Showing posts with label Bikes everywhere. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bikes everywhere. Show all posts

Friday, October 1, 2010

Is it safe to cycle?

Copenhagen City also uses another argument in its Let's cycle campaign: Safety!


Translation : "You are safer on your bike than on your sofa!". And the small prints add: "The lack of physical activity affects your health, whereas physical activity maintains your body healthy and in good shape".
Yeah right, but at least, I never fell off my sofa ;-)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

When you bike, it's always sunny!

As everyone knows, Copenhagen is the city of cyclists. Yes but some bad mouthed people pretend that in Denmark it rains all the time ;-) !! Conclusion: in Copenhagen, you have to learn how to bike in the rain ... and wear the appropriate rainwear.
Well think again, it does not rain that much and the city is trying to correct this image, thanks to this billboards campaign!



Translation for the non-Danish speakers "when you bike, it almost never rains!" And the small print adds: "It rains on an average of 4% of journeys by bike home to work" ...

Armed with my journalistic and scientific consciousness, I counted the days where I did get wet during my daily
bike commute.
During the month of May, oh so significant because
(1) it's Spring
(2) you find deals on bike in every bike shop, and
(3) the campaign "vi cykler til arbejde " (yourself and all your co-workers have to bike to work during that campaign
).....I served as guinea pig.

Here is the result of this highly scientific test:
May 4 evening, rain gear were mandatory.
May 13 morning, I was a little wet, but I avoided to change into rain gear.

Overall, I got wet twice out of the 2 x 17 trips or 5.9%. And I say: What a scam! With the taxes we pay, this campaign doesn't even deliver and keep its promises! ;-)))
Well, seriously it does not rain that often and it's nice to get some air and exercise, so I will not trade my bike for a car ...

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Dansk Viking recommends "På cykel i København" - "Biking in Copenhagen"

We visited the exhibition "På cykel i København" at the City Museum (Kobenhavns Bymuseum) and we really liked it...



The exhibition is not so large, but it is - I think - quite well presented. No boring historical line, but a more thematic approach of the bike, in all its forms and variations. The opportunity to discover design bikes, even some really bizarre, the evolution of biking habits and accessories as well as pictures of the streets of Copenhagen at different times, but still busy with bikes. To sump it up, we really recommend it!
Entry costs only 20 crowns (it is even free on Fridays) and the exhibition runs until June 27. Not to spoil the surprise, we will publish our detailed articles and pictures only in July ;-)

Monday, April 19, 2010

How to make your bike stand?

A strong wind, dozens of bikes down, ... and the Danish imagination start its work. A problem, many solutions... With some of them, you can even keep your saddle and therefore your little but dry when it rains




Thursday, April 8, 2010

A strange little car...

The Danes loves biking. But like everywhere, some people are more lazy than others. From time to time, you can see these strange little cars on the streets. Last weekend, we spotted a tiny and very chic old lady out of a luxury shop who managed to fit all her shopping bags in her micro car before slowly leaving.
Note the customizing of the vehicle (such as the small eyes in front).




Wednesday, March 17, 2010

How many bikers in Copenhagen?

Copenhagen has installed last year its first bike counting stand . We had already seen some of those in Odense a few years ago.
The most practical detail: the compressor next to the terminal.


The counter is really working: Bike number 1404 ..

Congratulations miss, you're number 1405 ...

In addition to this, the city is now trying to tackle one of the major issue for cyclists: theft! In fact, bike theft is quite high, especially in the major train stations. There were in 2008 no less than 19,171 reported stolen bikes! Not to mention the many people who do not even register their stolen bike. If you find it funny, imagine that you can not find your mean of transportation in the morning to go to work ... Not very pleasant ...
One solution proposed by the municipality is to install a "chip" that would help finding back a stolen bike. From a technical standpoint, it is a simple
RFID "tag" placed in a reflector. 5000 "chips" have been distributed in this phase of testing. If you are interested, more info here. Unfortunately you can't book your chip ...

