Cycling in the Netherlands is a common and popular method of both transport and also recreation. The country is well equipped with cycle-paths and other segregated cycle facilities

Segregated cycle facilities

Segregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...

. The network reaches all parts of the nation and into the bordering nations of Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 and Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. The cycling surface quality is good and the routing tends to be direct with gentle turns making it possible to cycle

Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

 at speed for considerable distances. Cycleways come with their own sets of rules and systems - including traffic signals/lights, tunnels and lanes.

The Netherlands and cycling

Tourists, when they visit the Netherlands, often rent a bicycle and cycle around the countryside or the city. Bicycle helmet

Bicycle helmet

A bicycle helmet is a helmet intended to be worn while riding a bicycle. They are designed to attenuate impacts to the skull of a cyclist in falls while minimizing side effects such as interference with peripheral vision...

s are hardly ever worn in the Netherlands - the same can be said for Denmark, and for other places with much traffic by bicycle. Cyclists of all ages, and the government, consider the bicycle helmet unnecessary and there is no 'helmet law'.

No single reason accounts for why cycling is so popular in the Netherlands; rather the combination of many 'bicycle friendly' factors reinforce each other:

• The Netherlands is a densely populated and very flat country, which means that journeys tend to be well within the capabilities of the average cyclist. Cycling is very cheap and has low overheads.
• The sheer number of cyclists creates a 'Critical Mass
  Critical Mass
  Critical Mass is a cycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world. The ride was originally founded in 1992 in San Francisco. The purpose of Critical Mass is not usually formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and...
  
  ' and visibility which means that the needs of cyclists are taken into account in all stages of urban planning
  Urban planning
  Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
  
  . Urban areas are frequently organised as woonerf
  Woonerf
  A woonerf in the Netherlands and Flanders is a street where pedestrians and cyclists have legal priority over motorists. The techniques of shared spaces, traffic calming, and low speed limits are intended to improve pedestrian, bicycle, and automobile safety.-By country:In 1999 the Netherlands had...
  
  s, which prioritise cyclists and pedestrians over motorised traffic.
• There is a continuous network of cycle paths
  Segregated cycle facilities
  Segregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...
  
  , clearly signposted, well maintained and well lit, with road/cycle path junctions that often give priority to cyclists. This makes cycling itself convenient, pleasant, and safe.

Most children between the age of 10 and 16 cycle to school, and they develop an early appreciation of the freedom that cycling gives.

Secondary school children quite commonly cycle over 15 km (9.3 mi) in each direction to school. This is perhaps why Dutch utility cyclists are fast, and has helped the Dutch have a presence in competitive cycle racing which is surprisingly large given the small population of the country.

Utility bicycle

Utility bicycle

A utility bicycle is a bicycle designed for practical transportation, as opposed to bicycles which are primarily designed for recreation and competition, such as touring bicycles, racing bicycles, sport/training bicycles, and mountain bicycles. The vast majority of bicycles can be found in the...

s which are low in maintenance and suited to load carrying are very popular. However, all other types of cycles are accommodated on the cycle paths, from racing bikes with tri-bars through streamlined velomobile

Velomobile

A velomobile or bicycle car is a human-powered vehicle, enclosed for aerodynamic advantage and protection from weather and collisions. They are virtually always single-passenger vehicles. They are derived from recumbent bicycles and tricycles, with the addition of a full fairing . There are few...

s. The cycle path network supports use at such speeds. There is also a good network of bicycle shops throughout the country.

The majority of car drivers are also cyclists, and thus understand how vulnerable a cyclist can feel. "Strict liability", supported in law in the Netherlands, leads to driver's insurance being deemed to be responsible in a collision between a car and a cyclist. This makes car drivers very wary of bicycles. Finally, towns have been designed with limited access by cars and limited (decreasing over time) car parking

Parking

Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...

. The resulting heavy traffic and very limited car parking makes car use unattractive in towns.

These factors together far outweigh the negative factors of wet and windy weather, strong headwinds due to the flat terrain, and frequent bicycle thefts. Nearly a third of all journeys made in the Netherlands are made by bicycle. Even the over 65 age group make nearly a quarter of their journeys by bicycle. Within some cities, over half of all journeys are made by bicycle.

Infrastructure

Many roads have one or two separate cycleways along them, or cycle lanes marked on the road. Cycling on the main carriageway is not permitted on roads where adjacent segregated cycle facilities exist so, where they exist, the use of such facilities is legally compulsory. On other roads and streets, bicycle and motor vehicles share the same road-space, but these are usually roads with a low speed limit.

Tunnels and bridges may or may not be accessible for cycling; if pedal cycles are prohibited, there is usually a separate facility. For example, the Western Scheldt Tunnel

Western Scheldt Tunnel

Western Scheldt Tunnel is a tunnel in The Netherlands on highway N62 under the Western Scheldt estuary between Ellewoutsdijk and Terneuzen. It is the longest tunnel for highway traffic in The Netherlands.-History:...

 is not accessible for pedestrians, cyclists or moped

Moped

Mopeds are a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals , but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their...

 riders. They have to use the ferry at another location, or take the bus through the tunnel.

Pedestrian

Pedestrian

A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...

s use the pavement

Sidewalk

A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...

 (where one is available), otherwise they use the same position on the road as the cyclists: on the cycleway or lane if available, otherwise on the road (but in the latter case pedestrians preferably walk on the left, while cyclists go on the right). Roads and tunnels accessible for cyclists are also accessible for pedestrians. Most pedestrian paths are available to cyclists who dismount and walk the bike.

Cycle lanes

Cycle lanes in the Netherlands, as they are in most countries, are situated at the nearside of the road (the right-hand side in the Netherlands). They are marked by a dashed line, and are often found in urban areas. They can be painted red or yellow: one on the left and one on the right.

