CPH Classico – Bicyles & Vintage clothes in the streets of Copenhagen

Last Sunday, CPH Made and Recycles (a bike shop which restores iconic old bike frames) organized for the first time the Copenhagen Classico - a bike race... or let's say a fast pace bike parade. Indeed, the point of the Copenhagen Classico was to pay a tribute to the stylish cyclists from the good old days.



The dress code: Retro looks for these ladies...





... vintage race outfit for this man....

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.... and stylish urban outfits for them.



For the occasion, policemen took out their outfits and motorcycles of yesteryear. Each detail counted for this event taking place for the first time in the Danish capital.

Smily cyclist “Copenhagen is the city of cyclists”

It's a bike I found in my summer house and that my brother fixed. I really like it. I think it is beautiful.

“How can you define a Copenhagen cyclist ?”

“It's pretty much everybody! Copenhagen is the city of cyclists.”

Nice vintage rusty handle bar.


More pictures everyday on Byliv in CPH.

Colour Splash

Nosey into any Copenhageners' wardrobe and you should find their favourite key pieces in black, grey or white. However, these lot show us that by adding a splash of colour you can keep any outfit far from being dull.


Revive an otherwise plain outfit by adding a psychedelic vintage bomber jacket.


Make a bold yet simple statement by teaming a classic LBD with a jacket in a loud colour. Splash out a bit!

Over and out!

K.E.G x

Interior Bicycle Shelves

The internet is alive with photos of people hanging bicycles in their homes. As storage in many cases, but also as interior design. It's obvious. Bicycles possess an eternal and powerful aestheticism and symbolism that often makes them as appealing to look at as artwork.

Here at home, I've had a 1947 Husqvarna bicycle lying around the flat. Standing in the living room and looking lovely. It just wasn't enough, however. The bicycle is a practical tool for making my everyday life easier by helping me get around the city. So why not, I thought, do the same indoors?


So up it went, that lovely old Husqvarna. Into the front hall where I needed something more interesting than shelves anyway. It's the first thing you see when you come into the flat and, most importantly, you can store stuff on it.


Me and the kids "decorated" it once it was up - much like we did when we decorated it last christmas.

Who would have realised that flip-flops would fit so perfectly in the spokes? Cool.

The big winter jackets hang elsewhere, so the bicycle remains rather uncluttered. Been using it for a few days now, and it's all very practical - as well as aesthetic. In that order.

NORD

Nord Clothing is a Swedish clothing brand started by a group of surfers back in 2003. "Nord" means "North". By the way.

Here's their latest video for their clothes. They say their clothes are "meant to be worn well, enjoyed, loved, and destroyed." Cool.

Lovin' the bicycle in the film, too.

Marcio in Rio

Here's a friend of ours, Marcio. I went to the beach with him in Rio de Janeiro last week. Cool guy, cool vintage bike.

Marcio has a cool surf brand called Garage7, making cool shorts and t-shirts.


But we mostly love him for the way he just straps his shoes on the back rack for the ride back home- :-)

Cycle Chic(ish) from Belgium

Here's the cover of the weekend supplement for the Belgian newspaper De Morgen. Shot by Javier Barcala © La Fortuna Studio.

It really is wild how vintage bikes are conquering the market.

Climate Change - Australia Cycle Chic

Climate Change is a serious issue. It can also be quite depressing. When the climate changes to winter here in Copenhagen, it's changing to summer Down Under. Lucy from Sydney Vintage Bikes sent us these shots from a recent campaign in Sydney. Bondi, to be precise. They were taken by Lara Inc. - Sydney’s most respected fashion and lifestyle events agency and were in conjuction with an event for Switch Flops.

Lucy provided the vintage bikes for the event.

While we wouldn't want to live anywhere else but Copenhagen, we certainly wouldn't mind a little Australian holiday right about now.

Remember, you always have Sydney Cycle Chic for more photos from Down Under.


Meanwhile, back at Cycle Chic Headquarters in Copenhagen:

Rome Cycle Chic - Bicycles

It was most encouraging and pleasing to see so many cool bicycles in Rome. Loads of vintage rides that are still going strong. Seeing flowers on baskets was more common than I would have thought, and it's so lovely every time.

This one isn't vintage but that backrack and basket add to the mainstream bicycle culture flavour.

This is old school parking. For decades this is how people parked their bicycles. Leaning them against the curb with the pedal. Probably not a good idea in cities that are getting used to the return of the bicycle, but the bike, above, stayed standing.

Sidecar Cycle Chic

I mentioned this photo to a friend and then thought I'd slap it up here on Cycle Chic. Bicycle with sidecar in Copenhagen. 1935. Timeless, classic Cycle Chic for father and son.

Courtesy of Copenhagen Museum.

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.

Helsinki: Vintage Bicycle Eldorado

We're popping back to Helsinki Cycle Chic for a moment, so bear with me. There were many things that amazed me about the city - bikewise and otherwise - but one thing that I found quite fantastic was the amazing number of vintage Nordic bicycles under the bottoms of Helsinki's Citizen Cyclists. You don't see many in Denmark anymore but take a trip across The Sound to Malmö, in Sweden, for example and there are many more to behold.

But Helsinki seems to be a magnet to which all these gorgeous old bicycles are attracted. Not surprisingly, the fashionable crowd have adopted these old bikes from the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's. They are undeniably aesthetic and cool. But in every bike rack I found examples. Like the Norwegian 'Norrland' in the top photo and the Finnish 'Tuntari' just above these words.

Many of these bicycles were in exile around Scandinavia for many years, hidden away in summer houses - like these ones at ours - but with the reemergence of the bicycle as transport in our cities, these old workhorses have been given a new lease on life. Above is a 'Union' bicycle from Norway.

Another Finnish 'Tunturi' and a Swedish 'Monark'.

This old 'Tunturi' was quite beautiful. There were even remnants of a knitted skirtguard and the contents of the toolbox under the backrack were vintage, as well. Including an old school Danish bike repair kit called Jylland Special. I even have one of these vintage kits here at home.

All in all it was a real treat to see so many cool, old bicycles on the streets of Helsinki. I learned that the price is rising on them - at the moment it's about €150. Just like the rebirth of the Mini Bikes, it's safe to say the there's no school like the old school.

I didn't get to ride a vintage pearl around the city, but I was more than content at riding this bike, above, graciously provided by the new Finnish brand, Pelago. With my recently purchased bag from Ortigiano strapped to the handlebars. Pelago's designs are true to the vintage style, so it was perfect for my visit.

Viva Helsinki!

Viva Helsinki - Elegance

Simply elegant.