A new arrival to Copenhagen will be immediately caught by the number of bikes in the city, and then quickly notice the bikers themselves. The city riders swerve through the streets with an elegance and grace that leaves one breathless. The best part about Denmark, way before its world-famous Danish pastry, is of course, the Danes. In addition to being healthy and robust, they are warm, welcoming, and hospitable. And what better way to discover a new city than through the eyes of a local? Enter Buster – a typical Dane: tall, blond, languid, and beautiful, with an excellent sense of humour and a taste for international women. Buster was quite the entertainer. He could talk for hours about anything and everything. His favourite topic: contradicting you. His favourite saying: “Yeah, but…” Never a dull moment, never a silent one either!
Our guide
Buster, who would eventually become our city cycling companion, was charming from the start. We quickly became close friends with him, enlisting his help to navigate the streets and discover their hidden treasures.
Emmanuelle: I met Buster one evening after the cinema. On our way to a legendary local café, Pussy Galores, Buster seemed incapable of keeping up with the crowd. He was continuously lagging behind. What was it that had him so mesmerized? He did catch up in time to enjoy a breakdown of the film, complete with giggles and hot chocolate.
Paris: Upon my arrival in the city, I made a vow to acquire the grace and poise the majority of Danish riders execute with every mount and dismount. After an evening of Carlsberg, I met Buster while awkwardly trying to perfect my moving mount. Buster retrieved my scattered possessions and graciously offered his hand as I attempted to untangle my legs from the bars.
The city
Over 30 per cent of the 1.8 million people living in Greater Metropolitan Copenhagen ride bicycles to work. Imagine it’s 8 am. You are riding through an intersection like Adanac and Main, and to your left flows a steady stream of bikes. The movement of the crowd is artfully synchronized with quick movements of the hand, a ring of the bell, and well-practised turns of the pedals. This morning in Copenhagen, you are one of 5,000 that will pass through this intersection between 8 and 9 am, and within the city you are one of almost 300,000 that use bikes as their primary form of transport. Critical mass indeed!
The cyclists
Cycling is a way of life. Most everyone owns a bicycle; we only met one person during our stay that opted for the bus instead. From an early age, cyclists learn to fix a flat, often carrying a kit in their bag just in case (although there is a bike repair shop on every block, so you never have to walk far for assistance). From babies to grannies, bicycles are made to measure. Children only a few months old are strapped into seats or custom-designed Christiania-style bikes with a carrier in the front that is pushed like an ice cream cart. Grannies wheel gracefully up and down roads on World War II-era steel-framed, black single-speed bicycles. And whether raining or clear, cyclists dress appropriately. Gumboots and a poncho are often the most popular attire.
Public policy
During our time in Copenhagen, we learned to greatly appreciate the thoughtful and pragmatic Danish approach to life. Organized, rational, and thorough, Danes make decisions in the interest of the greater good. Since the 1970s, public policy in urban Denmark has been indirected towards reducing vehicles (with heavy taxes on cars and fuel, and limited parking spots) and encouraging the use of bicycles (with accessible and safe bike lanes and strictly enforced safety rules). Today one-third of commuters use their bikes, primarily because any alternative (car or bus) is too expensive. As a critical mass, cyclists today command almost half of most main roads. How did they do it? Public policy ensures that bike lanes and other bike-friendly features are taken into consideration for all new and rebuilt roads. All bike lanes are clearly marked or systematically separated from vehicle traffic. And the result? Less noise and less pollution in the city.
Visitors can easily be tricked into thinking that Copenhagen, for all its social welfare policies and belief in the common good, lives by a system of trust that allows bicycles to go unlocked. For those of us who have come from places where even an old, no good bike, double chained to a fence in front of a police station might get stolen, it is hard to get over hundreds and hundreds of bikes standing unlocked (or so it would appear to the untrained eye). Upon closer inspection one realizes that most bikes have a built-in locking mechanism. But there is a level of trust that boggles most urbanites. In the land of plenty there is little need to take what is not yours. So much is based on the honour system: library checkouts (no chips in the books, and all self-checkout) and parking (each car is equipped with a moveable clock that indicates the time you arrived at your spot). We would often leave our bags of groceries in our bikes unattended to test the system, and it never failed.
Rules of the road
The system works not only because the Danes are organized, efficient, and pragmatic, but also because they follow the rules. There is something that must be said about the way in which Danes truly respect the rules. They patiently wait in line, only ride in the bike lanes, obey the lights (it was not uncommon to see a cyclist waiting for a green light at a deserted intersection at 3 am), signal with every move, and use their bell and lights after sunset. The rules are followed not only because the system is well designed, but also because they are strongly enforced. Enforcement is twofold: first, through growing up to believe that your needs are secondary to those of the group, and second, through heavy fines. Like road checks, police do spot checks for missing lights and drunken riders (yes, no drinking and riding!), which will cost you at least 500 crowns (about $100) if you are caught.
Touring
This city unveils itself to a newcomer on a bicycle. Daytrips from Copenhagen are easy – and especially rewarding on two wheels. Our Sundays were often spent exploring the southern and northern coastline of Sjaelland (the island on which Copenhagen is located). Meandering in and out of small fishing villages (now primarily residences for the elite fleeing Copenhagen) we would follow the bikeways that traverse all of Denmark. The trips took us to special spots and hideaways, allowing us to escape from the hustle of the city. When the distances became too long, the wind picked up, or our bikes broke down, we would simply hop onto the train and ride home for an extra two dollars. Bikes can be transported on trains in specially marked cars that also hold baby carriages.
Socializing on bikes
If so many people are riding to work, it also means that a good percentage of people bike out after work. Not just to the park for long, lazy picnics that play on the 11 pm sunsets or to get last-minute ingredients from your local Turkish kiosk, but also for quiet rendez-vous along the lakes or to check out some great music at Etnorama (a world music venue in Copenhagen). After a while you learn to recognize all your friends’ (and friends’ friends) bikes. You leave them notes to meet for coffee or to call later. Bike racks were the best place to meet friends on the way into town. One late Copenhagen night inspires us still. Weaving back and forth through the streets on our ride home, we decided to pursue synchronized bike ballet.
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