Monday, March 15, 2010

Copenhague the city of cyclists

Of course, we can not talk about the Danish green attitude without mentioning this mean of transportation very popular around here: the bicycle. No, it isn't only because there is a 180% tax on cars that most Copenhageners use bikes but (let's be optimistic!) also because they care about the environment.
And the City of Copenhagen is of course encouraging this a lot.
First example: the advertising campaigns. Last year we could see this poster in town:


It says "Copenhagen best city for cycling" and it gives the targets for 2015:

* At least 50% of people take the bike to work or school
* The number of serious bicycle accidents is reduced by half
* At least 80% of cyclists feel safe in traffic.

And hopefully those targets can be reached - the city doing its best to make it happen.
For example, bicycle paths are periodically renovated and even painted in blue in the most dangerous areas.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Bike on ice

A thought for those who face biking every day in that winter weather... Are they "crazy" or simply victims of lack of other means of transportation? Nobody knows. Still, you can see plenty of them on the bike paths, sidewalks or roads.


For the benefit of those daredevils, the Danish cycling federation has published 11 tips for winter biking.
Here is a rough translation (and a few comments in brackets):

* Avoid carring baskets or
overloaded bags which can make the bike difficult to control. And of course you shouldn't carry anybody in the child seat!
* Good lighting is essential! Even in daylight, it can be difficult to comprehend the path which is essential for safe driving. Think also of installing reflectors to be better seen by others.
* It is better to under-inflate your tires, and the wider your tire is, the better. For ice biking, studded tires are recommended (I really wonder how many cyclists have invested in studded tires ...!)
* Avoid tight and sudden turns. Take large and slow turns, as long as the traffic permits it!
* Grease your chain generously. (Personal observation: if you have a cheap bike (or the kind I imported from France), this is not enough! On mine, the chain is totally rusty and is now quite stiff, especially after a weekend in the snow and salt ...)
* Brake far in advance and carefully! Release the brakes if the wheels start to skid!
* Brake before a turn and release the brake before starting to turn!
* Brake with your rear brake! And pay attention to how the rear wheel skids (is there really a "wrong" way to skid the rear wheel?)
* Check the brake regularly!
* Stay alert to the road that you are following
* Stay calm (this is a universal advice in Denmark, but is it really necessary to remind the Danes, calm in any situation?). It is more important to get to there safely than to arrive there first.

Bonne route! And good luck ...
When in doubt, leave your bike in the garage, but you can expect to find it like that (or worse):


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Bikes everywhere!

Here are some more examples of how clever the design of Danish bikes is.







Friday, November 6, 2009

A well-equipped cyclist

As everyone knows, Denmark is the country of bikes. But it is also known for its rainy climate . To live through it, one has to be well equipped.
1. The over-shoes. Note the reflective tape!


2. The waterproof over-trousers



3. The rain cape, with a few extra reflective tape, just in case ...


And voila, let's go downstairs to the Batmobile!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Let's go...


Here, in Denmark, everyone rides a bike. When I say "everyone", this is not really an exaggeration. From Granny to the young dynamic environment, including large families ... everybody seems to appreciate this healthy mean of transportation, and this is true whatever the weather conditions are.
There are a tremendous amount of different models of bikes here, for all tastes, all needs and budgets. One of the most surprising is the bike equipped to transport children (up to 4!) and sometimes when some adults have drunken too much, they can also serve as a improvised vehicle to go home safely (in that case of course, you still need a sober friend to drive the bike) ... The inside equipment depends on the model and brand: small bench, seat belts, ...
One of the most popular is the Christiana Bike formerly manufactured in the famous Christiania. There are also more modern models, from which the trailer can be detached after arrival to serve as a stroller (a little too big to go into stores, but practical enough not to wake baby when you arrive in town).






Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Bike tuning

Thinking of tuning your car? No way, it is way better to customize your bike!
There are so many way to tune your ride: multi-tones klaxons, artistic paintings, cute little plastic animals....
No limit !





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