Cycling in the Netherlands
Created | Updated Oct 4, 2012
Introduction
============
In the Netherlands the bike is as common and popular means of transportation
as the car. Bicycles are used to commute (for work up to about 20 km away),
to shop, to go to school, to go out and to friends, and for recreation and
sports. All of this is possible because in this densely populated country
distances to destinations are relatively small, and bikes are integrated
into the infrastructure of everyday traffic by a dense net of cycle paths.
Cyclists are discriminated against with respect to motorized traffic, so these
lanes are in general not as nicely asphalted as roads for cars. But at least
you have them. At least you are relatively safe from cars on them [1].
Infrastructure
==============
You will find traffic lights and signs especially aimed at cyclists
everywhere. They are ignored most of the time, but that is irrelevant; they
_exist_. This is because it is important, if not crucial, that a great
many people use their bike to travel: traffic jams increasingly clog up all
the available roads, and there is only so much space that the Dutch want to
sacrifice to build highways on [2]. Bikes of course require less space.
Driven by necessity, but often also for ecological, economical, and health
[3] reasons, people use their bikes in all kinds of weather; they are often
clothed for both rain (rain suits, which however do not prevent your feet
from getting soaked or the rest of your body getting wet from the inside)
and wind (which you have in abundance in this flat landscape). There are
yet some sane people in this country as well though: when the weather gets
less comfortable you'll see less bikes on the road and in various company
bike-sheds.
Who Are The Cyclists?
=====================
What you'll also notice, when you're cycling around here, is that really
_everyone_ does it: from infants to old folk, when they _can_ cycle, they
_will_ cycle. Also, everyone in the Netherlands has at least one bicycle.
This of course makes it necessary, as a cyclist, to expect and adjust to a
variety of cycling-behaviour. Infants have tiny bikes and have it imprinted
in their genes to swerve all over the road. Luckily mostly parents are
present to limit their movements. Older children often see driving in
traffic as a game (like for instance Doom), especially when in each others
company. Old people, on the other hand, tend to drive veeeery slowly,
because they are not physically as flexible as they used to be and in
general have to deal with less sensory input to use for navigation.
Sometimes these folks, but also other people, drive so slow that you have to
admire them: the sense of balance that is required to do that is
considerable.
In between these age groups there are all the other people; they drive
slowly, normally, and very fast [4], and (the most dangerous types) in
company. In the Netherlands these are allowed to drive alongside each
other in rows of two but only as long as they don't hinder other traffic.
As when you drive together a conversation is mandatory, they have less
attention to devote to navigation, so be careful when you meet such a group.
A special class of these group-cyclists are school children. In the morning
hours they bring traffic to a virtual stand-still while they crawl towards
school in rows of three, thinking that if they cycle just slow enough not to
fall over, the school may be out by the time they reach it. This invariably
fails, but somehow they never learn. To them, other kinds of traffic don't
exist. Be prepared to ride behind one of the thusly formed 'snakes' at
velocities approaching that of a mammoth in a tar pit.
Behaviour
=========
What unites all these bikers is their anarchism. They mostly only live by
the traffic rules if they really have to, and take many liberties with
regards to cars and other types of traffic. Strange enough this seldomly
goes wrong, as everyone has learned to expect this behaviour and
anticipates strange moves. Plus, for reasons of cyclists being the more
vulnerable, accidents involving bikes and cars are by law defined to be the
fault of the car driver, except when cyclists exhibit exceptionally stupid
behaviour.
Some rules are made to be ignored. Take the unfair situation at traffic
lights. On crossings cars are detected by induction loops in the road.
Cyclists, however, mostly have to push a button. This means that cars can
leave up to a whole pre-programmed traffic-light cycle before the bikes are
allowed to. And that really sucks when the rain is seeping into your every
pore.
The way I usually get right of way is by making eye contact with a driver
and telepathically sending the message: "Matey, if you hit me with that
car, I'll do more damage to it than you'll do to me!" Of course this is an
ill representation of the truth, but it works nonetheless. Maybe people are
as materialistic as they appear to be, but my guess is that they're thinking
that it's best to give nutters right of way anytime.
Although they should, many people don't look around and behind them when
manouvring through traffic on their bike. A rear view mirror would relieve
a lot of problems, but it is not considered cool to have one. It is only
accepted for pensioners and recumbent bikes. Also, vandalism would soon
force people to buy a new one, so people rather take the risk of having an
accident. An alternative is the type of rear view mirror that looks like
a dentist's instrument taped to your glasses. A useful product in many
situations...
Addiction
=========
Many cyclists are so addicted to cycling that on (and even for) their
holidays they go abroad to cycle. These are mostly the sportive types, as
it requires some effort to go up-hill. Going up-hill is great to build
condition, and the reward of racing down on the other side is worth a lot.
