In the Netherlands, Bikes Are Not Toys
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Amsterdam is always recognizable in photos by the huge number of bicycles. In the Amsterdam episode of Ted Lasso (“Sunflowers,” Season 3, Episode 6), bikes were everywhere. Jamie taught Roy to ride, and Rebecca was knocked into the canal by a biker when she walked in a bike lane.
I could have been Rebecca. I didn’t get a romantic night on a houseboat, but I found myself wandering into the bike lane more than once. Bikers aggressively leaned on the bells to alert us to stay out of the way.
What struck me most wasn’t the number of bikes (there are 24.1 million in a country of just over 17 million people), but the seriousness of the riding. This isn’t a place for meandering. Cyclists move with purpose. They signal, they yield, they know the rules—and they expect you to know them too. Riding here demands attention, to traffic, to dedicated lanes, to rhythm.
In Amsterdam, we watched a bride and groom pose for photos on a bridge. Their photographer grabbed the photos and then they took off quickly on their bikes in veil and wedding suits.
We saw entire families out—toddlers in front seats of both rear and front trailers, school-aged kids pedaling beside parents, grandparents cruising with groceries.
Our B&B host told us it takes him exactly seven minutes to bike from his home to the inn. Not “about seven”—exactly. That precision says everything about how deeply cycling is woven into daily life.
Dedicated bike lanes are everywhere, sometimes wider than car lanes. Intersections are designed with cyclists in mind, and parking lots for bikes rival those for cars. Train stations have wheeling ramps built into staircases so you never have to lift your bike. Nationally, 28% of all journeys are by bicycle.
And it’s not just the Netherlands. Across Europe, cycling is gaining ground. The EU produced over 13 million bicycles in 2023, and cities from Copenhagen to Vienna are investing in bike-friendly infrastructure. But nowhere does it feel quite as natural, quite as essential, as it does here.
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Tips & Recommendations
If you plan to visit the Netherlands and want to rent a bike, here’s a link to cycling guidelines.
The government is working to reduce the number of accidents by test speed limits on cycle lanes. Only 4% of riders currently wear helmets.
Here are more fun facts about biking in the Netherlands, including the fact that kids have to take an official bike exam.
Bikes are great exercise, eco-friendly, and a good way to enjoy an area. Here are the 50 most bike friendly cities in the U.S.