Queen of the Mountains clothing launched earlier this year. A creation from London based cyclist, Alicia Bamford, she designed and tailored the kit to fill a gaping hole she saw in the women’s cycling clothing market.

Alicia Bamford: Creating a Women’s Cycling Clothing Brand 

Since then, the former finance industry expert has gone on to create a community of female riders – leading three rides a week from the city, with the intention of branching out via country wide ambassadors. It’s worth noting that these efforts won her a considerable number of reader nominations in the Total Women’s Cycling Awards for the ‘Unsung Hero’ category, so we know she’s making a big difference in a lot of women’s lives.

The initial capsule range was inspired by the spectacular ascent that is Mont Ventoux. The designs and colours featured throwbacks to Alicia’s own experiences on the mountain.

Your Next Cycling Holiday Sorted: Climbing the Tourmalet in the Pyrénées

Cycling up Mont Ventoux and around the hills of Provence

Of course, Alicia was never going to stop at one mountain. This summer, she tamed the Tourmalet – the 22km long ascent in the French Pyrénées that is the most heavily featured climb of the Tour de France.

Here’s a video of the experience  – let us know if it inspires you to plan a trip to France next year (or indeed, if you’ve already climbed the mountain!)…