What I have discovered is that the Dutch have built better cities. The streetscape is beautiful; the noise-scape is filled with sounds of bicycles and people talking. The car is the guest and children have autonomy and the ability to ride their bikes to explore beyond their community.
]]>"The problem with cycling in Victoria isn’t the bike lanes, it’s the whole culture and dialogue around cycling, and the solution is to look to the Dutch".
Click the photo for the article and if you want some insight into the article, just keep reading below the photo.
The top message for this interview was around normalization of cycling.
Normalizing cycling: this is about culture and messaging. It’s how cycling is portrayed and visualized. Collectively (media, the City of Victoria, BTWW, GVCC etc.) we need to change the vernacular when referencing cycling. Cycling is not just for sport or just to ride to work (the 90% who are curious about riding a bicycle cannot see themselves dressed in spandex). Also, the sport referencing implies that you need a lot of “fancy” gear that makes it look complicated and dangerous. If the goal is to get people on their bicycle, the imagery needs to be of people dressed for their day so that people can imagine themselves on a bicycle. (language is not only a mirror of reality, it profoundly shapes it in the first place) Goal of inspiration: 63% of “Amsterdammers” ride their bikes daily!
We were interviewed by our good friend Melissa Bruntlett of Modacity. Her article focuses on female mechanics and bike culture and she asked us to provide some input into the article.
Let's get into it.
]]>Thanks Melissa!
]]>Let's get into what they had to say.
]]>Momentum Magazine reviews the Hill & Ellis Birkdale pannier.
Written by: Tania Lo
Ride into summer with your own Birkdale Leather Pannier
PRICE $469.00
FIND IT AT LE VÉLO VICTORIA
TELL YOUR FRIENDS
What’s not to love? This is the bag of my dreams! It’s sophisticated, easily camouflages as a fantastic day bag, and fits a laptop, lunch, and a spare pair of flats along with the necessities. It’s almost feels like a Mary Poppins bag, watch out for overstuffing! The Birkdale allows you to seamlessly move from bike to bus to brunch without changing bags or forgetting things. A thoughtful metal reinforcement keeps the bag’s form on the rack, while buttons on the bottom keep it from getting stuffed. The zipper cover hides the pannier hooks when not in use, and leather handles on the side allow for easy opening and closing of the zipper while the bag is on the rack. The bag smells great to boot!
People have said that it looks big but I like big bags, more room for everything! A few more colour options would be great, as would different size options - smaller or larger. I'm looking forward to the collection.
This is a beautiful bag. It’s perfect for someone who frequently leaves for the entire day and needs to tote around lunch, a laptop, gym clothes, etc., all while disguising it inside of a professional, sophisticated exterior. You could even throw a helmet inside.
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http://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=622020
VIDEO: @CTVLisaPerry explores stylish solutions to everyday cycling challenges in this week’s #StyleFile - http://t.co/9b96iO11U1
— CTV News VI (@CTVNewsVI) May 27, 2015
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VIDEO: @CTVLisaPerry explores stylish solutions to everyday cycling challenges are explored in this week’s #StyleFile - http://t.co/9b96iO11U1
— CTV News VI (@CTVNewsVI) May 27, 2015
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Erin Jardine from Momentum Magazine says "Rain capes can be the perfect wet weather piece of outerwear for your daily travels by bike. Designers have updated the traditional rain poncho with bike-friendly accents, hi-tech fabrics, and have crafted an ideal fit for a moving body on a bike".
Simple in style, brilliant in colour and pattern, high in function and 100% waterproof. We think you'll be thrilled to have one of these. They're the happiest rain capes around. Bright beautiful colours to brighten the stormiest of days.
We say, be inspired by all of the beauty that spring showers bring to life. And we'll keep you dry from the top down with the beautiful colours and patterns of spring! We think you'll be thrilled to have one of these. Keep it tucked away in your pannier as it folds into a large pocket creating a tidy little package for travel.
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Let's dive in!
]]>In this issue they did a great article on great cycling destinations and Victoria, BC was featured in one of the articles, "Great Destinations." Want to know what Le Vélo Victoria had to say about the appeal of riding around #YYJ? Check it out on page 38!
We would love to hear your favourite places for cycling in YYJ!
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Read on for more details.
]]>Read the full article and see where we ride for great food and espresso.
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Le Vélo's feature in the Capital.
"For Susan Stokhof, it was the last straw. The Vic West business analyst arrived at the office she shared with a male colleague. And then … disaster.
“I was pulling down my ugly bicycle rain pants. My jeans went down with it. I thought, ‘That’s it, I’m not dressing like this anymore.’ ”
Curious about cycle fashion and eager to learn what's trending on the stylish (read: cycle chic) bicycle scene? read on ...
Great to see @LeVelo_Victoria in @timescolonist new #Capital Mag! #yyj pic.twitter.com/hQa46TJt5z
— Sara Park (@SparkInVictoria) March 30, 2014
Le Vélo Victoria featured in the new business magazine "Capital" Check it out and share it! http://t.co/gmWT1jLKeB
— Le Vélo (@LeVelo_Victoria) March 29, 2014
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In Conversation With David from Vancouver Cycle Chic received some press today!
Gifts they'll love at first sight. Find a gift they'll fall for instantly and love all year long. Shop online and get free shipping.
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Susan Stokhof speaks about her creative on-line business providing elegant solutions to everyday cycling challenges. Le Vélo specializes in stylish bicycle accessories. Visit her site Le Vélo Victoria.
