'Load On, Load Off' sounds like something Mr Miyagi would instruct Daniel to do in The Karate Kid. In this case it is the new loading areas along the street Nørrebrogade. The one that is now in the process of being transformed to a more liveable space, closed off to cars and with bus zones and wider bike lanes. We posted about the bus zones with their cool, graphic red dots.

Since there is no stopping for vehicles along certain stretches, there are loading areas established on side streets for trucks who are delivering goods to shops. Again, cool and untraditional graphic design is in play.

The signage is so new you can still see the chalk marks. I think it looks smashing.

Thank you, Mr Bondam.

2006 Quality of Life Survey [second number is last year's ranking]

1 1 ZURICH
2 2 GENEVA
3 3 VANCOUVER
4 3 VIENNA
5 8 AUCKLAND
6 5 DUSSELDORF
7 6 FRANKFURT
8 7 MUNICH
9 9 BERN
9 9 SYDNEY
11 11 COPENHAGEN
12 14 WELLINGTON
13 12 AMSTERDAM
14 13 BRUSSELS
15 16 TORONTO
16 16 BERLIN
17 14 MELBOURNE
18 18 LUXEMBOURG
18 21 OTTAWA
20 19 STOCKHOLM
21 20 PERTH
22 22 MONTREAL
23 22 NURNBERG
24 22 DUBLIN
25 25 CALGARY
26 25 HAMBURG
27 25 HONOLULU
28 28 SAN FRANCISCO

2006 Quality of Life Survey [second number is last year's ranking]

1 1 ZURICH
2 2 GENEVA
3 3 VANCOUVER
4 3 VIENNA
5 8 AUCKLAND
6 5 DUSSELDORF
7 6 FRANKFURT
8 7 MUNICH
9 9 BERN
9 9 SYDNEY
11 11 COPENHAGEN
12 14 WELLINGTON
13 12 AMSTERDAM
14 13 BRUSSELS
15 16 TORONTO
16 16 BERLIN
17 14 MELBOURNE
18 18 LUXEMBOURG
18 21 OTTAWA
20 19 STOCKHOLM
21 20 PERTH
22 22 MONTREAL
23 22 NURNBERG
24 22 DUBLIN
25 25 CALGARY
26 25 HAMBURG
27 25 HONOLULU
28 28 SAN FRANCISCO

Track, originally uploaded by Quod Libertarius [Zakka].

Rare winter snowfall along the harbour in Copenhagen today.

Accelerate, originally uploaded by Quod Libertarius [Zakka].

Another classic Copenhagen bike shot.

CycleChic - Blær, originally uploaded by Quod Libertarius [Zakka].

I was invited to allow my photos to spread gracefully across a Copenhagen magazine - KBH. Here's the spread.

Desk, originally uploaded by Verisimilitude [Zakka].

I read today that 25% of Danes choose to work from home 'often' or 'occasionally'. This a record in the EU where the average among other countries is only 13%.

Many workplaces encourage it and most of my colleagues have one day a week where they work from home. It's great and it helps reduce stress.

Red.Shoe., originally uploaded by [Zakka] - putting the Z back in akka.

Springtime fashion on the streets of Copenhagen.

Smile, originally uploaded by Quod Libertarius [Zakka].

She couldn't continue on because of the police line blocking the street so she turned around and, as she rode into my shot, she smiled.

The "Ungdomshus" - "Youth House" in Copenhagen was raided by police this morning, March 1, 2007. It went peacefully but during the day and evening street battles have been taking place.
It's a long story but more can be read here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ungdomshuset

Bike Seat, originally uploaded by [Zakka DK].

The annual Mercer Human Resources list of the best cities to live in is out. The Quality of Living rating.
Copenhagen has retained her 11th place. Following after Zurich, Geneve, Vancouver, Vienna, Auckland, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Bern and Sydney.
Interestingly, the first US city to pop up is Honolulu at number 27.

Our bike culture has come a long way over the past century and a bit. Back in the day, in the late 1800's, riding bikes was not considered cool. Cyclists were spit on and heckled [kind of like riding in American cities in 2007...] because cycling was viewed as a disturbance.

Indeed, cycling in some Danish cities was illegal. The town of Slagelse, for example, first legalised cycling in 1885.

