Danish cycling apparel brand Pas Normal Studios has launched its first line of gravel gear with the new 15-piece Escapism Collection. The cycling-specific pieces are offered in men’s and women’s fit, while the off-bike styles have been designed with a more relaxed unisex cut.
“This hybrid collection is dedicated to gravel rides and multi-day bike touring adventures while remaining highly suitable to everyday off-the-bike applications,” Pas Normal Studios (PNS) says.
“Each piece is designed to be versatile and easily packable to keep the wearer well-equipped in the face of uncertain conditions over multi-day adventures,” says PNS.
The jackets, vests, and all other outer layers are finished with a C0-rated DWR treatment, which the brand claims is the most environmentally-friendly water-repellent coating available on the market.
The collection includes a Down Jacket (£340), Down Vest (£225), Performance Fleece Zip (£200) and Vest (£160) , Stow Away Jacket (£170), Fleece Gilet (£150), Bibs (£225) as well as Knit Arm Warmers (£50) and Leg Warmers (£70).
The Bibs, for example, feature four pockets which have been integrated into the design on the thighs and back straps, providing easy-access storage solutions for your on-the-go essentials.
The high wool content used throughout the Performance Fleece Zip is said to give this piece remarkable thermal properties. “Defined by the open-grit structure of the wool blockings on the fabric lining, this garment is highly breathable while delivering warmth at the same time,” says PNS.
Smaller accessories such as bandanas have also been included in the collection to “accent your cycling kit by adding a touch of individuality”.
Brooks England is launching three new limited Cambium C17 colourways that take inspiration from the hues of landscape explored in last year’s Whatever the Road project.
“From the seaside towns along England’s western coast come the cool colours of the C17 Yorkshire; the rolling hills and wide skies of Dartmoor National Park inspire the dark, earthen tones of the C17 Devon; lastly, the C17 Arizona can trace its inspiration to the sandy, cactus-lined tracks of the American Southwest,” Brooks says.
The new special-edition Brooks Cambium saddles which can be bought on the Brooks England website are:
C17 Devon: Sand top, Octane rivets
C17 Yorkshire: Navy top, Electric-blue rivets
C17 Arizona: Mud-green top, Bronze-orange rivets
Which is your favourite?
Call me harsh but when I heard he had bunny hopped out a chopper I was expecting something a bit... higher?...But hey, still pretty cool.
It's 'cross world champs this weekend so we'll be keeping you up-to-date with all the pre-race build up on the live blog, before keeping a close eye on Mr Pidcock's progress come Sunday.
NewsThump got a shoutout on yesterday's live blog for its take on the Highway Code changes...'New Highway Code rules ‘could see cyclists lording it over drivers in further brazen attempts not to be run over’
Well, they're getting another shoutout today...this time for:'Audi driver repeatedly fails Captcha test after failing to identify images with cyclists' including such gems as: "Every single square is a road that you could just drive down or a junction where you can pull out whenever you feel like it. Is it some sort of trick question? Am I taking part in a Turing test?"
And..."We have been trialling a new Audi-driver-friendly version of our Captcha solution, using images of tiny tiny gaps in traffic, barely big enough a car, as they seem to have no trouble whatsoever spotting those."
Bravo, NewsThump...Bravo.
Is it two e-scooters depicted passing in opposite directions simultaneously…? 🧐 https://t.co/g6LqLtrq9G
— Ian Alexander (@Ian___Alexander) January 26, 2022
You lot have been on form this morning...is it a Dalek? Or the fifth member of Led Zeppelin perhaps? Whole lotta love for the suggestions coming in on Twitter...
Some have been saying it must be a Brompton-only lane, while Steve Douglas imagined the conversation back at base...
Jon Tyler commented: "I get it now.. crop circles are just cosmic cycle lanes!"
Foreperson: Oi, Phil, I need you to go out and paint a few bikes on that strip of road the bosses have decided to call a bike lane.
