How the Netherlands dumped cars for bikes

I went to the Netherlands to visit Gazelle Bikes and learn about how their high-end e-bikes embrace the essence of Dutch bike design, and how the Netherlands has ensured that such bikes can truly replace cars around the country. Read all about my experience over on Electrek at: electrek.co/?p=302142
⛑️ My safety gear:
Bike helmet: amzn.to/3bn4g6J
Motorcycle helmet: bit.ly/Good_Helmet
Scooter helmet: bit.ly/Scooter_Helmet
Mesh jacket: bit.ly/Mesh_Jacket
Armored jeans: bit.ly/Riding_Jeans
Armored boots: bit.ly/Riding_boots
Armored gloves: bit.ly/Riding_Gloves
🎥 My filming gear:
Pretty product shots: amzn.to/2F4BNqQ
Invisible selfie stick camera: amzn.to/3Pmu5ad
Chest mounted camera: amzn.to/3P1NJsc
GoPro: amzn.to/3c9mjCk
Drone: amzn.to/3lnxwyQ
Handlebar phone holder: amzn.to/3JmDMmf
🚲 My favorite e-bikes:
(Budget-friendly) Lectric XP 3.0 $999: bit.ly/Lectric-XP-3-0
(Low-cost fast commuter) Ride1Up 500 Series $1,399: bit.ly/Ride1Up500Series
(Mid-level) Aventon Level: bit.ly/Aventon-Level
(Premium e-bike) Priority Current $2,999: bit.ly/Priority_Current
(Something for EVERYONE!) Rad Power Bikes:
(Power!) Juiced Bikes: bit.ly/Juiced_Bikes
🛴 My favorite e-scooters:
WideWheel Pro: bit.ly/WideWheelPRO
Mantis Pro: bit.ly/FFR_Mantis
Dualtron Thunder: bit.ly/Dualtron_Thunder
Turbowheel Lightning: bit.ly/turbowheel-lightning
Emove Cruiser: bit.ly/Emove_Cruiser
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links: 9to5mac.com/about/#affiliate

[@IgWannA2]

I've ridden bikes around Amsterdam and there's nothing more freeing than the sense you can just stop and park anywhere. It's so quick and easy to just ride a couple blocks away and explore a different area.

[@barrybegley5379]

We in Canada could take a much closer look at the High quality of Life that the Biking infrastructure in The Netherlands affords its citizens and guests. Most impressive country. Most impressive people. Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

[@pbilk]

So true. I am also in Ontario and I got to experience the Netherlands last year.

[@bert2526]

Please come to visit (skip Amsterdam and go to Groningen instead) and also we love Canada.

[@azurecommander7667]

From Vancouver, CA. We are also looking into Netherland's way of bike Infrastructure! We have built on most streets a Bike Road, which has seen a ton of improvement across Vancouver, hell, we are starting to see Bike Parking lots here as well in near skytrain stations. We have our own Bike Highway as well.. but it's not quite as safe as the ones in the Netherlands, since we still have to drive with cars.

[@azurecommander7667]

And hell we are building another Bike Highway as well..

[@RoyMcAvoy]

How to spot a tourist in the Netherlands? Bike helmet 😂

[@maaiker2977]

Its kinda sweet. Like someone putting on kneepads to do for a walk. It screams "I am not confident in my abilities to walk/cycle and stay upright". If its a small insecure child...ok. But to see a grown man wearing a helmet...its very "oh honey no".😂

[@hansklok3564]

@@maaiker2977xcept on a bike you are in traffic and you dont have full control over everything that can happen.

[@mavadelo]

@@hansklok3564 We have the most cyclers in the world We are the most densely populated country in Europe We have on average the lowest number of helmet users among the cyclist We also have among the lowest number of fatalities among cyclists in traffic. A cycle hemlet protects you from minor head impact. It does not protect you from being plowed into by a car, truck or SUV or even a motorcycle. They actually provide a fake sense of security and should be outlawed. (except for Children and people prone to falling/instability)

[@harenterberge2632]

F-ing walking on the bike path and acting all insulted when cyclists ring their bike bell!

[@Fjodor.Tabularasa]

@mavadelo8641 279 cyclist fatalities last year in traffic. All thanks to the ebikes and the mostly old people that ride them. And this fatality number is going up rapidly. Helmets do make a lot of sense nowadays for older people riding e bikes.

[@SingularlyNaked]

Heh. Micah presents an episode of Not Just Bikes! Or really a summary of a huge number of NJB videos. Well done! And yeah, the two times I went to Utrecht for work, none of us rented cars, we just got bikes, and it was glorious. That was 2010; it's even better now.

[@charlienyc1]

What a gorgeous city that was when I visited. The places and the people were simply beautiful.

[@hellraizer44]

fun fact: on some of those micro cars the back opens and becomes a ramp for a wheelchair. I'd seen a man on a wheelchair just enter from the back of the car then drove away.

[@sonnylatchstring]

8:27 the green Canta 8:31 red Canta

[@swedneck]

This might be my favourite take on the subject yet: Straight to the point, accessible to the layman, and surprisingly and rightly blunt.