Since then, however, we've gone from strength to strength, creating one of the world's leading bike nations and the world's foremost bike city - Copenhagen.

Above: The train station in Odense, Denmark in the 1940's.
Note the bike racks on the right.
The same as these ones in a Copenhagen backyard.

Above: Manned bike parking in Odense, Denmark during WW2.
An association that battled unemployment set up safe bike parking facilities so you could leave you bike behind for a cheap price - 25 øre - and not worry about your tyres getting stolen. Rubber was rationed.

Another manned bike parking area in Odense, Denmark in September 1952.
You paid the man in the little wooden shed.

When it comes to quality of life, Copenhagen is pretty hard to beat. In fact, only Munich does better in Monocle magazine's recently published survey of the world's most liveable cities.

To sum up the spirit of the Danish capital, Monocle writer Stuart Husband quotes the advertising slogan "there's something modern in the state of Denmark", which in his view "encapsulates Copenhagen's current mood of creative maelstrom and youthful dynamism rather adroitly". Contributing to this sense of dynamic modernity is the new wave of architects, designers and chefs - combined with "some joined-up thinking by city officials" - which has seen Copenhagen reborn with "a bullish mood".

Monocle lists a number of 'metrics' that contribute to Copenhagen's high placing. They include public transport, the extension at the city's airport, the freshly-minted statement buildings lining the harbour, a well developed bicycle network, the café culture, the neither harried nor sleepy pace and design and creativity."

Monocle's Top Ten liveable cities
1. Munich
2. Copenhagen
3. Zürich
4. Tokyo
5. Vienna
6. Helsinki
7. Sydney
8. Stockholm
9. Honolulu
10. Madrid

[From VisitCopenhagen Press Centre]

Bikeshop Rainbow, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Anyone who has seen my Flickr photostream or my blogs may have gathered that we have a lot of bikes and pure bicycle culture in Denmark... :-)

Here are some colourful models on sale outside a bikeshop. We call these models "Grandma bikes", for ladies.

Oddly it's taken a century for bike manufacturers to start producing bikes in colours other than black or brown. Nice to see more colours on the streets. You get that old school cool feeling with the pleasure of riding a spanking new bike.

Sunrise Movement in Concerto, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

The Copenhagen City Council produces a Bike Audit every couple of years in order to track bicycle usage in the city and plan more bike lanes and other infrastructure.

When they compare the 2006 Audit [Cykelregnskab 2006] with the one from 2004 it shows that the average amount of kilometres the average Copenhagener rides is unchanged. 1.2 million km each day.

Around 50% of cyclists ride up to 50 km each week. Then there is a group of 15% who ride more than 100 km each week.

The numbers for cyclists who ride up to 30 km each week show some interesting results:

34% ride up to 30 km a week to work.
68% ride up to 30 km a week on non-work related errands.
17% ride up to 30 km a week for recreation.

The latter means that 73% use their bikes for non-recreative usage. It is a means of transport, first and foremost, and not a conscious fitness-related vechicle.

That cycling is a good form of exercise, however, is the most important reason for riding for 19% of Copenhageners.

Another 38% mention excercise as one of the reasons.
In comparison, 51% of people say they ride because it is easiest and 45% say they ride because it is fastest.

In 2006, 36% of Copenhageners rode to work. The goal in the City's Cycle Policy is that 50% of the citizens will ride to work and educational institutions. The goal was previously 40% but has now been raised.

The City cites that improved infrastructure, including better controlled bike parking facilities are necessary if the magic 50% goal is to be reached.

Source: Copenhagen City Council's Cykelregnskab 2006

My Town, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness] View of City Hall Square from the City Hall Tower. The blue pavement are bike lanes.

Bike 1, originally uploaded by Annelogue.

This is a photo from another Copenhagen Flickrite - Annelogue.

For some reason, out of the blue (or red?) I remembered this shot yesterday - from ages and ages ago. I scoured my Favourites and was thrilled to find it again.

It's just as I remember it. A beautiful shot but all the more beautiful because it is completely scented with Copenhageniciousness. Be sure to click on the photo to see it it's full size - I don't know why photos appear like this when I blog them.

