VIVRE SA VILLE

Cyclists are smiling, because they know they can buy the eye-catching, well-cut apparel designed by Remi Clermont, co-founder of this Nice brand.

Forget the days when sports clothing was purely practical, now it has an identity of its own, a style in which athletes recognise themselves but that never compromises on comfort. A pioneer in this field is Café du Cycliste, a Niçois specialist brand now selling its upmarket cycling gear in 80-plus countries and three own-name shops (Nice, London and Mallorca). Its impressive success is due to the determination and passion of co-founder Rémi Clermont, the brand's design brains, who back in 2010 decided he was going to design his own cycling jersey: "The specialist brands were focused on performance and didn't bother about looks, so when we came back from a ride and were chilling out together on a café terrace we felt as if our cycling outfits were a disguise, they didn't reflect our personalities." So he learnt about garment manufacturing and got designing cycling apparel that was practical and technical but stylish too. He started selling his innovative garments in his friend and partner André Stewart's bar in the Nice back country, where cyclists used to hang out.

Knowhow
Success came fast and in 2015 they opened a concept store in Nice's harbour district, with a café, a cycle-hire service and a big Café du Cycliste shop. "We were adamant about having a café so our customers could feed back to us, tell us if our garments did what athletes want." Their men's and women's lines offer all the cycling essentials: bib shorts, tights, long- and short-sleeved jerseys, socks, caps, gilets, etc. – plus swimwear for that indispensable dip at the end of a ride. "We like trying out new ideas and staying innovative, so we've launched our L’Atelier collection of one-off designs made in small quantities, which gives us greater freedom." The gamut of looks is broad – florals, stripes, embroidered hearts, colour gradations... – because: "Cycling is about pleasure more than anything else," says Rémi. Café du Cycliste manufactures its clothing in ultra-technical fabrics but with the emphasis on French and European knowhow, their latest little twist being a modern reinterpretation of the famous toile de Jouy fabric.

Leading the peloton
The Nice brand exports widely – "80% of sales are on-line" – and now equips Asia's new cycling fans as well as Northern Europe's old hands, for its styling speaks to everyone. And cycling is growing in popularity all the time, with even London traders swapping their golf clubs for shiny new two-wheelers! Café du Cycliste sees its Nice base as permanent, not just for sentimental reasons but because our region is a perfect playground for cyclists. "Many teams come to train in the back country – our part of southern France isn't just beaches, it has amazing mountain roads too." Think the Alps and the hairpin bends up to the Col de Turini, a cyclist's dream! Tempted?

Par Caroline Stefani