Elevation Nation

Click on the photo to see it larger over at Flickr.
"It's all so modest, gentle, dreamy. One is in a new, floating situation and it feels as though you're halfway to becoming a spirit that is about to leave the surface of the earth.

One can see over everyones' heads and because of that one is lifted up in an mood of calm and romantic elevation."
Johannes Wulff -'Paa cykle' - 1930

As ever, it's the comments and the emails we get that make it all worthwhile. We're loving this little community and the people we've met. We've included a number of our favourite bits of feedback in this post. Just simple comments on a post like this one are so wonderful to read:

"Hurray! As one who rides her bike to work in Houston wearing dresses, black suede boots and anything else imaginable, I salute you. Thank you for showing that riding a bike to work doesn't have to be a big deal."

We're not saying that the ONLY way to ride is in stylish clothes - some people prefer it differently - but there are so many people out there who WANT to ride in normal clothes and if we can inspire that, we're content. Thanks for being here, whoever you are.


Another study in that fascinating moment when a cyclist pushes off, propels themself forward, gaining momentum enough to settle into the saddle, feet seeking out the pedals instinctively, accelerating away.

Here's another Acceleration Moment.

And as we can see the cyclist above has been shopping, we remembered this post over at our sister blog about how Cyclists are Better Shoppers than Motorists. Worth a read.

Wifealiciousness and the New Bike

Wifealiciousness was itching to get out and ride her new bike for the first time yesterday. We bought it last December but she hasn't had the chance to ride since our newborn daughter prefers napping in the pram. Today was the day to mount the 'Victoria'.

Being pregnant doesn't stop a Copenhagen woman from riding, however, as Wifealiciousness can attest to.

Sit Up and Beg

"One sits on it either straight-backed, as though at a festive dinner party, or hunched painfully forward, as though one just failed an exam. All according to the situation, your inclination or your inborn characteristics."
Johannes Wulff 'Paa cykle' 1930

Now I'm all in favour of the aesthetic pleasures of a 'sit up and beg' bicycle. Nothing beats it, in my opinion. That's how I prefer to ride. The Copenhagener above takes the passion to a whole new level on her 8-ball bike. And she makes it work. Funky style and cheeky attitude.

Guest Photos Amsterdam, Vietnam and... Hackney!?

This great little website is often linked to. A tourist took 82 photos in 73 minutes on a square in Amsterdam. He was amazed at all the bikes.

Our reader, Matt, sent us this photo of Cycle Chic from Vietnam:
"I snapped this on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Vietnam, in the spring of 2005. It's a reminder that many people are CycleChic because other options are few. True flower power here! Thanks for all your great photos. Matt."
And thanks to you, Matt, for your wonderfully colourful photo.

There are two phrases that, until now, have never been uttered in the same breath in the history of man. "Hackney Council" and "Cycle Chic". The East London Borough put on a "Heels & Wheels" fashion show in the historic flower market, touting the bicycle as a fashion accessory.

Councillor Alan Laing, Hackney Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods said:
“It’s fantastic to see so many people turn out to support the Councils’ efforts to promote cycling as a sustainable form of transportation. We hope the Wheels and Heels event demonstrated our commitment to achieving a greater uptake of cycling, particularly amongst young women, by showing how practical and fashionable it can be as well a being a great way to stay fit and get around.”

The Cycle Chic message is spreading like a flowing summer's dress caught in a gust of wind. Yes, I actually just wrote that... :-)
Here's Hackney Council's cycling website. A fine initiative, we say.

Copenhagen Bridges Now and Then

"In the stream of cycles over Knippels Bridge we see Gudrun again, pedaling steadily. As though her and the machine are one. She is Copenhagen and Copenhagen is her."
Johannes V. Jensen, from the novel Gudrun, 1936.

The photo above is Knippels Bridge these days. Still a steady stream of cyclists each day. Below is a great video showing bike rush hour in Copenhagen on said bridge.

Here's the same bridge in 1935:

In the aforementioned novel 'Gudrun' there's a great passage comparing Copenhageners to schools of fish:
"If one is bumped by a car, the whole school is bumped. It's a nerve one has in the elbow, a flock function, which Copenhageners have learned so well that it is second nature".

Here's one of the other bridges over the harbour:


And this is the newest car-free bridge over the harbour, one side for pedestrians [not visible, it's on the other side of the white barrier] and the other for bikes.

A Number of Things

I don't really look at the stats of this blog too much. Once in awhile it's interesting. For ages there was only 1 visitor from North Dakota. Now, out of the blue, there are four. I'm fascinated. It's a massive statistical increase. Copenhagen Cycle Chic is BIG in North Dakota. North Dakotans! Come forward! Let us salute you!


After a splendid exchange of comments regarding chainguards, skirtguards and fenders, I took a photo of all the fenders in the bike shed. There are four bike sheds outside our flat, but I only took photos in the one. I was well chuffed that the Great Joe Breeze popped by for a comment. (okay, I had to google him, but my American mates filled me in... what a career he has had!)