When you live in a country so completely saturated with bike culture it is often fun to see the details. Once your bike infrastructure is in place, it's time to get creative. Bike racks are, in many ways, merely functional devices for making a bike stand up while you're not on it. Kickstands are standard gear, of course, but when you have - in Copenhagen anyway - 36% of the population commuting by bike each day, you need solid racks to put the bikes in. In the hope - often vain - of maintaining order on the streets.

At busy train stations you'll often find double-decker bike parking. Obviously the lower level is first to be filled up but it's no difficult task to hoist your bike up to the next level.

Bike racks can be aesthetically-pleasing to the eye. Here the Danish tradition for cool, functional design comes into play.

A long line of bike racks outside a college. Just hang your handlebars on the hook and off you go.

In a narrow and ancient backyard, this is a creative space management solution. And no wet seats if it rains.

No wet seats if it rains here, either. Quaint little roofs cover the seat.

An elegant and functional little bike rack at the beach. It's winter and the rack eagerly awaits the summer hordes.

Even in a well-established bike culture there will be chaos. The sign reads: "Bicycle parking prohibited". :-)

The first step towards Copenhagenizing a city is, of course, investment in bike infrastructure. Trying to encourage people to ride their bikes but not providing them with the necessary infrastructure serves little purpose, in my eyes.

In countries that have yet to develop a bike culture the cyclists on the roads are primarily lycra-clad males from an inaccessible sub-culture. I'm sure there are people out there for whom this is a fetish, but for car drivers who harbour thoughts about riding their bikes to work or school it is a stumbling block. In their eyes riding their bike means having to integrate into a closed sub-culture of hard-core bike 'enthusiasts'. In the process they see that they will have to invest in 'fancy' gear and 'cool' bikes. Their old three speed city bike won't suffice.

In order to encourage more people to ride it is essential to make it look easy. You don't need lycra. You don't need fancy shoes, shorts, bikes. You only need two hands, two feet and two wheels.

Just look to the Danes and the Dutch or any other Northern European country for inspiration. You don't HAVE to look like the Lycra Boys. You have clothes in your closet. Wear them. Get sweaty easy? Ride slower.

This cool cat would surely look ridiculous in the lycra outfits you see on the streets of North American cities.

No need to look like a sports freak on your way to work.

Copenhageners in their natural environment and their natural clothes.

Copenhagenize Your City
Originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness]

Danish Bicycle Culture, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Fashionable Dane - complete with red boots - boarding the Intercity train to Copenhagen.
On local and regional trains you don't have to lift your bike up stairs, you just roll them on and place them in the bike racks on board. But this is the fast intercity train. Built for speed.

Here's a cool article about Danish [and Dutch] bike culture:

Building a Better Bike Lane
Bike-friendly cities in Europe are launching a new attack on car culture. Can the U.S. catch up?

By NANCY KEATES
COPENHAGEN — No one wears bike helmets here. They’re afraid they’ll mess up their hair. “I have a big head and I would look silly,” Mayor Klaus Bondam says.

People bike while pregnant, carrying two cups of coffee, smoking, eating bananas. At the airport, there are parking spaces for bikes. In the emergency room at Frederiksberg Hospital on weekends, half the biking accidents are from people riding drunk. Doctors say the drunk riders tend to run into poles. Flat, compact and temperate, the Netherlands and Denmark have long been havens for bikers. In Amsterdam, 40% of commuters get to work by bike. In Copenhagen, more than a third of workers pedal to their offices. But as concern about global warming intensifies — the European Union is already under emissions caps and tougher restrictions are expected — the two cities are leading a fresh assault on car culture. A major thrust is a host of aggressive new measures designed to shift bike commuting into higher gear, including increased prison time for bike thieves and the construction of new parking facilities that can hold up to 10,000 bikes.

The rest of Europe is paying close attention. Officials from London, Munich and Zurich (plus a handful from the U.S.) have visited Amsterdam’s transportation department for advice on developing bicycle-friendly infrastructure and policies. Norway aims to raise bicycle traffic to at least 8% of all travel by 2015 — double its current level — while Sweden hopes to move from 12% to 16% by 2010. This summer, Paris will put thousands of low-cost rental bikes throughout the city to cut traffic, reduce pollution and improve parking.

The city of Copenhagen plans to double its spending on biking infrastructure over the next three years, and Denmark is about to unveil a plan to increase spending on bike lanes on 2,000 kilometers, or 1,240 miles, of roads. Amsterdam is undertaking an ambitious capital-improvement program that includes building a 10,000-bike parking garage at the main train station — construction is expected to start by the end of next year. The city is also trying to boost public transportation usage, and plans to soon enforce stricter car-parking fines and increase parking fees to discourage people from driving.

