How to Enjoy Copenhagen's Free Bike Program

The city of Copenhagen has a free bike program that only requires a deposit of a 20 Kroner coin to liberate a bike. When you are finished riding the bike, you will get your deposit back, but first some background information about Denmark and bicycles.

Bicycles probably out number cars, especially in Copenhagen, where a separate system of traffic lights has been set up to control the two-wheeled traffic. It is not unusual to see a large pack of cyclists, sitting at a light waiting for the light to turn green. And then when it does the group moves in unison quickly down the city street until they arrive at the next red light. Many choose to travel to work in this manner, even business who think nothing of riding to work wearing coat and tie. At the central train station, the visitor will see so many idle bikes stacked up in mass, that they will wonder, how anybody ever finds their original bike, but somehow they do.

You can use one of the many free bicycles that the city provides just by depositing a twenty kroner Danish coin in the locking device that holds the bike. This unlocks the bike and you are free to ride the bike around town. The bikes, when not in use, are stored in long, metal racks that must hold from ten to twenty vehicles. There they remain rain or shine until the next user comes along.

The racks are located at popular locations around the harbor and downtown area. During a warm sunny day the bikes are popular, so you have to get up early in the morning to get one. When you are finished you just simply find an empty place on the rack and when you re-attach the lock your Danish coin is returned. Some of the locals have been known to liberate the bikes on a long term basis, but that is rare for the system seems to work fairly well.

The bikes stand out for they have a large red and white Coca-cola advertisement displayed on each wheel. Also, they are rather basic mechanical creations that do not move very fast. Still, it is a real thrill to join the throngs of two-wheeled riders, and cruise around the network of bike lanes and traffic signals that have been created here for cyclists. Sooner or later you will find yourself in one of those big packs of riders, waiting for the light to turn green.

For those who prefer a ten-speed, you are not going to find any of those at the free bike racks, but there are many places that will be happy to rent you one for a day. Even so, riding around the harbor area on a free bike is an unusual way to see the city. It is definitely something that you just might want to write home about.