As we don't have many slopes in the Netherlands, all of the rest of the
world seems like a big roller-coaster. Our only hope is that they've got
less traffic and nicely asphalted roads. When you see someone cycling
somewhere in Europe in the summertime, there is a high chance that this
person is Dutch. Even more so when they don't wear a cycle helmet, as the
Dutch are not accustomed to them and confident enough (or too arrogant for
their own good) about their skills. Cycling abroad can be lots of fun,
especially in areas where people aren't used to bikes, or find it silly to
use them (e.g. because of steep slopes -- I found for instance the mountain
area east of Porto, Portugal to be such a place). They will cheer you on
with great smiles on their faces -- I have yet to sneak back to spy whether
they then smirk and say: "What nutters!"
Crime
=====
What has become part of everyday life, but what is ridiculous really, is
bicycle theft. Especially in cities you would be crazy not to carry around
a minimum of two locks, one of which should connect your bike to something
solid and unmovable (like a tree or fence). Don't think for a moment that
the thieves won't be able to break your lock. It's just that the longer it
appears it will to take, the more chance there is that they will focus on
the bike next to yours or another easier target. The more locks the better,
although you will have to take into account that it will take you longer to
unlock (up to a day if you lost one of your keys), and its smug appearance
will attract vandalists.
If someone wants to sell you a bike cheaply (between 10 and 100 guilders)
chances are high that you are dealing with a junkie and the bike is stolen.
If you accept the offer, the law considers you just as guilty. However, the
police has other priorities than investigating petty theft like this, and
there is little chance that you would be caught (unless it's too obvious,
though shouting out loud "I have stolen this bicycle!" does not fall into
that category). When, however, someone confronts you and claims (adamantly)
that the bike you're driving on is theirs, there is little you can do except
give it back.
Types Of Bicycles
=================
Decades of every-day use has resulted in a type of bicycle that is typical
to the Netherlands (although I've spotted the few abroad). It is a sturdy
bike, built for all circumstances. You sit upright and can in principle
give someone a hike on the back. Parents with a child on the steering wheel
and on the back are not uncommon! Often, especially in (student) cities,
these bikes are basically wrecks, with lots of components rusty, out of
order, or missing. However, these bikes are cheap. It's best to secure
them with locks of about the same price as the bike. Don't ever think of
buying cheaper locks because you've spent so much on your bike already! A
sub-class of these bikes are the Dutch 'grandma bikes' (opoe fiets). It is
the former incarnation of the bike and thus much heavier than the new ones.
People like to drive them as an image statement.
The above special type of bike gets more and more competition from
mountain-bikes (or city-bikes, as some people call them when they have
additional comfy-items attached to them) and hybrid bikes. A type of bike
that is still seldomly spotted, but which slowly gains a wider following, is
the recumbent bike. This bike is far more comfortable and takes away almost
half of the resistance created by the air. Especially at higher velocities
and with (head-on) wind this is a great advantage. Unfamiliarity still
stands in the way of a greater popularity.
Cycling In The Netherlands
==========================
The Netherlands are great for recreational biking, as there are no hills and
such. On sunny days you will however experience how densely populated the
Netherlands are, as you will not be able cycle alone for one minute,
meeting all the above-mentioned categories on all the above-mentioned bikes
during your trip. Still, it's good fun, and there's plenty of places to sit
down and have a cup of hot chocolate with slagroom (whipped cream -- don't
laugh!) and a nice piece of apple pie.
A novice driver should however stay clear from the larger cities (such as
Amsterdam and the Hague), where fellow cyclists are often even more
anarchical, and where there are more situations that a beginning cyclist
would find difficult to cope with, what with all traffic participants going
in seemingly random directions.
As said before, the bicycle paths can still be improved a lot. Whereas the bike
needs a smoother surface than a car, the road wins the smoothness match over the
cycle paths. Moreover, cycle lanes are often given a rough surface, for grip or
whatever people came up with. It makes a difference of _many_ km/h (5-10)
between having a nicely smooth ashfalted road with gentle curves and pavement
stones or gravel, and the sharp corners people think nowadays are enough for
bikes.
As a leaving thought, imagine a beautiful place near you or anywhere else
in the world that has been wrecked because of all the cars, and then imagine
it car-less because the people have adopted the Dutch mentality...
[1] However, look out for the cars who, starved of their normal prey, may be
waiting at the mouths of cycle lanes so as to ambush unsuspecting
cyclists. The cars can't help it, instinct drives them to eat cyclists.
Although cars with old men in hats are the worst. -- Alex Gough
[2] Building our houses below ground to make way is a bit tricky, as the
water level very high.
[3] It is thought that the Dutch stay relatively slim and fit due to their
daily exercise on their bikes.
[4] My motto: Watch out! There's always somebody going faster than you!
