CTC Forum

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/

This is a great, laid-back forum that beginner cyclists will find especially helpful. Get answers to your questions without a lot of technical jargon common among more experienced cyclists. If you have technical questions you can get simple answers from helpful moderators and forum users eager to answer new cyclist questions. If you’re looking for a friendly group of people who won’t make you feel ignorant for your lack of cycling knowledge, CTC Forum will make you feel right at home.

LFGSS

http://www.lfgss.com/ 

It would be a mouthful for this forum to be aptly titled, London Fixed-gear and Single-speed forum, hence LFGSS. This excellent online community is a great place to chat about the best bike shops in London, find out about cycling events and buy and sell used parts and bike builds. For events such as the Dunwich Dynamo the forum normally organises a coach and names go down on a list. You’ll need to take some time to acquaint yourself with this cycling forum as it does have it’s own set of rules and characters but once you’d do it’s a great community to be part of.

Boris Bikes

http://borisbikes.org/

Although not quite as active as other forums, this forum is a great place to chat about cycle hire bikes and cycling in London. Launched back when the cycle hire scheme first kicked off, Boris Bikes can help you find out where cycling events are taking place, where to get your bike fixed for cheap or where to hook up with other cyclists at your level.

Reddit UK Bike

http://www.reddit.com/r/ukbike/

If you’re looking for a truly interactive cycling forum, this is probably it. You can find tons of cool stories about wipeouts, run-ins with motorists, budget bicycle trips as well as basic opinion pieces and standard cyclist info. You can find links to even more cycling information and connect with local cyclists for information on repairs, used parts and alternative bike events. If you find that just isn’t enough for you and you want cycle information that isn’t limited to the UK, check out Reddit Bicycling forum.

Bicycle Stack Exchange

http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/

Bicycle Stack Exchange forum is a great source of information because of its question and answer style format. You can search for questions posed that you need answered or post your own question (or answer) and find out exactly what you need to know. This cycling forum is for all types of cyclists, whether you train, commute or simply want to be able to repair or build your own bicycle.

Bike Forums

http://www.bikeforums.net/forum.php

This is one of the most active cycling forums out there. I often look through its archives when I’ve got any maintenance or cycling questions.

Bicycling Magazine Forums

http://forums.bicycling.com/eve

This is one of the best cycling forums because of the sheer amount of information available. Regardless of your experience as a cyclist you can get beginner information, maintenance repair tips and even cycling nutrition, fitness and training tips. This bicycling forum provides information on cycling events but also help for bicycle advocacy that gives you tips on getting bike lanes and more places to lock up your bike.

Road Cycling UK

http://forums.roadcyclinguk.com/

Road cyclists looking for advice from experienced riders or simply looking to connect with other road cyclists will find Road Cycling UK a great forum. Get advice on long distance trips, what to pack for long trips and the best places for road cyclists. Ask questions about anything you like and friendly RCUK cyclists will give you the answers you need.

BikeRadar

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/

BikeRadar is a great cycling forum for all types of cyclist—road cycling, mountain biking and family cycling—regardless of experience. Ask questions and find information about recreational cycling, races, training and bike routes. Get information on what type of bicycle to buy, accessories you’ll need and what a repair kit should contain.

PinkBike

http://www.pinkbike.com/forum/

If you don’t want to wade through questions from road cyclists or racers and you only want to know about mountain biking, consider PinkBike as your cycling forum of choice. Get tips on what type of mountain bike to purchase, how to perform certain tricks and techniques or swap information with fellow vintage bike collectors. Although these are serious mountain bikers, they are more than willing to offer advice on all things related mountain biking.

Note: We know this isn’t a complete list of all the forums out there, it’s just a selection. Let us know your suggestions in the comments!

The post 10 of the best cycling forums appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Use two different locks

I’ll never forget the day I walked back to the bike shed after my college lessons, only to find my bike had disappeared. Confused I asked myself: Did I lock my bike? Is this a friend of mine playing a practical joke? Did I even ride my bike in today?

The bike was secured with just a flimsy secondary lock. Nowadays I’ll never leave my bike anywhere without two different locks keeping it safe. My Kryptonite and a chain lock.

Learn to ride assertively

About three years ago I was having coffee with David Love from the London Cycling Campaign. He turned to me and said: Have you ever taken a cycle training course?

Me! Of course not! I don’t need such a course. I thought to myself. However, I trusted David’s opinion and so I booked myself in with Cycle Training UK. The two hour session that followed changed the way I cycled for ever.

