A photo of an apparent bike stand installation blooper in Christianshavn went viral on Saturday and into the early hours of Sunday after Copenhagener Johnny Ploughmann posted it on his Facebook page. But the municipality defends the installation, claiming that all is not as it seems.

The photo shows the bike stand next to a canal with the front wheel holders facing into the water, with no room for parking without ending up in the drink.

Method to the madness
But Anders Møller, a service manager at the Copenhagen municipality’s technical and environmental administration, told Ekstra Bladet that there was method to the madness.

“Our employees came to install the stand but the car parked in the photo was in the way, so they couldn’t turn it in the right direction,” he said.

“But they decided to throw the poles in anyway, because that is by far the most time-consuming part. When the car is gone they can easily turn the stand around.”

Copenhagen municipality also took to Facebook to explain the installation.

“It’s not a modern pedalo parking device,” they quipped.

“This way we don’t have to make an extra trip there and back with the rack.”