FLOLO: May 2012

Yesterday, Radlager in Vienna hosted an interesting and inspiring bicycle cultural evening which included art, fashion, music and culinary aspects.
The evening was a welcoming party for the Japanese cycling fashion label PEdALED which will be sold from now on at Radlager in Vienna. The program featured an archery demonstration, films screenings, a book presentation, a really tasteful interpretation of miso soup ("zuppa di miso"), DJs, "the band", a photo exhibition and, of course, a fashion show (with models who really pedaled their bikes, not only walked them ;). All in all a great demonstration about how diverse bicycle cultures can become in Vienna.

Mister Diethard Leopold, president of the Austrian-Japanese society, performed Japanese archery - Kyudo - for the opening of the evening.

The Japanese bow - Yumi - is asymmetrical with a shorter lower end and requires specific skill, codified in the "hassetsu". After releasing the arrow the bow will spin in the archer's hand and the string will stop next to the archer's outer forearm, a movement called "yugaeri". (image: Bernhard Schram)

The Japanese ambassador to Vienna Shigeo Iwatani (to the right) carefully watches the Kyudo performance. (image: Bernhard Schram)

PEdALED's Alice Icardi introducing the Japanese cycling garments to Vienna. (image: Bernhard Schram)

Cycling fashion show featuring PEdALED clothes. (image: Bernhard Schram)

The evening's band "Die Band". (image: Bernhard Schram)

The evening's band "Die Band".

Preparation of 'Zuppa di Miso'.

The PEdALED wear is characterized by the comfortable garments used which was verified by the author wearing the gray jacket to the left in this image.

Thanks to the people who indulged us guests with their creativity and to Radlager and the PEdALED label for hosting this nice event. More of such evenings would do good in Vienna.

May's Critical Mass (CM) in Vienna was super-well handled in a shared effort between CM team and police. Cycling and motorcycling police flanked the flow of about 1000 bicycles (some say 900) in front, rear and back, alleviating some usually occurring stress created by impatient car drivers wanting to push in from side streets.Of course, a stronger police presence (and support) implies safety for CM participants, but as well "controls" the CM's self-organizing dynamics. In any case; it was nice to see motorcycling police on sidewalks being replaced by cycling police on sidewalks (and tramways), and - since some small incidents during this March's CM - I would interpret a good police presence as a sign that an increasingly large CM in Vienna needs to be protected by police from negative (re)actions of car drivers. ;)

Anyway. May's CM was blessed by blue skies and magnificent light. There were musicians on cargo bikes heading the CM and in general a super-eased atmosphere. I still don't understand why so many people in Vienna have not yet participated in a CM!? Bring at least one person new to CM each time you participate in future!

Images below show you some typical CM situations; front and back with police presence; blocking of side traffic; gazing and wondering passengers eased from traffic noise; and, of course, the very diverse array of people (some would call them "cyclists") constituting a critical mass in Vienna.

The route started off directly into Ringstrasse and elegantly turned almost a whole Ring-round before being welcomed by a honking concert next to Urania where CM turned towards Praterstern. Then CM pedaled some awesome stretches such as Lände and Gürtel before ascending into 19th district and TÜWI for a solidarity party benefiting CM itself.

All in all a great CM which provides a mellow basis for June's CM with the goal of more people participating with less clothes than this time. :)