Phil: What's a bike?— Steve Douglas 🏊🚴🏃🍰🍻 (@stevedouglas76) January 26, 2022
The 5th member of Led Zep comes in from the cold https://t.co/oGNcyeGuoz
— Mike Stead (@tweetymike) January 26, 2022
@EalingCyclists@EalingCouncil just posting this picture to warn people that the new bike stands by west Ealing Station appear able to be dismantled with an Allen key. pic.twitter.com/JJUS9xGScT
— Frank Proud (@frank9755) January 26, 2022
Jamaica, Australia, Romania, Gambia and Turkey are some of the locations London's Santander hire cycles have ended up, according to Transport for London. Responding to a Freedom of Information request from MyLondon, TFL revealed 4,259 bikes have been lost since 2013, and on "very rare occasions" have been reported outside the UK.
Of the 71,747 bikes which went missing for more than 24 hours since 2013, 67,498 were recovered. In 2020, 12,448 bikes went missing, of which 950 were not found.
Vandalism and theft sometimes seems an unfortunate inevitability of city centre schemes...
Nextbike recently resumed its Cardiff cycle hire scheme following a two-month suspension due to a "staggering" level of vandalism, thefts and threats against employees.
Meanwhile in Manchester, ahead of the latest fleet of hire bikes being made available, Andy Burnham urged people to not chuck them in the city's canals...
He didn't say if sneaking them out to Jamaica was allowed...although I reckon we can guess the answer...
Happy Burns Night for yesterday to any readers north of the border.
Wiggle clearly got the message...
Who would try our Irn Bru energy gel if we started making it? pic.twitter.com/7JZh7FQwvx
— Wiggle (@Wiggle_Sport) January 25, 2022
Where's the Buckfast though?
A bike shop in Ipswich turns 100 this week and is inviting customers to celebrate the milestone. Elmy Cycles was opened on 30 January 1922 and will turn 100 this Friday.
The shop has been owned by Steve Grimwood for the past 30 years, who said it is "fantastic" to still be serving the community all these years later.
"It's a dedication to all the staff who have worked for me over the years, our customers - we often see the third generation of a family coming in to buy their bicycles - and being part of the heart of the community," he told the BBC.
"Being part of Ipswich really means a lot to me, we could've moved out of town many years ago when the trend was to move to out of town stores and centres but we stuck to our guns and the support we've had from the local community has really paid dividends."
The boys are 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊! ☠️#JackassForever hits theaters everywhere February 4th 🗓
[ Head to https://t.co/CZDATkk8bL to get your tickets today! 🔗🎟 ] pic.twitter.com/KnUPzMLUB4
— UFC (@ufc) January 25, 2022
"The faster you pedal your bike, the faster the other guys hand goes back," is one way to motivate your monotonous turbo sessions...
Painful. But has Steve-O ever commuted into a headwind before sunrise in the depths of winter? Fair enough, that would make pretty terrible TV...
Pedestrians on the left.... clown bicycles on right...? Or perhaps it's an ancient fertility symbol? Spotted on Wootton Way Maidenhead earlier. #cycling#activetravel🚴 pic.twitter.com/QS2kmPmreN
— Paul Baker (@maidbloke) January 25, 2022
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a painted bicycle...apparently.
Maybe we've got it wrong and it's actually a lane for spectacle wearers or weightlifters? Paul Baker's replies are now full of people telling him their interpretation of the marking...
mmm looks like the work of one of the students of @Auntiekay28 ...https://t.co/xVqeeOEQf7
— Wandsworth Cycling (@wandscycling) January 25, 2022
Pedestrians on left. Pumping iron on the right pic.twitter.com/B11jZUKjqY
— Tim the Planner (@TimThePlanner) January 25, 2022
Is this not a push me pull you bike? pic.twitter.com/3wwSrSZUR9
— Matthew Thompson (@M_at) January 25, 2022
Others wondered if it was an ancient code that needed breaking? You wonder why Dan Brown never wrote 'The De Rosa Code', a thriller about an infrastructure bodge job holding the key to the discovery of an invaluable Italian bicycle? I'll sell the rights to that if you're reading, Mr Spielberg.
To be honest the state of the 'cycle lane' (or maybe designated paint strip would be more accurate) is probably more concerning than one person's ability to paint a bicycle...I reckon I'd do much, much worse...
Anyway, if you're already looking to run the clock down at work...here's how it's done properly...