Market Day

I think we're going to like our new home.

We launched our Green Chic Project on Saturday in partnership with Sydney Sustainable Markets and spent a gorgeously chilled few hours pimping bikes (and scooters) and chatting about bikes and veggies and bees and all things sustainable.

Great to catch up with Peter from PS Bikes too and take the gorgeous Christiania cargo bike for a spin.  Really looking forward to some exciting collaboration there....

Like us on facebook to keep up with project details.  We'll be running workshops and events at the markets at Taylor Square on the first Saturday of every month from April 7.

     

Cycle Chic Kids Roll in to Taylor Square

We're excited to be kicking off a series of bike-themed urban sustainability workshops and events this weekend at Sydney Sustainable Markets with the return of the much loved Cycle Chic Kids!

Little kids (and big ones...)  can drop by the stall at Taylor Square from 9am-1pm on Saturday 25 February to pimp up their bikes with our re-purposed, re-cycled crazy craft.

Guaranteed to make your ride more colourful or your money back.   No wait, it's free!

These monthly events in partnership with Sydney Sustainable Markets are part of our Green Chic Project and we have big plans.

Want to weave your own bike basket or make a bamboo crate to get your veggies home in?
Fancy checking out some cargo bikes and seeing just how much shopping and kids they can hold?
How about racing one - are you game?
The Slow Bicycle Movement - how slow can you go?
Finally want to learn how to fix up that old Schwinn you have in the garage?
Maybe you just want to show off your handsome bike in our pop-up instant photo-booth - we have props :-)

Surely one of the loveliest, friendliest local markets in Sydney we're very happy to have found a home so please stop by, have a coffee and say hello, we'd love to meet you.

Event details will be posted on the facebook page or email us to be added to the mailing list.

We're Not Chic - I'm Wearing My Slippers!!

"But we're not chic?!" they said - well we at Cycle Chic beg to differ.  What could be more chic than just popping out for an evening family ride in the 'hood on your new gorgeous vintage style Schwinn bikes.
No gear, just as you are.  And I like being called blog lady :-)

Cycle Chic Cargo Bike Nicked!!!

And so it was that just before Christmas, the time of goodwill towards our fellow humans, some sods decided to get the bolt cutters to Mr Chic's Kona Xtracycle and ride it away from Kings Cross Parking Station in Sydney.

Not only is it one of a kind and loving built by Mr Chic but it has stunningly, sustainably transported all manner of Sydney Cycle Chic stuff and kids to events across the city and we need it back!

Will we be as lucky as Mikael in Copenhagen and his stolen Bullitt???

If you see it please email me and call Kings Cross Police on 02 8356 0099 who have the report.

Omafiets for Everyone!

A little slice of Amsterdam has finally arrived in Marrickville thanks to those clever chaps at Glow Worm Bicycles.   They have expanded around the corner with a shop crammed full of more old Dutch bikes than you can poke a spoke at.

A veritable treasure trove of cool old used bicycles and great kids bikes too.  Forget the over-priced dull blue and pink kids bikes we're used to here and think rainbow coloured wheels of joy with mini version chain guards, back racks and yes skirt guards to impress your pint sized cycle chica.  Cycle Chic Kids indeed!

STOP PRESS - they now also hire bikes - BRILLIANT

Check out their bikes here

A Whole Lot of Chic Fun in the Sun

I love a Cycle Chic Kids event - happiness reigns and we get to play with ribbons and weird craft and funk up bicycles and scooters all day - usually helped along by some wicked cakes from the local school - what could be better.
So thanks to the manic cake bakers from Newtown Public School and those caramel kisses.... holy moly....

Oh yeah we upcycled some pretty bikes too and the kids (and adults) went away smiling - happy days.

     

     

Thanks too to lovely Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Carolyn, Michelle and the crew from City of Sydney for another glorious day and gorgeous Kerry for all your brilliant help and of course Mr Chic for the fully sustainable cycle chic kids extra cycle event transport and everything else :-)

And we couldn't do these gigs without the crazy inspiration from the recycle folks at Reverse Garbage...

More Cycle Chic Kids stuff here and email us if you want to be on our mailing list for future events.
More pics here on flickr.

