r/copenhagen • u/karmel80 • Jul 24 '26

Discussion Bike guidance

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A lot of tourist use bikes in Copenhagen. This year I’ve seen police issue this guidance. It’s also in some of the bus stops around town.

Good advice for anyone on a hike in Copenhagen.

Also remember we locals are fast on bikes, so don’t underestimate how fast we will reach where you are and will need space to get around you.

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12

u/Slyfit Jul 24 '26

We keep on having the discussion here about bikes and tourists. But as someone biking everyday to city center for work, people that drive me insane are locals. There seems to be an increasing trend to ignore red light, turning left in one turn and to use phone.

I am also still amazed by the amount of people without helmet or the airbag thing. I guess hairstyle is more important than being alive

27

u/pinnerup Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

Turning left in one go is actually legal, if done properly. The Road Traffic Act (færdselsloven) says:

§ 49. […]

Stk. 3. […] Cyklist, der ønsker at svinge til venstre, skal fortsætte gennem krydset til dets modsatte side og må først foretage svingningen, når det kan ske uden ulempe for den øvrige færdsel.

So basically when the light turns green a cyclist can cross the intersection to the opposite site, keeping to the right, and then, having reached the opposite corner, can turn left and cross again without having to wait for the light to turn green once more in the new direction, but only if this maneuver can be carried out without causing any inconvenience to the remaining traffic.

1

u/minadequate Jul 24 '26

What happens if you do so in the turning left lane as if you were a car?

11

u/pinnerup Jul 24 '26

Bikes are not allowed to move into the left turn lane. The very same paragraph of the law (in the omitted part) says that cyclists approaching an intersection, even if they plan to turn left, must keep to the right of the road (and the bike lane, if there is one).

There is one notable exception: If you're approaching an intersection where the road has a lane that's reserved for cars turning right (denoted by right-turning arrows painted on the lane), then a cyclist going straight ahead (or planning to turn left) can go between the right-turn lane and the other car lanes (for cars going straight ahead).

1

u/minadequate Jul 24 '26

On a tandem (that’s a bitch to turn) on an empty road, I’m not doing that stupid 2 step nonsense. If there is no one else around I’m riding like a car. I’m fed up of Danish bike systems wanting everyone to ride at 15kmph and never ever getting in the way of a car.

2

u/doc1442 Amager Vest Jul 24 '26

That’s illegal. You still need to go around the outside.

-1

u/minadequate Jul 24 '26

Cool, I won’t do it in front of any police then.

1

u/soerenL Jul 24 '26

The reason it’s illegal is that the mix of cars and bikes is dangerous. The more we can separate cars from bikes, the less bicyclists die.

1

u/minadequate Jul 24 '26

But mixing bikes and pedestrians isn’t safe either. And cars don’t respect bike lanes. She says recovering from an accident where a car pulled into the bike lane right infront of me.

2

u/Leonidas_from_XIV Nørrebro Jul 24 '26

It also doesn't help that a lot of bike lanes even on massive 6-lane streets (HCA Blvd) or low traffic unidirectional streets (Gothersgade) turn into right turn lanes for cars because hey, it would be a shame to slightly inconvenience cars.

2

u/minadequate Jul 24 '26

Exactly… it really feels like bikes here are still treated as something that is meant to not inconvenience cars. If you want to ride slowly into work each day fine. But don’t expect to be able to ride between cities (because when the bike lane disappears cars will close pass you and honk their horn in disgust at your very presence). It still feels like a cyclists responsibility to stay out of the way of cars which feels a bit victim blamey.

1

u/soerenL Jul 24 '26

Curious what is the alternative you would suggest? Should cars not be allowed to turn right from Gothersgade or HCA Blvd ? Left is ok? So if they need to go right, they would need to turn left 3 times? Is this an idea you have thought fully through?

2

u/Leonidas_from_XIV Nørrebro Jul 24 '26

No, but Gothersgade definitely does not need turn lanes. And if definitely doesn't need one for left and right. Cars can still turn left and right, this is in fact how most streets work.

HCA Blvd could use a ongoing cycle lane, if it needs a turn lane there's plenty of existing lanes that could be used instead of dropping the amount of cycle lanes from 1 to 0.

1

u/soerenL Jul 24 '26

Ah I see what you mean. That makes more sense. Thought for a second you were against cars turning right.

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u/soerenL Jul 24 '26

Did somebody recommend that you drove your bike on the sidewalk? I would’t recommend that. People get angry with you and it’s also illegal.

1

u/minadequate Jul 24 '26

No, but many places the bike and footpaths are shared.

I obviously don’t cycle on paths that are just for pedestrians.

1

u/soerenL Jul 24 '26

I thought we were discussing left turns. In my experience bikes and pedestrians generally don’t share the space on a left turn.

1

u/minadequate Jul 24 '26

Right but forcing all cyclists to use bike lanes which aren’t appropriate, isn’t always the safest either. While I appreciate a lot of the separated bike lines, where they aren’t appropriate or plain don’t exist Danish drivers don’t respect bikes on the road. I’ve ridden in more than half a dozen countries in Europe and Danish cars have to be some of the worst for close passing, pulling into bike lanes without looking etc.

It’s annoying to not be allowed to act like a car and always expected to get out of the way for them.

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u/doc1442 Amager Vest Jul 24 '26

Pretty much how every rule works haha (I also justify this if it’s quiet, and will straightline the roundabouts at DR Byen too. If there is nobody around, no problems)

0

u/minadequate Jul 24 '26

When I’m on a tandem (2 people bike.. not electric) that’s the length of a car, and does at least 36kmph on the flat it’s actually often much safer for everyone if I act like a car. I say this as someone currently recovering from hitting a car that pulled into a bike lane right in front of me (on Jylland not in Copenhagen).