a guide to heritage clothing, canvas bags, steel bicycles, and Japanese web shops
Lavenham, a UK based brand specializing in custom horse rugs and quilt gillets, is everywhere these days (per Instagram). The predominant Lavenham visual in my feed is the new reversible quilt gillet designed in collaboration with Labour and Wait. Today, I spotted a fetching new collaboration between Lavenham and Narifuri (a Japanese urban fashion + …
Each refresh of the Japanese cycling outfitter Rin Project site reveals a new product obsession: wool cycling sweaters, retro hairnets, knicker hose, mod coats, leather cycling shoes and Brompton compatible shoulder satchels. My top Rin Project product pick is this cycling pullover with retro-inspired front carrying pockets and wool sourced from the UK. It reminds me …
Per Peter Allen – Everything Old is New Again. I’ve been browsing through the pages of Men’s Club magazine from Japan. Who needs a costly Free & Easy subscription when everything about outdoor and inspired cycling garb has already been spelled out in 1977. Here are a few sample views: I love the mixed view …
I’ve admired handbuilt, all steel, Jack Taylor bicycles for years. Fellow Oregon Randonneur Joel Metz rides a stunning yellow JT and friend Jack Fortune owns the prettiest bicycle in my flickr photostream. If you live in the UK, here’s a chance to bid on your own Jack Taylor – a handsome, fully outfitted touring machine …
Once again I’m mining riders from the Nationaal Archief’s flickr photostream to stage my own Tour de France. Despite the passing of decades, the rider’s wool jerseys and steel bicycles make them look like a unified team. For 2012, I present my Archival tour: Jaap Kersten in Gramont (1961) Alphonse Schepers (1933) Jules Buysse (1926) …
For Spring/Summer, we’re releasing our original, Archival Plain Musette in canvas duck in our three favorite colors: navy, olive and red. Our Plain Musette is a simple envelope-style bag with a snap closure and fixed-length shoulder strap. The Plain Musette is constructed from only the highest quality materials including stout, closely woven cotton canvas with …
PBP spectators in Villaines, France I just got back from the 17th edition of Paris Brest Paris, an ultra distance cycling event held every four years in France. I always say that I record and erase my memory of rides longer than 600k. I can confirm via official records that I successfully covered the 1200k …
If you’re jaded by the modern Tour de France, stage your own race using these vintage TDF miniatures (via spokesniffer). No carbon fiber. No doping scandals. No helmets!
I (Lesli) just formalized registration for Paris-Brest-Paris. In 70 days 22 hours 6 minutes and 3 seconds I’ll be joining 6000+ cyclists from around the world for a 1200k Grand Randonnee. The ride will take me from the suburbs of Paris to the coastal town of Brest and back. Riders will have 90 hours to …
It has been a happy, hectic spring. Archival operations continue to expand. We’re now shipping out sizeable orders to domestic and international retailers. New bag styles and colorways are in the works. We’re looking for commercial space and planning to bring on a production manager this summer. In the midst of the “blooming, buzzing confusion,” …