Turning right at red lights is not permitted in Denmark, like it is in many other countries, including Germany. I don't actually know why or when this law was put into place (hint: please tell me if you know).

On occasion there are vague mumbles from the Danish bicycle advocacy wilderness about making it possible for bicycles to turn right at lights but little comes of it.

Everytime I ride past this sign on Borups Allé I get a warm, fuzzy feeling. It reads No Right Turn (except bicycles). The warm, fuzzy feeling is often followed by a dismayed shake of the head, wondering why this isn't standard for bicycles throughout the Danish kingdom.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

Sag Harbor, NY. Photo by Danielle Lobosco from Wikipedia.

Maybe we should be compiling a list of cities and towns that are bicycle-unfriendly. After the internet storm that followed the town of Blackhawk, Colorado's decision to ban bicycles, there are probably loads of towns with similar bylaws.

The bicycle activist and photographer known as BicyclesOnly on Twitter and Flickr was visiting Sag Harbor, New York (pop. 2313) and, according to this tweet:

#bikenyc riding is illegal on Main & Bay Sts. in dntwn #SagHarbor. Cop told us to dismount, sez law is 4 "safety reasons," wldn't give deets

Copenhagenize's friend and lawyer Kelly spotted this and decided to check it out. Was it really illegal to ride a bicycle on the street in the resort community of Sag Harbor, NY or was it just one cop having a bad bicycle day?

As it turns out, riding a bicycle IS illegal in the town. On Main and Bay streets, anyway. Imagine that. Here in 2010. Kelly looked up the code to find the prohibition. The law, passed in 1986, reads as follows:

50-7.B. It shall be unlawful for any person to roller skate, to use a skateboard or similar device or to ride a bicycle or any other wheeled vehicle propelled by gravity or by the use of the rider's feet between the curblines (that portion of streets normally devoted to the parking and operation of motor vehicles) of Main Street from the southerly line of Spring Street, as projected, to the southerly line of Bay Street.

Spooky use of the word "devoted".
(n) devotion, devotedness (feelings of ardent love)

Nevermind riding a bicycle, you're not even allowed to WALK a bicycle along Main Street.

50.7.D. It shall be unlawful for any person to walk a bicycle or any other wheeled vehicle propelled by gravity or by the use of a rider's feet between the curblines of Main Street from the southerly line of Spring Street, as projected, to the southerly line of Bay Street. This prohibition shall not apply to walking a bicycle or other such vehicle directly across the street (crossing directly from one side to the other side of the street).

Here's the website for Sag Harbor. http://www.sagharborny.gov/. Shouldn't we let them know that their bylaws are rather antiquated and deserve to be listed over at Dumb Laws?

Thanks to Kelly for the help.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

The final negotiations are underway about the proposed bridge from Denmark to Germany - the Femern Belt Bridge between the Danish island of Lolland and the German island of Fehmarn. Copenhagenize is wondering if we'll be third-time lucky.

When the 17.5 km long Great Belt Fixed Link - linking the islands Zealand and Funen - was being planned in the 1990's, there was talk of adding bicycle infrastructure but it never gained any ground. When the bridge was completed in 1998, cyclists who previously could ride onto the ferry were then forced to take the train or a bus in order to cross between east and west Denmark.

The next massive bridge project was the 15 km long Öresund Fixed Link between Denmark and Sweden, completed in 2000.

Again, there were voices in the wilderness calling for bicycle infrastructure to be added to the construction. Again, nothing came of it. Cyclists who could take their bicycles on ferries from Copenhagen and Malmö now had to take the train. It must be said that it is much easier taking bicycles from Copenhagen to Sweden than taking bicycles from Copenhagen to west Denmark. There are even seatbelts for bicycles on the trains:


Now the next project is the Femern Bridge. Once again there are voices calling for bicycle infrastructure to be added on the 19 km fixed link. The voices are louder and more insistent this time, it seems. A group of counties in the southern part of Denmark are itching for a bike path on the bridge. It would increase tourism to the region, in particular cycle tourism. Germany is a massive cycle tourism nation and while it's possible to cycle across the border to Denmark in Jutland, another route would be a brilliant addition.

Here at Copenhagenize we always try to highlight the importance of bicycle symbolism in increasing the profile of cycling and emphasizing the fact that the bicycle is back and here to stay.