"Bicycle posters flatter the liberated woman and her beauty and independence compliment the product's quality. In addition, the artwork shows how easy it is for the feminine sex to handle the bicycle, just as the women pictured are a testament to the femininity that isn't lost, but rather is increased, by cycling.

"The era's modern man, in sporty outfits, also features on bike posters but he is often given the role of the unlucky cyclist with a broken chain or a puncture. More often than not he rides behind the woman, who either overtakes him or is in front of the peloton.

"At the moment the concept of the Danish Cycle Girl was created, the bike poster visualised her more convincingly than any other medium."
Lars Dybdahl in "Den danske plakat" - The Danish Poster.

And remember, bloggers and blogettes! Nobody likes a whiner. :-)

History Repeating Itself

My friend Marie used this in her thesis about bike culture. This cartoon was used in America back in the 1930's, showing how the bicycle was seen as a way of kickstarting the American economy after the Depression. "Back to Prosperity!" "That Buy-cycle you're hearing so much about." "Circulating dollars."

While America isn't currently in a Depression, the dollar continues to fall and oil dependency is a big issue, not to mention environmental concerns. So it seems quite appropriate that this cartoon gets a revival.

And while we're on the History Repeating Itself subject:

Mrs Harcourt Williamson wrote this in The Complete Cyclist in 1897:
"The whole secret of a woman looking well on her bicycle lies in the cut and hang of her skirt." The best skirt of all, in her opinion, was made on the same lines as a habit, fitting the figure perfectly and cunningly stretched and shrunk. Once the skirt was successfully negotiated, the rest of the attire was simple:
"After all, however, the skirt is the thing, and once having this perfect, there is no reason why one should not wear an elaborate blouse and really smart hat on a fine day".

Indeed, Mrs Harcourt Williamson. Mr Colville-Andersen agrees with you. If only you knew how visionary your words were and how appropriate they are to this new generation of cycle chicsters.
Plucked from "The History of the Bicycle", by John Woodeforde, 1970.

Winter's Last Gasp

First a fierce sleetstorm two days ago and then a sudden snowstorm. All after a tame, dull winter. The point is that people just get on with it, on their bikes, muscling their way through the weather. It always impresses me. Click on the photos to see them larger on Flickr.



While we're on snowstorms, I find it fascinating that this photo:

features on the cover of a brochure for Adult Education courses [Italian for Beginners, Learn to Knit, etc]. My friend Marie included this observation in her thesis about Danish bike culture.

There are few countries where a photo of a female cyclist struggling through a snowstorm would be used to sell a product.

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?

Guest Photos: Italy and Portland

Nouvelle Vague Bike, originally uploaded by Federico Erra.

A stunning find on Flickr, taken by the excellent photographer Federico Erra.

Brilliant mood and cycle chic to boot.

Below is another fine shot by Patrick Finntastic in Portland. He's titled it The Fastest Girl in the World:

Guest Photo: Barcelona

city 3, originally uploaded by sr_formica.

A fine photo of cycle chic in Barca on a Brompton folding bike.
Thanks to Dani for letting us blog it!

Like-minded Individuals

I've made the acquaintence of many like-minded individuals through this blog and now I'm met one close to home. I was contacted by Marie, a fellow Copenhagener, and we met to discuss our passion for Copenhagen bike culture.

She wrote her thesis from the University of Copenhagen last year called "The Modest Democracy of Daily Life - An analysis of the bicycle as a symbol of Danishness".

For those who understand Danish, there is an interview with her on Danish Broadcasting's website. Click on the name Marie Kåstrup to hear it.

The thesis makes for fascinating reading. The short of the long is that we are now collaborating on a book about Danish bike culture and it's all very exciting. Not to mention odd that it hasn't been done before. Working title: 'Cykelkultur' - I don't need to translate that, do I? :-)

But despite the lack of books on the subject, she confirmed what I had long suspected: that Denmark has more songs, literature and poems dedicated to the bicycle than any other country. Not even our happy, singing, poetic Dutch friends to the south can compete.

And indeed, the concept of "cykelpigen" - or "the cycling girl" was well established from early on and it remains an iconic symbol of Danishness even today [this blog, for example]. "A unique front figure for the democratic bike culture", as Marie writes in her thesis. "She is, all at once, a modest, charming and everyday representation of Danishness."

Poets and writers and songwriters have sung the praises of the Copenhagen cycling and cyclists for over 120 years.

In his famous documentary from 1935 simply called 'Danmark', Poul Henningsen filmed cycles in the city, including these 'young cycle ladies' and wrote the final song in the film - "Cykelsang" wherein he mentions 'Sweet shoes on pedals [...] Cycle girls... lovely girls!'. Here's a still from the film of a cyclist in a summer dress pedalling through the landscape:


And here is a hastily made Short visual history of Danish cycling:


More to follow, along with the usual content... don't worry.

