Coyote

Cycling; it's not just for the healthy. This is Coyote (named for his bike), spotted at Critical Mass having a smoke on his bike. Just like in any group, some cyclists are also smokers. We are all just people after all.

There is nothing wrong with this man

I spotted this chap, presumably about to set off home by bike. He is dressed in bike-specific trousers, jacket and even shoes, with a high-visibility tabard and pannier cover and a helmet. There is nothing wrong with this man.

The Cycle Chic movement was borne partly out of a desire to "re-normalise" cycling, to make it feel like a normal everyday activity which almost anyone can enjoy. I imagine the man in the picture is happy with his choice of clothing and his bicycle, and I say good for him. Some people misinterpret the cycle chic movement as being against cyclists like the man pictured, but this is not at all the case. What we are trying to show is that his way of cycling is not the only way. He prefers to wear specialist cycle gear but someone else may prefer not to.

The problem here in the UK is that the cycle industry and mainstream media portray cycling solely as a sporting activity, which attracts people who are predisposed to enjoying cycling for sport. What it also does is put-off people who want to cycle a few miles to get around, visit the shops or meet a friend for lunch by making it seem like an energy-intensive activity requiring specialist gear, sporty bicycles and a lot of perspiration. The aim of the Cycle Chic movement is not to find the most fashionable cyclists or to direct hate at sport-focussed cyclists who wear specialist clothing. It is simply a way to try and redress the imbalance in the image of cycling in the UK, where too much focus is given over to sport-cycling and the potential for the bicycle to be used as everyday transport is all too often overlooked.

Silver cyclist

It's nice to see the occasional more mature gentleman cycling down student-dominated Oxford Road once in a while, and looking stylish at the same time.

Walking your bike

Who says you have to ride your bike all the time, the brilliancy of the bike is that with friends sans vélo, you can easily walk your bike, and chat, and have fun... and look rather dapper, as this fine chap illustrates!

Oxford Road

Oxford Road is one of the busiest cycling routes in Manchester, full of students heading to the two universities and people commuting into town. You can see all sorts of bikes and all sorts of cyclists, from front racks to flip flops and ponytails to printed backpacks. The charming fellow at the bottom left has even matched his t-shirt to his bike frame. Bravo!