Suitable for Cycling

Hands up... who would love to see flocks of men in suits on bicycles heading off to work in their city? As seen in Fukushima, Japan... and other bicycle nations.

On another note, do have a read of this fascinating post comparing Cycle Chic with Front Porch Republic.

"Something I'd never before imagined myself seeing was a philosophical kinship of any sort between Copenhagen Cycle Chic and Front Porch Republic. But that was before this morning. "

Guest Photos: Chicago, Greece, Toronto

As ever, I'm dreadfully behind on the guest photo front. Thanks to everyone who sends them and I'm sorry if I forget to post them. Above is Malama from Greece. The first guest photo from Hellas! Nice one. Looking sharp and lovely.

David Jensen on his Kronan in Chicago. Danish name, Swedish bicycle. We're loving it.

Dapper as hell.

And this one was sent in by another David, this time in Toronto. Angella in her splendid green dress on her bicycle named 'Bicyclette'.

Simply Tokyo

The simple, graceful act of unlocking a bicycle. As seen in Omotesando, Tokyo.

Simplicity in Omotesando. And on a fine, MUJI bicycle. With the spectacular Prada flagship building in the background.

The Good News and the Bad News About the Cycle Chic Movement

So. They're starting to call it a 'movement' this Cycle Chic thang. Good news. What started with one simple photo here in Copenhagen developed into this blog and then, two years later, it's all over the planet. Nice one. Splendid.

It has come to my attention that there is some good news and some bad news regarding the Cycle Chic 'movement' and I thought it necessary to respond.

The good news is that the very simple concept of riding a bicycle in your regular [preferably fashionable in my opinion, but not a prerequisite] clothes is being picked up by the press all over the world. This is a good thing.

The funny thing is that it's nothing new. Since Day One in bicycle culture, when the bicycle as we know it today was invented 120-odd years ago, people rode around in their regular clothes. The bicycle was a tool, a transport option and not much else. In many places, like here in Copenhagen, it still is. Imagine your relatives living in the years between 1890 and 1940. The odds are that they rode bicycles in their regular clothes.

It's great news that the bicycle is hot again. That we are on the cusp of what at Copenhagen Cycle Chic call Bicycle Culture 2.0. Good for the environment and C02 reduction yada yada, and great for creating liveable urban centres. Nicer places to live.

So the bicycle's return to the public consciousness after a half a century of car culture is good news for everyone, whether they're on a bicycle or not.

So what can be bad about that?

The Bad News
What I've been trying to say, between the lines, here at Cycle Chic for the past couple of years is that riding a bicycle is - and always has been - a rather simple thing. All you need is... a bicycle.

You have a closet filled with clothes, don't you? If you're walking about town, you'll wear them. You have clothes for hot weather and clothes for cold weather. Whatever clothes you wear as a pedestrian are suitable for riding a bicycle. You KNOW this. You were young once. You did it then.

So now that I've started a 'movement' [which is admittedly much better than a 'trend'] I've seen a sharp increase in the number of companies intent on selling 'cycling clothes' for urban, everyday cyclists. Whenever a trend or a movement appears, there will always be people keen to make some money off of it. Such is a market economy. Fair enough.

It seems ridiculous, however, when people attempt to overcomplicate a simple thing. If you fancy riding sports bicycles for long distances in your spare time, or you like racing bicycles, you will require 'gear'. I know this. I respect this.

If you want to ride a bicycle to work or the supermarket over short distances, you do not need 'gear'. Just open your closet.


I've touched on this issue a few times before.
- Cycle Chic Guide to Bike Commuting #2 - Cycle Clothing
- Cycle Chic Guide to Bike Commuting - #1 Choosing a Bike
- Terminology Folly.

A couple of episodes have come to my attention of late.
I've heard that a Shimano representative in the States walked into a bike shop with a new product. 'Cycling shoes' that were completely normal shoes, just with a Shimano logo. If you Google Shimano, like I did, you'll find out that they are a "International manufacturer and distributer of cycling and fishing equipment and accessories." I'm sure they make good cycling and fishing equipment, but hey... leave normal shoes to the normal shoes people.

Then there was an article in the New York Times yesterday, by a guy named Eric Wilson. Here's the opening paragraph:

There are many reasons why New York City commuters have been hesitant to bicycle to work in greater numbers: personal safety, the scarce availability of bike racks and the weather, among them. A perhaps more superficial, though still important, consideration is figuring out something to wear that will be both functional and professional looking. Or, at the least, something that will not show grease stains.

This is ridiculous. Pure bollocks.

Listen, according to the European Cyclists Federation there are 100 million daily cyclists in Europe. Alone in Copenhagen there are 500,000 cyclists each day. The vast majority wear their regular clothes because they're on their way to work or school. They have closets and they're not afraid to use them. They have happily not been subjected to this branding of cycling as a 'difficult' activity. It's quick, easy, convienent and enjoyable. A bit hot today? Slow down.

