Chefprefers BLOG

Walking the Danish streets of this Northern European Capital, you are accompanied by a well-established bicycle culture. Bikes are everywhere: on the streets, along sidewalks, down the alleyways and on the major thoroughfares. They have special bike lanes and traffic signals. Not only do you have to look left to cross the street, but you also have to look out for the approaching silent Raleigh.

With its retro styling, contrasting mudguards and wicker-style basket, the Copenhagen Alloy Raleigh makes up about 80% of the cruising roadsters. Some have the gear shifting derailleur, and others have the inner 3 gear hub to a single speed sprocket. It’s relatively flat terrain in the Danish capital, so no hard pedalling is needed. The craft’s heavy weight and the additional extras limit the ride’s length. Perhaps just a few blocks are required to reach their destination. No Lycra is seen here; people hop on in their everyday attire. There are also no helmet laws, so you can imagine the eloquent, fashionable ladies riding along with their hair waving in the breeze, their dress draping down over their knees, and the wine and baguettes spilling out of the front basket, for the gentlemen, in suits and a top hat, which remarkably stays in place. 

Although this European style seems primitive to the rest of the world, we’ve moved on; the Raleigh style has become an antique, over taken by the fast stream line road bike with curly bars, a carbon frame, electronic gear shifting and clip-in pedals.

The new designs from Trek, Specialised, Scott, and Giant have taken over the world. Let’s not forget the electric bikes. The E-bikes are around, but they are the old heavy style: some you have to pedal and some you don’t. Altogether, I believe there will be a significant change here. The old Raleigh bikes will be left on the street, and there seems to be evidence of abandoned bikes already; the flat tires and rusty chains are noted.

People will pay for less effort and more comfort. The e-bicycle revolution is here.