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> The survey took place from November 2014 to January 2017 in seven European cities: Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), London (United Kingdom), Örebro (Swed

> The survey took place from November 2014 to January 2017 in seven European cities: Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), London (United Kingdom), Örebro (Sweden), Rome (Italy), Vienna (Austria) and Zurich (Switzerland). (From the linked study.) This leaves out the Netherlands and Denmark, two countries with a well-established habit of riding bicycles and world-leading, exemplary infrastructure that focuses on cyclist and pedestrian safety. I would love to know what the increasing popularity of e-bikes does here in the Netherlands, because as a casual observer it seems to me that a lot of people who use them hardly pedal at all; depending on battery power for what seems like the biggest part of the load. While there are indubitably a good number of folk (elderly in particular) who can now stay mobile using e-bikes in a manner that stimulates using your muscles for much longer, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that there is a large group of people who uses e-bikes to stop using quite as much energy as well — to the detriment of their health. I.e., most people in developed countries don't meet the daily minimum of exercise; the Dutch habit of riding bicycles for almost anything that doesn't require distances over 10km keeps a lot of people on the healthy side of that requirement. E-bike are attractive, because parking cars and mopeds is much more bothersome; bicycle racks are everywhere.

avar 7y ago
> [...]it seems to me that a lot of people who use [E-bikes] hardly pedal at all; depending on battery power for what seems like the biggest part of the load. As an immigrant to The Netherlands it seems to me the Dutch hardly pedal at all; depending on the flatness of the terrain to most of the work for them :) That's a bit snarky, but I think there's a lot of truth to it. One reason the Netherlands and Denmark are so disproportionately bicycle friendly is their natural terrain and climate. E-Bikes serve as an equalizer in that regard and encourage bicycle use. More people can now bike on days where it would otherwise be too hot or rainy (arrive soaked in sweat), too windy (ditto), or where the destination is too far away to arrive in a reasonable time on a non-assisted bicycle. Those people would otherwise have used some motorized form of transport.
allana 7y ago
eBikes open up that 10+km space, making my 12km commute each way take only 25 minutes (versus 19 to 45 minutes driving depending on time of day). I also get to bike alongside the canal as part of my commute, whereas before it was a mere glimpse through the buildings and trees from the roadside. I would not be biking without my eBike, Seattle's hills are too extreme for people who don't have strong chevrolegs.
gibolt 7y ago
It depends, of course. If replacing most rides in a car, definitely better. If replacing rides on a non-electric bike, it still could be a positive if it encourages biking further and getting out more. Would also love to see the study extended to those countries to find out.
chongli 7y ago
If the Netherlands is not the flattest country in the world it's very close to it. Denmark is the same story. Either way, both countries are extreme outliers in this category. E-bikes remove the most daunting barrier to cycling for many people: the difficulty of hill climbs. So it makes sense to leave out the flat countries and focus on those with rolling hills and mountains.
- kingludite 7y ago
  NL does have wind to make up for it. Of course there is also rain, heat and cold (both with high humidity)
- bryanlarsen 7y ago
  37% of people in Aarhus, Denmark cycle everyday, and Aarhus is quite hilly.
NicoJuicy 7y ago
> This leaves out the Netherlands I think Belgium ( Flanders) is close enough. A lot of bike riding here too
- throwaway3627 7y ago
  Why can't Flanders copy the nicer biking path system of Netherlands (Holland)? I've biked on both, ~300 km.
JoeAltmaier 7y ago
It was a survey. So the real story is, e-bike riders report that the get more exercise than cyclists.

avar 7y ago

> [...]it seems to me that a lot of people who use [E-bikes] hardly pedal at all; depending on battery power for what seems like the biggest part of the load. As an immigrant to The Netherlands it seems to me the Dutch hardly pedal at all; depending on the flatness of the terrain to most of the work for them :) That's a bit snarky, but I think there's a lot of truth to it. One reason the Netherlands and Denmark are so disproportionately bicycle friendly is their natural terrain and climate. E-Bikes serve as an equalizer in that regard and encourage bicycle use. More people can now bike on days where it would otherwise be too hot or rainy (arrive soaked in sweat), too windy (ditto), or where the destination is too far away to arrive in a reasonable time on a non-assisted bicycle. Those people would otherwise have used some motorized form of transport.

allana 7y ago

eBikes open up that 10+km space, making my 12km commute each way take only 25 minutes (versus 19 to 45 minutes driving depending on time of day). I also get to bike alongside the canal as part of my commute, whereas before it was a mere glimpse through the buildings and trees from the roadside. I would not be biking without my eBike, Seattle's hills are too extreme for people who don't have strong chevrolegs.

gibolt 7y ago

It depends, of course. If replacing most rides in a car, definitely better. If replacing rides on a non-electric bike, it still could be a positive if it encourages biking further and getting out more. Would also love to see the study extended to those countries to find out.

chongli 7y ago

If the Netherlands is not the flattest country in the world it's very close to it. Denmark is the same story. Either way, both countries are extreme outliers in this category. E-bikes remove the most daunting barrier to cycling for many people: the difficulty of hill climbs. So it makes sense to leave out the flat countries and focus on those with rolling hills and mountains.

kingludite 7y ago
NL does have wind to make up for it. Of course there is also rain, heat and cold (both with high humidity)
bryanlarsen 7y ago
37% of people in Aarhus, Denmark cycle everyday, and Aarhus is quite hilly.

NicoJuicy 7y ago

> This leaves out the Netherlands I think Belgium ( Flanders) is close enough. A lot of bike riding here too

throwaway3627 7y ago
Why can't Flanders copy the nicer biking path system of Netherlands (Holland)? I've biked on both, ~300 km.

JoeAltmaier 7y ago

It was a survey. So the real story is, e-bike riders report that the get more exercise than cyclists.