Enter the Headwind

There's a storm warning for Copenhagen and parts of Denmark today. Here's a little prequel. While many parts of Denmark are hilly, the central area of Copenhagen is rather flat. What many people don't understand is that wind is a major factor. On a windy day, cycling into a headwind, it is equal to cycling up a hill with a 6% grade. And hills end. Wind doesn't.

Today, the storm strength winds will transform Copenhagen into the Pyranees. We will, however, just get on with it.















It's nothing new, of course. Wind has always been a factor in Copenhagen, as the vintage photo, above, attests.

Make sure your bike is not free-standing today, unless you have a proper kickstand.

Some people are more prepared for the wind than others.

Heels on Wheels - Copenhagen Style

Heels on Wheels from Nanna Nike Kindtler on Vimeo.

Heels on Wheels is a film showing Copenhagen bicycle culture. The film is an example of how four Danish girls use bicycles as transport - dresses, high heels and freezing weather is no barrier to arrive at the party by bike.
It was shown at Bicycle Film Festival 2010.

The film was made by: Anna Bisgaard-Nøhr, Naja Bjørn Nielsen, Line Røijen and Nanna Nike Kindtler

You Can't Describe Copenhagen Living Without Saying The Word 'Bicycle'. Ever.

Nothing stops us cycling in Copenhagen... from Grit Tind on Vimeo.

So here's a short film that I made with a crazy and talented group of friends studying Performance Design at RUC University, Denmark. We just wanted to depict what it's actually like cycling around the beautiful city of Copenhagen (even on a grey day!)

We thought to be on the safe side by filming this during August when the weather was warm and wonderfully sunny but of course, according to Sod's Law, on the actual day of filming it rained so so hard! We persisted anyway because at the end of the day, whether it rains or even snows, the reality is that Copenhageners will cycle through anything - "Sådan er det...!" (That's just how it is!)

Enjoy!

Over and Out!

K.E.G. x

Wroclaw, Poland Cycling Promotion

Nothing like a bit of positive bicycle promotion to make our day.
This lovely video is produced by the Cycling Wroclaw organisation in Wroclaw, Poland. It's in collboration with the Do The Right Mix initiative and European Mobility Week.

Brilliant stuff. Although we noticed the opening shot is a cinematic nod to our very own video, produced for the City of Copenhagen back in 2009. We're flattered.

Cycle Chic Films - Vancouver Cycle Chic

One of the proud members of The Cycle Chic Republic - the good people at Vancouver Cycle Chic - have produced a series of wonderful portrait films.

Here is the first film in the series. Meet Simon.

Enjoy.

Polish Bloggers Cycle Chic

This is quite brilliant. Quite amazing. Quite humbling.
It's a collage from the cool Polish fashion blog Szafa Sztywniary. While our Polish friends in Krakow, Warsaw, Lodz, Torun and Wroclaw have been waving the Cycle Chic banner high and proud, this collage features Polish bloggers - by and large fashion bloggers - who have all taken a photo involving the bicycle.

What a splendid collection of photos. Szafa Sztywniary got the others to contribute to the collage. Cycle Chic is steadily moving into the mainstream. Thanks to you all. I'm humbled.

And here's a funky Polish animation film featuring a cool cat on a cool bike:

Caracas Cycle Chic & Bicimamis

Yo (BICI) Caracas from YoBiciCCS on Vimeo.

Our friends from Caracas Cycle Chic shared this lovely little video with us from the Venezuelan capital.

It's by a group of female cyclists called Bicimamis.

We love it.

City of Cyclists

Copenhagen - City of Cyclists from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

I've missed this film. I didn't know until just now. It's been ages since I've seen it. Copenhagenize Consulting was asked to produce a film for The City of Copenhagen promoting our bicycle culture. I filmed this over a month all over the city, with additional footage during the winter. We had the song written especially for it. I never get tired of watching it. The diversity of our mainstream bicycle culture in three or so minutes.

Things Are About to Change

Finnish Nokia employs a spot of Cycle Chic in this teaser ad for something. Shot in Helsinki, by the looks of it.

Join Us.

What a strangely appealing little film. Promoting Jacksonville Bike Month, apparently. Cycle Chic it is.

Aracaju Cycle Chic

Lovely little film from the Brazilian city of Aracaju, celebrating the city's 157th birthday. They know how to present a positive profile of themselves. Just use a bicycle. It's a fairly bicycle-friendly city, so it ain't fiction.

Cycle Chic Extreme Hardcore Stunt

Here it is. The outer limits of extreme Cycle Chic hardcore bike stunts. Do not try this at home. But only because you probably don't have a lovely sloping Italian hill in your living room on which to coast down...

Grandma Lina is her name and she is our favourite Cycle Chic freerider, shopping and all...

