The European Cyclists Federation launched their new website earlier this month and for this occasion I did a guest post, which of course also belongs on Amsterdamize. Here it goes (with a few [add-ons]):

I was asked by the ECF to tell you a little bit more about Dutch bicycle ʻcultureʼ and Amsterdam in particular. And it starts right there: I use quotation marks for ʻcultureʼ, because thereʼs a big difference in how the Dutch understand this word and how itʼs defined and used abroad. To have understanding about the differences and commonalities there needs to be context, and this is an important context to start off with.

Outside the Netherlands (particularly in the English-speaking world) ʻbicycle cultureʼ is generally defined by its minority status: within the whole transportation & lifestyle spectrum, urban cycling forms very much a ʻsub-cultureʼ, eager to become mainstream. Either marginalized by society or just not overly prioritized on a policy level, there everyday cycling is far cry from ʻcycling is for everyoneʼ.

Cycling is so much part of everyday life in the Netherlands that not many Dutch people give it a second thought, let alone recognize the ʻcultureʼ part of it. Itʼs that normal. As normal as water from the tap. Itʼs just there and we use it. And yes, the Dutch take it for granted. Which can be tricky with regards to advocacy, but on a whole itʼs a very positive thing.

Following the popular discourse: Amsterdam is unlike any other city. In the same way any other city is not Amsterdam, but unique in itself. The same applies to the whole country. Allow me to explain.

Amsterdam has the reputation of being the Bicycle Capital of the World. Rightly so. In the world of everyday cycling there is no other place like it. Yes, Copenhagen is up there as well, but weʼll let wonks and data miners worry about the numbers. Whatʼs more telling is that the Netherlands on a whole have hundreds of ʻCopenhagensʼ. Cycling in the Netherlands is ubiquitous.

A population of just 16.7 million souls, owning close to 20 million bicycles. Virtually every Dutch person cycles, to a greater or lesser extent, be they young or old, rich or poor.

A few samples: 27% of all movements in the Netherlands are by bicycle. 80% of all Dutch cycle at least once a week. The average age for a child to cycle to school (or otherwise) independently is 8 years (which has the Dutch worried, as that used to be 6 years). On average, the Dutch make 14 million cycle trips a day, each covering 3,5 km on average. Per year, the Dutch travel well over 200 billion km by bike and the average distance pedaled per person is still rising. During rush hour, there are more people going from a to b (for all purposes) by bicycle than by car. Since 2007 the number of bike trips in Amsterdam is greater than the number of car trips. Amsterdam has a bike modal share of over 50% 60% in the downtown area, 38% in the greater city. The city of Groningen (the actual Cycle Capital of the Netherlands) has a modal split of over 60%. 40% of Dutch train commuters get to the station by bicycle. Train stations have a total of 200.000 bike parking racks. This is far from enough, as current and rising demand (over 10% each year) actually require a minimum of 400.000 racks.

Contrast these few samples with other places and most people will conclude (and actually have) they are unimaginable, ʻout of this worldʼ and, I hear and read this a lot: it would be unattainable, impossible to replicate. Hereʼs the kicker: nothing could be farther from the truth.

There are a few very persistent myths circling the globe about cycling in Amsterdam, and the Netherlands in general:

- the Dutch have, for some undefined reason, always cycled. Also known as: ʻcycling is in their blood/DNA’;
- the Dutch cycle so much because the city/country is flat as a pancake;
- itʼs a small country, everything is close by;
- the Netherlands have a moderate climate;
- car drivers are all well-behaved.

I could go on. Of course itʼs a very well-established human condition: the need to find excuses why some (the minority) do or have something the others (the majority) donʼt. Itʼs persuasive and powerful, persistent to a degree that it doesnʼt just dominate the general public discourse, many bicycle advocates and organizations abroad often donʼt allow themselves to look beyond these myths. This of course stems from being unfamiliar with the essence of Dutch bicycle policies, the many differences in social attitudes towards everyday cycling and the reluctance to divert from familiar paths, while feeling trapped within the status quo of car-centric policies and spending, resulting in bicycle-unfriendly infrastructure (to put it mildly).

