This picture was taken during the German occupation of Denmark 1940-45.

It would be interesting to know more about the background to this photo. It only states

Cyclists at Nørrebrogade in Copenhagen (1940-45). (Flickr) More photos at Danish resistance archives

The mood looks sombre, no-one is smilling. But, the road is packed with cyclists going one direction down the road.

Related

• Copenhagen Cycling

On the way to exams.

I recently updated a post 10 reasons to take up cycling. One of those reasons was

Cycling can help relieve stress. I don’t have a scientific study to back up this claim. But, cycling can be an excellent way to relieve some stress. Any exercise can help to clear out the cobwebs in the mind and give a boost to your blood circulation. Any moderate exercise can also release those chemicals like serotonin which help to give a feeling of well-being.

In addition, compared to other forms of exercise, cycling is ideal for stress relief. As mentioned in Cycling Science – the bike is the most efficient method of human propulsion. Any effort is magnified. Unlike walking or running, you don’t hammer your joints but get a good feeling of speed to match the effort.

Commuting to work by bike may sound potentially stressful. But, I wouldn’t swap the bike for the stresses of driving and parking or catching the bus. With the bicycle, there is the autonomy of being your own driver with the freedom to take whichever route you wish. If you compare how you feel after cycling to work and driving, cycling gives a much better feeling.

time for a chat on the way to exams.

The downside of commuting by bike is that sometimes traffic conditions and other vehicles can create their own stress. Squeezing  past fast moving taxis e.t.c. is not exactly a meditation on inner peace. But, despite the potential problems, I still feel a net gain. Although much is out of our control, our attitude is important. If we see the cycle commute as a chance to de-stress, then we can take our time, not expect too much; rather than trying to squeeze through gaps, we can see it as an opportunity to relax – and rather than waste time in traffic jams, we get the benefit of a bit of stress-relieving exercise and we get to work for practically free.  Just give yourself a couple of pounds every time you cycle, that will make you feel less stressed.

Good old fashioned clunkers and the plastic bag.

A busy light outside Waterstone’s

The pink carnation means they are in the middle of exams. Cycling to exam school is perfect way to relieve a bit of stress.

Mostly tarffic free.

Riding two abreast, don’t tell the Daily Mail.

Concentration.

A mix of colours.

Eating on the move.

Don’t be late for exam.

On the cheap mountain bikes.

Going past the building site.

Even professors cycle in Oxford.

By bicycle, the best way to travel in Oxford.

• More cycling photos Oxford

Waiting at the traffic lights. Quite a few patient cyclists waiting for the lights to change.

Some go straight on, some turn right.

A little bit of  spring

Some wrapped up well, some playing it cool.

Time to chat behind big van.

On your marks, gets set. Go.

Vesalius and William Morris as background.

Related

• Oxford Cycling photos

The slush is potentially dangerous, as you never know if some ice is lurking underneath. The last thing you want is the start of the season curtailed by slipping on some ice.

Snow makes Oxford look nice.

Messy slush.

snow joke.

~

snow covered bike

Magdalen Roundabout.

Radcliffe Camera Square with a light dusting of snow

Keep smiling.

Cycling through snow

Cycling through snow shower

Cycling through snow

Heavy snow

Radcliffe Camera Square with a light dusting of snow

Radcliffe Camera Square with snow

Radcliffe Camera Square with a light dusting of snow and bike

• Oxford Cycling photos

Cyclists on the High. Quite a mix of different bikes and cyclists

Cycling in sunny weather – mum’s taxi

Look Mum, no hands.

Squeezing through a less than optimal road design.

Don’t get any closer, I’ll hit you with this cardboard stick. Cyclists fight back against buses passing too closely.

Struggling to keep up. Cycling keeps you young. Cycling photos and captions

_{photo, Bichxa, CC Cycling in the rain. A common experience in 2012.}

There has been a lot of flooding this year. But quite deep water didn’t stop these intrepid cyclists using this cycle path.

The teddy isn’t very aerodynamic.

Good old black and white photos.

• Black and white archive

Play it again Sam, the lament of the short-distance commuter.

