As I’m sure you’ve heard, cycling in the Netherlands is sort of a big deal. The bicycle is the most common mode of transportation for the majority of people living in Dutch cities. Cycling is ingrained in Dutch culture as much as cheese and windmills.
But why exactly is cycling in the Netherlands such a thing? And what are the rules and customs around biking when you’re living in or visiting the Netherlands? This article will explain everything there is to know about cycling in the Netherlands and by the time you’ve read through it, you’ll have a full understanding of this unique cultural phenomenon.
Introduction
The Dutch love to ride their bikes. It’s one of many things they are internationally known for. If you found this webpage, you probably already know that. I lived in the Netherlands for a solid portion of my adult life, spending time in Amsterdam, Haarlem, and Groningen, and I literally rode my bike everywhere. Hell, I even had two bikes!
There are more bicycles in the Netherlands than humans. That’s not just a rumor. I was not out of place having two bikes. Bike parking lots are literally everywhere and they are jam packed with bikes. The bike paths in Amsterdam during rush hour are as crowded as the I-5 through Los Angeles.
If you live in a Dutch city, it’s pretty hard to avoid biking. You can do it, as Dutch cities have excellent public transportation. But why bother to take the bus around when you can just bike?
In the following sections I’ll go over why the Dutch bike so much, cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands, Dutch biking customs and laws, and some of the disadvantages of having a bicycle as your primary mode of transportation.
Why do the Dutch Bike So Much?
OK, so what gives? Why is biking such a thing in the Netherlands? Well, there are actually a lot of reasons that come together to form the perfect formula for cycling culture.
Historical Precedence
The history of cycling in the Netherlands is complex but we will try to go over the quick version here. In the early 1900s, bicycles were pretty common in a lot of places around the world. Motor vehicles were up and coming and trains really only got you from one city to another. Dutch cities were very compact and the bicycle was an ideal way to get around.
If you’re interested in seeing some old photos of Amsterdam from the 1800s check out this webpage!
As WW2 ended and automobile usage surged throughout the world, the Netherlands was not immune. All those beautiful streets in Amsterdam you’ve seen photos of? Well they were packed with lunky cars. There’s a famous photo that compares Museumplein in front of the Rijksmuseum from 1973 to today, showing a paved road then and a green park area now. Needless to say, Amsterdam wasn’t quite the cycling utopia it is nowadays. Nor was anywhere else in the country for that matter.
Cars were becoming a way of life. Entire neighborhoods were repurposed to make way for vehicle traffic. It was thought that cars would eventually render the bike obsolete.
But the Netherlands wouldn’t be doomed to the fate of car-centric countries like the United States or New Zealand. So what happened? What changed?
The “Stop de Kindermoord” movement
In the early 1970s, deaths from automobile accidents were drastically increasing. And the victims were often children. In 1971 alone, 400 children in the Netherlands were killed by automobiles. Fed up parents had had enough and the Stop de Kindermoord movement was founded.
“Stop de Kindermoord” means quite literally “stop murdering children.” It was a grassroots movement that started as a simple protest about keeping the streets safe for children and led to a fundamental change in the entire culture and attitude around cars in the country.
We won’t go into the entire movement here, but politicians listened (imagine that!) and implemented policy changes that went on to drastically reduce the number of cars in Dutch cities, which, as a result, saved countless lives.
The 1973 Oil Crisis
As the Stop de Kindermoord movement was gaining steam, another important event happened that gave the movement that final nudge it needed to get it across the finish line. In 1973, Arab oil exporting countries exposed an embargo on countries that supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War. The Netherlands was one of these countries and the price of oil quadrupled.
The government had to take action and Car-free Sundays were born. The Sunday streets would be full of children playing and people biking around. Everyone began to notice just how nice it was to not have cars around and cycle everywhere. Even the politicians!
Government investment in cycling infrastructure
While the combination of Stop de Kindermoord and the oil crisis really led the way in the reduction of vehicles in the Netherlands, significant credit also goes to the Dutch government, both national and local. Changes of policies and government spending kickstarted actual, physical changes in Dutch cities.
