As the venerable British author H.G. Wells put it, “Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.” Cycling is one of the keys to cultivating a healthy urban living environment. It is a secret the Dutch have known for some time and one that has gradually been embraced by other countries around the globe.
Getting to work or school on a custom bike offers a healthy, extremely economical, space-efficient, and, above all, clean alternative to other forms of transportation. If the idea of cycling is embraced by enough people, it has great potential to alleviate pressure on existing infrastructure.
There are more bicycles than people in The Netherlands and in cities like Amsterdam and The Hague up to 70% of all journeys are made by bike. In the Netherlands, you can cycle around a roundabout while cars almost always wait patiently for you to pass. The idea that "the bike is right" is such an alien concept for tourists on bikes that many often find it difficult to navigate roads and junctions at first. However, once you are used to it, you will find it such a breeze to move from place to another on a bicycle. Young people in the Netherlands aren't allowed to drive unsupervised until they are 18, therefore getting some comfortable women's bikes or men's bikes offers Dutch teenagers an alternative form of freedom.