I started using techniques such as establishing eye contact with drivers. I also became more assertive on the road and didn’t let drivers put me in dangerous positions.

To this day, it shocks me how much high vis is synonymous with safe cycling. There’s so much more to it.

Fear no punctures

When I first started cycling I was always worried my bike was going to get a puncture and I’d have no idea what to do. Fortunately, early on I splashed out on puncture proof tyres. This made punctures a very rare occurrence. I also figured out how to repair one – just in case!

Gear down at traffic lights

As anyone who’s pedalled up to a traffic light in a high gear will know, it’s a pain to get started again. Now I always gear down before I hit the lights so I can set off more quickly and without angering my knees!

Use CycleStreets and BikeHub to plan your route

If your image of cycling in London is Euston Road, lorries and angry traffic then you’ve not yet discovered the magic of the CycleStreets route planner. Also, don’t forget to download a copy of BikeHub for route planning on the go.

Learn a thing or two about bike maintenance

Whether you use an app, videos on the internet or a bike maintenance course, learn a thing or two about bike maintenance! I chose to learn because I wanted to save money and ended up really enjoying discovering how my bike works (especially as it was much easier than I imagined).

Learn the rules of bike locking

Always lock your bike through the frame, through the wheel and through the object you are securing it to. Don’t lock your bike to a post that it can be lifted over. Lock your bike somewhere busy. Never leave your bike unlocked – even for just a minute. Don’t place the lock too near the ground as it will be easier to leverage for attack. Remove all accessories.

Get a floor pump

I spent my first couple of years cycling without a floor pump. Little did I know all this time I was riding without properly inflated tyres. A floor pump with a pressure gage
helps you pump up tyres quickly and get them to the required pressure. This prevents punctures and dramatically improves your performance.

Don’t wear underwear beneath your lycra shorts

Whilst most people won’t wear lycra when they first get started, eventually, for a long distance bike ride they can’t resist trying it! A classic mistake is to wear underwear beneath the lycra shorts. Don’t do it!

Be zen! Breathe and don’t get angry

Pedestrians are going to walk in front of you, cyclists are going to jump through red lights and Brompton’s are going to overtake you(!). Each time this happens you have a choice: Get angry, or breathe and let it go! There are plenty more things that are irritating, but focus on them and you’ll miss the many joys of cycling.

Have any more lessons? Share them below!

The post 10 things I wish I’d known when I first started cycling appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Do you spend a lot of time on your bike, perhaps you have a long distance commute, ride sportives or race in some capacity? Perhaps you are looking to buy a new bike – often a significant investment – wouldn’t it be great to know that a bikes geometry was suitable for you? In both of these cases, a bike fit might be the best money you can spend on your cycling. 

This year I am spending a lot of time on my bikes, so a bike fitting seemed like a very good idea.

Did I want the extra speed? Did I want more comfort? and did I want to reduce my chance of injuries?

Sign me up!

Enter Freespeed Bike Fitting Studio

Freespeed are a bike fitting company in Chiswick, West London. Freespeed’s sole focus is making your bike fit you and your cycling aspirations. In their purpose built bike fitting studio their experienced fitters make use of the latest and greatest bike fitting technology to enable you and your bike to work in harmony. 

I booked a session with Freespeed to have the bike I intend to use on the Ride Across Britain fitted. A session at Freespeed lasts 2-3 hours, so there is plenty of time to get things absolutely perfect. My bike fit was conducted by Jonathan Morrisson who is a very experienced bike fitter with a background in Sports Rehabilitation so I was in very capable hands. 

Retul Technology

On arrival at the impressive studio, my bike was placed on the turbo trainer in front of the natty little Retul machine. Retul is a very precise 3D motion capture technology that takes measurements of all aspects of a riders motion while pedalling. The Retul system eliminates the guesswork and assumptive nature of fitting, providing the fitter with the most accurate data set possible. 

In order to measure your movements, you are fitted with a harness which places LEDs on various joints from your feet to your shoulder. The light emitted by the harness is picked up by the Retul machine, while you pedal, which can then reconstruct your pedalling motion very accurately. 

Various metrics are constructed from these measurements – such as knee forward of foot, knee extension and back angle. All of these measurements have an optimum range. Small changes can be made in your position – through saddle height, bar height for example – and the effects on the various measures can be seen instantly. All of this adds up to a very efficient and accurate positioning of the rider on the bike.

