Natalie Hartley Cycles.....

Triathlon training is underway, the running needs a slight polish but I need to get accomplished at the other two sections of the race....bring on the bike!
My training bike of choice comes from Tokyo Bikes....who doesn't want to work out and look cool! We wear the latest trainers so why not have the hottest bike to match!
These bikes are not technically race bikes, although you can get them adjusted to allow them to be used for a Triathlon, but these are great for everyday cycles to get you into the swing of it!
My challenge....cycling to work and weekend cycles

The shop is in Shoreditch and Neil Davies who founded the store talks me through my choices

The colours to choose from are amazing and so the first decision is which colour to pick! They all come with these amazing tan leather seats and handles and the paint work is slick in any colour
Not shown here but you will see my colour choice when it arrives!

The next more practical decision is the handle bar choice and the difference between the two options is basically am I looking to race or be able to add a bit of comfort to my ride

I choose comfort every time and the slightly higher handle bars suit me better so take it for a road test. Each bike has seven gear options and they bike is light and easy to use

Not only are the bikes cool but the headgear is too (safety first but it's also about style eh!)

Want to try something new?
Latest in protective gear is the 'blow up' helmet, designed to be charged, worn around the neck and on any impact it blows up around your head! Trust it? For £300 you bette hope so! But there is no price on safety and I think it's quite genius!

To get everyone in the mood for cycling I have also discover these new fun flexible laces for your trainers by Hickies. They are perfect for flexibility of the feet when cycling (and running as I have road tested them!) and this week you can WIN a box of your very own! Just retweet the blog or leave a comment to enter! Winner announced at the end of the week!

One more thing for those interested if anyone lives in London Tokyo bikes to daily cycle hires for £12 a day so if you just want to cruise around on something nicer than a Barclays Bike then head this way!

White Soles…..

The trend for the summer shoes comes in two forms flats and white soles … be it trainers or shoes they are a key detail to look out for when investing in a pair this summer.   One of my favourite styles I have seen so far are the pair I am wearing below and one lucky reader can WIN them.  Just leave a comment below or retweet the blog to enter…deadline Friday 4th April…good luck!

TIP…don't try too hard with these shoes as they have a masculine feel they can look great with jeans or alternatively they are a great way to update an old skirt or dress.  I have worn in neutral tones but they would also look good with colour or print 

t-shirt by gap

jeans by levis

shoes by shellys

sunglasses by prada

Inspired by…

Celine

Joseph

Prada

Styld by.....Gap

I am having a big denim moment right now and who better to head to for classic denim than GAP.  But this summer they have the classic styles and colours but with a twist and I have picked out my favourite pieces available in store now!  But today you can WIN the jeans in the first look thats also in the GAP blog post up on their site today just retweet the blog or leave a comment below, deadline saturday 29th march....good luck!

click here GAP and see more about this feature!

TIP...back to the 90's but channel Winona Ryder or Drew Barrymore for this, high waisted jeans with a simple white tee and leather jacket, I love the frayed hems of these jeans and it gives the outfit a modern update

jacket by acne

t-shirt by hush

jeans by gap

trainers by converse

TIP... nothing looks fresher in summer than head to toe white so why not try a bleached denim jacket to act as a top so keep done up at all times.  I love the extra long turned up sleeves on the jacket too and the frayed collar is a new style detail to look out for why not even try it yourself and rip off the collars of your existing denim jackets

jacket by gap

trousers by atea

trainers by converse

sunglasses by thierry lasry

TIP... looking for a smarter look denim option then try indigo denim, I have layered a parka over the top as the new season is all about coat layers

parka by roksander ilincic

jacket by gap

skirt by jil sander

boots by prada

Nike Air Max Day.....

Today is the Nike Air Max day!  

Celebrate and join me in designing your own Air Max Lunar90's trainers....these are my one off designs and I would wear it with tailoring.... how would you do yours?!

I had added a simple blazer to smarten up my trainer day look

I went for all black to keep them wearable and then added a two tone graduated colour effect to give the effect of a spray paint

I initialled the back of mine for a more personalised touch

Black on black, I didn't want the laces to distract so keep things tonal across the main area of the foot

Revlon have also designed polishes to match you trainers too!

Head into your nearest Nike or click the link to design your own version of the classic trainer and help celebrate the Air Max which has been around for 27 years!

The Rucksack…..

This summer if you get any bag it has to be a rucksack!  The trend has been inspired by the must have Chanel backpack seen at the ss14 shows.  The one below is a favourite of mine and this week you can WIN the one am using in the pictures below just retweet the blog or leave a comment, deadline Saturday 22nd March…good luck!

TIP… black, white and blue they are my colours of the season the leather give this a more sporty but grown up feel less grungy than the typical styles and the white gives the outfit a fresh look look for padded details like seen on this one as it adds texture and tone

rucksack by another 8
jacket by acne
shirt by james perse
mens boxer shorts by banana republic
shoes by marni
sunglasses by thierry lasry

Trying out a Triathlon....

Fitness is addictive?  I thought it might catch on but since running my first half marathon last year i thought i didn't want to waste all that training to get me fit and able but instead I decided to give myself the winter off to veg and do pretty much sweet F.A. but then to take up my summer and start getting a the fitness regime going of some description....and then I got a call from Push PR asking if I would like to train for a Triathlon!  And to my shock and horror I said yes!  Having been inspired by my Nike half marathon last year and then seeing myself slip back into the realms of being very unfit again, now that the summer is starting to appear and the days are getting lighter I thought i would be clever and sign myself up for something, as it seems thats the only way i will get myself into action again!  Maybe like some of you I need a motivation or a date to work towards in order to do any type of exercise it simply does not come naturally to me to feel the need to do this all the time!  I am thinking winter off summer on.....

So basically I have joined forces with Simply Swim UK who have formed a fine team of fitness wannabes together and this is what happens at the start of August....

Starting the race with a spot of swimming, 750m to be exact...not ideal for me as I actually can't do front crawl so am going to have to learn a whole new skill set (lets hope I catch on fast!)

The second leg will involve cycling for 20km again not a strong cycler having only really used 'Boris Bikes' for any particular outing (again another skill set to learn or at least get stronger at hopefully)

And we end with a run for 5km, luckily this is now a skill I can do but need dusting off as I haven't really run since I ran in San Francisco for my half marathon...oh dear!

So all in all I am severely under qualified for this task but as is my personality, if it comes your way say yes...whats the worst that can happen??!!

I will of course inform you of all the worst things and the good things that can happen in my build up to the big day in August and maybe some of you might want to come down for the day and support us its in London so no excuses for some of you!  

So let the games begin (and the 3 months of training)....I hope you enjoy the journey and as always that I might inspire you all into a summer of fitness as well!