Tag: Dutch

Cycling in the Netherlands is, quite simply, part of the culture. But it hasn’t always been so. There was a time when cars dominated Dutch streets, and by the early 1970s there were thousands of deaths each year from traffic accidents. But the Dutch fought for change, and they won. For decades now, the Netherlands has been a forerunner in the cycling revolution. Amsterdam has long been known around the world as the “Cycling Capital”. This shows in the statistics. Although Copenhagen is the city with the most actual cyclists (closely followed by Amsterdam), the Netherlands as a whole still has the highest numbers of cyclists per capita in the world. What Bikes Do Dutch People Use? The distinctive bikes…

A few years ago I visited Amsterdam to see a close friend of mine, who is Dutch. She’s not sport-obsessed, but she cycles everywhere, as do most Amsterdam residents. She also arranged for me and my friends to have bikes while we were there – the trusty and wholly wonderful ‘omafiets’ that are so comfortable. Of course, I’d known for a long time that Amsterdam was a cycling city, regarded globally as the pinnacle of “bike-friendly”. But nothing really prepared me for experiencing it first hand. I’d been cycling in London for years without any issues, but it was an absolute joy to be cycling in a metropolis, almost entirely separate from traffic. And I’ll be honest, none of us…