Take Back the Bike Culture!

Carrying on the theme from the previous post, wherein I displayed a fragment of displeasure at the folly of modern bike terminology - a travesty has come to my attention. I have now learned that something as simple as a skirtguard or a chainguard is hard to come by in many areas of North America.

Where on earth have they gone? Three or four generations ago they were standard issue on North American bikes. In Denmark and the Netherlands to this day, they are featured on every decent bike bought, like the lovely new bike in the photo above.

I dare say the "sport cycling" and "hobby cycling" industries have done their utmost to discard these very basic elements of a bike over the past half century. Away with these frivilous contraptions! We need to get the weight down! [but we don't know why... just believe us] and besides, lycra won't get caught in a chain! Ha!

Fret not, North American owners of stylish skirts and handsome longcoats. Until we raid the bike junkyards of Denmark and gather up a shipload of old chainguards and skirtguards to send across the ocean for free distribution among the cycle chic community, we have found this website for you - Quick & Easy Bicycle Skirt Guards. Or for inspiration, visit this chap, who appreciates that chainguards are to be considered art.

Indeed, a bike without a chainguard is like a Danish sausage without strong mustard. In the name of Odin... trousers were not invented to be rolled up and a pair of Louboutins are certainly not made better with a strip of oil splashed across a toned calf:

Guest Photo: Ferrara, Italia

P1420260.JPG, originally uploaded by urben.

Ferrara, Italy enjoys one of the highest rates of bike usage in Europe.

31% of the population ride their bikes each day, bucking the trend in the Mediterranen countries where cycling is usually something you watch on the telly during the Giro or the Tour.

Go, Ferrara, go. 'Urben' a Flickr user has a fine set dedicated to Ferrara - Ciudad de las Bicicletas

Terminology Folly

Waltzing around the cycle blogosphere it seems odd that so much terminology has spawned regarding what is, in fact, a simple pursuit.

Is it a result of the decades-old tendency in North America and other non-bike culture countries to nerdify cycling because it has primarily been viewed as a sport or a hobby for closed groups of "enthusiasts" - and not a reasonable and basic form of transport? Perhaps.

Let's straighten things out, shall we? What you see in the photo above, taken in Copenhagen, is something we call a "cyclist".

Not a "bicycle commuter", nor a "utility cyclist". Certainly not a "lightweight, open air, self-powered traffic vehicle user". It's a cyclist. Actually, to be honest, it's just a "bicycle user"

The Copenhagener above is not "commuting" - or at least she doesn't call it that. She's not going for a "bike ride" or "making a bold statement about her personal convictions regarding reduction of Co2 levels and sustainable transport methods in urban centers".

She's just going to work. On her bike.

And that's what she's riding. A bike. A "cykel" in Danish.

She doesn't call it "my city bike" or "my Alternative Transport Vehicle" or "my Dutch bike" [whatever THAT is...] - it's just her bike.

When she bought her bike at her local bike shop she didn't have a "fitting" at the "full service workshop and showroom". She probably walked into the shop and said, "I need a bike". The chap working there probably shrugged, glanced her up and down and said, "you'll be needing a 52cm".

"I like the black one, over there..."

"That's a 52cm"

"Is that basket included?"

"Yep"

"Great. How much?"

And off she went with her new bike. He didn't offer her any fancy, expensive "bike gear" or "accessories" and he didn't try to dazzle and confuse her with inaccessible, nerdy tech-nerd babble in order to make more money. He doesn't even have "cycle clothes" in his shop. He assumes she has clothes in her closet at home. A wooly hat for winter. A summer dress for... well... summer. She needed a bike. He owned a bike shop. It was over in 20 minutes. Although he probably adjusted her seat for her.

The bike she chose was a black one. Probably a good, reliable Danish brand. It certainly wasn't a "TerraTurbo Urban Warrior X9000". It was just a bike. What it is called isn't important to her. Just the fact that it works.

She doesn't know how much it weighs. Nobody she knows or has ever met could tell you how much their bike weighs. Likewise, she doesn't know how far she rides each day. It isn't interesting. She rides at a good pace, not too fast to cause a sweat, and the ride is nice enough. She likes the fresh air and she often sees friends on the bike lanes. She loves crossing The Lakes and seeing the transformation from season to season. That will suffice.

She doesn't wake up and make a decision to "commute by bike to work today". It's just a part of her day. She just walks out of her flat and gets on her bike. If it has a puncture, she'll walk it down to the local bike shop to get it repaired and then take the bus or train to work. Picking it up in the afternoon.

She isn't an activist, doesn't belong to a cycling organisation with a long acronym and she doesn't even think about the fact that she lives in something called a "bike culture".

She's just a bicycle user. Riding her bike to work.

She'll be doing the same tomorrow.

If other cities had more bicycle users and had advocates who worked to encourage more bicycle users, instead of bike geeks, they'd find that a "bike culture" would be achieved a lot more quickly.