment detours. The times when it all comes together and you dance among the traffic with the grace of an acrobat, speeding through the busy roads as if you are the only thing moving, leaning body and bike voluptuously into each corner. The beauty and the triumph are all your own. As, of course, are the gloom and disaster. When I was suffering, be it with a cold, sore feet, or the period pains that reliably assailed me for two days of every month, there was no boss standing over me to notice I was struggling and go a little easier on me that day. I had to carry on as normal. Controllers, even when they seemed to be on your side, had little patience with whingers. “The thing about a good courier,” said my first and favourite controller, Andy, “is that you can’t tell by their voice what the weather’s doing.” He was impressed when he found out that I had once spent a whole afternoon riding brakeless because of a snapped cable I didn’t have time to replace. A good courier was one who made no fuss, who took the job’s challenges in their stride and just got on with it.

AGE 7

AGE 14

AGE 24

Learned to ride a bike considerably later than all her friends. Achieved this feat by scooting down a small slope in the back garden repeatedly on her own.

Covered 80 miles in a day on a touring holiday in France. Believed for the following decade that this would be the pinnacle of her athletic achievement.

Started commuting by bike in London. Instantly developed a burning ambition to be a cycle courier. Three years later, started working as a cycle courier for Pink Express in London.

LAST LEG Emily boarding the ferry from Eceabat to the finish in Canakkale, Turkey

FIST PUMP! Photographer James Robertson captured Emily just after she crossed the finish line

TRANS-WHAT? Your Trivial Pursuit guide to the Transcontinental wrong. I did it every day. I’d keep doing it. We learn by doing. That’s nothing you didn’t already know. But this basic homily somehow misses out the complexity, the hesitations and wrong turns, the struggle of the learning process. Because ● 2016’s race was roughly doing is hard, and in some 3,800km, with 50,000 metres senses it remains hard, of climbing. It started in even once you’ve taken Belgium, finished in Turkey the plunge and gathered and had four checkpoints the momentum and set along the way. yourself firmly on the right track. ● Emily was the first woman carried a variety of bulky No matter how much to cross the line, finishing in 13 and cumbersome loads I achieve, I am afraid that days, 10 hours and 28 minutes on your back and rode I’ll fail in the next challenge. – just under two days ahead of your bicycle through traffic Fear seems to be the second place woman, Johanna at high speed, then you irremovable stain on our Josten-Van Duinkerken. were a courier, and that human personalities; a was that. But the taxi hungry demon, stalking drivers and postroom guys and ordinary the inner chambers of our minds, looking men in the street were another matter. My for objects to pounce on. Once one object years on the road taught me to deal with is exhausted or disproved, he’ll move on to anything from unsubtle sexual overtures to another. I quickly discovered that nothing bad outright murderous rage. And, perhaps was going to happen to me as I cycled round worst of all, the underlying assumption that the world, that most people when faced with I was weaker, that I couldn’t manage, that I a lone female cyclist will try to befriend, needed help. I was used to proving people protect or feed her. ● The Transcontinental is an unsupported race across the European continent. That means no vehicle carrying your bags, nobody sorting your bed for the night (often you sleep outdoors) and no organised snack points.

even though there’s nothing behind it beyond a few flawed assumptions about female vulnerability and incompetence. The question makes me angry now. I wonder how many women have planned to cycle round the world, then heard it one too many times and decided they’d better not after all. I was one of the lucky ones. Three years of couriering had shown me decisively that I could handle almost anything that came up in a day on the road. They’d also made me very good at fighting my corner. The controllers and most of the other couriers rarely seemed to differentiate along the lines of gender. If you wore a radio,

JANUARY 2013

FEBRUARY 2014

JANUARY 2016

AUGUST 2016

Arrived in Tokyo, having cycled through England, Wales, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, China and South Korea.

Swapped the tourer for a fatbike and cycled across Iceland in the snow. The following January, rode the fatbike from Anchorage to Seattle, surviving -40-degree temperatures.

Published her first book, What Goes Around: A London Cycle Courier’s Story. Started looking for other childhood dreams to fulfil.

Finished the TCR two days ahead of the second fastest woman, thereby fulfilling a childhood dream of winning a proper bike race (i.e. not just one against her brothers).

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I N S P I R AT I O N

WHERE’S EMILY? Racing to beat the other guy who took the same boat

So my fear found a new object: myself. I worried that I wasn’t good enough, that I was too weak, that I’d fail in the tasks I set myself, and somehow everything would come crashing down. But alongside this fear, my self-confidence was growing. Ironically, this meant I took on greater and greater challenges, pushed my limits further and further – and eventually did begin to fail. The first time I attempted the Transcontinental, I ground ignominiously to a halt in Slovenia eight days in, having foolishly decided that I could do without sleep. And, to my surprise, the world kept turning. I am still afraid. And I no longer believe I’ll ever be able to strangle my fear entirely. But, just as we learn by doing, we know by having done. I’ve survived all the things I was ever afraid of. Now, when fear starts to stalk me, I have stories to tell myself about how I turned to face it and ran through it like a cloud of smoke, and how everything always

SAY WHAT?!

