The Bicycle

Biking is not only a healthy and good sport, but extremely beneficial to the environment. It is possible to carry out most short errands on a bike. The food from the grocery store can be put in the backpack or in a bag on the bicycle itself. It is also possible to connect a basket to the bicycle.

The same type of consideration goes for the bicycle as the car, i.e. it has to be well chosen and reliable.

However there have not been any special bicycle routes placed in the Reykjavik master plan 2003-2014 and therefore cyclists in Reykjavik have to accept biking on pavements or with caution on the roads themselves. The Icelandic Cyclists Association has worked diligently during recent years to raise awareness of their needs and to work against prejudices against those who cycle.

Fear against accidents is the strongest argument against using the bike. However, it’s a fact that for certain age-groups it is much more dangerous to travel by car than to bicycle.

According to figures from the Reykjavik Environmental department, 60% of all errands by car travel less than 3 km.