Grower's Market Cycle Chic

I've been doing some street style pics for lush new bike mag Treadlie and luckily for me some haven't made it in to the current issue so here they are!

First up is Jess and her Papillionaire at Everleigh Markets.

And Evelyn and her upcycled trout fishing basket - brilliant idea for a pannier - there's something so right about an English Pashley and trout fishing.....

Cycle Chic Sundays Does Tea and Cake in the Park (and yes we're back to Sundays!)

I thought it would be nice to find an historical Australian female cyclist, someone who once embodied cycle chic and perhaps still has the power to to inspire women to ride.

So when Elaena from Bike Sydney (amongst other fabulous ventures) put me on to Sarah Maddox it was clear that we needed a ride in her honour and coincidentally, October 29 is the 150th anniversary of her birth.

I hope you'll join us for some scones and tea and a lovely ride through the park in her honour.
There will be another gorgeous Basil pannier up for grabs thanks to Gazelle Australia and this one's for all you cycle chic men.  Competition details to be advised (when I have come up with something suitably challenging....)

WHAT: A leisurely ride in Centennial Park followed by a picnic with tea and cakes - perhaps a game of boules.  Please bring something delicious to eat and share
WHO: Anyone who favours style over speed and feels like lounging around in the park on a Summer's day with other similarly relaxed bicyclists
WHERE: Meet at the Paddington Gates at the corner of Lang Road and Oxford Street
WHEN: Sunday October 24 at 1pm

RSVP on our facebook page here and like us too while you're there if you haven't already.
Centennial Park info here.

A little background on Sarah Maddox.  Sarah was Australia's first long distance female cyclist and in 1893, when she had only just learned to ride, she and her husband set off for a 300 mile jaunt to Bega - averaging 60 miles a day on pretty terrible roads.  The following year she cycled from Sydney to Melbourne in nine days and her visit to the city started a cycling craze amongst Melbourne women. 

In 1895 she rode to Brisbane and back and on her way home (a journey of 9 days), she rode through bushfires, tropical downpours and floods - all on dirt roads.

She also started the Sydney Ladies Bicycle Club and was a strong supporter of women cycling at a time when the media were scathing.  A real woman of her time, she advocated that ladies should always look ladylike on their bicycles - a long dark coloured skirt, white cotton blouse, straw hat and light coloured gloves were the suggested uniform.  No surprise then that she was known for her elegance and grace. 

While, thankfully, times have changed and Western women have the freedom to wear and do as we please, it's important to remember those trailblazers who paved the way.  I'm sure there are many more, if you know stories, I'd love to hear them.

And the Winner Is....

The delectable Miss Margaret is the winner of our inaugural competition and will now be the proud owner of a lovely Basil pannier courtesy of our supporters Gazelle Australia.
It's going to go very nicely on her classic cream Schwinn.  She scored a whopping 137 votes, 37% of the total.
Thanks to the 374 of you that voted from all corners of the globe and congratulations to all our lovely chicsters for being such good sports x

Cycle Chic Sundays Competition - the Search for Chic

Welcome to our first fabulous Cycle Chic competition!!
We had a hilarious photoshoot the other day after our picnic - thanks to everyone for being such willing subjects :-)
So now it's over to you - who do you think sums up Cycle Chicness ?

Bear in mind if you will these points from the Cycle Chic Manifesto:
- I embrace my responsibility to contribute visually to a more aesthetically pleasing urban landscape.
- I am aware that my mere prescence in said urban landscape will inspire others without me being labelled as a 'bicycle activist'.
- I will choose a bicycle that reflects my personality and style.
- I will, however, regard my bicycle as transport and as a mere supplement to my own personal style. Allowing my bike to upstage me is unacceptable.
- I will endeavour to ensure that the total value of my clothes always exceeds that of my bicycle.
- I will refrain from wearing and owning any form of 'cycle wear'. The only exception being a bicycle helmet - if I choose to exercise my freedom of personal choice and wear one.

The winner will receive one of these gorgeous Basil panniers thanks to our new supporters Gazelle Australia.

Voting is easy - just click the box next to the name in the poll on the right hand column of this page.  You can even vote for more than one chicster and yes, even for yourself!

All a bit of fun, we really don't take ourselves TOO seriously.....
Voting is open now and closes at 8pm on Saturday 9 October.  Easy.  And in no particular order, here are the finalists.
Bonne chance a tous!

1 - Margeret

2 - Alacoque

3 - Sonja

4 - Madeleine

5 - Katie

6 - Tanja

7 - Kathi

8 - William

9 - Michael

10 - Grant

11 - Garry

Great Gazelle Giveaway - Cycle Chic Sundays SMH Growers' Market Competition

This Saturday's ride is all set to be another fun event.  My search for a cycling chef to join us has been a dismal failure, perhaps they are just pacing themselves before October's foodie month of mayhem begins.
So good friend and foodie blogger Tanja from i (heart) my food will be joining us on her new Velorbis (yes I eventually get to all my friends.......) along with William who we met on the last ride.  He promises he'll "play chef" and he's half Danish so I'm expecting some delicious Nordic inspired picnic nosh - watch out René Redzepi!

I am also very excited to announce that we have joined forces with our lovely friends at Gazelle Australia who will be awarding one of their beautiful Basil panniers to the chic-est rider of the day.
So, if you needed and excuse to dress up here it is.

How it will work.  I'll be taking photographs of the best dressed riders and posting them on the blog and inviting everyone to vote.  Voting will be open for 1 week and the rider with the most votes wins the pannier.  Simple.  You can even vote for yourself!
All you have to do is embrace your inner cycle chic god/goddess and ride with style.

Full details of the ride here and it's not too late to RSVP on the facebook page - look forward to seeing you all on Saturday.

Nice Bikes In Sydney This Week

Everywhere I turn this week I see bicycles - am I just tuned in more or is Sydney going bicycle mad ??

Spotted this beautiful Electra on Bourke St today - nicely pimped up and that skirt guard is cute as hell.  Hoping the owner gets in touch, we need you and your beautiful bike on a Cycle Chic ride !

And I see this Electra often down at the ferry.  Classic.