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TECH NEWS
IMG_9608The Union Jack is where it's at
The UK is the coolest nation – that has been proven by science*. Now the rest of the world seems to have cottoned on to the fact and is slapping Union Jacks on anything and everything in an attempt to gain some coolness by association.
So, for example, you can get a Kask Mojito helmet in a Union Jack theme.
This lid is from Nutcase.
And these mountain bike shoes from Luck rock the Union Jack look too.
Rotor do their Q-rings in this Union Jack version.
If you want to do the beach cruiser thing, there’s this Electra bike that we’ve seen a few times before.
This bike from Hollandia gets extra points for a matching chainguard and panniers, along with the colour co-ordinated rims, saddle and grips.
Look don’t go for the full Union Jack with this version of their 695 Light frame, instead opting for the St George’s Cross of England.
Oh, and Electra have gone for a version of the RAF roundel on this bell.
Of course, there’s always someone who takes it too far.
* Not strictly true.
Click here to read all of our stories from Eurobike 2014 - the world's biggest bike show.
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.
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23 comments
I disagree. The left shoe in the first picture quite clearly shows a cross, as in the Union Flag/Jack/whatever. From that, the right shoe can be interpreted easily enough.
I couldn't imagine wearing them though!
Here you go.
If you're still struggling to tell that these are intended to be Union Jack shoes – rather than based on the flag of Costa Rica/Thailand/Norway/France etc – follow this link: www.specsavers.co.uk
IMG_9606_0.JPG
Nope, those shoes definitely have a cross on the side, so it's more UK than any of the other flags which are just stripes.
'Spose they could be based on a sampling of the Aus/NZ flags tho'!
The diagonal red saltire on that rug is all wrong.
Or Dutch:
Or French:
Mr Pedantic says "it's only a Union Jack when it's flown from a ship's jack stay, otherwise it's a Union Flag".
On a more useful note, the scooter type helmet at the end could double up as a bike cleaner. Best take it off first though...
That's a common misconception.
http://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/british-flags/the-union-jack-or-the-unio...
The Union Flag doesn't have blue stripes, it has a blue background.
Are you sure these shoes aren't patterned after the Thai flag?
Or possibly Costa Rica?
That's not a stripe, it's a triangle.
I'll post another pic at some stage showing it even more obviously as the Union Jack.
That'd be good - from this angle it looked like a Norwegian flag to me at first... still does.
Huh? The red cross looks like the blue cross of a Norwegian flag?!? Are you guys looking at the same picture as me?
I'll post you another picture, then you're on your own!
Look at the right shoe - to me, the toe box looked like it might have a red background with a blue strip running back surrounded by white lines. That said neither shoes look entirely like either flag.
The next picture sorts it out though.
I live in Toulouse and the Union flag is a massive fashion accessory in France. Union flag t-shirts, bags, coffee table, even one of these that I wouldn't have bought in the uk as comes across too jingoistic
IMG_20140902_220200430.jpg
Apparently Union Jacks are a big thing in Japan too. Or at least, a thing in Japan - according to a person from Japan I once spoke to. She wasn't sure why. It's kinda slicey and diagonal and colourful and cool though. I like it. For some reason the English flag fills me with a sense of impeding doom...
How many of these items are made in GB ?
I saw a Union Jack ski helmet a few years ago & thought to myself that no respecting Brit would buy one. Weeks later whilst skiing, I saw a lady wearing one....who turned out to be French !
Whilst in Italy I have seen Union Jacks on school kids back packs..... perhaps we are cool after all !!
Might as well make the most of the Union flag whilst we still can...
Yes everything seems to look a lot cooler in the colours of the Italian flag.
Be interested to see any other nation colours.
PS and that was all in jest lest anyone should take it the wrong way.
Ironic timing on the article though!
oops missed out a "might" there in 2nd paragraph!
Has anyone told the Scots?
These end up looking very dated at some point after 18 September... :-s
(I know, the flag might not change even with a "yes" vote)
Perfect for all the jingoistic new comers!
Selective reporting? The Kask helmet, at least, is (or was) available in a variety of national flavours, including Germany, Italy, Belgium and USA.