Magnetic bike light: stuck on

Great little invention from  Copenhagen Parts, which is a young Danish design company founded in 2009 to make products for cyclists. The Magnetic Bike Light turns on as soon as it is attached and off when released and features battery powered LEDs. Great as long as you haven't got a garbon bike. Due for release Autumn 2012.

Paul Smith for Harrods: pedalling luxury

Paul Smith has joined up with Rapha once again for a two-month pop-up shop on the fifth floor of Harrods. There's a new collection of jerseys and also a few Rapha-pimped bikes to lust over.

No word on pricing.

Via Selectism

Rapha Knock for Knock: rolling with the punches

You wouldn't usually associate cycling with boxing. As far as sports go, they're pretty much at opposite ends of the spectrum. Knock for Knock brings these two worlds together in a short film by visual artist  Antony Crook.

Obvuiously this would only involve Rapha, in conjunction with RSA Films and it chronicles one man's journey to self discovery. It is shot in Tokyo, and features a script from long-distance cyclist James Bowthorpe and a soundtrack from Mogwai.

Knock for Knock will premier at the KK Outlet gallery London’s Hoxton Square on April 5th, before going online at Rapha.cc the following week.

Rapha Van Diemen's Land video: winding

Rapha have again made me want to find a mountain to ride up which can be difficult in Essex, which isn't exactly known for its undulations. Unlike Tasmania, Australia.

This is where convicts from Britain were sent in 1803 when it was known as Van Diemen's Land, then it was known as the birthplace of that Warner Brothers cartoon character. Now it is lived on, and people ride up the hills. Where better to show off Rapha's latest collection?

W-Line x Stussy BMX: rolling back the years

One look at this W-Line collab BMX with Stussy and you might well think that it's been sitting in someone's attic for the past 20 years, such is its adherance to the 'old skool' aesthetic of the first BMXs.

Just to add to that Eighties authenticity, this comes with a bar pad, and parts by the pioneers of BMX racing, such as a Kashimax saddle, NITTO handlebars and seatpost and a Dia Compe brakes.

I want my Streetbeat back.

Glo Bars: headlights for your bike

Even with some pretty decent lights on my bike I always wonder if that driver about to turn out of that corner can actually see me, which must be a similar thought to that which went through the mind of Mitchell Silva, Industrial Design student at Massachusetts College of Art and Design when he came up with the idea for the Glo Bars.

These are essentially LED handlebars, with lights embedded into cut-away sections of the bars themselves and powered by a watch battery.

Apparently they aren't strong enough to go into production yet, on account of him cutting away half the pars to fit the lights presumably, but when they do, I reckon they'll end up as essential equipment for riding on the evening roads.

Rapha SS12: the lookbook

It's hard to imagine it now but before long we'll be riding around in short sleeves, the warm summer breeze keeping us just the right side of cool, picking flies from our teeth. Of course with the new Rapha gear you'll not only feel cool, you'll look damn fine too.


This season the offering is pretty much tweaked versions of previous favourites. You have the country jerseys with additional placket detail and the addition of Ireland, as well as a freshly-fashioned line f club jerseys.


The stowaway jacket have been given a makeover and there are some other little extras that you don't need but you know within a few months you'll be carrying in your jersey pocket.


Allez! to that.

Cycle style: it's not just about the wheels

Cycle Style from Filip Milovac on Vimeo.
Getting a beautiful bike is one thing, looking good on it is something entirely different. Watch this, and take stock.

Rapha Continental RBC Gran Fondo: *Sigh*

I had a knee operation last Monday which has essentially put  me out of action in terms of cycling or running until after Christmas. So all I can do is watch videos like this and dream of getting back on the bike. Terrible.

Vive Le Tour 1962: riding into nostalgia

Vive le tour! from Bear Thunder on Vimeo.
I wasn't there, I wasn't even born. But that doesn't make this little film of the 1962 Tour de France any less endearing. The glory days of cycling, may they return very soon.

I found this via the Bureau's new tumblr website, which is well worth a look.

Rapha hidden Alps film: look and ye shall find

The Hidden Alps from Rapha on Vimeo.
Another nicely put together piece of cinematography from those chaps at Rapha, who certainly have developed a knack for making their clobber look as good as it actually is.

Which is handy, because this is the first glimpse of the new A/W 2011-12 collection, in its shades of precious stones.

For the film Rapha took its riders up the Colle delle Finestre, or the 'Hill of Windows', which is one of Italy's toughest climbs, even if it doesn't feature as much as the other cols. 

More info to come soon, no doubt.

Read more here

Critical Dirt: border riders

CRITICAL FILM from e r t z u i ° film on Vimeo.
This sounds like a whole bunch of fun - cycling along the former border between East and West Germany, all 485km on it. It sounds like a something between a road cycle tour and cyclocross, which I think it actually is.

The event is called Critical Dirt and runs from September 30 until October 2 but if you were thinking of taking part you're out of luck because the 80 entries sold out in minutes.

So enjoy the video.

Hovding: goodbye cycle helmets, hello airbag for your head

Cycle helmets have to rank among the ugliest creations known to man. They do no discriminate in their universal ability to make anyone look as if they have a mushroom growing from the top of their head.

But they are also accepted as absolutely essential on roads where the odds of being unseated by a daydreaming driver are not in the cyclist's favour. So, begrudgingly, we all wear them.

But the days of the mushroom-headed cyclist could be limited after a couple of inventors came up with an airbag for your head.

The Hovding is worn as a collar and inflates to cover the bonce and neck at the moment of impact. And as an added bonus you can say goodbye to helmet hair.

Via Treehugger

Girls Friday: lycra never looked so good

Ladies Pursuits from liammurphyfilms.com on Vimeo.
All this close fitting lycra cycling gear does serve a purpose, but the fact is that when it comes to figures, girls win hands down every time.

Which is why I had to show this video forwarded to me by one of my fellow riders.

Rapha visits Moots: made up

Rapha Continental USA Pro Cycling Challenge Moots Factory Tour from RAPHA on Vimeo.

They like building bikes in America. The type of bikes that dreams are made of, hand crafted, with cool little details that mass produced machines are sadly lacking. They build them with vision, flair, and a whole bucketload of passion. They take weeks on each bike and the waiting lists are global and years long.

One of these bike builders is Moots. A more lovingly produced machine you would be hard-pushed to find anywhere.

The Rapha Continental crew went to visit the factory on a day off.

Rapha continental: high riding

Rapha Continental USA Pro Cycling Challenge Prologue from RAPHA on Vimeo.
We all know the buzz of heading out for one of those early morning rides with the fellas, the sun barely risen,  nothing but 60-odd miles of empty roads to look forward to.

We don't all know what it's like to have all that and the Grand Canyon. These chaps do. They are riding the route of the 2011 Pro Cycling Challenge.

Still, we have Southend seafront, and that can be a sight to behold.

Le P'tit velo: the final leg

It's probably a bit late to post these now, because the auction runs out in a few hours, but here is the latest batch of P'tit velo cyclists to approach the finish line.

They include a special edition, never to be done again (because it was a complete pain in the arse to to), Team Condor Paul Smith Japan cyclist (above). This is a charity auction in aid of Japan Disaster Relief. 


On Ebay now here, here, and here