Thanks for the big effort post! I'm on the Dutch (well, Belgian) side of things. It was interesting getting your perspective. Regarding policing, I doubt that

Thanks for the big effort post! I'm on the Dutch (well, Belgian) side of things. It was interesting getting your perspective. Regarding policing, I doubt that better legislation is going to improve things. I remember my brothers being so fed up of stolen bikes that they parked them at the police station and they kept being stolen. Infrastructure makes the biggest difference. A note on the butt pains thing. The vast vast majority of bike trips are < 30mins. And people that do have a longer commute tend to go for more expensive bikes, e.g. with suspension. There are still those that go full sport bike and outfit, but you tend to see more pedelec ebikes than those on the bike highways these days. Personally I did away with the car altogether and went with an electric cargo bike (the kind with a hopper in front). It cost as much as a small car, but it is comfortable, even on the super common cobblestones here. Suspension and a good seat go a long way in avoiding butt pains.