Spin LDN, New cycling cap & Zero Waste Scotland

Zero Waste Scotland circular economy find for textile and apparel designers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a while since our last newsletter and we’ve been busy!

Last month we were announced as one of Zero Waste Scotland’s (ZWS) awardees for their Circular Economy fund for textile and apparel designers. The fund supports designers aiming to adopt innovative and sustainable methods. Over the coming months we will be working to design a new zero waste cycling cap and jacket.

We’re also starting a trial ‘Repair or Replace’ service to keep our products in use for as long as possible. The service is free and simple to use. Customers can return any Route product needing repaired due to damage or wear. If we can’t fix the problem, we will recycle your item into something else and send you a replacement. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you’re interested in taking part in the trial email us at hello@routeclothing.com
Find out more about ZWS & the fund over on their website.

NEW Drill Cap (green camo with orange stripe)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our latest cycling cap is now available to order online. The Drill has been designed to be your everyday cap. Fitting easily under your helmet, it features a soft flexible peak ideal for popping in your pocket when not required. Seams and excess weight are kept to a minimum which creates a very light cap, you may even forget you’re wearing it. Handmade in Scotland with 100% cotton and available in black or green camo with optional stripe. Buy Now.

Harris Tweed Classic Cap and Bikes t-shirt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ll be at Spin LDN next week from 8-10 May. If you’re at the show please stop by our stand (S50) and say hello! We’ll have a load of t-shirts and caps for you to get your hands on. For a chance to win a pair of free Spin LDN tickets follow us onInstagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Find out more about Spin LDN.

pop up shop

visit our pop up shop on 26 October at Velocity Cafe, Inverness

We are planning a one day pop up shop with our friends at Velocity Cafe in Inverness on Sunday 26 October. This will be our first time in city and can’t wait to be there. We hope you can come along and say hello. We will have our full range of made to order cycling caps with us as well as t-shirts and musettes, all available to order or to buy on the day. This is the ideal opportunity to get your hand on our products, try them out for size and find out more about Route.

Velocity is a bicycle cafe and workshop run by a small team in Inverness. You can find out more about what they do at www.velocitylove.co.uk

We would love to hear what you think of our latest products and hope you can make it along.

Date for your diary:

26/10/14
Route Pop Up Shop
Velocity Cafe & Bicycle Workshop, 1 Crown Avenue, Inverness, Scotland, IV2 3NF
11.00 – 17.00

 

The origins of the Classic Cap

Our Classic Cap is inspired by the infamous Casquettes worn by competitive road cyclists since the early 1900s. A simple design without superfluous details, cycling caps often feature sponsors’ names and match team cycling kits. Since helmets became compulsory for races, the humble cycling cap has predominately been relegated to pre and post ride activities or for fans looking to show support to their favourite team. More recently, there has been a rise in branded cycling caps being worn as fashion accessories or as a badge of honour for many urban bike riders.

However, cycling caps are an extremely useful piece of clothing for any cyclist. With a low profile, they will fit neatly under a helmet adding extra protection from the elements and helping to keep hair neatly together. No more helmet hair! The short peak can be turned up or down providing shade from sunlight and shielding the wearers eyes from the rain. We live in Glasgow and find this particularly handy. Also, the light-weight cotton is breathable helping to regulate heat: keeping the worst of the cold out when you want it and releasing excess heat when you need it.

Our Classic Cap is styled to be worn casually too, allowing you to get to where you’re going with confidence without unceremoniously having to strip off your ‘cycling gear’.

Our caps are made in small quantities in Scotland. We use Fairtrade Organic Cotton hand woven in Kerela (India) by Independent weavers. The raw cotton is grown on small family run farms to organic standards certified by GOTS (The Global Organic Textile Standard International Working Group).

Our current range of caps and hats are available exclusively through our online shop.

Exclusive Interview by Cyclr

Route founder David McNeil recently caught up with Steph Mann over at Cyclr.com to give an insight into Route & why we choose to make our products in Scotland.

