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...

WOOP WOOP - Cycle Chic Kids Get Crafty in the Sunshine!

Wow, what a brilliant day we had yesterday.  The buzz was incredible as families, hipsters and everyone in between turned out to celebrate the opening of the Bourke Street Cycle Way and join the fun at the WOOP Festival.

The sun shone and Wimbo Park was truly alive with craftalicious fun as kids (of all ages!) upcycled their bikes with our flowers and streamers and bells.  Great seeing those handlebar ribbons appear on all the photographs today!

     

     

We even managed to get a bit of a ride in - it was so nice to see the kids out in force on the bike lanes.

Check out the rest of our WOOP photos here and if you have photos of the event to share, we'd love you to join and add them to our flickr group (or email me if easier).

Don't forget to like our Facebook page to keep up to date with future events.

So many kisses and thanks to my gorgeous team of helpers and Upcyclers who crafted up a storm!

(Liane, Milou, Heidi, Bea, Samorn, Tanja, Sonja, Jim - THANK YOU x)

And Reverse Garbage and Opera Australia for the bling!

     

Cargo Surfing - With a Bullitt!

Thanks to the lovely guys over at Cheeky Transport for alerting me to this today - just brilliant.
They have a shout out to Bullitt owners so if that's you and you're game for a spot of cargo surfing get in touch!

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.

ciclo chic - vivere la vita pericolosa!

Hard to tell if she's screaming or laughing but Claudia Cardinale sure looks like she's having fun!
Good old fashioned bicycle fun.....
Image via the brilliant, always inspiring Rides a Bike.

Itty Bitty City - How Children See Our Cities

At yesterday's Art Adventure launch for Art Month Sydney, children were invited to create their own Itty Bitty City and the results were fantastic.

This particular scene caught my attention - just think, if children were in charge of our urban design what utopia there would be.  Roads with nothing but bicycles and ice cream vans and is that a small rooftop bar I see????

Brilliant!

What the *#@* is Cycle Chic™?

I've been getting a little feisty over at Sarah Wilson's blog today in response to the replies she received on her post What to Wear On A Bike - Part 2.

Surely we have all earned the right to wear whatever we like, on or off our bicycles without judgement?
Why is it that some women find it necessary to dismiss frocked up female riders as frivolous and silly because they sometimes like to wear dresses and heels while riding?
I wear whatever I would wear normally and get about very well thank you and yes if some days I wear f*$@ off heels, so what?

Over in Copenhagen and indeed many places in the world, women of varying ages ride in all manner of clothes as these photographs from Copenhagen Cycle Chic so beautifully illustrate.

It is in emerging bicycle cultures that we are constantly forced to explain and justify our clothing choices.

Which brings me to that question I am asked so often - "what is cycle chic™?"

When Mikael Colville-Andersen first coined the term back in 2007, he was using it as a way to describe his fellow Copenhageners as they went about their daily business on their bicycles.  Devoid of any "cycling gear", just in regular clothes, doing regular things, a concept that was and still is to some degree, thought of as a little extraordinary.

In Sydney, we do cycle chic our way, we're not Copenhagen after all, but the aim is absolutely the same.

To show how the bicycle can be "an integral, respectable and feasible transport form, free of sports clothes and gear, and how it can play a vital role in increasing the life quality in cities.

... to highlight that bike culture is an effortless pursuit. No lycra needed. No fancy gear. Just get out and ride. Style over Speed. Man or Woman."

    

  

The photograph below is not overtly glamorous. The "photograph that launched a million bicycles" as it has become known, is just a nice spontaneous shot of someone probably heading off to work one day.

As is this - the eminently majestic stylist Catherine Baba on the job in Paris. And frankly, if she can ride in those heels more power to her!!!

So when people say "I want to ride but I don't have anything to wear?", I paraphrase Mikael and say "of course you do, wear what you're wearing right now".

I like this cheeky photograph from Copenhagen Cycle Chic.

So at Sydney Cycle Chic when we get together for a ride, we come as we are.

We don't NEED to dress up to prove a point - or do we?

"Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel...the picture of free, untrammelled womanhood." - Susan B. Anthony, American Suffragist, 1896.

Freedom - You've Gotta Give For What You Take

Probably preaching to the converted here but I just LOVE this sign.  Thanks to the guys over at Lisbon Cycle Chic for sharing.
Be part of the change baby and get on yer bike!

Joyful Cycle Chic Mini Movie for Monday Morning

Well here's a gorgeous way to start the week (or end it if you're in the rest of the world) thanks to the lovely Liane Rossler.
Just a simple early morning Byron Bay bike ride en famille captured by hubby on his phone.
21 seconds of heaven with a cicada soundtrack, leaves you yearning for more - wonderful.

Cycle Chic Sundays Chic Movie Photo Competition!

We though perhaps it was time for another competition over at Cycle Chic and have come up with something fun to honour this Sunday's film outing.

The challenge is to photographically recreate the classic opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany's with one addition - it must include a bicycle somewhere in the shot.

You can photograph someone else, get a friend to photograph you, use models/dolls/lego, the choice is yours.  Be as creative as you like.  Black and white or colour, in vintage or modern clothes, no rules.

We're not looking for carbon copies of this photograph but rather your own witty interpretation.

