Candy Cranks

I love everything about this clothing label. So often people bring out cycling gear and get it all so very wrong. However Spoke and Spool have the design, the ethics and the function all in order.

Spoke + Spool’s unique garments are handmade from recycled second-hand clothing. Designed with a focus on functionality and purpose, this is a range for the inner-city commuter who chooses to move on two wheels.

A really stupid thing happened to me!

My chain jumped off the cog when i tried to stop, there was a huge lorry passing on the road . i was going to stop at the junction but because  the chain jumped i ended up heading straight into this Articulated Lorry! There was nowhere to go because the truck was so long, I remember hoping it would speed up so that i could dive under after the last set of wheels  ..it didnt .. I flew into it at the rear wheel’s,,  managed to push my head and torso away but the last wheel went over my foot and ankle!

I thought  No way ! that truck is soo big  i’ll probably have to have my foot amputated or something . I was taken to hospital and x-rayed but nothing was broken ..  a bit squashed and tissue damage  so they gave me crutches and a cast which i had on for a week,  it was painful for another 2 weeks but i could use it an by the 3rd week i could ride my bike again which was amazing because i thought i was gonna be crippled all summer. I was very lucky!

I later realised that my shoe had saved my foot ,  there is a huge crack across the solid nylon/ plastic  sole which took the force instead of my bones , and the strong suede  material held my foot together so that it didnt get all twisted and mashed. I think that if i had been wearing regular trainers that day i wouldnt have much of a foot left.

Thanks to Specialized for making this  tough  shoe it was the Womens Riata Mtnbike shoe they are seriously good!

The Yellow line is where the crack is .

By the way ! the reason my chain jumped off my cog was because my wheel had been kicked in and was warped ,  I wouldnt advise riding a fixie with a bent rear wheel and no brakes , deadly combo!

I had some gorey pictures of my foot but lost the memory card : (

In an attempt to let the world know how committed they are to their footwear line, Chrome announced their Turds For Gold Shoe Exchange. For two days only, Chrome sent a new pair of shoes to anyone that sent them a worn-out pair of kicks.

“Our shoes are built to hold up under the toughest conditions and are designed 100% to address the needs of the everyday city cyclist. Not only did we want to build a shoe that was durable and functional, but we also paid close attention to overall fit and timeless style.” – Chrome marketing director

Luckily, I was alerted of this offer, sent in a junk pair of Vans that I had since high school, and received these cuties in the mail today!!!!

So excited to ride! Thanks Chrome!

Did anyone else score some free kicks??

These are the latest Candy Cranks t-shirts representing all of the cities our fabulous CC authors are from. (apart from Houston who only just joined us) I remember when we started out with only 6 cities and 6 authors and now we have 26 cities and 33 authors which is incredible, too many to fit on the one shirt! It’s great to see so many ladies out there doing there thing and showing us how their part of the world does it. Way to go girls!!

Thanks to Em and Jay for their superb modeling, you guys are so bloody cute!!

You can pick up a ‘Cities’ t-shirt here.

How cute is this Rocket Fuel baby cap! I just nabbed this one for a mates new bubba, I hope she doesn’t see this post

Hey Laydees, Pikey Bags, Headset Clothing, South Florida Fixed and Prolly is not Probably has a photo competition running with some smart prizes up for grabs.

“The give-away is for a Headset Girly Riding Hoodie and a Pikey bag, both pictured above. This contest is for the ladies ONLY. The rules are simple; submit photos of yourself working, or racing. No pretty in pink type shit. We are looking for ladies that actually ride their bikes. The more serious the better. Submit photos to the comments section and we’ll pick a winner. Working messengers, serious racers, or just awesome ladies that use their bikes as a main mode of transportation! Fixed, road, whatever. We want to see cyclists who love riding their bikes!
The hoodie is a size small and the messenger bag is a perfect-sized everyday bag.”

Submit your photos here.

Loving these fleecy lined cycling caps from Baroquemyworld. Made from wool and fleece they’ll be sure to keep your noggin’ nice and snug while out and about on those chilly days. I love the button on this one, gives it a lovely 1960′s vibe. More here.

Veja and Cyclope, the first cycle shop in Paris to specialise in fixed-gear, have joined forces to create an exclusive fixed gear trainer.
- Made of ecological materials.
- Limited Edition: 384 pairs.
- Available in store from the 1st February 2010 at Offspring Neal Street (London) and Paper Scissors Stone* (Leeds)
- Pre-order at Paper Scissors Stone from Wednesday 27th January.
- £95

*Brainchild of Artist Si Scott and The Electronic Poet’s Steve Banks, Paper Scissors Stone is an eclectic mixture of concept store and exhibition space.

Stella McCartney has released a nice range of cycle wear, she’s incorporated some of her usual style options, lots of seams and gathered pin tucks. I like the simple lines, the orange gilet is lovely, I would like to have seen a wider range of colours, maybe there’s more available in store.

More info here. Thanks for tip Prolls.