British Sea Power Cycle Chic

A spot of Cycle Chic in this music video by British Sea Power entitled 'Machineries Of Joy'

Cambridge Bags and Baskets

Wicker baskets and lovely bicycle bags abound in Cambridge, where we were not long ago for the CycleLogistics meeting.

The Citizen Cyclists of Cambridge.

Wicker baskets on all corners, including the corner of this unintentional photo...

The Questioning City (we know the answer)

Brilliant flashback to Cambridge, UK in 1959. Splendid shots of cycling scholars, complete with pipes on occasion.

We like the question posed at 0:26: "And you, on the bicycle. What will you be?" What will you aspire to?

Boys on Boris Bikes

I was only in London for the day last Tuesday, but managed to capture some urban cycling action on the streets. Here are some of London's bike share bicycles on the streets. Citizen Cyclists using the bicycles to get around the city centre.

I must admit, however, that I didn't spot hardly any people on bicycles who looked relaxed. London is a black hole for bicycle infrastructure so most of the cyclists looked like they were being hunted down like dogs. Compared to Paris, where safe bicycle infrastructure has brought amazing numbers of regular citizens onto bicycles - private bikes and/or Vélib bike share bicycles - cycling in London is a fringe activity. There were women out there on the streets, but very few compared to the men.

All the same, seeing bicycles in the city is a positive sign and I'll happily record it. It's baby steps for London, but the bicycle is back and it's not going anywhere.

Round the World Cycle Chic

Some of our recent favourites from the Cycle Chic Official Flickr Group. Bicycle style from around the world. Lovin' it.

J. Crew Cycle Chic

Thanks to Claire for sending up the link to this brilliant Cycle Chic photo from an American clothing company called J. Crew. Scotland Forever!

Neil and his Ordinary

Freewheelers: Neil's Penny Farthing - Click here for this week’s top video clips

This is... well... it's quite odd. Not bad odd. Just odd. We're not quite sure what to make of it but somehow we find ourselves a bit enamoured with it. Meet Neil and his Ordinary. Which is the proper word for what is also known as a Penny Farthing.

We are, however, quite convinced that every bicycle should sport a leather bottle holder on the front.

The Spokes in Copenhagen

Had a visit from the UK a couple of weeks ago. Kat and Becca were travelling about and ended here in the World's Cycling Capital. They are both members in the rather fantastic dance troupe The Spokes. "The only all female bicycle dance troupe in the UK". They didn't dance on their rented bicycles - not as far as I saw anyway - but they enjoyed cycling about the city. On 'an explore' as Winnie the Pooh would have put it. That's Kat, above and here's Becca, below. Becca is resting her foot on the cyclist railings we put up in this city to spoil our cycling citizens.

Becca blogged about their time in Copenhagen on her blog.

You can check out The Spokes on their website and be sure to check out their films.
Lovely to meet you!

Cycle Chic Global: UK

Cycle Chic UK from Andy/AngloMex on Flickr. "Red bikes go faster... especially when propelled by red shoes!"

Cycle Chic goodness from the Cycle Chic™ Flickr group.

Cycle Chic's Top 5 Cycle Chic Cities

I was asked in an interview recently what the best cities for Cycle Chic are and it was a good question. I figured I'd whip up a Top 5 List of the Cycle Chic'est Cities on the planet. I limited the list to larger metropolises. Being a Cycle Chic Metropolis requires, basically, two elements. A high fashion bar among the population and... bicycles. It requires that a city has a developed bicycle culture, meaning that the bicycle is an important and respected transport option that is used by regular citizens. Citizens who don't identify themselves as being 'cyclists' or members of a sub-culture but who merely use a bicycle to get around. In many ways, Cycle Chic is synonomous with Mainstraim Bicycle Culture.

1. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

This probably doesn't surprise you, but we're going with Copenhagen at #1. The reason, apart from the fact that bicycles are an integral part of life in the world's cycling capital, is that the fashion bar is frightfully high in Copenhagen.

Copenhageners are simply an incredibly well-dressed bunch. You'll see well-dressed people in every city but in the Danish capital style and textile æsthetics are a fabric extension of the Danish design tradition. If we measure the procentage of a city's population who are well-dressed, Copenhagen is way ahead.