[@BikepackingAdventures]

Yeah I really appreciated the bluntness of making the point of only seeing one obese person the entire trip. It is harder to find unfit people in the Netherlands than it would be to find an unfit person in any other country, sure of course they do exist and more than likely in Amsterdam and Rotterdam it's likely that they would be a tourist.

[@brian5154]

Ned. didn't dump cars. There are millions of them. Nederland uses both. Excellent video........

[@kailahmann1823]

bikes for short, cars for long distances.

[@ARTSPECK]

Micah, I’ve watched your videos for years from your battery construction days and this video is absolutely your best. This should be put forward for recognition and an award from every section of the movie industry. Best wishes from the U.K.

[@Electrek]

Thanks Art, you’re too kind! I appreciate you sticking with me all these years 😃

[@obimk1104]

@@Electrek As young Dutch I had several "diploma's", 3 for swimming, (with rescue swimming) 1 for bicycles handling in traffic. Pedestrians and bicyclist are also protected by law. And many Dutch car drivers have bikes @ home.

[@nts9]

Very nice, way to go Netherlands.

[@BlackhawkPilot]

One of the incentives for drivers is that any car-bike accident, the car’s insurance pays. A great embarrassment was riding my racing bake in The Netherlands and a gentleman in suit and tie cruised by with a polite “good morning” on a heavy black sit up bike.

[@obimk1104]

If a Dutch biker makes a big mistake and he/she gets in an accident, they are not protected by law. But in an accident by law the biker is protected. Protect the weaker traffic participant by law.

[@jannetteberends8730]

Even the premier goes to work on a bicycle.

[@vanDeudekom]

@@jannetteberends8730 Nop, not anny more. By car (BMW) and 2 safety officers.

[@Makoholic11]

Wish the US was like this. I love biking

[@richardjohnson7563]

I fear our addiction to the infernal combustion engine is going to be hard to break

[@doggyman1202]

Love this! Thanks! I'm afraid there's too much big car entitlement and monied resistance for this to happen in the states, but beautiful to see this at least somewhere on our planet.

[@lawrencehuxham]

I rode on my electric bike across the Netherlands every year in April since 2022 since I live in Belgium because Belgium is next door to the Netherlands. I got to say I love the Netherlands, mainly because of the biking culture, also its a great place to to do a tour across the Netherlands all by bike. The infrastructure for both bicycles, pedestrians and public transit is spot on. Since I never drive a car nor even had a car, it is so much better that I ride bikes all the time, especially when visiting the Netherlands as a first thing in mind for my bucket list. I will visit the Netherlands once again next year. Great video by the way, very informative and it is splendid.

[@sirhilsam]

You had me at 'Bike First' and Micro Cars. My jaw was agape for your entire video. Well done my brother. LOVE this channel...🍺cheers

[@zews1]

I grew up in the Netherlands. I rode across town on my little bike to school when I was 8 years old. I never owned a car when I still lived there. Now living in San Francisco for more than 45 years, I have never owned a bike here.

[@gerarddekoe4358]

As an employer we stimulate our employees to commute by bike. They get 21 cent per kilometer and can get €500 to buy a bycicle. They have to promisse to commute by bike to work.

[@obimk1104]

I worked at a Dutch High tech company with a yearly "bike=plan", they would subsidize upto €1000. More companies use "Het fietsenplan".

[@BikepackingAdventures]

Sorry random stranger question, I was thinking yesterday how great it would be to move to the NL, but being from the UK I don't really know the situation. I work in IT, I build websites, a web developer, how is NL in that respect? Do they only want people who are highly skilled and not take regular Dutch jobs are they altogether more relaxed?

[@BikepackingAdventures]

@@obimk1104 interesting

[@haenzelv6287]

@@BikepackingAdventures You shouldn't have a problem finding a job in IT over here. English is the preferred language in IT, so I suggest you give it a go...!!

[@yellfire]

I recently learned that 'het fietsenplan' doesnt apply to employees with a minimum income. Which I think defeats the purpose of Het Fietsenplan: everyone on a bike (to work). Except for people who can least afford it, it seems. And whos transportation mode is most likely by bike. Doesnt make sense.

[@DutchLabrat]

Can't deny, my Gazelle Mondeo is now over 25 years old and after a little overhaul last year is still going strong. That thing will survive the cockroaches :)

[@singlespeed2760]

The lack of background noise is great.

[@bert2526]

The design of the street at 5:22 is clever. If you drive your car in your lane all is good, but when you move to the middle of the road to overtake a person on a bicycle, you hear the tires go BRRRRR from the cobbles in the middle. The red asfalt reminds drivers of cyclepaths also.

[@jsb7975]

Now THIS is one of the most complete and informativ video's about biking in the Netherlands I've seen. At least you give a wider perspective by also showing Dutch city and town surroundings instead of filming just the red asphalt with bikers. Nice to see the architecture as well .

[@mraidymaddful]

Micah, you forgot to mention how clean it is everywhere in Holland. I went there quite a lot in the 80's and 90's and after leaving the UK for the first time, I couldn't believe clean and tidy it is there, even in the countryside.

