Netherlands Cycle People

The cycling culture here is incredible. A demostration of great vision, and genuinely part of the culture. I love it that you see young and old on bikes... it is no exaggeration to say eight months (with parent) to eighty! I love it that folk wear their finest clothes (all manner of normal clothes). I love it that folk cycle both fast and slow, but always with a seeming serene nonchalant practical effortlessness (helped, of course, by the flatness of the terrain). I love it that there is no requirement to wear a helmet, no "need", and that cycling is NOT regarded as some renegade fringe activity undertaken by death-defying rebels hell-bent on shitting mostorists. I love it that the law states that cars give way to bikes. I love it that it IS orderly, and the provisions (of bike paths and functional shared areas) work. I love it that the Dutch are (by and large) tall, fit, no-nonsence and almost never obese (despite all the fried snacks available!). I love it that folk older than my mother ride every day. I love it that people double-dink effortlessly (couples, friends). I love it that folk walk (run)  their dogs via bike. I love it that there are all manner of devices and seats to transport children and goods. I love the immobilization wheel locks folk have, so you can park anywhere easily (subject to security needs). I love it that you literally see couples riding side-by-side with their arms around each other... true! Gee, this is a long rambling paragraph... are you still reading?

Santa's helpers with a shy toddler in Nijmegen.

Orange bike lady in Amsterdam.

Pampered pooch.

Mum and kid, back streets of Amsterdam.

Dinking is common, as is parents protectively hearding younger children on their smaller bikes.

Many more photos to come.

Check out some more Dutch cycling photographs I had published on a friend's CYCLE ACTIVISM AND CULTURE BLOG.

Am I a bike person?

Here I am with borrowed bike on a day when I rode from Nunspeet to Hardewijk for the sake of it. I kept my headphones on (even if I WASN'T listening to my collection of podcasts) because they actually kept my ears warm!

Here I am, smapping an action self-portrait mid-ride on a bike tour of Amsterdam and beyond.

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