In this article from Reuters about how New Yorkers are getting on their bikes, we can read:

In keeping with the city's efforts to promote cycling, luxury apparel maker LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton asked students at the Fashion Institute of Technology to create chic yet affordable cycling gear.

"We want to do everything we can to raise the profile of biking in New York," Janette Sadik-Khan, commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, said at the news conference to announce the winning design.

"Having functioning, attractive gear so you can arrive at work looking stylish should be very encouraging," she said. "No one wants to show up at work looking like bike messengers."

Unbelievable. '...functioning, attractive gear'? Open your closets. Buy a chainguard. Fenders. Off you go.

Here's a Louis Vuitton 'cycling bag'. Or is it just a normal LV bag used by a girl in her normal clothes who just happens to ride a bicycle around?

Oh, and here's some 'cycling shoes' by Christian Louboutin. Not.

All hail the market economy, but not when it gets this silly and desperate. I'm quite sure that the established bike industry in non-bicycle cultures are worried. 'Big Bicycle' have carved out a niche for themselves over the past 40 years. Selling cycling as a difficult, expensive, sweaty sub-culture. Now they're faced with millions of regular people who just want to ride a bicycle. Um... let's slap a bike logo on some Chinese shoes... quick.

Okay, okay. The thought has occurred to me that it may be necessary with a transitional period in this new push towards Bicycle Culture 2.0. After decades of branding cycling as only a 'sport' or a 'recreational activity' and not much else, people in some countries may need a gentle shove in the right direction.

But then I remembered what I know about the marketing of bicycles at the turn of the last century. The bicycle came out of nowhere and yet people embraced it instantly and... rode around in regular clothes. Nowadays, when most people already know how to ride a bicycle, it's a bit stupid to sell 'cycling gear' to everyday cyclists.

Let's sell bicycles and bicycle culture. Let's make our cities nicer places to live.

But if someone wants to sell you 'cycling clothing' for riding to work or the supermarket, get the hell away from them in a hurry.

It's these people I refer to when I travel around giving lectures about 'Marketing the Bicycle to the Sub-Conscious Environmentalists'. Marketing good. Silly marketing bad.

In short: Men and Women of the Cycle Chic Movement! Reject the ridiculous marketing antics of would-be profiteers eager to sell you products you simply don't need! You already have established your style. Merely transfer it to the bicycle. Ride on.

Now back to the pretty photos.

Copenhagen Cycle Chic Goes To Moscow

Moscow was mad crazy. The business end of the stick was lecturing at the conference in conjunction with the Dreams on Wheels Exhibition and the Instants of Architecture, followed by a meeting with the Moscow Duma, or City Council. It was all part of Danish Day at ARCH Moscow ’09, Central House of Artists.

I lectured about Marketing the Bicycle to the Sub-Conscious Environmentalists, with emphasis on the necessity of selling cycling as sexy, cool and something with status. Making it a 'hero brand'.

After that, it was Cycle Chic Party Time. At a cool little gallery 'Mel', a cycle chic bash was arranged by the Royal Danish Embassy, Theory & Practice and streetstyle site Lookatme.ru. We met up and went for a bike ride with a hundred or so Muscovites on their bikes. Crazy cool.

Then there was a party. It... um... kind of lasted 48 hours, but what the hell. Moscow knows how to party.

It's a tough job being the Daddy of the Cycle Chic Movement, but hey... somebody has to do it.
Thanks to the Moscow DJ Poko Cox for his track which I used in the music video.

After having lectured about marketing cycling, I was presented with this poster for a local bike rental company. Totally 80's kitsch, on purpose of course. Making cycling look cool, funky and sexy. Well done.


It was brilliant to see how everyone was so geared for the conference and the party. There is really a need for the bicycle in Moscow. The number of cars in the city has exploded over the past 15 years. It was my fourth visit to the city and I lived there for a month or so back in 1990. It's a different world now. The city is choking on automobile culture. Fortunately there are many people who are working to turn the tide.

At the party I met Peter who announced that he would start Moscow Cycle Chic. He did so the very next day. So welcome to the family, Moscow!

Thanks to Richard and Galina at the Royal Danish Embassy, Askar & Valentina and the others from Theory & Practice and the good people at Lookatme.ru. Not to mention all the cool Muscovites I met along the way.

I shall return.

Fukushima School Chic - Japan Cycle Chic Week Continues

These shots are from Fukushima, a few hundred kilometres north of Tokyo. Even the youth of Japan got it all going on with the bicycles. What a great way to head home from school in the sunset.

