Dutch bike culture, from an outsider's perspective

[landotter]

Being a Scandinavian guy, it seems so odd that the guy who put up
these pictures didn't know about what I consider the obvious. Never
seen a skirt-guard? What a cloistered life to live. :^P

Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:

http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/

 

[Cathy Kearns]

"landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Being a Scandinavian guy, it seems so odd that the guy who put up
> these pictures didn't know about what I consider the obvious. Never
> seen a skirt-guard? What a cloistered life to live. :^P
>
> Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
>
> http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/
>
Great pictures. Last summer we took a Baltic cruise vacation, starting in
Stockholm and ending in Copenhagen. A few times at stops we took biking
tours, and at the end, in Copenhagen, we rented bikes for a day and traveled
around. Ring locks, no helmets, chain and skirt guards. I fell in love
with the freedom of those types of bikes. In September I bought me one for
my birthday:
http://www.breezerbikes.com/bike_details.cfm?bikeType=town&frame=d&bike=uptown

Yep, it has the chain guard, the ring lock, the hub generator lights. And
it's wonderful. I can, and do, go shopping, errand running, and to sporting
events on it in my skirt and heels. Yep, here near San Francisco on the
lower penninsula people do look surprised to see me, but I still love it.
The only down side is it doesn't have a skirt guard. And like the Dutch,
when I do pull out my road bike to go out for exercise I do put on the lycra
and helmet.

 

[landotter]

On May 29, 4:51 pm, "Cathy Kearns" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...> Being a Scandinavian guy, it seems so odd that the guy who put up
> > these pictures didn't know about what I consider the obvious. Never
> > seen a skirt-guard? What a cloistered life to live. :^P
>
> > Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
>
> >http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/
>
> Great pictures. Last summer we took a Baltic cruise vacation, starting in
> Stockholm and ending in Copenhagen. A few times at stops we took biking
> tours, and at the end, in Copenhagen, we rented bikes for a day and traveled
> around. Ring locks, no helmets, chain and skirt guards. I fell in love
> with the freedom of those types of bikes. In September I bought me one for
> my birthday:http://www.breezerbikes.com/bike_details.cfm?bikeType=town&frame=d&bi...


Yup, I had a clone of that bike myself for years. It got junky looking
pretty quick, but ran great--as doing half a dozen errands per day are
hell on a bike's finish--and with such a bike, you have no excuse to
not ride in in whatever you've got on.

A new bike shop opened up about 3/4 mile from my front door that's to
sell Electra Amsterdams. I'm really tempted to get one, except I'm
none too keen on the "feet forward" hooey. I might just have to put a
skirt guard on my fixed gear instead.

http://valleycyclingandfitness.com/itemdetails.cfm?id=487
(not my shop in the link)

I liked the responses at the bottom, especially the Dutch commenter
that mentioned that kids there have a week of bike education to get a
certificate, then periodic retraining. They pointed out that in the
US, we often plop helmets on them, then teach them to ride on the
wrong side of the road. Hilarious to see the Dutch perspective. They
think American bike habits are appalling.

 

[R Brickston]

On 29 May 2007 12:42:30 -0700, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:

>Being a Scandinavian guy, it seems so odd that the guy who put up
>these pictures didn't know about what I consider the obvious. Never
>seen a skirt-guard? What a cloistered life to live. :^P
>
>Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
>
>http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/

He makes a big deal about the huge bike chains and locks. Old
Amsterdam saying: If you yell out to a large group of cylists riding
by, "Hey, that's my bike!" about five guys will jump off of "their"
bikes and take off running.

 

[Zoot Katz]

On 29 May 2007 12:42:30 -0700, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:

>Being a Scandinavian guy, it seems so odd that the guy who put up
>these pictures didn't know about what I consider the obvious. Never
>seen a skirt-guard? What a cloistered life to live. :^P

He seemed a little confused about dynamo powered lights and serious
locks too.

One thing he didn't mention that is quite obviously different from
San Francisco is the lack of obesity evident in the street scenes.
--
zk

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
landotter <[email protected]> writes:

> I liked the responses at the bottom, especially the Dutch commenter
> that mentioned that kids there have a week of bike education to get a
> certificate, then periodic retraining. They pointed out that in the
> US, we often plop helmets on them, then teach them to ride on the
> wrong side of the road. Hilarious to see the Dutch perspective. They
> think American bike habits are appalling.

