Is it true that dutch people use their bicycle so much?

Or is it an exaggeration? And if it's true, why do they cycle so much in the Netherlands in particular? And for what do they use it? Only for recreation?Is it true that dutch people use their bicycle so much?
No it's not an exaggeration. It is incredibly common to use a bicycle for pretty much any journey within reason rather than a car or public transport. Those who are able will readily cycle to work %26amp; back every day (and virtually all kids attending local schools do so by bike), or at least to the local train station (and some have fold up bikes so they can use the other end as well)





It starts young. e.g. my 3 year old cycles his bike to playschool and my younger daughter has a seat on the back of my bike. Again completely normal thing to do for them. We go to our town centre by bike normally as a family because it is just as easy (and a lot cheaper when you consider the cost of parking), and with the exception of the Saturday shopping then I do all other shopping by bike as well (saddle bags on the back of my bike and a basket up front).





Of course people use them for recreation as well. There are some lovely national parks around the country (e.g. the Veluwe http://www.hogeveluwe.nl/default.asp?lan鈥?/a> and other areas that are lovely to cycle around. I live in a area that within 2 mins by bike we can be in wide open green spaces and cycle for hours in the countryside.





Why? Well you have to consider a few factors. Firstly the Netherlands is incredibly flat and as a result it's very easy to cycle pretty much anywhere. I have lived in Norway and the UK and the idea of doing the same simply was not realistic in comparison





Secondly it's a small country with a lot of people for the small space and as a result very population dense. This means that if everyone did everything by car it would be a worse nightmare on the roads than what it is. To get to the playschool, shops, town centre then it's actually quicker by bike than car. I have also lived on the outskirts of Amsterdam and cycled into the centre all the time overtaking cars doing the same journey.





The country is very bike friendly and cycle lanes are normal as well. Motorists (generally) respect this fact and the traffic laws are in the favour of the cyclist most of the times. Again this is completely different to many other countries





So yes it's normal, yes it's great - but something that's not as easily replicated elsewhere in my opinion :0)





EDIT - I just posted mine and saw pretty much the same answer from Thijs, but ok at least this way you are sure of the facts and reasoning :0)Is it true that dutch people use their bicycle so much?
Yes, it is true. In Holland, bicycles are used for all purposes: it is a very important means of transport. I always drive to school by bike, and my father goes to work by bike, just like the majority of the Dutch.


There are several causes for the common use of the bicycle in the Netherlands. First, Netherlands are really flat. The highest 'mountain' of the Netherlands is the Vaalserberg, 322 m above see level.


Moreover, the Netherlands is densely populated. Almost all facilities, such as schools and hospitals, are within a 10 - 15 km distance from each other. Because there are lots of traffic jams, using the car is not so useful, and because everything is not far away, it is easier to take the bike.


Beside to it, in Flanders (the northern Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) the bikes are also commonly used.


I hope this is the kind of information you were looking for!

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