Amsterdamize » Blog Archive » Beauty And The Bike

Beauty And The Bike

Posted On: December 20, 2009
Posted In: amsterdam people on bikes, Amsterdamize, beauty and the bike, bicycle film, bicycle infrastructure, bicycle tv, Bremen, cycling, Darlington, germany, girls on bikes, UK, Video
Comments: View Comments

The video ‘Beauty and the Bike’ has been spreading like wildfire in the bike blogo/twittersphere and was well received, I don’t think anyone missed that one and neither did I. Yesterday reader Gerco pointed me to it, and instead of just acknowledging its existence, I’m now posting it too:

This is an 8 minute version of our 55 minute documentary Beauty and the Bike. The film follows two groups of young women from Darlington and Bremen. Between them, they discover what makes – and stops – teenage girls from cycling. The answer? “It’s the Infrastructure, stupid!” The full DVD is available from www.bikebeauty.org.

Up until now I had nothing to add to this excellent video. It’s all true, true to life. Just ask any Dutch girl. Or boy, woman, man, the elderly, etc.

Last Friday I was shooting pictures around town (for the upcoming post ‘Winter Cycle Wonderland’) and I think four of these pictures basically represent that ‘beauty’ and so many other values. Quite universal, wouldn’t you think?

Dead Sea Mineral Cosmetics

A friend to the environment indeed. It complements the beautiful rider too.
Virginia

Rain, hills, and hot, sticky weather are also turnoffs.
Elliott @ Austin On Two Wheels

Actually, I thought the message was more about making biking sexy, social and fun again. Yes infrastructure is in there, but having bikes that let these girls ride comfortably in fashionable clothes on attractive bikes seemed to do wonders.
townmouse

True - up to a point. When they try cycling at night in anything but a hi-vis jacket then they'll feel very vulnerable out there on the roads. Not the most fashionable outfit on earth...
SueWithoutHelmet

I can't wait to get a copy of the 'Beauty and the Bike' - I plan to show it to our local council and community to kickstart some 'cycling-infrastructure action' here - of course first I need to change the helmet law which I'm busy working on at the moment!!!!

Merry Christmas - love your blog & so glad to have found you!
andys

What a great blog.... I love Amsterdam and cycle there. Unfortunately, cycling in London is about speed, fear and 100% concentration. You cannot relax when you commute every day on capital's roads. Even on cycle lanes you have to watch parked cars and drivers open a door.
Andy
amsterdamize

Thanks, Andy. For all the things you mention, it's the point of the film. People need to be enabled to ride, one of those building blocks is proper infrastructure (indeed, London def needs to do better than it's doing now). The UK needs a big overhaul if it wants to achieve anything worthwhile for cycling.
Dream Dottie

Lovely picture sequence. I watched this video a while ago. I hope it will be possible to get my paws on a full-length version when it comes out.
amsterdamize

thanks, Dottie and yeah, Frits is right, go get it! :)
Frits B

The film apparently is available already; see here: http://www.bikebeauty.org/english/. The only problem may be that it could be region 2 encoded only. You might contact BikeBeauty to get an answer.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Amsterdamize shops at:

Vote & Win A Workcycles Bike!

Publications, mentions, conferences & prizes

Total number of eye-balled pages:

Beauty And The Bike

Search This Site:

Amsterdamize shops at:

Vote & Win A Workcycles Bike!

Publications, mentions, conferences & prizes

Subscribe

Total number of eye-balled pages:

Recent Comments

Travel

Amsterdam Blogs

Bicycle Blogs

Special

Copyright 2010 Amsterdamize - All Rights Reserved