[@kaz1578]

Except for the cigarette butts, they are everywhere in the cities.

[@speedcorewarrior1984]

I live in the Netherlands and lived years in Amsterdam and i dont find it clean.

[@kaz1578]

@@speedcorewarrior1984 There was quite a lot of rubbish, a mix of household garbage and fast food bags, along some of the streets, especially in and around the bikes on the footpath. We did see street sweeper trucks come along but the footpaths were never cleaned. A pity because it is a beautiful city.

[@speedcorewarrior1984]

I now live outside the city in a small village and its the people here that clean theire living spaces. But there is a bike lane not far from here where monday to friday school kids wait for there buddys and its a mess there. I can even find mcdonalds garbage while its at least 5 km from here. And in places where more immigrants live then its very bad these people hate the country and so they have no respect for the suroundings.

[@jannetteberends8730]

I live in a neighborhood with a high percentage of immigrants. I even live across a Chinese/snackbar and a Morocco snackbar. And the streets are clean. So update your opinion, it’s not correct.

[@GolfWithDirk]

Great video 👍 … It not only shows how awesome Nederland is, but how a successful society works, and the health benefits of moving the human body.

[@kaz1578]

I've just returned from Amsterdam and this video is an accurate depiction of what it is like. During peak hours, the cyclists weaving in and around the streets is like a well rehearsed ballet!!! Everyone knows what they have to do and they allow other cyclists to do the same, giving simple gestures or hand signals. The cars respect the cyclists and everybody moves together, just as the presenter said - they figure it out for themselves. The hard part was being a pedestrian!

[@user-ym7ss6xb3j]

cars dont really "respect" the bikers. There is a insurrance law here that in a case of an accident, the car is Always in the wrong no matter what the bike did. This is what makes the car drivers careful. Little detail, big effect

[@MrMezmerized]

@@user-ym7ss6xb3j I have to disagree there. I think the law plays a minor role. Just about everyone bikes here. That shapes your attitude. As opposed to e.g. Americans. Many seem to not like people on bikes and scoff at them, or even harass them.

[@sandorszabolcsi]

Micah thanks for sharing the bike culture of the Netherlands

[@douglaslarlham8291]

When I want to learn about ebikes, I look for ebike experts, who look for bike experts

[@Electrek]

It all starts somewhere :-)

[@starbase218]

We haven’t dumped cars for bikes. Cars still rule in The Netherlands as well. But for most shorter trips, other forms of transport are encouraged. That’s where you’ll find the “fietsstraten” (bicycle streets, where cars are guests). This also means we design streets for the purpose they have to serve. So not every street fulfills every purpose. We simply have something in between the car and going on foot, and so the infrastructure scales much better with different kinds of environments and trips. We just don’t think that a big, metal, 2 by 4 meter contraption is the best way to make a 5km trip. And most trips, esp in built up areas, are short. The bike paths in rural areas are useful because, for one thing, kids (going to high school for example) can’t drive cars. And for another, it completes the network. Elevating the usefulness of every other piece of cycling infrastructure. It is everywhere and you don’t have to think about it.

[@kitchencarvings4621]

Bike Priority roads. What a fantastic idea. Cars are not banned but they would probably take other car-priority roads instead and cyclists would gravitate away from car-priority roads to the bike priority roads. This seems a lot more economical than dedicated bike lanes, especially in cities like Denver that are laid out in a grid. Often cities try to squeeze in a dedicated bike lane where there really isn't room. This seems eminently better.

[@kailahmann1823]

And they are often even safer than a dedicated bike lane - because traffic from a side street only has to worry for one lane and not for two. Separate bike lanes are only needed for the main car network (where those are allowed to drive 50 kph).

[@thatcarguy1UZ]

I love cars. My username might give that away. But I also love the idea of not having to drive everywhere. I would love to be able to commute by bike and/or to be able to take the train, to not have to drive back and forth to do most of the things that I use a car for now. The Dutch definitely have the proper solution figured out. Riding a bike is the only exercise I truly enjoy, and I genuinely look forward to my daily bike rides, but because where I live is not bike-friendly, I can't use my bike to commute. I genuinely fear for my life if I were to have to ride to work especially in the middle of the night because I go in at 4 in the morning. But if there were dedicated separated bike lanes and even bike roads I absolutely would! Realistically speaking I probably would still drive on crappy weather days. But I could most likely replace about 80% of my driving with a bike.

[@jannetteberends8730]

Not just bikes has a video about car driving in The Netherlands. According to the video The Netherlands are also a paradise for car drivers. The people have a choice how they want to go from a to b, and all choices are made optimal.

[@thatcarguy1UZ]

@jannetteberends8730 I saw that. I watch all their videos. That would be awesome to me! I won't lie, I genuinely enjoy driving. The Netherlands would be nice for cycle commuting of course, but also when I just want to take a drive for the joy of driving. Which I would likely also appreciate more since I would be driving about 75%-80% less than I do now.

[@DenUitvreter]

Cars weren't dumped, the number of cars has been growing each year since WWII. You just have to be zen for 10-15 minutes and then you're outside the city and in the natural habitat of the car. Bikes and cars have been complementary rather than rivals for about 3 decades now.

