Copenhagenize.com - The Copenhagen Bike Culture Blog

City Stickers

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:48:00 +0000

The City of Copenhagen is testing out some new street stickers to be stuck on the bike lanes. They have tried them out before, as posted here, and these stickers with the city's bike department logo will be used to further brand Copenhagen as a cycle city in the hearts and minds of Copenhageners.

Before you ask, no, they're not slippery. They wouldn't put them on bike lanes if they were slippery. This sticker is in the parking lot behind the Transport Dept's offices and it is being tested to see how long it lasts and how it holds up under bike wheels. The employees ride over it each day, skid on it, you name it.

All very cool. It's important for Copenhageners to 'be the brand'. Most don't even think about the fact that they live in a 'bicycle culture'. It'll be great to get more people aware of it and proud of it. It'll help encourage more cycling and it can all be done without doing things that wrongfully brand cycling as 'dangerous'.

Bicycle Botanics

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:46:00 +0000

A bouquet of spokes. As seen at Baisikeli.

Not to worry. If you forget your bike, nature will reclaim it as her own.

David Suzuki Got Copenhagenized

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:05:00 +0000

It's not every day you get a legendary environmentalist with a rock star status visiting town, but last week Copenhagenize/Copenhagen Cycle Chic were quite pleased to have hosted David Suzuki, his daughter Sarika and a film crew from the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. [CBC].

David Suzuki, 72, hosts Canada's longest running documentary programme The Nature of Things. He is in Europe filming an hour-long programme on sustainability in Europe and Copenhagen's bike culture will feature prominently. We spent two days cycling around the city, with me leading Suzuki and his daugther, Sarika, on a tour of our bike culture. The goal of the programme, he said, is to highlight how far behind Canada is compared to European countries with regards to sustainability and to encourage Canadians to wake up and smell the renewable energy.

Suzuki is a scientist and environmentalist and if you're in Canada, Japan or Australia, you've probably heard of him. When we were down in the touristy areas, like near the Little Mermaid, Canadians and Aussies kept coming up to say hi. The man is an inspiration. He is so passionate about his work and he is constantly hungry for knowledge. It is worth having a look at the website for his David Suzuki Foundation. He was completely amazed at Copenhagen's bike culture and by all accounts he hopes to get on board the bike advocate train when he gets home. He'll be an amazing advocate for bike culture and separated bike infrastructure in Canadian cities.

Most of the filming was done on bikes, of course. We had three bikes for me, David Suzuki and Sarika Suzuki and were followed by two rickshaws carrying the camera and sound boys as well as the director. The guys from Baisikeli provided a cargo bike, as well, from which some shots were filmed. There was also a quick tour out to the IKEA store that has launched the bike and trailer concept with Velorbis bikes - as you can see in the first photo. It's amazing how many people have picked up on that story since we broke it here on Copenhagenize. Everyone speaks IKEA, I suppose.

After two days of filming in Copenhagen, the CBC crew moved on to Berlin, travelling throughout Europe by train, of course. On the last day he gave an autograph to a Canadian who lives here and wrote "I'm Copenhagenized...". We're pleased he had a good time. Look forward to the programme's premiere in, I believe, October.

David V. Goliath

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:49:00 +0000

In many ways, it's lovely to see a big network like the American CBS feature biking to work on their evening news last Thursday - 17 July 2008.

One of our readers, however, noticed that this mammoth network, in their piece about biking to work in Philadelphia, used some of my video about Cycling in Paris, which is on Youtube. They even used the music, which the artist was kind enough to let me use as a one off.

An irritating case of copyright infringement. If they had merely asked, there would have been no problem. They have a piece of their own on the Vélib bike share in Paris, so it is flattering that they thought my little modest film was better. But bloody irritating it is all the same. They even used a shot of Wifealiciousness from the video and she's none too pleased.

Here's the link to the piece on Biking to Work [couldn't embed it].

Here's the orginal:

I've contacted them regarding the issue, but if any of you are up for a bit of Five Minute Activism, here's the link to their feedback page. Select CBS Evening News on the drop down menu. Click Complaint at the top and fire off a little note to them in support of this copyright infringement.

117 Safer Intersections in Copenhagen

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 09:22:00 +0000

The City of Copenhagen announced yesterday that 117 intersections throughout the city will be altered so that the stop line for cars and trucks will be pulled back by a minimum of 5 metres.

Vechicles turning right and hitting bikes is the most common form of accident for cyclists so Copenhageners can now look forward to increased safety around the city.

Here's a photo of the main intersection next to the City Hall Square in Copenhagen, taken from the City Hall tower. Hans Christian Andersen Boulevard and Vesterbrogade.

In all haste I coloured the car lanes orange where the new stop lines would be placed. I don't know if this intersection is one of the 117 chosen and I merely guessed at the five metres distance, but it is an interesting indication of how far back the cars will stop from the zebra crossings.

There is a truck, coloured red, waiting to turn next to a wide bike lane, which is perfect for this illustration.

The idea is that all motorists, but especially truck drivers, will be able to see the cyclists who will be able to stop up by the zebra crossing.

