Biking in the Netherlands, a practical and healthy tradition
Holland to become the center of the world for cycling racing sport fans in 2010
All three of cycling’s super three-week “grand tours” will begin in the Netherlands next summer. The first bike-racing frenzy begins on May 8, with the 93rd Giro d'Italia departing from Amsterdam. Two months later on July 3, the Tour de France starts from Rotterdam, and on Saturday, Aug. 29, from Assen the Vuelta a España .
Holland is a country famous for windmills, tulips, and wooden shoes. But whoever has the opportunity to visit Holland, quickly discovers that this is also a country of bicycles. With nearly as many bikes as people (14 million bikes, 16 million Dutchmen), pancake-flat Holland was made for pedaling. Everyone, from grandparents to "too-cool" teens, takes to the roads by bike. Women master the art of discreetly pedaling in skirts and stilettos, and it’s not unusual to see a man in a €2,000 suit cycling home from the office. Even the Queen and Dutch PM bike. The Dutch use the bike for just about everything — to do the groceries, go to work, recreation, or just to go visit with friends in the city. Cycling is also pretty safe in Holland. American cyclists are three times more likely to be killed as would Dutch cyclists. Some people argue that part of the blame of accidents falls on bad drivers. Others say it is because the US has very few bike paths and cyclist take life in their hands when biking on public roads Maybe so, but it is also much harder to get a drivers license in the EU than in America. No drivers license is issued before you reach the age of 18.
The total value of bikes made in Europe last year reached €1.9 billion, with Holland providing 30 per cent of that total (€577,000). They top the list of bike producers in the EU with Germany and France coming in second and third.
If you want to go native and use your own green energy when visiting Holland, rent a bike. Bikes are available for rent - by the day, week or month - at most major train stations in Holland, from Maastricht in the south, to the northern city of Groningen. In the most visited tourist spots, such as Amsterdam, Gouda and Leiden, private companies offer rentals as well as bicycle sightseeing tours through cities and into the windmill-dotted, canal-crossed outlying areas. Expect to pay a minimum of 8 euros a day for a simple pedal-brake bike and up to 20 euros a day for the luxury of a hybrid bike with gears and manual brakes.
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