“I’d faced a task that seemed terrifying and managed to keep myself going” felt so much better on the other side. During last year’s Transcontinental, I cycled up Mont Ventoux in the dark after three days and 1,000km of solid cycling. When I began the climb I felt utterly spent, fit only to collapse in the corner of a field and sleep for 10 hours. It seemed impossible that I could haul myself up 21km, with over a vertical mile of climbing. I made it by telling myself stories. For every 2km of the climb, I tethered my mind to a different woman who inspires me, some of them close friends;

some distant heroes. I made myself run through every single thing I knew about each of them, attempting as much to distract my mind as I was to somehow harness some of their strength. Quietly, at the back of my mind, I knew that I was writing my own story as I rode: a story that I’d tell myself and – as it turns out – many other people, long after the race was over. A story to remind myself that I’d faced a task that seemed both terrifying and impossible, yet somehow managed to keep myself going until the end. We learn by doing. I learn by riding. And as I turn the pedals, as the road unfolds ahead of me, I’m not only proving to myself again and again that I can – I’m forever writing the stories that I’ll tell myself in those dark, dark moments when I’m afraid I can’t. Read more from Emily on her blog: thatemilychappell.com

Three historically brilliant #JFDI badasses

BERYL BURTON

In 1967 Beryl Burton set a 12-hour cycling record that was faster than the men’s and still stands today, nearly 50 years later. A multiple world and national champion on track and road, Beryl still found the time for back breaking manual labour in the Yorkshire rhubarb sheds and to raise a family.

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MARIE MARVINGT

When Marie Marvingt was denied entry to the 1908 Tour de France, she rode it anyway – in between setting longdistance swimming records and crossing the North Sea in a balloon. A multi-talented athlete, boxer, climber and skier, ‘Breakneck Marie’ also flew bombing raids in WWI and established the air ambulance service.

ANNIE KOPCHOVSKY

When Annie Kopchovsky set out to become the first woman to ride round the world in 1894, she did it for a bet. Barely having learned to ride a bike, she left her husband in charge of the baby and packed all the essentials: a pearl-handled pistol and a change of knickers. What a woman.

PHOT OG RAPH: JAMES ROBERTSON

QUICK FIX Tightening crank bolts in Geraardsbergen, at the start

BROOKS CYCLE BAGS. STOPPING TRAFFIC SINCE 1866.

John Boultbee Brooks knew early on that the first essential accessory to a successful bicycle journey was a place to carry his belongings. Highly original cycle luggage has been a staple of Brooks catalogues since the 1880â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. And though the bicycle has changed much since the time of the penny farthing, the need for carrying things has not. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why Brooks still manufactures a wide range of bags to solve the myriad of transportation challenges faced by the dedicated cycle commuter or tourer.

From iconic leather tool bags all the way up to expedition-quality panniers for the bike, as well as knapsacks, backpacks, and satchels, Brooks Cycle Bags utilise a wide range of materials and designs to offer solutions built to last and age beautifully with the wearer, just as we have been doing now for over 100 years. See the full collection and buy on-line at www.brooksengland.com

DROP I LIKE IT’ HO How do you go from printing wallpaper to launching a women’s cycling team? Beth Hodge chats to Drops Cycling Team Director Bob Varney to find out PHOTOGRAPHY JOJO HARPER

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DREAM TEAM

PACK INSTINCT The team from Milton Keynes out training (not in Milton Keynes)

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DREAM TEAM

f someone told you that a wallpaper company from Milton Keynes was going to launch a cycling team, you’d probably laugh. If they then told you that in a matter of months, this team would cause waves in the world of women’s racing, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the plot of a Hollywood movie, probably starring Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page. But this is no fictional scenario. Bob Varney may be the co-founder of a bespoke wallpaper company, but it’s the all-British Drops Cycling Team he’s pulled together that’s making all the headlines. Sponsored by Trek, Prendas, OTE Sports, Skechers, Continental and Dread, Drops Cycling Team boasts a group of super-talented riders, including Alice Barnes (two-time U23 British Road Race Champion), Laura Massey (Masters Road Race Champion) and Jennifer George, who came seventh at the hotly contested Tour de Yorkshire 2016.

