Confessions of a Copenhagen Bike Commuter

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May 30
I guess it was bound to happen. (Got fined 1000 DKK). This time I was speeding along fast and at a yellow light I took the chance / decided not to emergency break. Unfortunately a taxi was waiting to turn right and accordingly had to wait even longer to turn right - and the civilian police-car just after the taxi did not think that was kosher. Luckily the kinda gave me a break and took the bike as pure “training-bike” and didnt fine me for the missing lights(10minutes past sunset), missing cat-eyes, missing bell and so on.

I guess it was bound to happen. (Got fined 1000 DKK).

This time I was speeding along fast and at a yellow light I took the chance / decided not to emergency break. Unfortunately a taxi was waiting to turn right and accordingly had to wait even longer to turn right - and the civilian police-car just after the taxi did not think that was kosher.

Luckily the kinda gave me a break and took the bike as pure “training-bike” and didnt fine me for the missing lights(10minutes past sunset), missing cat-eyes, missing bell and so on.

Posted 1 hour ago

Comments

police, confession,

May 24

Catching another wheel

At blegdams vej a fast guy overtook me but I was able to bridge up to him and barely stay on his wheel. As we were approching Lyngby motorvejen he even started using the riding-in-a-pick sign-language for obstacles. But damn he was pushing it hard on the hills. I fought and fought and luckily the traffic lights were red every now and then. As we approached Lyngby he decided to let the pace go just enough that I didn’t have to hang on for dear life and I of course took the opportunity to ride next to him and ask if I should take the lead for a while :D

He of course declined but seemed to appreciate the sentiment ;)

Posted 5 days ago

Comments

etiquette, confession,

May 16
arewestillhere: There is a ghost under my seat! #ghost #fixed (Taken with instagram)

arewestillhere:

There is a ghost under my seat! #ghost #fixed (Taken with instagram)

Reblogged 1 week ago from arewestillhere

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1 note

Apr 18

The big difference

So this morning I caught up to a couple of guys looking just about as silly as me on expensive bikes. Soon yet another guy caught up with me, so we were four hiding behind each other to get less of the head wind. In Gentofte at Ikea some road work was in action and I got caught on the one side on the bike lane and the other three took the normal road around the road work.

I fell behind trying to jump over gravel and wires and tubes splayed across the bike path and I could see the three guys racing on. But then suddenly the last guy of the three slowed down a bit and fell behind and started looking back. When I caught up to him he set the pace again and we “gathered the group” once more. He then continued to use the “official” roadbike signs to warn about conditions up ahead which can be hard to see when you are riding in a pack!

At a red light I asked him if he really did fall behind to take me back to the group and he acknowleded. A really nice gesture which really can make my day - instead of the usual “GET-OFF-MY-WHEEL-ILL-DRIVE-AS-FAST-AS-I-CAN-TO-LOOSE-YOU”

Great bike day

Posted 1 month ago

Comments

etiquette, confession,

Mar 23

9 days ago…

the temprature was above 0, I was all packed and ready to go in all my silly clothes - and then there is no traction from the casette to the wheel. Freehub in both directions. Also known as no good. So I took the bike and left it at the bike-repair shop (where I bought it) at Amager.  It turns out that the body of the hub had been destroyed by my awesome power and perhaps more likely: salt.

And I’m still waiting for the spare part to arrive at the bike-repair so I can get the bike back. I can feel the fat climbing on to my body as we speak and my fitness decaying by the loads. And to add “insult to injury” the weather has been awesome since. 10+ centigrade and sun :(

Posted 2 months ago

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Feb 24

Skipping a layer…

…so now the temperature has been consistently above zero centigrade == I can skip a layer of clothing. My getup:

  • Winter biking pants
  • “Moisture transport” inner shirt
  • Normal bike jersey
  • Bike jacket
  • SPD Shoes
  • Insulating Gaiters
  • Hat and tube
  • Helmet

Posted 3 months ago

Comments

equipment,

Feb 15
when this is what you leave behind every morning - it is not that easy to get out the door

when this is what you leave behind every morning - it is not that easy to get out the door

Posted 3 months ago

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Feb 14
Cold wind in the eyes is no fun. This is the solution ;)

Cold wind in the eyes is no fun. This is the solution ;)

Posted 3 months ago

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Feb 9

And before we know it…

we are back with higher temperatures than -5 celcius. Today(feb 9) it was just about -5 with a brisk wind - I took the bike for the first time in 8 work days.

Today I decided to test out a new route. Buddingevej and tagensvej instead of along the “lyngby motorvej”. A bit less noise and stress. A lot more traffic lights. Tagensvej is a bit crowded, but not that much longer.

Posted 3 months ago

Comments

route, weather,

Feb 8

I confess…

that when we - like we are right now - are consistently below -5 celcius, with non-clear roads - I take the train.

Posted 3 months ago

Comments

weather, confession,

Feb 7

A competive commuter

So this seems oddly familiar (in danish):

http://www.bjafle.dk/2011/02/en-konkurrencependlers-bekendelser.html

Posted 3 months ago

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Feb 6

You know it is cold when…

you get brain freeze when you are biking against the wind

Posted 3 months ago

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weather,

Feb 3

Brrrrr

So now the weatherforecast only got subzero and snow for the next many days:

The amount of people I see on the bike paths are greatly reduced. But those of us who still use the bike seem to be that more dedicated. They bike faster, more controlled and the biking clothes is a sight for sore eyes (I’m still pretty much the most goofy looking of all though)

Posted 3 months ago

Comments

weather,

Feb 2

My new bicycle hanger system for the basement.

(a punctured old tube, screwed to the ceiling)

Posted 3 months ago

Comments

equipment,

Feb 1

Walking onto the bikepath - part 2

When biking - as Morten points out - pedestrians can be a safety hazard. As bikers are a safety hazard to pedestrians as well.

For the record: I’m trying to be pretty zen about biking - no yelling, excessive risk taking, hazardous over takings, running the red lights and so on. 

Today, riding home, there is a group of bikers just starting to go at a green light atHans Knudsens plads. In front of me is a couple of other bikers and all the way in the front a very eager biker in matching “sportsclothes” and a high-end mountain bike speeding up going a bit faster than the people in front of me. Unfortunately when he reaches Ryparken on the aforementioned pedestrians decides to first cross the bikepath and onto a special bus sidewalk on the otherside of the bikepath, but immediately as she reaches the bus-sidewalk she turns around and runs back towards the normal sidewalk. The unfortunate part is that mountainbiker decided to pass just as she reaches the bus-sidewalk and as she pivots and runs back he has to block his brakes not to hit her full on. Resulting in him hitting her back leg and felling her onto the normal sidewalk.

Quite actionpacked

He was visibily chocked and starts yelling that you can’t turn around run back.

Overall all places where there’s a bus stop we as a bikers need to be at highest alert. When there is no bus-sidewalk and a bus is there we have to stop to let people leave and enter the bus. The dangerous part is when there is a special sidewalk and the pedestrians aren’t completely alert they very often mindlessly wander onto the bikepath, leading to similar situations as the one above. (or the far worse situation where bikers decide that they don’t have to stop and try to slalom the bus-passengers at high speed)

Posted 3 months ago

Comments

safety, pedestrians,