Worried that immigrants might push car use up, both cities have started training programs to teach non-natives how to ride bikes and are stepping up bike training of children in schools. There are bike-only bridges under consideration and efforts to make intersections more rider-friendly by putting in special mirrors.

The policy goal is to have bicycle trips replace many short car trips, which account for 6% of total emissions from cars, according to a document adopted last month by the European Economic and Social Committee, an organization of transportation ministers from EU member countries. Another report published this year by the Dutch Cyclists’ Association found that if all trips shorter than 7.5 kilometers in the Netherlands currently made by car were by bicycle, the country would reduce its carbon-dioxide emissions by 2.4 million tons. That’s about one-eighth of the amount of emissions it would need to reduce to meet the Kyoto Protocol.

Officials from some American cities have made pilgrimages to Amsterdam. But in the U.S., bike commuters face more challenges, including strong opposition from some small businesses, car owners and parking-garage owners to any proposals to remove parking, shrink driving lanes or reduce speed limits. Some argue that limiting car usage would hurt business. “We haven’t made the tough decisions yet,” says Sam Adams, city commissioner of Portland, Ore., who visited Amsterdam in 2005. There has been some movement. Last month, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a proposal to add a congestion charge on cars and increase the number of bicycle paths in the city. It would also require commercial buildings to have indoor parking facilities for bikes.

Even in Amsterdam, not everyone is pro-biking. Higher-end shops have already moved out of the city center because of measures to decrease car traffic, says Geert-Pieter Wagenmakers, an adviser to Amsterdam’s Chamber of Commerce, and now shops in the outer ring of the city are vulnerable. Bikes parked all over the sidewalk are bad for business, he adds.

Still, the new measures in Amsterdam and Copenhagen add to an infrastructure that has already made biking an integral part of life. People haul groceries in saddle bags or on handlebars and tote their children in multiple bike seats. Companies have indoor bike parking, changing rooms and on-site bikes for employees to take to meetings. Subways have bike cars and ramps next to the stairs.

Riding a bike for some has more cachet than driving a Porsche. Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende sometimes rides to work, as do lawyers, CEOs (Lars Rebien Sorensen, chief executive of Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, is famous for his on-bike persona) and members of parliament, often with empty children’s seats in back. Dutch Prince Maurits van Oranje is often seen riding around town. “It’s a good way to keep in touch with people on the streets,” says Tjeerd Herrema, deputy mayor of Amsterdam. Mr. Herrema’s car and driver still make the trip sometimes — to chauffeur his bag when he has too much work to carry.
Jolanda Engelhamp let her husband keep her car when they split up a few years ago because it was becoming too expensive to park. Now the 47-year-old takes her second-grade son to school on the back of her bike. (It’s a half-hour ride from home.) Outside the school in Amsterdam, harried moms drop off children, checking backpacks and coats; men in suits pull up, with children’s seats in back, steering while talking on their cellphones. It’s a typical drop-off scene, only without cars.

For Khilma van der Klugt, a 38-year-old bookkeeper, biking is more about health and convenience than concern for the environment. Her two older children ride their own bikes on the 25-minute commute to school while she ferries the four-year-old twins in a big box attached to the front of her bike. Biking gives her children exercise and fresh air in the morning, which helps them concentrate, she says. “It gets all their energy out.” She owns a car, but she only uses it when the weather is really bad or she’s feeling especially lazy.

Caroline Vonk, a 38-year-old government official, leaves home by bike at 8 a.m. and drops off her two children at a day-care center. By 8:15, she’s on her way to work, stopping to drop clothes at the dry cleaner or to buy some rolls for lunch. On the way home, she makes a quick stop at a shop, picks up the children and is home by 5:55. “It is a pleasant way to clear my head,” she says.

