simple is beautiful
Copenhagen Cycle Chic - Streetstyle and Bike Advoc: November 2008
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Monday, November 17, 2008

French Kiss


For some strange reason this short film by François Truffaut popped into my head the other day. Les Mistons - The Brats - was one of his first directorial efforts, in 1957. It laid the groundwork for the adolescent themes in some of his later films. It's about five boys who quite fancy an 'older woman' and who subsequently get jealous when she takes a lover.

No, this hasn't turned into a film blog, I'm including it here because the first 3:30 of the film is a beautiful woman on a bicycle. Skirts a'fluttering. As they have since the bicycle was invented - so feel free to giggle when somebody tells you cycling is only a 'sport'. That's why I call it Bicycle Culture 2.0 [beta]. We've all been there before and we're going there again. Regular people on normal bikes in everyday clothes. All over the world.

”In the late 19th century, large numbers of women were already using bicycles to get to work, women office workers and shop assistants wending their way each weekday morning from the suburbs to the town. They found the bicycle a convenient form of transport for distances up to, say, ten miles”.
John Woodeforde ”The Story of the Bicycle”, 1970

And they weren't wearing lycra or riding carbon fibre contraptions and they weren't restricted to flat areas.

The Sartorialist - aka The Colville-Andersen on No Wheels - :-) posted a couple of lovely bicycle shots recently. The film above was shot in Nîmes and this photo is in Paris.

Red Bicycle
Nothing French about this shot, I just like it. Taken at the new Royal Theatre - Skuespilhuset - on the harbour in Copenhagen.

Splashes of Red, Splashes and Anarchy Chic

Red Hat
I haven't forgotten the Cycle Chic Hat challenge laid down by some readers. Until I collect the appropriate shots for the series, here's a couple hatastic Copenhageners.
Classy
Old school charm and grace.
Puddles
While visiting the new Royal Theatre Skuespilhuset on the harbour, I saw this person just riding around in slow, happy circles on the old quay. Riding through puddles. That's it. Nothing more to it than that. How lovely.

Anarchy Chic
Here's a spot of Anarchy Cycle Chic. If you're going to protest the World Bank summit in 2000, what better way to get around than on a normal bicycle. That chainguard is handy for stopping water cannons from getting your chain wet. That back rack is convenient for carrying molotov cocktails or a friend or a friend carrying molotov cocktails. And the dynamo light will help you through the tear gas/smoke from burned cars. And lord knows you'd look stupid if you were wearing lycra in this situation. Normal clothes are fine. From an advert for Lee Jeans' Make History photo contest.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Cycle Chic Contest - Dogme 1 Photography

Minor Adjustments
Okay, here's a contest. There's even a prize. Thanks to Adrienne for the challenge. In the previous post we highlighted a fun angle on Cycle Chic, started by a fellow Copenhagener, Eric Daugaard on Flickr. It's called Dogme 1.

So now we're opening up the contest to the rest of the world. I'll chuck in a Copenhagen Cycle Chic poster for the winner. See what it looks like here.
Red Light People

Here's the rules:
Take a photo of a female cyclist anywhere OUTSIDE of Copenhagen or Amsterdam.
The photo is your own original work.
The photo has to fulfill at least three of the following Dogme 1 rules:

-The bicycle is a 'sit up and beg' type and clearly too big for her.
-The bicycle has a handlebar-basket mounted, preferably decorated with artificial flowers.
-The lady wears sunglasses. The bigger the better.
-The lady wears high boots and/or high heels
-The lady is wearing a huge scarf
-The lady is concerned about other things than traffic.
-The lady is carrying some sort of electronic equipment in her hand.
-The lady has some sort of large messy bag hanging from her shoulder or on the bicycle.
-The lady looks miffed / mentally absent
-The lady isn't wearing a helmet
-The photo is shot from close distance and from the front.
-Flash is used.

Minimum three of the above to qualify. Obviously the more you get, the better your chances are of winning. The judges are me, Velomama and Eric [he started the whole thing] in order to find the semi-finalists. These photos will then be voted on by you.

Send your entries - preferably a link to a Flickr photo but feel free to send a photo or a link to another place - to Cycle Chic's email.

Contest closes on December 15, 2008.

Have fun.
Whiteness

Bike is the New Black

DSC_1140dev
Another Danish photographer, Erik Daugaard, has some great shots of Copenhagen women on bikes, with a tongue in cheek angle. He calls his theme Dogme 1 - this is the land of Dogme after all.

