🖤🖤We're moving our monthly bike shed night a week earlier to the 28th June to celebrate the launch of the @v__c__c collection dropping at The Bike Shed 🍻.
.... And if you missed it at the bike shed show in May the VCC collection will be there with limited edition jerseys only available in store & the range of womens Kevlar lined bomber & worker jackets 🖤🖤 Come down for a beeeeer! ✌️
IMAGE: JAMES GRANT
Next up is our helmet sponsor for CAMP VC & we're proud to announce that the incredible DMD are supporting us & keeping our noggins safe with their range of amazing EU approved lids while we burn around the Brecon Beacons this year!
We've been in love with this Italian, family run company & their helmets since we first met them last summer at the Reunion show in Milan, with their vintage MX inspired Seventy Five being one of our absolute faves. We had a chat with the lovely Danila Stancheris about the company & why they're supporting CAMP VC this year. Watch out for the custom painted DMD helmets that will be available in our raffle at CAMP VC which well be revealing here & on our instagram soon!
Name & job title:
Danila Stancheris, Marketing Director
Where are you from & where do you live?
I am from Italy, Bergamo. I used to live in Milan and New York in the past 8 years but now I am based in Bergamo. I'm in charge of all free & marketing acvities, digital marketing web strategy for DMD.
We absolutely love that DMD is a family business! Please tell us the history of the DMD company from how it started up to today?
In 1975, my Dad - AMILCARE set up a company called NORDWEST, whose core business was importing the main helmets brands like BELL, SHOEI and GPA to Europe.
In 2007, thanks to the know-how and the experience acquired during last 20 years, Amilcare and my brother Davide decided to become a helmet producer inter own right developing a new helmet brand called DMD. The DMD name represents the acronym of the name of three siblings: Davide, Michela and Danila. I started working for the company in 2010 after my graduation in Economics at Bocconi University in Milan.
What are the values at the heart of the DMD brand?
DMD really cares about the safety of its riders as we are bikers too and we try to give the best quality we can to our customers. Our products are first of all characterized by quality and safety and, only after that, come style and design. A helmet is for protection, so the first thing to focus on the development of a safe shell, that can resist as much as possible to the impact. Thats why our helmets are made in fiber glass and carbon kevlar as they represent noble materials that are very resistant and light. Also the inner covering is studied carefully in order to offer the maximum comfort to people, like us, who ride a lot. Our staff worked very hard on the dimension of the helmet in order to get the smallest helmet size outer with a perfect fit and a maximum compactness. A bigger shell doesn't look great!
Do you ride?
Right now I ride a Vespa but I'm hoping to have a big bike soon! My brother Davide rides a 1938 Knucklehead.
Which DMD helmet is your personal favourite?
Our favorite helmet is the Woodstock model as it was our fist model made by custom paints. It was love at first sight! It embraces all the significant elements of the 70’s that are for us a great inspiration source. Our intention with the helmet was a strong nod toward the legendary seventies hence the name Woodstock!
Please tell us why you you're supporting CAMP VC this year!
We love your idea to create an event where women can catch up and ride together. We want to support all the women who ride around the world as that community grows bigger and bigger! GIRL POWER!
Ready to party at CAMP VC? Well these ladies are definitely gonna get the party started!
We' re transporting a little piece of Hackney to CAMP VC in the form of the best bar in town & man do these ladies know how to party. The Blondies bar girls will be onsite all weekend mixing up cocktails, handing out FREE Piston Head lager & serving up some Sailor Jerry rum ready for your FREE drink on arrival but first heres a little interview to help you get to know the biggest party animals onsite
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Blondies ladies! So where you originally come from & where do you guys live now?
Verity, Sharmaine and Rochelle Cox. We're all Sisters who grew up in Sydney. We all moved over separately. I guess we followed Sharmaine, who's been here for about 7 years now. Rochelle's been for 4.5 and Verity for almost 3. Our older sister Jasmine lives out here too now but she working as a Air Hostess so although its a family business, she's not around as much.
Tell us all about Blondies Bar! Where are you? When did you open?