The symbolic value of adding a bicycle path to the Femern Bridge is enormous. The existing cycle tourism market would benefit greatly and cycling over the bridge would be a tourist attraction for cycle tourists. You can see the t-shirts already; "I cycled the world's longest bicycle bridge!". I would bet you'd see Danes on cargo bikes heading across the sea to buy cheap beer and alcohol in Puttgarden, too. What a great ride.

The three counties of Lolland, Langeland and Svendborg are most active in pushing for a bike link to and from Germany. They have a chapter dedicated to it in a document they've prepared "From detour to shortcut"- in Danish - that features this illustration:

As they write:
"Bicycles and cyclists are generally very courteous to their surroundings. They don't generate noise, they don't cause accidents and they have a high daily consumer rate (cycle tourists) because there are limits to how much you can carry on a bicycle. Improving the national bicycle routes will also be beneficial to the local cyclists."

So what does it cost? Well, the bridge is budgetted for 35 billion kroner [€4.7 billion] and adding a bicycle path is estimated to add just 1% of that amount to the total. 350 million kroner [€47 million] for a bicycle lane 70 m above the waves with shields against the wind.

For inspiration we can look to that third great cycling nation, Japan, who have bicycle infrastructure on the Innoshima Bridge.

It remains to be seen whether the Femern Bridge will have bicycles crossing on it. There is only one political party backing the idea although other parties claim to be open to the idea and an analysis of the cost-efficiency, etc.

We're crossing our fingers for a chance to cross the Baltic Sea on our bicycles. The third big bridge in the Danish series surely deserves bicycle paths.

-------
While we're in the neighbourhood, the idea of this bridge really pales in comparison to an idea proposed by one of our greatest architectural thinkers, Bjarke Ingels back in 2003. Creating a Baltic Super Harbour, right where this bridge will be placed. Check out the idea here. Far too visionary for modern politicians, though. Makes too much sense, too.

Of course there are other great bicycle ideas whose time has come. Like... um... the Bicycle Island.

Via: Danish newspaper Politiken - article Hvorfor ikke bare cykle over Østersøen? by Michael Rothenborg and own research.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

We're loving this photograph. It's from a Dutch advert for the bike brand Sparta. THIS is how to sell bicycles to Citizen Cyclists. Thanks to Will for the heads up.

The text on the advert, roughly translated by Will, reads:
You want a bike that fits your lifestyle. Which is why we make bikes with something extra. Like the pickup. An old style Dutch delivery bike with a modern twist. With a unique and distinctive double top tube for support. Also available in several retro colors. Something Special, we call it. Go for the specials list for more information.


And it gets even better! This Sparta advert spells it out in no uncertain terms. This bike will suit you. Urban living. The preferred transport for well-dressed businessmen. Brilliant marketing and Ultimate Cycle Chic. Hats off to de Fietsensmakers and Sparta.

The advert is from de Fietsenmakers, a bike shop chain in the Netherlands. If you buy this bicycle, you get a 'matching' Morgan Stanley suit - with a value of €389 - free!

Trendy Sparta Summer City Bike
Sparta specially designed this bike for this offer. A true summer bike in cool matte blue. A solidly built model with leather saddle and leather grips, 7-speeds, coaster brake, retro front rack and large puncture-proof tires. Helping you stand out!

A stylish suit fits a trendy bike. Only at de Fietsenmakers - when you buy a unique Sparta Sommer for €799 you get a luxury Morgan Stanley suit with shirt and tie from the 2010 collection, worth €389. This offer runs until September 30, 2010...Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

What a cracking film this is. Nuff said. 161k views on vimeo. Wicked.

Scraper Bike Team.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

I was just reading this article "Bicyclists to LA Drivers: We are traffic" and I recalled a poster I had done last year.

Isn't it time to just make this point?

Fortunately, there is a silver-lining in the clouds of anti-bicycle sentiment. A spot of research in the UK has shown that sentiment towards cyclists is actually rather positive and it's improving. Read the good news at The Guardian:
"Cyclists! The public thinks you're cool and normal"Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

Another poster generated from the wealth of leftovers from a job for a client.

Let me know if any other taglines pop into your mind. Maybe the text could be different.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

Mainstream brands get in on the bicycle market. Bike lights for kids. Hello Kitty or Bakugan. Personally, I'm holding out for Hanna Montana.

As seen in a supermarket near here.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

There is a brilliant article that you simply must read.

