Scandi Six: Bikes of Copenhagen

Out of everything I own, my bike is probably my most important possession. I can’t imagine living in Copenhagen without it. It’s the healthiest and fastest way to get around, especially now as construction has made travelling by car slower than a herd of snails.

You can see a lot of weird and wonderful Copenhagen bikes, so we’ve broken it down into the essential six bike types:

Road Bike

The road bicycle has become more and more popular in Scandinavia as interest in distance cycling grows. You only need this bike if you’re travelling long distances (yes, cycling across the country is a wonderful possibility!), as many people find that it’s less comfortable for city cycling.

Tandem Bike

You don’t see enough tandem bikes in Scandinavia. We say: bring back the tandem bike!

Mountain Bike

I’m under the impression that mountain bikes aren’t necessary at all in Denmark (I’m happy to be proven wrong and dare say I will be!). I’ve occasionally taken on the hills of Amagerfælled with my trusty roadster, so unless you plan on tearing up hills regularly, this isn’t important in Denmark. Mountain bikes, however, can be useful in the hilly terrain of Norway, Sweden and Iceland.

Cargo Bike

Cargo bikes, Christiania bikes, bullet bikes and pelican bikes are a wonderful aspect of Scandinavian cycling, especially in Copenhagen. Kids, drunken teenagers, dogs, and heavy Danish furniture are all common guests sittig or strapped to the front platform; in winter, nothing makes me more jealous than a baby tucked into the front of a Christiania bike. While useful, these bikes do take up space on in the bike lane, so be mindful of other, zippier cycles when steering one!

Roadster

The roadster is the most common bike in Copenhagen. It’s really the classic Copenhagen bike. This is sometimes also called a ‘city bike’ and there are lots of variations of the style.

This is my dad, Grant, with his first roadster (although he’s now moved on to road bike obsession):

Fixie

The fixed gear bike, a favourite with trendsetters, has mounted in popularity over the last 10 years. These bikes are incredibly sexy but in my opinion not as comfortable as the roadsters. Think of it as a sports car. Because this bike only has one fixed-gear, it’s perfect for the flat Copenhagen terrain but can be a little more challenging in the other Scandinavian capitals.