Copenhagen = Bicycle Nirvana

I am in bicycle nirvana -- or rather, Copenhagen.

I am attending a conference here, but because I have family here as well, I have been able to bike some on each of the past three days.

Most roads I've been on -- all the major and minor arterials -- have space for bikes. It is often to the right of a parking zone for cars, and has a small curb separating it from the rest of the roadway, and a slightly larger curb separating it from the sidewalk and pedestrian zone. So you are in a protected space.

It flies against the Idea of the Road Users, that they should only have to look one direction at a time. When turning right, Copenhagen drivers have to scan for holes in the pedestrian traffic and the cyclist traffic, in both directions, before they cross the bike zone. They do this carefully because in general, if there is a crash between a car and a cyclist in the bike zone, the motorist is deemed at fault, and usually fined substantially -- not just 50 bucks or so. So they are careful. A driver here says it is more difficult to make right turns than left turns. But most people make them, anyway.

What is great here is that it works. Something like 50% of the residents of this urban center (and it is very urban, five and six story apartment buildings) ride bikes to work, to shop, to take their kids to school, to go to school, etc. I've seen every manner of bike here, from single speeds to old one speeds, to multi-speeds with enclosed gears (like the old English 3-speed bikes had), to ten speeds, and so on. I have NOT seen a lot of carbon fiber bikes, or 600-dollar wheels. I've seen no recumbents, and only one folding bike (a Brompton). But there are bikes with giant wooden boxes on the front, like a bike mated with a garden cart, and Trail-a-bikes, and child seats galore, and even a few trailers. (No sign of a BOB yet, though.) Many of the bikes look to be 10 - 20 years old, or older. But they all work, and they all carry people to work -- in suits and dresses, dress shoes and heels, you name it. (But no, not many clip-on pedals, either.)

I feel very comfortable. I've been on some separate bike paths, next to a freeway, and they make it clear with separate traffic signals for the bicycle traffic. An IKEA store has an entrance off the bike path, in fact. I've occasionally ridden on a road without a path -- and it feels very normal to me, of course. And mostly, I've pedaled for around 30 miles on the on-street but separate from cars system.

One big thing about it: these paths, lanes, zones, are almost all one way traffic, and for bicycles only. Everyone has a bell, and you ring it if you need to get past someone who might be blocking you, but otherwise it's very quiet -- none of my Georgia, "how're you doin''" or even a quick "hi!". I've yet to see someone needing help beside the road, either, although doubtless they have flat tires sometime -- but I have yet to see any broken glass in the roadway, or even some trash. (My last flat tire was a rusty safety pin on a bike trail, by the way.)

What can I say? Several million cyclists can't be wrong. Come visit.