So Bob, what does racing have to do with wallpaper? Absolutely nothing! You’d probably like a smart answer; that we’d sat down and made a devious plan for world domination in the wallpaper business, but nothing could be further from the truth. We love racing and this is a great way for us to do what we love and get our name out there. How did the Drops Cycling Team start? I’d been involved in racing for a while, from running a kids’ club to a development racing team a few years ago. Last year we co-sponsored a local team, Corley Cycles Drops Racing Team, and got involved with running the women’s team. We then decided

that we wanted to do things our own way because we loved it so much. I wanted an adventure and this was going to be it. What’s the grand plan, Bob? We wanted to do the Aviva Women’s Tour within the first three years and we did it in the first, which is crazy. Our ultimate dream is to run a fully professional team where all the riders and staff are paid a wage. Legally, we’re a UCI professional team, but morally we’re an amateur team. We believe that the definition of a “professional” is when you get paid to do your job. We don’t

pay our riders to do their jobs, so we feel uncomfortable calling ourselves professionals. That’s why we dreamed up the phrase “the most professional amateur women’s team in the world”. I can’t come up with a crazy plan as to what we’re going to do next because we’re at the ceiling. We now need to improve, learn from what we’ve done, get better and try to win these races. Have you recognised a change in women’s racing in the last few years? It’s certainly an incredibly exciting time and seems to be soaring. We’ve noticed a

*Tamiko, Ellie, Alice and Annie aren’t in this snap. They were out riding that day.

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PHOT OGRA PHY: JOJ O HA RPER

Left to right: Rose Osborne, Sophie Coleman, Laura Cameron, Hannah Payton, Becky Womersley, Abi Van Twisk, Jen George, Lucy Shaw, Rebecca Durrell, Laura Massey, Karla Boddy

TEA M PORTRAIT S: T OM OLDHA M

MEET THE TEAM*

GO PRO This year they joined the UCI professional rank

SKIN SUITS They love that super-fly kit... and bananas

SHAKE IT UP In just their second race, Drops Cycling Team bagged their first win

“The process has opened my eyes to general inequalities in terms of race distances and prize money” massive engagement with the sport through social media. The domestic calendar has a really high standard now and I’m seeing a good number of teams trying to emulate what they see the professionals doing. We don’t see ourselves as speaking for women’s cycling; we run a women’s cycling team. But the whole process has opened my eyes to general inequalities in terms of race distances and prize money. These are issues that people raised way before we came around and we respect that. I’m just glad that we can now contribute to the conversation.

The Drops Cycling Team kit looks great. How did it come about? We put a lot of time and thought into the kit. We wanted to create something that would be super cool, reasonably gender neutral and didn’t involve pink. My son [Drops wallpaper company co-founder] Tom worked on the colours, which came quite early on in the process. We then worked with that colour palette to find a dominant colour. We wanted a colour for the helmets that would be easy to spot in the feed zone and in the peloton. Bontrager (who sponsor the

helmets) had the Miami green colour in their range, which matched one of the Drops Cycling Team colours. We had a lot of fun and a lot of arguments for weeks to get the final design, followed by millimetre tweaks to get it how we wanted it. The girls are very proud to wear the kit and it makes them all feel 10ft tall. It’s a basic life principle. If you feel good in the clothes you’re wearing, you’re going to perform well. To learn more about Drops Cycling Team, visit dropscycling.com

C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K | 37

I N T E RV I E W

T he Ni c o l e

E FFEC T She’s the greatest woman road cycling champion Britain has ever produced and the very definition of kickass. But more than that, Nicole Cooke has changed the face of her sport for the better. Here, Suze Clemitson reveals the secrets to her #JFDI difference… PHOTOGRAPHY: TOM OLDHAM

icole Cooke has won Olympic and World gold, 10 National titles, two Tour de France, the Giro, two UCI Women’s World Cups... the list goes on. But her achievements go way beyond the physical. Her hero status has been cemented by the way she’s spoken out against drugs, sexism and exploitation in her mission to improve women’s cycling. The greatest female road cycling champion Britain has ever produced, she’s the very definition of awesome. But more than that, Nicole Cooke has changed the face of her sport for the better, leaving it in a far better place than when she entered it. When we chat to the Welsh wonderwoman, we’re on a mission to unearth the magic formula for her #JFDI difference.

DOUBLE WHAMMY So, what does she consider is her greatest achievement? “It has to be the 2008 double," she says. "Becoming the first cyclist to win world and Olympic road race gold in the same season was the highlight. These were the

races I'd dreamed of since I first discovered road racing at the age of 11. I'd worked so hard for those wins.” She explains just how difficult a race like the Olympics can be – the variables of weather, team and motivation, riders prepared to gamble everything on winning gold. What does she put the double-win down to? Pinpoint-perfect preparation. In addition to the physical training, she is a master tactician.

“It was the toughest, most dramatic sprint of my career” She found a hill that replicated the finishing drag in Beijing. “I marked out the distances from 800m down to 100m so I could replicate the finish in my training sessions and sprint from any distance out to the finish line.” She worked through virtually every possible scenario in her mind so that she would “be ready to make those split-second tactical decisions when the desire to win risks clouding judgement”.

