It definitely also helps that a lot of cycle route paths are actually well considered and planned out giving a decent network of coverage for making journeys, r

It definitely also helps that a lot of cycle route paths are actually well considered and planned out giving a decent network of coverage for making journeys, rather than being a badly indicated part at the side of the road as in the UK so you are either still at the mercy of traffic for safety or end up (as I suffer from) having to use the roads and being screwed by one way systems making it no easier while being more dangerous than by car.