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A recent online scan of the business for sale category in Used Victoria found upwards of 100 ventures up for grabs. They ranged from food carts and beauty salons to multi-million dollar investment properties.
To be sure, the types and variations of business a person or group can get into are limited only by one’s imagination.
And there are numerous reasons why businesses are put up for sale, saysBrian Wesley, chairman of Business Victoria, a non-profit organization that since the 1980s has taught budding entrepreneurs how to harness their skills and passions – most recently through its Firestarter program. Anyone looking to take on someone else’s operation needs to check it out with eyes wide open, he says.
“If the business is being sold for health reasons or retirement, those things are very different than one that’s had financial difficulties,” Wesley says. “There is a requirement to do a lot of homework.”
Susan Stokhof, operator of Le Velo cycling accessories, shows off a couple of the company’s products, carrying boxes, along with her husband, Laszlo.
He recommends talking to an attorney about potential legal or municipal regulations, looking at tax statements, assessments and asking about trends in their customer base – get them to open their books.
One must do their due diligence when starting a business as well, he says.
“Do you have a sustainable passion that will carry you through the good and bad times? Do you have a commitment to access the resources that are necessary for success? Are you prepared to network and access mentoring resources? Training and mentorship are two of the fundamental success factors for small business,” he says.
Susan Stokhof had the germ of an idea in mind when she took the Firestarter program. She determined, however, that the market was already saturated in Victoria for her first concept, a dog accessories boutique.
“I’m a fairly creative person and wanted to do something creative in business,” she says.
Undaunted, the government business analyst kept her eyes and ears open until another idea literally rolled in front of her. A longtime bike commuter with her husband, Laszlo, she was encouraged by him to incorporate cycling into a business venture.
The result was Le Vélo, a largely online fashion and accessories business that draws on the cycling lifestyle in Europe.
“For a while I stopped riding to work because I hated the look,” Stokhof says of not feeling able to dress for the office on her bike. She continued her research and found ways to creatively craft her product line, along with writing a blog with tips on staying stylish after cycling.
“I do think there’s something about following your passion,” she says of her experience to date. “It can turn into something you never thought it would.”
Wesley doesn’t mince words when it comes to the city’s economy – not to mention that of B.C. and Canada. “The growth in our economy is directly related to the growth of small businesses. Large companies have shed an incredible number of employees. If it wasn’t for small business, the unemployment rate would be far higher.”
Visit businessvictoria.net or levelovictoria.co.
Article written by: Don Descoteau - Victoria News, rel=“nofollow" posted Jan 16, 2014 at 2:00 PM
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With a special focus on staying fashionable, no matter the weather. Le Vélo's Susan Stokhof says, "For cycling in the rain we encourage dressing as you would like to dress and the rain cape will allow you do it all.
To hear more tips on cycling in the rain, listen to our interview on CBC All Points West.
]]>Great things happen when Victoria Businesses collaborate!
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Also see: Le Vélo: Making Pedal-power elegant in Victoria for more info. on the cycling chic movement.
Joie de vivre!
]]>With a special focus on staying fashionable. For cycling in the rain we encourage dressing as you would like to dress and the rain cape will do it all.
To hear more tips on cycling in the rain, listen to our interview on CBC All Points West.
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Check it out under Business Victoria under Start-ups
]]>Check out the full article: Locals Guide - weekend in Victoria
A great article, it reminds us of what's in our back yard and to shop local.
Check out the full article at VitaminDaily.com
]]>Check out the full article: Diggit
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Check out the full article: Diggit
]]>Matchbook is an online lifestyle publication celebrating classics - Shaken and Stirred.
Their monthly issues cover past and present fashion, decor, the arts, travel and culture. Brimming with intriguing interviews, stately homes, captivating memoirs and swoon-worthy fashion spreads, matchbook seeks to inspire women around the globe to design a life they adore. From lipstick to letterpress, gelato to grosgrain, and Paris to Peru, consider us your field guide to a charmed life. Sweet.
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@MatchbookMag @LeVelo_Victoria & our post See our post http://t.co/tKji1tzTPk pic.twitter.com/XMbxdYSWxu
— Le Vélo (@LeVelo_Victoria) August 11, 2013
For complete details on the article see Matchbook
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For the full article go to Victoria Select magazine
"Cars are so yesterday," says the Le Vélo website. Because our four-wheeled companions are – well, for the most part – brutish when it comes to environmental impact and operating costs, Susan Stokhof, Le Vélo's owner/operator, says it's time for our two-wheeled 'plan B' to become elegant again.
Many Victorians are already opting to ride. While the Colwood Crawl is crawling, the Galloping Goose is galloping – alive with the metal-on-metal sounds of pedal power. But do you really want to arrive at work or a lunch meeting or a farmers' market or anywhere, for that matter, in padded spandex, a Tour de France replica T-shirt and helmet hair?
Susan says it's possible to arrive "destination ready" when you ride. "If you commute or travel less than 10 kilometres, you don't need to wear exercise gear." Susan admits that when she first started riding to work, she was 'active wear' head to toe. But wearing exercise gear is part of the reson why bike riders arrive at their desintations a sweaty mess.
Truth is, yes – you're getting exercise riding your bike, but you're not "working out," you're commuting. It's not a race, "slow down," Susan says. Choose clothing that's functional and stylish and simply enjoy the journey.
For more information about Le Vélo's elegant solutions for everyday cycling challenges, visit www.LeVeloVictoria.co or drop in on a Le Vélo pop-up shop at various times and locations throughout #YYJ.
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