It's a great initiative and the fact that 117 intersections will be changed really shows that the City is committed. It will take about two hours to alter one intersection, which is minimal disruption for the traffic. The budget is 3 million kroner [$300,000]. Rather inexpensive and a drop in the bucket for the annual budget of 75 million kroner for bike infrastructure in Copenhagen.

Work starts any day now.

Here's the same photo with the existing bike lanes marked in blue to give you an idea of how they fit into the picture. 30,000 + bikes pass this intersection each day so many will benefit from the new stop lines.

Here's another intersection, previously Denmark's most dangerous until the City installed Pre-green traffic lights for bikes - meaning the bike traffic lights turn green two seconds before the cars. The number of accidents involving bikes has fallen since.

Tough Cargo Bike Market

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:49:00 +0000

The Danish cargo bike market is a feisty affair. "Ladcykler", as they are called in Danish, are popular and practical. There are so many different brands all competing for the attention of city dwellers who use the bikes for transporting kids, groceries and basically everything else. Nihola, Esimex, Winther, Bellabike, Sorte Jernhest, Triobike, Christiania Bike, Long John, Short John, to name the main players.

Above is a photo of the Mercedes of cargo bikes - The Triobike - shiny and black as a mare. In the background, a rare Dutch-made Bakfiets. For some reason, Danes prefer three-wheeled cargo bikes. With the exception of the Long John, you only really see three-wheeled trikes on the bike lanes. Cornering isn't an issue since nobody is out to break land speed records in cargo bikes. The pace is relaxed and casual, so cornering is hardly an issue.

Upon closer inspection of the Bakfiets in the background, it is adorned with two hand-made signs. They both read:

"For Sale. Under half-price of the new price. 1 year old."

Now THAT is something you don't see around here. In my experience, Danish cargo bikes hold their value. You can't even get a ten-year old Christiania bike for under half-price of what they paid for it a decade ago.

I'm not expert but such a crash in value after only one year surprises me. I don't know much about these Dutch-made bikes and you rarely see them on the streets here. But I do know it's a tough market to break into what with the Danish emphasis on design and quality.

Triobike in its natural environment.

The classic Danish Long John. Over 70 years old and still going strong.

Newspaper Bicycles

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:58:00 +0000

I haven't seen these before this summer. Bicycles selling newspapers to tourists. By and large it's foreign papers and both photos were taken near Nyhavn [New Harbour], which is the picture postcardy Copenhagen area.

For some strange reason the parasol in the first photo is from a Swedish paper and the one on the bottom is from a Norwegian paper. A fine little Scandinavian collaboration.

The papers were firmly in place on the racks so it looks as though once the parasol is down, it's easy to ride.

The Bike To Work Book

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:47:00 +0000

The Bike to Work Book is to be co-published in November by Quickrelease.tv of the UK and CommuteByBike.com of the US.

Reid said: "The media message 'Save gas, go by bike' is a huge opportunity for the bicycle business. But reaching bike-to-work wannabes is tough. Newbie cycle commuters don't hang out in bike places. We plan to get the Bike to Work Book in front of this new audience through an online and offline PR campaign. With gas at $5 a gallon, it's pushing on an open door, the mainstream media is now very open to the bike commute message."

The Bike to Work Book is a print title but it's also leveraging the internet to reach a larger audience than possible through traditional book publishing. The print version will be available on Amazon.com and other booksellers from mid-November but the book will also be available as a paid-for rich-media e-book and there will be a free, cut-down version of the book available as a PDF, sent via iTunes. The e-formats will be available earlier than the printed book.

The health and economic benefits of cycling are flagged on the book's back cover. Tour de France commentator Phil Liggett said: 'This book could save you $3500 a year. And you'll be lighter and stronger into the bargain.' Transport psychologist Dr Ian Walker of the University of Bath said: 'Cycling is an important life expectancy predictor. Because it becomes part of your daily routine, cycling to work helps you live longer. This book could be the most important you ever read.'

The Bike to Work Book is being promoted via a website and a podcast.

The first show was recorded on Thursday and featured Reid and Grahl talking with two of Europe's top bike bloggers. Mikael Colville-Andersen produces the Copenhagen Cycle Chic blog and Copenhagenize.com, while Mark Woudenberg produces Amsterdamize.com.

Colville-Andersen and Woudenberg have co-written a chapter in the Bike to Work Book: 'The Future is Already Here', a description of what US and UK cities can look forward to when they embrace bicycling.

"In the US cycle use is just one percent of all journeys," said Grahl. "In Denmark and the Netherlands it's at least 30 percent. It was inspiring to talk to these guys and just amazing to find out that the 30 percent figure is considered too low by Copenhagen and Amsterdam. The goal is 50 percent. I can't imagine that ever happening in the US but remember that John Burke of Trek said last year that if the number of bicycle trips in the US grew from 1 percent to just 5 percent it would result in a $6.2bn industry becoming a $31bn industry."

Them and Us

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:49:00 +0000

Two photos in the inbox. The one above is from my mate Lasse, who took this shot in Paris on a well-deserved city break. Bike rims in a Parisian trash can.