Stand and deliver, brother.

Cool cat, this one. And note the all important umbrella on the bicycle. Standard issue in any real bicycle culture.

An MP3 player moment.

Give your girl a ride home. Well done him.

Four Tokyo Supermums [and a Superdad]

The Supermums of Tokyo. Just getting on with it. Over at Copenhagenize.com we've posted about the political power of these gorgeous supermums. They're not to be messed with. In many cities in Japan it is not allowed to drop off your kids at daycare/school by car because of traffic safety and pollution so the bicycle is a very important transport option in the country, especially for mothers.

To read about the bikes they use, the mamachari, here's a review from Copenhagenize.com.

Getting the kid settled in.

Having a chat.

A lot of Japanese supermums have these handlebar grip covers on their bikes. Go figure. And off topic... what's up with the dog stroller on the right? Quirky.

And a superdad in Omotesando.

A little film featuring the Japanese supermums. Just click past the guy yapping at the beginning - he yaps for about 1:18 minutes - to see a parade of supermums.

Meanwhile on the Bridge...

...Copenhageners still know how to enjoy their morning ride to town.

Copenhagen - Tokyo

After ten days spreading the Cycle Chic word in Japan and Moscow, there are many lovely reasons that I always love returning home. Like the summer traffic at 07:30 in the morning, for example. Poetry on wheels.

But we have unfinished Tokyo/Japan business:

Splendid red shoes and a cracking hat near Harajuku.

Cruising in style in Harajuku. The Gearheads would have a fit in Japan. So many people ride low on the bicycle. Perfect for city riding and, really, the great thing about bicycles is that there is no wrong way to ride them. Whatever turns you on.

Standing Room Only in two stylish versions.

News From New York:
Here's an article from Reuters about how New Yorkers are getting on their bikes in style.

"New York should have not only the most bicyclists, but the most stylish ones as well," Patti Harris, the first deputy mayor of New York, told a news conference.

Indeed. But the competition is tough from Copenhagen and Tokyo, dear New Yorkers. But a fashionability competition is a splendid idea! Bring it on!

But then there's this piece from The New York Times. All about designing "cycling clothes". Some people just don't get it. Whatever you wear for walking is suitable for cycling. This is just another example of corporations trying to capitalise on a trend by overcomplicating a simple issue. All you need is a bicycle. All you've ever needed, since the Safety bicycle was invented 120 years ago, is a bicycle.

Come to Copenhagen!
The website Denmark.net has a competition for bloggers.

Denmark Jazz Weekend
One blogger can win a trip to the Copenhagen Jazz Festival in July. To enter, write a blog post about what's cool about Denmark and win a trip to the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Out of all submissions, the Denmark.net jury selects the most interesting, funny, creative, or weird. Fifty bloggers will receive Denmark t-shirts, mugs, or mousepads. One lucky winner is going to Copenhagen on July 10th, enjoying the weekend in a five star hotel.

Get blogging!

Italian Cycle Chic Music Video

From Tokyo to Italia for a brief moment. My mate Giorgio sent me this link to an Italian music video by Ill Traversa called La Graziella.

It's an amusing little song, not my taste, but the chorus goes like this:

"passo a prenderti con la graziella, dai che andiamo a prendeci una piada con la nutella"
or
"I'll take you out with my bicycle and we'll have a nice meal together"

'Graziella' is a popular foldable bike, 'piadina' is a typical flat bread from the area between Rimini and Bologna and Nutella is... well... Nutella.

The 'actress' is Elena Grimaldi, who you all know, I'm sure, for her work in adult films.

There's bicycles, dresses and heels. Just like a summer's day in Copenhagen.

Tokyo Four

A slice of Tokyo street con biciclette.

Tokyo Funk.

Tokyo Mass Transit. Japan is just as saturated with bicycles as Denmark and Holland.

Tokyo supermum with her kids on a classic mamachari bicycle. Those kids ride in style and comfort.

Anjo Cycle Chic

A textbook example of Style Over Speed in the small city of Anjo, Japan. A couple of hundred kilometres south of Tokyo and nicknamed "Little Denmark". Read about why I was there over at Copenhagenize.com.

Stopping for a quick mobile conversation in Anjo.

16:25 Cph Rush Hour

Today was one of those random bursts of Copenhagen summer. I too wore my sunglasses.

Shibuya Style

Finally I'm home after a whirlwind Cycle Chic tour of Japan and Moscow. Expect Japan Cycle Chic and Moscow Cycle Chic for the next little while. I'm loving her heels on the above photo as she swishes through Shibuya.

Why not whistle why you ride?

Hats are all the rage in Japan. Many cloche hats for the girls and panama style hats for the boys. The Japanese are so deliciously fashionable.

Although waiting for a red light in style is universal.