Cycling the new cool in London

Sheldonian Theatre in the background.

The joy of a good cycle path. Sometimes you need a good reminder why we commute by bike.

Amsterdam obviously.

Army cyclist making a good pace.

waiting for the lights.

Relieving pre-exam nerves.

Cate Blanchett on a bicycle.

Could almost be across the channel in Holland.

Enjoying the Yorkshire Dales.

The Munster Classic Shot

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carltonreid/

A more typical UK street.

Even cyclists can get stuck in a jam. Photos of cycle commuters

• Keep smiling and keep cycling 

Dunwich Dynamo – Obsessive compulsive cycle disorder

Racing

Tejvan cycling through the Yorkshire Dales

Bradley Wiggins, flying even faster.

Usually, when training, I don’t wear a heart rate monitor, but on the rollers, I do. It’s partly because it’s harder to judge how you are going, it’s also something else to look at. When people think of turbos and rollers, instinctively intervals spring to mind. But, I just did the opposite to intervals. A pretty steady 75-80% of max heart rate for an hour.

On Saturday, the weather broke (meaning a bit warmer). Finding myself in London, I went over to Richmond Park to cycle around the 6 mile lap. It seemed half of London had a similar idea – either cycling, running, riding a horse or driving.

I really enjoyed the ride. Possibly it was the contrast to the rollers, but it makes a pretty good training loop. It’s quite interesting riding with so many bicycles and so many cars, on a reasonably narrow road. Because of the speed limit of 20mph, it seemed to work pretty well. Getting overtaken at around 20mph is much less stressful on the nerves to the usual speed on the roads. I was quite taken with the way cyclists and motorists shared the road.  It’s also a bit different having so many bicycles on the road; quite a few guys were training pretty hard to say it was December. Mind you I was guilty of going up quite a few of the hills in a 53*15 to do some on the bike weight training. It wasn’t to show off – weight training on the bike, is something you really can’t do on rollers.

It didn’t take long to either be overtaken or to come across some other riders. After, a few times of going anti-clockwise, I did a u-turn and tried the other way around. It means you have to turn right at roundabouts and give way to more traffic, but it didn’t really make much difference. There are less cyclists going that way around.

Great views. It’s one of the most interesting roads to cycle on. To one side, you have Stags, forests and dogs like Fenton running wild. The tree’s are ancient, and part of you feels you’re intruding onto Henry VIII private hunting lodge. But, then switch view and you see a panoramic view of London – from one corner, you can get a glimpse of the city and that big wheel thing. From another corner, you see Heathrow’s flight path; from another corner, you might glimpse Twickenham. From another, you see a few tower blocks. It’s like the whole of English civilisation within a 6 mile bike ride. I could have kept going for much longer, but unfortunately, it was getting dark, even by 3.45pm. I reluctantly left the park and went home after just 71 km.

Total for week: 455 km. Winter total so far: 3020 km.

Wiggo as BBC Sports Personality

Last night, I caught the end of BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year. Bradley Wiggins was the deserved winner. He’s perhaps one of the best candidate’s ever. It was tough for someone like Mo Farah not to be even on the top 3. But, at the risk of repeating an oft-repeated media soundbite – it’s been a great year for British support. Even better than seeing Andy Murray award himself the third prize, I loved Cathy Wiggins’ expression of nervousness when Bradley went up to collect the award. I bet she was thinking, ‘I hope he doesn’t swear or start hugging the Duchess of Cambridge’. Well Wiggo was on his best behaviour and suitably deserved the award.

Some Photos from Richmond Park

early morning

One reason to get up early in the morning

a cold Jan morning

Road race in closed Richmond Park

London Cycle Classic

Through the trees

We can only dream of closed roads to traffic.

The Olympics

Cycling up the Col d’Aubisque – Back in the days before the invention of tarmac.

Sheep Shearer on the move

Which way to school?

A Wheely good way to become wedded.

Cycling couples Denmark

Shadows on the track.

Track start

Billie Smaules Malvern – NSW, Australia – after a record breaking run. Like the teddy bear on the handlebars.