Cycle Chic & Muuse.com - Match Made in Heaven

Readers may recall the post about Cycle Chic's film shoot with Muuse.com from a while back. We're pleased to finally be able to present the film we made in collaboration with Muuse.

We shot it out at Amager Beach in Copenhagen a couple of months ago. It was a chilly day but we are pleased that the film has a hint of summer to it.

For us at Cycle Chic, Muuse is the perfect playmate. Not only are we good friends socially and professionally, the whole concept of Muuse is appealing to us. The fashion industry is hopelessly unsustainable. Big companies produce piles of clothes and, if they don't get sold, they are shredded and thrown away. Muuse features top young designers and customers can order the outfits on their website. When a certain number of orders are reached, Muuse puts the outfit into production. Ethically and locally.

The designs chosen for the film are all harmonious with the bicycle and go hand in hand with the inherent aestheticism of the two-wheeled machine. Bike geeks will bang on about goofy "cycling clothes" with reflective bits and pieces or "urban cycling trousers" (we've been riding bicycles for a century without needing them) but we'll just send you to this blogpost for our point of view about this. And while we're at it, this little film explains why we prefer to be citizens who use bicycles to get around instead of "cyclists".

Anyway... these outfits are haute couture, sure, but we love them for their flowing fabric movement. Bicycles, by their very nature, create a movement of air around us. Designs that accentuate and compliment this natural flow of air add to the appealing nature of seeing Citizen Cyclists on bicycles. Not surprisingly, we filmed the bicycle shots from a Nihola cargo bike. And thanks to Velorbis for loaning us the bicycles used by our model.

The designs used in the film are by Linda Vasel, Nathalie Fordeyn and Laura Baruël - three designers collaborating with Muuse.com.



Director: Mikael Colville-Andersen / Cycle Chic
Cinematographer: Theis Mortensen
Model: Maria Bloch-Jørgensen
Styling: Muuse.com

Muuse.com

Red Light Moments

This little film has been frightfully popular on Flickr - seen almost 30,000 times.

To my surprise, I found another version from the same spot in my archives today:


Red light moments in the City of Cyclists.

I Love Budapest I Bike Budapest

A film of cinematic brilliance from our lovely friends at Hungarian Cycle Chic. Nuff said.

Betina Lou & Bicycles

Betina Lou Spring Summer 2012 from Betina Lou on Vimeo.

Montreal brand Betina Lou has lovely bicycles in this ad/video! Cool.

The Winter Jinx Post

I know, I know. We don't want to think about it. Winter.

The last two winters in Copenhagen - and most of Europe - have been bitter cold. Sub-zero temperatures hitting -30 C with the wind chill and snowstorm after snowstorm rolling in.

Remember, open your closet... it's filled with cycling clothes.

So let's try to jinx winter by posting about winter cycling. It's a long shot, but we're willing to give it a go.

The bicycle is still the quickest way to get around.

Colourful scarves add spice to the snow.

Bring a friend.

Don't stand still for too long.

There is always something to share the snowstorm with in Copenhagen.

Shopping knows no seasonal borders.

Bring your phone.

And your umbrella.

And a snowboard...



Colourful knit is the new goretex.


Here are a couple of films we made. One for fun and one for the City of Copenhagen.

Helsinki Revisited

Took a while, but here's a little film about my visit to Helsinki last year for a keynote talk and a Cycle Chic photoshoot and bike ride. It's just a funky little collection of moving images from the Finnish capital. The Cycle Chic event and other bicycle trips I was taken on in the city.


You can revisit the photos from the Helsinki visit by watching the slideshow from Flickr:

Claris Color Rate

Beautiful, soulful music video for Claris Color Rate. So Cycle Chic that it makes our heads hurt.

Cycle Chic Meets Muuse.com

Cycle Chic has teamed up with our friends at Muuse.com to make a film combining Muuse's brilliant fashion with Cycle Chic's eye for bicycles. We headed out to one of the many beaches around Copenhagen last Friday to shoot and here are some of the still photos from the day. Thanks to Velorbis for the bicycles, too.

It was a brilliant day. A little chilly, if you ask us, but our model Maria is a viking and she put on a brave face. We wrapped her in fur and blankets between every take and took good care of her. Most of the shooting featured many of Muuse's creations from their talented designers but we always included some classic Cycle Chic bicycle ridin'. Of course we did. We couldn't live without it.


Muuse.com has also written about the behind the scenes action from the film shoot over at their blog.








It goes without saying that when we did the mobile shots, we used a cargo bike from Nihola. Mikael rode the trike and Theis, the cinematographer, sat in the box.

Right then... we'd better get started editing the film. Keep your eyes on this space. It's coming soon. Well... kind of soon. Soonish.