We are over in Clapton in East London. We opened almost a year and a half ago now. Which is crazy. But it fun and exciting, especially that we get to do it together.
So how did you get the idea for Blondies?
We always wanted to do something like this, but it came around quite quickly. Sharmaine and Verity we're chatting about it one day as Verity was hating her job. Sharmaine said lets do our own thing, then the ball started rolling.. Within 2 weeks we had a deposit down on a space. Then the games really began. It's our first time doing anything like this, so there was a lot to learn, but we're so glad we did.
We love that you're an all girl crew killing it in the bar business! What made you want to open Blondies Bar together?
I think it's the strong bond we have. We've always been such a close family so the idea of working together wasn't scary. We always joke that it was either a bar/cafe or a band. But being that Verity is the only musically inclined one, this seemed like the better option. Rochelle is an amazing illustrator and designs all our merch, beer can designs and all the fun patches and stuff. She incredible. Sharmaine has a real eye for design and basically designed the interior of the building. Most of the cool stuff inside was her idea. We build the bar together as well, with the help of one of our really good friends Rob Nye. Its got a real DIY/Dive bar feel to it.. I guess thats why. lol..
What are the good & bad parts of working in a family team? ;)
We all have strong personalities, but we respect each other a lot. Everyone has valid opinions and their area of expertise, so we just try and come at it from that angle.
What made you want to get involved with Camp VC?
We've been watching the VC girls from afar for a while and they just seem like a really positive crew. Bringing females together and promoting a supportive community. We love getting involved with like minded people, so we reached out to Gemma. Think it's a pretty perfect match.
What are you gonna be bringing to Camp VC?
We're bringing the party vibe. We love throwing a kill party, and just wanna bring good energy. A good friend of ours came up with a game called 'Disco Bingo', with mandatory dance breaks and tongue in cheek bingo calls. Its super fun. We'll be bringing that too.
Favourite tune to party to?
Shameless to say, or maybe not... Drake still makes us smile and shake out things while we're working. That or Supergrass's 'Alright'
Favourite poison to get the party started?
The infamous 'Blondies Rum Punch' of course
Only a month & half to go until CAMP VC !! We're very proud to be hooking up with HONDA this year to support the event & beyond.
We know so many bad ass women who are ripping Hondas in every shape & size (we've even got a couple ourselves) so we thought we'd introduce you to a some of these ladies & their wheels who will be making their way to burn through the Breacon Becons at CAMP VC this summer! First up the lovely Natasha Farrar & her XL250.
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You meet the nicest people on a Honda its true & Natasha Farrar is one of the nicest. Orange haired & usually in leopard print jeans she rips around London town on one of the most beautiful XL250s we've ever seen. Get to know her & little red before she hits the site at Camp VC :)
27 from Croydon, London.
What do you do for a job?
I work in film and tv which just means at any given moment I could be doing anything from herding turkeys to wearing a wig in a car with a stunt driver whatever it is it won't ever involve sitting in an office. This won't be forever though, I have to figure out what is next.
When & where did you learn to ride? What made you want to learn to ride?
I learned a few years ago, unofficially in Wood Green on my boyfriends KTM and officially in Billericay with Probike Training with really truely awesome teachers, I was a nervous wreck when I started and they sorted me right out.
I didn't know anyone who rode and knew nothing of motorcycle culture. My boyfriend said I could try his bike with him on the back and that was game over, I loved it so that got me started. I have such a unique sense of joy when I'm on a bike even as a passenger. I wish I started sooner.
Explain your amazing bike to us! :)
Ooooo my little red Honda. She is a 1980s XL250 with a 23in front wheel and a dodgy looking fender. ha ha It's great for nipping around London but I think it dreams about zooming around on grass and dirt in the countryside.
. It's a really simple bike so it's great to learn from. At the moment I don't know much about mechanics so if something goes wrong even I can take a look and get an idea of what's happening and maybe how to fix it. Having said that I've made one or two mistakes but I'll get there.
How long have you owned your bike?
3 years it's my first and only bike.
Have you done any custom work to your bike?
