The French and cycling go together like baguettes et beurre. Our Gallic friends host the most famous cycle race in the world and many Frenchmen, such as Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, have been among the sport's most legendary figures.

But didn't we kick their butts at the Olympics! It's official: according to the medal table, we are the best in the world on two wheels, shunting our friends from across the Channel into second place by a huge margin (huit golds to their deux - voila!). If, like me, the exploits of our cycling heroes in Beijing have left you tempted to dust down your own old machine, pump up the tyres and oil the cogs, you may well be experiencing a difficulty that starts before you even hit the saddle. What on earth to wear?

Even before the glory of Beijing, something of a two-wheeled revolution had been quietly taking place on our city streets. Time was when an urban cyclist could jump on a mountain, hybrid or commuter bike and head off to work in fairly ordinary attire. But no longer. Cycling in the UK has got serious, and the roads are full of boy racers on, er, racers, crouched over their drop handlebars and sporting spray-on stretchy stuff that has nothing to do with normal daywear, and everything to do with technical performance.

To be fair, this gear is designed to be worn on a bike, so it works. You'll be more comfortable and be less sweaty in clothing fit for the purpose. My advice is to look at the range from Rapha, a small British company that sells cycling clothes with as much emphasis on design as on function. It's a stylish collection that has been developed by road riders to look good off the bike as well as on - in fact, the Fixed range of T-shirts and shirts has been created specifically with in-town riding - where you may well be as much out of the saddle as on it - in mind.

As for the French, they may have lost their cycling crown to us in China, but one suspects that they'll regain it at some point. Cycling is so much a part of their culture that they have even managed to make a public bike-rental scheme work. The Vélib programme in Paris allows you to hire bikes from automated racks, ride them for short distances then deposit them for others to use.

The Mutton can report from recent experience that this initiative is a wonderful thing. It works, is cheap and, since the bikes look like toys rather than racing machines, allows you to wear what you like while you wobble through the streets of the City of Light. Mayor Ken was hoping to bring the idea to London, and I would urge Boris to do so in time for 2012.

Despite my love of Rapha's coolly understated cycling range, there are days when the requirement to be suited and booted legislates against sportswear. Wouldn't it be great if you could just pick up a bike in the street, hop on for ten minutes in jacket shirt and tie, then hop off for a meeting? And not worry about the bicycle thieves? Mais oui.