True Bike Love, Baby

I saw this outside my window an hour ago. I've seen hundreds of bicycle users waiting at this spot in the evening, casting shadows from the car headlights. Suddenly, like a vision, a heart formed. It lingered there, imprinted on the asphalt for more than a minute. Until the light changed and the bicycle was set into motion. But the heart remains in these photographs. This is urban living. This is bike love. This is the future for our cities, baby.



And because we love you all madly, all you Cycle Chic readers, here are a couple of versions of the photo you can use as wallpaper for your trusty computer:

This one is 1400 x 800. Click on it, new window, right click to save as.

This one is 1024 x 768.

This one is 1900 x 1200. By special request... :-)

Have a lovely weekend.

City Hall Square

A Copenhagener crosses Hans Christian Andersen Boulevard towards the City Hall Square. Hat and heels. Basket and scarf. And everything matches the Copenhagen blue bike lanes.

A Copenhagener pedals his ladyfriend across the same intersection in their Christiania Bike.

Both photos are fine candidates for the Hat theme.

Wallpaper request fulfilled:

A couple of requests for this photo as a wallpaper came in, and here you go. 1600x1200.

The Simplicity of Nordic Evenings

It's Monday. It's wallpaper day. Værs'go [Here you go]

1024x768

1024x768

Here's a little video poem-thingy using Flickr's new video function:


Here's the laptop-a-doodle versions of the screensavers:

1680x1050

1680x1050

The Cycle Chic Manifesto

We've been discussing for ages the composing of a manifesto regarding Cycling Chic. We coined the phrase, after all, so we thought it necessary to highlight what it's all about. As ever, with a hint of seriousness, a splash of poetry and a dash of playfulness.

With that said, we present to you The Copenhagen Cycle Chic Manifesto. Here's a link to the manifesto in French.

- I choose to cycle chic and, at every opportunity, I will choose Style over Speed.

- I embrace my responsibility to contribute visually to a more aesthetically pleasing urban landscape.

- I am aware that my mere prescence in said urban landscape will inspire others without me being labelled as a 'bicycle activist'.

- I will ride with grace, elegance and dignity.

- I will choose a bicycle that reflects my personality and style.

- I will, however, regard my bicycle as transport and as a mere supplement to my own personal style. Allowing my bike to upstage me is unacceptable.

- I will endeavour to ensure that the total value of my clothes always exceeds that of my bicycle.

- I will accessorize in accordance with the standards of a bicycle culture and acquire, where possible, a chain guard, kickstand, skirt guard, fenders, bell and basket.

- I will respect the traffic laws.

- I will refrain from wearing and owning any form of 'cycle wear'.


(Let's be honest, steel-toed boots, lifevests, bullet-proof vests, construction hats, bike helmets or any other kind of safety gear have a hard time being chic, no matter how much the people who make them and profit off of them would like them to be. Chic isn't just on the surface, it's also in the brain so we encourage people to make an effort to understand the science of helmets. Or see this TED talk on the subject.)

Monday's Wallpapers

I am personally quite mad about this shot, above. Great moments in cycling, indeed. It's that moment when the foot pushes the bicycle into motion, just before it leaves the ground and is deftly placed on the pedal. It can look wobbly at times, but it is generally poetry in motion. A urban ballet. Resolution: 1024x768

Another classic study of cycling with style in high heels. Resolution: 1024x768

Below are the same shots in a 1680x1050 resolution.

Quintessential Danishness [and a wallpaper]

It's hard to explain if you've never been here but this shot is textbook Danishness.

Not Copenhagenness - a modern European capital with all the trimmings - but the whole essence of Danishness. That national sensation that exists just under the skin. A national-romantic and idealistic image of what a nation is, sure, but it is almost always makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Each country with a long history has their own, unique and simple sensation. This photo is, for me, quintessential Danishliciousness. Stormy seas and wind turbines are Danishness, too. As are the bike lanes on this blog. But this shot is special - because of the rolling wheatfields and the sea - but mostly because of the bike and the girl on the bike.

Made better by the fact that it's Wifealiciousness on that bike, in that wheat field, heading towards that sea in the background.

Taken on the 'Sunshine Island' - Bornholm, just south-east of Sweden in the Baltic Sea.

And I think it appropriate to remember that Danish women and men have been cycling daily down this lane since bicycles were invented.


Monday is Wallpaper Day
Or so I declared last week.

1024x768

1680x1050.

Wallpaper Day

Let's make Monday wallpaper day, shall we?
1024x768, and all that.

If anyone has ideas for wallpapers or needs other sizes, do let us know.

Here's a version in 1280x800.

Classic, Classy, Copenhagener

Classic, Classy, Copenhagener, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

"One must never ride into the back wheel of a loved and charming woman, unless one is convinced in advance that one's love for said woman will always be, and must be, unhappy."
Johannes Wulff in "Paa cykle" [On the Bike], from 1930

Why am I quoting literature?

Another Copenhagen supermum in her natural environment. Elegant boots with sharp heels, leather trousers, fur scarf, this winter's popular red gloves, oversized sunglasses and... a chunky old Bobike seat for her kid[s] resting on an anonymous Raleigh.

Oh, and isn't it time for another wallpaper?

Cycle Chic Wallpaper

It's been a while since we chucked a wallpaper up onto the blog. So we're doing it now.
1024 x 768 and all that.