Here's a little more info on cycling in the Netherlands.
I think it gives a more realistic treatment than some
of the preconceptions we so often hear in North America.
http://www.aero.lr.tudelft.nl/~bvo/fiets/nlbybike.htm


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

 

[DougC]

Zoot Katz wrote:
> ....
> One thing he didn't mention that is quite obviously different from
> San Francisco is the lack of obesity evident in the street scenes.

That's because the bicycling done in these countries isn't a major
factor in obesity rates.

This page:
> http://ruudvisser.wordpress.com/2006/12/04/planes-trains-automobiles-sort-of/
-notes that the average bicyclist in the Netherlands covers something
like 550 miles per year, or about two miles per day. How many calories
do you burn pedaling at a casual pace for two miles a day? Not very many
really.

------

One factor (I've read of) that is suspicious in US obesity rates is the
high amounts of corn products used in processed foods, as well as
livestock feed.

With the proposal for the large-scale adoption of ethanol as motor fuel,
it is speculated that the price of corn may rise so high that its food
uses are curtailed.
Here's to hoping.
Cheap gas and no more corn sweeteners!
It's a win-win situation.
I'll be able to go into anywhere and buy soda made with /real/ /actual/
/sugar/ in it again.....
~

 

[landotter]

On May 29, 10:12 pm, DougC <[email protected]> wrote:
> Zoot Katz wrote:
> > ....
> > One thing he didn't mention that is quite obviously different from
> > San Francisco is the lack of obesity evident in the street scenes.
>
> That's because the bicycling done in these countries isn't a major
> factor in obesity rates.
>
> This page:>http://ruudvisser.wordpress.com/2006/12/04/planes-trains-automobiles-...
>
> -notes that the average bicyclist in the Netherlands covers something
> like 550 miles per year, or about two miles per day. How many calories
> do you burn pedaling at a casual pace for two miles a day? Not very many
> really.
>

1.5 miles per citizen per day. That includes elderly invalids,
infants, and car owners. I suspect the actual cyclist average is
closer to ten. Ten miles on an omafiets will certainly be very
beneficial to health.

 

[R Brickston]

On 29 May 2007 22:25:17 -0700, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:

>On May 29, 10:12 pm, DougC <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Zoot Katz wrote:
>> > ....
>> > One thing he didn't mention that is quite obviously different from
>> > San Francisco is the lack of obesity evident in the street scenes.
>>
>> That's because the bicycling done in these countries isn't a major
>> factor in obesity rates.
>>
>> This page:>http://ruudvisser.wordpress.com/2006/12/04/planes-trains-automobiles-...
>>
>> -notes that the average bicyclist in the Netherlands covers something
>> like 550 miles per year, or about two miles per day. How many calories
>> do you burn pedaling at a casual pace for two miles a day? Not very many
>> really.
>>
>
>1.5 miles per citizen per day. That includes elderly invalids,
>infants, and car owners. I suspect the actual cyclist average is
>closer to ten. Ten miles on an omafiets will certainly be very
>beneficial to health.
>

And the legs on the Dutch women are superb looking.

 

[[email protected]]

On May 29, 2:42 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> Being a Scandinavian guy, it seems so odd that the guy who put up
> these pictures didn't know about what I consider the obvious. Never
> seen a skirt-guard? What a cloistered life to live. :^P
>
> Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
>
> http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/


Thanks for sharing. This is very interesting.

Lewis.

*****

 

[catzz66]

landotter wrote:
> Being a Scandinavian guy, it seems so odd that the guy who put up
> these pictures didn't know about what I consider the obvious. Never
> seen a skirt-guard? What a cloistered life to live. :^P
>
> Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
>
>


It's great to see so many people using bikes in their normal routine.

 

[Colin Nelson]

"catzz66" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> landotter wrote:
> > Being a Scandinavian guy, it seems so odd that the guy who put up
> > these pictures didn't know about what I consider the obvious. Never
> > seen a skirt-guard? What a cloistered life to live. :^P
> >
> > Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
> >
> >
>
>
> It's great to see so many people using bikes in their normal routine.

More here :-http://www.awfulgood.com/doa-archives/000185.php

--
Colin N.