[@mikelytle750]

I travelled all over the Netherlands while on vacation last year using the refillable OV-Chipkaart for trains, trams, and buses. I never once got into a car. You don't really need a car at all to travel in the Netherlands.

[@pt020]

Most of the car drivers use also a bike, they understand the problem better than drivers abroad.

[@kaz1578]

Besides the usual cycles, we saw a huge number of electic cars as well as electric vespas and motorbikes etc with many streets equipped with recarging points. Many people had the little 2 seater micro cars which have a top speed of around 40km/h, that were even able to go on the passenger and bike ferries and could be squeezed into the smallest of parking spots. Amsterdam has made it easy to use bikes as a popular means of transport with the provision of bike garages at main railway stations throughout the country ans cycle lanes and paths covering much of the country.

[@MrAronymous]

@@mikelytle750 But that doesn't mean cars aren't still the most used way of getting around.

[@bomcabedal]

@@mikelytle750 Unfortunately, that doesn't always work for commutes. Rural bus services can be quite sketchy.

[@sebastianhuvenaars6537]

Car vs bike... i like having both options, but that being said, you would be surprised how often the latter proves to be the superior mode of transport. It's always parked at my front door, busy traffic is never an issue and you ride to within meters of your destination where parking is free and availability almost always guaranteed.

[@diedertspijkerboer]

I should probably clarify something for non-Dutch viewers. The vast majority of us aren't "cyclists". We just use bikes as a tool to get from A to B. A fair number of people ride their bikes in their spare time either as a leisure activity or as a sport, but the reason almost everyone owns a bike is for practical purposes.

[@_Wobblier]

Every country should have infrastructure like this. You can be the change that transforms your city.

[@anubizz3]

Not every country is tiny and flat like Netherlands, every country need to have great public transport.

[@therealdutchidiot]

@@anubizz3 Every country is at least locally flat. And 50% of car trips in the US and Canada are 5km or less. That's very bikeable.

[@anubizz3]

@@therealdutchidiot yeah tell that to Hong Kong and Swiss... Oh yah I forgot they already have the best public transport in the world.... Unlike Netherlands....

[@therealdutchidiot]

@@anubizz3 I'm not talking about Hong Komg and the Swiss. I'm talking about the nonsense you're claiming. Here's a fun fact: Switzerland has the same issue as the Netherlands but in reverse: they want more cycling but it's held back by public transit. It's a chicken and egg problem.

[@anubizz3]

@@therealdutchidiot Which one that is non sense? Are you claiming Netherlands is big and full of mountains? Here's fun fact, Swiss love their public transport...

[@CultureCompassTV]

Great short little docu, definitely in my top list of what I watched this month 👍

[@LuficariusRatspeed]

Like Elon says, the most common mistake of a smart engineer is to optimize something that shouldn't exist. Elon talked me out of buying a car.

[@kaasmeester5903]

Cars shouldn't exist? You might not need one but that's not the same thing.

[@LuficariusRatspeed]

@@kaasmeester5903 Not if you build your cities correctly. Look up "missing middle." Cars are a great tool for long distances, but suck when it comes to intra-urban living. Lack of density was the downfall of American infrastructure.

[@kaasmeester5903]

@@LuficariusRatspeed It depends. Our public transport is pretty good, but even with shitty traffic the car almost always beats it on journeys between cities, or even from one end of the city to the other. I had the good fortune of a railway link to work that was pretty much door to door. That (and only that) beat the trip by car. As for the missing middle, that pretty much defines the Dutch housing landscape outside the city centers. Hasn’t always helped. What matters is not only the kind of housing you built, but the neighbourhoods around them. I live in a Dutch suburb but we have schools, shops, restaurants and bars all within a short bike ride distance (plus we have a great metro link). You can live here without a car… but for longer distances, for most people’s commutes, you’d still want one, since it almost always beats public transport by a fair margin. The great thing is that you need the car *only* for those longer journeys. This also shows the drawback of making cars so stupidly expensive to buy and own here. If you have one, you’ll have to drive it till the wheels come off to get your money’s worth, you’re not going to throw good money after bad by paying for a train ticket as well. The good news is that we’re seeing good solutions for occasional use. Convenient car share schemes are getting more popular, and lease companies offer “mobility” instead of just the car, so if you decide to take the train instead on some days, the fare is included in the corporate lease. On the whole, I think the Netherlands is doing pretty good. And being a filthy car lover, I still think it’ll be even better once we discourage car use in the cities even more, lower the speed limit there to 30km/h, and build better public transport. I think it’s important to have a mix of transport options and encourage the most appropriate one for each use case. But cars are very much a useful and even necessary part of that mix.

[@cupcakke1294]

@@kaasmeester5903 Ja maar ik denk dat als we meer investeren in het OV dat het dan sms beter is dan een auto. De files worden elk jaar erger.

