What a contrast. Here this explains in short and highlights the upside of biking in Copenhagen. They not only have wide dedicated bike paths, but they also have traffic lights only for bicycles. Imagine that, dedicated stop and go lights for the bike culture, just like the cars get. Also rent a bikes are all over the city, coin operated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrKXSRafDOI

Then here is a nice little clip by the news in LA about road wars, cars against bikes. It's just crazy, and shows what is so WRONG about our culture. Cars rule the road, absolutely. Bikes are really, bike at your own risk always, where bike lanes are either non existent or a foot wide. What cracks me up is that someone said the sidewalk is for bikes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO9mhyTk3hY

What my friend told me about living in Amsterdam, is that people only wear helmets for their racing bikes, never the casual utility bikes you see in most of those videos. They consider it simply too much trouble and impractical, although he said children wear helmets more then adults.