...and Dark Too!

After I have turned into a sparetime-photographer-wannabe, I have gotten painfully aware of the seasonal scarcity of light. It is (very) challenging to shoot in the dark, but quite fun though.

(Yes, these are from just before the snowfall.)

Freezinghagen

Oh boy oh boy it's chilly. Yesterday morning the snow had stopped falling but the temperature was around -5 C. With the wind chill we were down around -16 C or so.

I was waiting for someone outside the City Museum and watching the late morning bicycles roll past.

This is some of what I saw. Style over Speed in the winter air.

Frosty

The snow continues, which means the snow photos do, too. The temperature today was about -2 C but with the wind chill it was -16 C. Didn't stop the bicycles or the style.


How to wait for a Copenhagen red light in style in sub-zero temperatures.

Ladies and Gent

Of all the cyclists I shot on this stretch she was the only one without her head down squinting into the driving snow. Fantastic grace and style.

And this Copenhagener is still going strong.

As is this dapper gent.

Snowpenhagen The Movie

Shot this little ditty on my way home yesterday. Regular people on regular bikes in regular clothes ... and snow.

Snowpenhagen Cycle Chic

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

The snow started falling a couple of days ago and I took some shots on my way home. The light here was strange because there was a demonstration in the background and the bright blue lights of the police vans and the strange reds and greens of the traffic lights splashed a surreal rainbow of colour on the street.

Green scarves shine through, however.


With the Climate Conference in town I've been giving interviews almost constantly and everyone asks about how on earth people continue to cycle in the winter. The temperature has hovered around freezing all week and, with the wind chill, we're pushing -10 Celcius.

We just get on with it. We have a closet filled with winter clothes that we can use for walking or cycling and we just get on with it.

People have been cycling in winter since the bicycle was invented, so why should it be any different now?


Bring a friend. It's always cosier.

Disarming Glances and Warm Scarves

Before you jump to conclusions and assume that this Copenhagener is cross or angry, consider the fact that she just may be glancing to her right.

Consider also that the steely glare of Nordic women may appear cross to other cultures, but when you know it [all too well] you are aware that it may contain a dozen different emotions and expressions. It is disarming and quite fantastic.

Lazy Susan

Cycle Chic advert from www.chargebikes.com.
Needless to say, we approve.

Three Hats

Classic hat.

Casual winter hat.

All-the-rage-this-winter hat. Retro ski hats are hot.

Contest Winners

So, as promised, right here at 09:00 Central European Time, right here on Cycle Chic, ladies and gentlemen, the winners of the Cycle Chic/Velorbis Climate Conference Gorgeousness Competition.

First of all, thanks so much to everyone who participated. It was quite brilliant to read all the entries and it was difficult to choose the winner. I decided to award 2nd and 3rd prizes, too. T-shirts or posters from the Cycle Chic online shop.

At the end of the day, I just had to go with this entry:

Congratulations to Lauren from San Francisco! The text pushed the right buttons. It was a splendid mix of eco and chic. Mentioning that 'pushing off' moment so dear to this blog certainly didn't hamper any chance of winning. I like the idea of carbon neutral heels and the recognition of the Velorbis bicycle as being functional, as well as fabulous.

Lauren, time to send me an email so we can figure out how to get the bicycle to you. copenhagenize [at] gmail [dot] com. Please put WINNER in the subject line.

SECOND PRIZE
Lauren's entry beat this one by a hair. The hair of a perfect moustache.

If I get that bike, I promise that I will never ride it without a perfect moustache. Never.
Torval T

Congratulations to Torval for this brilliant, simple entry. Man, I would have loved to have seen you cycle away on the red devil with a perfect moustache. I hope you'll find something you like on the online shop. Please choose a t-shirt or a poster.
You, too, are asked to contact me by mail, with your prize selection, so I can get it sent off to you.