This photo is from Priya Mani, who lives in Copenhagen and works with textile design and sustainability. She blogged this photo on her blog. A photo of an Indian weaver using a bicycle wheel.

First world. Third world. Missed opportunities.

Summer House Bikes and Other Bits and Pieces

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:06:00 +0000

Three bikes came with the Swedish summer house so I figured it was time to pull them out of the shed and clean them up a bit. But not before I took these photos. I love rusty bikes and cobwebby bikes. It's amazing how the bicycle retains its aesthetic appeal whether new and shiny or old and rusty.

This Copenhagen didn't let her leg cast stop her from getting around. Beats walking.

Many stations on the outskirts of the city have loads of bike parking but they also have areas that provide locked bike parking. You get a swipe card for access. Ease of use.

We stopped at a McDonalds on the motorway home from Sweden and I snapped a photo of the bike racks. Most McDonalds have bike racks here and in Sweden. This being a motorway restaurant, the bikes are ridden by the employees.

The Buddy Bike for Filmmakers

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:53:00 +0000

My mates at Baisikeli borrowed a custom-made bike used in film shoots for possible usage in a Canadian tv-crew that Copenhagenize.com/Copenhagen Cycle Chic are hosting this week. They're doing a documentary on sustainability that includes Copenhagen. I'm trying to get them to film by bike so we'll see what they say to this Buddy Bike. It's a custom-made bike for use in the Danish film and tv industry.

One steers the bike and the and the cameraman shoots from the buddy seat, while helping to pedal. He has handlebars, too, but they don't move. They're only for resting on. There is a front rack for gear and the camera can also be placed in the middle of two handlebars for stabilisation or resting.

What a cosy ride. This bike is perfect for The Slow Bicycle Movement. We were discussing how it can be used in other ways. Among the ideas were a footbath on the front rack, a bucket of ice filled with beer, etc.

Any other good ideas for The Slow Bicycle concept? How could we use this bike for maximum slowness and cosiness?

Copenhagen Car Sharing

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:33:00 +0000

It can't be a secret any longer that I prefer to ride my bicycle here in Copenhagen. Like 70% of the population in my neighbourhood, I don't own a car simply because I don't need one. Nevertheless, there are times when a car is handy for Wifealiciousness and I, and our two kids.

Car sharing programmes are booming here and we finally signed up for one of the two main programmes available to Copenhageners - Hertz Car Share [Delebilen in Danish] - in order to get to a summer house in Sweden for a week. We're glad we did. It is great.

The best thing about it is the Ease of Use. I booked a car online from 10:00 one day. The cars are equipped with a sender/reciever and the info that Mikael was coming was sent to the car. I made my way to the parking spot - there are many around the city in convenient locations - and found the Volvo V70 station wagon. A beautiful car. I have the choice of renting many different cars; compact, medium-sized, station wagons, a mini-van or even a transport van. I can rent them for one hour or one week or anything in between.

Upon arriving at the car, I pulled out my membership card and waved it at the metal panel on the dashboard, through the windscreen. Instantly, the doors unlock.

I hopped into the car and opened the glove compartment and pulled out a terminal welcoming me to the car. The keys are locked into the terminal. I punched in my PIN code and that releases the keys. Off I went. Easy as easy can be.

After a week in Sweden, I returned the car to the same parking spot. When I pulled out the terminal again, it knew that the car was 'home' and read, "Do you wish to end your rental period? Y/N."

I punched yes and stuck the keys back in. I was given a quick rundown of how long I had rented the car and the total kilometres travelled.

I got out and waved my membership card at the metal plate and the doors locked.

A great system, especially because of the technology involved. Once the car is reserved, other members can't open the door, because the car is saving itself for Mikael, so you'll never get there to find the car gone.

We pay a monthly subscription of 150 kroner [30 dollars] [normal price is 300 kroner [60 dollars], but we get a discount for various, boring reasons]. You pay for the period of rental and you pay for each kilometre travelled. The price includes petrol, which is great seeing as how the prices are currently higher than normal. A petrol credit card for Shell stations is included in the glove compartment for your convenience.

If we need a car for a couple of hours or a weekend, it can really pay off to use this programme. For a one hour rental of a small car I'll pay 22 kroner [4 dollars] plus the kilometre price of 2.85 kroner [ca. 57 cents]. Even renting the car for a week was far, far cheaper than renting a car in the normal fashion. Not to mention not having to go to a car rental office, filling out forms and all that.

We're hooked. We live on our bikes, but we have a car when we need one. Perfect.

LINKS:
- Hertz Delebil
- Københavns Delebil

Cycle Helmets and Other Religious Symbols

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:19:00 +0000

Here in Denmark there are currently two debates going on relating to headwear. One is the muslim headscarf and the other is the bicycle helmet. The similarities between the two debates are striking and not a little unsettling. Not least because Denmark is experiencing an unfortuanate wave of helmet promotion that is putting our wonderful, advanced bike culture at risk.

The headscarf, like other religious symbols such as the christian cross or the jewish kippah, is worn because of one's faith and beliefs. The individual wears such symbols in subservience to their god and in the sub-conscious hope and belief that this symbol will somehow protect them from evil, danger or what have you.

