Pedal Pedlar Vintage Cycling

We just uploaded a heck of a lot of shoes to the store, 89 pairs to be precise 😵‍💫 Almost all new old stock, mostly era. Some absolute gems in there from over the years. Head to www.pedalpedlar.co.uk to see them all 🙏

We just popped a bunch of items in the sale, 502 to precise! There’s up to 20% off… frames, wheels, clothing, bits and bobs.

Head to www.pedalpedlar.co.uk to check out the full selection 😃

Happy Birthday Eddy Merckx! The Cannibal was born on June 17th 1945 and won 80 races as an amateur in four years before turning professional at the age of 20, wining his first Classic, Milan-San-Remo, a year later. In 1967 Eddy signed for the Faema team, and the day after sealing the contract became World Champion for the first time. The following year Merckx won the first of his unrivalled eleven Grand Tour Wins in the Giro d’Italia, also taking the points and mountain classifications in the process. Skål!

Read more in our new journal post: https://www.pedalpedlar.co.uk/blogs/thejournal/eddy-merckx

No one has straddled the worlds of art and bicycles like the late, great Dario Pegoretti. A master craftsman who studied under highly regarded contract builder Gino Milani (also his father-in-law) and pushed the boundaries of both steel frame construction and how beautiful a bike could be. Pegoretti was the framebuilder’s framebuilder, he existed at the point where art, technical expertise and the understanding of what makes a great riding bike collide.

Some more words and pictures on Pegoretti can be found in our latest journal post, just here: https://www.pedalpedlar.co.uk/blogs/thejournal/art-and-bicycles-dario-pegoretti

Images courtesy of &

Why do cyclists wear those funny little hats? Well, first of all, it’s caps, not hats, apparently there is a difference. Secondly, they are actually an easily available and versatile piece of kit!

The peaked cotton cycling cap offers the wearer some protection from the cold, from the rain and sun getting in their eyes and from sunburn in the case of those who are follicley challenged. They are snug so won’t blow off if you don’t wear a helmet and are thin so will fit underneath a helmet if you do.

They also allow you to add a splash of colour to your outfit, show your allegiance to a brand/team/brewery/bike shop, or just tell other people ‘I’m a cyclist’ without having to actually say it.

https://www.pedalpedlar.co.uk/blogs/thejournal/caps-not-hats-the-retro-cyclist-piece-de-resistance

We are often asked what brakes are needed for classic & vintage bike builds, in our latest blog post we've tried to simplify this sometimes puzzling problem by breaking it down (pun intended!). There are two main points to attend to: what the type or fixing of brake is; and brake drop (for caliper brakes), head to our journal for more details...

https://www.pedalpedlar.co.uk/blogs/thejournal/how-to-get-the-right-brakes-for-your-vintage-bike

This is part of a series of 'how to' guides we have been working on, stay tuned for more.

There are some fantastic examples of where art and bikes combine, but in our eyes the most iconic example has to be the Cinelli Laser pursuit with disc wheels painted by Keith Haring in the 1980s - just look at it!

Some more words and pictures on this masterpiece can be found in our latest journal post...

https://www.pedalpedlar.co.uk/blogs/thejournal/art-and-bicycles-keith-harings-cinelli-laser-a-1980s-masterpiece

(Images courtesy of Velo News & The Creative Brothers)

If you’re building a vintage bike, there are a number of parts that can be slightly complicated if you don’t have the old part to hand, and one that we are often asked about is headsets. If you buy an old steel frame set the chances are that it will take a 1” headset, there are unfortunately a few different configurations of the 1” headset though, and they aren’t all interchangeable! We talk through the pitfalls and how to (hopefully) nail down the right part in our latest journal post up on our website now.

https://www.pedalpedlar.co.uk/blogs/thejournal/how-to-measure-1-inch-threaded-headsets-on-vintage-bikes

This is part of a series of 'how to' guides we have been working on, stay tuned for more.

Were it not for his untimely death on the slopes of Mont Ventoux aged just 29, Tom Simpson would probably have been one of Britain's most successful cyclists. Today would have marked his 84th birthday, and he's still remembered as Britain's best one-day classics rider, the first to be World Champion and the first to wear the coveted yellow jersey. That these accomplishments occurred at a time when almost no-one from Britain made it as a professional on the continent (let alone won races) and was at the sharp end of the field is incredible in itself. It's testament to his charisma and charm that he became a household name, looked up to by British amateurs and seasoned continental professionals alike. His mark on the sport is, and will be, ever-lasting 💔

https://www.pedalpedlar.co.uk/blogs/thejournal/remembering-tom-simpson-master-of-the-classics

Fantastic images courtesy of Cycling Weekly

Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the death of Beryl Burton, one of the UK’s most successful cyclists of all time :(

What Beryl achieved on a bike over her long cycling career is astonishing, that she did it whilst working, raising a child and never turning professional is even more so.⁠
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Even though she was taken from us way too young, her career was a relatively long one, both nationally and internationally, being especially dominant in the time trial. To read more about Beryl’s remarkable career head over to our journal here:
https://www.pedalpedlar.co.uk/blogs/thejournal/beryl-burton-celebrating-a-true-cycling-legend
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Image courtesy of Gran Fondo 🙏⁠

Beryl Burton - A True Cycling Legend, 25 Years Gone :( What Beryl Burton achieved on a bike over her long cycling career is astonishing, that she did it whilst working, raising a child and never turning professional is even more so. Born in Leeds in 1937 (and remaining there her whole life), Beryl was introduced to cycling by her husband, the two joinin...