Practical safety tips for cycling in Copenhagen

The rules of the road keep you legal and safe in traffic. These are the practical habits that make day-to-day cycling in Copenhagen easy - the things locals just know.

Lock it like a local

Bike theft is the one crime you are most likely to meet in Copenhagen, so lock well:

• Every Danish bike has a built-in wheel lock on the rear wheel. Always use it - but it only stops someone riding off, not carrying the bike away.
• Add a heavy chain or U-lock through the frame and around a fixed rack or post. Lock the frame, not just a wheel.
• Park in a bike rack in a busy, visible spot. Rental bikes are a target, so do not leave one overnight on a quiet street.
• Note where you parked and snap a photo of the bike - a thousand black bikes look alike at a station.

Rain and winter riding

Copenhageners ride year-round, and so can you:

• Fenders are standard on Danish bikes and keep the road spray off your back. A light rain jacket handles the rest.
• In winter the cycle tracks are cleared, salted and ploughed before the car lanes, so they stay rideable.
• Ease off on painted lines, tram rails and metal plates when wet - they get slippery. Brake earlier than you think you need to.
• If the weather truly turns, every bike rides free on the S-train, and app bikes can be dropped at the nearest hub.

Be seen

Lights are the law after dark (white front, red rear), but visibility helps day and night. Make eye contact with drivers at junctions, signal clearly, and assume a turning driver has not seen you until you know they have.

If you have an accident

• Move out of the cycle track if you safely can, so you are not hit by following riders.
• For injuries, call 112 (free emergency number, English spoken).
• Exchange details with anyone involved and photograph the scene. For a rental, call the shop or app - many include insurance.
• For non-urgent police matters, call 114.

Carrying things and kids

For anything bigger than a backpack, rent a bike with panniers or a cargo bike. Children must ride in an approved child seat or a cargo box - which is exactly why the city is full of them. Cargo bikes handle differently when loaded, so take a slow practice lap before you set off.