Barely, it's almost all original. I've taken out the battery so the electrics run off the engine and removed a bit of the faring for looks. If i wanted a little project or fancied customising a bike I would buy something else for that.
What made you choose your bike?
I didn't really. I was looking out for a particular enduro and Andrew Almond from Bolt said his mate Drew at Black Skulls was selling something I might like. I popped over to see it, it just seemed massively red and the engine was too small. But I jumped on it and had a ride and thought woaaaaahhhh this bike was made for me. riding a lighter bike made me feel like a kid I could throw my weight around confidently. So I just had to convince Drew not to sell it to anyone else while I got the money together. Thank you Drew.
Whats the best moto trip you've ever been on?
I've been pretty limited to riding around London but last year I chucked the bike in the back of a van and drove it to meet my cousins camping in Sussex. I spun it around some fields until I felt a Bit too guilty about the grass. I had so much fun, it's a completely different feeling to riding in the road I can't really describe it. If anyone reading this near London wants to go green laneing or take a little trip let me know!
Dream motorcycle trip (where & with who)?
In a dream world there would be Mountains, dirt roads, jungle, the coast or some lakes, sun and a tent. maybe with a local rider who knows good places to go and can help get out of sticky situations. But for now in the real world it would be camp vc this August!
Any advice to anyone wanting to start riding?
Just do it. At least give it a go! If you are fearful of something make sure you learn with instructors who put you at ease and are willing to spend time to help you overcome any issues. Resist the desire to get a really powerful bike until you've put in time on he road. My time on the little red has probably made me a better more controlled rider. You might miss the speed of a bigger bike but I think you have to earn that.
What are you most looking forward to at CAMP VC?
Getting out of london, dirt riding, meeting new homies and learning to skate :) Hurry up August.
Read our latest VC Team Talk conversation with the awesome chopper builder tearing up the beaches of Japan - Ayano Hirosaka
Read More
Absolutely stoked to be featured in one of our favourite publications last month.
A big thanks to Huck Magazine for coming down to hang & putting us in their game changers issue alongside some of our absolute heroes!
P: THEO MCINNES
Flanking her is Namin Cho and Mai Storni, who give their own engines a chest rattling roar before tearing off towards Limehouse tunnel. As they cut through the Docklands – an industrial wasteland of concrete, metal and glass – any nearby vehicles instinctively keep their distance.
This is the core of VC London: an all-female bike crew redefining what it means to ride for a new generation.
All images by Theo McInnes for HUCK MAGAZINE
We're absolutely stoked to be working with the mighty Honda on our 2017 CAMP VC event & beyond this year!
From XRs to monkey bikes Honda have manufactured some of our all time favourite motorcycles so from the start we couldn't imagine a better motorcycle manufacturer to team up for CAMP VC.
We've got some incredible bikes from Hondas motorcycle history coming to site from the legendary Africa Twins, CRFs of all sizes to 125 learner bikes for newbys to learn on & even a little something on 4 wheels from their off road ATV range (yikes!).
Kicking off what we've got going on with Honda this year heres a little vid from when they visited us at The Shop recently to talk about Camp VC! Keep your eyes on our blog for more news on some awesome girls & their awesome hondas coming to Camp VC!
Yesterday we held the first VC X DOCKLANDS RIDERS DIRT DAY over at Docklands riders, East London & man was it a blast.
A huge thanks to Docklands Riders & to everyone involved for coming down & making it a great one.....Maaaaaaan I'm aching today.
Cant wait for the next one!
Thinking of coming to CAMP VC & want to know more about what its gonna be like heres a flash back to our last years Babe Ride Out UK event written by the lovely Lindsey Kelk for Glamour magazine!
Join us at Camp VC for a ladies only weekend of motorcycles, ride outs, beginners moto lessons, dirt biking, skating, talks, tattooing, camping, live entertainment & partying on a hill top 16th century farm site in the Breacon Beacons, Wales from August 4th- 6th 2017!
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FOR ALL THE EVENT INFO & TO BUY TICKETS CLICK HERE!
