We hardly need more proof that London’s cycling heart is in the east. Still, we’ve got some. Brick Lane Bikes (on, erm, Bethnal Green Road) is an undisputed hub of that bike culture and has long been known for custom-building extremely good-looking bikes (and good-performing, natch). It may be a trendy independent, but (like most of east London’s good bike spots) that clearly hasn’t kept it under the radar and it has now caught the attention of a multinational. In other words, H&M has been on the blower, asking for a piece of BLB.
The result is a collaboration — a pop- up shop at the back of BLB selling a range of cycle clothing designed for the bike shop by H&M. Think check shirts (£29.95), water-repellent jackets (£79.95), stretchy chinos (£24.95), caps (£9.95) and shorts with loops to hold your lock (£24.95). It’s H&M’s effort to mimic the cycle style already prevalent in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, with BLB testing out the kit to check it works just as well on the bike as in the pub.
The clothes go on sale at BLB and in H&M shops on March 7 and at first glance I’m going to predict the popularity of the quilted shirt (£39.95) over the orange-striped racer T-shirt (£19.95), but that’s just a wild guess. If it sells well, we’re bound to see more collaborations in which the big guys go east. So what next? The bike shop 14 Bike Co does a Hermès saddle bag or cycle café Look Mum No Hands does pedal-friendly Louboutins? Don’t forget who gave you the idea, folks.