[@kaasmeester5903]

@@cupcakke1294 Tja, het OV loopt ook aardig vol. Als er ergens een weg dicht is voor wegwerkzaamheden, dan zijn de treinen in de regio ook niet te doen. De bevolking groeit nog steeds fors, en dat betekent bouwen: OV, wegen en huizen.

[@evevangelist5910]

Fantastic video content! I’m so tempted to visit the Netherlands to see this for myself. But I resist flying due to the high pollution they still cause. As part of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine that works for better infrastructure for bikes & pedestrians in our state, the example of the Dutch is stellar and one for us to follow. I’d like to learn more how easy or hard it was to convince the die hard car driving officials to make such a big change.

[@claudiavalentijn1457]

the thing in the Netherlands is: all car-drivers ride bikes as well. We learn how to ride a bike from the moment we can walk: starting off with walking bikes and then progressing to 'real' bikes with trainer wheels. Once a Dutch child is around 4, they know how to ride a regular bike. See 2:45.

[@exeuropean]

Go swimming or get a sail boat.

[@roderickvannoorloos1967]

What @claudiavalentijn1457 stated is a very important aspect. As when we Dutch started to move away from car centric infrastructure in the 70's, there wasn't really any generation that only knew about cars as the main way of transportation. Policy makers themselves had used bikes themselves, as the great upsurge was a post WW2 development, so only 30 years prior. But make no mistake, even with this advantage it was a hard battle to convince people to give up (or inconvenience) their new symbols of wealth, status and convenience. Especially as most of the people who used bikes as their main form of transportation back then were poorer people (or children). I think the rising death toll of children in traffic accidents was a deciding push factor in convincing people 'something' had to be done. And I think that the way things were implemented back then might also work for Maine. Start integrating small measure within the life cycle maintenance of roads. Focusing on measures that are also explicitly stated as being better for kids (countering child obesity, increasing self reliance etc.) as this helps with gaining (grudging) support, even though it benefits any cyclist. So start with separated bike lines on school routes for instance (I think the painted bike lines without some kind of barrier are a mistake in a society where drivers are not raised with an awareness for bikes, these might leads to an increase in deaths among children). Another thing that is possible due to American zoning laws and the development of suburbs (never really a thing in the Netherlands), is focusing efforts on these suburbs. Promote the livable village idea (those newer style of suburbs that don't even have sidewalks are a truly dystopian development IMO), where people can bike to friends. Create shortcuts through the often labyrinthine road system to promote alternate modes of transportation, making the bike FASTER within the suburb than the car (within city limits in the Netherlands the bike is often faster or just as fast as a car in getting from A to B, a big 'mind blown' moment for many car lovers). And on the edges of suburbs, create safe ways of getting to adjoining commercial developments like supermarkets, to stimulate people to use alternate transportation instead of sitting in a car for an hour just to get a carton of milk. Lastly, as it's beautiful Maine we're talking about here, I can imagine focusing on promoting recreational and tourist bike paths. All different kinds of bike positive developments but in the end the numbers won't lie (just like they didn't in the Netherlands) and policy makers will be able to point at the positive results from developing bike infrastructure as a way of developing more of it. Simultaneously growing an increasing number of bike enthusiasts that will help clamor for increasing changes.

[@BikepackingAdventures]

@@roderickvannoorloos1967 yeah it's all going to be very very, painful slow for any country wanting to take this path. But personally, I think it's inevitable that many parts of the Western world will be forced to rethink their urban landscape due to population increase, climate change and the continued upward cost of space for cars. In a big way I think the move to electrification of the car may somewhat ironically be the catalyst for a lot of this change as the price is not gonna fall any time soon. The cost of running a car is already said be putting off the younger generation even now.

[@Paul_C]

@evelangist5910 You might want to visit Strong Towns and take a peek there. They do courses on the financial side of infrastructure.

[@keithwhite9978]

Fantastic episode 😁 looks an amazing place 😊👍

[@charlienyc1]

I am drooling with thoughts of my fair (North American) city looking like this some day. However, reality says it is far more likely I'll need to convince my family to move there.

[@blacklite911]

The best thing about the public policy in Amsterdam is that they’re way more willing to take risks than the US. In the States, cities typically have advocates decide a way and then get bullheaded about it. Whereas it seems like Netherlands are more flexible with implementation.

[@obimk1104]

As young Dutch I had several "diploma's", 3 for swimming, (with rescue swimming) 1 for bicycles handling in traffic. Pedestrians and bicyclist are also protected by law. And many Dutch car drivers have bikes @ home.

[@CJ-bg9wk]

Netherlands are on another level of life quality.

[@urbandiscount]

No we're not

[@brozius]

@@urbandiscount Actually we are!

[@mourlyvold64]

@@urbandiscount As compared to what?

[@prashnaveetprasad8339]

@@mourlyvold64 as American citizen, USA and Japan of course.