The bicycle helmet is also worn because of a belief that this polystyrene shell will protect the wearer from percieved inherant dangers involved in cycling, including serious head injury or even death.

Bumper sticker from International Safety Union for Cyclists

As an atheist – which is really just a silly word for those of us who prefer humanism over monotheism – I'm not a big fan of religious symbols or subservience. I am, however, a big fan of science, although I am not a scientist. I merely choose to seek answers in scientific research.

Science and god will never go for a bike ride together. They are two opposite poles in the human mind. God remains a belief, stronger in some than in others. It is quite the same for bicycle helmets. Science tells us what we need to know about them, and yet people insist on sticking to their beliefs that they are wearing a polystyrene, all-powerful halo that wards off all traffic evils and will ensure a long, healthy life.

To be honest, when I walk down the street or ride by bike through town I don't notice what religious symbols my fellow citizens are wearing, whether headscarves, burkhas or a cross on a chain. My life is too short to notice. They're just fellow citizens who are an integral part of my society. The same can be said of the occasional cyclist who rides past wearing a helmet. Just a regular girl going to work or the supermarket or a nightclub. A girl who falls in love, laughs and cries, pays her taxes. All the things homo sapiens do.

These regular people are harmless and they are important cogs in the societal wheel. They don't preach their respective beliefs to others. They just do what they want to do of their own free will.

Things become rapidly different when we look at fundamentalists. Regardless of religious leaning or the name of their god. The loud, vocal and arrogant mobs who want us all to be just like them and who look down at others for not having 'seen the light'. Sad, intolerant, individuals strengthed by the volatile shoutings of clerics.

Unfortunately, the bicycling world has its own fundamentalists in the form of bicycle helmet advocates. They are loud and intolerant and they reject science with the same fervour as they embrace their beliefs.

Sticker from International Safety Union for Cyclists. A spoof site, but great all the same.

NAGGING AND BULLYING
What started this train of thought was a recent email from a Copenhagenize reader in America who lamented the fact that he experiences nagging and bullying from other members of his bike club because he refrains from wearing the symbol of their beliefs – the bicycle helmet. I've recieved many other emails in this vein.

On occasion I ride with the local cycling club (of which I'm a dues paying member) to enjoy a long ride on rural roads and some vigorous exercise not afforded by my daily errands. I have never been able to enjoy a ride without at least two people nagging or trying to bully me into wear a helmet. Sometimes shadowy "club rules" are cited, but I've found no mention of helmets in my membership application and the application contains a liability waiver in case of accident. Even if bicycle helmets were effective at preventing serious injury the behavior I encounter would be considered rude by decent people. And in fact the behavior of the other club members is polite in every other regard.

The extra insult is the rudeness is accompanied by the presumption that I am an inexperienced and ignorant cyclist who just doesn't know better. I am new to this area, but I've worked in the bicycle industry for several years and I support my family with a bicycle business that I own.

I am aware of The Helmet Wars in other countries. BikeSnobNYC attended an event in NYC in which Jan Gehl, the legendary urban planner, was speaking about Copenhagen:

Trillin was followed by Jan Gehl, the Danish architect, who described how over the past 30 years Copenhagen has been transformed into a pedestrian paradise thanks largely to bicycle-friendly city planning. Gehl was charming, despite an inordinate number of lascivious asides about how much easier it is to gawk at women while riding a bicycle. (Then again, he does live in Copenhagen). The crowd ooh-ed and ahh-ed every time Gehl displayed another slide of a happy person biking in a pristine bike lane, or every time he cited a statistic showing how many people in Copenhagen ride to work. In fact, the only time they stopped sighing longingly was when Gehl off-handedly mentioned that because Copenhagen has no helmet laws people don't need to bother wearing them. Suddenly the audience was silent and you could hear people shifting in their seats uncomfortably. Apparently even the most progressive Americans are not ready to accept the concepts of freedom of choice or personal responsibility.

I've often wondered how I would react if someone mumbled ”where's your helmet” to me on the bike lanes of my beloved Copenhagen. I may be tempted to harbour thoughts of smacking them one, but that would be frightfully un-European. It isn't necessary to be aggressive because I know that the average Copenhagener just isn't aware of the facts. It just isn't cricket to smack the uninformed.

A BIKE CULTURE UNDER FIRE
As mentioned at the beginning we are experiencing a spate of helmet promotion and we've never really had any helmet debate before, so it is understandable that the average Dane hasn't been presented with the facts. The only time we had some helmet promotion was back in the early 1990's and the number of cyclists fell sharply and drastically as a result.

I had hoped that we had learned from that regrettable mistake but then came a poster campaign from the Danish Cyclists' Union and the Danish Traffic Safety Board.

Fortunately, Denmark is, by and large, a rather secular nation. Only 7% of the population in Copenhagen go to church and the national level is 20% - most of the churchgoers live in rural areas and the church is more of a social club for the local area. Danes have a reputation for prefering to engage themselves in social activities and also for being well-informed and well-educated about their society and the world at large.