Maybe it's me!
============
In the Netherlands the bike is as common and popular means of transportation
as the car. Bicycles are used to commute (for work up to about 20 km away),
to shop, to go to school, to go out and to friends, and for recreation and
sports. All of this is possible because in this densely populated country
distances to destinations are relatively small, and bikes are integrated
into the infrastructure of everyday traffic by a dense net of cycle paths.
Cyclists are discriminated against with respect to motorized traffic, so these
lanes are in general not as nicely asphalted as roads for cars. But at least
you have them. At least you are relatively safe from cars on them [1].
Infrastructure
==============
You will find traffic lights and signs especially aimed at cyclists
everywhere. They are ignored most of the time, but that is irrelevant; they
_exist_. This is because it is important, if not crucial, that a great
many people use their bike to travel: traffic jams increasingly clog up all
the available roads, and there is only so much space that the Dutch want to
sacrifice to build highways on [2]. Bikes of course require less space.
Driven by necessity, but often also for ecological, economical, and health
[3] reasons, people use their bikes in all kinds of weather; they are often
clothed for both rain (rain suits, which however do not prevent your feet
from getting soaked or the rest of your body getting wet from the inside)
and wind (which you have in abundance in this flat landscape). There are
yet some sane people in this country as well though: when the weather gets
less comfortable you'll see less bikes on the road and in various company
bike-sheds.
Who Are The Cyclists?
=====================
What you'll also notice, when you're cycling around here, is that really
_everyone_ does it: from infants to old folk, when they _can_ cycle, they
_will_ cycle. Also, everyone in the Netherlands has at least one bicycle.
This of course makes it necessary, as a cyclist, to expect and adjust to a
variety of cycling-behaviour. Infants have tiny bikes and have it imprinted
in their genes to swerve all over the road. Luckily mostly parents are
present to limit their movements. Older children often see driving in
traffic as a game (like for instance Doom), especially when in each others
company. Old people, on the other hand, tend to drive veeeery slowly,
because they are not physically as flexible as they used to be and in
general have to deal with less sensory input to use for navigation.
Sometimes these folks, but also other people, drive so slow that you have to
admire them: the sense of balance that is required to do that is
considerable.
In between these age groups there are all the other people; they drive
slowly, normally, and very fast [4], and (the most dangerous types) in
company. In the Netherlands these are allowed to drive alongside each
other in rows of two but only as long as they don't hinder other traffic.
As when you drive together a conversation is mandatory, they have less
attention to devote to navigation, so be careful when you meet such a group.
A special class of these group-cyclists are school children. In the morning
hours they bring traffic to a virtual stand-still while they crawl towards
school in rows of three, thinking that if they cycle just slow enough not to
fall over, the school may be out by the time they reach it. This invariably
fails, but somehow they never learn. To them, other kinds of traffic don't
exist. Be prepared to ride behind one of the thusly formed 'snakes' at
velocities approaching that of a mammoth in a tar pit.
Behaviour
=========
What unites all these bikers is their anarchism. They mostly only live by
the traffic rules if they really have to, and take many liberties with
regards to cars and other types of traffic. Strange enough this seldomly
goes wrong, as everyone has learned to expect this behaviour and
anticipates strange moves. Plus, for reasons of cyclists being the more
vulnerable, accidents involving bikes and cars are by law defined to be the
fault of the car driver, except when cyclists exhibit exceptionally stupid
behaviour.
Some rules are made to be ignored. Take the unfair situation at traffic
lights. On crossings cars are detected by induction loops in the road.
Cyclists, however, mostly have to push a button. This means that cars can
leave up to a whole pre-programmed traffic-light cycle before the bikes are
allowed to. And that really sucks when the rain is seeping into your every
pore.
The way I usually get right of way is by making eye contact with a driver
and telepathically sending the message: "Matey, if you hit me with that
car, I'll do more damage to it than you'll do to me!" Of course this is an
ill representation of the truth, but it works nonetheless. Maybe people are
as materialistic as they appear to be, but my guess is that they're thinking
that it's best to give nutters right of way anytime.
Although they should, many people don't look around and behind them when
manouvring through traffic on their bike. A rear view mirror would relieve
a lot of problems, but it is not considered cool to have one. It is only
accepted for pensioners and recumbent bikes. Also, vandalism would soon
force people to buy a new one, so people rather take the risk of having an
accident. An alternative is the type of rear view mirror that looks like
a dentist's instrument taped to your glasses. A useful product in many
situations...
Addiction
=========
Many cyclists are so addicted to cycling that on (and even for) their
holidays they go abroad to cycle. These are mostly the sportive types, as
it requires some effort to go up-hill. Going up-hill is great to build
condition, and the reward of racing down on the other side is worth a lot.
