Who wouldn't want this? The joys of cycling in Copenhagen

Post date: Sep 18, 2014 12:17:36 AM

18 September 2014. It's probably the most enjoyable traffic jam I've ever been in. It's 8am and I'm crossing Queen Louise's Bridge, one of the pinch-points for anyone heading to the centre of Copenhagen, ringed as it is by waterways.

Vehicles are strung out behind and in front of me, and hem me in on each side – but they're two-wheeled vehicles, on a broad path designated solely for bicycles.

Rush hour: Copenhagen cyclists heading into the city centre. Photo: Michael O'Reilly

My fellow travellers defy glib categorisation. Most of them are dressed for work, from scruffy jeans to smart office attire; some are wearing helmets, but most are bare-headed in the bright sun. Their bicycles range from fancy to old-fashioned to utilitarian. They are old and young, and women appear to outnumber men – or perhaps I'm so used to a predominantly male cycling culture, my mind is overcompensating.