Cycling in Denmark

If you've ever been to Denmark, you are well aware of the fact that these Danes cycle everywhere. It is quite possibly the world's cycling utopia.  There are special bike lanes, special bike traffic lights, tire pumping stations, and (until very recently) you could leave your bike anywhere unlocked and not have to worry about theft. In some places there are more cyclists than motorists!

After watching all these bikes for the past two weeks, I was itching to go on a ride. Sunday morning I was blessed with the prettiest day since I arrived and a day off work! Bike ride, here I come!  The only problem? I didn't pack cycling gear. I didn't pack a helmet, and I didn't pack my bike.  So, what did I do? Running tights, jeans, and rain paints on the bottom, Brooks longsleeved shirt, Brooks quilted vest, my $12 thrift store winter parka score, a scarf, a hat, and my Brooks gloves on top (it was cold, yo!) My ride? Well, I had to borrow one of the lab's bikes:

I put the hand pump in the back (yes, I was a wee bit nervous about doing a long ride with no spare tube or cell phone), an orange, an energy bar, some water, and my trusty map in the front:

And with that, I was off on my adventure! It was amazing. The sights and sounds.  I felt like I was in a movie. Every minute I kept saying "you've got to be kidding me! Can it get any more perfect?" I had no idea where I was but was completely fine with it. Things just kept getting cuter and cuter.

In one small village, I came upon a stand of apples from the family tree.  I just had to stop and buy some.

(After this picture was taken a litter of kittens came out and rubbed against my legs. I wasn't kidding when I said things kept getting cuter and cuter). 

After I bought the apples, I had about 15 pounds of applies split between my front and back basket. I must have looked pretty ridiculous cruising down the road loaded with apples and pedaling furiously (at least for a cruiser bike) at 80 rpm.  I got some strange looks from cyclists on real road bikes, but I didn't care. I was having my Danish adventure!

In the end I rode about 40 miles, and I was exhausted! Carrying all that weight was more taxing than I thought, and it made me really miss my tri bike.  But I was in much need of a good workout, because just a few days earlier we had this for a party of 6 people:

(The sad face of a Frayed Laces who ate too much)

If you ever decide to visit Denmark and do some cycling, make sure you know the rules or you could get a $100 fine!