This film is Copenhagen seen through North American eyes, as they say it took a long time in CPH to get there but they did. And we (yes even London) can do it but we do not have 30-40 years to get to the same place that CPH are at right now. As the people in the films say we can do it and they are from America ( sorry just a little joke) we here in London can do it too. We just need to educate road users would that be the fella on a BSO or racer or that massive 4×4 and then the rest will come.

While Streetfilms was in Copenhagen for the Velo-City 2010 conference, of course we wanted to showcase its biking greatness. But we were also looking to take a different perspective then all the myriad other videos out there. Since there were an abundance of advocates, planners, and city transportation officials attending from the U.S. and Canada, we thought it’d be awesome to get their reactions to the city’s built environment and compare to bicycling conditions in their own cities.

Wonderful film isn’t it ? So lets us get out there on our bicycles and make this happen, it can only become a win win for us all.

EDIT : Was just shown this this tourist information film (TravelTalks) from 1937, nothing much have changed since eh :)

LINK : Velo-City 2010
LINK : Cycling in Copenhagen – through North American eyes

Related posts:

1. VELO-CITY GLOBAL 2010
2. New York New York
3. 37% of People Commute by Bike.

This made me think about Contested Streets a documentary about Copenhagen and Jan Gehl an architect and urban planner. I watch the full length film some time ago but right now I can only this 9-10 minute clip. The clip talk about that in Copenhagen there is around 30% who uses the public transport, 30% uses their own cars and 30% on bicycles but in summer that number for cyclist goes up to 60%.

Yes Jan and his colleges in Copenhagen have been at it for 30 odd years to get Copenhagen to where it is now, a cycling heaven. If only London could learn and listen to what they have learned, I’m sure that we don’t have to wait that long to get London up there along with Amsterdam, Portland and Copenhagen.

I was looking around for what else Jan Gehl was doing and I found this talk at RIBA Trust over on gleeds.tv Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. All around 13-15min each clip but the whole presentation is worth watching, funny and something we all can learn from.

Jan have worked all around the world, in Melbourn, in New York etc and he says that London is probably the worst city he have seen when it comes traffic management. Where pedestrians and bicycle are second hand citizen and the car is the king.

Come on London get your finger out and do something instead of this half hearted attempt with Super Cycling Highway.

Related posts:

1. Velo-City and Streetfilms
2. VELO-CITY GLOBAL 2010
3. Start riding now

Mikeal from Copenhagenize and StreetFilms.org talks about how the Copenhagen have changed and now it can be done.

It is possible.

Related posts:

1. Velo-City and Streetfilms
2. Start riding now
3. Reclaim the Road women’s bike ride

And it got me wondering why the UK has such a hard time in get on their bikes. The first thing people over here think is that it is dangerous and it is going to get you killed. I’m sorry but you are wrong it is not, there I have said it.

Not only is it good for the little rock we call home…

“Switching from cars to bikes brings an immediate climate change gain and signals that lifestyles and thinking have finally got the climate change message. There are no technical, financial or logistic issues in this transport transformation; the only thing missing is the will to act and the time to act is now.”

…but it is blooming good for you, just look at me. Four years ago I struggled walking up one flight of stairs and I was the wrong side of 20 stone. But getting back on the bicycle I have now lost 5+ stones and feel so much better for it. And there is some truth in the saying “you will look 10 years younger if you cycle” because there are quite a few people who don’t believe me when I tell them that my next birthday is the big four oh. :)

Your first right of passage is pretty much when you learn to walk and in Denmark we kinda celebrate that with a set of wheels. As I grew up there was no point in me asking for a lift to my after school event. If I did I was just pointed towards my bicycle. And if I moaned that it had a flat it was answered with a “well fix it then”. Every new neighbourhood we lived in I learnt to know the area before me old folks, simply because I explored the area on my bicycle. Met plenty of new friends that way, because I was not restricted to the cul-de-sac we lived in. Back then Lego and Pong were the biggest things keeping us kids indoors, but it was never as fun and as exciting as jumping on your bicycle and going exploring.

