Autumnal Copenhagen - Selected Shots from the Archives

Reddishness

Dreads, Fur and Red Heeled Boots.

Red'y for springtime.

Burgundy is stopping, Red is heading straight on.

Cycle Chic Guide - The Bikes of Copenhagen #4 - Sweetly Swedish

Like most European countries, Sweden has a proud bicycle making history and many of the classic Swedish makes are seen regularly on the streets of Copenhagen. Sweden is, after all, only four kilometres away from Denmark at the narrowest stretch of sea. You could almost throw a bicycle from one nation to another, so it's not surprising that Swedish 'cyklar' are a part of our bike culture.

The hottest brand in the bespoke end of the market is the Skeppshult, seen in both the above photos. We'll save space here by merely saying that we have a write up about the cool brand over at Copenhagenize.com.
Skeppshult.se - in Swedish and English.

Kronan The Barbarian

You can't muscle your way past the Kronan if you're discussing Swedish bikes. This former Swedish Army tank on two wheels enjoys a revival these days. It's still heavy and looks laboriously clunky but it has a certain retro appeal and is updated for the modern market. Meaning it is much smoother to ride. The number plates on the back are, by the way, a retro design addition. Bikes aren't registered like cars. That would be a silly idea, as we discussed over at Copenhagenize.com.

Especially now that other colours are available like this pinktastic version. They're pretty reasonably priced compared to other brands, which we suspect is because they tend to appeal to the young studenty crowd. Kronan do a line of prams and strollers, as well. On their website the call it Kingdom of Kronan which we reckon is heavily borrowed from the Republic of Fritz Hansen marketing angle, in the hopes that a bit of golden design association will drift their way.

Kronan.com - in Swedish and English

CRESCENT


When in Sweden you notice many bikes from Crescent, one of the largest bike brands and one with a lot of history. In particular their old school chainguards are quite fetching.

They also have a long line of cool retro posters like the one above.
Crescent.se - In Swedish

Winter's Last Gasp

First a fierce sleetstorm two days ago and then a sudden snowstorm. All after a tame, dull winter. The point is that people just get on with it, on their bikes, muscling their way through the weather. It always impresses me. Click on the photos to see them larger on Flickr.



While we're on snowstorms, I find it fascinating that this photo:

features on the cover of a brochure for Adult Education courses [Italian for Beginners, Learn to Knit, etc]. My friend Marie included this observation in her thesis about Danish bike culture.

There are few countries where a photo of a female cyclist struggling through a snowstorm would be used to sell a product.

Pinktastic

Pinktastic, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Pink elegance on a springlike winter's day.