I am putting my money on this fact with regards to the bike helmet debate here. Because there has been a lack of information available to the public, Marie and I started a website called Cykelhjelm.org – in order to allow our fellow citizens to form their own opinions instead of merely being fed a handful of vague, but carefully selected stats from the public organisations seeking to create a doctrine on which the faithful can plant their new faith.

I know the vast majority of my fellow citizens will tackle the subject wisely. However, there are fundamentalists showing up on the radar. Facebook groups that preach the catch phrases they have memorized from the promotion campaign.

”It is common sense to wear a helmet!”
Common sense, in a modern society, is embracing the facts and learning about all aspects of the subject before forming an opinion.

”Strap on your helmet and avoid brain injury!”
The ability of bike helmets to protect against brain injury is questionable at best.

And so on. You know the drill. Emotional outbursts that brush science aside.

The organisations that were promoting bike helmets – Danish Cyclists' Union and The Danish Traffic Safety Board, among others - presented the public with one or two studies that 'prove' bike helmets save lives. Considering that fact that there are scores of scientific studies on the subject, choosing one, convienient study to base your claims upon is not that intelligent. Kind of like quoting 'thou shall not kill' from the bible, when the rest of the book is a cover to cover bloodbath. Such is the anatomy of propaganda.

The point of all this is that the vibrant and exciting Danish bike culture is under fire. It recovered from the destructive helmet promotion back in the early 1990's, coming back stronger than ever. Now our bike culture faces it's greatest challenge since the advent of the automobile age. Fear-mongering disguised as helmet promotion.

Safety in Numbers - respectable stats stand to fall
I am fearful that this fear-mongering helmet promotion will infest our bike culture. We already have the world's best cycling safety statistics, second only to the Netherlands, thanks to our separated bike infrastructure. A drop in cyclists, however, affects the Safety in Numbers concept, not to mention leads to increased illness due to lack of exercise. Branding a safe activity like cycling as dangerous, in a country that has enjoyed a century-long love affair with transport cycling, is going to send people into car showrooms in a flash.

More cyclists, fewer serious injuries. We used to be proud of these stats.
It's times like these that I look admiringly to our friends in the Netherlands. The official helmet wearing statistic is 0% and 5% for children. The best safety stats on the planet. Here in Denmark we are at 11% nationally. For every percentage point that rises, the number of cyclists falls. I love bike culture too much to just stand by and let that happen.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bike culture to defend.

Links:
Saints:
Cykelhjelm.org - In Danish.
The Bicycle Helmet Research Foundation
Sinners:
The Danish Traffic Safety Board [Rådet for Større Trafiksikkerhed] In Danish.
Danish Cyclists' Union. In Danish.
International Safety Union for Cyclists

Cork Cycling Arts Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:01:00 +0000

We pleased to do a bit of plugging for the upcoming Cork Cycling Arts Festival. It runs from the 21-27 July 2008 and it is great to see the city putting some resources into a festival to celebrate cycling.

If anyone gets to the festival and gets some photos, be sure to let us know.

Go Cork!

More Politics and Bikes

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:11:00 +0000

The travelling DREAMS ON WHEELS Exhibition about Danish bike culture is currently showing in Bribane, Queensland, from the 10-24 July, at the Footsteps Gallery / School of Arts. If anyone sees it there and takes photos, do let us know.

Following up on Marie's post about bikes outside the Danish Parliament - or Folketing - Velorbis have recently delivered a number of bikes to the Parliament. They are neutral bikes in that any MP or employee can use them to ride to meetings at the nearby ministries or into the city centre.

The logo is that of the Folketing and each bike is numbered, in best Velorbis corporate bike fashion.

As Marie mentioned, politicians of every colour can be seen outside the Folketing, riding their bikes to and from work.

Bike 'gear' has appeared on the political landscape a couple of times here in Denmark. An MP and minister, Jytte Hilden, caused a stir when she addressed the parliament wearing tight spandex bike shorts [generally nicknamed Mumble Shorts in the 1980's because you can see the lips moving but can't hear what they are saying]. She was mocked accordingly, as all spandex wearers outside of bike racing should be, and raised the question of what is considered apprproprate attire for addressing the Danish parliament. Didn't amount to much apart from folklore. Considering some of the clothes the ultra left-wing parties wear - goofy knitted sweaters and corny t-shirts - unattractive bike shorts are not that weird. Just silly looking.

Then there is the famous Helmetgate, as pictured above. The chap in the shot was prime minister at the time - Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. He attended a bicycle rally to protest against the French nuclear tests in the Pacific and borrowed a fellow demonstrator's bike helmet to ride with. Big mistake. He was ravaged in the media for appearing A. in a bike helmet and B. looking so bloody stupid in it.

This episode is considered by many to have been the nail in his coffin as prime minister and he and his party, the Social Democrats, were thrashed in the following election.

The youth group in the party that won the next election Venstre - published cartoons in a national paper in the election campaign that highlighted the Prime Minister's blunders, among them the Bicycle Helmetgate.

A corny bike helmet felled a prime minister.