As the 1980s began, local municipalities began investing significant money in replacing car lanes with bike lanes, and the rest is history. Today, the Netherlands has over 22,000 miles of bike lanes/paths and hundreds of bike parking garages. They are not just in cities either. Driving down a Dutch highway you’ll often look out and see a red bike lane, connecting small towns together.
If that all sounds too simple, maybe you’re right. There are other factors that go into why the Dutch started biking so much.
Topography
The Netherlands is flat. Like really flat. Other than the southern province of Limburg there are literally no natural hills (unless you count the sand dunes near Haarlem). The flatness of the country makes it the perfect terrain for cycling. Biking up hills is hard work and breaks a sweat. Biking on a perfectly flat surface, however, not so bad.
So topography is very important when considering why the Dutch bike so much. Consider another country known for biking, Denmark, and you’ll see a pattern. The flatter it is, the easier it is to bike around everywhere.
Dutch weather
Have you ever biked around on a hot, humid summer day? You broke quite the sweat, right? Well, the Netherlands doesn’t get too many of those days. Sure, it happens from time to time, but overall the climate in the country is very mild. It hardly ever gets hot and rarely gets below freezing for any considerable amount of time.
The cool summers and mild winters make it the perfect weather for biking around without getting too hot or freezing your little butt off. Now, the Netherlands is also known for being very gloomy and rainy, plus having terrible winter winds. But that doesn’t seem to deter people.
For more info on Dutch weather I have an entire article dedicated to when to visit the Netherlands that goes through the weather month by month.
Compact cities
Dutch cities are pretty compact. Even Amsterdam, the largest city, is pretty damn small when you put it into perspective. You can bike from one side of the city to the other in about 45 minutes. Other Dutch cities are even smaller. They are the perfect size for being able to get around by bike and not have it take too long.
On the other hand, the cities are large enough to not want to walk everywhere, especially when doing your daily commute. So the size of the cities really plays a role in Dutch cycling culture.
Affordability
Let’s not forget that gas is expensive, owning a car is even more expensive, and taking public transportation is, while very affordable, not exactly free. But what is free? That’s right: cycling.
OK, so it’s not really free. You do have to purchase a bike and get it fixed when things break. But it’s by far the cheapest mode of transportation other than walking. And this is very attractive to the Dutch, as they are – and I say this in the most respectful way, Dutch friends – some of the most frugal people in the world.
The Dutch do not like to spend money they don’t have to spend. If there is a cheaper way to do it, they will lean towards that. I really picked up on this mentality during my time in the Netherlands and I’m pretty Dutch now when it comes to spending money on things I don’t need.
Exercise
Last but not least, let’s consider that cycling is exercise. Even without hills, if you have a 20 minute commute to work, that’s 40 minutes of biking each day. People in America pay $75/month to do that in a gym! The Dutch are a fit (mostly) society and the fact that they cycle so much plays a role in that. Genetics does too, but go ahead and calculate how much weight you would lose per month if you biked for 40 minutes a day instead of sitting in a car for that time.
Conclusion
So as you can see, there was the perfect combination of numerous factors that led to the popularity of the bicycle in the Netherlands. These days, Dutch cities are global examples of how to plan a city around bikes. Other countries study Dutch cities. But only time will tell if anywhere else in the world (other than Denmark) will embrace the bike as much as the Dutch!
Cycling Infrastructure in The Netherlands
As I mentioned in the last section, the Dutch government (both national and local) invested heavily in cycling infrastructure. Building bike lanes parallel to almost every street in the entire country was not an easy undertaking. But they did it. And today the country has the best cycling infrastructure in the world.
Bike lanes and paths
The lifeblood of any cycling infrastructure is extensive, safe, and visible bike lanes. The Netherlands has about 22,000 miles (35,000 km) of designated bike lanes. That’s about ¼ of the total road mileage. Most of these are in cities, but small towns have bike paths too and many cities and towns are connected by bike paths that run parallel to motorways or highways.