A Strange and Not Unpleasant Experience
by Florence Williams for Bicycling.com
What's a cyclist to do upon falling in love with the rare Pedersen bike--except rescue a battered one from a hippie paradise and cajole its mysterious creator into reviving it?

What a fantastic tale.

Here's more of my photos of Pedersen bicycles. Didn't get a shot of Florence on hers - we couldn't manage to hook up when she was in Copenhagen.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

A spot of retro Sherwood-Forest-Taking-from-the-rich-giving-to-the-poor Cycle Chic is this competition entry from the UK for the Robin Hood Tax.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

Here's an advert for the bike share system in Valénica, Spain. It's called Valenbisi. 2750 bicycles in all, docked at 275 stations.

A short and sweet advert that is brimming with positive imagery. "Easy, inexpensive, fast" are the three words on one of the signposts. Perfect.

Via: Cycle Chic Valéncia.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

View Bike Shops in My Neighbourhood in a larger map
A while back I counted the number of bike shops in my neighbourhood - because somebody asked, not because I wanted to - and I came up with 22. Or around there.

I figured I'd whip up a map to show it visually. I live in the middle of that forest of placemarks. All the shops featured are under 7 minutes journey by bike from my front door.

On the map there are 27 bike shops, and while two of them are supermarkets that have a large selection of bikes and accessories, the rest are working bike shops for repairs and sales. Some are small shops that concentrate on repairs, some are larger with a bigger selection of bikes to buy.

I'm quite sure I've missed some - or even am unware of some along some of the streets leading away from the city. And this is just my neighourhood of Frederiksberg.

Most people find the shop they like the most and stick with it. It's a cuthroat business. Locals all have an opinion about their local shops. "He's too expensive..." "He's good and the service is fast.." "He's grumpy..."

This mouth-to-mouth knowledge sharing is incredibly important to Copenhageners. When you move to a new neighbourhood, you need to find supermarkets, corner shops and bike repair shops before you need to know anything else.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

Photo: Niels Ahlmann Olesen for Berlingske.dk / Urban.dk

The City of Copenhagen has been on a 'charm offensive' since April 2010. The goal is to get more people to use the bike racks around the city's Metro stations, instead of leaning them up against everything else.

Here's the simple trick. If you park your bicycle illegally, the City will move it over to the bike racks. Instead of finger-wagging, they will then oil your chain, pump your tires and leave a little note on your bicycle asking to kindly use the bike racks in the future.

How brilliant is that? And the great thing is that the initiative has worked.

"It's about getting people to stop parking their bicycles in areas that emergency service vehicles need to access if there is an incident at a Metro station", said Project Leader Poul Erik Kinimond, as his colleague Morten Schelbech oils a chain in the background. Twice a day they move bicycles at the city's largest Metro stations.

"We're been called "Bicycle Butlers". People really like what we do".

When the project started in April they were moving around 150 bicycles a day. Today that number has dropped to between 30 and 50.

"It's been a bigger success than I had expected. At the beginning I wasn't keen on rewarding people who parked illegally. The idea was to tackle the problem in a way that wouldn't make people angry because we moved their bicycles", sais Kinimond.

"But we haven't had one single person who was angry", added Morten Schelbech.

He doesn't think that people will begin to park illegally in order to get a free oil and air service.

"We can recognize the same bicycles that are parked illegally several days in a row. They don't get oil or air."

The "Bicycle Butler" project will continue until at least January, 2011.

Thanks to Rasmus, Lars and Charlotte for the link. Via: Berlingske.dkCopenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

The Icelandic Minster for Education and Culture, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, on her bicycle in Rejkjavik.

Thanks to Morten for the link.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

With my Copenhagenize Consulting hat on I've produced a series of short and sweet films for the City of Copenhagen's Bicycle Office. Short films on five different bicycle subjects for use in presentations when their employees travel to conferences and what not.

I rather fancied this longer version of the Copenhagen Rush Hour film - a Director's Cut if you will - and decided to slap it rudely onto the internet. Shot over a period of several months, featuring a number of locations, I hope it shows what rush hour is like in the City of Cyclists.

Most of the footage is taken in the morning rush hour, although with some exceptions. It's more concentrated in the morning than in the afternoon.

There is also a set on Flickr of rush hour shots if you like: Bicycle Rush Hour in Copenhagen.

Rush hour on bicycles in Copenhagen seems to be a popular subject on youtube. Here's a film shot by a visitor. And this one is pretty famous by now. And then there's this one.


