In The Anthology’s Bookmark column we explore some of the most inspiring places on the wild, wild web.
If your favourite shots on The Satorialist are of people on bikes (and obviously they are) then Vancouver Cycle Chic will be your new favourite street style blog.
It cuts out all the people-on-foot clutter and gets straight to the good stuff: chic cyclists.
Vancouver’s is an official extension of Copenhagen Cycle Chic (there are offshoot in cities all over the world from Barcelona to Ottawa) but in my very biased opinion, this site is more beautiful than most.
So bookmark Vancouver Cycle Chic already and bookmark The Anthology while you’re at it.
[Images from Vancouver Cycle Chic obviously.]
This P.S. is a PSA: wear a helmet, people. These by Sahn will do the trick.
8 Comments
Thank you for your p.s. Kelsey. As a loather of the cycling culture in Vancouver, (for many reasons), one thing that scares me as a driver is the potential damage I could cause if I ever hit a cyclist (whether it is my fault or theirs.) I see a lot of cyclist riding recklessly, ignoring laws, and not having the proper equipment (lights at night and helmets.) It is ridiculous, and I wish there was more enforcement on this, as everyone is at risk.
And finally, a message to the MANY parents I have seen riding with their kids (on their own bikes or on board) without helmets: What is the point of forcing your kid to wear a helmet if you aren’t wearing one? What kind of example are you setting? You are stupid! Just had to rant…
Hi Alexandra,
Thank you for your thoughtful and considerate comments, Alexandra. I am one of those “stupid” parents who cycle alongside my children while not wearing a helmet. As an adult, I have several more behavioural choices available to me than my 3- and 6-year olds: gambling, smoking, drinking, etc. I ride a few slow and short blocks on a sit-up bicycle, along a designated bikeway, an act whose benefits (health, air quality, financial, social, etc.) FAR outweigh its risks (by a ratio of 20:1). In fact, I just wrote an article on the subject I hope you’ll take the time to read and consider: http://bit.ly/PyvivF. As far as bicycle helmets (and mandatory laws) go, I would suggest you do a bit of reading about that, as well: http://cyclehelmets.org. Turns out they aren’t nearly as beneficial as you think.
Here’s a working link to the article in question:
http://www.hushmagazine.ca/towards+a+slower,+simpler,+more+civilized+bicycle+culture/blog/395/14/
I don’t think that article gives off the impression you hope it does. I’ve never felt sneered at by cyclists in full-on riding gear, and their existence doesn’t make me think I can’t ride a bike any other way. Surely I’m not alone in that.
I don’t dress well enough to be a chic cyclist. That isn’t going to keep me off a bike either, but if I was sensitive enough to be intimidated by Gore-Tex-clad dads (including my own), the idea that my regular clothes were being judged as insufficiently chic while riding a bike would be more than enough to put me right back on the bus. Then again, I thought the point of the Cycle Chic website wasn’t to tell people how they SHOULD dress to ride a bike, but rather to showcase people who had a great outfit and happened to be riding a bike while wearing it.
Chris, you’re article comes off as judgemental and is based on basically no real evidence and frankly makes me want to have nothing to do with this ‘chic’ biking community. I love good style and can appreciate a leisurely bike ride but really? Maybe helmet laws aren’t the answer but I am appalled at how many people don’t wear helmets (or promote not wearing one…shame on you) when science shows that it decreases your risk of head injury and/or death. If all or most of these ‘chic’ bikers wore helmets in those lifestyle photos maybe it would spread the cool factor for helmets and we wouldn’t be having this stupid argument. Ultimately the choice is yours but it’s pretty annoying to see Vancouver Cycle Chic and similar sites perpetuate this perception that helmets aren’t cool by showing no photos of people wearing them. Lame sauce.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1271695–cyclists-without-helmets-three-times-more-likely-to-die-of-head-injuries
Choosing not to wear a helmet has nothing to do with “chic” or “cool”-ness, but rather perpetuating the fear that cycling is a dangerous activity. Mile for mile, pedestrians and motorists are at far greater risk of head injury. Why don’t they require head protection?
Secondly, the science is NOT settled on bicycle helmets. While the study you quote looks at 129 cases over a five year period in a single province, G.B. Rodgers examined 8 million cases of injury or death to cyclists in the entire United States over a 15 year period. That study concluded there was no evidence that helmets reduced head injury or fatalities. Not only did it lead Rodgers to conclude helmets don’t work, it also led him to conclude “that helmeted riders were more likely to be killed.” That injury survey remains the largest ever done in the world: http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/wouldnt-bike-lanes-make-riding-safer-anchorage-helmets.
I wonder what the ratio of head injuries for pedestrians/motorists:total number of pedestrians/motorists is. I would guess that it is not comparable to the number of cyclist head injuries:total number of cyclists. And on top of that we do incorporate other APPROPRIATE safety measures for pedestrians and motorists, sidewalks and seatbelts. I’ll take the 1 in a k-billion chance that a helmet protects me, because the rest of the time it’s probably not going to do any harm to my precious brain.
That being said, you are right, there is more research needed in this field, especially because the study by GB Rogers you mentioned is from 1988. I’m sure there are other studies that support your opinion but at this point I don’t believe it’s enough to convince me to not where my lid on most of my rides around the city. I’m confident in my abilities, but I don’t trust drivers and sometimes even other cyclist. I do love a cycle friendly city though, bike lanes, bike shares, and all that jazz.
I think the idea that promoting helmet use suggests that cycling is a dangerous activity is a cop-out. The general public isn’t stupid. People can think biking is easy/accessable and wear a helmet. I imagine a bike friendly environment would go way farther than just posting photos of fashionable people riding casually sans helmet. And to say that not using a helmet isn’t about the ‘chic’ or ‘cool’ness factor is pretty much denial on your part. The cycle chic website has the following words in the manifesto: (kudos to them for making it even less cool by grouping helmets with ridiculous safety equipment)
“Let’s be honest, steel-toed boots, lifevests, bullet-proof vests, construction hats, bike helmets or any other kind of safety gear have a hard time being chic, no matter how much the people who make them and profit off of them would like them to be.”
So after all of that, thanks for the discussion. I’m actually not really sure how I feel about legislation on the issue but I will definitely be wearing my helmet proudly (maybe even with some fancy bike basket or nautical stripes).
Can’t wait to check out this blog – thanks for sharing!
Kate xo petite-adventures.blogspot.ca