As we don't have many slopes in the Netherlands, all of the rest of the
world seems like a big roller-coaster. Our only hope is that they've got
less traffic and nicely asphalted roads. When you see someone cycling
somewhere in Europe in the summertime, there is a high chance that this
person is Dutch. Even more so when they don't wear a cycle helmet, as the
Dutch are not accustomed to them and confident enough (or too arrogant for
their own good) about their skills. Cycling abroad can be lots of fun,
especially in areas where people aren't used to bikes, or find it silly to
use them (e.g. because of steep slopes -- I found for instance the mountain
area east of Porto, Portugal to be such a place). They will cheer you on
with great smiles on their faces -- I have yet to sneak back to spy whether
they then smirk and say: "What nutters!"
Crime
=====
What has become part of everyday life, but what is ridiculous really, is
bicycle theft. Especially in cities you would be crazy not to carry around
a minimum of two locks, one of which should connect your bike to something
solid and unmovable (like a tree or fence). Don't think for a moment that
the thieves won't be able to break your lock. It's just that the longer it
appears it will to take, the more chance there is that they will focus on
the bike next to yours or another easier target. The more locks the better,
although you will have to take into account that it will take you longer to
unlock (up to a day if you lost one of your keys), and its smug appearance
will attract vandalists.
If someone wants to sell you a bike cheaply (between 10 and 100 guilders)
chances are high that you are dealing with a junkie and the bike is stolen.
If you accept the offer, the law considers you just as guilty. However, the
police has other priorities than investigating petty theft like this, and
there is little chance that you would be caught (unless it's too obvious,
though shouting out loud "I have stolen this bicycle!" does not fall into
that category). When, however, someone confronts you and claims (adamantly)
that the bike you're driving on is theirs, there is little you can do except
give it back.
Types Of Bicycles
=================
Decades of every-day use has resulted in a type of bicycle that is typical
to the Netherlands (although I've spotted the few abroad). It is a sturdy
bike, built for all circumstances. You sit upright and can in principle
give someone a hike on the back. Parents with a child on the steering wheel
and on the back are not uncommon! Often, especially in (student) cities,
these bikes are basically wrecks, with lots of components rusty, out of
order, or missing. However, these bikes are cheap. It's best to secure
them with locks of about the same price as the bike. Don't ever think of
buying cheaper locks because you've spent so much on your bike already! A
sub-class of these bikes are the Dutch 'grandma bikes' (opoe fiets). It is
the former incarnation of the bike and thus much heavier than the new ones.
People like to drive them as an image statement.
The above special type of bike gets more and more competition from
mountain-bikes (or city-bikes, as some people call them when they have
additional comfy-items attached to them) and hybrid bikes. A type of bike
that is still seldomly spotted, but which slowly gains a wider following, is
the recumbent bike. This bike is far more comfortable and takes away almost
half of the resistance created by the air. Especially at higher velocities
and with (head-on) wind this is a great advantage. Unfamiliarity still
stands in the way of a greater popularity.
Cycling In The Netherlands
==========================
The Netherlands are great for recreational biking, as there are no hills and
such. On sunny days you will however experience how densely populated the
Netherlands are, as you will not be able cycle alone for one minute,
meeting all the above-mentioned categories on all the above-mentioned bikes
during your trip. Still, it's good fun, and there's plenty of places to sit
down and have a cup of hot chocolate with slagroom (whipped cream -- don't
laugh!) and a nice piece of apple pie.
A novice driver should however stay clear from the larger cities (such as
Amsterdam and the Hague), where fellow cyclists are often even more
anarchical, and where there are more situations that a beginning cyclist
would find difficult to cope with, what with all traffic participants going
in seemingly random directions.
As said before, the bicycle paths can still be improved a lot. Whereas the bike
needs a smoother surface than a car, the road wins the smoothness match over the
cycle paths. Moreover, cycle lanes are often given a rough surface, for grip or
whatever people came up with. It makes a difference of _many_ km/h (5-10)
between having a nicely smooth ashfalted road with gentle curves and pavement
stones or gravel, and the sharp corners people think nowadays are enough for
bikes.
As a leaving thought, imagine a beautiful place near you or anywhere else
in the world that has been wrecked because of all the cars, and then imagine
it car-less because the people have adopted the Dutch mentality...
[1] However, look out for the cars who, starved of their normal prey, may be
waiting at the mouths of cycle lanes so as to ambush unsuspecting
cyclists. The cars can't help it, instinct drives them to eat cyclists.
Although cars with old men in hats are the worst. -- Alex Gough
[2] Building our houses below ground to make way is a bit tricky, as the
water level very high.
[3] It is thought that the Dutch stay relatively slim and fit due to their
daily exercise on their bikes.
[4] My motto: Watch out! There's always somebody going faster than you!
Maybe it's me!