Process

The first part of the fitting process didn’t actually involve the bike at all – just the rider. An assessment was made of my flexibility – fairly poor! – through various manipulations and exercises. This allows the fitter to understand what they are working with – there’s no point setting someone up in a very aggressive position, if they are not flexible enough to maintain it in some form of comfort. I also answered questions about my cycling goals – again, there’s little point setting someone in an aggressive aero position, if their main goal is distance and comfort. 

Armed with this information, it was time to get on the bike and have my position assessed and tweaked until the ideal position for me and my goals was reached.

I had to ride at a moderately hard effort, for about a minute at a time while the measurements are taken. Once the system has captured the data, the fitter analyses it and asks you qualitative questions about how it felt, and then makes the various adjustments required to improve the position. These adjustments could include saddle height, stem height, bar angle, cleat position and many more. 

In my case we made quite a few adjustments to the saddle – lowering it, bringing it forward and altering the angle – as well as flipping my stem into a more aggressive position. Most of this was focused on getting my legs not to over extend, and my knees to track outwards less. Each adjustment seems minuscule, but the overall effect can be remarkable in terms of my on bike comfort. 

The session lasted around 2 hours and I really felt like every avenue was explored to get me and my bike perfectly in tune with one another – it felt like a very personal service with no corners cut and no stone left unturned. 

On the subject of one-to-one attention, the feedback from the session was emailed to me a couple of days later with full details of the changes – and reasons for the changes – as well as a series of exercises that I can do to strengthen my core and improve my flexibility. All of which, will result in even great comfort. 

The results of the fitting

I’ve done around 300 miles on the bike since the fitting, and I have to say I am impressed. I am able to sustain a higher average speed for longer and in more comfort – what more could you ask for?

The final picture shows my position after all adjustments had been made. There are a myriad other small changes that have created the most comfortable ride I’ve ever had.

How to book! +Bonus from London Cyclist

We’ve teamed up with FreeSpeed bike fitting to offer one lucky reader the chance to get their bike fitting paid for.

Book your session via the phone or through the website and make sure you quote “London Cyclist” as the source. At the end of April (April 30th) we’ll do a draw and the winner will have their fitting session completely refunded.

Appointments normally last between 2.5 – 3 hours for a single bike. For any additional bikes, add another 1-2 hours.

Pricing is on an off peak and peak basis. £195 for off- peak sessions which are 9.30am and 2.30pm slots during the week and £220 for evening or weekend slots.

Thanks very much to Freespeed and in particular Jonathan for allowing me to take notes and for taking the photographs included in this article.

The post Do you need a bike fitting? appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

After a particularly wet weekend of walking in the Peak District, my much loved DHB waterproof jacket was letting water in. The waterproofing was failing.

Fortunately, through London Cyclist readers, I’d heard about the Nikwax range of products.

You simply washed your waterproof gear in the Nikwax mixture and the waterproofing is restored.

It seemed a bold claim, so I asked everyone what their experience with the waterproofing products were:

• Spinyone: Yep. Have a Paramo cycling jacket. Works pretty well if you clean first & follow instructions
• Juter: Yep, it’s good stuff. Saw me through a lot of very wet Devonian winters.
• TBag75: LOTS of times. Works a treat
• Wondermare: used it on my horse’s turnout rug. She’s still warm and dry in spite of monsoon weather.
• Katelockhart: it wasn’t a problem, I just washed old tracky bottoms after. It works really well – did about 5 items – all waterproof again!

The feedback seemed overwhelmingly positive, so all I had to do is choose the most suitable product for me. Nikwax have a fairly huge range:

I ended up with the Nikwax TX Direct Wash In Waterproofer as it had overwhelmingly positive reviews and a 300ml bottle was only £7. This is enough to wash 6 garments, if you hand wash.

Rather than add it to my washing machine, I decided to hand wash it, using gloves to protect my hands.

1. I hand cleaned my waterproof jacket.
2. I filled a bucket with 6 litres of hot water and sunk my jacket in to the water.
3. I added a full cap (50ml) of Nikwax.
4. I splashed it around to make sure everything mixed together and left it for 10 minutes.
5. Then, I agitated the mixture again, removed the jacket from the bucket and rinsed it with cold water, until the water was running clearly.
6. Left my waterproof jacket to dry

Did it work?

Since then, I’ve ridden around London in heavy rain and in snow. Both times the jacket kept me perfectly dry. It seems the Nikwax did the job!

Which version should I get?

