Danish Bicycles

A guest contribution from David -

One of the attractions of coming to Denmark was the idea of a cycle friendly society.   We brought bikes, bought used bikes here, and have been “car free” all year.  What I had hoped was that this would be common here.  While we are certainly not the only “car free” family we know, there are many more cars here than I anticipated.  This is despite the fact that cars are very expensive here due to extra high taxes.  The real differences lie in the fact that cycling is the norm here for many people of all ages.  In particular I am consistently impressed by the number of  older cyclists who I see on the bike paths around town.  Cycling is not so much the recreational activity, but the everyday transit for many people.  Most of the bikes here are fairly upright city bikes, with a smattering of racing bikes and a reasonable number of mountain and cross bikes.  The stereotypical Danish bike has a 3 or 7 speed internal hub gear with a front hand brake and a rear coaster break. R. rides a such a bike.  Many bikes have what is called a roller brake, which like a disc brake is more effective in rain and snow than a rim brake.   The bike we have for J. has roller brakes front and rear and an internal 7 speed gear.  A. and I have been riding bikes that could easily blend in back home, his is a 6 speed derailleur mountain bike, and I have a typical 3x7 front and rear derailleur cross bike.

When I first made plans to come here I thought I might buy a bike here that I would take back to the US with me.  I was thinking about a folding bike, and tried to find one I would like.  I concluded if I wanted a folder it would be better to buy it when I was back in the US. 

The other type of bike which is surprisingly common here is the three wheeled cargo bike.   This is hard to describe without a picture.  The riders are very upright with one wheel behind and a cargo box with two wheels in front.  In the US, you might associate such a bike with an ice cream vendor, but here they are personal vehicles for carrying children, fishing gear, lumber, etc.  The bikes were developed and first manufactured at Christiana, a controversial “free town” created by hippie culture in the 70s in Copenhagen on a former military site along the waterfront.  Christiana has been in the news as legal battles continue over its right to exist.  It is a car free neighborhood, and the cargo bikes developed there have taken a foothold all over this region often as a family bike.  While these bikes are definitely Danish, I have felt no desire to own one. Recently the production of these bikes has moved to the tiny Danish Island of Bornholm, which is a popular summer cycling destination.

There is another distinctly Danish bicycle that has a connection to Christiana, although its roots are much older.  This bike is the Pedersen, which was developed by a Danish inventor at the end of the 19^th century.  The inventor, Mikael Pedersen was a Dane who had great success as an inventor, making major advances in the mechanization of the dairy industry with a continuous cream separator, and many other useful widgets.  He actually lived and worked in Roskilde, before he moved to Dursley England, where his business boomed.  He was a renaissance man, with a keen interest in music, inventions, social events, and bicycles.  He was said to log 5000 miles/year on bicycles but did not like the rough ride of the seats on the safety bicycles of the day.  He designed a new bicycle seat which is a bit like a hammock, and then followed this by inventing a bicycle frame to support this unusual seat.  The bike was mass produced in England and it has been suggested that if he were a better businessman this type of bicycle would have become extremely common.  Pedersen also patented 2 and 3 speed internal gear hubs, as well as building tandem and triple and quad bicycles.  He and his workers entered bicycle races and developed racing bikes that they tested on a track behind his home.  He played in orchestras, organized a town choir, and was a high profile person who supported his workers better than most in that era.  Sadly, he lost his fortune and had sour end to a fascinating life.  He died in poverty in Denmark in 1929.  

A quad Pedersen pacing a single racing Pedersen.  The bikes were used to set many cycling records at the time.

I had never seen a Pedersen bike in person, but I had seen many pictures.  I admit that my addiction to cycling has continued to grow, and the opportunity to buy a used Pedersen while I am here had a strong appeal.  The modern Pedersen bikes were built in Christiana by Jesper Sølling who hand built about 6000 bikes over 30 years, similar to the estimated 8000 bikes make in England in the early 20^th century.  Current bike frames are manufactured in Czech Republic.  I started looking for a used bike, admittedly encouraged by a recent article in Bicycling about a similar experience.  Today I saw a Pedersen bike, rode it, and bought it within a half an hour ride from our home here in Roskilde.  Here is a picture of my new-to-me bike, a Copenhagen Pedersen.   I know there are a few items I need to fix.  I still have that pride in a new possession with a bit of the requisite guilt for self-indulgence.  Tomorrow I hope to go for a ride and visit my friend’s bike shop and show him my new toy.