The Danish Turn - Cycling in Denmark

[steveindenmark]

Not a clue. I ride like a cycle courier

Just follow what everyone else does. You will soon get the hang of it. Just watch the trucks and buses turning right and keep well away from them.

 

[humboldt]

I got yelled at in Copenhagen for not knowing about this and trying to slow down and look for a gap in traffic to turn left.
I looked up how to do it after that but the idea of getting flattened by a car turning right during my hook turn always scared me and made me think it wasn't a great system.

 

[mjr]

I got yelled at in Copenhagen for not knowing about this and trying to slow down and look for a gap in traffic to turn left.
I looked up how to do it after that but the idea of getting flattened by a car turning right during my hook turn always scared me and made me think it wasn't a great system.

Why's that any more likely than getting flattened by a car turning right during going straight on? Lights and to some extent drivers there seem more set up for that not to happen.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I got yelled at in Copenhagen for not knowing about this and trying to slow down and look for a gap in traffic to turn left.
I looked up how to do it after that but the idea of getting flattened by a car turning right during my hook turn always scared me and made me think it wasn't a great system.

Can't see how the getting flattened could happen tbh. You get the jump at lights, and any driver having the temerity to get too close to a cyclist, let alone flatten them, will be roundly abused, or worse, by every cyclist within a 50m radius, and that is a lot of cyclists. (I remember watching a mum kick an open car door closed, denting it, because chummy had parked in the cycle lane. She was cheered.)

I found if you complied with the rules of the road and behaved predictable everyone was happy.
If you failed to comply or behaved unpredictably then you got pinged at, yelled at, honked at and everyone, even bystanders would castigate you
But... if you flouted the rules egregiously and rode courier-style then so long as you didn't inconvenience or endanger anyone else no one would say a dicky bird.

 

[jahlive905]

Is courier-style just London style?

 

[Globalti]

I don't understand why this is being discussed as if it's a big issue or difficult to do; it's nothing different from what any sensible cyclist would do when crossing a very fast, busy road where they didn't want to be exposed in the middle. Turn into a side road, go across and join emerging traffic to cross the main highway safely on the lights.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Turn into a side road, go across and join emerging traffic to cross the main highway safely on the lights.

Not quite. You cross the side road, then veer slightly right whilst pulling a 90 degree left turn as you come to a halt on the other side. Then you wait for the jump lights.

Quite counterintuitive for a UK cyclist used to sitting in the middle of the road to turn right.

 

[Globalti]

Eh? That's nonsense! It's not at all counter-intuitive! Any cyclist with half a brain can see that it's prudent to use a crossing route to avoid exposure in the middle of a busy highway. This involves simply (and carefully) turning into a side road, whether that's UK or Europe, waiting for a safe moment then crossing and joining the emerging traffic in the appropriate position for a cyclist. I have even done it occasionally driving on fast or busy roads if I thought that traffic behind me wouldn't see me stopping to turn right or to do a legal U turn or my position would cause delay to other drivers, In my car I would continue down the side road until I found a safe place to complete the manouever by going round a garage forecourt or reversing into an entrance to turn.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Eh? That's nonsense! It's not at all counter-intuitive! Any cyclist with half a brain can see that it's prudent to use a crossing route to avoid exposure in the middle of a busy highway. This involves simply (and carefully) turning into a side road, whether that's UK or Europe, waiting for a safe moment then crossing and joining the emerging traffic in the appropriate position for a cyclist. I have even done it occasionally driving on fast or busy roads if I thought that traffic behind me wouldn't see me stopping to turn right or to do a legal U turn or my position would cause delay to other drivers, In my car I would continue down the side road until I found a safe place to complete the manouever by going round a garage forecourt or reversing into an entrance to turn.

Most of the cyclists I know and see must have less than half a brain then.

 

[alicat]

I do a similar thing when turning right at the top of a hill on my way home. If there is anything coming up behind me, then I stop at the left hand side of the side road opposite my turn and wait for a clear road. Just common sense and self-preservation..

 

[alicat]

Oh and I hired a bike once on holiday in Copenhagen. It was easy to get the hang of and it makes sense with the way the traffic flows there.