[@robbitter9524]

Something else: we Dutch has still a stretch to go regarding bicycle safety and lane use. - In some other countries a bicycle helmet is mandatory and I would advise especially seniors to wear one - they are lightweight and airy, but might save you from a worse head injury after a fall. - Cyclists in bicycle lanes share the space with electric bikes (that are limited to about 15 mile/hr or 25 km/hr) but mopeds go faster and sometimes conveniently use the cycle lanes too). - Also small, low speed, two-seater electric cars can use the cycle lanes. - Young persons in primary school get 'fiets education', but as you can see it is a bit of a free-for-all in big cities, where the education is quickly forgotten as a lot of teens don't really care to follow rules - as it is in their (Dutch) nature... 🙂 So it should (for safety's sake) be made clear who can do what & where, maybe with higher fines for transgressions. That said, the number of cycle accidents is relatively low due to the Dutch common sense driven skill set acquiered mostly in traffic.

[@stuvius]

What an uplifting video! Would love to visit the Netherlands

[@marcelsonnevelt6807]

People should keep in mind that in the Netherlands almost everybody is a 'fietser' i.e. Bike-rider. Everybody rides or at least has ridden a bike as their main means of transportation at parts of their lives. Most of those people that are driving a car in between the bike-riders on those special lanes, will ride their bike when doing short trips themselves or for fun in the weekends when the sun is out. That makes a huge difference, everyone driving a car in the rain will know exactly how it feels to be that bike-rider getting wet, and most will adjust their drive style to give way to that wet person. Discussions from outside the Netherlands are almost always about differences between 2 exclusive groups. There will always will be annoyance in traffic between participants, but when it comes to them vs us there is hardly any discussion of Cars vs Bikes in the Netherlands. There is the Car vs OV (Public Transport) discussion, but that is more about money and pollution than occupying the same space. Also it helps that the Netherlands is flatter than a pancake and distances are short.

[@PatrickFCBronsema]

I have 4 bicycles and 2 cars (no EVs) and I live in Delft and it is difficult to park there despite having a permit. That's why I almost always cycle in the city. I have a one year old Engwe Engine Pro (45km) with 5000km on the counter and a cargo bike of 4 years (recently converted into an Ebike with 2x 1500w engines 26km) with 1900km. That cargo bike is not for speed, more for power to handle me and the load (350+kg). Some bicycle paths in Delft are as soft and straight as a billiard table, but it is good that there is a spring ring on both bicycles because most bicycle paths are tiles with the roots coming through. But I don't know anything about Amsterdam (don't want to be found dead there), it's a bit of an indicator about the rest of the Netherlands being a bicycle country. I can't live without my Ford Mustang GT500 and my Audi RS6.

[@Altema22]

Despite the comments stating they did not dump cars, this is certainly very different from the way things are in the US. I ride a lot, but it is mostly for recreation and exercise because less than 1% of the businesses around us have anywhere to park or lock a bicycle. Even at the large medical facility I work at, there are spaces for thousands of cars, and one tiny rack for exactly two bikes. Regarding helmets; in the Netherlands, bicycle rides are slow. There is little competition from cars in many city locations, and even on e-bikes it's a nanny-approved 15mph. You don't need a helmet. I've gone without a helmet on tours across multiple countries, and I love how free it feels. However, mixing it up in heavy traffic going 25 to 30mph, and you are the only bike, a helmet is a necessity. My brother was hit multiple times by cars, a few of them intentionally. I've been in two or three accidents where there would have been a head injury, but there was none specifically because of a helmet. I've also been in exactly two accidents where having a helmet literally saved my life. So, I wear a helmet whenever I feel like it, and sometimes I'll wear a motorcycle helmet if it's a high risk situation. Not saying there is anything wrong in never wearing a helmet in the Netherlands, just saying the riding environment is different in other places.

[@rulifaller8474]

The number of cars is not that different from other countries, most people living outside Amsterdam city center still have a car. But number of trips by car is a lot lower, as everyone uses bikes for short trips or walks.

[@jaaklucas1329]

My city, Vancouver, Canada has been improving biking infrastructure alot for about the last 10 years. We had a city govt. that was very forward thinking in that regard. Being choked with traffic was a key impetus. Amsterdam is flat so it was a perfect place for the urban bicycle expansion initially.Hard to get regular non-bicyclists to ride with all the hills. We in Vancouver are not flat and winters are rainy so people still wanted cars. But with the explosion of E-mobility, the cost of owning a car etc. Biking has really taken off here. I can get around the city as fast as a car really on my E-bike as traffic is as bad as ever. Now the surrounding municipailies are trying to catch up.

[@marcelmoulin3335]

Thank you for having created such an impeccably executed video with superb analysis. A joy. "Groeten uit Middelburg!"

[@scottshafer9813]

Just WOW! Thank you for this.

[@user-ot1dv6ri4f]

great video guys thanks for doing the good work !

[@Theokondak]

It's a blessing to live in countries like the Netherlands and have the infrastructure and culture to move by bike.

[@dknowles60]

its very easy when you have a small land area , a small 12 year old boy could bike across the Netherlands in 2 days

[@semkraaijkamp]

nice te see you liked my country and the way we travel

[@beesod6412]

5:39 old fella burning rubber! love it!

[@seagreentangerine2065]

I love this video, makes me feel sad though that in the UK we are still so far behind in bike storage outside of the cities.

[@rickbartley9255]

A great piece of objective journalism! Thanks!

