The latest fashion accessory? Not a Swarovski-encrusted phone, an oversize corsage or a hemp shopper but rather a two-wheeled, self-propelled transporter. Yes, the 95th annual Tour de France is about to start, and this summer bicycles are, as never before, the new handbags.

Once only prevalent in cities such as Beijing, where cars are expensive and parking impossible, the trend has spread further afield. Now, for example, more than 100,000 people are cycling around Rome, and fashion designers from Karl Lagerfeld to Andrew Buckler, Cynthia Rowley and Andy Spade are finding inspiration in the world of cycling.