Lincolnshire is mostly flat ... But the wind is mostly in your face

 

[Colin Nelson]

"Colin Nelson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "catzz66" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > landotter wrote:
> > > Being a Scandinavian guy, it seems so odd that the guy who put up
> > > these pictures didn't know about what I consider the obvious. Never
> > > seen a skirt-guard? What a cloistered life to live. :^P
> > >
> > > Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > It's great to see so many people using bikes in their normal routine.
>
> More here :-http://www.awfulgood.com/doa-archives/000185.php

Oops!

http://www.awfulgood.com/doa-archives/000185.php
>
> --
> Colin N.
>
> Lincolnshire is mostly flat ... But the wind is mostly in your face
>
>

 

[Ozark Bicycle]

On May 30, 6:38 am, catzz66 <[email protected]> wrote:
> landotter wrote:
> > Being a Scandinavian guy, it seems so odd that the guy who put up
> > these pictures didn't know about what I consider the obvious. Never
> > seen a skirt-guard? What a cloistered life to live. :^P
>
> > Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
>
> It's great to see so many people using bikes in their normal routine.

Indeed it is. That is what is lacking here in the US, where so many
cyclists fall either into the can't-afford-a-car/suspended license
camp or the racer-wannabe camp.

 

[[email protected]]

On May 29, 12:42 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:

> Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
>
> http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/

Beautiful.

We spent two weeks in Holland in August. It is, indeed, an incredibly
bicyclist-friendly country. Where there are separate bike trails
(that parallel the road), the bike trails have their own traffic
signals. Where the trails intersect the roads directly, the cyclist
has the right-of-way.

It needs to be said, though, that this Utopia is not readily
transferable to too many other places. The bulk of Holland is dead-a$
$ flat. The bikes can weigh whatever somebody chooses to make them
weigh and it will virtually never be an issue. This is a major factor
in why ridership is so nearly universal.

Family bike touring and camping are incredibly popular. Everywhere
you go, you see the cyclist routes clearly marked for the various
towns. Infrastructure (campgrounds) exists in abundance.

If only......

 

[Matt O'Toole]

On Tue, 29 May 2007 22:12:01 -0500, DougC wrote:

> Zoot Katz wrote:
>> ....
>> One thing he didn't mention that is quite obviously different from
>> San Francisco is the lack of obesity evident in the street scenes.
>
> That's because the bicycling done in these countries isn't a major
> factor in obesity rates.
>
> This page:
>> http://ruudvisser.wordpress.com/2006/12/04/planes-trains-automobiles-sort-of/
> -notes that the average bicyclist in the Netherlands covers something
> like 550 miles per year, or about two miles per day. How many calories
> do you burn pedaling at a casual pace for two miles a day? Not very many
> really.

A lot more than when not moving at all. Europeans walk a lot more too, while
Americans hardly walk at all -- only to and from their cars.

Matt O.

 

[Olebiker]

On May 30, 7:38 am, catzz66 <[email protected]> wrote:
> landotter wrote:
> > Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
>
> It's great to see so many people using bikes in their normal routine.

Put that guy riding in his suit on a bike in Atlanta's hills in the
Summer. He wouldn't look so content.

 

[landotter]

On May 30, 10:46 am, Olebiker <[email protected]> wrote:
> On May 30, 7:38 am, catzz66 <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > landotter wrote:
> > > Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
>
> > It's great to see so many people using bikes in their normal routine.
>
> Put that guy riding in his suit on a bike in Atlanta's hills in the
> Summer. He wouldn't look so content.

Put him on the street cruising from midtown to downtown on Peachtree,
and add a nice Panama hat for the sun, and he'd be just fine. For the
real summer heat, buy your guy a MARTA pass.

 

[Paul Myron Hobson]

Olebiker wrote:
> On May 30, 7:38 am, catzz66 <[email protected]> wrote:
>> landotter wrote:
>>> Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
>> It's great to see so many people using bikes in their normal routine.
>
> Put that guy riding in his suit on a bike in Atlanta's hills in the
> Summer. He wouldn't look so content.
>

Pssh...More people commute around here than you realize.

\\paul

 

[Paul Myron Hobson]

landotter wrote:
> On May 30, 10:46 am, Olebiker <[email protected]> wrote:
>> On May 30, 7:38 am, catzz66 <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> landotter wrote:
>>>> Fun pics if you've not been to Holland:
>>> It's great to see so many people using bikes in their normal routine.
>> Put that guy riding in his suit on a bike in Atlanta's hills in the
>> Summer. He wouldn't look so content.
>
> Put him on the street cruising from midtown to downtown on Peachtree,
> and add a nice Panama hat for the sun, and he'd be just fine. For the
> real summer heat, buy your guy a MARTA pass.
>

Thing is, before 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning, it's nice out!

Get to the lab, shower.

Work.

Go home as the sun's just starting to set (hot, but the good hot).

Start dinner, chug water.

etc etc