[@caskraker]

Its a lie. A big lie.

[@vanDeudekom]

It is not objective, its looking to video your dream. I can show you video from Holland where you don't want to bike, specialy as a tourist you wil end in hospital. Talking about tourist. Do not walk on the bikepath and please were a helmet so we see you as a tourist and can escape the danger!

[@jossefjossikajit4169]

ENJOYED YOUR SHOW Greetings from Maastricht NL ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@kapilchhabria1727]

I live adjacent to a two lane street in a dense residential area and this would be an ideal street to be dominated by bicycles, but we share this street with 18 wheelers and cars traveling over 45 miles per day. There is a bike lane gutter but I can’t imagine anyone being foolish enough to risk life and limb in that gutter lane.

[@fab199105]

you mention a few times that bikes replaced cars, however the biking culture dates back to far before the car was introduced as an affordable option after WW2, American engineers were flown in to amsterdam to design the `new`city, planning to tear down a huge percentage of the old city, and partially succeded, to build highways through the city. People protested this before the oil crisis and the large number of traffic deaths that you mention in the beginning of the video.

[@james-p]

And now we Americans need to fly in some Dutch engineers lol.

[@eduardveres3501]

Great video. Very informative.

[@JerseyStyle7]

❤️🙏🏽👍🏽amazing, now i wanna move there, i never drive my cars😂 love my bikes-awesome Mika👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@bertnijhof5413]

One of the reasons we switched back to bikes was the rationing of gasoline during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The Arabs blocked the Netherlands from receiving oil. During those months we needed ration cards like in WW2 to buy gasoline and on Sunday we were not allowed to drive our cars. Another reason were the large number of children (>400 per year), that were the victims of cars. An action group "Stop the Child Murder" started and was very successful in changing the priorities related to road design and traffic regulation. Currently ~20 children die each year due to accidents with cars, not too bad for a population of 18 million people. My college was in a neighboring city at 10 km (7 miles) and I went there every day on my bike. The ride took half an hour. I walked to my primary school in 10 minutes and biked to my high school in 10 minutes. Even at ages of 22 - 50 I mostly biked through the forest to the company at a 10 km distance. Only in case of serious rain I took the car :) After 50 I moved to Brussels for work, while living in Antwerp at a 40 km distance, so I had to use the car.

[@_PJW_]

We Dutch didn't 'dump cars for bikes'. In The Netherlands the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a car is usually too high. Esp. in town. Rural areas are different.

[@wubbo73]

Hi, this is a very optimistic video. I fact if you live in Amsterdam, they made parking so expensive, that it is not possible to park there, you even have to pay if you park on your own ground. And even better they reduced the number of parking spaces a lot. So if you can afford to pay for parking you cannot find a parking space. And if you own a nice bike make sure you lock it with at least 2 locks to a fixed point, otherwise you get very disappointed. By the way I own a car and a bike, I owned more bikes but they got missing. If you live in Amsterdam, or any mayor city, everything is close by and a bike is mostly a good choice, but if you live in a small village you cannot do with only a bike. Or is you have to move bigger items you need a car.

[@Wicked_Lady_Memoires]

Nice video. Learning to swim with clothes on is a basic part of swimminglessons in the whole country. You can fall of a boat or in a pool everywhere. Not just in citys with canals

[@scmorton8]

The end of this KZbin video was punctuated by a car commercial for me. How ironic!

[@george46light]

Actually, the Netherlands is a great place to drive a car in, BECAUSE it's not car-centric. I haven't been in the USA, but I have traveled through Europe and in Israel. Netherlands is the best experience for driving a car. I'm not a car person though. Mode of transport depends on circumstances.

[@LydonLewisDoUbLeZz]

Duuuuude !!!!! This is kinda dreamy!!!! This is my number one video for the week, This would not be a bad place to retire instead of everybody flocking to freaking Florida! He'll I've been more of an avid rider, and am getting my first Ebike in the coming months! God I wish there was more places like this!!!❤

[@carmenl163]

The weather in Florida is much nicer though...

[@ronaldstrous2764]

In another video (don't now which one anymore) it was said that in the US the square footage of car parks exceed the square footage of houses

[@ebikeupgrades]

Are there any ebike charging stations sprinkled in? Great episode as always...really like the traveling ones, Israel, China, Denmark, great stuff.

[@arthurhagen3826]

Yes, most popular is the OV-fiets (pronounced o-vay-feets) available at most (or perhaps everyy?) rail station.

[@frankhooper7871]

​@@arthurhagen3826That's a bike sharing scheme though (and an excellent one!) - not really an answer to @ebikeupgrade's question.

[@WindmillChef]

Great video, it really is, concise, yet plenty informative, a pleasant mix of casual and formal in its presentation. Well done. I encourage every American who makes these KZbin videos about the great bicycling culture in The Netherlands to omit phrasing that implicates that bikes have more rights in The Netherlands or that bicycling is superior over cars, and so forth (this video does much less of it than others). Dutch people don't think this way, it is not a competition for them, or a social or political stance that they take and have to "win." There are so many bike paths and bike priority roads and traffic rules because there are so many bikes, it is the simplest of logic. There are many days when a Dutch bike rider thinks "I wish I would have taken the car today" or sitting in a car looking outside thinking that this a beautiful day to have been on a bike. The manner in which many KZbinrs (and US bicycle proponents in general) criticize car drivers and state that in The Netherlands they have to yield (status power) over to bicycle riders only creates divides among people and causes car drivers to be defensive and more resolved to maintain their car dominant culture.