Cycle Chic Kids Go West!

We're excited to be getting out of the Eastern Suburbs this Saturday and taking the Cycle Chic Kids bike magic on the road again!

       

Lord Mayor Clover Moore will be officially opening four beautifully revitalised community spaces over in Erskineville and we'll be setting up shop in Lillian Fowler Reserve between 11 and 1 on Saturday 5 November so come on down and say hi - bring your kids and their bicycles and get crafty with us.

Cycle Chic Kids is all about getting kids excited about riding by getting them to bling up their bikes using recycled or repurposed materials.  You may have seen us at the WOOP Bourke Street Festival earlier this year and we do love to bling bikes..... little kids and big "kids" welcome!!

More info here.

Launched!

Last Saturday saw the launch of the Bicycle Film Festival / Sydney Rides Festival in Sydney and what a great way to start.
We had a stall (our first ever) at the Street Fair and had a blast chatting with all our bike friends and blinging bikes.  Great to meet so many Twitter/Facebook followers too - always love putting faces to names :-)

We delivered everything by cargo bike too - well I say we.  The lovely and talented Mr Chic delivered everything (including child) and I rode leisurely along behind on my newly revamped white vintage step-through.....

I was also beside myself with joy seeing so many happy punters buy our new T Shirts and bags.  They've been in the works for a while so brilliant to see them walking around the Fair on real people!

    

We're in the process of setting up the online store but in the meantime if you want one drop me an email.
They're organic cotton, fair trade, made in a factory powered by green energy and we think they are pretty damn hot - available in mens/womens slimfit in white and dark grey for now but more colours coming for Summer.

It was about time Sydney joined the other new bike cities with these T Shirts - London started 'em, Barcelona has 'em..... Melbourne you're next!

And special thanks as always to my lovely fellow chic stallholders Sonja & Kerry, couldn't have done it without you!

Chic Memories

We made so many of these handlebar ribbons for the WOOP Festival Cycle Chic Kids stall - and it wasn't just the kids that wanted them!
It always makes me smile when I see them still on bicycles months later.  Little flashes of colour on the streets.

One Night in Rio

So the latest addition to the ever-expanding Cycle Chic family is Rio de Janeiro and looking at these photographs of yesterday's launch ride, we think we're going to like Rio!
A lot.

These gorgeous pics were taken by Sherolin Santos on a swivelling Eames chair strapped to the back of Tiago's trike.  I mean really.  I'm humming a little bossa nova as I write....

Check out more pics in Sherolin's photo album here.

And yes I did a double take too - that is a child in the basket!!!

Mikael from Copenhagen Cycle Chic was in town to "officially" launch the Rio blog and ever the showman, wowed the crowds with his daring bicycle stunts - at least this one didn't end up with a fractured rib like the infamous Barcelona Slow Bicycle Race....

Cycle Chic Bloggers Conference Barcelona - Part 2

So Friday saw us all up at the crack of dawn, yep ok, 7.00am after a night of sangria felt like the crack of dawn on the slowly undulating yacht I was lucky enough to be staying on.

Our first official business as guest bloggers in Barcelona was to photograph the city's cyclists at a Cycle Chic Breakfast organised by BACC, the Bicicleta Club de Catalunya.  Held to celebrate Bike Week in Barcelona, free breakfasts were given to riders along with some well-deserved red carpet treatment. People in Barcelona really know how to dress and judging the chicest rider was a tough but pleasurable exercise.

We took thousands of photographs between us over 3 venues through the city and then there was Paulette. Just brilliant.  Hand painted bike and all.  She is now the proud owner of a new Hood Bicycle and a rain coat from Italian brand Abici.

Raul and Greta were obvious choices for the most fun category and won a selection of bicycle accessories from cool Barcelona brand Ramonas and a rain coat from Bordeaux brand Nooc.

Such a fun day, there were prizes for the runners up too.  

I was interviewed by Spanish newspaper El Pais who featured the event in this article and this blogpost and TV1 Espana shot a film of the breakfast for morning tv.  A more Almodovarian experience I have not had!

More tomorrow.....