Purple Hat Dapper Chap

Purple hat.

Dapper chap.

Supermadre y padre

Here's Claudia. She's Mexican and lives here in Copenhagen. We met on a bike ride with the Mayor of Mexico City last week and she knows this blog well. She admitted that she always checks the blog in the hopes of perhaps seeing herself under the Supermum category.

Her kids weren't with her that day, nor was the cello they transport around, so we'll have to fix that on a later occasion.

For now, this lovely Copenhagen supermadre gets to grace our blog and gets our respect for riding her trusty cargo bike around our fair city. Lovely to meet you, Claudia!


In the interest of equality, allow us to present a Copenhagen superpadre on his cargo bike in the bitter cold.

Half-Light November

What a dismal spot of news last night. I heard that the record for fewest hours of sunshine in Denmark, in November, is 11 hours. The average for the month is 54 hours of sunshine.

So far this November we've had... three. Three lousy hours of sunshine.

Just ain't fair.

Dentherlands Nethermark

Another beachalicious photo. A family with two cargo bikes. One a Danish Sorte Jernhest and the other a Dutch bakfiets. Perfect for getting to and from the beach with three kids. And on the left is a pregnant Copenhagener parking her bike. Cycling while pregnant is encouraged and virtually prescribed in Denmark.


A Nihola cargo bike in action near the City Hall Square on a blustery day.

Overcomplicated Titles For Simple Photographs

Post-Curriculum Parental Unloading of Tri-Wheeled Transport Utility Device.


Dual Modal Conversation in Light Precipitation.


Mobile Human-Powered Botanical Irrigation Vehicle.

More Copenhagen Zen

Glancing up in the morning, taking time to notice her city.

Enjoying the morning light.

Two French tourists who just rented this fantastic cargo bike set up from Baisikeli. A bicycle fit for a queen.

A Copenhagener contemplating while coasting along the bike lane.

Curbing and Accelerating

The simple thrill of hopping a curb on a cargo bike.

The simple joy of accelerating on a bicycle.

Supermum Superdad

Another Copenhagen supermum. Cracking heels and stockings. On the cusp of winter and spring.

And to answer a few requests for Copenhagen superdads, here's a lovely summer shop. We've not been shy about posting superdads... as a look in the archives will attest.

Frozen Cycle Chic in Canada and Alaska

What a lovely photo from Tapia in Anchorage, Alaska. Here's what she wrote to us:
"I thought Cycle Chic might enjoy this picture of me leaving to go watch the Iditarod...the world's longest sled-dog race. People amass on downtown Anchorage and watch the racers at a ceremonial start. Lots of Winter fashion, insane amounts of fur, but I only saw one bicycle - how sad!"
Thanks for the brilliant photo, Tapia!

And here's two photos from Reuben. He says:
"I discovered your wonderful site recently and all the snowy photos remind me of an unfortunate four frozen months I spent in Calgary, Canada last winter. I was delighted to discover that the best way to avoid the psychopathic pick-up truck drivers on the streets of Calgary was to ride on the frozen Elbow River (which seemed pretty exotic to a New Zealander). I would ride with my flatmate on the handlebars (she reckons once her bum stops fitting in the curve of the handlebars she’ll have to start riding herself) of a lovely ancient bike that came with the house.

Your beautiful Copenhagen photos seem all the more foreign now that I live in Sydney, Australia – home to the original bike-hating motorists and the world’s worst cycling infrastructure. I’m trying to Copenhagenize myself but it’s quite hard here... it’s too hot to ride in my work clothes and when I don’t wear a helmet the other cyclists shake their heads like I’m crazy (interestingly, the police don’t seem to care about enforcing this silly law). I’ve also paid a visit to the local Velorbis dealer here so hope to be in possession of one of those glorious machines soon, to go with my two Copenhagenize t-shirts and poster."

Thanks for these great shots, Reuben!

Last but not least we have this great shot of a Danish Nihola trike in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan from Roger:
"Just thought I would show you some pictures of Danish bikes in Canada. They work great even though its -40 and the snow is deep. We love our Nihola. It has allowed us to remain car free even with a baby on the way."
Brilliant stuff, Roger! Thanks!
Canadians can check out Fourth Floor Distribution in Toronto if they fancy getting a Nihola for themselves.

It's great to see Cycle Chic Extreme from far flung places. Regular people in regular clothes doing what people have been doing for 120 years - just riding a bike. And looking good doing so.

Constant

Cycling in Copenhagen is something you do, something you're part of, something that makes you feel like you're part of something bigger than yourself. It is something that also just constantly flows past your window. Wherever your window is. Constant movement. Constant poetry.

Even when your nose is running, you look fabulous.

Just be sure to choose your accessories to match your bicycle.

Nihola City

A happy Nihola owner. Nihola are one of the most popular brands of cargo bikes here in Copenhagen. In a review of a bike exhibition a decade ago, a newspaper asked "Why doesn't anyone make a lightweight cargo bike for carrying two kids and a case of beer?"

It's a fair question that reflects Copenhagen priorities. Niels Holme Larsen, a mechanical engineer, figured he could do it. The name NiHoLa is taken from the first two letters of his three names. Now you know. And nowadays there are about 5000 Nihola trikes around Copenhagen.

Nihola are setting up shop in Paris and Berlin in January and there are plans in the works for North America.

And they're perfect with heels.

Read more about the Nihola at Copenhagenize.com

Automotive Sensory Deprivation

Driving in a car has so many sensory limitations.

You never get to regard peoples' hair at a stop light. You don't get to experience the scent of peoples' shampoo, perfume or cologne at a red light or as they pass you on the bike lanes.

You never hear fingers drumming gently on handlebars as the cyclist next to you enjoys a song on their mp3 player.


You don't get to smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee to go.

You miss out on overhearing the passionate discussions of children as they flow through the city.


You can't hear the crunch of teeth on a fresh, autumn apple.

Another Pattern Emerges

Off to the summer house for a week or so. Blogger has a function that lets me post while away! So nobody has to live without Copenhagen Cycle Chic! Yay!

Copenhagen Supermum on her Nihola Cargo Bike.
I see a pattern developing here. Supermums on Niholas wearing short skirts and high heels...


A pattern not unlike Louboutins and old Raleighs.

Rain and Not

A spot of light rain. Which only seems to bother the chap on the left.

Peeking out of the Nihola in a rain shower.

Your paths are always crossing in Copenhagen.

Checking text messages is almost as important as riding your bike in Copenhagen. Almost.

Copenhagen Family Life

The Copenhagen Family.

Playful on the bike lanes on the way home from karate.

Springtime Cargo and Supermums and Dads

Mother, mother, child/grandchild. Together in the Copenhagen bike culture.
Enjoying the segregated bike lanes that are the hallmark of any healthy, progressive and safety-oriented bike culture.

Vive les supermums [et superdads] du Copenhague!

This is Copenhagen. An elderly citizen on the right, and a supermum on the left in a Copenhagen springtime cycling outfit: short skirt, smashing red heels and a handbag on the handlebars of the Nihola cargo bike.

Much is said about the supermums of Copenhagen, but the superdads are rather groovy, too. Myself included... :-)

Giraffe transportation.