Who's The Bosch?

Transporting a power drill has never... ever... looked this elegant.

Regarding an earlier post about Copenhageners eating and especially drinking coffee on their bikes, one of our readers fired off this link to us.

"It may seem unlikely, but simply clutching a warm cup of coffee can bring on a flood of warm feelings, U.S. researchers said on Thursday in a finding that suggests a strong link between physical and emotional warmth.

"Physical warmth can make us see others as warmer people, but also cause us to be warmer -- more generous and trusting -- as well," said John Bargh, a professor of psychology at Yale University in Connecticut, whose research appears in the journal Science."

Read the full article here.

And here's a cracking photo series from Travel & Leisure about Copenhagen cycle chic.

Look Behind You

Glance backwards. Summer still lingers but with every autumn leaf that falls, she gets farther away. Good thing we have photographs to remember her by.

Autumn Shadows

The shadows of autumn are long and melancholy.

A famous photograph from the Occupation by Eric Petersen. No, we weren't occupied by Eric Petersen.

Saturday Simplicity

Two strangers sharing a red light moment.

Kulturnat

Each October, on the Friday before the kids' autumn holidays, Copenhagen features Culture Night - Kulturnat. It's a great evening where everything is open until midnight. Museums, castles, exhibitions, the parliament, you name it. Streets are closed off and Copenhageners walk or ride around from event to event. Needless to say, the bicycles reign supreme.

It's festive and lovely and all in the name of culture.

Art Imitates Copenhagen Life

I nabbed an inflight magazine from Sterling Airlines that featured this classic Cycle Chic image on the cover of the Sept/Oct 2008 issue. What a splendid shot. Sterling flies around Europe so if you're planning on coming to Copenhagen, they are very reasonably priced. The magazine is published by Ink Publishing.

And while we love seeing beautiful shots inspired by Copenhagen Cycle Chic, we love the real thing even more. Like these shots from the morning rush hour last week:

German Cycle Chic

Due to travel, computer problems and lots of work (yeah ok it's no excuse!), Velomama has been away from the blog for a while - physically, if not mentally!

This summer, Velomama went around Europe with an InterRail pass. It gives you free travel by train all over Europe for a given period of time and is good value for money if you have the time to spend hours and hours in trains! (Very environmentally friendly & slow travel-like).

First stop was Gera in Eastern Germany, where my good mate Sam Hopkins was artist-in-residence. Here on his bike with girlfriend Nina on the pedals.



Then on a train to Hamburg, where cycle chics crowded the area outside the Central Station..



Stay tuned for more pics from Amsterdam, Marseille and Serbia...

It's good to be back!
Love, Velomama

Splashes of Red [et un quebecois]

Autumnal rainbow in Copenhagen.

The all-important colour coordination.


Frightfully stylish Quebecois riding along the canal. Safe to say he is completely integrated into the Copenhagen scene with his choice of clothing. We had a coffee and a bite to eat and a long, wonderful chat about bicycle culture.

Sleek, Black Autumn

The sleek look of the Copenhagen autumn. Black tights and leggings in boots are all the rage on the bike lanes of the Danish capital this year.

The skirtguards of the city sigh a lonely sigh and resign themselves to waiting for the flowing, billowing skirts of the next distant summer. Although with a secret hope that the winter will be cold so that the cyclists will don long coats that require protection.

And a broken chainguard is of little concern. It's just a bike. The most important thing is YOU on the bike.
Photos by Lars D. Terkelsen.


The Green Wave in Copenhagen from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

Here's a cool little video I shot the other day. One of the main streets leading to the city centre features 35,000 cyclists each day. We have a Green Wave where if you cycle 20 km/h you'll hit green lights all the way. Have a look at the fantastic flow of bikes in the morning rush hour.

The music is Danish. The first track is a group called Ibens. The song is "Jeg savner min blå cykel" or I miss my blue, blue bicycle. An ode to the bicycle of childhood/youth. The second track is Tue West with "Sæt dig bag på min cykel" or Get up on the back of my bike... and enjoy it.

Stripes and Things

Stripes on a bike lane. When there is construction, the bike lanes are always taken into consideration.


Leggings are very popular at the moment. Seen here with wellingtons, a vest, a beret.


I love the impossibly long shadows of the Nordic autumn.

And leaves are starting to line the streets.

Hello Yello and a Coffee Cup

The Yellows of the Copenhagen Autumn.



Fallen leaves are lining the streets.

Saw this bike bell in one of the bike sheds at our flat. What a lovely little thing.

Springtime Autumnal

It's autumn. There's no doubt about it. Or is there? Certain visual signals in the city are confusing. The sun is shining and the temperature is the same as in April. Colourful flowers on bike baskets, as above, are a century-old tradition but they send your mind into springtime.

