December 2, 2013

Winter Cycling in Copenhagen

What keeps 80 percent of Copenhagen’s cycling citizens riding through the winter?

Written by: Guest

What keeps 80 percent of Copenhagen’s cycling citizens riding through the winter?

While the Danish capital’s relatively light annual snowfall and average temperatures hovering around the freezing point may be mild compared to the American Midwest or the Canadian Prairies, these conditions would be more than enough to deter many North Americans from even considering a ride.

Clearing snowfall from the city’s cycle tracks is a priority – with most routes cleared before other city streets – but it is the existence of a convenient, accessible, and connected network in the first place that makes cycling an attractive option to Copenhageners, no matter what the weather may be.

1 Comment

Jean
December 7, 2013
Calgary (Alberta) has had a policy where the city does genuinely try to clear the snow within the first few hours on the parks pathways –which run several hundred km. all over the city. Some examples here: http://velourbanismblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/17/snow-ploughing-the-separated-bike-lanes-calgary-ab/
http://velourbanismblog.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/winter-cycling/
The advantages of Calgary’s winters, despite some incredibly (and dangerous) cold winter temp. (last night was -40 degrees C after we had a blizzard several days ago) are: a) dry prairie air year round. Unlike Vancouver and Toronto, Calgarians buy humidifiers for their homes to prevent fine furniture wood from cracking b) weather phenomena of warm Chinook winds which suddenly warm up area and cause snow melts several times during winter. But then it’s melt, snow-freeze very cold, melt, etc. ever-ending cycle.
It appears to me Copenhagen winters are kept balmier far greater than Calgary’s. The snow in many of the photos looks more wet….like Toronto/southern Ontario where I lived first 3+ decades. 🙂
Jean @ http://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com