Not something you'd see many other places. Nowadays, most politicians in the Folketing are wise enough to know that bike helmet legislation and promotion are the surest tools in effectively killing off our thriving bike culture. There was actually a spate of helmet promotion back in the early 90's and bike usage dropped sharply and alarmingly. Let's just hope we learn from that mistake here in Denmark and keep moving towards increasing bike usage insteading of killing it off.

More recently, the newly elected Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, felt it necessary to ride his bike to work, without a helmet, in order to take a stand against legislation. Boldly done, Boris.

If there ARE Danish politicians and citizens out there who need a helping hand regarding the science of bike helmets as well as learning about their limitations and their negative effect on bike culture, Marie and I recently launched a new Danish website called Cykelhjelm.org which aims to inform and inspire. It was made in defence of a bike culture that risks being weakened by potential helmet advocacy.

Jazzy Democracy

noreply@blogger.com (Velomama) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:05:00 +0000

Bikes in front of Denmark's Parliament building, Christiansborg.
A number of Danish politicians bike to work. Why shouldn't they? And why shouldn't their bikes be bright purple, silver and red?

Maybe there's something special to bikes that allows salmon shirts, sunny shoes, pink tops and black pedestrians to get along in perfect peace.

Or maybe it's just Copenhagen's yearly jazz festival that makes everyone share the streets in spite of different paces...

Glimpses of Malaysia's bike culture

noreply@blogger.com (Velomama) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:59:00 +0000

I (Marie) just spent two months in Malaysia - a predominantly motorized country. Bikes are spotted here and there - both bright 'Rock Bikes' with golden spokes and bling-bling colours and oldschool cargobikes. However, not being a Western country is no excuse not to work for a stronger bicycle culture. As this signpost says: Just do it!

Also see our post on Oriental Cycle Chic at the sister blog.

The Slow Bicycle Movement Launch

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:21:00 +0000

So... on the basis of the overwhelming positive response to what was in essence a spontaneous idea... The Slow Bicycle Movement is launched.

Herewith and henceforth, and all that, The Slow Bicycle Movement can be found here.

Come one, come all. Join the peloton. It's not moving that fast, so you can easily hop into it.

Samsø, Denmark - Carbon Neutral Island

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:05:00 +0000

Wind Park in the Haze, originally uploaded by m.prinke.

Thanks to Jack, we got wind of an great article in The New Yorker about a little Danish island called Samsø with huge environmental ambitions.

We knew about the island, of course - in Denmark, Samsø is where the best potatoes come from - and we knew about their eco-goals. But here's an article that explains it in great detail. It's a lovely island [and that's saying something when you have 450 or so of them] and the 4300 islanders decided a decade or so ago to become the world's first carbon-neutral island.

As one expects from the New Yorker, it's a cracking, detailed article. A wonderful read. Read THE ISLAND IN THE WIND - by Elizabeth Kolbert in The New Yorker

Thanks to Corey for letting us know about a CBC radio programme called Quirks and Quarks that featured a bit on Samsø. You can hear the broadcast at the website.

Nothing to do with Samsø... just a cool photo of a Copenhagener in the summer rain.

Bicycle Airbags on Cars

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:03:00 +0000

The Danes are looking at a Dutch study to see if external air bags on cars will help save lives. Since bicycle helmets are so limited in their protection and little conclusive scientific evidence exists that they save lives or prevent serious injury in collisions with other vehicles, it is possible that placement of air bags on cars can help.

Cyclists are currently using other systems for protection.
Air bags are standard features on all new cars sold in Denmark but it is only the driver and passengers inside the car who benefit from them.

The Danish Cyclists' Union [DCF] wants to change all that. The DCF wants the Traffic Safety Board to research the possibility of putting air bags on the outside of cars, between the hood and the windshield. Last year 62 pedestrians were killed in traffic and between 40-50 cyclists lose their lives on Danish roads each year.

"We should exploit all the technological possibilities that can reduce the number of cyclists and pedestrians who are killed or injured because of impact with cars", said a spokesman for the DCF.

Drawing from the Dutch study.
216 Dutch cyclists were killed in traffic in 2006 and a state sponsored study showed that the lives of 60 cyclists and pedestrians could be saved each year, including prevention of 1500 serious injuries, if air bags are installed between the hood of the car and the windshield.

Airbags on Bikes and Scooters
The chairman of the Traffic Safety Board [Færdselssikkerhedskommissionen] and member of the Parliament's traffic group, Karsten Nonbo, is ready to look at the Dutch study.

"The number of cyclists and pedestrians who lose their lives in traffic is too high. Because of that single fact is is most relevant to look at the results from the Netherlands and at what initiatives and investment can be made to bring the number down", he said.

Karsten Nonbo also mentions that it is worth looking at possibilities for constructing airbags for mounting on bicycles and scooters.

[He does a lot of promising to 'look at things'... would be nicer if he actually had his finger on the pulse as chairman of the Traffic Safety Board and had read the Dutch study when it came out.]

Karsten Nonbo yesterday.

via: DR

Weekend Bike Culture Tidbits

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:53:00 +0000

Copenhagners support each other in relationships, just like everywhere else. We just get to do it on bikes sometimes.

