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

White Stripes

I saw the brilliant Bill Cunningham New York documentary last night so now all I want to do is ride around the streets with my camera... this will be a good thing.

Love to see those Gazelle white stripes.... Summer's coming....

Cycle Chic Sundays Did Art!

What a glorious Sydney winter sunday we had yesterday.  We rounded up the chicsters for lunch at the new Deus Cycleworks cafe/store before heading down to Mike Rubbo's exihibition at Tap Gallery.

Great bike art, selling fast, go take a look before it ends on July 17th.  Mike is passionate about positive imagery of people on classic bikes as are we so of course we approve.  Mikael Colville-Andersen has been imortalised as in fact have I and who knows, maybe you have too!!!

   

Some hot bikes with their cycle chicster riders.

The owner of these lovely cycle chic approved red boots is Dutch and rides a Velorbis like mine - say no more.

Paul Martin from Brisbane came down to Sydney for the exhibition - this is how I always remember him - the king of looking cool while standing and riding a Gazelle.

Impromptu bicycle parking outside Darlinghurst's Tap Gallery - we kind of took over the street.

I have a thing about riding shoes..... fascinating.

   

Alacoque is our first beautifully pregnant Sydney Cycle Chicster - looking forward to seeing her in full bloom on her Electra!

Michael and Kathi from the fabulous Feather Brigade heading home as the sun started setting.

Ah the end of a great day - sunshine, friends, food, wine, art and bikes - win!

More pics on flickr as always....

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.

Get Your Craft On Cycle Chic Kids!

Just one more sleep to go to the much anticipated WOOP Rolling Festival on Bourke Street and we're excited!

We have piles of wonderful recycled craft generously donated by Reverse Garbage and Opera Australia.

Gorgeous lucky dip giveaways for all crafty kids thanks to supporters Gazelle Australia & CycleStyle and a FETE STALL!
(It's my first fete stall, forgive me for my joy!)

     

Our team of BRILLIANT Crafty Upcyclers will be on hand to help you make art out of your bikes and then on to the beautiful cycle way you go!

It's going to be a gorgeous day - stop by and say hi (even you big kids) and grab some ribbon for your handlebars.... go on you know you want to :-)

We'll be in Wimbo Park on Bourke Street (opposite Devonshire Street) between 11-3 on Sunday 15th!

Cycle Chic Kids are go!!

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!

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.

     

The Happy Smiling Face of Cycle Chic Kids

We were so glad to award the Basil basket to Hannah and this is why.

Can't wait to see it on her bike, or the tagalong on the next ride!

     

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.