It is not hard it is easy as long you follow these three simple steps.

#1 Get a bicycle, from your local bicycle shop, go and talk to them and they will get you the ride you need and want

#2 Even if you can ride a bicycle get some cycle training, because it will iron out all the bad habits you have.

#3 Go riding as .citycycling says it doesn’t matter what you ride just as long as you do, and have fun.

So come on get on your bicycle and let’s start the next revolution. And let it not be a motorised one.

Related posts:

1. A good idea, there Bryony.
2. Beauty and the Bike
3. How we as cyclist are seen

When I learned to drive in Denmark, was told to pull right next to the kerb to block cyclist coming up on your inside into your blind spot.

Even on roundabouts the other road users gave way to us. We were on the cycle lane, and were overtaken with plenty of distance to the roundabout. The car entered the round about and stopped at the first exit, we then arrived at the roundabout. We were normally cautious, and entered the roundabout and wondered why the car was waiting there. Only to find out that the driver was giving way to us. This wouldn’t happen in London.

In general other road users gave much more space to cyclists. Which is great, but that led to cyclists not looking much as they relied on others to give way.

Generally the other road users did give plenty of space.

Related posts:

1. Cycling in DK vs UK Part III
2. SillyDriver III
3. Oh, my dicky ticker! *)

When cycling on road where there is no cycle lane, the Danes are right in the gutter, even on outside of the road markings. Not giving yourself much space if the road is at a bad state, though that is not often.

When over taking parked cars, they are just about clearing the parked car, not many inches left between them and the car. Well inside the “door zone”, it’s like they don’t have a problem with people getting in or out of the parked cars.

But you are not that easily seen, looks like you are stopping or look like street furniture not like that you are a road user and is going somewhere.

We tried to pull out and take the lane, so that could get into the middle of the road to do our left turn, so therefore only need to cross one lane when it was clear.

But we just got beeped, because it is not “how we do it”. You, as a cyclist, have to pull into the side of the road and wait until both lanes are clear an then cross over.

Related posts:

1. Cycling in DK vs UK Part II
2. Scared of cars
3. Hugon Road, SW6

To see and To be seen and Communicate is probably the most important thing I can teach people who are learning to cycle.

While cycling around in Denmark, I did not see much looking back checking what is behind you.

Even when starting off, pretty much step out onto the cycle lane onto the bike and hope that the people who are cycling along behind you have seen you and have time enough to stop/slow down. No looking around at all.

When cycling down the cycle lane or shared road, pretty much none of the cyclists I saw looked back just to check what is going on around them. Even at junctions, pretty much relying on that the cars coming from behind and wanting to turn right, across the bike lane you are on, would stop and give way for you. Again, no looking around at all.

When turning any direction there are barely any signals to tell you where the person is going in front of you. If there were any signals it was more of a quick little wave near the hips, which you barely can see if you are right behind let alone if you are in a car out to the side of the cyclist. Again no looking around you before doing the turn.

The only signal I saw people use quite often was the stop sign, hand up in the air. But it was only often because I saw it more often than the left/right signals which still wasn’t often or clear enough.

Related posts:

1. Cycling in DK vs UK Part III
2. Cycling in DK vs UK Part IV
3. Cycling in DK vs UK Part I

Because it is so flat but the wind makes up for the hilly bits.

While cycling around in Denmark I noticed that most of the bikes people are commuting on are the “sit up and beg” types. These bicycles are not really aerodynamic, as you sit up and get the wind right in your face.

Tough if you are lucky enough to commute with the wind in your back, the “sit up and beg” position is a life saver :)

Related posts:

1. Cycling in DK vs UK Part IV
2. Cycling in DK vs UK Part II
3. Cycling in DK vs UK Part III