About Velosole.
Velosole is inspired by a simple ethos; we want to make products for cyclists who share a love of style and function.
From day one a meeting of minds has let us build on this ethos. A blended passion for design, practicality, and the bicycle means we strive to explore how we can improve experiences for cyclists in daily life; because a cyclists identity follows them both on and off the road. The result, we believe, is functional clothing and footwear with features akin to those commonly known to cyclists but built with a focus on chic urban living.
Our personal history goes some way to explaining what Velosole is all about.
Growing up in the rolling landscape surrounding Bakewell in the Peak District, cycling leant itself to functionality; under grey steel skies proper gear keeps you warm on the moors and a proper bike helps you negotiate steep ascents. Later in life and upon moving to Hackney in London, suddenly a spectrum of cycling subcultures is on the doorstep. Urban, fixie, commuter, messenger, and wheelie riders all represent something different but are united by a care for their own image, their own style.
Bringing together this influence of style and function is what we hope to achieve with Velosole.
Product.
The Velosole Panache is the first product we plan to bring to market.
For some, cycling is a style choice more than sport, exercise, or mode of transport. For others, it’s definitely sport, exercise and transport, but they will always go the extra mile to follow trends and look good.
The issue is that, by their own design history being steeped in performance, when it comes to cycling shoes there’s often a choice to be made on inner city journeys...
I want to travel by bike to meet friends at a restaurant but do I: 1. Wear conventional cycling shoes and compromise my fashion statement? 2. Do I pack trainers to change into but then travel with a bag? 3. Do I wear my style conscious trainers befitting of the occasion but then struggle to cycle comfortably and efficiently?
The Velosole Panache, with an integrated Shimano SPD 2-bolt cleat in its sole, solves this dilemma.
A union of two icons in their respective fields, the Panache is every part the cult lace up trainer you’d chose to pair with chinos or jeans in the office or in a bar, as it is the bearer of Shimano’s industry standard SPD cleat you can use with the bike of your choice.
It’s early days in the design process, here’s how we’re imaging the Panache will look:
In weeks to come we shall provide updates sharing the highs and lows of the journey through the design and manufacturing phases of bringing the Panache to life. Please subscribe to stay up to date with progress!
Velostyle.
Drawing on decades of inspiration from cycling and fashion’s characters and classic designs, here’s what’s making us tick right now.
First up; the pro’s.
The pro peloton is filled with mythology and conjecture. As one of sport’s most unique environments, the peloton is equal parts beautiful and brutal. One moment, cyclists ride together and leisurely ascend into the foothills of alpine mountain ranges. The next moment, and as the race sparks into life, the peloton is strung out over several kilometers down the road as riders push themselves to the limits of human capacity to get over the mountain in a bid to win.
Racing aside, in our opinion one of the greatest quirks of the peloton is the underlying style council that seemingly exists. Riders adhere to an ever growing list of dos and don'ts to avoid falling foul of faux pas and honouring style traditions. And of course, you can expect to see Saturday cafe riders up and down the country emulating their favourite pros from years gone by.
Malcom Elliot. Riding to victory in the 1988 Tour of Britain with timeless style.
What makes a stylish cyclist? Well first it should be clarified that style on a bicycle is distinguishable from style off a bicycle. When observing the professionals, style is determined by a neutral expression, a flowing grace with each pedal stroke upon the machine, and an unflustered response to acceleration or attacks from the competition. Crucial to good style is what the French call souplesse: the art of perfect pedalling, with power behind practised fluidity.1
David Millar. Stylish on and off the bicycle, founded his own understated performance cycling brand.
Some professionals, from David Millar via Malcom Elliot to Lachlan Morton, have had enough style to take them to the race finish and beyond. Agonising over sock length, team kit colourways, or the luft of their casquette, the lines between style and function, between cycling and fashion, are inherently blurred.2
Lachlan Morton. Inspiring the modern generation to ditch conventional riding and cycle wear, pioneering a mix of casual and performance clothing on cycle tours around the world.
Our rides.
Southend. 13/03/21.3
A ride from Hackney to Southend is a great day out.
Weaving through Essex lanes out to the coast, this is a ride you can make as hard as you want. Push the pace on the largely flat route and the small hills you do hit will require a maximum effort to get over. Keep the pace conservative and even if you’re struggling for fitness you can cruise there easily enough with the wind on your back.
Our ride was one of the windiest days of the year, with some segments seeing gusts of 40mph. Stopping by Hanningfield Reservoir makes for a scenic and picturesque highlight if you like to take your time on longer rides, but in truth there’s no end of quiet spots and view points to pull in and enjoy your packed lunch.
As the route pivoted from heading East to South, the largely tailwind we’d enjoyed turned into a cross-headwind, meaning we crawled into Southend ready for some chips on the seafront - you can’t say no to chips on a classic British promenade.
Join us on Strava, here.
In the meantime, tell your friends!
https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/1373/souplesse-the-art-of-perfect-pedalling
https://www.condorcycles.com/blogs/journal/pro-panel-how-to-wear-your-cycling-cap
https://www.strava.com/clubs/895574/posts/15224636