By the logic of the aforementioned myths, we actually wouldnʼt be talking about the ʻuniquenessʼ of Dutch ʻbicycle cultureʼ, we would instead have seen hundreds, if not thousands of Amsterdams and Groningens emerge around the world by now. But we havenʼt. Instead, we often hear ʻBut this is not Amsterdamʼ.

When the majority of people feels itʼs unsafe to cycle, they wonʼt. Only the brave will. [The Dutch experienced that from WW2 to well into the 1970's]

As proprietor of the website Amsterdamize and acting as a Bicycle Ambassador on the global stage with the emerging interest for cycling, I try to show the essence of cycling in the Netherlands by recording this urban cycle life as it reveals itself to me on a daily basis [,relate that to existing and new policies & putting it in context of cycling in the rest of the world]. Nothing more, nothing less. I attempted to do the same when I wrote and produced the promotional film for the Dutch Cycling Embassy putting the Dutch success in a much-needed historical context.

Yes, the Dutch have been in that place where many cities and countries find themselves now. At the expense of too many lives lost and a degrading quality of urban life, they came to terms with outdated and one-sided urban/road design, citizens rose up and decided a different way was needed, putting people and livable cities first. Through trial and error, sustained efforts and a long-term vision the Dutch managed to reverse a downward trend and put bicycles back on the map & make them a viable part of our lives again. Fast, convenient, comfortable and safe.

My point: each city has its own particular history regarding design, architecture and social contract, but in essence humans behave the same way the world over. When you facilitate a particular mode of transportation and make it safe and convenient, people will use it. This was the case for automobiles and this is certainly the case for bicycles.

The bottom line: there are more similarities than differences between the Netherlands and the rest of the world when it comes to everyday cycling. Thereʼs more than meets the eye, too, you just have to have an open mind.

Bicycle cultures are man-made. Itʼs a choice. Cycling should be for everyone, not just the brave and few.

Top photo: ‘In the snow’. Courtesy (cc) of Saskya

Amsterdam has about 750.000 inhabitants, roughly 1.5 million in the city proper an urban population of 1,364,422 and a metropolitan population of 2,158,372. The cycling rate downtown is 55% (more bike than car trips since 2007, if you don’t count pre-war & shortly post-war rates), the rate for the greater city hovers around 40%.

Photo ‘llibreria – bookstore – Amsterdam – HDR’. Courtesy (cc) of MorBCN.

The national modal share for bicycles for all trips is 27%. When I mention ‘cycling rate’ or ‘modal share’, we’re talking about cycling by all people of all ages, both sexes (women a few % more than men), not the popular category ‘bicycle commuters’ mostly known elsewhere.

Let me restate that Amsterdam is NOT exemplary for the Netherlands & for what can be done. Yes, it’s quite good, you won’t hear me really complain (give or take a few issues that will be covered soon). Yes, it is still the #1 yard stick for many capitals/major cities around the world which look for guidance & inspiration and it will probably fulfill that role for years to come.

Photo ‘Frosty Amsterdam’. Courtesy (cc) of Ben.

Just for my favorite wonks (yes, you, you know who you are), I’ll continue, using the Fietsersbond’s (Cyclists Union) latest data wrap up ‘Cycling in Figures‘:

There is a lot of cycling going on in the Netherlands. In no other country in the world with similar levels of prosperity do people cycle this much. The Dutch cycle mainly because they find it a comfortable and reliable means of transportation: 84% of Dutch people have a positive opinion about the bike. Of the regular cyclists 95% considers it positive and even more than half of non-cyclists have a favorable opinion. Dutch give the bike the following qualities: quiet, no aggravation, be by yourself, no delays, always on time and it’s cheap. Independence and flexibility are highly valued, only slightly less than the car (Source: Min. I & M KIM)

Photo ‘Dutch Biker’. Courtesy (cc) of ‘Stuck in Customs‘.