We're giving FREE GIFT BAGS for the first 50 ladies to sign up full of some rad stuff from our sponsors!
We're also limiting tickets to just 250 for our first year so don't snooze ladies !
CAMP VC IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY HONDA, VANS, DMD, RED WING SHOES, VCC, BLONDIES BAR, THE DTRA, PISTONHEAD LAGER, SAILOR JERRY RUM, THE SHOP CUSTOMS, NEFARIOUS SKATE CREW, BABES RIDE OUT, THE GRAND HOWL ROASTERY & WINE & RIND
Tickets launch this weekend of our CAMP VC event & damn we got some amazing stuff in store! From August 4th- 6th 2017 were headed to wales for some dirt biking & enduro to free yoga classes, a skate ramp & 125cc beginner classes, it gonna be one hell of a weekend.
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TICKETS DROP THIS SATURDAY 1st April & are limited for our first year so stay up to date with all the details on our INSTAGRAM HERE & sign up to our mailing list to be the first to know when they drop to avoid disappointment ladies!
We have 125cc beginner riding lessons onsite
We're proud to announce CAMP VC is supported by HONDA - IMAGE BY @VELVET DESPERADO
Check out the latest VC Team Talk with BMX rider & motorcycle ripper Brooke Betancourt
Read MoreSo stoked to be included in this article by the Evening Standard ahead of international womens day 2017. x
We've been cooking something up over the last few months & we're stoked to finally tell you all whats been going on & release the save the date for our event this summer Camp VC!
Set in a 16th century farm site on a hilltop above the Welsh valleys at the edge of the incredible Brecon Beacons National Park, Camp VC is a womens motorcycle camp out &outdoor adventure weekend with dirt bikes riding, ride outs, camping, moto riding lessons from 125s to dirt & flat track , talks from women in moto sports, skate boarding, live entertainment & free booze (and thats just the tip of the iceberg). This is an event open to all no matter what you ride from those who already ride to those who want to start!
Follow the events page HERE on Facebook for updates & follow VC London on instagram for all the event news! ...... Its gonna be big!
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More details coming this weekend!
Get it in yer diaries ladies!
Its finally here! VCC was launched this week. From fully kevlar lined jackets you can ride, cycle & roll in to racing moto x jerseys, these girls got the stuff you need!
Get yourselves over to their website for a look at whats new & follow them on Instagram now-
Inspired by the gap for hardwearing womenswear for those who wander, VCC is tough wearing design, made here in England, for wherever you go, whatever you ride, whatever the trip, without having to forego style for safety.
VC Team Talk with the trailblazing UK based skateboarder Josie Millard
Read MoreWe hung out with the custom car queen herself Becky Evans aka Queen B to chat shit about cars, bikes & burn outs
Read More
Over the coming weeks we'll be featuring some bikes & builds we love from all over the world & the women who ride, design & build them. First up is absolute mega babe Manon Hache & her incredible Honda 125cc custom chopper.
Ever since she popped up on our instagram feed (thanks to the ever amazing Dice Magazine who's next issue she'll be gracing the pages of next month with her chop) we've been pretty obsessed with the awesome bike she built with her dad & brother at home in Belgium. With another build already on the go for this winter (this time a 79' Harley Ironhead) we had a chat to her all about her first bike build & her ideas behind it, chopper shit & her dream road trip.
Enjoy! x
GEMMA: So where are you from?
MANON : I'm a 24 years old girl from Mons, Belgium, EU. My dad is Belgian and my mom is Italian from Sardinia.
G: How did you first get into bikes?
M: My dad and my brother run a garage. They work on cars and bikes, mostly on Harleys and choppers. That's where my love for choppers comes from.