Bike paths in the Netherlands are either painted red or made from a red-colored rubbery material (like a running track). Depending on the road, the bike paths will either run one direction on each side of the road (1-way traffic) or run in both directions on one side of the road only (2-way traffic). 2-way traffic is clearly marked with a white dashed line in the middle of the path.
In cities like Amsterdam, the bike paths will usually be setback from the road, meaning that they are not just a lane on the road, like most bike lanes in the United States and other countries that are attempting to make their cities more bikeable. There might be a lane of car parking between or even just a concrete curb divider. Either way, the physical separation creates an added layer of safety for cycling in the Netherlands.
Not every road in Dutch cities has a bike lane, however. Most minor, residential streets with minimal car traffic don’t have bike lanes. In this case, bicycles go on the street with the cars. On these types of streets, bikes will vastly outnumber cars.
If you are now wondering how this all works at intersections, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that there are separate stop lights for the bike paths. The bike lights operate on separate timers from the street stoplights and usually all turn green at once while the cars wait their turn.
Bike parking
You can’t have 20 million bikes floating around a country with nowhere to park them, can you? Good thing there is extensive bike parking infrastructure in the Netherlands too.
Most public buildings have simple bike parking racks outside. In city centers it’s common to find bike racks on the side of the bike paths, but it’s also common for people to just park their bikes on the side of the road, next to a tree, or up against a bench.
Bike parking in dense cities like Amsterdam can be a free-for-all. Though you’re really not supposed to leave your bike just anywhere. Many businesses and residences will post signs that say “no bike parking” in an effort to keep bikes from piling up in front of their property.
Bicycle parking garages can also be found all over the country. These aren’t quite as extensive as your typical car parking garage, but they can be up to three stories tall. Bike parking garages are usually found in or around train stations, as tons of people bike to train stations to commute to work by train.
In Amsterdam there is even a bike parking boat along the river at Amsterdam Central Station. Yes, that’s right. A boat on the river had been repurposed into a bike parking garage!
Types of bikes
The standard bike that someone in the Netherlands owns is pretty run-of-the-mill, bare bones basic. These are one-speed bikes without gears and many even don’t have hand brakes (remember back brake bikes?). These typically sell on online marketplaces for under 100 euros or at bike stores for under 150 euros used. This type of bike is utilitarian, meant to get you around, and not designed for any sort of recreational riding.
Bikes can either be bought online from direct sellers or be purchased from one of the hundreds of bike stores in the Netherlands. Purchasing from a store will cost a bit more, but it gives you a bit more peace of mind knowing that the store has deemed the bike fit for resale. When you purchase from an individual on the Dutch marketplace you’re on your own. Hopefully the seller is trustworthy and is selling you a bike in decent shape!
There are, of course, much better bikes for sale in the country. It’s not all old run down bikes. Many people choose to pay a few hundred euros for a solid multi-speed bike. There is a wide range of quality available. Just know that the more expensive your bike is the more likely it is to get stolen. More on that later, but if you purchase a nice bike, it’s worth it to get insurance on it for theft.
Electric bikes
The popularity of electric bikes is picking up across the globe, and the Netherlands is no exception. Electric bikes can turn a 30-minute commute into a 15-20 minute one. These run well over 1000 euros, but remember: time = money, so you be the judge on if it’s worth it or not.
Scooters
Unfortunately for bike riders, motorized scooters also use the bike lanes in the Netherlands. These scooters can be pretty obnoxious, weaving in and out of the bikes as they race at 40 kmh. Most scooter drivers are safe and courteous, but some can be real ass holes. So be on the lookout for those ones when biking around in the Netherlands.
Racing bikes and bike racing
Cycling in the Netherlands doesn’t just serve as a form of transportation. Competitive cycling is huge throughout the country. Many people have road bikes and on nice weekend days you’ll find the trails outside cities full of people zooming down on fancy road bikes all decked out in racing gear.