Reg Harris on the sprinting line.

a rack of bikes in Queensland

The pace line.- on this picture the slight blur works well. That is what it’s like in a fast pace-line.

Starting at the Chemists (rather a convenient place for pro-cyclists to begin a cycle race, n’est pas?)

.

‘I say old chap. Jolly good view, what?!’

More serious. Soldiers in First World War cycling to the trenches.

.

A little cyclo-cross action at the railway crossing (don’t try this at home)

Motor pacing

.

mending bikes

lady on bike.

Straining up the cobbles

Cow giving his appreciation to passing cyclists.

proud of bikes

Family photo.

Give us a dime? New York messenger boy smokes a pipe.

Related

• Classic Black and white cycling photos (mainly UK time trials)

Cycling news has been overshadowed this week by two crashes to famous cyclists – first Bradley Wiggins knocked over by a van, then Shane Sutton in an accident on the A6. I can’t think of much to add apart from I hope cyclists get better, and I hope people become inspired to take more care when using the roads – Cycling is still relatively safe, but it could still be much safer. (how dangerous is cycling?). However, standing around in Oxford, I saw no accidents and just one near miss – and that was a white van driving around a parked bicycle with 1 cm to spare.

Joining Magdalen roundabout. Potentially dangerous as there are several turn offs. The chalk writing on the side of the road says ‘Google know where you live’ – a play by some local actors.

Orange does stand out more than dark green.

It’s great when there is a cycle path to get through congestion.

The Magdalden roundabout and the Ballroom in background.

Keeping warm.

Moped and push bike. Looks like a Pashley.

Colour co-ordination.

Standing cool.

He’s off to deliver a letter.

Close shave Grommit.

Nice autumn morning.

early morning coffee – part of the commute

Commuters

in the wet

Nice tie

Looking cool despite being surrounded by buses.

.

Even cyclists can get stuck in a jam.

You can carry anything on a bike.

Related

• Oxford cycling photos

Maybe it was something in the air, but all the cyclists cycling past this morning were very happy.

Perhaps they had heard of all the fame and riches that can follow on from being photographed on Cycling info?

It’s always good to see smiling cyclists – it reminds of the most important thing about cycling which is all about having fun. A bit different from the ‘gurning * competition’ which is an integral part of the hill climb season.

Or perhaps they were just laughing at me for having my trousers tucked into my socks, or was it the frizzy yellow wig and kilt I was wearing?

Other Smiling Cyclists

~

~

Well, what could be better than racing a Brompton in a suit?

determination

Cyclist with economics folder in her basket.

You take the highway, I’ll take the low-way. Good to see the highways agency on a bike.

having a laugh.

a few cyclists

interesting colour co-ordination – Also, Can you spot Inspector Morse’s car?

* Gurning- the practise of facial contortions to help with painful hill climbs. The most contorted facial features can win some bragging rights, if nothing else.

Post race Gurning

Paul Potts shows an unusual post -race smile / gurning or maybe he’s just showing off his front teeth job.

Related

• Cycling photos Oxford

Slideshow by Bob Muir.

Tejvan on the Rake. A great photo

Great Crowds

Top two photos, courtesy PJ (Traumradhfahren)

Other photos below by my Dad, who has I believe amongst other prestigious academic qualifications, a Grade E in A level Photography.

Jack Pullar on the start line

Gunnar Gronlund 2nd place. Nice lightweight wheels.

Lancashire Road Club

Last minute, why are brakes rubbing?

Tejvan holds on to car as he attempts to get on rollers.

Going nowhere, fast

What awaits riders at the start.

Number 23

queuing up for the pain fest

Start

Sam Ward looks a picture of concentration. Like a gladiator going into battle.

Waiting for the off

On your marks

Get set

Go

he’s thin

The start. Lee Baldwin from Buxton & CC. Did a great ride to finish 0.5 seconds behind the medals.

Jack Pullar’s bike

Jack Pullar keeping warm

on the start line

Carl Helliwell from Blackburn & District

more on national hill climb championship 2012