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.

Even 

in the World's Best Cycle City there are "dangers" to be had. The Copenhagen City Council had a campaign last year to make Copenhageners aware of the dangers of riding without lights on their bikes, as well as other dangers. The photo is a screengrab from the Brug hovedet (Use Your Head) website. They chose to use a negative campaign portraying death and destruction.

When you have 37% of the population of Copenhagen commuting on bikes each day, you'd expect that a large number forget their lights. I do, usually in the autumn, after the seemingly endless summer days with light until 23:00. By winter I usually have my lights in my bag. But I live in an extremely well-lit urban landscape, so I ain't that worried.

The website [now taken offline] was in Danish, but there were 'interesting' features. Among them a map of the city showing the statistically most dangerous intersections and a game where you have to steer a bike through the city. Although you would end up dying if you lost.

Hardly a pillar of positivity. Ooh danger danger. Why not focus it a little more positive? Just think about how many metaphors for light could be used. Illuminate your mind! Cast light on your city! Any first year marketing student with a hangover could do better than this fearmongering campaign that only serves to brand cycling as dangerous.

See how they promote bicycle lights in Holland.

Cykelhjelm - cykellygter - sikkerhed 

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.
I see them everyday. Dozens and dozens of them. I don't really notice them. Until I looked at my Flickr set - Copenhagenize - and realised I have been having a discreet love affair with them.
The bike symbols on the asphalt of Copenhagen. [okay one of them is from Tokyo... :-)]