Yes, we really bike to school, work, grocery shopping etc.
[A reader told me the people of Denmark also do a lot of biking. I looked it up online, and they sure do. More about biking in Denmark. I'm not going to try and decide whether the Dutch or the Danish bike more - suffice to say that within Europe these are the two countries with most bike rides. It's probably not a coincidence that Denmark, like the Netherlands is very close to the ocean and has very few hills.]
Bike tracks ...
A Dutch girl on a bike
What does your bike need to survive the Netherlands?
Your bike absolutely needs the following - most of these will be standard fixtures on any Dutch Bike:- A bike lock, preferably two: one that locks the wheel to the frame. Another to lock your bike to something else - a tree, a lamppost or a fence for instance.
- a bike-bell. ask for a 'fietsbel' in your local bikeshop. This fixture is mandatory for Dutch bikes. (see the picture for an old-fashioned model)
- A headlight and a light in at the back of the bike. Again: mandatory (at night anyhow).
- Both wheels need to have side-reflection. Dutch bikes will have this as a matter of course
- Red reflector at the back of the bike
Bikes in storage - 'fietsenstalling' - on some busy location
Schools, train stations etc. have storage room like this
Bikes in jams - bike stals and bike flats
You have to look really well to see it - but this really is a picture of hundreds of bikes in one stall. and yes, that's a familiar scene on railway stations, near schools and on a smaller scale near shops.
Bicycling in the Netherlands
A normal way to travel
One reason why bikes work in Holland is that our country is so flat. What we call hills would hardly be recognized as such in most other countries.
Bikes are also very practical in our old, crowded cities. And we have a lot of those. But you will also find Dutch people riding their bike in the country-side during weekends. You will find bikes in villages. You will find bikes just about everywhere you go in The Netherlands.
Try crossing the street in Amsterdam - you won't be able to, if you don't pay attention to the bikes.
Men going home from the office - on bikes
Dutch bikes abroad
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- Dutch bikes
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Kids & their parents on bikes
Kids on bikes
The Netherlands - where is it?
Bikes on Trains
But you can also buy a ticket for your bike and go with your bike on the train. Sometimes there are several bikes in the train - but usually the landing where you can put them is quite empty.
Clothes with bikes on them :)
Skirts and bikes
The answer is: yes, we do. It does take some skill though. When I'm in a skirt I will usually reserve one hand to keep it from blowing up. The other is enough to keep me going in the direction I want to.
Still, bikes could be one reason why Dutch women wear pants so much.
This woman is still wearing her high heals, her short skirt belonging to her work uniform - on her way home from work.
Nothing inappropriate about it :)
So you want to ride a Dutch Bike?
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Some Dutch woman on a bike
Bicycle tours in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany
Bicycle Touring Holland: With Excursions Into Neighboring Belgium And Germany
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Amazon Price: $18.57 (as of 07/05/2009) 
Just an ordinary day in the country: bicycling to a country bar-restaurant and back...
Bikes and thieves
Personally I have a bike-bag for another reason: it decreases the chances of my bike being stolen.
Everybody in The Netherlands needs a bike. But for poor people like students the cost can be a problem. Also - students live lives in which bikes can very easily be stolen. You know: bikes out on the town on a Friday-night.
So what happens is: these bikes go through a cycle.
1) stolen
2) person no longer has bike, needs one, can't afford a good one
3) buys one off a thief
In order to prevent a bike from getting in this cycle it makes sense to 'disguise' it. Make it look less good than it actually is, for instance. Many students paint their brand-new bikes so that it will be less conspicuous when they're out on the town.
Also - it bears repeating - every bike needs a lock, or two
Guestbook / Gastenbook
Anything I forgot? Ben ik iets vergeten te noemen?
spirituality wrote...
Brenda: as you might expect it depends on how far you live from the place where you work. People drive to work here enough that we have traffic jams, and many of them. But many people still bike to work or to the supermarket.
Posted April 07, 2009
Treasures-By-Brenda wrote...
I want to go biking in the Netherlands!
How far do you have to travel when you go about your daily business? If my husband had to bike to work, I'm not sure how long it would take to bike downtown. It takes 30 minutes on a bus!
I think this lens could be improved by a picture of Katinka biking in her skirt! Any chance that will happen?
Blessed by a squidangel :)
Brenda
Posted April 06, 2009
Ylliks wrote...
Being Dutch myself I can only subscribe to what's being said here: the Netherlands is a fun place to ride a bike!
Posted April 03, 2009
steamtown wrote...
I love biking, but where I live it is somttimes difficult because of the snow! It was a natural hobby to take up after I quit running marathons.
Posted January 06, 2009
GrowWear wrote...
Love bicycling! Wish it were more common as a way of life here in the US.
Posted December 21, 2008
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