Teaching Newcomers

The programs for non-natives target those who view biking as a lower form of transportation than cars. “If they don’t start cycling it will hurt,” says Marjolein de Lange, who heads Amsterdam’s pro-bicycle union Fietsersbond and has worked with local councils to set up classes for immigrant women.
Bikes at the Amsterdam train station. Construction there begins soon on a 10,000-bike garage.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, 23 women — many in head-scarves — gathered at a recreational center north of Amsterdam to follow seven Fietsersbond volunteers to learn to navigate through traffic. The three-hour event cost €3 (about $4) and included practice weaving in and out of orange cones and over blocks of wood. It ended with all of the women gathering in a park for cake and lemonade.

Though she faltered at times, Rosie Soemer, a 36-year-old mother of two who came to the Netherlands from Suriname, was sold. “It is so much easier to go everywhere by bike,” she says. Learning to ride was her husband’s idea: He bought her a bicycle for her birthday a few months earlier and has been spending his lunch hour teaching her in a park. “It helps me if she can get around better,” says her husband, Sam Soemer. “And it’s safer than a car.”

Amsterdam and Copenhagen are generally safer for bikers than the U.S. because high car taxes and gasoline prices tend to keep sport-utility vehicles off the road. In Denmark, the tax for buying a new car is as high as 180%. Drivers must be over 18 to get a license, and the tests are so hard that most people fail the first few times. Both cities have worked to train truck drivers to look out for bikers when they turn right at intersections, and changed mirrors on vehicles and at traffic corners so they’re positioned for viewing cyclists.

As bike lanes become more crowded, new measures have been added to address bike safety. A recent survey found that people in Denmark felt less safe biking, though the risk of getting killed in a bike accident there has fallen by almost half. (The number of bicyclists killed fell to 31 in 2006 from 53 in 2004, and the number seriously injured dropped to 567 from 726 in that period.) According to one emergency room’s statistics, the primary reason for accidents is people being hit by car doors opening; second is cars making right-hand turns and hitting bikers at intersections; third is bike-on-bike crashes. Bike-riding police officers now routinely fine cyclists in Amsterdam who don’t have lights at night.

Parking for 10,000

Amsterdam is also working to improve the lack of parking. The city built five bike-parking garages over the past five years and plans a new one every year, including one with 10,000 spaces at the central railroad station. (While there’s room for 2,000 bikes now, there are often close to 4,000 bikes there.) But even garages aren’t enough. Bikers usually want to park right outside wherever they’re going — they don’t like parking and walking.

Combating theft is an important plank in developing a bike-friendly culture. In 2003, the city created the Amsterdam Bicycle Recovery Center, a large warehouse where illegally parked bikes are taken. (Its acronym in Dutch is AFAC.) Every bike that goes through AFAC is first checked against a list of stolen bikes. After three months, unclaimed models are registered, engraved with a serial number and sold to a second-hand shop. At any one time, the center has about 6,000 bikes neatly arranged by day of confiscation, out of an estimated total of 600,000 bikes in the city.

How AFAC will encourage bike riding in Amsterdam is a somewhat perverse logic, because it means some 200 bikes are confiscated by city officials a day compared to a handful before it existed. The thinking is that the more bikes that are confiscated, the more bikes can be registered and the better the government can trace stolen bikes. The less nervous people are that their bikes will be stolen, the more likely they are to ride. “Is your bike gone? Check AFAC first,” is the center’s slogan.

Remco Keyzer did just that on a recent Monday morning. The music teacher had parked his bike outside the central station before heading to a class and returned to find it gone. “I can be mad, but that really wouldn’t help me,” he says. Sometimes people ride away without paying the required fee. Bruno Brand, who helps people find their bikes at AFAC, says people get mad, but he explains it is the local police, not him, who confiscated the bike.

Within the past four years, the city increased the fine for buying or selling a bike in the street. Punishment for stealing a bike is now up to three months in jail.

Danish and Dutch officials say their countries might have been more congested if protests in the 1970s and 1980s had not sparked the impetus for building bicycle-lane networks. The arguments for more biking were mostly about health and congestion — only in the past year has the environment started to be a factor. Proponents of better infrastructure point to China as an example: In Beijing, where the economy has boomed, 30.3% of people commuted to work on bikes in 2005, down 8.2% from 2000, according to a survey by the Beijing Transportation Development Research Center and Beijing Municipal Committee of Communication.

Now, the Dansk Cyklist Forbund, the Danish Cyclist’s Federation, says that to make progress it can’t be too confrontational and must recognize that many bikers also have cars. “Our goal is the right means of transportation for the right trips,” says director Jens Loft Rasmussen.