That attention to detail and meticulous preparation worked, with her sprinting away from a world-class group of five riders: “I was so focused and gave it absolutely everything until I had crossed the finish line.” Nicole Cooke is a racer above all else. It was a road race masterclass. Her body language, her face, her tactics – they all said so and it was a joy and a thrill to watch. BACK IN THE SADDLE After just one week celebrating at home, Nicole went back to training with a focus on winning the World Championship. Again, there was the attention to detail. “I rode the course many times, doing intervals on the climbs and memorising the final kilometers to the finish in the weeks leading up to the race.” She knew it would be tough. “There were a lot of riders with a point to prove after the Olympics.” Her opposition that day reads like a who’s who of elite women’s cycling: Marianne Vos, Trixi Worrack, Judith Arndt, Emma Johansson and Susanne Ljungskog. It was Vos – one of the few women whose palmares match Nicole’s own – who launched the decisive move. “We came into the stadium with 300m to go and Marianne hit out first for the finish line,”

C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K | 39

I N T E RV I E W

SHOCK IT TO THEM! In 2013, Nicole announced her retirement at the age of 29 and published a bombshell statement that shocked the cycling world by exposing the sexism, drugs and inequality

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TOUGH CROWD Nicole is all smiles after beating awesome athletes Marianne Vos (L) and Judith Arndt (R) in the World Championships

“I always gave it everything I have and that laid the foundation for what I achieved” at the top in women’s cycling. She was motivated by the fact that the gains that had been made for women in cycling – many of them as a direct result of her own actions during her career – were at risk of being lost again if “the fundamental chauvinism of the sport” wasn’t dealt with. When Nicole turned professional in 2002, both the women’s equivalent of the Tour de France and the Giro were two-week races and she won them both. The Giro Rosa remains as a week-long stage race, but the Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale has long since disappeared – the victim of disorganisation, poor information and lack of respect for the riders. Cooke says the root cause of the Grand Boucle’s demise was the way women in the sport are perceived by the men who organise it. “For male riders there was genuine professionalism, with a minimum wage being introduced by the UCI for all teams down to U23 level. Yet, for the women, there was no such protection. Even if you were fortunate enough to have a contract defining a living wage, it meant little.” So little, that Nicole was forced to take four teams to court over unpaid wages during her career. Despite UCI financial regulations governing team bonds, these often went

unenforced and serial offenders were allowed to simply start up a new team using the same equipment with a change of logo. In her retirement statement, she called for a minimum wage as exists in the men’s sport. “Brian Cookson was keen to take it up in his manifesto, pledging to have it in place within 12 months of taking office, but four years later it is still not on the horizon. This is about setting a minimum bar for teams, riders and the UCI and to provide protection for female riders, just as is the case in all other walks of life and forms of employment. Why should female cyclists be left so vulnerable to exploitation?” THE LEGACY She is also quick to commend the progress that has been made for female riders in Britain, and the legacy left behind “so that today’s riders now have a defined talent pathway through to the Olympics with National championships at all age groups for girls on the road and track: very different to the path I faced when starting out”. This is a pathway that Nicole had been absolutely instrumental in putting into place and a legacy that has helped future generations, including Rio heroine Laura Trott, who made history by becoming the first woman to win three gold medals. Despite the progress in some areas, Nicole admits that: “I’d raced my whole career under the shadow of drug cheats and a corrupt UCI that acted to cover up doping rather than kick the cheats out.” It was this that really rocked the boat, and it’s still an issue that she feels is not being dealt with. “In the fight against doping, drug cheats are still welcomed back into the sport by

IMAG ES: GET TY/REX/SHUTT ERST OCK

Nicole remembers. “I dived into her slip stream and started to close. With 100m to go we were sprinting shoulder to shoulder for the finish line. It was the toughest and most dramatic sprint of my career.” It was the perfect end to her Golden summer. So what, I wonder, does she think marks her out as different? “I have a determination and drive to push myself to the limits and never give up, and that makes me a very fierce competitor,” she says. “I always gave it everything I have in training and racing and I think that laid the foundation for what I achieved.” Nicole Cooke was born in Swansea in 1983 and caught the cycling bug at the Cardiff Ajax Cycling Club. “Riding was always part of my life growing up. At first I enjoyed the adventure of exploring new places on the bike, then as I saw more races I wanted to race too,” she recalls. “I still love cycling and, in addition to commuting by bike, I also get out on the road bike for a long ride with friends on weekends.” She is quick to thank her parents Tony and Denise for the support they’ve given her throughout her career, “for providing a grounding that kept things in perspective even when there was chaos and corruption in cycling”. I ask her about her struggle to get British Cycling to stage and Under 16 girls track championships, in parity with the boys. After British Cycling initially refused, it took every bit of that steely Cooke determination to get them to change their minds. Like her opponents in cycling, they knew when they were beaten, and Nicole lined up at the first U-16 championships the next year. “Now the track championships are a huge success and a key milestone for riders aspiring to make the Olympic track cycling team and I’m very proud of having been able to contribute to such a change,” she says. We wonder how British Cycling could ever have refused such a powerhouse in the first place. Then there’s her ability to achieve success by using that tactical intelligence and determination, by being prepared to go deeper than her opposition to achieve results. As Nicole puts it, “there were times when, despite not being the strongest on the day, I could win races because I rode smart and knew how to give everything I had”.