[SM] As a Scottish person, I like to support things north of the border. At the Scottish Cycling Show I recently came across Route clothing. They stood out from the crowd by the sheer simplicity of their products. Everything about Route is people orientated. They are environmentally conscientious and ethical in their approach to clothing and business. They use sustainable materials, from fair trade cotton to bamboo. Based in Glasgow, they pretty much make everything they can in the UK and love all things to do with cycling culture. I caught up with David McNeil from Route for an insight into his business.

What was the starting point of Route? How did the idea evolve?

[DM] The creation of Route has definitely been an organically evolving process over the last few years. After I graduated from Art School in 2007, I started getting involved in various graphic design projects and designed t-shirts as a way of getting my work seen. At the same time I was getting into cycling because it was an inexpensive and a sustainable way of travelling in the city. These two interests merged until I was making cycling inspired t-shirts and selling them at local markets. A big lesson I took from Art School was being critically self-aware of my own work. I soon felt that in order to create really interesting and exciting products, I had to create a brand that would encompass what I was trying to achieve. Following 6 months of intense research and development, I had the vision of a brand that is committed to creating the best quality products available in the most sustainable and ethical way possible.

Read the full interview at cyclr.com

Spring Sale

sale ends April 30

To celebrate the return of the sunshine we’re offering everyone 30% off all t-shirts until April 30. Simply use SPRING30 over at www.routeclothing.com Happy Spring time!

Scottish Bike Show 2014

Scottish-Bike Show

The Scottish Bike Show is only 5 weeks away where we’ll be exhibiting for the first time! This is a massive event for us and we’re super excited to be taking part. There will also be a full line up of interactive workshops, demonstrations and talks by cycling experts, enthusiasts and manufacturers in the SBS theatre throughout the weekend. Here are some images of last year’s event to give you a taste of what’s to come www.thescottishbikeshow.com/gallery

50% OFF selected t-shirts in our January Sale

Fancy one of our t-shirts? We’ve got a whole load of our men’s and women’s t-shirts on sale right now with 50% off. Prices start from £12.50. See the full range of sale items at http://www.routeclothing.com/category/sale

Limited Edition Fausto Coppi t-shirt

Limited Edition Route Clothing Fausto Coppi t-shirt

We’re really excited to announce the release of our new Limited Edition t-shirt inspired by the great Italian cycling legend Angelo Fausto Coppi.

This design is an adaptation of original packing artwork. Inspired by vintage razor blade wrappers;  cycling memorabilia and history, some key elements have been added, others removed, creating a composite of the original and yet creating something identifiably new.

Limited Edition Roue Clothing Fausto Coppi t-shirt

The angel wings make reference both to Fausto Coppi’s first name – Angelo and also suggest the classical pediment, a common architectural figure in the Renaissance for framing portraits of the great and the good.

Hovering below the legend ‘Il Campionissimo’ is a device taken from , the region of Coppi’s birth.

The field surrounding Coppi’s head has been split to highlight and anchor the image – subtle drama for the star of the show.

It has been produced as a Limited Edition of 24 t-shirts and is available online at The Cycling Weekly Shop and at Siempre Bicycle Cafe, Glasgow.

Win a free t-shirt!

take part in our online feedback survey

We always want to hear your feedback on how we’re doing and how we can improve our products & service.

If you have a minute and would like to help us understand what we’re doing right (and maybe even not so right) you can take part in our short survey.

And as a little thank you, we’ll send you a special code to receive 10% off your next order with us plus you’ll be entered into a prize draw where one lucky person will win a Route Clothing t-shirt of their choice!

Take the short survey here (it’ll only take a minute, promise!) : www.surveymonkey.com/s/58Q9J3X The lucky winner will be announced in one week on 7 August so what you waiting for?

mariasbeautyreviews

image courtesy mariasbeautyreviews ©

Scottish fashion blogger & stylist mariasbeautyreviews featured our women’s reflective wheel bamboo t-shirt BLACK on her blog earlier this month. This review was a little bit different for us, a refreshing change of style, as up until now most of the features we’ve received have been from cycling websites & blogs.  You can read the full review at mariasbeautyreviews.over-blog.com

About mariasbeautyreviews:
“I like to be the first to get things and set a trend, for people to have a guidance on how to style and wear items. I incorporate a lot of different hair styles and bold make up choices into my clothing , i try to avoid matchy matchy items and just go for it.”