Reflections on biking in NL v. Denmark (Amsterdam vs Copenhagen)

Now that I have had my fair share of time exploring Amsterdam by bike, I would like to make some comparisons on how it functions versus in Copenhagen. Since each aspect compares differently, I have broken down the comparison into sections of culture, convenience, safety, and 'implementation in the US.'

Cultural Differences

These are less important but still notable. The Danish are much more formal and orderly. Eg. most people in Copenhagen are very consistent with their turn signal usage. Also, they wait out red lights. Their bike lanes (cycle tracts) have a consistent style to them which can be found on any street.

Meanwhile in the Netherlands, biking rules the streets here. Rules are only a suggestion here. I have also noticed a lot more construction here blocking the bike lanes. When this happens, bikes will either take up the adjacent road or they will bike the 'wrong way' down the bike lane on the other side of the street. Surprisingly, this is viewed as being normal. Additionally, few people use turn signals. Cyclists feel more inclined to run a red light. This doesn't mean it's unsafe however, it all kinda just flows. I would imagine that those who ride here on a daily basis are extremely used to it. I was pretty comfortable with it myself just after my first day of riding around, but I could see it being challenging if you aren't from here. Also, 99% of people do not wear helmets here.

A reminder for drivers to make eye contact with cyclists

Convenience

Another aspect to look at is convenience. This is such a hard one to compare because both cities are extremely convenient if you own a bike. While Amsterdam has a robust network of bike streets, they also have a pretty extensive metro, tram, and intercity system as well. (Copenhagen does not have street trams). There are some downfalls to Amsterdam, however. There is a shortage of bike parking in the city center, and in certain areas, bike parking isn't allowed. (I almost had my bike towed for being parked in the wrong area!). Therefore, I think Copenhagen might win this category... even though the bike network is probably slightly below Amsterams, one can park their bike practically anywhere, and usually just locking the rear wheel (without chain/cable lock) is safe.  

Safety

I kept thinking about this, and I have a hard time deciding which one is safer. Even though Copenhagen's cycle tracts directly parallel the roads, and they have to perform the two-step left turns (which I am still not a fan of) I think they might be safer thanks to the orderly cycling etiquette of the Danish.

In Amsterdam, just the fact that there is slightly less structure to the system makes it a lot more dangerous. Also, there are lots of trams on the streets of Amsterdam which make for another big (and moving) obstacle to avoid. Even when the trams aren't present, their tracks pose a safety risk as well. If you ride parallel to the tracks, your wheel could fall in and you will probably crash!

Trams and bikes are all over the streets of Amsterdam

Also, believe it or not (and the main reason I might prefer Copenhagen) is that Amsterdam has more instances where bikes have to share the road with cars (with little to no protection). For those who are familiar with infrastructure back home, these are similar to the neighborhood greenways concept except in the middle of the urban core. In Amsterdam, they have entire roads that are painted in the red 'bike lane' paint with signs that indicate that 'cars are guests.' Even though car traffic is limited, the few cars that are there still speed past me. To me, this seems like a step backward... why not eliminate cars completely from these roads? Even though bikes are a priority on these roads, cars will still try to pass bikes, and at times they will be aggressive and honk if you don't get out of their way :/...

Bike lane where cars are 'guests' (see blue sign in top right)

Which one is more applicable to the US? 

Copenhagen. Even with their rules, the bike network just felt so intuitive, it was rarely stressful. Copenhagens downtown also has a similar model to the US (ie. many throughways for cars). Most US cities are not as old as Amsterdam, so, therefore, its model is a little harder to implement in the US.

Other (slightly less notable) differences I have noticed about Amsterdam:

  • There are way fewer cargo bikes on the streets. On the flip side, I have seen a lot more people riding off the front or end of bikes.
  • More bikers on the roads. Biking around at Dutch rush hour was an absolutely crazy experience. (20+ bikes piled up at a red light!)
  • As noted already, there is way less helmet usage here. I have maybe seen one or two people a day using helmets
  • Less bike-share? I haven't been paying super close attention but it seems as if the branded bike share rentals are less common here. While I have seen a few of the orange 'Donkey' bikes (which are also in Copenhagen) I have seen way less here. I also know the rail stations offer OV-Fiets bikes, but this is only really helpful if you want to rent a bike from a train station.
  • Unlike in Denmark (and maybe because they are so popular here) bikes are not allowed on trains here. Honestly, I don't know if this is a good or bad thing.

Not all bike lanes are flat in Amsterdam

For some reason, there are a lot of tiny pavers in some of the bike lanes. This makes the ride extremely bumpy. It's a tiny design choice, but it makes the biking experience slightly more uncomfortable.

Bike path pavers

Which one do I prefer?

If I had to pick which city I would want to live in, surprisingly. I might have to say Copenhagen. This surprised me because I really thought that Amsterdam would be an easy winner here. While I really like the extreme amount of bike infrastructure that is in Amsterdam (that is far superior to Copenhagen's) I think it is just a little too hectic biking around in the urban core. I would feel safer if there were more roads that were completely car/tram free...

SIDE NOTE: This decision is solely based on my experience riding around in Amsterdam. Based on what I've been told, Utrecht gives off a much different vibe, so maybe I will have to revisit this question after I go there to see if I still prefer the Dutch style or the Danish.

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