By Rupert Elkington Cole
Britain's urban cyclists are to receive a wake up call this April 1 thanks to the exclusive arrival on these shores of the USA's most wickedest new biking apparel brand – Stiamo Mentendo and its awe-inspiring Malato del Sidro range. Malato del Sidro combines modern fabric technology and corresponds to consumer demand-led sensibility yet retains a stylistically modern urban aesthetic.
Founded in Portland, Oregon, the uber-cool heartland of US cycling chic, by renowned BMX stunts world record holder Erik van Mees Stiamo Mentendo is the brand that: "British cyclists fed up with me-too Lycra, try-hard baggy shorts or faux-revisionist nostalgia-toss retro fashion have been waiting for."
The brand's mission statement is thus: 'Since the dawn of the bicycle, fashions have passed. The bicycle is not fashion – as they say in Italy the bicycle is "assurdità assoluta " – the very essence of man's being."
"Portland reminds me of England," explains Erik. "I was a cycle courier in Stoke-on-Trent for three months during my freshman year and the scene there was so sick. I just know the s*** I've got going down here is going to rock places like Stoke and London."
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