Back For The Vancouver Folk Music Festival

We are so excited to be back for this year's Vancouver Folk Music Festival, July 13-15.

Last year was a memorable one, I remember the unseasonable cold/wet weather that hampered the attendance. Richard and I remain highly optimistic for beautiful weather, large crowds and excellent music. Last year we had ringside seats listening to one our favorite songstress, Gillian Welch.

And, we will enjoy sharing the tent with our friend Helene.


Come and meet us, we will have many new products for sale!

Last year...

Richard's rain at the Festival look!

Carolle

GO! for the MEC Bikefest!

At the 2011 MEC Bikefest.

We're happy to announce that Red Dots Cycling will be at the MEC Bikefest, Saturday June 23rd at the Athletes Village, Vancouver.

This will be our second visit and we're proud to be part of this day long community celebration of all things we love... the bicycle!

Carolle and I will have our world famous handmade cycling caps and recycled rubber bike inner tube accessories.. hope to see you there!

Read our last year's Bikefest.

Richard

maillot à pois rouges: Christophe Rinero

Christophe Rinero wore the polka-dots jersey

for 4 stages, first French rider overall (fourth place)

and best climber.

The 1998 Tour is infamously known as the Festina Affair. In the mayhem that endured the race found a way to carry on. For the first time in Tour history, riders refused to start stage 12 and the race was nearly prevented from reaching Paris. Marco Pantani, the great climber, decisively beat Jan Ullrich on the climb to Les Deux Alpes.

The Pirate won the Giro in June, and now... the Tour!

My Essential Thread Cutter

My Forty year old thread cutter,

still going on strong!

During production, we cut quite a bit of thread. It's difficult to say how much but if it's there it needs to go.

Years ago, my mother worked for GWG Jeans in Edmonton as a seamstress and one of her cherished tools is the thread cutter. She retired with the tool. A few years ago I asked for the cutter and now I have it and very grateful for it. It's around 40 years old, works impeccably well and ...my essential tool!

Richard

maillot à pois rouges: Gert Jan Theunisse

Flying Dutchman...

Theunisse escapes with Anselmo Fuerte and Pascal Richard on the lower slopes of the

Col de la Croix de Fer. He will break away and ride a brilliant

individual effort to win at L'Alpe d'Huez!

photo: Graham Watson

Dutch grimpeur, Gert Jan Theunisse dominated the 1989 Tour de France

winning the fabled L'Alpe d'Huez stage. He wore the KOMs jersey for 12 stages winning the 

mountain's classification ...convincingly!

Gruppetto: Enjoy the Laughing Bus!

Now on Sale!

Gruppetto Cycling Cap.

© Red Dots Cycling

GRUPPETTO: Italian for the ‘bus or laughing group of riders’ in the mountain stages trying to finish within the time limit.

We're more than sure you'll be smiling with this comfortable handmade cycling cap on your next ride. Blue denim with white stripes, 95% cotton 5% spandex, size medium to fit 22" to 23".

Buy it here.

A Heavy-Duty Sewing Machine & the Shocking Pink Alley

A shocking pink alley greeted us!

Carolle and I set out this morning on a mission: to check out about possibly adding a heavy duty  sewing & embroidery machine to our business.

Our current sewing machine is a 1968 Singer Fashion Mate. Read about Carolle's story here. The machine is a workhorse for us... we love it. It does so much more than it was designed for. We plan on using it and we're hopeful to add another heavy duty sewing machine to help speed up our inner tube production.

The choice in sewing machines is extremely wide and it's difficult to choose due because we have to keep within our budget. We may have found a heavy duty machine but it's a jungle out there when it comes to embroidery.

Stay tune for more details on our continuing sewing machine quest!

 Our Workhorse Star!

Richard

maillot à pois rouges: Anthony Charteau

Charteau punches the sky!

Anthony Charteau (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) held the maillot à pois rouges

 for ten stages and won the KOMs classification in the 2010 TdF.

To Wash or Not to Wash ...our cycling caps!

Our handmade cycling caps are very well made, so well made that once you have experience one of them you'll want to keep it around for a long time.

I know, after a sweaty long ride, my cycling caps (I have many) has the salt stains etched on them. Not pretty and washing my cap after every long ride, is the ONLY option.
  
Often, customers ask us ...what is the best way to wash our cycling caps?

Hand wash it gently in cold water. The best way to insure your cycling cap to have a good and long life. We pre-wash all fabric so that your cap won't shrink, keeping it's shape for the life of the cap.

We suggest you wash the cap after every long sweaty ride. Because wearing a fresh clean cap is much more ...fun!


Now, with every cycling cap order we are including a handy washing guide (see above).

Richard

Welcome Back Paris-Roubaix!

Paris-Roubaix cycling cap

All images: © Red Dots Cycling

We're excited to bring back the 4th generation, Paris-Roubaix cycling cap!

And with the race set just days to go, Carolle and I raced to complete this eye-catching classic cycling cap. We've changed the design but kept the black/brown cotton/polyester fabric. The fabric is sturdy, robust just like riders who race this great classic. It's a four-panel cap, we feel fits the best for most people's heads.

We also gave it a classic look by adding a black stripe right to the end of the brim, finishing it off with a French tricolour ribbon. A classy detail for a classic cap.

We love this cap as much as we love the race ...

For there are NO losers in Paris-Roubaix!

Carolle and I are planning to wake early, around 5 am, Sunday for the great race. There will be plenty of coffee and anticipation for the ride in Hell!

très chic...

Vive la France!

maillot à pois rouges: Raul Alcala

A torn KOMs jersey for another hot day, 1987 TdF.

Mexican, Raul Alcala held the KOMs jersey for eight days finishing

a brilliant ninth on GC!

Custom Colombian Cycling Caps

The new...
Colombian Cycling Sombrero 
by Red Dots Cycling.

Carolle and I are proud to be associated with Klaus of Cycling Inquistion  because you can find the classic and flashy Colombian Cycling Sombreros there to purchase.

In case you haven't had the pleasure to read his excellent cycling blog, then may I suggest that you do so! I'm a regular reader and I enjoy the historical context of Colombia and cycling. I have my heroes of the eighties, the time I started cycling: Herrera, Jimenez, Flores, Parra, Wilches ...the list goes on.

A great time for the emergence of world cycling. A time it was all about the classic cycling cap. You would always see it on the riders, especially on the podium. And now, it seems to be disappearing from the peloton.

This is what Red Dots Cycling is all about; preserving and promoting the classic cycling cap. It's so practical; smart looking and convenient. And may I say, we're bringing the classic cycling cap back to it's rightful prominence in the cycling world!

Richard

Le Chasseur: Linen Love

Le Chasseur

by 

© Red Dots Cycling

Le Chasseur literally means, the hunter. In the cycling world it describes the riders in pursuit of a breakaway.

I believe every rider thinks of breaking away from the pack. Use this as a metaphor for daily life.

On a given day, when the conditions are right a rider can win and have their day in the sun.

So can you...

Le Chasseur is made from our favorite fabric, linen/cotton. The reason why we use this blend, it's very comfortable to wear. Linen is amazing renown for durability and long life. It is resistant to fungus and bacteria and breathes very well, rapidly absorbing and yielding moisture... so bring on the sweat!

This beautiful handmade cycling cap fits Medium (22" - 23") and now part of our weekly sale, available here.

Carolle