You are heading to Copenhagen to study abroad and you want to bike like a local. Learn all about Danish biking rules – from what to do…to what not to do…with Benji as he bikes you through Copenhagen.
Special Thanks
This video was filmed and edited by Fall 2016 DIS Alumnus Benji Cooper: www.benjicooper.com.
Additional filming and acting by Zachary ‘Reggie’ Sanderson and Eric ‘thicc’ Kil.
Music by enoe: “Advanced Basecamp”, 2011 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)
About DIS
DIS is a non-profit study abroad foundation established in Denmark in 1959, with locations in Copenhagen and Stockholm. DIS provides semester, academic year, and summer programs taught in English, and offers high-impact learning experiences for upper-division undergraduate students from distinguished North American colleges and universities. The intellectually challenging curriculum is broad, cutting edge, and enriched by experiential learning components, including faculty-led study tours across Europe. It provides students with opportunities for meaningful cultural engagement and personal growth, which is further enriched through housing and extracurricular offerings.
Visit us at DISabroad.org/copenhagen
42 Comments
As a Danish Person, I love that a lot of my kind is breaking the rules, as they are beeing listed. So realistic.
Did you wear that helmet as an additional humorous element of your video? The rest was mildly mirthsome. I've heard or read somewhere that helmet wearers are given less space and respect by motorists than that given to naked headers or those wearing alternative head gear. Dublin, a city of comparable size to Copenhagen, has 100,000 bicycle commuters every morning. However, our pedestrian and cycling infrastructure is appalling by comparison. Hence the lower numbers using bikes, no doubt.
You are SUPERIDIOT cause YOU DON' T HAVE MIRRORS LEFT AND RIGHT
Great video! Funny and useful 🙂
Go to NL mate. 🇳🇱🚲👍
There is actually nothing in the traffic law that makes turning left illigal. But its just not very smart to do, since its super dangerous. So its not recommended, but you can do it if you are carefull and there is no-one around.
Good information. As a dane, i didnt know about the fine for biking on pavement 😲
do you have any other videos on Copenhagen? I'm thinking of moving there
it was really fun to watch, nice vid 😀
Pretty much EVERYTHING in this video is wrong.
no hands or/ and no feet dumbist rule ever
Really helpful – THANKS!
0:27 That's now how you wear a helmet properly. Also not required by law, but a good idea all the same.
1:45 Wow…just wow dude, you had 20 meters to brake and you still managed to grab a handful of front brake =S.
2:40 Love how you literally recorded yourself breaking the law…what an idiot.
In Austin, Texas I believe there are also many laws for byciclests, but if you obey any of them, you are considered a pussy.
https://youtu.be/TCSVN7pK4cc
You'll also get fined if you cycle without lights after dark, and also it's strictly illegal to ride your bike while drunk or otherwise intoxicated. Not wearing a helmet isn't illegal, but it is dumb. That doesn't stop a lot of danes though tbh.
Helmet are for assholes
det ka’ da ik’ være så svært!
* Laughs in Dutch *
Just moved to Copenhagen and this video is really useful. Thanks a lot! I was definitely confused about turning left and the stop signal.
Hej, it was very nice vdo, but I don't get what's wrong with the one in 2:26?
hahaha
Im surpised you arnt riding a dutch style bike
When turning left, you do not need to wait for the other light to turn green, but you may not get in the way of anybody traveling in your original direction (or opposite). Most people do it the way you describe, and it's definitely safer.
No, you don't need to wear a helmet.
Ok Casey neistat
This is a great and well done video. Thank you
Denmark has a long way to go to make their cities bike friendly. Having a bike lane right next to a car lane with no physical barriers is not completely separate.
Many of those fine´s has now been doubled,, so better follow the rules 🙂
Ditch the stupid helmet!!!!!!!!!!!
Mate, you need a yellow reflector in each wheel (attached to the spokes). It's missing on the bike in the video 🙂. Also, might be worth mentioning, that the bike is required to have a white replector visible from the front, a red reflector visible from the back, and two yellow ones moving, visible from the back (typically on the pedals). Otherwise, I think you covered it. Good job.
1:49 Turning right when it's red is illegal, and it's 100% legal to take a big left turn as long as the road is clear, or go and wait on the other side, and then just take off, when the intersection is free (even if the light in your new direction is red).
I'd hate to be the "well actually guy", but you can actually, legally, follow the cars on a left turn, however, you can't do it if you'd cause a nuisance to anyone else. So, If you can't do it without causing a problem, you should definitely use the method where you cross the first street, and wait for a green light to cross the second one.
It isn't very well known here in Denmark, despite it being perfectly legal.
As a driver and bicyclist, what I find most annoying, is bicyclists that seem totally oblivious to the traffic rules, I reckon that if they had a driver's license, they would know and hopefully obey, the traffic laws, but an astonishing amount of them have poor judgment, and what I can only interpret as an unjustified sense of entitlement and self-righteousness, which is likely to get them killed. They seem to suffer from the delusion that just because the blame will right off the bat be placed on the driver, when a bicyclist gets creamed, they can ride as they see fit, and it's somebody else's problem to keep them safe… But what they clearly fail to understand, is that those of us who drive would prefer not to cause the death of some random dude or dudesse, so we do our best to keep everyone around us safe from the potential destruction we could cause with a powered ton of steel, but we simply can't foresee each and every insane idea bicyclists may come up with, and we can't prevent them from making stupid decisions, and putting their own lives at risk. It doesn't matter who has the right of way, if you're the weaker party, and you are when you're riding a bicycle and mixing with cars, realize it, accept it, and act accordingly! We're not trying to kill you, but please stop making stupid decisions, you are putting yourself in danger and it doesn't matter who is right and who is wrong, when you're dead and someone else has to live with the fact that they killed you because you were stupid…
Wait, no no hands cycling??? What is this? My Dutch heart will not allow it!!!
Annoying background music
Great video! Thank you!
The stop signal was new to me, haha was a bit surprised when first riding here
I just got my bike this week and have been a bit nervous to start using it, but this video has helped ease those fears 😬
Step 1 wear a helmet? Nobody wears a helmet in Copenhagen.
Just moved to Denmark. This video was really useful. Thanks!!
this is the best video
Thanks for this very funny yet educating video! I might be riding my bike through Copenhagen this fall.