THIRD PRIZE(S)
I simply couldn't make the choice between these three entries so they all get a t-shirt or a poster from the online shop. Congratulations to Jen from Ventura, California, Pierre from Paris and Allison from Toronto! Please send me a mail at copenhagenize [at] gmail [dot] com after having a look at the t-shirts for men or t-shirts for ladies or the posters.

My chic silhouette cycling through the city, perfectly punctuated with crimson nails and ruby lips, will show the world that saving the planet is sexy.
Jen Van Sickle, Ventura, California


Studine, this is a love story. We'll meet in Copenhagen, if you'll wait. You, in your red dress, and I, will make things green.
Allison Yan, Toronto, Canada


A family estate. My wife will own it the time it takes for my daughter to become as stylish and empowered as her mother.
Pierre, Paris, France



HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Here's some entries that are worthy of honourable cycle chic mentions:

Goodbye car. Hello red bike. Hello, bus, hello train - meet bike. Hello rainy streets, hello passing motorist, hello sunshine and snowdrops- meet red bike.
Dan, Chicago, USA


El cycle won in a eco loci. Pedal! Go! O' glad, epic ol' ocean, I now "el cycle"!
(It's weird... but it reads both backwards and forwards!)
Leigh, Vancouver, Canada

"I will ride the deal in style! Wear red high heels, umbrella when it is raining and be in resonance with my smiley cycling face."
Catarina Fernandes, Hometown: Lisboa, Portugal

Again, thanks to everyone for entering the contest! We'll get some pictures of the magical moment when the red Studine from Velorbis becomes one with Lauren.

Have a great day!

Copenhagen Twosomes

Tense Relaxation

Generally, cycling about the city of Copenhagen is a relaxed affair. If you look close, however, there is tension in the details. In this case waiting for a red light to change.

Kids and Bicycles

My mate Marc from Amsterdamize took this cracking shot and I just had to add it here, right away. Brilliant Cycle Chic.


And this one of Marc's reminded of this one I took in Paris on my last visit:


Which made me remember La Rochelle, where I had just arrived from, and one of our summer holidays on Ile de Ré a few years back where Felix sat on the kid seat on my bike and, as a rule, slept all the way home from the beach. Six kilometres each way.


Which made me think about this year's summer holiday on the island of Bornholm:


And now I miss summer.

EDIT by Lars:
Seing this subject Mikael, I just have to throw in this one from today:

I can´t help smiling when I look at the three little girls in front just having a great time.

Climate Demonstration Cycle Chic

Hot off the presses - or rather the memory card - are these Climate Demonstration Cycle Chic shots.

Earlier today Felix and I rolled out to what was expected to be a highlight of the current climate conference here in Copenhagen. A massive demonstration that walked from the parliament to the conference centre.

The photo, above, is the demonstration's finest, chic'est Copenhagen avec bicyclette.

It's worth mentioning that the temperature was just above freezing.

Here's another excellent cycle chic Copenhagener.
The news here in Copenhagen is reporting that 100,000 people took part and it really was a brilliant demonstration. It was amazingly global with different languages spoken all around you. Many people stood along the roads and watched. Felix and I walked with the crowds for a while and then pulled over to just stare in awe at the masses of peaceful demonstrators.

It was great that he could see this. You have to go back decades to find a demonstration of this size in Copenhagen.

The number of bicycles was amazing, too. Families with cargo bikes, citizens of all ages walking their bikes, you name it. This chap is the clear winner of the Cycle Chic pour hommes award today.


Here's Felix standing in the cargo bay of our Bullitt cargo bike, from where he watched the world - literally - go by.

Freja's Day Night

The name for the kickoff day for the weekend in English originates with a Norse goddess, Freyja or Freja. Freja's Day became Friday.

Freyja is the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility and was described as blonde, blue-eyed, and beautiful. The fairest of all the goddesses, according to Norse mythology, people prayed to her for happiness in love.

It is unlikely that Freja wore killer heels and short skirts and illuminated the Nordic winter nights on a bicycle as she pedalled away to a party, but let's just imagine she did, shall we?