In comparison, the rules of the American road can take some adjustment, as Cheryl AndristPlourde has found when she visits her parents in Columbus, Ohio. Last summer, the Amsterdam resident enrolled her 8-year-old daughter in a camp close to her parents’ house. The plan was for her daughter, who biked to school every day back home, to walk to camp. But her daughter whined about the 10-minute walk — all the other kids drove, she said — and the streets were too busy for her to bike. By the third day, Ms. AndristPlourde was driving her daughter to the camp.

Mum, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

I assume she had just dropped her kid off at day care and was heading to work. Many parents have these trailer bikes. The kid learns balance and can help pedal, or they can just relax.

Most Danish kids learn to ride bikes earlier than in other countries. My son was scooting along the bike lanes, with me right behind, when he was 3 and half with training wheels. Just after he turned four, he learned to ride and we took the training wheels off.

The Danish Traffic Safety Board doesn't recommend that kids under seven ride unaccompanied on the bike lanes.

FRB Hospital Bike, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

This design of bike have been the workhorses of Copenhagen for decades. This one was spotted at Frederiksberg Hospital. It's used, I believe, for delivering internal post around the large complex.

Beans, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

While this might look odd to some, it's just another day on the bike lanes of Copenhagen.

The man's bean bag had to get home somehow.

Flower Box, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

There are just as many ways to personalise your bike as there are Copenhageners to do it.
Many Copenhagen women adorn their bike baskets with flowers. Some real, most plastic. But lovely all the same.

Cycling Weather, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

This is from one of the national newspapers here in Denmark. A daily forecast for Cycling Weather, including wind strength and direction and a reminder for when it is mandatory for turning on your bike lights.
Commuting by bike is serious business in Denmark.

Zoo Bikes, originally uploaded by Zakkalicousness.

The Royal Danish Post, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

The Royal Danish Post has, not surprisingly, a massive fleet of custom-designed bikes. Sturdy and practical, complete with heavy-duty kickstands under the front carrier (on wheels so you just have to hop on and ride and they pop up again - saving time) and a water bottle holder.

I was a postman on Saturdays for a period a few years back. The bikes are surprisingly easy to ride, even with a full load. Some of the routes in the city centre use Christiania bikes with even more cargo space.

The postal carrier on the right could easily slide ride into the theme over at Copenhagen Cycle Chic

A Suggestion, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Among cyclists in Copenhagen hand signals are not excercised with buckled elbows and stiff fingers, but rather mere suggestion: if somebody wants to stop or turn right they merely raise a vague, crooked finger and the whole mass of cyclists veer out of the way.

Cool Long John, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

A very old school bike, which we call a Long John. My dad rode one back in the 40's when he was working as a delivery boy. Goods are placed in the rack in the middle of the frame.

I have no idea what the grey rack thing is that the guy in the photo built. Just another unique bike on the bike lanes of Copenhagen.

Family Bike, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

You have to admit that Copenhageners are creative when it comes to their bikes. This is one of the more creative doubling versions I've seen. Mother and son heading home in the afternoon.

Ahead is a bridge, though, and I'm sure he'll hop off for the climb.

Copenhagen Bikeness, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

If you think this is busy, you're wrong. This particular stretch of bike lane gets over 35,000 bikes between 06:00 and 24:00 every weekday.

Often at this intersection you get a hundred or so bikes waiting for the light. So many that the light turns red before you get a chance to continue on.

Bike Lane, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Rush hour heading home in the afternoon.
A fine example of the average bike lane in Copenhagen.
2.2 metres wide on average.
Increasing to 2.5 metres on average over the next ten years.

Click, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Wheel lock.
In Denmark, your bike MUST have a wheel lock if you want insurance money when it's stolen.
Lock it with as many locks as you like, as long as you have a wheel lock.

What's great is that it's quick, easy, efficient and functional. Danish Design in a nutshell.

Rest Assured, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Take heart. If you leave your bike somewhere and never return to find it, nature will claim it as it's own.

Personalised Bikeness, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

When you ride as much as Copenhageners do, it is often necessary to personalise your bike. Many women, of all ages, decorate their baskets with flowers.

If you're going to ride 1000 km a year - the average for Danes - you might as well make your bike your own.