Vintage Bike Poster Screensaver

By popular demand we thought we'd whip up another screensaver. We do like the graphic arts, and we thought it fitting to include historic bike posters featuring the ancestral cyclists that inspired Copenhagen Cycle Chic.

Back in the day it was the impeccably stylish French and Italians who had the last word on chic posters advocating bike brands and usage. What a splendid array of vintage girls on bikes.

The screensaver is 1024x768.

The Amazing Cyclist Fashionistas of Copenhagen!

It's a big world. A world of similarities but also a world of differences. It amazes us that while wandering about in the blogosphere we stumble upon so many comments on message boards and articles in newspapers that express amazement at how women can ride in heels. Making it sound like it is as strange as showing up at a bowling alley in full cricket gear.

As you can see from our little screensaver above [feel free to click on it and download it your computer, if you like] , it's a daily part of life here in Copenhagen.

There is suprisingly little on the subject on the net. With the help of some of our female readers, we have gathered a few links regarding chic biking - 'how to' and 'you can, too' kind of pieces.
Here's our top three:

3. Glamour.com has a bit about riding in heels in Paris from a fashionista. "...biking in heels just makes balancing at intersections easier—as if she were wearing fetching stilts or kickstands."

2. The good people at the San Francisco Bike Coalition has a great piece called "Diva's Guide to Biking". It's a bit of a plain description for the uninitiated but as she writes, "I hope these small words of advice and encouragement help all you divas out there find your inner cyclists, and help all you cyclists find your inner divas. Be glam, ride safe, and enjoy the city!" A lovely little article.

1. We wandered headfirst into this article about Cycling in Skirts, by Pauline Harder on Happy Woman Magazine without being totally prepared. It's a satirical website, sure, and it all seemed energetic and inspirational enough: "To get the most out of cycling in skirts you must cycle with a sense of whimsy." Indeed. Fair enough.

But then Ms Harder starts discussing skirt length - "the shorter the better is the rule" and, oh goodness us, Undergarments... "While undergarment exposure for a skilled skirted cyclist is minimal, it is imperative that these fleeting glimpses be pleasant for onlookers, and a source of pride for yourself."

It's a great article. Amusing, constructive and inspirational for female cyclists everywhere. It deserves a read. "Cycling in skirts raises cycling from a mere sport, to an art form; an art form with you as both subject and creator, and the world as your canvas."

Well said. Satirical or otherwise. Pauline Harder is hereby presented with honourary Copenhagen Cycle Chic citizenship for her dedication to the cause.

Two questions to our readers.
Does anyone know of other inspirational sites/articles like the ones above? Send them along. For the benefit of our female readers.
Does anybody actually download these screensavers? We've only made two, sure, but should we keep making more? If yes, any good ideas? We have many, sure, but maybe yours are better than ours. Maybe...

Freedom to Ride - Freedom of Expression

Image above is best viewed large. Just click on it and feel free to save as a screensaver.

It has to be said that we here at Copenhagen Cycle Chic are rather overwhelmed at the response we get regarding this blog. It's amazing how many people send us emails and photos for consideration as guest photos from around the world. Thanks so very much.

It's amazing to us because we started out merely wanting to record the bredth and depth of Copenhagen bike culture. It is so ingrained on our culture - as you see here in this photo of a wall mural in Copenhagen of a girl on a bike:

Or just see this advert for Raleigh bikes in Denmark. A rather different approach to marketing. Compare it with Raleigh's US website... One features casual elegance, the other men in lycra. :-)

We merely wish to show how effortless bike commuting can be. To inspire those in countries without a firm foundation for bike culture to just get out and ride. Lycra begone. Fancy gear begone. Just get on with it.

As expected we have a large group of female fans from around the world. This demographic group often tell us how inspiring the photos are to them. We think that is great. That's the whole point. As Dave Moulton writes on his blog - Womankind - You can save mankind.

A friend of ours pointed us in the direction of some inspiring historical references to women on bikes. We're thankful that women are no longer ridiculed for riding bikes as they were in the late 1800's, back when the bike was regarded as a 'freedom machine' for women during the suffragist movement.

Indeed, this quote is inspiring and still relevant today:

"Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel...the picture of free, untrammelled womanhood." - Susan B. Anthony, American Suffragist, 1896.
Or consider Frances Willard - another legendary activist - who wrote a book in 1895 called 'How I Learned To Ride The Bicycle' wherein she praised the bike for the freedom it gave women. She often used a cycling metaphor to urge other suffragists to action:

"I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum."

We've come a long way. Moreso in some countries than others. Dave Moulton has had some grief about his post about Womenkind - You can save mankind - he responds here. But the narrow-minded won't get us down. Those who merely slap the label of 'sexist' on this blog don't have a very basic understanding of what it's all about and they judge others based on their own cultural norms. Without respecting the fact that people in other countries think differently.

And if they think bike advocacy in high heels is sexist, I would love to see their faces if they saw this advert for a Danish bike shop Cykelkongen [Cycle King]:

We don't particularly fancy this kind of photo - it is targeted at a different demographic group - but we respect the fact that others out there do fancy it.

All in all, thanks again for your support and kind emails/comments. We shall endevour to continue bringing you inspiration from the World's Cycling Capital.

May you forever ride with a tailwind.