Poetry in Motion

There are few places on the planet where the simple act of parking a bicycle is elevated to a symphony of grace, poetry and elegance.


The Subtle Art of Waiting at a Traffic Light. No fuss. No rush.


Everything i love about Copenhagen. Right here.


Springtime cool.

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.)

Sunday Guest Photos - Geneva, Roma, Vancouver, Barcelona

Cool shot from Geneva by Zara.


Cycloromantica from Roma by Fotorita.


Waxy from Vancouver captured a little street corner slice of life.


Rodolfoto from Barcelona with a great shot of happy cyclists.

Say Hello to Marie

Say hello to Marie. She'll be contributing to the blog from now on and we're thrilled to have her on board.

Marie and I are currently writing a book together about Danish bike culture and are having a laugh doing so. Marie is well-versed on the subject after writing her thesis at Uni entitled: "The Modest Democracy of Daily Life - An analysis of the bicycle as a symbol of Danishness". In addition, she does her share of public-speaking on bike culture. So... a big up for Cycle Chic's [and Copenhagenize.com] newest chic member.


A flurry of activity off the light.


Three Out of Four Ain't Bad.

Have a Lovely Weekend

Two girlfriends met up on the City Hall Square just as a pedestrian strode elegantly to the bus stop.


When graceful coolness comes gliding to a stop at a red light, it sounds like a sigh.


Can't see how it can be that comfortable to ride, but then again, this is Copenhagen. It's how you look on what you ride, not how what you ride looks.


From A to B with time for texting at the red light.


Cool cat on a new Raleigh on the City Hall Square.

A Shawl Thing

Winter coats are being shed, spring outfits are reappearing . . . at last!

Thor's Day Photos

Currently refered to as Thursday.

Red & yellow - complete with fetching red earrings. What a groovy bike, too.

A sudden gentle gust of springtime.

A splendid ensemble. All grace and style and cool.

Seriously, what a spectacularly fetching ensemble. Complete with standard issue skirtguard.

If you have the time and inclination, cast your vote for this photo over at JPG magazine here:

Sleeting Moments

Cycle Chic in Sydney, France, Rome and the USA

Here's a great shot of cycle chic down under from Lucy. Thanks for sending it along to us. Lucy restores vintage bikes and sells them on Australian e-Bay, if anyone is interested.


A wonderful shot from France from La vie en rose on flickr.


And here's a spot of cycle chic in Rome from Cappanelle.

CYCLE CHIC FOR KIDS

Here's a shot from Carl in Colorado. Thanks for thinking of us!
"This is my daughter just after she learned to “do it myself daddy!” Of course, if you are going to ride around the neighborhood, you MUST wear pink and more pink and knee high fuzzy boots. I guess I’ll have to get her a new bike now. (I bet it will be pink.)
I really enjoy your site. Keep up the great work. Carl."


And here's my boy, trying out Daddy's bike.

Symphony of Movement

The City Hall Square is a symphony of urban movement.

A chic cyclist, with a bit of bike infrastructure thrown in.

Yet another basket adorned with flowers.

The best way to go down a one way street is on a bike.

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.

The Modern Way to Ride

Resting on her Florals

A little Sunday hint of the summerliciousness to come.


I've posted about Lego has immortalised us in Legoland, but here's the ultimate accolade. A Lego version of yours truly. Perfect except for the hat. I'm not a fisherman.

We have some new postcards for your perusal over at the Copenhagen Cycle Chic Boutique.

Saturday Guest Photos

Another splendid photo from Derek at Bikerubbish.com, documenting, as ever, the shockingly chic bikes and ladies in his life.


Another splash of style.

This is one of the only lycra photos you'll ever see on this blog. Taken by a French acquaintance, Guillaume Reguer, it's a great unicycle shot. Sorry about the lycra. Seriously. Really sorry. It won't happen again.


Once again, it's not just us.

Freyja's Day

Friday originally means 'Freyja's Day'. Freyja is a major Norse goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She is portrayed as blonde, blue-eyed and beautiful and people prayed to her - and still pray, since the traditional Nordic faith is officially recognised as a religion in Denmark - for happiness in love.


You don't always have to ride. This Copenhagen Supermum padded casually down the street in the sunshine, eating a plum and chatting with her child.

She rode effortlessly down the Old King's Road, music in her ears, smoking a cigarette in the most relaxed manner imaginable.

Sticker with city hall in the background.

Spring is here and that means summer is sure to follow. My family and I either ride our bikes [25 minutes] or hop on the metro [15 minutes] down to the beach at Amager Strand. We're all looking forward to the summer.