The guy from Cycle Chic

Visit my bicycle art web site. http://situp-bike-art.com.
The second part of the interview is now available. Go to http://situp-cycle.com to see Talking to Mikael.

Mikael ColVille-Andersen runs two of the world's most influential bike blogs, Copenhagen cycle chic and Copenhagenize.com.

I sent a colleague, Violeta Bran-Lafourcade to interview him recently. Back came the footage for me to compose and cut.

When I saw the material, Violeta had captured, I was struck by his vacuum cleaner story, and how this very down to earth view of the bike, the humble bike, contrasted with the photos of women looking so elegant, as featured on Mikael's blog, Copenhagen Cycle chic and it's derivatives around the world.

Some younger women have found my rhapsodizing about beauty on the bike rather obscene. I wonder if it is? It's true I chose more images of men than women.

Ours is a world in which there's so little unaffected beauty, to seems to me. The sit-up bike's ability to compose people , men and women, into graceful images of nonchalant travel, does appeal to me.

Maybe it's just because I'm an old guy, not sure. What do you think?
Mike Rubbo

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• mikael colville-andersen
• copenhagenize.com
• copenhagen cycle chic
• mike rubbo
• violeta brana-lafourcade
• sit up bikes. situp-cycle.com
• urban cycling
• cargo bikes
• helmet laws
• compulsory helmets
• sue abbott

[funkskull]

scandanavians never seem to have much of an accent when speaking english, at least not to my american ears

[Pedalblock]

I own 6 vacuum cleaners. And I have a vacuum repair shop in my apt.

[harshbarj]

@tardans1 , how do you know? Just because the helmet took damage in no way means you would have died. At best you can say it MAY have saved your life. At this point there are as many studies that show helmets do more harm than good than actually save lives.

[tardans1]

Uh, mocking helmets? Idiot. Saved my life twice now.

[EclecticSoundTV]

I believe this guy is the same one who goes around to other people's blogs leaving posts telling them to refrain from using "Cycle Chic" in any form. He claims he has a copyright for this term. Read his blog and you'll see his "instructions" for using his copyrighted term. Highly dubious.

[bosiefoobar]

@funkskull especially since he is canadian ;)

[pseudotruth]

@mammasut82

You're the tool.

[pseudotruth]

In Britain, 'cyclists' have become an out-group and are now on the receiving-end of the same kind of group-think hatred and abuse that used to be directed at groups such as homosexuals; racial minorities and so-on.

Active and verbal homophobia and racism are now illegal, when will this happen with cyclophobia?

[pseudotruth]

In Dutch these bikes are called bakfiets. It's a cargo bike, used in cities where people live car-free because cars and parking are expensive. A bike is door-to-door, often quicker and easier than a car. They're used for transporting children to school, shopping and moving stuff. Some people even move house with a bakfiets. I think the one ridden by Mikael is the Bullitt by Larry vs Harry.

It needs a chain-guard, essential for reliability and wearing normal clothes.