GOLD RUSH "I had to check I'd actually won before the joy of becoming Olympic champion hit me”

teams, being appointed Directeur sportif or even given coaching roles. Many in the media and sponsors are quite happy to give them visibility which continues to send out the message that it pays to dope,” she says. DOPE OPERA “The UCI is still soft on doping, the fines and penalties are still way out of proportion to the damage each positive test does to our sport and its credibility. The UCI is to be commended for the strong deterrents for mechanical doping and large fines,

but why does it not apply the same fines to doping offences?” Nicole’s passion and determination to improve women’s cycling hasn’t dimmed a bit. She wrote a stinging critique of British Cycling’s ‘sexism by design’ in a Guardian piece defending Jess Varnish in the British Cycling sexism row. Just when you thought you couldn’t love her any more, she came out with a full-throttled paean to the sisterhood of cycling, and Nicole is definitely as devastating with the pen as she was on the bike. In an extract from the piece,

published in April of this year, she writes: “Hypocrisy and double standards with respect to gender are ingrained in cycling... but this is hidden in reports of events. I am often asked, how can it be stopped? Athletes with their Olympic dreams on the line are never going to be the source of information on ill treatment... Instead, the solution has to come from the top...” So, what can we all learn from one of our favourite #JFDI cycling inspirations? Have a dream, never give up, stand up for what you believe in and never stop riding.

5 THINGS we can all learn from Nicole Cooke NEVER GIVE UP

Without Nicole’s fight for better opportunities for young women riders in the UK, there would be no Junior Women’s track championships, the proving ground for Golden Girls such as Rio hero Laura Trott.

FOCUS

Plan, train, execute – that’s the Nicole Cooke way and we can all use it to achieve our own ambitions.

SPEAK OUT

Nicole has never accepted the norm and has never been afraid to speak out against sexism, doping and women’s equality. If there’s something you want to change, it all starts with speaking out.

SET GOALS

Nicole’s advice for anyone getting started in cycling: "It’s always good to have a goal and something to aim for, like a cycling trip or an event that’s beyond your normal comfort zone.”

JUST RIDE

Nicole still rides every day – for fun, fitness, freedom. “It’s the best physical and mental exercise there is.” For more Nicole inspiration, read her frank and outspoken autobiography: The Breakaway: My Story.

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Win!

A #JFDI CAP We h a v e 5 0 l i m i t e d - e d i t o n # J F D I c o v e r c a p s t o give away to Casquette email newsletter subscribers. S i m p l y s i g n u p fo r y o u r c h a n c e t o w i n ! *

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TASTY TITBITS ON NUTRITION, TRAINING AND GEAR ➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔➔

NUTRITION

Last action smoothie hero Food editor Linzi B whizzes up a recovery drink that's packed with multi-tasking ingredients Drink a recovery smoothie before you reward yourself with sweet or beer-flavoured treats and you're more likely to reduce postride tiredness and dehydration. This Rockin’ Recovery drink (pineapple barbell optional) is just the ticket, with protein-packed chia seeds, almond milk and peanut butter working wonders for tired muscles. Coconut water and pineapple provide hydration, vitamins and a tropical taste.

FA S T FOOD

SERVES: 2 1tbsp chia seeds 100ml coconut water 100ml almond milk 2tbsp peanut butter 1/2 small pineapple, cubed (or a 227g tin of pineapple in natural juice, drained) 1 In a bowl, combine the chia seeds and coconut water and set aside for 10 minutes (or overnight, if you want to be prepped). 2 Transfer to a blender along with the remaining ingredients and blitz. Add a handful of ice, blitz again and pour into a glass to serve.

MAGIC TICKET The Arnold Schwarzenegger of the smoothie world. Simple!

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GOOD EATS

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Amazing avocado They’re the star of our Insta-feeds, top of every brunch menu and officially outselling oranges in supermarkets. Food writer Lucy Jessop shares some tasty avocado recipes for your pre- or post-ride fix

Sweet potato chips and avocado mayo SERVES 4 For the sweet potato chips • 4 sweet potatoes (about 800g) • 3 tablespoons olive oil • 3 tablespoons polenta • 1 teaspoon paprika • Sea salt For the mayo • 1 large ripe avocado • 40g root ginger, peeled and finely grated • ½ small garlic clove, crushed • 3 tablespoons lime juice • Zest of 1 lime • Dash of Tabasco (optional) • 1 tablespoon olive oil 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/gas mark 6. Wash the sweet potatoes in cold water and dry thoroughly with a clean teatowel – there’s no need to peel

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them. Cut lengthways into 1cm wide chips. 2. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the olive oil and toss to coat. Then add the polenta, paprika and a good pinch of salt. Mix well to evenly coat. 3. Spread the chips between two large roasting tins. They need as much space as possible, so they should be in a single layer. Bake for 35–40 minutes until tender and crisp. 4. Meanwhile, make the ‘mayo’ dip. Place the avocado flesh in a food processor. Add the grated ginger, garlic, lime juice and zest, Tabasco (if using), olive oil, 1 tablespoon of cold water and a large pinch of salt. Whizz until smooth. Transfer to a small dish and serve with the warm, crunchy sweet potato chips.

