Michelle Lauge Quaade

Putting the spotlight on one of the Bullitt’s most engaged and awesome enthusiasts.

Her enthusiasm for the Bullitt means even more given how high up in the cycling echelon she is, and further enforces our perspective that the Bullitt really is the cargo bike for people who love riding bikes. With no further ado, we’d like to introduce you to our friend Michelle Lauge Quaade.

Fresh back from a Sunday ride with Michelle and her husband, fellow Bullitteer, Rasmus, the legs might be tired, but it’s certainly no difficult task getting the fingers tapping away. Michelle's friendly, laid back and inclusive nature to cycling on all manner of bikes, belies a life and career dedicated to training and the discipline required to be a professional cyclist. Make no mistake friends, the focus and dedication that is necessary to engage and succeed at this level is all encompassing and makes us incredibly proud and humbled to have such a friend, ambassador and cohort. 

Initially inspired by her older brother, who in turn was part of the so-called "Bjarne Riis wave" after the Danish pro won the Tour de France in 1996, her interest in cycling gathered pace.

A six-year-old Michelle went along to watch the racing and found it incredibly dull, given the finish line to these Junior races was usually located in the outer edge of nowhere with the added charm of the brisk Danish wind. At that stage however, children were not allowed to start racing until the age of 9, so Michelle took solace in the now defunct Ordrup Velodrome, an outdoor track full of cracks and potholes.

This opportunity to ride and develop in the sheltered environment of the velodrome however, harnessed a passion for riding and Michelle describes magical summer evenings there as a child with the birdsong and stunning sunsets. This context also gave her her first glimpse of competition, and the buzz generated from competing in front of a crowd. Michelle was hooked, and hopped into road racing, and as soon as she turned 9, competed both in Youth and Junior categories on the road and on the track. 

Another seminal moment in the international cycling calendar coincided with Michelle turning 20 - in 2011 the World Championships came to Copenhagen. This inspiration of having pros riding in a home context, gave her the extra motivation required to make it onto the Danish team and competing for her country. The youngest rider to compete in both Road Race and Track disciplines, Michelle has a comical story to tell: 

''I broke my wrist two months before the WC, and since it was critical bone it would not heal. So I trained in a cast made of a strong kind of plastic and then got it taped up on race day - raced... and was then sent back into wearing a cast for some more months :P yeah.. you know.. we've all been young and stupid, and my wrist is still broken today as it never healed up again, so honestly I am glad I did not skip the World Champs because of it.''

Priorities change however and the thought of competing in foreign climes didn’t appeal, so Michelle turned her attention to studying, where she decided on a career as a vet.  A passion for riding, however, is still there, and manifests itself in Michelle’s everyday approach to life, from transporting samples for her PhD project between the Copenhagen University’s labs on her Lizzard King, to riding with us at the weekend or road riding.

Back in 2018 when Michelle received her Bullitt, she and Rasmus rode up the Swedish coast and over the border to Norway where they traversed the beautiful Norwegian countryside, eventually reaching Stavanger and taking the ferry back to Denmark and home turf. This new found enthusiasm for touring and exploring by bike is something, as a couple, they plan on doing more, and they love seeing fellow Bullitt riders out on the open road, so smile and give them a wave if you see them. 

Michelle has also been a steadfast participant at the cargo bike race, Svajerløbet, which we look forward to again this August after a few years of pause, due to you know what. 

We'd like to give Michelle the opportunity to have a few closing words with you, as her experiences as a female competing at the very top level of cycle sport should and probably will resonate with you all in some way or another: 

"Remember to enjoy your life. And by this I mean YOUR life. Only YOU know what makes your life happy and what gives it meaning, so when you find it, stick with it! And then of course gather friends who support and understand you. Striving for great things and achieving your goals makes no sense if you had to ditch your friends on the way or lost yourself in the process. And then of course - ride your bike whenever possible!"

Thanks Michelle, it was lovely getting the chance to sit down and talk with you about your experiences on and off the bike whilst not frantically trying to chase you and Rasmus up the road on our Bullitts.