If you want to restore waterproofing on your jacket, then you can either get the wash-in version or the spray version. Both are very well reviewed and recommended.

A London Cyclist reader argued that the spray in version was less likely to impact the breathability of the jacket. I’m not really sure if this would make a difference and the manufacturer claims that the product also revives breathability.

With my jacket I’ve not had an issue with reduced breathability.

Further tips on using Nikwax to restore waterproofing

My readers have shared some further useful tips:

• Make sure your washing machine is fully clear of any biological soap as this may damage the underlying fabric in your jacket – Gore-Tex particularly. Otherwise works great. Beware of any liquid run-off from the jacket, after the wash, onto the floor as this will be slippery!
• Half my laundry cupboard is nikwax products! I redo my various coats and water proof trousers every now and then. Unfortunately I discovered this morning that my over trousers are due to be re-done . I run a 60 degree empty wash through the machine before using techwash or TX direct to make sure that the pipes are free from detergent.
• As routine, washing machines should be run empty on a 90 degree wash (which is the equivalent to some ‘cleaning’ settings). I use Nikwax a lot and it does work, just follow the instructions and don’t try to wash to many items at once as I think the normal size bottle is only meant to do 3 or 4 jackets.

The post How to restore waterproofing on your jacket appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

The snow is coming down over London and many cycle commuters will be having a chilly ride home, beautifully framed by snowflakes.

This morning I cycled in with a friend of mine, to show her the ropes about cycling in London. Her biggest complaint:

“It’s too hot! I’m sweating!”

It’s bitter sweet that on one of the coldest days of the year, the complaint is about sweating. Something that fortunately can be easily solved by having the right layers, and removing them as you pedal to work.

I’d like to bring you some of my top tips for cycling the snow.

Snow tip 1: Staying warm

This is the most obvious one, but you’ll want a good winter cycling jacket such as the highly recommended DHB EQ 2.5, a pair of EDZ Merino Gloves and something to keep your head warm.

I generally just accept that my jeans will get wet, but I do tend to a wear a pair of meggins (men’s leggings) beneath to keep me warm (much to the laughter of my girlfriend – jealousy I’m sure!). Alternatively, you may own a pair of waterproof trousers.

Snow tip 2: More tyre tread is preferable for winter

Road bikes generally have slick tyres, which have minimum grip as they are optimised for speed. This should be fine for light snow, but as it gets heavier you’ll ideally want something with more tread.

Most hybrids and mountain bikes will be better equipped for this weather as they tend to have tyres with additional tread.

If the conditions worsen, you may choose to buy a new set of tyres from your local bike shop, that have additional tread. Otherwise, Chain Reaction Cycles have plenty of options.

Snow tip 3: Easy around the corners

When you are cycling in the snow, you’ll quickly realise you have less control than usual, due to slippery roads. You’ll want to be especially careful around corners, as this is when it’s easy to lose grip on the road. Take it slightly slower than usual and make smooth turns.

Snow tip 4: Go easy on the tyre pressure

You can get some additional grip by slightly under inflating your tyres.

Snow tip 5: Brake early

In snowy and slippery cycling conditions, it’s a good idea to brake earlier than usual and to drop your speed slightly. This is because stopping distances will be increased.

Ideally, the front brake should be used only when you are cycling in as straight line.

Snow tip 6: Relax and keep your weight back

When you are cycling in heavy snow and freezing conditions, you’ll find that your wheel will want to head off occasionally in strange directions as it drops in to various tracks laid out by cars. Allow it to do so, don’t tense too much and keep your weight back. This should help keep your central balance on the bike.

Snow tip 7: A good time to put a helmet on

If you don’t normally wear a helmet, this can be a good time of the year to use one. It’s more likely in snowy conditions that you’ll have a fall.

Snow tip 8: Mudguards!

If you don’t do it for yourself, then do it for the cyclist behind you. Add a mudguard to your bike, it takes two seconds!

We recommend the SKS Mudguard.

Snow tip 9: Be aware of drivers reduced visibility

Fogged windows mixed with ice conditions, means that if you are cycling in the snow, you should also be aware of a drivers reduced visibility. Remember to cycle in the primary position (not in the gutter) and give drivers extra space. Also, be aware cars that accelerate too fast in the snow may slide, so you shouldn’t be positioned at the side of one.

Snow tip 10: Clear glasses

When cycling in the snow, a lot of the snowflakes will end up in your eyes. Using either a cap or a pair of clear cycling glasses should solve the issue.

Any more tips? Share them below!

