Mobile Moments - Series 2, Part 3

They just keep getting better and better...
The thing that fascinates me most is that you never actually see the Christianiabike they are riding in - but the facial expressions say it all.

See all the films here.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the making of these films - wonderful.

Mobile Moments - Series 2, Part 2

More! More! More!

Happiness is a cargo bike.....

Mobile Moments - Series 2, Part 1

More happy smily people in the Christianiabike, sailing across the Perth Cultural Centre for the followup series of film portraitures for the Proximity Festival as part of Fringe World 2012.

This is a fascinating series - loving each film a little more each time I see it.

Cargo Bikes Make You Smile - Part 1

It's film week this week at Cycle Chic.

Here's a gorgeous series of films by Road Physical Theatre.  This film portraiture project was conceived and developed by Sarah Nelson during a 2011 Artist Residency with DADAA Inc, a community arts project in Derby, Kimberly Western Australia.

The (mainly) unseen star of the films for us is the Christianiabike - how could you not smile...

Bicycles and Art[ists]

Warming up for our Art Month ride next week with some brilliant examples of bicycles and art.
Love this Picasso sculpture, Head of a Bull (1943).

Gorgeous Bicycle Illustrations from Denmark

SO love these illustrations from Danish graphic designer Mads Berg - not all his work is bicycle related but hey, this is Cycle Chic after all.....

Bicycle Sculptures Around the World

When you first see the Bike Bike sculpture in Martin Place, it takes your breath away.  It's huge.
Constructed from old bicycles in the shape of a Penny Farthing, this 12 metre high bicycle by Alasdair Nicol is part of the City of Sydney's 2010 Art and About Festival.
Thought provoking and absolutely timely as Sydney continues to "green" the city and encourage us to think about sustainable modes of transport.  Oh and it's a beautiful work of art too.
It's at the Macquarie Street end of Martin Place until October 24.

Another wonderful bicycle sculpture was unveiled in August this year in Gdansk, Poland. during the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Solidarity movement.  Honouring the Gdansk shipyard workers, whose most common mode of transport was the bicycle.

UPDATED!!

This is so utterly fabulous I had to add it... thanks Nevenka for the link and Sydney Daily Photo for posting.

One Day All Road Signs Will Look This Way

[image via NEW BROL ORDER]

Be Inspired - Jorg&Olif

I came across this site a while back and it has fast become one of my most visited and continually inspiring sites. Anyone who rides a bicycle for pleasure will understand the slow life but it's more than that, bicycles are just the start.  Be inspired.

I particularly love their recent post featuring the beautiful wall art of Russian designer Jane Molinina.

Bring a little bicycle love into your home.

" Jorg&Olif is The Slow Life Company – a bicycle inspired lifestyle brand representing the Slow Life movement globally.

Originally a bicycle company set up in Vancouver by two local entrepreneurs in 2006, the bicycle is the ultimate symbol for the Slow Life.

The bike represents the leisurely pace through which we can live our lives and it also demonstrates the sensibility we need to have towards mobility.

Everything around us is becoming more mobile and transient, and as the world’s major cities increase in population, creative urban professionals are seeking more balance in their daily lives.

Here at Jorg&Olif, we are creating the new look of urban mobility through sophisticated and design-driven products that celebrates individuality, good living and fashion.

The Slow Life Company ™ is:

Health and wellbeing without the spandex

Design and culture without pretentiousness

Eco-consciousness without extensive activism

Through our commitment; a Jorg&Olif lifestyle is about experiencing the world in a conscious way – focusing on quality, authenticity and style!

What Is Slow Life ?

The world is becoming increasingly faster. Food, fashion, technology and information are increasingly disposable and created in haste.

The Slow Life is a global movement that redefines quality, authenticity, exclusivity and luxury in a modern and personal way. It counters the rapid pace of life and urbanization and represents a balanced way of living that is about quality over quantity.

The Slow Life focuses on authenticity – a new level of consciousness and appreciation to things around us.

It is not about sparing luxury or intense economizing, nor is it purely about doing good environmental deeds or consuming organic goods. It is about applying a new set of values for the modern generation.

It encourages us to enjoy living in the present with friends and family, to belong to a community of erudite global citizens and to appreciate what’s easily neglected. Living the Slow Life is not about finding methods to save time, it is about discovering new ways to appreciate and enjoy time.

It aims to slow down the way we commute from point A to B. Most importantly, the Slow Life inspires us to see, not just look. "

From Protest to Pinot (and everything in between)

5am Saturday morning, stumble out of bed in dark, shower, dress, throw various chargers into bag, rain in Sydney, cold in Melbourne where I am headed for a day of spontaneous Cycleiciousness.  Layer up with as much cycle chic as I can muster for this hour and out into the taxi waiting to take me to the airport.
9.05am arrive in Melbourne, Skybus it to hotel, check in and dump bags and jump in another taxi to first date of the day - the protest ride.

There's nothing I like more than standing up for what I believe in, a little political unrest does us all good and this was right up my alley.  Mike Rubbo from Sit Up Cycle had organised a ride to draw attention to the mandatory cycle helmet laws and why they will probably be detrimental to the success of the new Melbourne Bike Share scheme.  Of course it will hinder rather than help the scheme be a success, it doesn't take a genius to work that one out so the more attention this gets the better.  Will the laws be repealed as they have been in Mexico City ?
Time will tell.
It was a small but spirited turnout and snapping away in the midst of the crowd surrounded by tv crews was Mikael Colville-Andersen, in town for his much anticipated Four Goals for Promoting Urban Cycling talk as part of the State of Design festival.  He's disarmingly charming, passionate, funny, cheeky as hell and obviously loves his role as Denmark's unofficial roving Bicycle Ambassador.  Who wouldn't ?  He strongly believes in what he is doing as do I and it seems the thousands of fans of his various blogs Copenhagenize, Copenhagen Cycle Chic™ and The Slow Bicycle Movement to name but three.

So pictures were taken, the police did what they had promised to do and booked those who decided to ride helmet-less through the streets of Carlton - the horror - and news coverage was obtained from The Age and ABC.  Apparently we also made the ABC tv news in Melbourne but I've yet to get my hands on a copy of the segment.  With all the lively online commentary over the last few days it would seem the ride was a success.  Great to have been a part of it, now let's see the change hmmm ??

(more pics on flickr)

Next stop on the whirlwind bike tour of Melbourne was a quick trip to Gertrude St, spotted lots of nice stationary bikes (quite a theme of this trip) then off to Fed Square for Mikael's talk.
No doubt that it was illuminating and inspiring (and there's that screwball Danish humour again) and he really has hit the nail on the head.  His ideas so clearly point the way forward for bicycle culture - lessons to be learned whichever continent you are in.
It was however, followed by a rather dull panel discussion but I suppose that's to be expected when it consists of public service types talking about commuter cycling corridors..... WTF??!!
It left me, and I think the ragtag group of bloggers and bicycle advocates I was with a bit cold.  More action and less talk is always my view but hey, call me naive.  Is it not just simply about getting on your bike, as you are, going where you need to go in as fuss free a manner as possible ???

So conference over and off for drinks which turned into dinner and more drinks and well more drinks and stumbling back to the hotel at 2.30am quite a little tipsy.  A rather wonderful day followed by a rather seedy Sunday.  I took solace at the alter that is Rothko before heading back to Sydney, badly hungover but energized for some serious bicycle business.

Great to put faces to my fellow bloggers and tweeters too and meet the lovely Festival ladies on their beautiful bikes !
Tak Mikael for the hangover ;-)