Showing posts with label riga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label riga. Show all posts

22 July 2012

Bicycles and Flowers in Riga

Riga Bicycle Flower Festival-004
On a recent visit to Riga, Latvia, I was invited on two bike rides. One of them was probably the loveliest bike ride I could imagine. All around the world there are bike rides taking place. Celebrating the bicycle, riding in support of this or that cause. All nice.

In Riga, however, a local bike shop arranged a Bicycle Flower Festival. Encouraging people to decorate their bicycles with flowers and go for a ride.

For no other reason than bicycles and flowers are a match made in heaven and compliment each other brilliantly.
Riga Bicycle Flower Festival-016
So simple, so lovely. We wish we had thought of it ourselves.
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Riga Bicycle Flower Festival

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Getting a police escort for a Bicycle Flower ride is a fantastic irony.
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The ride ended at the Dutch Bike shop for a barbeque and DJs. But there had to be a winner for most splendidly-decorated bicycle and here she is. What a brilliant decoration. She transformed her bicycle, using flowers, into a peacóck.
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21 April 2009

Riga Cycle Chic - Part 2

Riga: Funky Cycle Chic
A little bit more Cycle Chic from Riga. As it was explained to me by a local, mountain bikes are popular in the Latvian capital. Well, not popular, but toleratd since it's hard to get a normal bike in the bike shops. Now there's an export opportunity for Danish and Dutch brands. They have the style, now they need the bikes to match it.
Riga Sixpence
Dapper.
Riga: Couple
Riga Couple.
Riga Dapper Riga Cool
Riga Cycle Chic pour hommes.

20 April 2009

Riga Cycle Chic

Riga Cycle Chic
It's safe to say that Cycle Chic is alive and well in the Latvian capital, Riga. I was invited over by the Royal Danish Embassy and the Danish Cultural Institute to speak at their conference with a lecture entitled, "Marketing the Bicycle to the Sub-Conscious Environmentalists" and it was a wonderful experience and the embassy people were brilliant. I met loads of local people who choose to ride bicycles in the beautiful city.
Riga: Style Over Speed
I saw many cyclists and they were all true "style over speed" candidates. No rush, just taking it easy. Important especially outside the old city where the traffic is thick. No agression, just a good, relaxed pace and attentiveness when negotiating their way through the cars and trucks. Textbook Cycle Chic. Not to mention the Slow Bicycle Movement.
Riga: Ivan and Andrew
I was given a bike by a local chap, Karlis, and I spent the day riding around the city. I met these two guys, Ivan and Andrew, and spoke with them about cycling in Riga. I'll be posting a little film in a couple of days about it. As well as some more photos of Riga Cycle Chic.