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My Honda is my first bike. I decided to start with a 125 to be comfortable on the road beforebuying a Harley. When I bought it, I knew I wanted to build a chopper: A Tall sissy bar, ape bars, super tall fishtail pipes and colour would be orange. Those are the first things I was sure about. My brother @mauro__hache always has good advice - he decided about the line of the bike, also the seat was his idea, fender too, and he also did the all paint. He's the master of paint of this house! My dad did everything else, by hand: The sissy bar, pipes & the electrics. The ape bars are from a good friend of ours @alexdew. Apart from that everything was made with old parts we had at home. My dad disassembled and rebuild everything. I spent my all days with him learning and helping him in the garage. That's the best part of building a bike- the memories and hours spent in the garage togheter. I'll say it's really the result of our 3 minds. Dad, Mauro and I made my dream lil bike come true. Now I've got an original 1979 Iron head which we're staring to build this winter. Fun time again!
G: How long did it take to build from start to finish?
M: We just did it when dad had a bit of free time in the garage so we didn't work on it everyday. We started like 6 months ago.
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G: So what made you go for this model of bike & what made you go for a chopper style rebuild?
M: Choppers are my favorite style of bike. My first influences about choppers was definitely from my brother and my Dad. I start to get into it a few years ago then really wanted to start my own project. I'm always searching for vintage pictures of choppers. I'll say I had my idea of my dream bike in my head before to start the project, but when it came to real life, it's even better than what originally I had in my mind. I was the happiest girl in the world when the bike was finished, and I am still.
To me if you own a chopper, you can make your bike very personal. That's the funny thing. Your bike ends up looking like you and your personality. The end of 60s - 70s is my favourite era for just about everything i'd say. Choppers, music, fashion, furniture, style, womens liberation. I was born too late!
G: Whats your dream bike?
M: I've got a little preference for Panheads. But I'm pretty sure i'll own a knuckle too one day.
G: If you could go on any dream motorcycle trip where would it be?
M: I'd like to travel America on a bike. I will one day. I'd love to be lost in the mountains in the middle of nowhere and thinking: damn, i'm at the other side of the world and I'm so happy and free. We did a lot of EU bikes shows this year so it was an amazing summer. I love meeting new people who have the same interest. I can't wait for next summer!
G: Favourite thing to wear when you ride?
M: My everyday to go outfit: flares with a band or printed t-shirts from small businesses . Also my vegan leather jacket customised by pins and patches from small business too. My favorites brands for the coolest t-shirts or the best vintage custom are places like @Shopbadrevival @Shopthecreatures @Shophellbound @Backbite_ @Velvetcaveclothing @Bornabadseed and so many others....Go girls!
G: Favourite helmet?
M: My Biltwell Gringo full face. Ride safe!
G: Tell us about your business - Le rendez-vous vintage!
M: Le rendezvous vintage is my vintage shop that I opened 2 years ago. It's my dream job! I need freedom in my life. I could never wake up every day & do something I'm not happy with. I wake up with a smile everyday thinking how lucky I am to be an indenpendant women who loves her life and work.
Go follow Manon on instagram HERE & checkout her vintage store Le Rendez- vous Vintage on facebook HERE
A big thanks to Manon & Dylan Mura! Go see more from Dyan on insta HERE
Loving all the people that you can see taking their first steps to 2 wheeled adventures lately! Your first summer riding is something that stays with you for sure... Whether it’s full of roadside breakdowns, stalling and running out of petrol or friendships, road trips and ride outs it’s something you don't forget in a hurry.
Our good friend the lovely Georgia Sherlock just started riding this summer, so we asked her to write all about her tips, road trips, CBT stuff and her first summer on 2 wheels.
Thanks G!
x
GEORGIA:
This summer I made the massively excited but mildly apprehensive step into the world of motorcycles. At first glance it seemed like an exclusive world, dangerous and arguably aggressive but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only have I learnt a new skill, but Ive also managed to meet some amazing people, all of us connected by an engine and two wheels.
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So what made me want to start riding? When I was little my dad had a bike (he still does) and I always kinda thought he looked quite badass. He also used to race cars so anything with an engine makes sense to me (sort of). By no means am I a mechanic but it isn't a totally alien world in some ways. I must have been about 10 when I had my first memory of being on a bike was clinging onto my dad and his very ugly Triumph Tiger.