But really... isn't this the goal? A return to where we used to be?Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

Well, the Twitterverse seems to like this, so I'll slap it here, too.
The World's Greatest Bike Lock.

Or a practical joke. Both are cool.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

After posting the previous translated text from 1934, I remembered some footage I have from a summer street party a couple of years ago. My friend Henrik grabbed my camera and was walking around interviewing people, asking them "What's the best thing about the bicycle?"

He filmed one chap, rather late in the evening with all the inebriation that involves, and the result is one I've never quite forgotten. A chap fires off a volley of urban poetry completely from the hip. In vino veritas indeed.

He starts in English and then hops over into Danish at 0:48 in the film. Poetry/urban ramblings are difficult to translate, but I gave it a shot, below. It reminded me of Storm P.'s irony.

Actually, it's Jørgen Leth meets Storm P. in a smoke-filled bar over several bottles of wine. (A cultural reference for the Danes...) It's much better in Danish, this vowel movement. The flow is pure and unrestricted. It's quite fantastic.

Anyway: Danish monologue translated from 0:48:

"It's... it's Copenhagen.

People are so fantastically ridiculous when it comes to bicycles that they don't have any identity about it. But nevertheless they are so subconsciously graceful with their bicycles that they don't understand what they're doing when they do it and these days they've become so agressive on their bicycles because they can't afford that car - all to do with finances and stocks - and they actually understand Copenhagen without actually understanding, 100%, what they're doing.

Because Copenhagen is a happy city. In Copenhagen there is tolerance. And in Copenhagen there are cool people. That's what Copenhagen is all about. In Copenhagen we have a surplus so that even when there's cloud cover we don't get clouded by it. We cover our women, we have children but we stay the same because we ride bicycles. And bicycles are wheels, tires, rubber. It keeps us in contact with the ground, keeps us grounded. There's actually a shred of truth to it. I mean... how can you get angry with a cyclist? He's riding a bicycle! So there's a limit. There's nothing that can boil over or under... he's cycling.

So there is actually an aim – not aiming high or low – he's riding a bicycle. And cycling is fantastic. It's all about him and there's a reason he does it. It's not something poor prostitutes do, or something kids born later than their siblings do or something people in the future do... it's all about riding a bicycle."

Beautiful...

"Yeah, I doubt it. I had a televison named after me. It should have been a bicycle.
(pause)
The bicycle exists between us. Period."Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

For Cyclists

As there has recently been a rather tactless criticism directed towards us cyclists, it must be permitted for me to bring some modest, if not harmful, proposals for a new traffic etiquette for cyclists and other wheeled persons.

Let us begin at the beginning. You set yourself up on the bicycle, have a good look around – first up and down and then from side to side – wherefter you rest for a moment whilst regarding the road ahead and behind. Do this several times and take your time doing it. Therefter you push down on one pedal and up with the other. The bicycle is then propelled into motion. You can, of course, repeat this process, but experienced cyclists rarely need to.

You will now find yourself in the so-called traffic, unless you are riding on the island of Saltholm, but we'll assume you're on a busy street.

As soon as you've run over the first person you come across you immediately accelerate and try to dash across the intersection while the yellow light is lit. If the light turns red in the process, pretend like nothing happend and continue on – there is nothing easier than pretending like nothing happened. Those who are approaching from the side – whether in a car or on foot – will no doubt let you pass. They will think that it is them who has made a mistake. So ingrained is the bad conscience in all of us.

Never cross an intersection when the light is green, as you risk being knocked over by someone running a red light from the other direction. This is very important as it can still cause misunderstandings, court cases and outbursts of anger.

Now you continue riding. Let's say you have to turn to the left. Extend your hand – please be careful it can't be seen – to the right. This means that you won't be turning that way. There has been some discussion about this question but as a cyclist you must never doubt. Your entire focus must be on your riding.

The use of a bicycle bell is absolutely out-of-date and simply unecessary. The bell can't be heard above the noise and you should therefore only use your bell after midnight – or after you've arrived home.

During the day, instead of a bell, you should use different verbal expressions, shouted with a loud, high-pitched voice. It is recommended to acquire a copy of J.F. Braldrelunds ”Dictionary of Danish Swear Words”. It contains more than enough content for this purpose.

