Afternoon with Mikael

Copenhagen is the bicycle capital of the world, and Mikael Coleville-Andersen it's spokesperson as well as the leader of the Cycle Chic movement. He came to San Francisco last week to give a talk at SPUR Bike like the Danes. BikePortland provides a detailed summary of his talk which is unsurprisingly littered with the whimsical: raging bulls, vacuum cleaners, multi-vitamin viagra pills.... The man is appropriately employed in marketing.

Some of my favorite points in the talk:
* 56% of Copenhageners cycle for transportation because it is fast and easy.
* None of these people are "cyclists", "environmentalists", or "atheletes". They are simply practical people who have identified the best way to travel.
* "A2Bism" -- make it practical and possible for people to travel, like a river, the most efficient path.
* Nearly everyone is a "subconscious environmentalist"; they just need role models.
* Bring back the bike girl posters.
* "Green wave" -- when stoplights are timed for bikes.
* "Soft traffic" -- bikes and peds
* Cars should be required to have health labels like cigarettes.
* In Scotland, a study found that if they shifted their bicycle mode share from 1 to 18%, the country would save $1.6 billion. $1.10 is saved per kilometer biked. $0.53 is saved in public health, and people live an extra 7 years (my notes are this point are sketchy, but you get the idea.) Another study found each km biked, the government saves $0.25 from the tax base. Each km driven in a car costs the tax base $0.16.
* Mikael doesn't fix his own flats, and there are 22 bike shops within a km of his house. Fixing a flat costs ~$8.
* Lots of bikes are stolen in CPH -- people just use wheel locks. Home insurance covers them, and you complete the form online.
* Most bike lanes in CPH are separated from traffic and parking by a curb.

After the talk, a few of us went for lunch with Mikael. Adrienne took this picture of me posing with her bike in the spirit of Cycle Chic.

Her u-lock wore a sweater that matched my ensemble.

Erik Zo met us with his Bullitt. Here Mikael and Eric smoke and chat.

Not thinking, I rode transit to the event. This made my travel with the others to the Ferry Building for lunch inconvenient. No problem! Erik could transport me in the Bullitt. Insanely fun! Thanks, Erik.

I shot the following two photos of Mikael from the Bullitt. Check out Mikael's comfortable, yet stylish, suede footwear.

Mikael borrowed a bike from his hotel. Along the way, he shot video footage.

Thanks for a wonderful afternoon, Adrienne, Mikael, Richard Masoner and others.