Copenhagen How To

This whole blog is a Copenhagen How To, but here are some recent shots.

How to buy tickets for you, and your bike, in the Copenhagen Metro.

How to park your bike outside a Tiger of Sweden shop. Just a quick click of your wheel lock and off you go. And remember, cyclists make better shoppers than motorists.

How to transport two bottles of beer in style. The bike this chap is on is a Pedersen, or a Dursley-Pedersen. The inventor of this revolutionary bike, Mikael Pedersen, died in 1929 but in 1995 his remains were reinterred in Dursley, Gloucestershire, where this bike was made famous. Sometimes called The Most Comfortable Bicycle in the Universe.

How to say good-bye to friends. A last exchange of words, the light turns green, supermum on left rides straight on, friend on right turns right.

How to ride home in the afternoon.

How to gently accelerate off the lights on your Short John delivery bike.

PLUGGING
We'd be fibbing if we said we weren't frightfully pleased about this article in The Guardian from yesterday. Thanks to Carlton Reid for the kind mentions and compliment. Check Carlton's bike site at Quickrelease.tv.

Copenhagen Transport Combinations

Sometimes situations arise where you have to transport your bike by other means. A flat tyre or other technical difficulties, a destination just a bit too far, what have you.

Being able to combine your bike with public transport is an important part of bike culture. In Copenhagen you can take your bike onto the Metro, the local trains, the regional trains and the Intercity Express trains. You'll need a ticket for your bike - 10 kroner for local journeys - which is half the price of a regular ticket.

Every train station in the land has an elevator for bikes, prams and the elderly. And if you're travelling abroad by train, you'll have no logistic problems with getting to anywhere in Northern Europe with your bike. Popping down to Berlin for the weekend by train? No problem.

Waiting for the Metro to glide to a stop.

Busses, on the other hand, don't have any bike racks on them like in a few other countries. This is because most bus journeys cover the same routes as bike journeys, so there is simply no need. It's quicker and easier by bike.

If you need to get your bike somewhere by taxi, all taxis in the nation are equipped with bike rack to accomodate two bikes. This costs 10 kroner extra, too. A small price to pay for convienence. It is, however, ironic that all taxis in Copenhagen are brand new Mercedes. But man, those leather seats are lovely once in a while.

Sometimes, however, you can't be bothered to wait for the elevator. If there isn't that many people around, just pop it onto the escalator.

Travelling from one city to another on the Intercity trains merely craves a little bit of muscle to get the bike onboard.

Just roll up to the ticket machine and buy your tickets.

Rising to the surface with his bike.

Heading down to the Copenhagen Metro with style.

Heading up from the Copenhagen Metro in style.

Bike racks on trains and taxis.

Bikes and Trains and Lifts Oh My

Button Pressing, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

This is a cyclist heading down the lift that leads to the metro station at Fasanvej. Given the number of bikes in this city it's not surprising that citizens are allowed to transport them on the metro [although not during rush hour], the local trains as well as the regional trains.

The latter two have bike compartments with bike racks for this purpose. On the metro the trips are shorter so you just have to stand up with your bike:

There are, needless to say, lifts at every station for bikes, the elderly and prams. Or anyone else who needs a ride down to the platform. Some people, when it's not too busy, will just chuck their bike on the escalator.



Alternatively, every taxi in the nation is equipped with bike racks so one or two bikes can be transported if need be.