Cycle paths

Cycle paths

Segregated cycle facilities

Segregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...

 (also known as cycle tracks) run parallel to a road but are physically separated from it (e.g. by means of a verge).

Bidirectional cycleways

Bidirectional cycleways are common in towns and cities. These cycleways permit cycling in two directions (hence "bidirectional") and are divided into two lanes, similar to roads, by a dashed line.

Countryside

Cycle lanes are scarce in the countryside. Sometimes the pathways are made of gravel, but these are part of the Bicycle Routes. Maps are often distributed across the country with countryside routes that take the cyclist through tulip fields and by the seaside, with occasional rest stops in towns. Like other countryside routes across Europe, these are designed for countryside visits within the Netherlands.

Traffic signals

Because of their constant use, cycleways are complete with their own system. Traffic signals are present at junctions, one set for motorised vehicles and a visually smaller set for cyclists. Sometimes this is similar to a pelican crossing, where the cyclists wait to cross the junction. These lights come in two forms - firstly the miniature version of the vehicle lights and secondly a regular sized signal with bicycle shaped cutouts. Priority is also marked on the road, showing whether the cyclist or the vehicle has priority.

In many locations more direct cycle routes exist which bypass traffic signals, allowing cyclists to make more efficient journeys than motorists.

Roundabouts

Some roundabout

Roundabout

A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...

s have cyclist lanes around them, with signposts directing the cyclist to a destination. They are also marked with priority, with roads connecting the cycleways to the roundabout. Others have separate cycle paths around them.

Crossing rivers and motorways

Tunnels are also common around motorways, or to avoid busy road junctions and traffic lights. For rivers, bridges are used.

Signage

Signposts take on the form of road signs, with directions stating the distances to nearby cities and towns. Pedestrian crossings can also be found on cycle lanes, exactly the same as with roads. Signposts come in two different forms: the common directional signpost which is a miniature version of the vehicle signs and a mushroom shaped direction post. The second one can often be found in countrysides. Sometimes it can be hard to notice. The signpost of the first kind is divided into red and green with red meaning the usual route and green meaning an alternative, perhaps more scenic, route. Also cycleways sometimes have road signs, which are followed in the same way as with vehicles.

Parking

By policy in the Netherlands, cycle parking is provided next to every shop. Bicycle stand

Bicycle stand

A bicycle stand,also called a bike rack, is a device to which bicycles may be securely attached. It may be free standing or securely attached to the ground or some stationary object such as a building. Indoor bike racks are commonly used for private bicycle parking, while outdoor bike racks are...

s are common around The Netherlands, an alternative to chaining the bike to a post. In most, the front wheel of the bicycle rests on the stand and most parkers lock the bicycle with a built-in lock, or attach a chain from the bike to the stand.

There are many bicycle parking lot

Parking lot

A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....

s (like car parks but uniquely for bike use), some of which hold thousands of bicycles. Every railway station has a cycle park attached and most also offer watched cycle parking for a nominal fee. These also exist in other places in most cities. For example, there are 20 watched cycle parks in the city of Groningen (population ~180,000).

Most cities enforce the parking of bicycles in their lots by regularly removing any bicycles that are not in the bike stands. Locks are cut loose and the owner may reclaim their bicycle for a charge—usually around €25.
Cyclist journeys are made convenient by such means, and it prevents sidewalks being littered with bikes.

General

Bikes are readily available for rent across the country and most large towns have bike shops with all the necessary equipment and repair services. All cities possess multiple bike stands, mainly at the supermarkets and other commonly used shops. Bikes should also come with a lock so as to keep the bike from being stolen. An average cyclist can typically expect to cover about 20 kilometres, on average, in an hour by bike throughout most areas of the Netherlands. All Dutch cities, as well as the neighbouring countries, can be accessed by bicycle.

Maps are widely available and come in two forms:

• Route Maps
• National Maps

Route maps

A Route Map is a national map which shows route information rather than general topography. Only the routes are marked and related information are shown. They are often used for holidays and are sold at most tourist shops.

National maps

National Maps cover the whole country, with markings and symbols about the cycleways of The Netherlands. They are very useful not only for cycling in unfamiliar towns and cities but also for cross-country use. These are sometimes expensive and hold many pages but are also widely available across tourist shops.

Transporting bicycles

Though it is possible to transport cycles by train, aircraft and ferry, buses do not carry them

Trains

Bicycles may be carried on trains under certain conditions. Folding bicycles can be taken more easily than other types of bicycles. Regular bicycles have specific points at which you may place them (though generally people just put their bikes in the train in order to get in before the door closes.) Taking a folded bicycle inside a train is free, for unfolded bicycles and regular ones, a special ticket has to be bought (€6 per bycicle), which lasts for one day. In all trains it is prohibited to carry normal size and (partly) unfolded bikes during peak hours. This peak-hour restriction is waived in July and August.

Ferries

Ferries operate across rivers as well as to the islands in the North (Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog). Taking a bicycle on a ferry normally incurs a charge, but some ferries (such as those across the IJ

IJ (bay)

The IJ is a river, formerly a bay, in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is known for being Amsterdam's waterfront. The name derives from the generic Germanic term for "water" and is similar to other Aa/Ee names for bodies of water. In Dutch, the name consists of the digraph ij, which is...

, Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

) carry pedal cycles for free.

By air

It is possible to take bicycles by air, but once again you have to follow procedures and will have to pack the bicycle and possibly dismantle it. There may also be extra fees as the bicycle will count as luggage. Again, travelling with a foldable bike is easier.

External links

• Cycling in the Netherlands
• Making Cycling Irresistible a review of cycling policy in the Netherlands.