Whatever they're wearing, Copenhageners just hop onto bicycles to get around. Crappy, squeaky bicycles, fancy bicycles, cargo bikes, whatever. The city gets extra bonus points for the rather recent development of investing in cooler bicycles. For over a century bicycles were black and heavy. With the economic boom of the last decade, bicycles were all of a sudden available in all sorts of colours and styles. Now Copenhageners can accessorize with their bicycles.
Chic. Cycles. Cycle Chic.



2. TOKYO, JAPAN

At #2, Tokyo. Fashion capital of the planet. Sure, we look to the catwalks of Milano and Paris to see what's coming, but it is in Tokyo that the clothes make an impact. Even the greeters who bow at customers inside the doors of department stores are wearing ensembles worth more than annual salary.

As far as bicycles go, Japan is third only to Denmark and Holland regarding mainstream bicycle culture. Bicycles abound in this major car-producing nation. You'll see more bicycles in the racks around Shibuya Station on any day of the week than you'll see on the streets of New York and London combined in the course of a year.

In the 'Well-Dressed Sweepstakes' Tokyo nudges ahead of Copenhagen but loses points on the bicycle front. There is less separated infrastructure for bikes than in Copenhagen and, say, Osaka or Kyoto. Cyclists often ride on the sidewalks, which is great for Style over Speed, but the city would be that much more Cycle Chic friendly with bike lane catwalks for the impeccably-dressed citizens.




3. AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

To be completely honest, it's a tight race in the top three. Amsterdam breathes down Tokyo and Copenhagen's neck on the Cycle Chic Cities list. The bicycle is king in Amsterdam, no doubt about that. Amsterdam and Copenhagen are the Romulus and Remus of modern bicycle culture.

One thing that always strikes us about Amsterdammers is their fantastic individual style. They are so cool, unique and relaxed, with a high level of 'urban funk' in their style.

We find the Amsterdam affection for clunky old bicycles to be fantastically charming. They compliment their non-chalant attitude brilliantly.





4. PARIS, FRANCE

Basically, if you don't include Paris on any list that has anything to do with fashion or style, they send a stiletto clad task force after you to blow cigarette smoke in your face and to shrug in your general direction.

Fortunately, including Paris at #4 wasn't a difficult choice. Ever since the Vélib bike share programme showed up in the city, the French capital has been under a constant and brilliant transformation to a much more liveable city. Here's a previous Cycle Chic article about the Vélib system's influence on the city.

Since Vélib started, 2 million private bicycles have been sold in the city and it shows. So... the city is virtually bicycle-friendly, which certainly counts on the Cycle Chic scale. Fashion-wise... well... it's Paris. The fashion bar is high and the people who are using the Vélib bicycles and private bicycles are people who you would otherwise ride the Metro with. Impeccably-dressed gents and fabulously-fab fashionistas.

If the city keeps up it's push for a more bicycle-friendly future, you'll see Paris muscling it's way up this list.



5. LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

We had to think about #5 for a while, but London ended up rolling away with the honours. Cycling is up and coming in the city and there are a lot of positive players promoting it. Much of our decision for the #5 spot is based on a two-day photo gig in the city back in June last year. Sitting outside Lock 7 Café in Hackney and watching the morning bicycle traffic roll past was like sitting in Copenhagen or Amsterdam. It blew us away.

Sure, most are fairweather cyclists and sure, there is a lot of lycra about, but hey... it's London, innit. Global city and all that. Fashion centre supreme. "Get on with it, mate" attitude. If there's one global city that has the potential to follow in Paris' footsteps, it's London. From the Swinging Sixties to the Two-Wheeled Teens.


Waiting in the Wings
So who's coming up fast from behind? What cities are - hopefully - soon reaching a level of mainstream urban cycling and therewith glorious Cycle Chicaliciousness? Three come to mind right off the bat.

TORONTO

There is a great deal of effort being made in Toronto to push cycling over into the mainstream realm and already the streets are graced with chic cyclists of both sexes.
MONTREAL

With the success of the BIXI bikes share system Montreal is following in the footsteps of many French cities by bringing cycling as transport back to the people.

SAN FRANCISCO

If there is an American city that has the will and the style to reach the heights of Cycle Chic, it's San Francisco. It's where I left my heart.