Life-sized Copenhagen

The Little Mermaid isn't small. She's life-size. Much like city she calls home, and that is the key word for everything here in Copenhagen. Greatest thing about this city is motion. It is never ending flow of happy people heading from A to B. In the 1960's this city was as car centric as any other city. Visionary decisions were made and now we can see the result of constant fight for life-sized city. City that is made for people, for its citizens. The vast network of safe, segregated bike lanes criss-crossing the city has encouraged people to use their bicycle. Everything starts with infrastructure. Build safe, reliable and connected infrastructure - more cyclists will come.

Image above proves the liveliness of this city, the human scale that Copenhagen stands for. To Cycle Chic in this city is so easy. It just comes naturally.

Happy Cycling!

And don't forget to follow us in Instagram @cycle.chic.republic for more daily updates.

Foggy Mornings

On a foggy, grey December morning in the streets of Copenhagen, where everyone dresses up in black and grey, we spotted a nice lady on a cream bike heading to the city. Her bike and coat... She brings smiles and liveliness to the bike lanes. Keep it simple and classy with a little touch of colours.

Happy Cycling!

The All Blacks, Part II

It is hard not to notice that in Copenhagen black is always top pick when it comes to the clothes. Obviously, we had to write about this... Here are 4 photos from our recent photo mission where we spotted black in all its glory!

While waiting for the green light.
This girls brings lot of black tones into her outfit. Looking cool and edgy. Her bike is the brightest accessory in her over all look, and still it is light grey... Not so far from our favorite - black!

All black, everything.
Even headphones, for sure her bicycle and baskets. Real Copenhagener - chic, comfy and all black.

You need to add little something from time to time.
This lady all black and light grey mittens with red pattern.

In motion.
All black with little bit of white and olive green.

Our lovely Copenhagen ladies. Black suits them so well, right?

Happy Cycling!

Double Dealing Days, Part II

No matter where you are going to and what you are doing. The streets of Copenhagen with cycling lines wide enough to fit two cyclists cycling together side by side gives you a possibility to share these beautiful everyday moments with your friends.

It is pretty ordinary in Copenhagen to see couples cycling from A-to-B. It is cheaper, faster, better and lets be honest - later you can use the money for a nice, romantic dinner together.

It starts with couples and continues with families...

Take your friend and share the ride !!! 

Happy Cycling!

Autumnal Yellow Backdrop

The best part of autumn. Leaves blanket the city like a duvet, providing a splash of welcome colour and a perfect background for cycling photographs.

The gloves are out in force again. A sure sign that autumn is irreversible.

And now that we've moved the clocks back an hour and the days are getting shorter, yawning will undoubtably increase. :-)

Break Out The Gloves

As we ease into winter through the transition of autumn here in Copenhagen, we're in the midst of another transitional in mainstream bicycle culture. We love to see all the lovely hats and scarves and gloves come out.

Gloves are one thing that always trigger a one or two week period where we start to realise that it may be time to break them out. We all know it well here. You head off one morning and realise it's damn chilly but your gloves are packed away somewhere in your home. You make a mental note to yourself to dig them out. You forget. Next chilly day, another mental note.



Eventually, you find them and put them by the door. Then you forget to take them when you leave. You finally remember to take them with you, and put them on. In the afternoon, however, heading home or onwards into the evening, they're in your bag or your pockets. Then the chill catches you unawares once again. You'll ride along, fishing them out of your pocket or dig them out at a red light, like the photo above, and put them. Unless of course you just think... "I don't have far to go... I'll suck it up."


After this seasonal transitional phase (the exact opposite is true in the spring), your gloves become second nature. They're rarely forgotten and keep your fingers warm until the spring launches its Occupy Winter rallies in March and April.


We felt like showing a little series of red gloves from Copenhagen but whatever the colour or fabric or style, the bike lanes of Copenhagen will soon be coloured with them.

Portraits of cyclists: Natalie - «I bike when I go shopping because it's easier to carry all the bags »

« I'm from Copenhagen and I bike during the week-end to come to the city center. »

« I bought my bicycle when I moved to Copenhagen. I use it mostly in my spare time when I go shopping like today because it's easier to carry all the bags thanks to the basket. »

Natalie is the fashion blogger of http://natulia.com/. Check out her looks and tips.

More pictures of Copenhagen on Byliv in Copenhagen.

Portraits of cyclists: Mads - « an old lady told me I was wearing beautiful pink socks »

« I cycle everyday in Copenhagen and I’m also a race cyclist. I’m really into cycling and so far, I have owned 17 different bikes and I’m only 23. »

« Do you remember a story that occurred while you were riding in the streets of Copenhagen? »

« My trouser is ridden up and people can see my socks. One day, I was standing at a traffic light and an old lady told me I was wearing beautiful pink socks. Actually, it happened a couple of time. » 

More pictures of Copenhagen every day on Byliv in CPH.

Portraits of cyclists - Sidsel: « Cycling is still the most effective way to get to work »

«I bike everyday. I almost never cycle for fun. I always use it to go somewhere. » 

« Do you like biking in winter? »

« Even though there is lot of snow, I think cycling is still the most effective way to get to work. It is the means of transportation that take the less time. »

« Do you know our blog ? »

« Yes, I do know your blog since a friend of mine is the woman on the cover of the book Cyclists & Cycling Around the World! »

More pictures of Copenhagen every day on Byliv In CPH.

Montreal Bicycle Winter

I was in Montreal last week and it was brilliant to see so many bicycles on the streets. I didn't have a chance to photograph too much because of work, but here are some shots from the city's streets.

Glove On, Glove Off

A propos the recent post about Breaking out the Gloves, here are some gloved and half/gloved photos from the Copenhagenesque urban landscape.

The Tail End of Winter?

Let's hope... and I mean really hope... that these will be the last few photos of the winter. It's time for spring. We need it, want it, yearn for it. Bring on the sun. Bring on the lux. Bring on the anthropology.

Ice Cold Cycling Goodness

Morning rush hour in -14 degrees.

Colours to match the sunshine!

Chilly Autumn Mornings

Autumnal chill. Bicycle thrill.

Melbourne Cycle Chic - and a demonstration

I've now returned home to Copenhagen after giving a keynote speech at the brilliant State of Design festival in Melbourne. It was fantastic to meet so many wonderful people but especially fantastic to meet some Cycle Chicistas who made the trip to Melbourne for the talk. At left is Jenny - AKA Unity Finesmith - from Auckland Cycle Chic and, at right in the lovely green gloves, is Saskia from A Spirit of Place and Cycle Chic Sundays - Sydney.


Here's another friend, Dr Paul Martin, with his wife on the left and Jenny on the right. In addition to the State of Design keynote, there was a brilliantly, well-dressed bicycle-related protest on the Saturday. We all went for a bike ride on the new bike share bikes in Melbourne. Which sounds nice until you consider the fact that Melbourne has bike helmet laws. We were part of a protest/demonstration and you can read much more about it over at Copenhagenize.com


Here are some other chic cyclists enjoying the ride and the protest.


And a spot of Canine Demonstration Cycle Chic. His name is Bon Bon.

All in all it was quite possibly the chic'est demonstration I've ever been involved in.