The Life-Sized City Blog

There is a brilliant article that you simply must read. A Strange and Not Unpleasant Experience by Florence Williams for Bicycling.com What's a cyclist to do upon falling in love with the rare Pedersen bike--except rescue a battered one from a hippie paradise and cajole its mysterious creator into reviving it? What a fantastic tale. Here's more of my photos of Pedersen bicycles . Didn't get a shot of Florence on hers - we couldn't manage to hook up when she was in Copenhagen.

I noticed this tiny detail on the urban landscape the other day. Outside the new university buildings on Karen Blixens Vej. I noticed it because I was heading up onto the sidewalk to park. Scanning the curb for the lowest point while cycling is one of those tiny bits and pieces of behavourial wayfinding that we never give much thought. On certain stretches on my regular routes I know exactly where the lowest point is so I can life the front wheel and bounce onto the sidewalk. Outside our corner shop, for example. Anyway, my subconscious scan revealed this ramped manhole and I used it. Seconds later, still rolling towards the bike racks, I realised that it wasn't a flaw. The streets are quite new outside these rather newish buildings. Yes, we still cobblestone wherever we can. Charm, character, tradition. I parked and went back to the manhole. It was simply designed this way in order for bicycles to get up onto the sidewalk more easily. Once again, it's in the details. Master pl...

I've not seen such cool bike parking in ages. At my hotel in San Francisco - the W Hotel - they have three Danish Biomega bicycles for guests to use free. Okay, three isn't much, but it's what they do with them that counts. It's like a museum the way they hang them up on the wall like that. You ask the valet for a bicycle and he walks over with a crank and proceeds to lower - slowly and cerimoniously - the bicycle to the ground. Now THAT is style over speed! I rode the bicycle during the Halloween Critical Mass and the next day, too, with some friends. A one-speed on the hills of San Francisco. Easy peasy. Here's what other bikes I've been riding whilst travelling .

We posted a while back about the bike rack design competition in New York City. As it happens, the winners were announced and the design duo from Copenhagen won the contest. Ian Mahaffy and Maarten De Greeve’s design reflects a modern simplicity that will greatly enhance the City’s streetscape. The rack is round with a horizontal crossbar, evoking an abstracted bicycle tire. Constructed of cast-metal, the design is elegant yet sturdy enough to withstand the harshest street environments. Congratulations. According to plan these racks will be the official bike racks of NYC and will be set up around the city. There were also indoor bike parking designs in competition. Have a look here to see the winners. Thanks to our reader Sean for the heads up.

I first met Ole last December, where he was selling coffee at the christmas party for Danish Broadcasting. I promptly blogged about his Coffee Bike . It was great to bump into him again on one of our main pedestrian streets in the heart of Copenhagen. Espressomanden - The Espresso Man as Ole is called - is gaining quite the reputation. He is busy being booked for receptions, weddings, company parties - basically anywhere groups of people congregate and need coffee. But he is also a recognisable figure on the streets of the city. It was a drizzly day so his umbrellas were up. Business is good, however, and since I first met him he has modified his coffee bike. He still uses a Sorte Jernhest cargo bike, mainly because it can carry 150 kg compared to 100 kg on other Danish cargo bike brands. He has a new coffee machine and a new set-up so he is completely mobile and doesn't need to think about finding an electricity outlet. He is totally mobilee is much more mobile now. If business ...

My mates at Baisikeli borrowed a custom-made bike used in film shoots for possible usage in a Canadian tv-crew that Copenhagenize.com/Copenhagen Cycle Chic are hosting this week. They're doing a documentary on sustainability that includes Copenhagen. I'm trying to get them to film by bike so we'll see what they say to this Buddy Bike. It's a custom-made bike for use in the Danish film and tv industry. One steers the bike and the and the cameraman shoots from the buddy seat, while helping to pedal. He has handlebars, too, but they don't move. They're only for resting on. There is a front rack for gear and the camera can also be placed in the middle of two handlebars for stabilisation or resting. What a cosy ride. This bike is perfect for The Slow Bicycle Movement . We were discussing how it can be used in other ways. Among the ideas were a footbath on the front rack, a bucket of ice filled with beer, etc. Any other good ideas for The Slow Bicycle concept? How co...

Here's one from the bike lanes of Copenhagen that we haven't seen before. Appropriate somehow that it's a cool cat riding this funky tandem bike.