Mango Ladies Classic: bike review | Martin Love

The dainty paintjob and smooth curves belie the sturdy nature of this traditional bicycle at a brilliant price

Ben and Jezz met at university and quickly became friends. Ben was into designing bikes, while Jezz was focused on marketing. Scratching around for something to do, they decided to launch their own brand, as you do, and in 2012 Mango Bikes duly sold its first model. Since then they have sold hundreds of bikes, and this month sees the launch of their latest, the Ladies Classic.

It's an elegant ride and comes in five colours, including this one, mint. It's impossible to imagine how they can afford to sell it for under 300. For that you get the pannier rack and matching tan saddle and leather grips. The wicker basket is 10 extra - ideal for a small dog. The Classic isn't to be ridden hard. It's a bike that wants you to waft around town in style, probably wearing linen (mangobikes.co.uk).