• The competition is open to anyone not just those attending the film on Sunday.  
• One entry per person please, with all photographs emailed to me no later than 8am on Monday morning. (So yes you can take photographs en route to the film on Sunday outside Deus on Oxford St if you so wish.....).  Please ensure you include your name and contact number in the email.
• Photographs will be up on the blog on Monday and voting will be by online poll with the winner receiving this lovely vintage style Basil bike basket (thanks as always to our friends at Gazelle). 

Easy.  Go wild.  Be creative and above all be cycle chic..... 

* U P D A T E * U P D A T E  * U P D A T E *



Due to popular demand the closing date now Sunday Jan 16 so you have time...... some great entries in already!

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!

The Blingtastic Launch of Cycle Chic Kids!

What a wonderful way to roll off the first Cycle Chic Kids event.

Despite the overcast day which may have kept some families away, we managed to sidestep the rain and spent a very happy few hours in Centennial Park creating magic.

It's funny when you organise a kids event, you can never quite tell if it will work - they're funny creatures (never work with kids or animals right?) but when it works ?  Boy it works.

Within five minutes of unpacking the tubs of craft supplies, all 20 or so kids (plus their eager parents...) were into it, up to their little arms in fabric, flowers, ribbons, foil, paper, bells....you name it we had it.

   

It was hard to keep a smile off my face as I snapped away and watched them festoon their bicycles and scooters and tricycles with their finds.  Talk about creative ?  We had a doll in a basket wrapped in paper complete with a foil cupcake in case incase she got hungry.  We had flowers and leaves stuck like peacock feathers from saddles.  Silver starts threaded through spokes.  Space helmets and rocket boosters attached to training wheels....I could go on.

    

The wonderful Paul from Gazelle became No 1 King of Bling and was sweet-talked by all the kids into driving them around (and around) the park in the Gazelle Cabby.  Who doesn't love a ride in a cargo bike, it's the modern equivalent of the bouncy castle I reckon.

And the fun didn't stop with the kids.  Quite a few parents tried out the Cabby and my Velorbis.  Nice to see adults having so much fun with bikes too - it really is infectious.

  

So fun was had by one and all  and plans are already underway for the next one.  BIG plans.  Please make sure you like the facebook page to be kept upto date with details or drop me an email and I'll add you to our new Cycle Chic Kids email group. 

It was impossible to judge a winner out of the kids as they all made such an effort so we decided to award a Basil basket to Hannah who made the longest journey to join us with her Dad.  We loved meeting you both and Mark you have been voted the coolest Dad on two wheels (or three in your case....) - hope you survived the long trip home?

It's been impossible to edit the 300 odd photographs from the day (see the rest on flickr) but the kids speak for themselves, so here the are - some of the first Cycle Chic Kids from Sydney.

    

I am endebted to so many people for helping to make this a success and offering their support.  What a wonderful bicycle community we are a part of.  Without wanting to turn this into an Oscar acceptance speech, permit me to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to (in no particular order):

The Lord Mayor, Clover Moore MP who was due to launch the event but her recent foot injury prevented her from attending.  She has been a great supporter of Sydney Cycle Chic as we are of hers!  Her speech is here.

The entire Cycle Team at City of Sydney who tirelessly give me their help and advice.  Elaena Gardner from BIKESydney for her wisdom and loaning us their Cabby (sorry about all the stickers....).  Paul van Bellen from Gazelle Australia for being King of Bling and such a good sport.  Kathi from Feather Brigade for her crazy craftiness.  The supreme Queen of Craft, Liane Rossler for just being the most creative and generous person I know.  Liz Nield and Lyn Heal from Opera Australia for getting behind me and digging out those pink leaves.  Neroli for being so wonderfully generous.  Miss Sonja for being my fellow cycle chica from the start.  Milou for being calm and keeping me in Gin. Jim for being there and giving me free reign of the UTS faculty guillotine.  The kids and parents at Montessori East for getting into the spirit.

And of course, last but not least, Mikael, the Godfather of Cycle Chic for the cute logo and the Felix's (Sydney and Copenhagen) for inspiring this in the first place.

Do Purple Bikes Go Faster??

Well Newtown Festival was HOT HOT HOT yesterday and I dragged myself away from Bondi just long enough to check out the entrants in their inaugural Bling Your Bike Competition.

The girls were out in force with their blinged purple bikes and it was great to see them get crafty and have fun.  Fun being what bike riding should ALWAYS be about.... at any age.

Maya and Georgia had decorated their Malvern Star with cupcakes and muffins - a nod to Masterchef Kids perhaps?? - and even had muffins and cookie cutter on their helmets! 
The only mishap was that some of the muffins got knocked off by their skirts while riding - the perils of riding in style discovered at an early age :-)

     

Samira's purple Southern Star was festooned with foil, streamers and sparkles galore and she happily posed like a true Cycle Chica for me to take her photograph.

Disppointingly, there were only two entrants, what's up with that Newtown???.  I have to say I was suprised but I think it was more to do with lack of publicity rather than lack of interest.  Certainly the parents I spoke to were well-informed and very keen to encourage the girls to ride as much as possible - but I suspect they don't need much encouraging....

Miss Nell (one of the City's Cycling Ambassadors) was there in fine form to do a lap of the park with the kids and the rest of the festival was heaving as it always is. 

My guess is that Sydney is more than ready for my next little project - it couldn't come at a better time - are you ready for Cycle Chic Kids???