Sunny Curls…
Is it here? Is summer finally here? Aren’t we all enjoying this warm spell here in Amsterdam…dresses, shorts, t-shirts, sunglasses. Bring it all out this week!
Looks like these curls are heading to the park for a picnic, bike bags are packed!
by Meredith
Red Bike Sunday
I have a red bike, so I’m always on the look-out for fellow red-bike-lovers. These three hip ladies all look spring-tastic on their red bikes! Listening to music, sporting the bright green bike bell and yellow pants, thigh-highs, skirts and heels–nice. Keep riding those red bikes!
by Meredith
Classy Sunday
Where is this well-clad couple heading? The opera? The ball? A wedding? Where ever it is, they’re getting there in style.
by Meredith
OV chic
Heels, tights, and sub-zero weather–a great combination. This girl proves that you can still be chic on the OV Fiets.
But really, Amsterdam, who’s ready for spring?! I know I am.
by Meredith
Cyclist of the Month: ‘Miss Fair Fashion’ Marieke
Meet ‘Miss fair fashion’ Marieke Eyskoot: her mission is to make fair fashion normal in the Netherlands. “For me fashion is a way to celebrate life. I love it! But it should also be nice for the people who make it. I can’t enjoy clothes that people made in terrible working conditions.” For many years people have asked Marieke where they can buy fair fashion, what to look out for when shopping, easy things they can do for a more ‘fair lifestyle’ and if a fair lifestyle isn’t too expensive? Those questions made Marieke decide to write the book ‘Talking Dress- Vertelt je alles over eerlijke kleding (en lifestyle)’ that was recently published.
‘Talking Dress’ is a guide –written in Dutch – to a fair lifestyle in the Netherlands and Belgium. The book shows you the way to your own fair fashion lifestyle. Ranging from shopping tips to DIY-tricks, from washing instructions to swapping ideas, from clothes to accessories, beauty products, food and even marriage: Talking Dress makes it easy (and fun!) to do good and look great at the same time.
We love Marieke’s book and know that she uses her bike every day, so we asked her for an interview. We met in the lovely fair lunchroom and boutique ‘Beter & Leuk’ on the Eerste Oosterparkstraat.
Marieke and her bike
“This interview is a tribute to my bike. I bought it second hand in 1996 for 100 guilders and I have cycled it daily through the streets of Amsterdam since then.” The frame is from 1967 and it is a classical black Gazelle Dutch bike. But after more than 40 years some essential parts can’t be repaired anymore. So Marieke has to get a new bike. The decision of which bike to get was an easy one; “A Roetz bike of course!” Roetz’ bikes are sustainable and fair bikes made in the Netherlands. (Read more about Roetz on our blog).
“I love to cycle and I use my bike every day, to go to my office, to meetings, to go out and to go for cycles in the weekend. I like to go fast on my bike. It is a great break every day to cycle in between the many meetings, phone calls and long hours behind a computer. The movement, the wind or sun and just being outside for a while make me feel relaxed. When I pass bridges I always slow down a bit, to enjoy the beautiful city and look at the water.”
“I can still clearly remember the moment I learned to cycle. I was with my father practising in the street where I grew up. I was cycling and he was running beside me, holding me. Suddenly I heard him quite far behind me shouting ‘I am not holding you anymore!’ and from that moment on, I could cycle on my own!”
Text by Joni – Pictures by Aude
Links
- Order Marieke’s book ’Talking Dress’ (19,95 euros, free shipment in the Netherlands).
- Marieke co-organises MINT, the fair fashion section of international fashion tradeshow Modefabriek
Tres Sexy Sunday
I was in Paris this weekend and couldn’t help but notice all the girls on bikes! Très sexy! Looks like the Velibe bike share system is getting put to good use. I tried it too! It’s amazing how much smaller the city became when riding a bike. Plus, the first 30 minutes are free! Fantastique!
by Meredith
Pink Sunday
Gotta love this bright green bike and bright pink skirt! In the dark of winter, we need bright style like this to make our days last a little longer.
by Meredith
“See you in a bit ;-)”
by Aude
Leaving the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, she is probably texting her friend: “See you in a bit 
” in front of her bike before cycling to him..
Last sunbeams
by Aude
Nice girl cycling and chilling with her music under the last sunbeams in the Kinkerstraat, on the west side of Amsterdam.
