On average the Danes cycle 1.5km a day so if you want to slide into Danish lifestyle quickly then buying a bike is a must. But before hitting the road it’s important you know the rules, here are the do’s and dont’s of Cycling in Copenhagen…
1. Always cycle on the right-hand side of the road. After a couple of days you won’t even need to think about it, we promise!
2. Over take on the left and watch for a speeding Dane coming up behind you before you do!
3. Use your hand signals, when stopping hold your hand upwards in line with your head. Hand signal left to turn left and right to turn right.
4. Traffic lights apply to cyclists too but some bike lanes have their own traffic lights, watch out for these.
5. When turning left at an intersection, cross the road onto the opposite right side, signal to stop and wait until the light turns green in your new direction.
6. When it starts to get dark don’t forget your lights (can be bought in most off licences and supermarkets) otherwise if caught it can set you back DKK1000.
7. At bus stops if passengers are boarding or exiting a bus across the bike path you must stop until they have finished, something I didn’t realise for a while!
8. No cycling on the pavements, obvious but you never know.
9. If someone is blocking your path it’s custom to only ring your bell once, so try to resist over using that bell.
10. You don’t legally have to wear a helmet but with the fast-paced environment we would definitely recommend it.
11. Danes cycle no matter what the weather, always make sure you have a raincoat to hand, a baseball cap is also handy to keep the rain out of your eyes. A seat cover is another must, no one wants to turn up to the office looking like they’ve had an accident. Buy one for DKK10 at Søstrene Grene, we would recommend to by a couple at a time as they only last for a few months.
12. Lock your bike, most Danes just have a lock in the wheel but after having my bike stolen I would also recommend investing money in a heavy duty chain lock, something like this one on amazon.
13. Buy bike insurance, bike crime is pretty high and it’s not too expensive with companies such as Alka, website: https://www.alka.dk
14. Buy a second hand bike, you will realise after time that a new bike never stays new for long in Copenhagen, this is a great website for second hands https://secondhandbikes.dk/en/
15. Find alternative routes, sometimes the main routes can get very busy during rush hour, go along side streets for an easier, stress free morning/evening whilst seeing more of Copenhagen.
You may feel overwhelmed by the amount of cyclists but stick with it, it will soon feel like the norm and now you know the the do’s and dont’s of cycling you’ll see it the best way to get around Copenhagen.