Bicycles are the preferred method of transportation for Danes, and there are wide bike lanes along the roads everywhere you look. In fact, there are more than twice the number of bicycles than cars in the country and over 50 percent of Copenhageners of all ages regularly get around on two wheels – and love to ring their little bells while doing it!
However, it’s interesting to note that while it’s one of the most cycle-friendly nations on Earth, they also have one of the lowest levels of helmet use.
In Denmark, bicycling is one of the primary forms of transportation. Sunshine, rain, hail, snow – you will see bicyclists on their way to work, shop, or social event.
“The bike is a Dane’s best friend” – particularly in the larger Danish cities that offer an extensive network of bicycle lanes. It also helps that the country’s terrain is primarily flat.
The Danes ride many different types of bikes, from racing cycles to the large box-like cargo bikes used to transport goods and often children. At rush hour, bike lanes in Copenhagen can be as crowded as car traffic in other parts of the world.
Around 90 percent of the population owns a bike, and about 38 percent commute daily by bicycle. Unlike in the United States, cars are not as popular, being owned by only about 53 percent of households.
This is evident by how even the crown prince of Denmark rides his bicycle. Copenhagen is well-known for its system of free shared bikes.
These bicycles, parked within the city, can be borrowed with a small deposit. The city plans to reach 50 percent of its population traveling to work by bike daily by 2015. By 2008, 246 miles of cycle tracks, lanes, and greenways were existing in the city.
In order to encourage more bike transportation, Copenhagen also built the first cycle superhighway network, which connects suburbs to the city center.
According to a survey conducted in 2006, 54 percent ride for these reasons, while only 19 percent cycle for exercise and 1 percent do it to be eco-friendly. Cycling in Copenhagen is also very safe, as evident by how around 72 percent of Copenhagen cyclists feel safe on streets where cycle lanes are available.