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more cycling super foods

C hia se e d s: e nd urance When mixed with water or milk, these powerful little seeds create a gel that lines your stomach. This can prolong hydration and electrolyte retention during longer rides. Who knew?

MILE MUNCHING The perfect pre-ride pasta dish

SHAKE THAT HASS Avocados are even looking to replace condiment staples like mayo

Read me Whether you like it smooth, smashed, chunked or whole, author and foodie expert Lucy Jessop shows you how to add green goodness into every meal. Get her new book to discover everything avo-related, from fuel-up pastas and healthy bakes to energy bites. The Goodness of Avocado by Lucy Jessop (Kyle Books, RRP £9.99).

Avocado pesto with linguine SERVES 2 • 150g linguine • 100g frozen peas • 1 courgette, coarsely grated For the avocado pesto • 50g pistachio kernels • ½ garlic clove, finely chopped • 1 medium ripe avocado • Juice of ½ lemon, plus extra wedges to serve • 50g pecorino or parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus extra to serve • 40g picked mint leaves, plus extra to serve • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/gas mark 6. First make the pesto. Spread the pistachios out on a large baking tray. Bake in the oven for 4–5 minutes until toasted. Leave to cool.

2. Add the cooled nuts to a food processor along with the garlic. Roughly chop the avocado flesh. Add this to the food processor, along with the lemon juice, grated cheese and mint leaves and 2 tablespoons of cold water. 3. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse to make a chunky, pesto-like consistency – add a little more water, if needed, or lemon juice to taste. 4. Next cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Add the peas to the pan for the last minute of cooking time. 5. Drain well, reserving a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water and return to the pan. Add the grated courgette and pesto, along with the reserved water to loosen. Toss together. Serve with grated cheese and mint leaves.

Swe et potato : pe r fo r mance These complex carbs are ideal riding fuel, boosting blood flow to enhance your performance and containing 15mg of the antioxidant beta carotene. The Louisiana State University found that runners who ate them daily for 30 days ran 3% faster.

Tar t che r r ie s: re cove r y Medical journal Nutrients found that tart cherries can help reduce your recovery time, muscle pain, damage and weakness thanks to a powerful combination of phytonutrients, anti-inflammatory properties and vitamins. Great on their own or in a smoothie.

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TRAVEL

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Passport to ride  One picture-postcard reason to take your bike overseas... PHOTOGRAPHY: JAMES CORLETT WORDS: BETH HODGE

RIDE IT The Colle della Lombarda on the French/Italian border near the Piemonte region. WHY? Because not many people do, which means it’s quiet, magical and quite wild. The roads are as brilliantly smooth as Mary Berry’s icing, birds sing all around you, the mornings are blessed with magnificent pink skies and the whole valley reflects a movie-like grandeur. HIGHLIGHTS This area has it all. Across the Col and turning north you‘ll find one of the highest mountain passes in Europe – the Cime de la Bonette. Then, turning south, you can enjoy a more leisurely roll down to Nice. WHERE TO STAY The Sant’Anna di Vinadio is a sanctuary that has historically provided a refuge for pilgrims, but now caters for cyclists and mountain lovers. A 2km detour off the Lombarda climb, it provides cosy beds, duck-down duvets, basic meals, hot showers and truly iconic views. www.santuariosantanna.eu WHERE TO EAT At the top of the Col sits a bright pink truck left over from this year’s Giro d’Italia, where the patron* sells delicious frites with mayo. Take a seat, enjoy the welldeserved tucker and luxuriate in the feeling of a climb well done.

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W ho o r what is a p at ro n? T he o wner. T his is F rench, innit .

❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱ ❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰ ❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱

V I S I T C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K F O R M O R E T R AV E L I N S P I R AT I O N | 47

B I K E R E V I E WS

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FIVE REASONS WHY...

Long-term Love The relationship you have with your bicycle is a beautiful thing. Grace Lambert Smith tells us why her Giant Propel Advanced 0 rocks... 1) AERO-AWESOMENESS I love how aerodynamic she looks and feels. The frame wraps around the back wheel, which is a massive advantage in the wind, and the brake calipers also sit behind the fork at the front for extra aerodynamism. Both of these things seem small, but they’re important for those marginal speed gains.

to drop my gears as I begin the ascent of a punchy hill, I can transition in no time and it’s noticably faster, smoother and cleaner than any other bike I’ve ridden on. I love it!

expanding my cycling to loads of foreign countries and unfamiliar roads. She’s up to every challenge I throw at her and our next adventure is to the Alps.

3) LIGHTWEIGHT She packs up into a box weighing just 12kg, making her perfect for transporting her to Australia and back when I’m visiting family.

2) HILL HERO The Ultegra Di2 groupset has been an absolute pleasure to ride with. When I need

4) INTREPID The biggest thing this bike has given me is a new lease of cycling life and renewed confidence,

5) WHEELIE GOOD Following a crash, I recently replaced the original wheelset with some lighter, shallower handbuilds which suit my riding style better. I used Hope hubs for longevity and the wonderful sound of a loud freehub! giant-bicycles.com

PROFILE Grace Lambert-Smith British Cycling Marketing Executive Model: Giant Propel Advanced 0 Bike nickname: Pretty. Because she is.

