"We aren't cyclists, we're just Dutch"

[mvrider]

Q: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
A: tradition, oil embargo, outrage over car-caused child fatalities, government policy, amenable terrain
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23587916

In many cities the paths are completely segregated from motorised traffic. Sometimes, where space is scant and both must share, you can see signs showing an image of a cyclist with a car behind accompanied by the words 'Bike Street: Cars are guests'.

as young people aren't allowed to drive unsupervised until they are 18, cycling offers Dutch teenagers an alternative form of freedom.

Bike parking facilities are ubiquitous in The Netherlands - outside schools, office buildings and shops. In return you are expected to only lock up your bike in designated spots - if you chain your bike in the wrong place you could find that it is removed and impounded, and that you will have to hand over 25 euros to get it back.

Cycling is so common that I have been rebuked for asking people whether they are cyclists or not. "We aren't cyclists, we're just Dutch," comes the response.

Dutch people also tend to go helmet-free because they are protected by the cycle-centric rules of the roads and the way infrastructure is designed. If you see someone wearing a cycling helmet in The Netherlands, the chances are they're a tourist or a professional.

[moose8]

Cool article - thanks for sharing. I noticed this other article at the bottom - the guy rides 22,000 miles a year. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22589385

[R2D2]

I'm proud to be half Dutch. My grandfather came over from Holland.

You've got to give credit to a people that dug a country out of the sea and invented the cassette tape and CD.

And Holland is right next to Belgium as far a nice places to visit.
And both have great beers.

[carpediemracing]

I grew up in Holland and the attitude towards cyclists is different than it is around here (obviously). I didn't realize that we moved there about the time that the kindermoord thing was starting up, so I benefited from that when I started to ride a couple years later.

Holland has a few things going for it that, around here, are pretty hard limiters.
- Totally flat. I mean totally flat. I never understood going up hills until I rode a bike back in the US. Yes there's wind but you just go a bit slower. I could ride anywhere I wanted to ride.
- Things are close together. 5-10 minutes of easy riding and you're in another town.
- At least at the time it was more honorable. Most "locks" resemble a sidepull brake that goes through the rear wheel when you lock it. If you picked up the bike you could walk away with it. As a side note as 10-12 year olds we would jump on a train, go into another city, jump on a bus or tram, go to the end, and then come back home at 8 or 9 PM... doing such things was totally safe. Not sure what it's like now.
- Everyone rides so everyone looks for riders.
- Slightly different attitude as far as blame and such go. You hit a cyclist as a driver and it's really bad. Here it's the opposite, hit a cyclist and it's probably much better than hitting another car.
- Tax infrastructure makes cars very expensive. For example when I went there to race in 1992 it cost $90 to fill up the 11 gallon tank of the US-bought Nissan Sentra my parents had. It cost about the same to fill the tank of the Expedition the other day.

What's interesting is that I was totally into cars so I noticed all sorts of cars and such. There was a rally-cross track in town. I'd see Alfa GTVs, Porsches, etc. I don't recall ever seeing a race bike, i.e. a road bike. Every bike out there was either a 3 speed type bike with full chainguards and a rear fender/skirt thing or a kid's bike. Even my banana seat bike was super unusual. I don't remember seeing a race bike until I saw one after we moved back to the US.

[bikinchris]

Q: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?
A: tradition, oil embargo, outrage over car-caused child fatalities, government policy, amenable terrain
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23587916

Um, they are fooling themselves. The Dutch are NOT safer IMO compared to other countries. There are less than 17 million Dutch. They ride bikes far more than the US does so they had more miles. About 30% of all trips in Netherlands were by bike while about 6% of all US trips were by bike. Netherlands had 216 deaths in 2006, while the US had 716. The US had 300+ million people and while they rode bikes at a dramatic rate lower than the US, they still had about twice the number of bicycle miles compared to Netherlands.

I think this means they are no more safe than the US riders. I just came back from Netherlands and sent several weeks riding there. I have seen traffic in the towns and wonder why they don't have a much higher death rate.

I don't think they are horrible as far as safety goes, but they shouldn't claim superiority.