Dreams On Wheels

Exhibition and conference at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh

The Danish Cultural Institute, Great Britain, in collaboration with the Scottish Government, The City of Edinburgh Council, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark and various cycling organisations, is presenting the cycling exhibition, Dreams on Wheels in response to Denmark hosting COP 15 –The UN Climate Change Summit – in 2009.

The exhibition, which is being curated by Thomas Ugo Ermacora, from Etikstudio, will be on show in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh from 24 January to 21 March 2009. As well as the exhibition there will be many exciting events for children and adults, which will take place in and around Edinburgh.

The Danish Cultural Institute, in partnership with the Scottish government, is also hosting a conference, Dreams on Wheels –Cycling for a Change, which will include presentations by a number of leading Danish experts who will highlight exciting strategies for improving cycling conditions in Scotland.

The intention of the exhibition, the public events and the conference is to promote cycling as an alternative form of transport and to show how the benefits derived from it relate to important topics such as climate change, energy conservation, the environment and health.

The Danish Cultural Institute, Great Britain would like to thank all those mentioned above and others who have played and important part in this project.

Dorthe Foged,  Director The Danish Cultural Institute. Great Britain

Visit Dreams on Wheels at The Danish Cultural Institute, Great Britain

Back to travel schedule

1. ”Fixed gear” is something than happens after you take your old Raleigh down to one of the 20-30 bike shops in your neighbourhood to have them look at ”broken gear”

2. If a car honks at you in traffic, you hardly notice. Instead it makes you think that it’s been a while since you took your kids to the park to feed the ducks… Hmmm… maybe this Sunday?


3. You think nothing of riding home in 35 degree heat, with your four year-old on the bike seat, two bags of groceries dangling on your handlebars, talking to your partner on the phone about dinner - all the while heading up a steep hill and STILL being able to growl ”Stay on the right!” in three languages at the weaving, gasping tourists on their rental bikes whom you just flew past as though they were carved in stone.


4. When you feel yourself start sweating on the bike lanes on your way to work… you just ride slower. And if the forecast is for hot weather, you leave for work a bit earlier so you don’t have to ride so fast and get too sweaty.



5. The only place you ever see Lycra or spandex is in old Jane Fonda workout videos or on joggers in the parks.



6. And you’re quite sure that Gortex is that guy who plays midfield for Bayern München.


7. When your bike breaks down and is in for repairs you take your other bike, or you take the train or bus. Even though your car is parked out front.



8. Of the few people who wear those helmet things in the world’s safest cycling nation, only a handful are actually wearing them correctly and many just carry their helmet in their basket.



9. The odd-person out in your circle of friends is the one who has never fallen off their bike while riding home drunk. You mock him/her regularly.


10. You have, at one time or another, checked to see if your clothes match your bike.



11. You and your friends have repeated discussions about which bike repair shop in your neighbourhood is the best for price and service.



12. When you see somebody with rolled up trouser legs you think, ”what a shame that fellow can’t afford a chain guard”. You consider rolling up next to him at the next light to give him some money.


13. You don’t even know that you live in a ”bike culture” and have never used the expression. You just ride.


14. You use your time waiting at a red light in bicycle rush hour with over 100 other cyclists to check out new fashions. ”Wonder where she got those shoes? Cool sunglasses on that guy… must be Prada. ”


15. Your entire wardrobe can be classified as ”cycle wear”. Espeically those stilettos from Christian Louboutin or your new double-breasted trenchcoat from Tiger of Sweden. 


16. When the odd motorist cuts you off you fix him with an icy stare and shake your head in pity before riding off and forgetting the whole episode 50 metres farther down the bike lane.


17. You find rust on bicycles to be charming and aesthetic. Shiny new bikes are somehow gaudy.


18. It takes you over fifteen minutes to find your parked bike at the train station.

Photographs © Colville-Andersen
Written by Mikael Colville-Andersen
Find interesting thoughts and observations on Danish bicycle culture by Mikael Colville-Andersen on Copenhagenize.

© Colville-Andersen

In Denmark, at last count, 18% of the population cycle daily

2. In Copenhagen, 36% of the population of the Greater Metropolitan area cycle daily to work or places of learning. That is 500,000 daily cyclists

3. If you exclude the Greater Metro Area and just count Copenhagen proper, 55% cycle daily. On a hot summer’s day that number can reach 65%

4. 80% of the above cyclists continue to ride throughout the winter

5. In urban areas in Denmark there are separated bike lanes along most streets. In the country, most roads have separated bike lanes off to the side

6. Denmark has the world’s safest bicycle culture. Our safety statistics are exceptional

7. The busiest bike stretch in the nation is Nørrebrogade in Copenhagen. 35,000 cyclists use the street each day

8. The average speed of cyclists in Copenhagen is 15,3 km/h

9. Danes cycle just over 1000 km a year per capita. The Dutch occupy second place, just under 1000 km

10. There are 1.7 million people in Copenhagen and 1.7 million bicycles

11. Only 40% of Copenhageners own a car.
12. 36% of Copenhageners ride a bicycle, 35% take public transport and the rest drive or walk

Written by Mikael Colville-Andersen

Find interesting thoughts and observations on Danish bicycle culture by Mikael Colville-Andersen at  www.denmark.dk.