On the other hand...

"Velorbis bicycles were part of a historic day in Copenhagen politics when Denmark's first ever female prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt met with the Queen to ask to form a government. All ministers from the Liberal party - De Radikale Venstre - who are part of Denmark's new coalition government, decided to arrive in style at the Queen's residence on Velorbis Victoria Classic ladies and Velorbis Churchill Classic gents bicycles. It was an entrance to remember and highlights perfectly the chic cycling culture that Danes of all professions and walks of life hold close to their hearts as part of their everyday lifestyles. The new government has announced that it will integrate green policies as a main element of their administration in order to make Copenhagen even more bicycle friendly."

Sure, there's an off-putting trendiness to all this- but I wouldn't mind seeing a new Congress riding to the Capitol en-masse on new Schwinns. Industries are always going to ramp up whatever fashion advertising they think will sell product, but I suspect most Danes who buy those bikes will be riding them, not posing next to them. And the fact that the site is in English makes me wonder if it was created primarily to troll for the American market. I wonder what Velouria (lovelybike blog) would make of all this, seems right up her alley.

Same here. I'd like to get through one day without being honked off the tiny strip of road called the "bike route" in my neighborhood by drivers that don't signal or understand why there are bicycles next to them on the road. I could care less if other cyclists are riding a Pasha or unobtanium, just as long they're on two wheels like me. In my neighborhood, electric mopeds seem ti be gaining on bikes, but at least they're BI-CYCLES and they have pedals. Style is one of the reasons I'm a CV fan, so let's get that out of the way.

I think woodrup joe makes a good point. What may seem like a sudden shift to trendiness to us might be part of the evolution of a long standing and already entrenched bicycle culture in Denmark, as well as elsewhere in Europe.

Congressman on bikes? Check Pridmore and Hurd's The American Bicycle from the library. On page 151 there's a 1962 photo of Dr. Paul Dudley White leading a bicycle ride joined by Secretary of Treasury Douglas Dillon, Congressman Silvio Conte (Mass), and Secretary of State Stuart Udall.

Nonetheless, whereas cycling as transportation has long been entrenched in most of Europe, automobiles are even more entrenched in the U.S. If cute versions of older forms of bikes helps us move from the latter to the former, I'm for it, even if I have to hold my nose.