So, with a wobbly start and a couple of very helpful spins around a car park with the lovely Gemma of VC London, I got my act together and managed to pass my CBT in torrential rain with a bunch of aspiring Deliveroo drivers. The prospect of getting on a motorised, two- wheeled machine with minimal practise was a pretty nerve wracking thought but for anyone interested in the idea please don’t be deterred - you can all do it with yer eyes closed! My main advice would be to take it on a scooter, these are automatic and only 50cc. Get legal and then get your ass on a geared bike, there’s no rush with these things but the most important thing is that you can legally cruise the roads!
For my first bike I chose a Yamaha SR 125. I wanted something older and of more vintage style so I trawled through millions of eBay listings and stumbled across the bike I now own. Luckily the woman selling wasn’t quite aware of the market and the bike was an absolute steal. The appeal of something older was the idea of customising it and the vision of a little cafe racer, however, that’s yet to happen (but in the pipeline). After getting my bike I just rode and rode and rode, everywhere, anywhere, nowhere. It didn’t matter the occasion, or why, the liberating feeling of being sat on a motorcycle trumps any other. Whether it’s to clear your head, meet some mates, or just a way to spend your time, the experience is incomparable.
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Despite what people might think you can do some serious mileage on a 125 as I did this summer. From Kent to London - Wales and all through the Brecon Beacons, I’ve made some pretty amazing memories in my first summer on two wheels.
A ride out to Kent with a motley crew - It was a Sunday, the sun was shining. Rachel Billings and I fancied a BBQ and a river to swim in so a group of about 10 of us rode on down. We cruised along some picturesque A-roads and tried to delay the inevitable Sunday blues as much as humanly possible. We all managed to avoid swallowing rat shit from the dodgy looking river, however we did not manage to avoid partial nudity from some of the guys…
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Babes Ride Out UK, Wales - Friday 5th August, a group of brave and perhaps slightly mad motorcyclists met at The Bike Shed in Shoreditch. The sun was shining and coffee and croissants were being consumed as we prepared to embark on our ride to Wales for Babes Ride Out UK. Asides from the ride itself taking a healthy 10 hours, for many of us it was our first time out on the country roads; hearing your bike, smelling the fresh air and absorbing the scenery was a blessing and the freedom we felt was like no other. When we eventually arrived we were greeted by a group of some of the most awesome women I’ve ever met. Asides from the cold beer and relief of climbing off our bikes, my overwhelming sense of respect for these ladies was very real. It takes a lot of courage and confidence to organise such an amazing event, the girls behind VC London are carving the way for women in a traditionally male world and bringing Babes Ride Out to the UK is just the beginning of a very long legacy.
IMAGE BY THE COSTA SISTERS
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The Trip Out, Bedfordshire - Summer was coming to a close but there was time for one final hoorah as a bunch of us descended upon a farm in Bedfordshire. The ride up there was quick and easy… proves what a little practise and experience can do to your riding (confidence had grown since the 10 hour adventure to Wales). We arrived in the pissing rain but our spirits were not dampened. Cracking a beer, ditching the bike and watching the sun go down surrounded by a spectacular array of choppers was certainly a pleasant experience. With a well stocked bar, live music and awesome people there was very little to complain about. Differently to other events this was less about riding and more about displaying. The variety of motorcycles encountered in one weekend was an entire experience in itself and as a newbie to the scene it was quite a spectacle…
TRIP OUT IMAGES FROM SUBSCULPTURES BY JONNY WILSON
So, at the end of my first summer riding my best advice to anyone wanting to get on two wheels would be to just do it. If you’re interested and the idea of a bike gets the heart racing then book a CBT and get legal. It would be a lie to say the CBT wasn’t nerve-wracking but take it easy and take your time, anyone can do it and once the certificate is in your hands jump on a bike asap. A big car park, industrial estate or quiet country road, as long as you have space and someone with experience and patience to guide you through the gears and getting your balance you’ll be cruising about in no time.
Anyway enough from me but all I’ll finish on is the totally positive outcome of my fairly impulsive choice to hop on a motorbike. It’s a decision I’ll never regret and if you love it the rest comes naturally.
G x
IMAGE: HEIDI ZUMBRUN