A quarter of all our movements and a third of all trips up to 7.5 km are by bike. That’s more than 4.5 billion annual bike rides. In doing so, we cover 15 billion km. On average, a Dutchman rides 300 journeys every year, well over 900 km. In total, the Dutch cycle nearly 200 billion kilometers every year. 75% of all journeys are by car, 9% by train, 8% by bike, 3% by bus, tram and subway, 2% on foot and 3% by other means (moped, motorcycle, etc.)

Photo ‘…Weekend…’. Courtesy (cc) of AmsterS@m – The Wicked Reflectah.

Who cycle?
In the Netherlands almost everyone cycles: young and old, men and women, rich and poor, car owners and those without. 13.5 million Dutch people (84%) have one bike, or more (est. total of 18 million bikes). Women cycle slightly more often than men, natives far more than immigrants.

Photo ‘School Bus The Dutch Way’. Courtesy (cc) of Akbar Simonse.

When do Dutch people cycle?
Dutch people cycle a lot. Of course there is more cycling in the summer than in the autumn and winter. But cycling rates also vary between days of the week. On an average working day, 5 million people make an average of 14 million cycle journeys. Monday and Thursday are the top days with a million more journeys than on the other days of the week. On Saturday, 11.5 million cycle journeys are made, and on Sunday 6.5 million.

Through the week, between 8 in the morning and 6 in the evening, more than a million cycle journeys are made each hour. The high point is between 8 and 9 in the morning with 1.75 million cycle journeys during the hour. In that hour, many journeys to work and school are made, and more bicycles are in use than cars. Cycling on a typical week-day:

David Hembrow picked up on all of this as well (naturally) and he continues:

“The scale of cycling in the Netherlands is quite phenomenal. If you go out, at any time of the day or night, you’re not unusual, but are joining with a mass of other cyclists making their journeys. It’s impossible to travel far on a bike without seeing other cyclists. I don’t think I’ve ever made it further than 200 metres from my home (in a 100 m long cul-de-sac) before seeing at least one bike. Riding a bike is not in any way a political statement. It’s just normal.

Photos ‘(T)Rusty Companion’ & ‘A Bike’s A Bike’ by Amsterdamize.

The figures above are national figures, applying to the whole country. The Netherlands has a population of 16.7 million people. That’s just twice the population of London or New York. However, the cycling rate of the country as a whole is far higher than that of cities in other countries. By comparison, treating the country as a “city”, the people here are spread out at a remarkably low density of just 400 per square kilometre, vs. 4800 per square kilometre in London or 10000 people per square kilometre in New York.

Photo ‘L1020421′. Courtesy (cc) of Guido van Nispen.

However, despite having the advantage of high density and the resulting short journey lengths, neither of these cities manage more than a small fraction of the cycle usage of this whole country. London has only around 2% of journeys by bike, and New York even less at only around 0.6% of commutes. In neither of those cities would you find masses of school children riding at any time. (more about population density and cycling)

Photo ‘Dutch Family’. Courtesy (cc) of danihernanz.

The difference comes down to infrastructure which invites you to cycle. Cycling is not a difficult thing to decide to do in the Netherlands.

I’ve several posts about what brought this level of cycling about. Key to it all is of course a high degree of subjective safety.”

Photo ‘Amsterdam Cycle Chic’. Courtesy (cc) of Mikael Colville-Andersen.

How far do we cycle?
An average bike ride is a little over 3 km and takes a little less than 15 minutes. 75% of all bike rides is less than 3.7 km. Between 1 and 4 km, the bicycle is the most important means of transportation. Up to 1 kilometer walking is the primal mode, and when traveling over 4 km the car is dominant. For distances up to 20 km people cycle more than they take the train or bus.

Photo ‘Street’. Courtesy (cc) of Hans van Reenen

Are you faster by bike in the city?
In the city, people on bikes arrive at their destination on average 5% faster than car drivers. In larger cities (more than 100,000 inhabitants) they are 10% faster. For trips with distances up to 3 km the bicycle almost always wins, usually not up from 4 km. That’s including parking and walking to the entrance of your destination (Source: Fietsbalans-2).

Photo ‘Parking…..”. Courtesy (cc) of Iam sterdam.