- The bicycle is a classic form and clearly too big for her.
- The bicycle has a handlebar-basket mounted, preferably decorated with artificial flowers.
- The lady wears sunglasses. The bigger the better.
- The lady wears long boots and/or high heels
- The lady is wearing a huge scarf
- The lady is concerned about other things than traffic.
- The lady is carrying some sort of electronic equipment in her hand.
- The lady has some sort of large messy bag hanging from her shoulder or on the bicycle.
- The lady doesn't wear a helmet.
- The lady looks miffed / mentally absent
- The photo is shot from close distance.
- Flash is used.

Try to fullfill as many rules as possible - minimum 3 rules.

Model Rådhuspladsen 3
He offers here a couple of examples of his quest.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

La Double Vie de Verychic

La Double Vie de Verychic
Girlfriends riding together on the bike lanes of Copenhagen. Sociable, sustainable, fashionable. [Confused about the blog title?]
La Double Vie de Verychic
Girlfriends continuing their chat at a red light. The one on the right practices the old school red light posture. Getting right off the bike and waiting for green. Style over speed indeed. Maybe it goes with being a violin player. Or just being a Copenhagener. Or both.

Three Astride
And on some stretches, there's room for three [or more] friends to ride astride and chat on the bike lanes.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Two Years With Cycle Chic

Green Light Go *
The photograph that launched a thousand bikes. November 14, 2006. 08:43.
Two years ago this day, at exactly 08:43 - I took a photo on my way to work at Danish Broadcasting. The subject matter was something regarded as incredibly anonymous and uninteresting to most people in this city, including me - Copenhageners on bikes in the morning rush hour.

At that point I had a habit of keeping my camera on me and taking street photography shots to and from work. I was waiting at a red light on Åboulevarden on a grey November day and I noticed that the Copenhagener in front of me was rather stylish. I could see some cyclists approaching from the left, turning into frame. The light was nice, I thought, and the red light would change to green in a moment. I pulled out my camera and took a shot, catching the cyclists on the left, the cyclist on the right pushing off and, in the middle, a pillar of style and calm.

I thought it to be a nice urban shot when I took it. Farther along the route, minutes later, I snapped a couple of more shots of stylish cyclists, as though noticing the Copenhagen connection between style and bicycles for the first time:
Tensed and Waiting for Green * Post-Modern Cowgirl

I hopped off the bike even farther along and took a few more shots of Copenhageners on bikes in the morning light. It was mostly because of the light, I might add.
Sunrise Movement in Concerto

Wheel Melt

Hans Christian Andersen Boulevard Golden Blur

On my way home that evening I snapped this shot of a dancing taillight in front of me:
Taillight - Quite Literally
The next day I didn't take any photos of bikes at all. But then the trickle started turning into a stream. Little did I know what that one photograph at the top would launch.

Like most Copenhageners, I hadn't noticed this thing people in other countries call 'bike culture', even after riding my bike each day for many years in the city. I started, slowly, noticing bicycles and, more importantly, the people riding them over the course of the few days, this this shot, on November 16th:
Uomo con bike*

It all kind of snowballed from there. Which is a bit of an understatement. Months later, in June 2007, I started this blog, after having amassed a respectable archive of Cycle Chic shots that had proven to be a hit on Flickr. That, too, was a spontaneous decision and I never expected it to amount to anything. I just figured it would be nice to gather them all in one place.

Here we are today. 'Cycle Chic' - a flippant, casual description of a Copenhagen cyclist on a winter's morning - has become a concept. Dozens of other blogs and sites have been launched in the same vein around the world. These photographs have been published in magazines and newspapers around the world. Exhibitions are underway.

It's all rather overwhelming. Most importantly, it is all rather wonderful. To think that this one photo has created all of this is brilliant. I didn't know at that point how those Copenhageners who happen to ride bicycles could inspire people around the world to do the same through a long series of photographs. I didn't know that there was nerve out there that needed to be hit. To think of the whole wave of promoting urban cycling as a normal and feasible activity that has surged forth over the past couple of years - 2008 in particular - is rather overwhelming. The testimonials I get sent are moving and touching.

This one shot has led to this blog, Copenhagenize.com, the online shop, the Slow Bicycle Movement, Cykelhjelm.org as well as consultancy work helping other cities move towards 'bike culture'. Quite remarkable if I think about it. Yes, sometimes I tire of taking photos of bicycles and need a break. But then all of a sudden it's back.

So thanks to all of you readers who make Cycle Chic a part of your day. Thanks to all the guest contributors for showcasing the march of Cycle Chic around the world. Thanks, not least, to the good people of Copenhagen for being so frightfully cool and stylish and sustainably mobile.

