Summer Stories

Stories from our Community - the riders, routes and reasons behind this year's Universal Colours adventures. 

Summer is made for riding. Long days, unfamiliar roads, coffee stops that turn into lunch, and the kind of rides that stay with you long after you've put the bike away.

This year, we followed three of our ambassadors - Camille Gardent, Nico Neves and Sara Van Vliet - as they took Universal Colours with them across Europe. From the mountains of the Pyrenees to the roads of Belgium, the gravel tracks of Girona and the streets of Paris, their adventures looked very different, but shared the same spirit: good roads, good company and a reason to keep riding.

We asked them abou tthe places they've been, the pieces they reached for and what makes them want to get back on the bike. 

Camille Gardent | Biarritz | instagram: @camgardent 

For Camille, the best rides often begin close to home. Based in BIarritz, she spends much of the summer exploring the roads around the Basque coast, alongside longer adventures through the Loire Valley and into the Pyrenees.

Her riding wardrobe changes with the landscape. Soft pastels work their way into her kit for bright summer days, while darker, more muted combinations feel right when the raod heads towards the mountains.

'I've always loved pastel colours and monochrome colour blocks on teh bike, so the Universal Colours kits are very much my thing.' 

It is a simple idea, but one that sits at the heart of Universal Colours: cycling kit doesn't have to look purely technical. It can be expressive, considered and personal. 

As she ventures into the mountains with her Pyrenean adventure, Camille faced long climbs, high mountain roads and huge changes in scenery - the kind of riding where the landscape becomes as much a part of experience as the bike itself. 

After a long day in the saddle, reliability matters just as much as appearance. 

'I've been wearing some of my UC bibs for three years now and they're still going strong,' Camille says. 'The quality is so good, they're comfortable, wash well and dry really quickly - so handy when you ride a lot.' 

Two days. One route. A lot of climbing.

Camille took on two demanding days through the Loire Valley. If you're looking for your next French cycling adventure, you can follow the route yourself below. 

Nico Neves | Paris | instagram: @neves.nico

For Nico, cycling isn't something separate from everyday life. It is woven into it - whether he's navigating the streets of Paris, heading out with friends or disappearing onto gravel roads for the day.

'Cycling is an extension of my daily life', he says. 'When I'm out riding I want to feel comfortable in my kits. Both in terms of practicality and style.' 

That balance comes through in the way Nico rides. His summer was filled with shared miles and shared adventures, including time at The Traka in Girona, where he rode alongside friends and fellow Universal Colours ambassador Sara.

There is something particularly good about riding with friends. The effort becomes collective, the tough sections become stories, and the finish line becomes somewhere to regroup rather than simply somewhere to stop. As Nico says 'the best moments of a race also happen at the finish line, when your friends are waiting for you or you're waiting for them. Sharing the sweat and thrill of the effort you've put in.'

Built for the ride

Nico has a clear favourite when it comes to kit: 

'I never go for a ride wearing anything other than the Mono Cargo Bib Shorts. I like having everything within easy reach, whether it's just my phone or some food.' 

The content (above) taken in Girona captures Nico's experience of the dusty gravel, bright colours and plenty of kilometres - Nico's time in Girona captured exactly the kind of riding that makes you want to point a bike down an unfamiliar road and see where it leads. 

Follow the route below and ride it for yourself. 

 

Sara Van Vliet | Antwerp| instagram: @cafedebedstee

Sara's relationship with Universal Colours started before she really knew the brand. She first put on a Universal Colours kit during a shoot, and remembers immediately feeling good. 

'I felt like a total slayer on the bike... professional and playful together, but just very chic.' 

For Sara, what you wear can genuinely change how you feel on the bike. A kit that feels comfortable and looks good can add something to the ride before you've even turned a pedal. 

'When I feel good in what I'm wearing, I ride with more joy.' 

Because the Universal Colours palette is designed to work together, different bibs and jerseys can be mixed and matched without needing to overthink it. Tonal combinations, contrasting shades, a little colour here and there - the choice can change depending on the mood, the weather or simply what you feel like wearing that morning. 

'Quality that speaks for itself, without the outfit shouting for attention.' 

Sara's mix and match combinations was out to play when she biked 200km in two days with one of her best friends to a music festival - Strava route below, join in next year with her 'Bike and Beer' initiative!