HILL SEEKER Taking on the Col de la Forclaz in the French Alps

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Typical ride: I commute four times a week. It’s only 6km each way but every kilometre counts towards my 10,000km goal for this year. On the weekends, I generally do a 100km ride out into the Peak District. Best ever ride: The French Alps is up there with some of the best riding I’ve ever done.

PHOTOG RAPH: 1 330 ROAD CYCLING

Cost: £2,500

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{

The Fab Four

}

Whether you’re after a great price, tasty pace or supreme style, Emma Knight, Evans Cycles Store Manager and Cyclocross lover, has you covered... 1

Money no object

S-WORKS AMIRA SL4 SRAM ETAP £6,500 “This is the bike that Lizzie Armitstead rode to become World Road Race champion in 2015 and is at the absolute top of the women’s race bike heap in terms of performance, quality, technology and handling. From its immaculate carbon frame and highest-of-high-end electronic wireless components, to its aerodynamic, blisteringly fast Roval CLX40 wheelset, the Amira is a competitor’s dream. Simply stunning!”

Sub £500

Speed demon

City chic

PINNACLE NEON 1

CANNONDALE SUPERSIX EVO ULTEGRA

BOBBIN BIRDIE 8 LUXE

£350 “The Pinnacle Neon is fast, light and efficient, with no compromise when it comes to comfort. Using a lightweight butted aluminium frame and fork and 700c wheels with road bike components, it’s the perfect mix of road speed and hybrid geometry and is capable of tackling light gravel-track, as well as tarmac.”

£1,900

“For the ultimate all-round race performance, the new Women’s SuperSix EVO strikes the perfect balance, with its unrivalled blend of light weight, stiffness, aerodynamics and smooth-riding giving you the winning edge if you’re after pace.”

£620 “With no-fuss hub gears, mudguards and rear rack, matte paintwork, cream tyres and a comfy Bobbin sprung saddle, the Birdie is a classic bike with soul. Useful features like the full chain guard keep your clothes intact on the way to work, while the upright riding position is great for seeing and being seen.”

C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K | 49

T R A I N I N G

❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱ ❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰❰ ❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱

The Knowledge British Cycling coach Holly Seear answers this issue’s five big training questions ILLUSTRATION: KATIE TOMLINSON

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HOW CAN I GET FASTER AT HILL CLIMBING? Whether you’re taking on Box Hill or that last horrible climb on the way up to your house, hills are a cyclist’s mental nemesis. But there are ways to wrestle that hilly demon. It may sound obvious, but practice makes perfect, so the more hilly roads you do, the faster and stronger you’ll become. We’ve all been guilty of this after a long ride (or long day at work), but don’t deliberately pick flat routes. Instead, go for routes with a variety of gradients and seek out hilly roads as a first step. If you want to get really good at hills, it makes sense to do specific hill training sessions. Here’s how…

HOW LONG SHOULD I BE ABLE TO RIDE WITHOUT HAVING A SNACK? If you’re well fuelled before your ride, most people can ride up to 60-90 minutes without needing to take on any more food. The limiting factor is how much glycogen you can store in your muscles, so it depends on the individual and the intensity of the activity. If you know you’re going to be out for longer, don’t wait until then to start eating. Start fuelling maybe 30 minutes into your ride and make sure you’re drinking around every 15 minutes. The British Cycling guidelines say around 60g carbohydrate per hour and around 500ml of liquid per hour.

STEP THREE To progress further and increase your speed, move on to hill sprints. Pick a steep or short section of a hill and attack it. Try accelerating as fast as you can, standing out of your saddle for 15 seconds; then sit and ride as hard as you possibly can to the top. To progress, build up gradually. The first time you do it, try one or two stand-up sprints, the second time try three or four. You won't notice the benefits straight away, but it really will make a difference over time.

CAN YOU GET A SIX-PACK THROUGH CYCLING? Just going on bike rides isn’t going to create abs. Riding does decrease body fat because you’re burning a significant number of calories, but that’s no good if you then go to the coffee shop and have a big slice of cake as soon as you’re finished. If you’ve got a layer of fat covering your stomach muscles, you’re not going to see them, so it’s a combination of riding, coretargeted workouts and nutrition that’s going to make a big difference. I’d recommend eating a good healthy diet with reduced sugar, alcohol and processed foods – all the things that encourage fat storage. If you’re burning loads of calories riding your bike and adding core workouts in the gym or at home (I'd recommend 20 minutes, three times a week of planks, crunches and exercises that specifically target those muscles), you’ll be much more likely to achieve that six-pack.