On Danish regional and intercity trains there are compartments for bikes, prams and wheelchairs. You can sit down if you like, but if one of the three vehicles come on board, you move to accomodate them. And, in order to help your bike stay upright, we have these lovely little seatbelty things to assist you and your bike.

Oh, and in case you're in doubt, this is one of the bike compartments on the local trains.

The Central Station in Malmö, Sweden [35 minutes by train from Copenhagen] is undergoing renovations, including building a bike parking garage. Until then, this Bicycle Island floats in the canal next door to the station to accomodate the thousands of bikes.

Another customised cargo bike on the streets of Copenhagen. This one sells fresh fruit cups by the harbour. Fruitbikes.dk.

What a splendid ride. Complete with plastic grass.

Our mate Alo in Estonia sent this photo in - thanks_! It it a converted milk carrier from just after the Second World War. Used by the farmer to transport his milk to the collecting point, during the frightfully hard times in the Soviet era. As Alo puts it, the bike helped one family survive the hard years.

In a modern perspective... am I the only one thinking 'beer keg'?

Bicycle Island Off the Copenhagen Coast - Cykeløen

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:44:00 +0000

Not to be outdone in the global race to build artifical islands, The City of Copenhagen has revealed plans to build an island in the shape of a national icon - the bicycle - off the coast of the island of Amager, south of Copenhagen.

The Bicycle Island - Cykeløen - as seen from space.
In an unveiling ceremony at the City Hall yesterday, Copenhagen and a consortium of environmental investors and architects from Denmark and Sweden launched the most comprehensive environmental project in Scandinavian history.

'Cykeløen', or The Bicycle Island, will create much needed real estate for an expanding population in the Danish capital and will become the first Danish landmark to be visible from space. The so-called COMA region, consisting of Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden is experiencing massive growth and The Bicycle Island will act as a symbol for the wealthy region. It's proximity to the Öresund Fixed Link bridge and tunnel that connects Copenhagen to Southern Sweden is important for the whole region.

The Øresund Fixed Link Bridge/Tunnel. © Mikael Colville-Andersen
While there are plans for both luxury and afforable housing with spectacular sea views for 50,000 citizens, the majority of the island will be earmarked for recreational usage and organic farming, as well as an Environmental Research Institute, which will explore and develop future intiatives.

The bicycle has long been a symbol of Danishness and now it is being used as a symbol of the sustainable, environmental goals of the city of Copenhagen, which plans on being the World's Environmental Capital by 2015. Over 36% of the population of Copenhagen ride their bicycles each day on a network of dedicated bicycle lanes and paths.

In accordance with the environmental goals set by the city, The Bicycle Island will be fully self-sustainable. All power will be generated by offshore wind turbines and all waste will be recycled. The goal is becoming the world's first carbon-neutral island.

The construction of a massive wind farm just to the east of the proposed island has already begun. The power generated will provide the power necessary to build the Bicycle Island. Plans include electric construction vechicles. © Mikael Colville-Andersen
With spectacular artificial islands under construction in Dubai in the shape of palm trees and a world map, and with the recent announcement that the Netherlands is planning construction of an artificial island shaped like that nation's symbol, the tulip, Copenhagen decided to push forward the plans.

Wind Turbines in Copenhagen Harbour. © Mikael Colville-Andersen
"The choice of a bicycle is obvious for Copenhagen. And the granny bike is a traditional design form in Danish history - it is still the most used kind of bike in the city - and in using this bike design as the shape of the island, we are combining past, present and future in one fell swoop", the press release states.

The proposed Dutch tulip island.

More detailed plans are expected to be unveiled at the COP15 - Global Climate Conference to be held in Copenhagen next year.

Bold, Brilliant Baisikeli

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:03:00 +0000

So often it's the simplest of ideas that are the most brilliant. Here's the very basic equation:

Baisikeli means 'bicycle' in Swahili and it is a dynamic, visionary Danish initiative started by Niels Bonefeld and Henrik Smedegaard Mortensen.

Henrik Smedegaard Mortensen & Niels Bonefeld from Baisikeli outside their rental shop.
Their philosophy is brilliant:

"Our philosophical starting point is social innovation: to make a difference for people and to give them the possibility of developing themselves professionally and socially. It is based on the belief that the best foreign aid is based on regular commercial market. A purely subsidized development project will make the African partners completely dependent of donations from other countries."

How it works
In Denmark when a bike gets stolen or lost, you get compensation from your insurance company. If the bike is later retrieved, the insurance company then owns the bike. Denmark has a serial number system for bikes so that every bike has a number engraved on the frame. The retrieved bikes are often scrapped. Baisikeli has an arrangement with several Danish insurance companies and they are given heaps of bikes.

There are other bike charity programmes out there. Through UNICEF you can buy a bike for the third-world as a Christmas present. There are big bike corporations that have a 'bike relief' programme as icing on their profit cake. Baisikeli, however, isn't about driving a truck into a village and dumping out a pile of bikes for the locals. It's about creating a dynamic circle

Baisikeli has set up three projects in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. The bikes are shipped to their bicycle workshops in these countries, where they are repaired by local mechanics and sold to local distributors, who in turn sell them to the local population.