The post Cycling in the snow appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Here’s how I achieve that.

The buff

The first item in my arsenal against the cold is the buff.

A favourite amongst protesters in Athens and cyclists in London. If it is really cold, I can pull it up to cover my mouth, but in most scenarios I’ll just wear it to keep my neck warm.

This is one of those items, that as your body temperature climbs, you can quickly remove at the traffic light and shove in your pocket.

I personally chose this Merino one for £18.

Gloves under your gloves

After a reader suggested these £10 EDZ Merino Gloves, I ordered a pair. I’m glad I did. They are so warm and comfortable, on even the coldest of days!

You can wear these either under your normal gloves or simply wear them on their own. As I get particularly cold hands, I tend to start my ride with another pair of gloves on top. I then remove the top pair when I get warm.

Hat with ear flaps

A picked up a “christmassy” hat with ear flaps in Copenhagen, when I couldn’t take the cold any longer and I was already wearing every single layer I’d taken with me! I’m glad I did. This hat is now hung up by my front door, ready for every outing!

As I get warm, I put the hat in my pocket or tie it with the pigtails.

For those looking for something a little more professional, the Berghaus Men’s AQ2 Mountain Hat is a good option. It is especially waterproof. For those with a helmet, you may wish to pickup some kind of cap, such as this one from DHB, to fit underneath.

Keeping your feet warm

Are you spotting a theme with all the references to Merino? Well, that isn’t going to stop now that we get to my personal bugbear. Cold feet!

I’ve got a couple of pairs of Sealskinz Thermal Liner Socks that I bring out when the thermometer is showing 0 degrees!

These add an additional thermal layer, that prevents cold toes.

Warm legs

For warm legs I recommend tights beneath your trousers or shorts. You can go professional with these and splash out £80, or you can pickup a pair for £15 that will do much the same job.

Alternatively, these DHB Knee warmers are a great solution.

For the rest of the body

I personally find that by keeping my extremities warm, the rest takes care of itself. I’ll wear my normal clothes to cycle in, with a winter cycling jacket on top.

What solutions do you use? Leave a comment below.

The post Staying warm but not hot on your bike appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

With the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announcing that inactivity is now as big a killer as smoking, it’s a great time to keep feeling smug as a cyclist.

To supplement that, I would love to know if you guys follow any specific healthy eating habits?

As always, please leave a comment below. I read all of them.

30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up

One of my favourite authors, Tim Ferriss, discusses the importance of eating 30 grams of protein, within 30 minutes of waking up. It’s the old classic advice of not missing your breakfast. To get that you could, for example, eat some nuts, eggs or meat.

If you miss breakfast you don’t replenish your liver’s glycogen stores, which can result in feeling tired half way through the ride in to work. You also end up eating more later in the day.

For me it really varies. Sometimes I’ll wake up and immediately feel hungry. Other times I’m happy to go on until about 4pm without eating.

However, for weight loss and healthy living, it’s better to have breakfast.

The best way to do that is to have something prepared from the night before. That’s great for when you are running late. If you don’t fancy eating something solid, then a smoothie is another great option.

Supplementing a healthy living

Some people go along the route of using products such as the Maximuscle UK supplements. As I’m simply getting from A to B and not training for any hard-core rides, I don’t tend to use any supplements. I’m keen on getting these proteins from natural foods instead. I do use Abel & Cole however, as they deliver high quality meat from UK producers.

The only supplement I use is Apple Cider Vinegar. In my personal experience, it helps with healthy skin, reducing bags under the eyes. However, I’m not a doctor and I can’t quote any scientific studies that prove that, so please do your own research.

Eating as soon as you arrive at work

The advice you’ll read in cycling magazines is that you should eat within 30 to 60 minutes of ending a workout. That’s when your body uses the nutrients from food to repair muscle and replace glycogen. With that thinking, you should grab something small when you arrive at work. However, if you only have a short commute or you prefer cycling at a leisurely pace, this becomes less important.

Healthy eating during a long ride

If you’ve got a long commute in to work, then it can be a good idea to grab some healthy food during a ride. While energy bars tend to be expensive, and I probably wouldn’t recommend their long term use, you can use some healthy alternatives. Bananas, apples, sandwiches and muesli bars are all a good source of nutrients.

Do you have a healthy eating routine? Is there anything you’d recommend to fellow cyclists? Please leave a comment below..

The post Healthy eating as a cyclist appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

The leaves are coming down, the clocks have gone back and the weather reporters are presenting us with temperatures in the single figures.

