Springtime Cargo and Supermums and Dads

Mother, mother, child/grandchild. Together in the Copenhagen bike culture.
Enjoying the segregated bike lanes that are the hallmark of any healthy, progressive and safety-oriented bike culture.

Vive les supermums [et superdads] du Copenhague!

This is Copenhagen. An elderly citizen on the right, and a supermum on the left in a Copenhagen springtime cycling outfit: short skirt, smashing red heels and a handbag on the handlebars of the Nihola cargo bike.

Much is said about the supermums of Copenhagen, but the superdads are rather groovy, too. Myself included... :-)

Giraffe transportation.

"A Cycling Girl Becomes Our Dream Today"

Our co-blogger Marie is currently in Malaysia working on a Danish reality show for a couple of months but she'll be blogging as best she can while there. Marie's granddad was known for his songwriting and we thought it appropriate to translate one of his cycling songs about springtime. His name was Sigfred Pedersen and he wrote the following song in 1936.

We have several posts about the iconic stature of the Cycling Girl [cykelpigen] in Danish history and this song is a fine example of the poetry surrounding the topic. I translated it directly, so it doesn't rhyme in English. Nevertheless, the song remains true to this day and still fits Copenhagen's bike culture to a tee.

Cyclist Song by Sigfred Pedersen, 1936

Denmark's young girls are all cycling now / Through springime's gentle, floral kingdom / To the beat of nickel bike bells / They head in flocks towards fairy tale adventures / With the sun in their eye, squinting over the handlebars / All the cold of winter is suddenly forgotten.

Yes, soon old houses can ignite in flame / Us old boys feel our blood rush [...]
We must give up! It's useless to lie: / That which flutters and which flies, entices us / A cycling girl becomes our dream today.

Fly out in flocks, you lovely cyclists / That which smiles and which tempts, entices us [...] / Fly out in flocks, fly out with your partner, / The youth must have freedom every day / But remember that bike lights must be turned on at 9!

All winter you long for the sun / Now springtime embraces the dresses / As the bike bell chimes from the polished handlebars / Every girl's heart is a promise given / One to be embraced completely by life / Springtime's fairytale begins today

The small cyclistas become cyclones / Millions of them on their small machines / Make traffic dangerous for every sad cyclist / But I have an indestructable frame and I can swing / If your tyre is flat we can trade tubes / As long as it will be you and I at the end of the day.

My own girl cycles through the spring / small auriculas flutter from the forks / A knee slides in and out of the hem of her dress / It all smells sweetly of love and nickel and springtime / from the newly varnished cycle / that carries the city's blonde girl on her way.


[NB:] The reference to 'auriculas flutter from the forks' is seen to this day. Women decorate their baskets and frames with flowers, more often plastic than real, but it is an old tradition in Denmark from the early days of cycling:

Skirting the Square

It's May and it's lovely. Sunshine and warm temperatures are gracing the Danish capital. Copenhageners ride to work in the mornings without jackets. Skirts are out in force. Springtime is lovelytime on the City Hall Square and these Copenhageners show us just how elegant bike culture can be.

Patience and Respect

One advantage of a dedicated bike infrastructure is that there is next to no animosity between motorists and cyclists. Motorists are cyclists themselves and they've grown up with an inbuilt awareness of the needs of a combined traffic system.


Cyclists appreciate that the bike lanes are there for a reason and so they heed the traffic lights and only stray into the space reserved for cars when they have to. People are patient, and they respect one another's choices. Simple, really.

Cycle Chic Goes To Sweden

Zipping across Stora Torg [Large Square] in the Malmö sunshine.

Malmö is Sweden's third largest city and it Sweden's leading bike city. Bikes are an important part of life here, just as they are in dozens and dozens of European cities. While we will go to our grave claiming that Copenhagen is the most stylish capital in Europe, Malmö does have it's flashes of cycle chic.

Most importantly, the citizens have understood, like millions of others around the world, that urban cycling is something to be done in your normal clothes and on normal bikes. There are great segregated bike lanes and infrastructure and bikes abound in bike racks all over the city.

It's the easiest way to get around town.

Bring a friend down to the harbour and have a laugh.

Stylish Swedish Gentleman by the harbour.

High heeled cycling, Malmö style.

Heading to the harbour for some afternoon sunshine.

A hub of fashionable cyclists.

Dapper chap transporting toilet paper.

Cool old school chain guard on a Swedish Crescent bike.

Looks like any Central Station in Northern Europe.

Here's to Optimism

'When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.' So wrote H.G Wells, and we here at Copenhagen Cycle Chic agree completely.

Springtime, Foraar, Printemps, Primavera

An average Copenhagener on an average bike in the gorgeous spring sunshine. As we've mentioned before, on average 37% of the population ride their bikes each day but on sunny spring and summer days that number rises over 50%.


Bike lanes in Copenhagen. The arrows on the ground indicate which lane you want if you are heading straight on or turning right. Separating the bike lanes from the motorised traffic is the foundation of any sustainable bike culture. So get down to city hall and start your lobbying! :-)


A whole lot of red at the red light.


A fine example of how a wicker bike basket is used while off the bike. A means of carrying your shopping or as a replacement for a purse. The basket above has metal hooks that let it hang on the handlebars, making it easy to lift off and carry into shops or, in this case, down to the canals to enjoy the sun.

19 Copenhagen Minutes

There is a website out there that features 82 pictures of Amsterdam bicycles in 73 minutes, taken by a tourist. I was sitting on a bench with a friend, enjoying the sunshine yesterday, and I got a spontaneous idea. I started shooting photos and ended up with 52 decent photos in 19 minutes before I had to head home.

The photos were taken between 14:01 and 14:20 on 24 April 2008. They only represent a fraction of the bikes that went past in both directions. Here are some of the highlights in true Cycle Chic style, but the whole set features all manner of Copenhageners. Young and old, men and women, old bikes and new bikes. You name it.


Taken at 14:10

Taken at 14:04

Taken at 14:02

Taken at 14:12

In order to see the whole set in all it's glory, you can see it on this Flickr Slideshow - it opens in a new window.

I also have a more funkalicious flash version of the set here.

Strolling, Whirling, Flittering

They're just everywhere, these girls on bikes. The grace! The casualness! The everyday coolness of being!




We've said it before. Style over speed. In this photo, it's easy to see who's into it and who isn't. The light is red all the same.

Carry Go Bring Come

Copenhagen Cycle Chic goes quizzing: Spot the two pizzas, the 8 rolls of toilet paper, the dog Victor and the bottle of Jack D. Shouldn't be that difficult.



And find spring. It's all over town. Rays of sunshine at 7 pm. Yay.

What's the strangest thing you've ever carried on your bike?

Blue is the New Red

We've stated recently that red is the new black in Cycle Chic Copenhagen. One day passes by and blue has become the new red. Slightly confused? Don't worry. You're welcome to leave the colour craze up to others and just enjoy the pictures... Who knows, black might be the new blue next week anyways :-)

Sunny Sunday

Today SUNday lived up to it's name. My flatmate and I were hanging out at our local corner shop. There was a constant coming and going of sun-craving Copenhageners taking a stroll, buying pizza or just hanging out.

We appreciate the fact that until the flowers begin to blossom, Copenhagen's cool chicas provide all the vivid colours we can dream of.


Notice the casually attached red hand bag on the back of the bike.


Stripes high and low.






The Copenhagenesses were accompagnied by their offspring and better halves. Also chic 'n' cycling.