I'm off to take some shots.

Simply This

Father and Son
Father and son in the evening light on their Short John.

Bridgeishness
Copenhagener pedalling casually over Knippels Bridge.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Bad Day At Cycle Chic + Rainy Moods

Bad Day at Cycle Chic
Once in a while there's a bad day here at Cycle Chic. I wasn't even trying to take a photo of this Copenhagener. I was focused on something up ahead. My finger hit the button and I first saw the result at home.

Which goes to show that you can virtually close your eyes and point your camera in Copenhagen and you'll probably end up with a shot of a chic Copenhagener.

Start
I love this rainy day shot. I love all the shots when a cyclist is just launching into motion but this one is great. Both chaps have just reached speed and their right feet are gliding towards the pedals. It's stationary and yet filled with movement, motion, momentum.

Bluebrella Speed
Another little umbrella shot.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Coeur de Pirate - Musique Chic with Bicycles


Coeur de Pirate || Comme des enfants from Dare To Care Records on Vimeo.

The brilliant Coeur de Pirate out of Montréal - 'Heart of a Pirate' en anglais - has this brilliant video for their number Commes des enfants.

The bicycle plays a feature role. Musique, chic, fantastique. Thanks to my mate, Joel, for the heads up.

Good Things

Oh goodness
Nothing like a bit of Nordic backlightaciousness gracing a Copenhagener on a bike in killer heels.

Scarf Weather
And then you have the Copenhagen version of The French Lieutenant's Woman. Classic style.

LongJohn LittleLulu
And then there is Lululicious. She took a break at the playground to sit in the box of my Velorbis Long John. I haven't personalised it that much just yet. There are stickers for our Danish bike helmet website Cykelhjelm.org and a Slow Bicycle Movement sticker. And the shopping bag for the Slow Bike Movement, too, from the online store.

I had made a box for it but Harry at Larry vs Harry offered to have a bigger one made for me, so I took him up on it. It's great. The kids love riding in it, too:
Kids in the Long John
I only really use the Long John for transporting the kids, but it is brilliant and practical. Old school charm, brand new bike.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Conquering Physical Challenges With the Bicycle

Five Wheels, Three Arms
We've posted a few of these photos before, but here is a little series showing how the bicycle increases mobility for those faced with physical challenges. The chap above is dapper and chic on his trike, looking sharp in his suit and scarf. The fact that his right arm is missing is a detail. He still gets around perfectly well.

With Child
Cycling while pregnant is virtually a prescription in Denmark. It lightens the load and keeps you exercising and keeps you mobile.

Mobility
When aging sets in, there are still plenty of opportunities for getting around - and looking sharp while doing so. The bicycle is such a liberation tool to this day, just as it was back it at the beginning of bicycle culture.
Old School Cool

Living Legend
Many elderly ride trikes in Copenhagen.
Active Cyclist
Disabled persons are often seen on bicycles, like this chap with Down's Syndrome at the beach last summer.

If you're 'vertically challenged' as political correctness will have it, there's nothing stopping you from riding a bike.
Casting Call
Even with a leg in a cast, if the injury allows it, you are flying along the bike lanes like there is no tomorrow.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Sunday Launch Party

Pushbike
A Copenhagener launches her bicycle into motion. She has a little Danish flag - Dannebrog, the world's oldest national flag - in her hair. I'm guessing she's heading to a birthday or other celebration.

Start
Two Copenhageners launch off the lights in the rain. That magical moment when human powered transport begins.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Lørdag With Lars

Advocates of fluffiness
We'll leave it up to Lars today - Lørdag [Saturday in Danish]. Brilliant shot. The little flowery thing in the hair is all the rage at the moment.
The Colour Purple!
O-ba-ma.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Steady On

Steady as a Rock
Steady as a rock. The light was just changing and the other cyclists were doing a double check for cars before pushing off. Some Copenhageners are in less of a hurry.

Haley Trikes
Philadelphia Cycle Chic from the website for Haley Trikes - a company that makes these cool cargo bikes. We posted about them over at Copenhagenize.com.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Raintastic

Rush
Autumnal rain on the bike lanes. A stylish Copenhagen Supermum and her boy in the rainy afternoon rush hour.

Stocking Crossing
Another supermum, 'sans enfant' crossed my path.

Rainbow Rainy Day
'Chic' is, and always will be, a relative term. Nevertheless, a splash of colour on a rainy isn't a bad thing.

Cargo
Red rain poncho, heavy load on the Short John.

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