Blog - Page 9 of 28 - Carvalho Custom

Summer holidays in August

We have had a very busy Summer, so I think we deserve a couple of weeks off! So just to let you know that we are closed the first two weeks of August and custom cycling & triathlon clothing orders we receive from now on will only be delivered from the third week of August onward. Our heartfelt thanks to all our customers all over the world for choosing Carvalho Custom in 2014!

On another note, we get a lot of request from companies looking to source clothing from Portugal; sometimes it is from our direct competitors who want us to make their clothing for them, which sounds ridiculous, but we have had 3 companies do this in the last 18 months! We are able to help some other non-competing brands looking to source from Portugal though, so if you do need help with sourcing, then you can contact us at via www.portugalworks.com.

Shu Pillinger – so close yet so far

Shu was so close to becoming the first British female rider to finish the 3000 mile Race Across America, but unfortunately 9 days in to the race, she fell asleep on her bike, fell off and broke her collarbone. She is still our hero though! I get a sneaky feeling that she will not rest until she completes her mission to defeat RAAM though, so watch this space.

In this photo below, you can see Shu wearing her Carvalho Custom cycling jersey and shorts, but also her support team – it is unbelievable that these 8 people are prepared to give up so much time and effort to help one athlete support her dream, so our congratulations to all of them as well.

Shu Pillinger halfway through Race Across America

Shu Pillinger is at around the halfway point in her attempt to be the first British woman to finish the 3,000 mile Race Across America. We were delighted when she chose to use our carbon-mesh female chamois to keep herself as comfortable as possible (although how comfortable can you be riding a bike 3,000 miles in 12 days!). There is an inspiring post by her crew about the suffering that this event involves – http://fourlegsgoodlog.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/super-human-endurance/ – super-human is exactly the right word. Here she is about to arrive in Kansas, having climbed up to 3,300m and back down again. You can follow her attempt on twitter on #shuRAAM and on facebook.

Shu Pillinger attempts to be the first british female to complete Race Across America

Here is Shusannah Pillinger cooling down after cycling 300 miles in the first day of her attempt to be the first ever British female to finish the world’s toughest cycle race.

We are very proud to be her kit sponsor and it is truly amazing what she is attempting to do. Go Shu!!

Shusannah Pillinger talks about the Race Across America

Here is Shu talking about her attempt to complete the epic RAAM 10th of June. We are so proud to sponsor her in her attempt. Best of luck Shu!

And here is Shu out at the start of the race, in her Carvalho Custom cycling kit!

shu raam 2014

Duchenne Dash – London to Paris bike ride

An old school friend has a son with a genetic disorder, Duchenne muscular dystrophy , and they are raising money for research with a London to Paris bike ride (among others). We are very proud to supply their charity cycle jerseys . Here you can see Hugh Dennis, Dermot Murnaghan and Krishnan Guru-Murthy getting ready to go.

You can find out more about the Duchenne Dash here and any contributions will go to a great cause.

Team BASED from Holland looking sharp

Dutch cyclists are always looking for something to ride up rather than battering along the flat all day long and here are Team Based out training in the hills around Limburg. Not exactly the Alps, but in Holland you have to take whatever you can get!

Anyway our thanks to Team Based for making our custom cycling clothing look so great and for coming up with such a good looking design!

Giro d’Italia cycle show in Dublin

We have just got back from exhibiting at the Irish Cycle Show in Dublin which was at the finish area of the Giro d’Italia. There were thousands of people there and thank you so much for everyone who came along to the “Carvalho Café” for cupcakes and a glass of port. A special thanks to all our existing customers who came along to say hello, because selling our custom cycling and triathlon kit direct from Portugal, we rarely get to actually meet our clients. Anyway, although I say it myself, our stand had to be the most original at the show and it was great to share it with the Race Around Ireland guys and girls and we are very proud to be sponsoring Europe’s toughest cycle race again this year.

We will be at the Irish Cycle Show 10th & 11th May

This year the Irish Cycle Show is going to coincide with the Giro d’Italia, which is coming to Dublin. We are going to be setting up the Carvalho Café where everyone will be welcome to wet their whistles Portuguese style and who knows what else we will be giving out. For us these events are as much about meeting our existing customers as meeting new ones, as selling direct from Portugal we rarely get to meet our clients face to face, so if you already buy from us, please come along and say hello – it really means a lot to us.

We are also delighted to welcome the Race Around Ireland to our stand – the RAI is the toughest cycle race in Europe (2,150kms of continuous racing) and we have been proud sponsors for the last 4 years. The cycle show will be a great opportunity for you to speak to race director, Alan Heary, if you think you have got what it takes to take part.

Please check out our new custom cycling jerseys when you are there!

Video about our new biofit jersey and jackets

We are now moving pretty much all of our production of custom cycling jerseys and jackets to Biofit, which gives and improved fit and better breathability for the jackets, principally by adding an extra lycra panel down the sides and adjusting the cut around the shoulders so that the fabric is relaxed when you are in the riding position. Here is a short film explaining it: