If you’re new to cycling in Copenhagen, your goals are simple: stay safe, avoid fines, and keep your bike. Well, not so easy.

Survival Tips

• Keep to the right. Stay on the right-hand side of the bike lane and be prepared for faster cyclists to overtake you on the left.

• Signal your intentions. Use hand signals to let other cyclists know when you’re turning left, turning right, or stopping.

• Stay in your lane. Ride predictably and avoid sudden swerves.

• Check behind you before changing direction. A cyclist might be overtaking you, so look over your shoulder before turning or moving across the lane.

Avoid Fines

To avoid (costly!) fines from the police, remember to:

• Stay off the sidewalk. Use the bike lane.

• Never cycle across a pedestrian crossing. Dismount and walk your bike across.

• Follow one-way streets. Don’t cycle against the direction of traffic unless cycling in the opposite direction is explicitly permitted.

• Keep your phone out of your hand. Stop somewhere safe if you need to check it.

• Stop at red lights. Don’t assume you can follow the cyclists ahead of you through a red light.

• Use bike lights after dark. Make sure your lights are on after dark.

How to Keep Your Bike

Bike theft is common.

• Park somewhere secure. If possible, keep your bike inside your building or in a locked courtyard. You still need to lock it at all times.

• Lock your bike to something solid. Always secure your bike to a bike rack or another suitable, fixed object.

• Don’t rely on locking the wheels alone. A bike locked only by its wheels can be lifted into a van and taken away. 

Cycling in Copenhagen gets easier with practice. Stay alert, be predictable, and remember that the bike lane is part of the traffic system—not a place to stop and figure things out.