On corners you attempt, wherever possible, to brush the person or persons who dare to stand there. It is best if you're travelling fast enough that you manage to knock one of them over. Then you can confirm beyond a doubt that the person in question was in your way or, in other words, ”That taught them a lesson!”

If you're going from the street into a port leading to a courtyard or similar, always weave through the pedestrians as dramatically as possible. The bell must NOT be used here – remember that! If you use your bell you'll make people jumpy and it will be much more difficult to weave past them.

In the courtyard you discard the bicycle as carelessly as possible, in order to give any potential bystanders the impression that you're cool (superior in intelligence).

Ensure that the bicycle is placed so that anyone and everyone can trip over it. You'll quickly discover that the person who trips over it will pick it up and place it politely against the wall – usually under a sign that reads: ”Bicycles will be removed”.

Regarding bicycle lights, you need not take this question too seriously. Bicycle lights are simply no longer used and are only rarely seen on bicycles.

This is generally because the police aren't bothered much if you cycle without lights, as the statistics show. In 1932-1933, on the stretch between Here and There, only one bicycle light was observed. According to the police report it wasn't possible to identify the cyclist – he was riding like a madman.

An absurd idea has popped up in the minds of some so-called people who are believed to live inside unexcavated bronze-age burial mounds. Putting a licence plate on bicycles, as well as a hook under the saddle on which to hang a telephone book and a pair of eyeglasses.

The thought is incredibly impossible – a licence plate that must host a number like seven million three hundred and thirty thousand, six hundred and forty three would be wide enough to fill City Hall Square, and if you placed the digits vertically the licence plate would rip down the electricity wires.

Yes, well, those were my modest proposals for a new traffic etiquette for cyclists. We have, for far too long, been viewed in a negative manner by Mr Motorist and pedestrians – or rather sleepestrians – and I feel that these proposals will please every motorist and sleepestrian – we apparently haven't evolved any further than this in our sorry old world.

---

The above was translated, modernised and edited for clarity from the original text by one of Denmark's most loved satirists and cartoonists, Robert Storm Petersen. Better known at Storm P.. It was first published way back in 1934 (in 'Snak om en ting') and again in 1993 (in 'Udvalgte historier')

1934. Storm P. was a daily cyclist and he used satire often in all manner of cartoons and commentary about life in Copenhagen, not least about a cycling life. The above text reads a tad old school, but it is clear that some things never change. Not least bicycle 'behaviour'. He takes the piss out of those eternal complainers bitching about 'those cyclists'. They've always been there, even in countries saturated by bicycles. They are even still around if you read the letters to the editor in virtually every Danish newspaper. More now than ever in this current anti-cycling climate in this country.

He takes their view to the extreme with this text, taking their generalisations to task and ridiculing them.

Much of this sounds familiar today. Cyclists have often been declared outlaws, even when just regular citizens turning right at red lights or rolling across pedestrian crossings at 4 km/h.

I love Storm P.'s angle. Some things never change so behavourial campaigns aimed at cyclists are probably a considerable waste of money. Focus instead on tackling the destructive capabilities of the automobile.

More on Robert Storm Petersen in Danish and in English. There is also a museum in his honour in Copenhagen.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

Coca Cola, like an army of companies before them, have gotten on the bicycle bandwagon. The bicycle is hip, nostalgic, futuristic and oh so very now. Say what you like about Coca Cola, every bit of positive portrayal of Citizen Cyclists on wheels is welcome.

Via: Cyclelicious.Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

On 27 August a group of cycling postmen and postwomen, politicians and cycling campaigners will deliver the letters to Royal Mail’s new Chief Executive Moya Greene. The event will create some media attention and hopefully lead to a reviewing of the Royal Mail’s arbitrary plan to phase out cycle delivery.

Keep Posties Cycling - Friday 27 August

A week today, CTC will deliver hundreds of protest letters to Royal Mail's new Chief Executive to demand she reconsiders the decision to phase out cycle delivery. Please send your letters in today (all you have to do is fill in our online form on www.ctc.org.uk/royalmail ). We will deliver the letters on Friday 27 August at 8.30am outside 100 Victoria Embankment EC4Y 0HQ. If you can join us, or if you own an old postal bike or old Royal Mail uniform, please get in touch (campaigns@ctc.org.uk). Act now or in the future all post will be delivered by van and over a century of history will be lost forever.

Spread the word - together we can Keep Posties Cycling! www.ctc.org.uk/royalmailCopenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.