Road bikes are used mainly for recreational purposes and you won’t see too many people riding them to work (unless they live in a different city and bikes between, which is not uncommon). Road bikes can go pretty damn fast so don’t be surprised to see them flying by you on the trails.
The Dutch also have a particular affinity for bike racing. It’s quite the popular sport domestically. So popular that it’s on television frequently. And not just major races like the Tour de France. Random regional races too.
Everything from long, epic races to short track speed races (you know the one where the small track is banked?) are on television. And people in the Netherlands also love to race bikes themselves. There are all sorts of amateur bike races you can sign up for if you too are the bike racing type.
Essentially, if you enjoy bike racing you’ll love living in the Netherlands.
Cycling Rules and Courtesy
Let’s now go over some basic rules and customs for biking in the Netherlands. With such extensive biking infrastructure and bike usage, you’ll need to know what you’re doing before hitting the bike lanes.
Helmets
As you may have noticed before, people in the Netherlands do not wear helmets when biking. Maybe some people do, but the vast majority do not. The only people you’ll see wearing helmets are the ones on road bikes, which go lightning fast.
So what gives? If you’re from a New World country you’ve probably been told from a young age to always wear a helmet when biking. So why is it different here?
To start, there is no law that requires cyclists to wear a helmet. This is a big part of it. And the main reason for that is that the biking infrastructure we just discussed is so good that incidents with motor vehicles are rare. Dutch drivers are also all cyclists themselves and know to be on the constant lookout for bikes crossing the road (because let’s be clear, not everyone follows the bike stop lights in the Netherlands).
As we have discussed before, the typical Dutch commuting bike is a one-speed. On top of that there are no hills in almost the entire country (the far south near Maastricht excluded) so no high speeds are gained going down hills. There are overpass ramps and whatnot, but these are usually very gradual inclines. It’s hard to get a lot of speed on a bike unless you’re on a racing bike, in which case you are wearing a helmet.
So basically, it’s very safe to bike around in the Netherlands and the society accepts the collective risk of not cycling with helmets. Do some people fall off their bikes and hit their heads? I’m sure it happens (see next section), but it’s not something you hear about often. If you want to wear a helmet it’s not like people are going to tease you or ridicule you. You will certainly be the odd man out, though.
Drunk cycling
Speaking of falling off your bike and hitting your head, let’s spend a moment talking about drunk cycling. Technically, it is against the law to bike drunk in the Netherlands and you can be fined up to 200 euros. But practically, you have to do something really dumb or dangerous to get in trouble for cycling under the influence.
The reality is that in Dutch cities, a significant portion of cyclists after about 8:00 PM on a Friday or Saturday night are intoxicated. And plenty of them are flat out hammered. These are mostly the 18-35 crowd and they are so used to biking drunk that they probably wouldn’t tell you it’s dangerous.
Unlike drunk driving, the police aren’t out looking for you on the bike paths. As I said, you’d have to really screw up to get a ticket biking. Biking while extremely intoxicated can be really stupid and dangerous, but ask anyone in Amsterdam and they’ll say they’ve done it at some point.
It’s collectively accepted that cycling under the influence is a part of being young and going out. Unlike being drunk driving a car, at least you’re most likely only going to hurt yourself on a bike. You bike everywhere when you live in the Netherlands and that includes to the bar. Just know your limits and know when you should leave your bike and take public transportation home!
Phones and biking
A bigger problem in the digital age is people using their phones while biking and not paying attention to where they’re going. Texting or otherwise using the phone while biking is also illegal. You’re more likely to get fined for this than for drunk cycling, but it’s also uncommon. Biking around Amsterdam or another big city, you will see tons of people typing into their phones as they bike.
Biking at night
Dutch cities and even city parks are pretty well lit at night, but that doesn’t mean you can go around biking without any lights on your bike. On the contrary, lights are compulsory after dark. Bike lights can be as simple as a strap-on light that costs a couple euros to a fancy high beam light that will beam the entire path before you.
