Cycle-Skating - the New Sport of 1923

I just love coming across snapshots of historical craziness like this.   Just brilliant.

Is this the BMX stunt 1920's equivalent???

Chic at Any Age

Just brilliant.  More Everleigh Market gorgeousness.  Great to see older riders around so much lately too - and what is age anyway?  Just a number right?
It reminds me of this brilliant campaign from the City of Sydney that gets cheers every time it's aired publicly.

Are You Riding to Work Today??

The guys at Cycle Chic Hungary put me on to this - arguably the most brilliant example of riding to work I've ever seen - enjoy!

Everything's Connected - Caroline

And the fourth in the series of films from the City of Sydney, celebrating the diversity of Sydney's riders.

Great to get a shout out from our friend Mark over at IBikeLondon too.

Everything's Connected - Anthony

More bike goodness... and cute dad commuting....

Everything's Connected - Kitiya

The gorgeous Kit from Three Point Turnz picking outfits to go with her bike? LOVE IT!

Everything's Connected - Les & Judy

We love the City of Sydney's new bike films - lovely little snapshots of citizen cyclists doing their thing.
Have to say it's making me yearn for those long summer months of bike fun...

Vintage Bicycle Fun Bollywood Style!

This is just brilliant - who can resist?!  It certainly brightened my Wednesday.

Sydney Design - Made to Measure

The brilliant Treadlie Handmade Bicycle Show has finally made it up the Hume from Melbourne after it's preview at State of Design.  It's part of this year's Sydney Design Festival which kicks off tonight for 2 weeks of fabulousness.  This year's theme - Is Old New Again?

A brilliant bunch of gorgeous bikes all entirely or partly made by hand.  Well worth a visit.  Catch us at the opening tonight from 7pm or over the weekend.  Details here.

Here's a little voxpop we did last night while Treadlie were making finishing touches to the space.

It's certainly inspired me to get the old vintage bike out of the garage and spruce it up a bit.

Am so inspired in fact that Sydney Cycle Chic will be holding a workshop in the next few months so you can join me in some crafty bike building/designing fun - watch this space for details!

(It'll be fine, trust me, I have no idea what I'm doing either but we sure will by the end of it.....)

Prince Rocks the Bicycle!

Well I just don't know how this escaped the Cycle Chic radar....

His purple holiness Prince taking his bike for a spin post gig at the LA Forum back in April this year?
Are you kidding me - just brilliant.
Funny little clip but worth every scream....

Girls on Bikes

More gratuitously gorgeous girl on bike fashion action, this time from the Phillip Lim Fall/Winter 2011 Collections.  Throw in a bit of retro Kraftwerk and there you have it....  

Sex Sells Bicycles

Well I thought we'd take a break from Barcelona today for this racy little clip by Justin Anderson for Armani. Apparently "all you need are two wheels and a great pair of jeans".

Cute girls and cute guys on hot bikes?  Yep, sex sells and Cycle Chic approves of positive bicycle branding.

The Two Faces of "Commuter" Cycling

We at Cycle Chic dislike the word commuter.
It's not that we don't "travel some distance regularly between one's home and one's place of work" like countless other people but more the connotation that it must be a "specific activity".

Bicycles to us are just a way to get from A to B.  Always have been.
It's only in recent years that they have become an accessorized sport tool rather than a simple, easy, accessible mode of transport.  We aim to reclaim the humble bicycle - to remind you that it can be easy, it should be accessible and nothing is needed other than a set of wheels.

This morning on Twitter I happened across two very different examples of regular citizens heading off to work - commuting if you will - which I'd like to share.
We'd be interested to hear your comments.

The first is a video from Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle showing a first-time commuter as she prepares for and starts riding her bike to work.

And then there is this image from the Sartorialist - ever stylish, ever inspirational.
http://www.thesartorialist.com/photos/51511LucaR_0738Web.jpg

It reminded me of a certain dapper gentleman I snapped back in September last year outside Customs House.  A beacon of "commuter" style on the street of Sydney.

My work colleague summed it up nicely this morning when she said "the word commute to me means being specifically "equipped for the journey" but surely it's just a question of taking the bike out of the house and getting on it".

Indeed.

Oh Kate Spade - How Delicious This Is!

What a wonderfully sunny way to start the week, this being Australian Fashion Week and all - fun, frivolous and flirty.

A lovely green Abici from Adeline Adeline in NYC, a cute leather Kate Spade satchel that clips to your handlebars, killer wedges and cupcakes.

We like.  A lot!

The Amazing Wham-O Wheelie Bar!

Continuing somewhat of a theme for a minute...
This brilliant 1966 TV Commercial was tweeted out by the wonderful Lenore Skenazy from Free Range Kids (@FreeRangeKids) and in my humble opinion needs to be seen by as many parents/non-parents and kids as possible.
I'm a mother, I get it, I don't intentionally put my child's life in danger but I also remember a day when we allowed our kids to live.  To make mistakes, to learn from them, to ride bikes barefoot and yes dammit, to fall off a hurt ourselves occasionally but more importantly to be allowed to live.

