We finally rode bikes...

 Hi All!

Holy holy smokes! Getting up on a bike finally was amazing and terrifying and insane. At first, it was really hard to get the hang of backpedal brakes and an upright bike. Once I figured out how to stop without running into anyone (I plead the fifth), biking felt kind of intuitive. We did this little activity where we went out on our own into the city (a terrifying experience in and of itself) and discreetly tailed a Copenhager. A) They all bike really fast. B) They all bike really really close together. C) Yes this activity did feel a little weird to do. The best way I can describe it, was that they all move like flowing water. It was very overwhelming and confusing at first. But after a while, biking started to feel easy, and I figured out it was because I was never competing with cars for space. It was astonishing. On all the streets where cars went over 15 mph (an estimate) there was a separated bike track that was elevated. On the neighborhood streets it didn’t feel like you needed one. 

Everyone in Copenhagen bikes. That’s not even an exaggeration, 50% of people commute by bike and there are something like 3 million bikes in this city of 1 million people. No one was wearing typical American biking gear. People were just out commuting or running errands. They wore suits and office clothes, dresses and skirts, sports uniforms, and more. Some people wore helmets, most did not. People carried things in fascinating ways, strapped to racks, in their hands, I even saw a cello on someone's back! It felt like biking was so normal and uninteresting to them, that was just what got them from point A to point B. Parents would commonly bike with 2 children attached to a bike, on small little seats. It was amazing how creative and adaptable they’ve made biking to be. 

A couple additional things make biking in Denmark easy, including bike boxes in front of cars that are turning right and bike signals allowing bikes to go a second before cars (to get out in front and be visible). The cycle tracks here are only one way, and to make a left turn you cross to the far side of the street, wait in a little bike box, and then go straight. This seems like a really smart idea and I’d love to see it in Eugene, I think it’d solve a lot of problems on 13th Ave. It feels like lights are set up to be at a biking speed, because you can sail along down a road without coming to a stop for quite a while. Apparently, there’s a bike ‘highway’ out into the suburbs that’s programmed for bike timing. Cyclists riding at 20 kph can hit 100 green lights in a row. That is literally amazing. Heyyy @ShaneRhodes, could we get 13th something like that? There are many other bike and foot traffic only streets, however it’s not as strict as at home. Cars that live on the street, or are making deliveries, or just plain taxis will go down these roads really slowly. There are also these lovely beautiful bike paths through parks. These might be my favorite. Bikes all come with wheel locks, and that’s the only thing Danes use to secure their bikes. It makes it so easy to walk up to your bike, throw the key in, and bike away. I think I can do it in under 7 seconds, I’ll time it for you all next time. 

Yesterday, we went on this bike tour with this hilarious and kind local, Bike Mike. He explained to me how cycling came to be so popular in Denmark. It all started after World War 2, when Denmark was struggling as a country and very very poor. The Danes didn’t have money for cars, so everyone rode bikes. As the country started to get back on its feet, everyone switched to driving cars. Then, the 1973 oil crisis happened, and the country instituted different  car regulations. This coincided with the Greenpeace environmental movement. To keep the city moving, Copenhagen started investing heavily in bike infrastructure. Slowly, it became the easiest option to use, as it’s now the most convenient, fast, and cheap option, and better for the environment. Mike says he doesn’t even have to worry about parking! Apparently, for comparison's sake, Copenhagen has a similar sized population to Portland and also a similar density. I think the skyscrapers and single family housing adds up to the typical Danish 6 story apartment. 

Alright y’all, ever the architecture nerd, I’m gonna geek out for a moment. Even though these homes are all (almost all) in small apartment buildings, they seem so livable! They have all the advantages of being in a city, with tons of grocery stores and cafes in the surrounding streets. Almost all of these apartments (as far as I can tell) come with inner courtyard areas, a lot of which are green. There are so many balconies and big windows. The Danes seem to be experts in creating places to live outside in small corners of the city. And Copenhagen is full of parks, so even if you have neither of these things, beautiful green space is always close by. These parks are always full of people. Another funny city design observation is that there is no defensive architecture, actually I really haven’t even seen many people who are homeless here. 

Okay, so the wildest thing just happened. To set the scene, I’m sitting in this cafe blogging with some friends. And there is this really cute baby here with his father; I know absolutely nothing about babies, but maybe 9 months old? Crawling but not walking? And I’m making faces at this lil kid, just kinda sticking my tongue out in between ordering and working on my blog. I’m getting in the zone and the dad comes over and asks if I will hold his kid as he readjusts his sling situation. I HAVEN”T HELD A BABY IN SO LONG! What do I do??? Can he support his head? (I think so?) What if he starts to cry? For how long will I be holding this child??? Anyways, like any good Samaritan I say yes, and THIS DANISH MAN HANDS ME HIS DANISH BABY AND I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH IT!?! It actually went surprisingly well, my lil friend was pretty curious and liked being bounced around a bit. I patted his tummy? Is that even a thing you do with babies? I do that with my dog??? Does that even apply??? Anyways, the dad fixed his sling and then took his small child back, and I realized how nervous I had been. My little friend didn’t cry though! I’d consider that a traveling success. 

Okay friends! I’m once again so impressed that you made it this far. I’m doing well! Travel and change has always been really hard for me, and it takes me a few days to find my feet. Well I’ve found my biking legs! Things have been sailing along pretty smoothly during the past few days. The cohort is amazing, a good mix of undergrad and grad and we’re all getting along swimmingly. I’m so excited to keep adventuring and exploring! See you all in a few days!