Either way, you need to have lights on when biking after dark. Not so you can see, but so that other people can see you.
Biking with kids
It should come as no surprise that Dutch kids learn how to ride bikes as soon as humanly possible. But what about before they can cycle themselves around? Well, bike seats for babies and toddlers, of course.
Kids get taken on bikes from as soon as they can hold their head up straight with no assistance. The general rule of thumb is to not put a baby in a bike seat until they are at least 6 months old. These babies will typically sit in the front between the handlebars. Larger toddlers will have a seat in the back above the rear wheel
Some people put helmets on their kids but mostly you’ll see them without helmets too. Any bike store will be happy to sell you a baby or toddler bike seat and install it for you. It’s the safest way to get around with small children. Whatever you do, do not ride while holding a child in your arms!
Stolen bikes
Part of living in the Netherlands is getting your bike stolen. Unless you have a very complex locking system, it will happen at some point. I had 4 bikes stolen in 4 years, so that’s a rate of 1 per year. The thieves have ways to cut through almost any lock.
The Dutch Cyclists’ Union estimates that 500,000 bikes are stolen every year in the Netherlands, and that in Amsterdam, 1 out of every 3 bikes is stolen each year. It’s one of the major cons of living in the Dutch capital city.
Theft is one of the main reasons bikes are so basic in the Netherlands. Those that do have nice bikes usually opt for theft insurance coverage. That is vital if you spent a good amount of money on your bike. Depending on the cost of your bike, you can determine if insurance is worth it for you or not.
So who is stealing all these bikes? Well, as silly as it sounds, organized bike crime is mostly to blame. These criminal organizations steal van loads of bikes on a daily basis. They either resell them through online marketplaces in a different Dutch city or take them outside the country to be sold in other European countries.
If (when) your bike is stolen, there’s really nothing you can do about it. You can report it to the police, but for a basic, cheap bike, they are not going to do anything. Very few stolen bikes ever get tracked down and returned to their rightful owners.
And if you’re wondering now how to avoid purchasing a stolen bike, the only way to do that would be to buy from a store and not online or directly from an individual. Even then, with so many used bikes floating around, it’s hard to say for sure that the bike was never stolen. Either way, I recommend buying a bike from a store. At least you know you’re getting a bike that is decent quality and probably not stolen.
Swapfiets
If you don’t want to worry about stolen bikes you can always choose to rent a Swapfiets. Swapfiets is a monthly bike rental service. “Fiets” means “bicycle” in Dutch. It’s called “swap” because if it needs maintenance they will just give you a different one and take the broken one.
At 20 euros per month (Amsterdam price, price varies per city) it’s far more expensive than buying a basic used bike. But the thieves won’t steal them because they are branded and it’s too much work to repaint them before trying to resell. Plus never having to worry about getting your bike fixed is a great advantage too.
I used swapfiets for a few months after my last bike got stolen and generally enjoyed it. The bikes are good quality and their service is great. If you’re not concerned about 20 euros a month, it’s a great option.
Disadvantages of Biking Everywhere
Let’s now talk about some disadvantages of the bicycle being your main mode of transportation in the Netherlands. It’s not all roses and butterflies. Sometimes having to bike everywhere can flat out suck.
Dutch weather
By far the biggest pitfall of a bicycle being your primary mode of transportation is the weather in the Netherlands. I’m not going to go into details about the weather in Northern Europe, but you can read more about it in this article about the best time of year to visit the Netherlands.
Essentially, while temperatures in the country are mild and make cycling comfortable year-round, this also comes with a lot of rain. Winters are downright dreary and can be extremely windy too. Have you ever biked into a howling wind blowing sideways rain into your face? Well if you haven’t you’re in for a real treat! Even in the summer, rain falls often, though it’s considerably less windy.
