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>Well, infrastructure is certainly one big difference, but it's not _the_ difference. The Netherlands is quite flat Ground in the Netherlands is flat, but bike
by Muromec 5y ago
>Well, infrastructure is certainly one big difference, but it's not _the_ difference. The Netherlands is quite flat
Ground in the Netherlands is flat, but bike paths also go over bridges. And what the Netherlands also has is the North Sea, with its winds, which turn cycling on nicely-paved flat terrain into rather serious physical exercise. Sometimes I wish I wasn't that cheap and got pedal-assist as an option.
- alamortsubite 5y agoPeople who argue against bike infrastructure in the U.S. are always quick to bring up the lack of hills in the Netherlands, but they never make the connection with the strong winds there (doubly ironic, given the romantic affinity we all have for Dutch windmills). It's frustrating, but I think e-bikes will finally be the death knell for this meme. (I've also heard that some infrastructure in NL actually takes wind into account by providing windbreaks for cyclists.)
- consp 5y agoThe Dutch Headwind Cycling Championship is tomorrow for example (expected 7 to 8bft so it will be tough). There is a good cycle path where they will hold it and people regularly cycle there, it's almost never below 4bft there. Also there are plenty of hilly parts of the Netherlands which have the same cycle infrastructure and usage. The fairy tale of "but it's flat" has been around for a while and used plenty of times by opponents without actually looking into it.