Swedish Winter Cycle Chic

Some great shots from Olof at Malmö/Lund Cycle Chic in Southern Sweden.

Looks like the temperature has finally crawled above freezing in Copenhagen - and Malmö/Lund - and the snow is slowly melting for now.

Beauty Bicycles from Sweden!

Here's a vintage ad for Swedish bike brand Monark, from the 1950's. The Swedish nickname for these upright ladies bicycles was 'beauty bicycles' or 'beautycyklar'. Doesn't that fit perfectly with Cycle Chic?! Wonderful.

Check out the lovely skirtguard on the first bicycle featured. When the lady at 0:20 walks out of the back, they compare the lines of her jacket to the lines of the bicycle.

This is vintage Cycle Chic. This is how it used to be. This is how we're making it again. We're loving it.

My Beloved Bicycle...

This is a rather strange youtube find.. and it's Swedish. Kind of the same thing... :-) A declaration of love for a beloved bicycle.

It's kitsch, it's cult, it's fresh, it's Cycle Chic.

Here's the titles in the film in English:
- RIP bicycle.
- All of our memories...
- Your noisy clunking when I pedalled...
- Your curvacious handlebars...
- Your broken headlamp...

- We miss you so much...
- And to think your life would end like this...
- You disappeared from us so suddenly...
- To rest forever on 'soptippans' hallowed meadows...
- Rest in peace, beloved bicycle...
- In memory of my bicycle. The best bicycle that ever rolled on two wheels...
- We'll never forget you...
- You'll always be in our hearts...
- Beloved bicycle.

Veronica Maggio - Cycle Chic Music Video

Okay, okay. We're on a musical roll here. Thanks to another reader who sent us the link to this Swedish singer, Veronica Maggio and her song Måndagsbarn - Monday's Child. Cycle chic action to be had. Albeit on an old school banana-seated bike, but it's cool.

Anna Ternheim - Cycle Chic Music Video

Thanks to our reader 'JepLeas' for sending us this music video from the Swedish singer Anna Ternheim. Pure cycle chic on a proper bike. Hills and fields and beach. Nice. She sings in English.

Stockholm Cycle Chic & Practical Chic

Javisst! A spot of Stockholm Cycle Chic. Thanks to Paul for recording the life of Cycle Chic in the Swedish capital. By Swedish standards, Stockholm lags behind Sweden's third largest city, Malmö, with regards to the number of people on bikes but the numbers are increasing. Greater Stockholm has about 700 km of bike lanes and paths.

Here is an earlier post about Stockholm Cycle Chic from a visit I made earlier this year. Tak så mycka, Paul!

Practical Chic

Here's Jill Keto, from her blog Practical Chic - Surviving the Recession in Style. A little splash of Copenhagen Cycle Chic from 'over there'. Classic Copenhagen basket and cracking outfit.

Both Sides of The Sound

The Sound is the name of the sea between Copenhagen and Sweden and, on the other side is Malmö, Sweden's third largest city. They ride bikes, too. Upwards of 25% of all trips are made by bike. It's a lovely place to visit, only 30 minutes on the train from Copenhagen.

You get to see so many cool Swedish bikes - Crescent and Hermes/new and old. Normal bikes, of course. With normal people on normal clothes riding them.

What a beauty. For more smashing Malmöliciousness on bikes...

Meanwhile, back in Copenhagen

Don't fancy unsightly raingear? Forget your brolley at home in your rush to get to the café? Not to worry. Just wrap your scarf around your head and you're a female Lawrence of Copenhagnia in the light summer rain.

It's a criss-cross bike world. I love the couple holding hands on the right.

Self-Irony

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.

Copenhagen Cycle Chic Goes to Stockholm

We are not content with merely providing a portrait of Copenhagen Cycle Chic. Where possible, we snap shots of cycle chic in other European cities. This time Stockholm. It's a groovy town, no doubt about it. Similar to Copenhagen in many ways. While the number of cyclists is nothing like Copenhagen, there are wonderful bike lanes throughout town and the cyclists you see are just getting on with it. Regular clothes, no fancy gear. Just using their bike for transport.

It's quite a hilly town but it was pleasing that this was of little concern to the cyclists. Up they went, putting a bit of extra muscle into it.