How important is the bike for our travel needs?
For most purposes the bicycle is an important means of transportation. For example, the bicycles accounts for half of the trips to school and university, one quarter of trips to work and over one quarter of the trips to the store.

Reasons for using a bicycle for transportation:
Going to work: 25%
Business appointment: 11%
Services/personal care: 18%
Shopping: 28%
School: 50%
Visiting: 21%
Social, recreational, other: 31%
Touring/hiking: 16%
Other: 26%

Photo ‘Amsterdam’. Courtesy (cc) of Bart van Dijk.

Can cycling grow further?
The bicycle competes very well with other modes for short distances. 70% of all trips are shorter than 7.5 km. Of all car trips, more than 50% are shorter than 7.5 km. For most people that’s less than an half hour of cycling. A big portion of that can easily be replaced by bike trips. The major differences in bicycle use between municipalities show that there are big gains to be made.

Photo ‘Marching Band, Dutch-Style’. Courtesy (cc) of happyrach8.

How healthy and safe is cycling?
Several studies show that sufficient exercise reduces the risk of health problems. In the long run exercise reduces risk of mortality by 20-30%, ± 40% risk reduction in coronary heart disease, 20-25% risk reduction in heart strokes, ± 40% risk reduction in diabetes mellitus type 2 and 20-40% risk reduction in breast cancer. The short term effects include lower risk of depression, increased quality of life, improved fitness and decrease in (severe) obesity. (Source: VU) Cycling is a great way of moving. And although in the cities a cyclist is exposed to dirty air and runs the risk of an accident, the positive effects of cycling outweigh these by far.

Photo ‘Lovers on a bike’. Courtesy (cc) of Iam sterdam.

The bicycle is a safe means of transport in the Netherlands. The risk of a person on a bicycle becoming victim of a serious traffic incident in the Netherlands is the lowest in the world. There are two major reasons: the creation of separate infrastructure for cycling and the large number of people on bicycles.

Photo ‘Man with bass and dog’. Courtesy of Bart van Dijk.

What are the costs for bicycle infrastructure in the Netherlands?
Every year, the Dutch government (national, regional & local) spends over 400 million euros on cycling infrastructure. Per kilometer traveled by bicycle that is as much as Flanders (Belgium) and Denmark combined. 400 million includes operating bicycle parking facilities, but excludes the establishment of infrastructure in new residential areas and major maintenance and renovation of old areas. (Sources: Fietsberaad, MON)

Photo ‘The Nanny’. Courtesy of Iam sterdam.

How many paths are there in the Netherlands?
According to the latest census of the Central Bureau of Statistics from 1996 the Netherlands had 17,075 km of separated bicycle paths and 1909 km of on road bicycle lanes. An analysis of the digital maps of the Cycling and Bicycles Routes in the Netherlands shows that there are currently actually over 29,000 km of separated bicycle paths and 4700 km of on road bicycle lanes. (Source: Fietsbalans 2).

Photo ‘Rain is upon us’. Courtesy (cc) of Gurugo.

How many bicycles are there in the Netherlands?
There are an estimated 18 million bicycles in the Netherlands. 13.5 Million people of 4 years and older (84%) own on average 1.3 bicycles. Every year, about 1.3 million new bikes are sold with a total value of nearly 1 billion euros. Half of all sold bikes are regular touring or city bicycles. In recent years, the sales of electric bikes spectacularly. The average price spent on a new bicycles in retail stores (including supermarkets) in the Netherlands is 750 euros. In specialty bike shops people spend on average over 900 euros on a new bicycle.

Photo ‘Amsterdam – Girls going to college’. Courtesy (cc) of Stephane Pironon.

‘Two Tongues Do Not Make A Right’ & ‘1+1 Own The Lane. By Amsterdamize.

How many bikes are stolen annually in the Netherlands?
Fear of theft is an oft-cited reason for motorists to take the car on short distances. (Source: CCV)
The actual number of bicycle thefts per year is not clear, since not all bicycle thefts are declared with the police. In two different studies the CBS made an estimate of the real extent of theft. Under the old method theft fell from 909,000 in 2005 to 541,000 in 2009. The new and reliable method revealed a much higher theft rate: in 2008 858.000, in 2009 a 4.5% increase to 897,000.

