CycleStyle (www.cyclestyle.com.au) is a new Australian online store selling stylish clothing and accessories for the urban cyclist.
Melbourne cyclist Joyce Watts has sourced the best in cycle chic clothing and accessories from Amsterdam, New York, Chicago and London, and many of the products are exclusive to CycleStyle in Australia. That means Australian cyclists can now get their hands on elegant Dutch shopper bags by Fast Rider, funky reflective legwarmers by Dashing Tweeds, handlebar bags made from vintage upholstery by Beatrice Holiday, innovative gloves by Freehands Gloves, classic canvas and leather bags by Minnehaha Bag Company and unisex bike-friendly streetwear by Pedaler Clothing.
Every product in CycleStyle has been hand-picked to be both fashionable and functional – you won’t find any figure-unforgiving lycra or scary fluorescent outfits inside.
Why did Joyce created the online store…
When I first started commuting by bike I wore gym gear because that’s what I thought you had to do – cycling’s a sport, right?
But as I cycled around Melbourne, and visited bike-friendly European cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam, I realised that it was possible to ride in my everyday clothes and not have to take a change of clothing everywhere I went in an ugly, boring backpack.
I started searching around bike stores for bike bags that could double as a handbag and clothing with reflective features that didn’t make me look like a construction worker. However, I didn’t have much luck. Any gear I did like I could only buy from overseas, and I thought that maybe there were other Australian urban cyclists who faced the same problem as me. Why not bring those beautiful bags, panniers, accessories and clothing closer to home?
I decided to make CycleStyle an online store so that cyclists all around Australia could purchase stylish cycling gear easily and quickly, wherever they were located. My aim is to make CycleStyle the first place Australian urban cyclists go when they’re looking for stylish bags, panniers, accessories and clothing.
I’m also hoping that CycleStyle will encourage potential cyclists to get on a bike if they can see that cycling doesn’t necessarily have to mean a sporty, lycra-clad affair.
Why should people consider cycling over driving…
You’ll be surprised at how easy and quick it is to get from A to B easily on a bike – in peak hour I often find that I’m faster than the gridlocked cars. It’s also a less frustrating way to travel because I have control over how long it takes me to get somewhere – I know it’ll take me around 25 minutes to cycle at a sedate pace from Collingwood to an appointment in South Yarra. If I was going by car I’d have to allow extra time for potential traffic jams on Punt Road and trying to find a car park on busy Chapel Street.
Secondly, my daily bike ride, either going to work or running errands, is often the only exercise I’m able to fit into my busy day. I find that I’ve developed better cardio-vascular health, stronger legs and toned biceps and shoulders.
Finally, riding a bike is one way people can make small contribution to living a more environmentally-conscious lifestyle, not to mention saving on fuel and car maintenance costs.
And why it should be done in style…
If you’re cycling 100kms or are a professional athlete, then yes, lycra and clip-on shoes are going to be the best gear you.
For the rest of us though, I think most people aren’t that comfortable wearing super-tight fluorescent clothing – they want to look normal when they’re on a bike and don’t want to cart around a change of clothes everywhere. If you’re a stylish person off the bike, I don’t see why you can’t be just as stylish on the bike when you’re cycling to work, meeting friends for dinner or going to a gig.
And I can tell all the girls out there that it is possible to ride in skirts and heels.