Then there's this shot. This is confusing. Brightly coloured flowers on a city square. The chairs stacked up could be a sign of the start of the outdoor serving season - indeed that is one of the surest signs of spring in Copenhagen. The cafés start stacking chairs outside waiting for the first mild day. The girl's outfit is certainly springlike. Skirt and stockings, as though it's the first day she shed her jacket, which is in her basket.

Rainy days. Definately springtime.

All very lovely and very confusing.

Orange You Glad I Posted This?

She had stopped for a car, in the middle of a cheerful mobile phone conversation, and had to get rolling again. That's why homo sapiens have elbows. She got back up to speed without even blinking. Don't try this outside of Copenhagen or Amsterdam. :-)

A lesser-known drawback to a Copenhagen cycling life. You have to go out of your way to find shops that put their goods in coloured bags that match your bicycle. But the good news is, you get to shop more!

Here's a bit of Cycle Chic from Minnpost.com - in Minnesota, USA. An interview with Anna Lee who is Cycle chic hero for riding in heels and dresses.

"Look — that lady's bicycling in heels," said a middle-aged guy as he watched Lee pedal in ruby-red pumps. Go Anna Go!

Sunday Somethings

She's got her own thing going on and it works for her.

There are certain photos I've taken that are Cycle Chic All-Stars. This is an older photo, but it is one of my personal favourites. I hadn't seen it for a while, had a look, and thought I'd repost it.

Cycle/Football Chic for kids. Felix heading home from a football tournament. Complete with a well-deserved medal around his neck and shinpads on his legs.

A Copenhagen nurse doing her rounds. Visiting the elderly and/or infirm in their homes. By bike, of course.

Signage and Suchlike

Got a kick out of this sign, based on those strange American 'No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service' signs. I'd love to see these posted to the doors of fashionable shops and cafés. :-) Why not? In some places, baggy trousers that expose underwear are not allowed and you can even go to jail for wearing them. So it must be kosher to require customers/guests to adhere to the Copenhagen Cycle Chic basics. As ever, this design is also available on t-shirts for ladies, gentlemen and as posters/postcards at the Copenhagen Cycle Chic Online Shop.


Meanwhile, back on the bike lanes of Copenhagen...




Over at the Interbike Bike Fair, Richard from Cyclelicio.us took these photos of a cycle chic fashion show. The good word is spreading.

Copenhagen Irony and Black and Creme

Ahh. Life's ironies. Elegant, casual cyclist on a safe, separate bike lane cycles past a poster reading "Put the pedal to the metal and keep it there... Action Night on Channel 3+..."


While skirtguards - or the more unisex 'coat protectors' as we call them in Danish - are a splendid idea, most modern skirts don't really require them. Ironic. But they remain aesthetic additions to any bicycle.


Black and Creme Perfection Collection from Lars. Smashing ensemble in classic Copenhagen style. Black outfit and then a creme-coloured; bicycle, bow in her hair, handbag in the basket, shoes, edges of the black bag on the back and a cigarette.


Many of our American readers were curious as to what I thought about riding Yahoo's purple Electra Townie. I must say it's a nice ride. The balloon wheels are a treat, but I'm addicted to them already from riding my Velorbis Scrap Deluxe. The Townie is smooth and comfortable. There are a whole bunch of gears that will never see the light of day but it is definately a cooler bike than I feared they would send.

The only thing I don't like is the beach cruiser posture of sitting farther back and pedalling down and away from my body. I like sitting higher up and pushing downwards, but that is personal taste. The purple colour doesn't go with anything I own, but that is something I can live with for the duration of Yahoo's campaign.

Also, the beach cruiser is popular at the moment - but mostly among the female 12-16 year old demographic, so I get lots of stares from young girls. Not a bad thing for the male ego.

Unfortunately, the camera has a software bug and Yahoo are fedexing a new one over to me so more photos will be on the way shortly.

Slowly, Slowly

Nothing like a flowing scarf on a cyclist.

Two funky Koreans outside of Baisikeli - a bike rental place that sends used Danish bikes to Africa. I love their hats. They rented bikes and were off to tour the city.


The cape is gently fading away from the fashion landscape. It's not really "sooo last year" since it has a classic quality to it, but this fall it seems the poncho is returning in force to the streets of Copenhagen.


We've just posted about the blossoming cycling life on New York's Governors Island over at Copenhagenize.com. If you're in New York or thereabouts, pay the island a visit and bring your bike.

It's a fantastic opportunity to go for a Slow Bicycle Ride in the true spirit of the Slow Bicycle Movement. Join our Facebook group if you haven't already.