Some cyclists will slowly start leaving their bikes at home. The underground will become their new daily ritual. They simply don’t want to cycle in the dark or in the cold.

There are those of us that will keep cycling. We grab our winter cycling clothing, we stick on our gloves and wait for winter to throw its worst at us.

I would hope that most readers will belong in the latter group, but I certainly don’t judge those who prefer spending winter on the underground with the company of a nice book.

Are you going to keep cycling through the cold weather? Or are you planning on switching to public transport? Let me know in the comments and share any tips you have for fellow cyclists.

Here’s a checklist of some of the best winter cycling cycling tips:

• Bike lights are a must.
• Lip balm is going to come in useful for dry lips.
• Brakes! Make sure your brakes are well serviced as you’ll need the stopping power.
• If you are getting too hot, make sure you are wearing layers. As your ride goes on, expect to remove your top and perhaps even your middle layer.
• If you find your eyes are watering, a pair of clear cycling glasses may help keep the wind chill off your eyes.
• Mudguards keep your back dry and the cyclists behind you will thank you.
• Gloves are essential, especially as the metal on the brake levers can get very cold
• Woolly hats with ear flaps are good for the coldest of days.
• When real winter arrives, clean your chain once per week to remove any salt from the roads and use wet lubricant. Choose one day per week where you’ll do this so that you stay consistent.
• For cyclists who wear glasses there are some solutions in the comments beneath this post on how to deal with potential issues.
• Keep a spare pair of socks in your bag

As I’ve recently sold my hybrid bike to a good friend of mine, this winter I have only my single speed bike to tackle the winter. Let’s hope there isn’t too much snow, as I feel my thin tyres will be useless!

The post Are you going to cycle through the winter? appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

I’d be interested in hearing how many people’s hallways look like the one above! Where do you store your bike at night? Leave a comment below.

I’ll start us off:

As our apartment doesn’t have any secure space for storage and I don’t particularly want to leave my bike outside overnight, my flatmate and I store our bikes in the hallway. It’s not an ideal solution, especially when you consider having to carry a bike up four flights of stairs. A neat solution would be either to switch to a folding bike or fit a Cycloc, but as we are moving out soon I don’t see the point.

See also: Bicycle storage in a cosy London home

The post Where do you store your bike at night? appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

“How do you carry your suit in to work when you are riding a bike?”

There are a few different solutions.

1. Take it in by public transport and leave it at work

The first option is to leave the bike at home once per week and simply wear or carry your suit. However, this isn’t an ideal option as it’s a shame to miss out on a day of cycling. Plus, not everyone will have space at work to leave a few different suits in a locker.

2. Use a suit bag

There are a number of different suit bags available to cyclists. Here are three popular ones.

Slicks Suit25 – £119.50

Chris Askew, a London cyclist, came up with the design for the Suit25 bag after he was having problems getting his suit in to work. I’ve posted my first impressions on the Slicks Suit25 here. The bag is an impressive piece of kit. So much so, that my house mate has been borrowing it almost continuously.

• Wateproof cover
• Fits in laptop
• Can also fit in your shoes, lunch etc.

Available from Slicks website: http://www.slicks.cc/suit25

Henty Designs Wingman – £115.49

The Wingman is a new bag by Henty Designs. It’s designed to help you carry your suit in to work. I really like the throw over the shoulder design of this bag, as well as how quick it is to unfold it and then hang it up.

• Space to fit an iPad
• Waterproof cover included
• Additional bag that fits inside the roll for your shoes and so forth
• Don’t need to fold your suit in half – just needs to be rolled around the rigid structure of bag.

Available from Henty Designs website with free shipping: http://henty.cc/

I’ve met one of co-founders of the Wingman (Jon Gourlay) who introduced me to the product and I’ll be adding my review to London Cyclist after some further hands on testing.

SuitSak – £65

With a very wide design, the SuitSak is not something that would instantly appeal to me. However, it does have the most competitive price point.

• Space to fit your laptop
• Space for your shoes, lunch etc.
• Only need to fold your suit in half

Available from Suitsak.com

3. Wear your suit on your bike

There’s also nothing to stop you wearing your suit on your bike. This is generally easier on certain bike types. Boris Bike style bikes for example have chain guards and a relaxed riding position. This means you don’t get your suit caught in the chain and you don’t stretch the trousers.

How do you carry your suit in to work? Leave a comment below.

The post How to carry a suit on your bike appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.