SOCIETY
In Denmark, people bicycle in all types of weather and at all times of day. Bicycles are used for pleasure, commuting, transport of goods, and family travel. In the big cities in Denmark, it is often easier to commute by bike than by car.
In Denmark, bicycling is one of the primary forms of transportation. In sunshine, rain, hail, snow - you will see bicyclists on their way to work, the grocery store, or social events. "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 bike, from racing cycles to the large box-like cargo bikes used to transport of goods - and children, too. At rush hour, bike lanes in Copenhagen can be as crowded as car traffic in other parts of the world.
Did you know that in 2022 Denmark welcomed the world's biggest cycling race, Tour de France when we hosted the first three stages of the tour? The same year the back then 25-year old Danish professional cyclist, Jonas Vingegaard ended, up as the winner of Tour de France.
Danish cycling culture is as old as the bicycle itself. Bikes were first introduced to the country in the 1880s, and during the 1920s and 1930s, the bicycle became a widespread symbol of equality and freedom. People of all social classes began biking side by side - in the cities on their way to work, and in the countryside on their days off.
The increased prosperity of the late 1950s saw some Danes replacing bikes with mopeds and automobiles. Just like their colleagues around the world, Danish urban planners believed the future belonged to cars, trucks, and ever-wider highways.
In the early 1970s, however, the Mideast oil crisis put an end to that development. ‘Car Free Sundays’ were introduced in Copenhagen, and protests demanding Copenhagen to become car-free took place. Strøget, the main shopping street in Copenhagen, became pedestrian only in 1962.
Over time, concerns about air pollution, climate change, and the need for desk-bound people to get enough exercise, have helped bicycles make a big comeback. Denmark's heavy taxes on petrol and automobiles are a factor too.
Biking is part of the Danish DNA - so much that we design our cities around bikes
During the 1920s and 1930s, the bicycle became a widespread symbol of equality and freedom in Denmark.
Today, cycling is a deeply ingrained part of Danish culture, and newcomers, who do not know how to cycle, are encouraged to learn as soon as they arrive. Danish children usually learn to bike before they begin school at age 6 - and often much earlier. Until then, they are carried around in small seats attached to one of their parents' bicycles.
Another alternative for families with children is the cargo bike - a sort of oversize tricycle with a large wooden box on the front invented in the 1980s at the Freetown of Christiania in Copenhagen. It's estimated that a quarter of all Copenhagen families with two or more children own one of these cargo bikes for transporting kids, groceries, and other necessities. Danish cargo bikes have also won design awards and become a Danish export success.
Children in Denmark generally start with a small pedal-free bike at age 2 or 3 so they can learn how to balance before graduating to an actual bicycle. In school, children learn about traffic rules, road safety, and the importance of wearing a helmet as well as good cycling habits. Whether or not adult cyclists remember all these good habits is another question entirely.
In order to serve the large number of cyclists, contemporary urban planners in Denmark are working to develop the physical cycling infrastructure all over the country. Wide cycle paths and cycle bridges increase safety, and ‘cycle superhighways’ are being expanded in the greater urban areas to increase access and reach.
A cycle superhighway is a cycle route, where the commuters’ needs have been given the highest priority – providing a smooth ride with fewer stop and increased safety. The main purpose of the cycle superhighways is to create better conditions for cyclists, and to connect work-, study- and residential areas, making it a lot easier for commuters to bike to and from work instead of taking a car. Furthermore, the cycle superhighways run near bus and train stations making it attractive to combine cycling with public transportation.
In order to be categorised a 'cycle superhighway', a cycle route must comply with a set of quality measures such as air pumps, footrests, safer intersections, green waves, and traffic lights timed to average cycling speed. The cycle superhighways are marked by road signs as well as orange signage spots in the asphalt making way-finding easier for commuters day and night – they simply follow the orange C.
Find more facts and features on cycle superhighways on Supercykelstier.dk.
Commuting by bike is the fastest, easiest, most healthy and environmentally friendly way to get around the cities of Denmark. And the numbers speak for themselves:
Find more facts and features on Danish biking culture and biking in Denmark on The Cycling Embassy of Denmark.