Pink gloves
by Aude
Autumn is definitely there, but this doesn’t mean we need to wear dark colours only.. I just love people wearing colourful and vivid accessories, like these pink gloves!
Bike Fashion Show in Budapest
As we wrote in our previous post, the absolute highlight of the Cycle Chic Conference in Budapest last weekend, was the Bicycle Fashion Show. When you think of a fashion show, you think of a catwalk, spotlights, photographers, press, and beautiful models. That was all the case in Budapest. But the models in the fashion show were very special. Not only did they walk the catwalk with (their own) bicycles, but also, they were not professional models, but just normal people that love cycling in their city, Budapest.
The models had been spotted on the streets and subscribed themselves to participate in the fashion show. The goal was to show the beauty of cycling, that cycling is for everyone and that you can wear the clothes you love the most while cycling. No need for lycra of sport gear.
Check out Budapest’s stylish cyclists!
Waiting for the show to start
posing for the cameras
Cycling Berlin style!
Milou, one of the Amsterdam Cycle Chic team members, moved to Berlin a few months ago. So Else and Joni of Amsterdam Cycle Chic decided to visit her there.
Joni, Milou and Else
We loved it! And in between enjoying one of the many terraces, parks and museums, we spotted cyclists, quite a lot of cyclists, and many of them in cool Berlin style!
Check out these elegant ladies on their pink bicycles…
and the many other cyclists!
Cycling Berlin style
Listen to the music!
Mum and daughter
Dutchie on his racing bike
Greetings from Nice
As the summer in Amsterdam is more rainy than sunny, the Cycle Chic team members pack their bags and go to sunnier places. Joni went to the south of France; Nice in the Côte d’Azur, to enjoy the sun, lie on the beach and do some sightseeing. Needless to say, she took a bike to cycle through the city, testing Nice’s cycling infrastructure and checking out Nice’s cycling culture. And as you might expect from the chique Côte d’Azur, Nice is quite Cycle Chic!
From Nice with love
Cycle path with velo bleu bikes
Cycling Côte d’Azur style
by bike to the beach
Tourist bike tour
electric car and bike sharing
Cyclist of the Month: Lauren the blogger
This beauty from Amsterdam was caught just before parking her bicycle to grab a take-away soup for dinner. Lauren (26) recently bought a racing bicycle to tour the Dutch flat countryside, a real trend amongst Amsterdam youth. But she just as much loves crossing through town on her Dutch bike with bicycle crate. Now that she finished her masters the summer has begun for her; cycling from park picknicks to work to late night dancing. In the meanwhile she blogs about the hidden treasures of Amsterdam for tourist site Spotted by Locals.
Bohemian style
Pictures taken
by Aude
First I got the mother cycling by with her 2 kids (she is holding one against her chest). And few bikes later, appeared the daddy, carrying all the necessary for a day at the park…What a cool bohemian style!
Dreaming away
by Aude
Dreaming away on your favourite track while riding your bike with the wind in your hair and the jacket of your boyfriend… Can it get any better?
Cycle Chic – The Book
Mr. Cycle Chic and founder of the entire Cycle Chic Republic, Mikael Colville-Anderson, made a book full of pictures of chic cyclists from all over the world. It is called ‘Cycle Chic’ and published by Thames & Hudson.
Rainy Cycle Chic
If I can bicycle, I bicycle
With colourful images Mikael takes you around the globe and shows you how people enjoy cycling through their cities and look fashionable at the same time. There are pictures from his Copenhagen and from our Amsterdam, but also from many other cities from all over the world.
Budapest
Paris and London
Dublin
Amsterdam
Wanna see more?
- Order the Cycle Chic book
- Check out the original Cycle Chic blog by Mikael: Copenhagen Cycle Chic
Cycling without cycling
I wonder how this Italian lady goes back up the hill!
Amsterdam loves bicycles
Nice video of cycling in Amsterdam from Paul Rogers from Madison, Wisconsin. He visited Amsterdam for a conference and was amazed by our cycling culture. He made the video in the spring of 2011 with a small Canon VIXIA HF camera.
Can’t wait till it is spring again!
Chicks on racing bikes
Last weekend the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant wrote about a new trend in Dutch cycling culture: elegant girls on racing bikes. It is not very practical with high heels and without a chain guards, but it is chic and vintage. We like it!
Girls on racing bikes: a new trend in the Netherlands