STEP ONE Begin with a warm up to make sure your muscles are ready. Find a fairly short hill, stay seated, settle into a steady rhythm and just practise basic seated hill climbing. Still seated, pick a tougher, longer hill and get used to powering yourself up that. STEP TWO Once you’re confident with this, move on to alternate climbing reps, where you practise going from seated to standing on your pedals, ideally moving nice and smoothly. Start with 30 seconds seated, 30 seconds standing, as this will help to build leg strength. Usually, sitting is the most efficient way to ride, but standing can give you a boost and help when you’re taking on a really steep one.

HOW IMPORTANT IS WEIGHT TRAINING FOR CYCLING? For women, it’s really important as we tend to struggle when maintaining and building muscle mass. When you’re more active in the summer, try doing weights once a week to maintain muscle mass, and in the winter do them twice a week. If you’re not a gym bunny, try a class like BodyPump, where an instructor can guide you through. Or get a personal trainer or a cycling coach to set you a training programme, which works leg strength but also upper body and core (this is also helpful for climbing). Cycling is nonweight bearing, so introducing weight training into your workout can also help to prevent things like osteoporosis, which becomes more common as we get older.

DO I NEED TO GET A PROFESSIONAL BIKE FIT? A bike fit is when a professional helps you achieve the most comfortable, safe and efficient riding position possible on your chosen bike. It basically helps to synchronise you with your bike. It sounds simple, but it’s a pretty big deal. A proper fit will take two to three hours and could cost from £150-£300. A good one will usually involve putting you on a turbo trainer (a stationary bike) to monitor your positioning and power when you ride. It’s important to discuss what kind of riding you want to do with whoever is doing your fit. There’s no point them setting you up in a super-aggressive racing position when your main purpose is steady long-distance rides. A bike fit is worth it for lots of reasons: if you’ve got any discomfort, particularly in your neck, back or wrists, it can be a sign that your bike’s not fitted correctly. If you’re changing your goal or wanting to become competitive, a bike fit can also help you be more efficient and aerodynamic, giving you marginal gains and better pace. As for where to go, I’m lucky as my husband is a qualified bike fitter, so he can fit me at home. Otherwise, I’d recommend CycleFit (cyclefit.co.uk), which has a fantastic reputation. Visit springcyclecoaching.co.uk C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K | 51

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Next-level gear NINJA TURBO TRAINERS, SUPERHERO-INSPIRED GLASSES AND FINGERPRINT OPERATED BIKES. BETH HODGE GETS HER JANE BOND ON WITH THESE SUPER-HOT KIT PICKS...

Air-suspension saddle

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Integrated LED lighting at the back

Fully enclosed anti-rust chain

The world’s smartest bike Dutch company VanMoof has developed the Batmobile of bicycles, packing in an incredible amount of cutting-edge tech in a bike that looks this good. Not only does it feature integrated LED lights, an antirust chain and a saddle with air suspension, it’s a nightmare for bike thieves thanks to its inbuilt locking system, which is operated by fingerprint technology. If a thief is brilliant enough to get past all that, VanMoof promise to track your bike and get it back to you in two weeks or they'll replace it. Awesome! Starts at £1,198, vanmoof.com

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K N OW- H OW

Stats in yo ur eye s As The Terminator of the bike world, the Garmin Varia Vision Heads Up Display attaches to your sunglasses and projects stats, such as your heart rate, distance and navigational arrows, as an image across the lens. It vibrates to alert you to texts and you can pair it to the Varia rearview radar to tell you when cars are approaching. Starts at $399.99; Rear view device from $199.99, garmin.com

Internal gear hub with twist shifter

Integrated LED lighting at the front

E D I TO R' S CHOICE

D inne r winne r ? Strava, the popular activity tracking app, has introduced a brilliant new safety feature for Strava Premium members. This allows you to share your real-time location with selected people, giving you and them peace of mind that they can track you down. It's also good if they want to know what time you'll be back for dinner. A great-value idea and hassle free. Strava Premium starts at £3.99/ month or £39.99/year, strava.com

Ope n-ro ad fe e ls

High punctureprotection tires

A t u rbo t rain er makes it possible t o ride you r bike wh ile it 's st at ion ary in you r livin g room. Great if it 's peein g it down !

Possibly the coolest thing that’s ever happened to a turbo trainer*, Zwift has collaborated with Tacx to create the Tacx NEO Smart trainer, which features a simulator. This recreates the sensation of downhill sections and other road conditions, such as cobbles and even ice and will make watching Bake Off while you train a whole new visceral experience. Tacx NEO Smart trainer starts at £1,199; Zwift monthly subscription, £8, tacx.com

V I S I T C A S Q U E T T E .C O.U K F O R M O R E G R E AT G E A R | 53

FINAL THOUGHT

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{ Wear sunscreen } ONE LAST THING

“If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.

The long-term benefits have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience… Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself. Remember the compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone. Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own. Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly. Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Finally, be careful whose advice you buy.

But trust me on the sunscreen. Extract by Mary Schmich, Chicago Tribune. Brought to life by Baz Luhrmann

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RIDE FAST AND FURTHER A full bicycle fitting is part of the Condor service, because every rider is different.

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