Bikes of Copenhagen

I’m always impressed by technology developments, design innovation and skilled production. In the high cost of living Scandinavian countries where secondary education is encouraged and subsidized, the economy gravitates toward these value-added services and industries. But not everyone in Copenhagen is ready to jump on this band wagon. The island/neighborhood of Christianhavn stays close to its counter culture roots with a large car-free zone and settlements along a long urban park, buttressed between the old earthen city walls. Quite in contrast to the generally affluent streets and canals of the center of town, Christianhavn sports communities of eclectic shacks made almost exclusively of recycled building materials. It smells like camping--the long, damp, smoky kind of camping. What brought me to explore the parks and neighborhoods of the island was neither the lakeside setting nor the unregulated construction style, but rather their interesting mode of transportation.

Ashleigh and I first noticed it sitting in a coffee shop on a busy street corner. In a city with excessive car taxes and traffic signals timed for traffic moving an average speed of 20km/hr during commute times, it’s no wonder Copenhagen has more bikes than it has people. Combine a bike culture with a government that offers mothers 15 months of fully paid maternity leave and you have a city with plenty of kids on their parents’ bikes. Leave it to a fertile society of innovators to manufacture their own version of transportation—from the island of Christianhavn was born the cargo bike, or as I like to call them, the reverse tricycle.

True to its counterculture roots, the reverse trike is built neither for speed, maneuverability nor fashion, but functional it is. With a square bucket on the front, roughly the size of a typical dock cart at a marina, the reverse trike has two wheels on the front. End user options are limitless. Take for example the double wide kids seats, the dog and kid with seatbelts or the open plan for groceries, firewood or more recycled building supplies. Many of the trikes are produced by a local company who’s site is: http://www.christianiabikes.dk/galleri.php It’s in Danish, but you’ll get the idea. A great video of these bikes is at: http://www.copenhagenize.com/ Check out the “Cargo Bike of Copenhagen” video.

Sure Copenhagen has some great castles, canals and coffee shops—just be sure to keep an eye out for the trikes, you won’t be disappointed!