So indulge me this little piece of nostalgia and enjoy.

Bikes, Music, Action!

Some days you just need a catchy tune and a bicycle.  Thanks to The Prudent Cyclist for putting me on to this this morning from the brilliant Preservation Hall Jazz Band with Clint Maedgen hot out of New Orleans.
Enjoy!  More music inspiration from the blog here.

Cockatoo Island Chic

Well the ride on Cockatoo Island a few weeks ago turned into a (retrospectively amusing) exercise in logistics!
Around 20 or more of us met up at Circular Quay and took the ferry over to the heritage listed Cockatoo Island, collecting film-maker Mike Rubbo and friends at Woolwich with their own bikes PLUS an extra 6 bikes PLUS the "Sociable".... all in all about 30+ bicycles....

Sydney Ferries were fantastically helpful after they got over their shock and the poor ferry guys helped us find space for all the bikes as we headed over to the Island for our ride.
The sun shone, we rode, we picnic'ed, we filmed, I fell off my bike like a 12 year old and still have the bruised, scraped knees to prove it and a good day was had by all.

Thanks to everyone who joined the madness - couldn't have done it without you!
And BIG thanks to Dr Charlton for the vintage bikes that he kindly donated to Sydney Cycle Chic after the ride.  The "Charlton Collection" will be available for use on our future rides.....

Mike's film featuring the sociable is wonderful - not every day that one gets to ride a piece of bicycle history.  More on the ride and the "Sociable" over at Mike's blog.

How lucky we are, sunshine, boys, bikes AND Sydney Harbour.

Arriving on the island, checking we had all the bikes.

The Sociable in action - all about the balance!  And Meredith, who hadn't ridden a bike for many years but thought it might be fun to start again on this?

     

It was a bit gusty at times as Paul discovered.

Filming in the huge Turbine Hall.

     

Sounds of Summer - Corinne Bailey Rae

I'd completely forgotten about the gorgeous girls on bicycles in this clip until Mikael posted it on Copenhagen Cycle Chic this week.  So as Copenhagen cools down for winter and Sydney warms up watch and enjoy.  I know how I'm planning to spend my Cycle Chic Summer of Love!

Cycle Chic Sundays Does Cockatoo Island

Ladies wanted for dangerously subversive step-through bicycle experiment!!!

Film-maker, Mike Rubbo has a mission.  He wants everyone to ride sit-up/step-through bikes.  He has a blog dedicated to this cause and some might say he is relentless in his quest.

He has 15 vintage ladies step-through bikes and I said I would help him find 15 ladies to ride them and participate in a short documentary film for YouTube.  It will be along the lines of his recent documentary Bike It Or Not (featuring some of these bikes) and that wonderful British film Beauty and the Bike.

The aim is to prove just how accessible this style of bike is and how different it feels to ride.
So have you always wanted to try a step-through classic bicycle ?  Not sure what the big deal is ?
Now is your chance.  We're hoping to find women of all ages (so yes, your younger sister, your mother....) who have perhaps never ridden this style of bike, to put on a frock and come and try.
To make it even more exciting, we will be selling said bikes after the film shoot at low cost (max $100 each) with all proceeds going towards a worthwhile bike related initiative (to be decided).  So not only could you be part of a fun film but you could get to ride away on a new (old) bike!

On top of all that, we will be having a fun ride around the Island and sharing a picnic with our lovely friends the Feather Brigade so it should be a great day.

It's imperative that I know who would like to participate in the film and will require a bike before Saturday so we know we have you covered.

Please either RSVP on the facebook event page, leave a message here or email me if you have any questions.

WHEN:     Sunday 5 December

WHERE:   Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour

HOW:       Meet at one of these ferry stops

- Rose Bay (ferry dep.10.13am)

- Circular Quay (ferry for Cockatoo Island via Woolwich dep.11.10am)

- Woolwich (ferry for Cockatoo Island dep.11.34am)

Return ferries are very regular.  Sydney Ferries link here.

BRING:     Some yummy picnic food and drink.  Your own upright bike unless you'd like to ride one of ours.

Book 'em In - Cycle Chic Sundays' Upcoming Rides!!

Busy, busy, busy - it's a crazy time of year as Sydney starts to warm up for Summer and we are plotting and planning some great rides, so lock in these dates and we'll post more details as they come to hand!

November 21 - The closing day of the Sydney Bicycle Film Festival
If there is ANY strength left in us after the 4 days of festival fun, we'll be joining the Cute Commute from the city to Bondi for the final session at the Bondi Beach Hotel, followed by the final after party.
Too much fun being planned for one day - you don't want to miss this!

December 5 - Cockatoo Cycle Chic
We'll be taking a trip to the magical Cockatoo Island for a picnic and making a film for YouTube.
This will be a BIG one and there are beautiful bikes to be borrowed and auctioned so round up your chic bikeless friends.....