Bike and Fashion Match, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Once again, a public service announcment:
Whilst riding about in Copenhagen, please try to match your bike with your clothes, or vice versa, wherever possible.
Thank you.

The bike in the photo is one of many Danish cargo bikes brands. In this case, a Christiania bike. Popular around Scandinavia and Northern Europe.

Lately I'm often reading on blogs about Bakfiets - the Dutch cargo bike - because they have recently gotten a foothold in America. Indeed, it seems that most of the Americans who write about them seem to think that Bakfiets is the only cargo bike in the world, merely because it's the first cargo bike they've seen and they have no history of cargo bikes.

While the Dutch have a long history of bike design - with some cool makes - and are the only real rivals to the Danish bike design tradition, it is only fair to provide a broader perspective regarding the cargo bike market in Europe.

This post from Streetsblog has some good photos of Danish cargo bikes in Copenhagen, as does this post of our own.

If I had to choose a cargo bike it would have to be the Nihola. Award-winning design, roomy and lightweight. For me, it's the best option for cargo biking in the World's Best Cycling City.

Copencycle, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

And it wasn't even rush hour on the bike paths.

This stretch is one of the busiest in the city. Over 20,000 cyclists every day.

shadowbike, originally uploaded by Voetmann.

In a recent poll of Copenhageners, a large majority stated Bike Parking as the main area of improvement for our bike culture in the city.

It's true enough. It's always tough to find parking at the main train stations and squares.

The city council is on it, or so they say. But first they have plastered the city with posters promoting their vision for branding Copenhagen as the world's greatest cycle city.

The photo is from a mate on Flickr, Voetmann. A beautiful shot of a late afternoon bike rack.

Pedersen, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

A beautiful Pedersen bike. This famous bike by Mikael Pedersen was designed in 1894 and, after decades of success, faded away until 1978 when the blueprints were used to build modern versions.

Wonderful to ride on, sitting high and proud on the strap. Perfect for city riding.

More here:

www.pedersenbicycles.com/history.htm

A Number of Urban Things, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

A view from above of a bike lane in the city centre. Whenever the bike lane - in the city centre - crosses an intersection or a car lane, this lovely blue colour makes everyone involved aware that bikes are present.

Cars wishing to turn into the turn lane in the photo above must wait for any bikes to pass before doing so.

The little bike symbol at the bottom of the photo is for bikes turning right. The wide blue lane is for bikes who are heading straight. The intersection is maybe 20 metres to the right out of shot.

Busses, too, get great priority, as you can see from the clearly marked bus lane at the top.

On the Way to Football, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Looks like someone borrowed their mum's bike to go to football.

I love bikes. I love football. Ergo I love this shot.

Those Bobike children's seats are only geared to handle 20 kg but what the hell... it looks fun.

http://www.bobike.nl/

Teapot Bike Bell, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

When you live in a true bike culture, you don't give a damn about the latest gear with names like "Trail Ripper X2000" or "Aerodynamic Graphite Nuclear Toe Clips" or "Lyrcamatic Bike Shorts from NASA".

Au contraire. You opt for bike bells shaped like teapots and stylish hand grips. Bike bells are required on bikes in Copenhagen according to the traffic laws, so why not personalise them.

Shadow Check, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Once in awhile it's a good idea to check to see if your shadow is, in fact, keeping up with you in this fast-paced world.

This is taken on the new pedestrian/bicycle bridge over the harbour in Copenhagen. A brilliant initiatve, building a new bridge only for self-propelled people.

On the left of the white barrier is the pedestrian path and here, in the photo, is the two lane bike path.

Wheel Lock, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Old school wheel lock on a bike in my backyard.
All Danish bikes have to have wheellocks for insurance purposes, but these days we use keys.

This one is a combination lock, which requires you to remember which metal buttons have to be pushed in.

The modern versions:

"Towards a new culture for urban mobility” is the title of the European Commission's new Green Paper on urban transport. It was adopted on 25 September 2007 and opens a debate on the key issues of urban mobility: free-flowing and greener towns and cities, smarter urban mobility and an urban transport which is accessible, safe and secure for all European citizens.

With this Green Paper the Commission wants to set a new European agenda for urban mobility, while respecting the responsibilities of local, regional and national authorities in this field. The Commission intends to facilitate the search for solutions by, for example, sharing best practices and optimising financial means.