Workshop in Africa fixing up Danish bikes and converting them to work bikes.

The project is geared to reverse the flow of bicycles back to the first-world from the African workshops. They are developing a Baisikeli bike that will be built in Africa and returned to Europe, where the bike rental shop, from next year, will rent out these Fair Trade bikes to tourists.

Financing the project
Simple ideas are fantastic, but making them happen quite another. Henrik and Niels have that all figured out. They take the best bikes out of the batch and rent them to tourists in Copenhagen in the peak summer months and lease them to foreign students and companies year-round. In addition, they provide bikes for participants at green conferences around the country.

A Baisikeli customer returns his bike and tells Henrik about his bike lane journey.
They work in tandem with the Københavns Genbrug Compagni - Copenhagen Recycling Company [KGC] - a workshop that takes in unemployed citizens and trains them to fix bikes, giving them a trade and a chance to get a job afterwards. The KGC fixes up the bikes for the rental shop.

The money Baisikeli makes off of renting and leasing is used to ship containers filled with Danish bikes to Africa. One third of the profit goes directly to the development project and two-thirds is invested in developing the workshops.

From next year, the Baisikeli bikes being produced in Africa will instead be used to rent out to tourists, completing the loop.

Work Bikes for Africa
In addition to the Danish bikes now rolling across the African landscape, Baisikeli helps the workshops convert bikes in much-needed work bikes for carrying cargo like water or food or firewood. As well as bikes with a stretcher to act as an ambulance.

A bike converted into a water carrying workbike in Tanzania.

An ambulance bike in Tanzania.

In addition, in the Ghana part of the project, Baisikeli provides bikes for children in outlying areas in order for them to get to school. In Sierra Leone, a workshop is located on the premises of a hospital, providing bikes for the locals and converting the bikes into various work bikes.

If you ever come to Copenhagen, you'll need a bike to get around. And we recommend you head straight for Baisikeli. You can choose between many different styles and find the one that suits you best. You can ride around the city and know that you're directly helping African communities in the process. Can't beat that.

And if you're a Copenhagener with a bike you don't need, ride it down to the shop and donate it!

- Baisikeli - Copenhagen Bike Rental - with maps of their location and much more about their project.
- Cool Youtube film about the project.
- Smarty Hardy - workshop in Tanzania.
- Baisikeli.dk - Danish site about the project.

Simple Niceness and an IKEA Update

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:18:00 +0000

I love this. There is no need for a little ramp here. It requires no great effort to get your bike from backyard bike racks to the street.

Nevertheless, some Copenhagener deemed it necessary and cosy to make one. They used time and effort for this little bit of niceness.

Every little bit helps.

UPDATE

Regarding our previous post about IKEA's collaboration with Velorbis in loaning out bikes and trailers from their big box stores, here's a little update.

The first IKEA in Copenhagen to loan out the bikes is in Gentofte, north of the city. Since the programme started, IKEA reps from Sweden, Germany and China have flown in to visit the Gentofte store and to see the Velorbis bikes and trailers in action.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive, so here's hoping the idea spreads quicker than a Dane can dismount a bicycle.

Read more at the website for the programme FREETRAILER.DK

The Drum Bicycle - Customised Copenhagen Bikes

noreply@blogger.com (Zakkaliciousness) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 05:23:00 +0000

Søren Juel with his Drum Bike - Photo from his website drumstick.dk
It can be tricky combining one's passion for different things in life but a chap named Søren Juel in Copenhagen seems to have managed it. Drums are his life as owner of the very cool drum shop and workshopDrumstick. He is also a Copenhagener which means, of course, he gets around by bike.

Enter the Drum Bike [Trommecyklen].

The idea started when a drum playing bikesmith who frequents the shop suggested a hybrid between drums and bikes. It took time to work out how different drum kit gear could be set onto a bike, but they succeeded in the end.

Wherever possible drum gear is used, like the cymbal on the chain above.

The fenders are made from 26 inch vintage Premier Bass hoops, with original Gretsch Red sparkle coating. They're held in place by drumsticks.

On the wheels are drumskins with an advert for his shop. Drumsticks can be placed in the holder on the frame and a cymbal hangs from the crossbar.

Søren admits that the drum stool isn't the most comfortable to ride around on for longer journeys - for those he uses his old 'granny' bike to get around. But during the Copenhagen Jazz Festival he only uses his Drum Bicycle.

Bells are required by law in Copenhagen, and the Drum Bicycle is no exception. Just grab a drumstick out of the holder and give this cow bell a whack to let them know you're coming.

The handlebars are made out of drum kit and there is a cymbal and a drum mounted on the front for spontaneous cyclobeats.

Customising one's bike is popular in Copenhagen and Søren Juel leads the band with his Drum Bicycle.

Drumstick is located on Helgesvej 22A in Frederiksberg.
The bike is usually parked down on the corner of Helgesvej and Falkonér Allé during opening hours, used as an advert for the shop.

The Copenhagen Jazz Festival is the second larget jazz festival in the world and takes place each July.