Relative to both these places, the poverty/ungentrification (and threats of gentrification) really comes through. Everyone cycling is everyone cycling and mostly enjoying it (i.e. there is nothing fake) BUT on the other hand I am working professionally in promotion/reflection of cycling… AND walking and the functionally different walking with old dogs… so I also don't just focus on the positive.

While a lower quality of bikes, cycling infrastructure/domination of car infrastructure and sheer numbers (relative to the aforementioned cousins) is somewhat evident, what is missing in these images is two things which are, in part, a result of that: Low cycling amongst non-European immigrants and high amount of annoying, occasionally dangerous but rarely injury-causing conflicts with pedestrians caused by European immigrants with low skills in cycling.

Mikael from Copenhagen and Henry from Amsterdam deny that the latter is much of a problem in their cities and I have to believe it (been to Amsterdam a bunch recently but was not looking at it from a kind of bulky with dogs perspective) and haven't been to Copenhagen since 1986.

I tend to focus too much on the negative but still, like in a good record (CD), sad songs make the happy songs sweeter, and vice versa. We all gain from more comprehensive views of cycling in all cities, no matter how much we think things need to be improved.

I am glad you enjoyed your visit.

And I'm not saying ANYthing! :)

(before you say anything about my precious “blauwe stier”, I do have a DIY customised one in Spain, but I could never lock it on the streets in A'dam, even though from a financial point of view it is much cheaper)

You did just write down the exact same reasoning about B's as Lauren…guess the verdict is universal and those sandals are devilishly addictive :)

Yes, Birckenstocks are still the hippest old stuff around, Lauren resisted for years, but folded eventually (although that was in Italy a few weeks ago, where the stock also seem to evaporate fast).

Btw, are Birckenstocks as popular in the country they originate as here? :)