My TdF Traditions

Yeah, I like to paint things in homage to the Tour de France, see my Bradley W-egg-ing post as case in point. Here are this year's TdF nails.

As I can't be in Paris, I've started my own little West London TdF tradition. I know the drink associated with the Tour is champagne but I'm not that rock and roll so I started my day with a 'Tour de Force' smoothie from my local cafe/ food market Farm W5. I'm a big believer in smoothies for a natural energy boost pre exercise and often make my own but sometimes it's nice to not have to deal with the epic washing up that inevitably follows anytime I do anything kitchen based. 

Doing something two years in a row totally makes it a tradition and seeing how last year (and let's be smug already, this year) turned out, it's already a lucky ritual. 

If you can't be in Paris either, try Look Mum No Hands for some big screen Lycra action.

Merry Christmas// Jingle Bikes

I'm a big fan of pimping my bikes/ helmets/ birthdays up with fairy lights. At Christmas I can completely indulge in this without looking crazy. Tomorrow I'll be tandeming from West London to South London to spend the day with family. 

Cycling on Christmas day is the best. The roads are quiet. Anyone you do see is SO happy and wishes you 'Merry Christmas' like it's the 1930s. Best of all you can stuff your face guilt free knowing you'll be burning some of those Christmas calories off.

My turbanised tinsel Christmas helmet....

.....with hidden fairy lights.

Jingle basket. It's going to be strange going over pot holes silently.

Oxford Street's Christmas Lights as seen from the back of the tandem.

Getting stuck behind a bus of drunk Santas.

A festive way to charmingly hide bike greased nails.

Riding around papping Christmassy Streets.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Rocco Malatesta// Posters of Hands

I believed the weather a few weeks ago and put my gloves away. As it was totally bluffing I've been riding around town with cold wet sad hands. Even my age old trick of matching my nail varnish to my mud guards isn't doing them any favours. These posters by Berlin based Graphic Designer and Illustrator Rocco Malatesta show some rather more iconic hands. See.

Lance Armstrong



Maradona, no wait, God

'E.T' was my first word. FACT (I was a 1982 baby).

Freddy Krueger

What?

Here's a bit of Tour de Lance from one of Malatesta's other collections.

Available to buy here.