It’s necessary to always carry rain pants and a rain cover for your bag (or whatever you might bring to work). If there is any possibility for rain in the forecast carry a rain jacket too. Even if there is no forecast for rain it often rains anyways. Having proper rain gear at least means that when you get to work or home your clothes and belongings will be dry. And don’t even think about biking with an umbrella. That’s just silly.
Depending on where you live and work, you can always take public transportation to get to work on a rainy day. Especially if you live in Amsterdam or another big city, there is always a public transportation option. You might have to still walk 10 minutes, but at least that’s a bit more comfortable than biking in the rain.
Injuries and illness
Cycling takes aerobic activity. It is exercise. And if you have a debilitating injury or illness it’s going to be tough to bike. I once sprained my ankle very badly in a soccer game and could not get on my bike to go home. I managed to limp to the bus stop, but I couldn’t bike for a few days.
Being very sick is similar. Theoretically you won’t be going many places when you’re horribly sick, but that ride to the doctor will be pretty miserable no matter how great the weather is.
Groceries and shopping
Being exclusively on a bike can also cause headaches when it comes to grocery shopping and other forms of shopping, especially for bulky items. It’s common in the Netherlands to buy only enough food for a day or two when going to the supermarket. You can reasonably hang one shopping bag from each handlebar, but if you’re on the bike, big grocery stockups are basically impossible.
Shopping for other items is similar. Depending on how much you want to buy at once, you might be SOL on your bike. Anything lunky or awkward will be difficult to carry on your bike.
Some large stores, like IKEA, rent out cargo bikes by the hour, however. This is basically a bike pickup truck with a big tub in the front. We managed to carry a couch we bought at IKEA home when we lived in Groningen this way. Other than that, you’re gonna have to figure something else out if you want to buy a large item and take it home with you.
Bike theft
We already discussed this, but theft is a major con of the bike culture in the Netherlands.
Renting a bike in the Netherlands
Bike rental in the Netherlands is serious business. It’s one of the top things tourists look forward to doing when they visit and it’s something that locals often do when they’re in a different city.
As a tourist
For tourists, renting a bike is pretty easy. All Dutch cities have numerous bike rental companies. You typically don’t have to reserve in advance and the cost is usually about 15-20 euros on average for an entire day.
The most important thing about renting a bike on your trip to the Netherlands is to follow the rules and not be a nuisance. Don’t stop in the middle of the bike lane for photos. Bike on the right side of the lane and don’t go obnoxiously slow. Locals will appreciate it.
As a local
As a local, renting bikes in other cities couldn’t be easier thanks to OV Fiets. OV Fiets is a bike sharing service run by Nederlandse Spoorwagen (the Dutch national train company). They have bikes at over 300 train stations in the Netherlands. The number of bikes per station varies based on the size of the station. For example Amsterdam Central Station has way more bikes than Alkmaar Central.
To rent an OV Fiets all you need is a free subscription to OV Fiets on your personalized OV Chipkaart. One of the first things you do when you move to the Netherlands is to get a personalized OV Chipkaart, which is your ticket to ride any bus, train, tram, or metro in the country in a tap on / tap off method.
Once you add the OV Fiets subscription online you’re free to rent an OV Fiets anywhere one is available. It works by unlocking the bike with your card. For more info on how exactly it works refer to this page. The OV Fiets bikes cannot be reserved in advance. They are solely first come first served setup.
OV Fiets bikes are brightly painted yellow and blue. While they have been known to get stolen, they are usually not targets for thieves due to their flamboyant branding. They are all back brake single-speed bikes with easily adjustable seats. They are good quality and will probably be more comfortable than your personal bike.
OV Fiets is simply awesome and no one should live in the Netherlands without a subscription!
Cycling in the Netherlands – Final Word
That was a lot of information, so by now you know just about everything there is to know about cycling in the Netherlands. Congrats, you’re an expert now! You’re now ready to bike around the country and dense Dutch cities like a pro. If you have any questions or additional clarifications please feel free to drop a comment below and I’ll get back to you!