Photo ‘Cycling in style’. Courtesy (cc) of sindändùne.

How fast do people cycle?
Most people cycle at a fairly steady pace: between 15 and 18 km per hour. Obviously this can be done faster. The absolute world speed cycling record(behind a car as pacemakers) was clocked at 269 km/h in 1995, achieved by Dutchman Fred Rompelberg. On a recumbent bicycle, the Canadian Sam Whittingham reached a speed of 133 km/h in 2009.

Photo ‘Bicycle, Amsterdam’. Courtesy (cc) of SimonWhitaker.

Photo ‘Eddie and kids’, summer & winter. Courtesy (cc) of henry in a’dam.

Doesn’t it rain too often to cycle?
According to statistics of the KNMI it only rains 6.5% of the time. The longer you’re outside of course the more likely you’ll get wet from the rain. Being outside for about one hour, getting wet has a probability ranging from 0.09 in May to 0.16 in December.

Photo ‘Giro d’Amsterdam on a Friday afternoon’. Courtesy (cc) of hoofdweg.

Photo ‘P5197478-Edit’. Courtesy of El-lvis.

Update: Inspired by these figures, Mark Wagenbuur sat down at his editing suite and created this must-see video. I reckon this is a powerful tool and inspiration for any advocate or supporter of cycling in general to get the message across of what’s possible:

Bicycles came, saw, conquered, got beleaguered (1950-1970), needed ‘a little’ help & overcame (1975-present day). Elsewhere, it’s happening now. Some places experience revolutionary changes, others more evolutionary ones.

Growing pains are a small price to pay for all these big gains. N’est pas?

Photo ‘Framed | ‘Adjust” by Amsterdamize.

For closure, here are two of my own videos I made a few years back, timeless enough to keep spreading, imho.

Last week Amsterdam celebrated its 15th Gay Pride, the theme being…’Celebrate’. Not at all redundant, when you consider the recent acts of violence on gays in the city. Yes, even in Amsterdam. The week’s events were more numerous and diverse than ever and they draped the city in pink, easily eclipsing the Giro d’Italia :). Parties, workshops, contests, art, you name it, it was there. It’s what this city desperately needs, in a time of Disneyfication and bourgeoisie, imho.

We woke up to a very wet and thus dreary Saturday, the day of the…THE Canal Parade. You’d think that would spoil the fun. Not so much. Sure, 380.000 onlookers instead of the usual half a million, that’s easy to understand, but as a party…ahum, Celebration, the scenes could easily have transpired in Rio-like conditions.

The other parade, the parade of people on bikes in Amsterdam, meanwhile, moved on, steadily. As it does on a daily basis.

If only there was no need for a Gay Pride, just like there’s no need for Critical Mass in Amsterdam, where everyone on two wheels (and more) is regarded equal, that we would just be the people we want to be. Rain or shine.

Sometimes, when life gets in the way, I get anxious to catch up. Last Saturday was such a time. The ‘overload’ covers that…and the infinite stream of cycle consciousness. You watch, turn, twist, everywhere you look you observe something even more interesting. It will never seize to amaze or bore me. Which is my way of saying I went berzerk and took far too many pictures :).

A hairdresser’s bakfiets & maybe she frequents it

Cycle Zen

Greenish & rainbowish

Stopping in your tracks…to chat it up

Cycling is for everyone & it can get you carried away a bit :)

Green, pink and black are the colors this season…oh, what do I know :)

The Amstel River is another reason for looking right & I sometimes feel what Ed van der Elsken must have felt..

Parking overload at the Hermitage

Dutchies and just a few rays..what are they thinking & there’s always a potential smile…

Little Captain on an Onderwater [Underwater] tandem bicycle

Superman is your guide & time is on your side

It’s not just women who grant me a smile ;)

Not Rokjesdag yet, but bare feet is a beginning & moving a plant is of interest to tourists

That’s what moms are for

Focus is needed, but…”Dad, she can’t even multi-task!”

In the Dutch mountains..

A kiss on the fly & not Suriname expats

Hold…& bite