A Little Bit of Busy Bike Lane, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Not a busy street but still populated by bike commuters early in the Copenhagen morning.

This bike lane is nice and wide - a bit wider than the 2.2 average in the city. Mostly because a number of bikes turn right here.

I was sent this link from an article and accompanying reader posts from the Edinburgh Evening News website.

A flock of militant whiners if ever there was one. Car drivers hating bikes, bikers hating cars and so little civilised coexistence and tolerance. It's a scary read, but inspirational for those who seek to increase bike usage, if you look at it the right way.

Kindergarten, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

One of the many brands of Danish-made cargo bikes in use in Copenhagen. A Christiania bike, this one owned by a kindergarten and used to ride the kids around to visit museums, theatre or parks and playgrounds while their parents are at work.

There was another child care worker on an identical Christiania bike five metres behind this one.

I read so much about a Dutch company - Bakfiets - on American bike blogs. Merely because they recently started a comprehensive export to that country. It makes me smile, knowing how many dozens of cargo bike brands there are in Northern Europe, and the American market think that Bakfiets (which is probably a decent brand) are the only ones in existence.

Here are some other brands of cargo bikes that we have posted about previously.

Nihola, the award-winning cargo bike and my personal favourite, also does a kindergarten version the Nihola Big - with room for "six kids and a crate of beer" as the company jests on it's website...

And yes, Nihola deliver worldwide.

Bike Light Selection, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

The local supermarket had a sale on funky bike lights. For kids and adults. Giving you the chance to personalise your bike even more. Each package has a red and a white light.

Despite the kitsch nature of this selection, they all adhere to the very strict bike light laws in Denmark.

These kind of lights are held onto your handlebars with an elastic string. Easy to pop on and off and to carry in your pocket.

Me, I prefer these ones...

Slow Day on the Bike Lanes, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

A busy stretch of Copenstreet during a quiet bike lane moment.

This stretch will experience upwards of 10,000 - 15,000 daily cyclists.

Couple Bike, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

A classic Christiania bike - the famous Danish cargo bike.

A legend in it's own time.

www.christianiabikes.com/

Personalised Chain Guard, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Another fine example of how Copenhageners personalise their faithful bikes. A groovy, home-made wallpaper job on an otherwise boring chain guard.

It's your bike. You own it. Make your own.

Fang cyklisten, originally uploaded by Kristoffer & Laura.

A new campaign in the city of Frederiksberg, Denmark, reminding car drivers to watch out for bikes when they open their car doors.

The slogan:
"Catch the Cyclist... with your eyes, not your door."

Over half a million daily bike commuters and I suppose some get caught by doors. Never seen it happen, never had it happen to me, but still it's good with these campaigns.

The good thing is that car drivers in Copenhagen are cyclists, too, so there is generally a good, healthy symbiosis between bikes and cars.

Thanks to Kristoffer & Laura on Flickr.com for this great photo.

Green Wave, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

I've been looking forward to seeing this pictogram painted on the bike lanes.

Copenhagen has, on certain stretches of bike lanes featuring heavy traffic (30,000 + bikes per day), started coordinating the traffic lights to give cyclists a 'green wave' all the way along the route.

This means that if you ride 20 km per hour you'll hit green lights the whole way.

Some people have bike speedometers, but most can adjust their speed without electronic interferance and enjoy an uninterupted ride to and from work.

Piste, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Our good friends down in Nice, Provence, have invested heavily in bike lanes along their famous promenade. In addition they are splashing out on a tram system (like Berlin) and dedicated bus lanes all over the shop.

Well done. And a nice green colour, too. I prefer the blue colour of the bike lanes on the streets of Copenhagen, but this green is a lovely contrast to the blue Mediterranean.

Trois Couleurs: Vélo, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Sometimes I see things on the street that just plain excite me so much that I literally fumble when I get the camera out of my pocket.

Fragments of urban life. Moments of clarity. Pretty colours.

Here we have a classic Copenhagen bike against a classic Danish yellow colour used on buildings. Couldn't be better.

Flock Animals in Transit, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

In concerto they ride, stopping and starting as the choreographer intended.

A small crowd of cyclists - a rehearsal perhaps.

During rush hour many more bikes will jockey for position on that broad bike lane. 20,000 cyclists each day on this stretch.