Sure signs of spring!

Although Manchester rain has returned, the sunshine of last week brought out the first signs of spring in our cycling community too.

Silver cyclist

It's nice to see the occasional more mature gentleman cycling down student-dominated Oxford Road once in a while, and looking stylish at the same time.

Bike babble: Richey

 

Richey, Piccadilly Gardens

Hello! What bike are you riding?

A York Free Spirit. I've not seen many of them about, and I'm not sure if that's because there's not many of them or because nobody wants one.

And where are you going today?

I'm going home to south Manchester. I've been out shopping in town today.

What's the best thing about cycling in Manchester?

The lack of hills.

What could be improved?
The existing cycling infrastructure... road markings could be more clearly illustrated, and I think the council has a long way to go in providing cycling facilities.
We like your panda t-shirt.
My panda t-shirt likes you.

Florence

Spotted this nice custom paint job outside Sainsbury's in Fallowfield. Wonder if Florence is the name of the bike, or the bike owner?

Baskets

No matter what bike you have, a basket is always a pretty addition. As well as being rather useful!
Plus, you can customise it no end! Flowers, ribbons, bunting, toys, stickers... you name it. The basket below is from my bike, silk purple flowers are bound to steal a smile everytime I ride.

Walking your bike

Who says you have to ride your bike all the time, the brilliancy of the bike is that with friends sans vélo, you can easily walk your bike, and chat, and have fun... and look rather dapper, as this fine chap illustrates!

Northwest is Best

Photo by LC. Thanks!

Hello! I'm northwest is best, one of the contributors to this fine blog. Cycling isn't one of my passions - it's just something that I do everyday to get around. And when I do cycle, it's in my normal clothes. Well, I call them 'normal', but they're a bit brightly coloured for some people.

Oxford Road

Oxford Road is one of the busiest cycling routes in Manchester, full of students heading to the two universities and people commuting into town. You can see all sorts of bikes and all sorts of cyclists, from front racks to flip flops and ponytails to printed backpacks. The charming fellow at the bottom left has even matched his t-shirt to his bike frame. Bravo!

Welcome to MCR Cycle Chic

 
Well... how long did you expect Manchester to go on without its very own Cycle Chic blog?

Inspired by the original Copenhagen Cycle Chic, we've decided to start recording the growing trend of original, relaxed and chic cycling of this city made famous for its textile AND engineering industries.

So, without further ado, let's commence our showcase of Manchester Cycle Chic!