Braving the Winter Bike Lanes

A brave soul on the bike lanes of Copenhagen. Not because it is winter, not at all. But wearing white on her commute through the city. That's brave.

But sometimes you take have to take risks to look fabulous. And that's what fenders are for, after all. Good thing it isn't raining, is all we have to say.

Heels and furs and a speedy pace. Such is a cycling life in Copenhagen.

Guest Photo: Victoria, Canada

This just popped into our inbox. Ferried by bits and bytes through cyberspace all the way from Victoria, Canada. Thanks very much to Ariella for sending this wonderful photo of her good friend riding her lovely old Phillips cruiser bike on a splendid fall day.

"I recently read about your blog in a copy of Momentum that I picked up in Victoria, BC, and have been reading it ever since! It's fantastic! I've also been reading Cycleliciousness which is also awesome.

"I don't even think about biking as something I do, it just IS something I do. Reading about your bike culture has been quite inspiring to me and encourages me to keep on doing what I do, just living and biking daily, in stylish clothes and all."

More power to you, Ariella. You're just out there doin' it. Getting it done. (which is really the point of our controversial Critical Mass or Critical Miss? post). You have our utmost respect and we are thrilled to include your photo here in the growing Guest Photo category. Thanks for thinking of us and feel free to send more photographic gems!

Lunch?

Lunch, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Perusing the menu at a sandwich place. Wearing standard Copenhagen cycling clothes, of course.

Shiny laquer boots are all the rage this year, as are patterned stockings. She even has her knitted hat and a Winter 2007 jacket.

All cycle chic - but with an empty tummy.

Steady As She Goes

Steady As She Goes, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

You have to stay focused in the traffic. You have to "keep your tongue straight in your mouth", as we say in Danish. And keeping a firm foot on the ground helps, too.

A typical Copenhagen sight. Work on the back carrier, groceries in the basket and a moment later she exited stage right to glide into a kindergarten to pick up her kid.

Longing for Summer

Such is the lot of the Nordic tribes. Longing is an inherent trait, an ever-present emotion, in our hearts and minds.

And that which we long for most for much of the year is the summer. Or the promise of summer. Or the mere sensation of it. Our folk songbooks and hymnbooks all praise the summer with their wistful, longing lyrics. When referring to a beautiful girl you can say in Danish that "she was a mere 21 summers old". No need for years. How many summers have you lived? That is important.

When it is upon us, we forget everything else. We are ecstatic, giddy, silly. For the rest of the year, we long for it.

That is why this photo is so important. For this girl's skirt - one splash of yellow on a winter's day - is enough to keep us going for just a while longer. It is enough to quell our longing for a bit and nudge us over into expectation.

Guest Photo[s]: Tokyo and Paris

We realised that it's been a while since we chucked up some guest photos with cycle chic around the world so we figured we'd add two.

Firstly, a classic shot from one of the world's great cycling capitals - Tokyo. As seen on a blog by a chap named Jason Maurer.

We love Tokyo for many reasons. Not only is Tokyo one of the chic-est cities on the planet by far, it has a splendid bike culture. An inspiration for other big cities to get their act into gear.
Secondly, a photo from an up-and-comer in the bike culture premier league - Paris. From the website of Jean-François Hasson.

Another frightfully chic ville and one that is upping the ante when it comes to increased bike usage.

All in all both photos are excellent examples of how well 'cycle' and 'chic' are a match made in heaven. Although we knew that here at Copenhagen Cycle Chic... n'est pas?

Fabric Ocean

Fabric Ocean, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

A flock of seagulls.
A pride of lions.
A gaggle of geese.
A murder of crows.
A pod of whales.

And... a hub of Copenhagen cyclists.