Cycle wear, cycle everywhere!
Manchester FoE promotes cycling style at Bike Fabulous.
On a busy Saturday during Bike Week at the end of June, Manchester FoE took over Exchange Court in the Arndale for an all-day bike extravaganza, Bike Fabulous, to dispel the myth that fashion and bikes don’t mix. Recognizing that this is one of the barriers to commuter cycling, we decided to highlight practical yet chic styles that everybody could wear to get about the city.
Bike Fabulous, the brainchild of Manchester FoE campaigner Katy Carlisle, was supported by the Arndale and by many shops in the mall, not forgetting many local bikecentric concerns who all donated their time and expertise. Not only did we hold four fashion shows during the day, we also took the opportunity to engage with the public about all things cycling, from pedal-powered music to practical cycle safety.
Our models were all ‘real’ volunteers who strutted their stuff down the catwalk. The shows featured beautiful helmets, strategically placed underarm zips and reflective strips mixed with slimline denim and cheeky skirts. Meanwhile, ‘Pimp My Ridewear’ saw kids (and adults wanting to be kids) glue, cut and paint away to turn your average reflective bike vest into a fashion masterpiece. In the process they also managed to decorate a sizable portion of the mall with glitter! Despite a bike tyre exploding due to over-zealous pumping, we managed to run the whole event by pedal power – and to serve over 200 fruit smoothies to anyone prepared to work for them on the pedal-powered smoothie maker.
On a more educational note, ‘Dr Mary’ from BikeRight! held four bike maintenance sessions covering everything from cleaning to tube changing. The BikeRight! team was also on hand to speak to the public about Manchester’s new scheme to train adults to cycle confidently, signing up 30 people over the day.
Beauty product shops Lush and The Body Shop also lent a hand in keeping cyclists fabulous on their bikes, offering makeovers and a raffle prize to those who signed up to Manchester FoE. Not surprisingly, one of the most popular attractions was the prize draw for a £300 bike from Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op. Over 360 entries were collected – more than one a minute!
Despite being weary at the end of a very long day, the volunteers felt the event had indeed been fabulous! The opportunity to be so prominently placed in a shopping centre that sees 80,000 people through its doors each Saturday allowed us to introduce a new and important audience to the benefits and delights of cycling. Although we are still brushing glitter from our hair and having nightmares about reflective vests, there is sure to be more bike fabulousness in the near future!