[@delftfietser]

Commenting from Winnipeg, Canada, bicycle advocates do argue everything from a viewpoint of power and status, because cyclists have none of those here, and little presence or nunbers in traffic. A problem that the advocates ignore is that bicycling for transport here is an item of the political left. It's advocated for using leftist methods like shame, power inequality, car hatred, and utopian thinking. There is very little willingness to build and find ground with the political right or those who simply like life by car. However, our society really doesn't have much in common between left and right, beyond material comforts. All of this makes building up a place for cycling in my city and its culture a slow and painful process. Thank you for comment, I certainly learned some things from you.

[@Xtrafix2015]

Omg! I wish Washington heights was like that! I’ve lived in nyc and dyckman 207th is always the worst going to Bronx is no easy thing

[@charlienyc1]

I lived in Inwood and kept my biking to the trail along the Hudson. Otherwise, I'd take transit or ride my motorcycle around. Agreed - going across to the Bx was never fun!

[@Man-in-the-green]

Dyckman and Bronx sounds very Dutch 😂

[@charlienyc1]

@@Man-in-the-green Hey, walk just a few blocks north and you can see Spuyten Duyvil. I don't think it could get any more Dutch than that! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spuyten_Duyvil%2C_Bronx?wprov=sfla1

[@roytiel1405]

Welkom in Nederland Micah

[@simonaslibrary]

Awesome video😍

[@rogrol5382]

Great report!

[@LovelyDoetje]

As a Dutch person I am always amazed how foreign people think cities like Amsterdam and Utrecht represent the whole country. Mostly bikes are used for short commutes. Amsterdam is a big city in the Netherlands but as a city it is small compared to cities across the world. Amsterdam and other Dutch cities are small enough to be bike friendly. Living outside of a big city means you will have to travel more. Public transportation is expensive and slow outside of the cities. Also it means you have to walk 10 to 15 minutes from the (bus, train, etc) stop to your destination. By car is cheaper, more direct and traveltime is less. So most people use their car to go to work. Offcourse some bike 15 to 30 km to go to work but that is rare. For me it is only 7 km to go to work but I take the car because it is a lot faster. The story they tell in these videos is true in the city erea. Not the whole country.

[@carmenl163]

How can a 7 km journey be 'a lot faster by car then by bike? It is such a short distance that it's literally not possible to be about 15 minutes faster. I get that driving a car is more convenient outside cities because of poorer public transport. But it most certainly isn't necessary.

[@tonlon1356]

Most people own a bike and a car in The Netherlands. Bikes are great for small or medium long distances. And for leisure as well. Cars are great for longer distances or to take large items with you.

[@SolarizeYourLife]

I would think gazelle offers many paint options considering the high numbers in the country, and how to determine whose bikes who...

[@janwesten1317]

In addition to all the benefits of cycling, such as being better for the environment and healthier, the less frequently mentioned advantages compared to driving a car are that the throughput of cycling is also much greater than that of cars. A bike path with cyclists transports more people than a multi-lane road with cars, where often only one person is seated. This should certainly appeal to traffic planners, even if they are car enthusiasts. As mentioned in this video, the maintenance costs are also much lower.

[@RobRoordink]

Perhaps unexpected, driving car in the Netherlands is way better and safer than in North America. Look for Not Just Bikes episode Driving in the Netherlands is way better.

[@delftfietser]

I think he was wrong on that. If the car infra is not congested and free flowing, whether for parking or driving, getting around by car in North America is perfectly fine. Having to attention to mostly car and trucks and a pedestrian or cyclist occasionally makes things straightforward. Add more cyclists and peds and the infra that goes with each, then things get complicated. All three need their space, and you don't want much of a speed difference where they must mix, so the driving is slower there. But that the driving there is convenient enough, speed matters less than access.

[@RobRoordink]

Driving in the US is very nice, said my neighbor, but it depends on where you drive. In the great wide open or in an urban and suburban environment.

[@Busdathead]

Thanks for the vid

[@bennetthasty7886]

Best biking video ever

[@margaretesulzberger2973]

By the way, gazelle e-bikes would not be my favorite. If you want an agile e-bike look at Schindelhauer, Desiknio and others with Mahle motor. Van Moof e-bikes are quite popular in the Netherlands and produced in Amsterdam. You saw some of them in the video too. Great design but not as good quality. But to make it clear, E bikes are not the reason for the Dutch being “simply healthier, fitter and frankly more attractive”. It’s the light, agile, non expensive, robust, ever ready, traditional bike with a carrier.

[@urbandiscount]

Van Moof is produced in Taiwan, with low quality components

[@brozius]

Gazelle e-bikes are great, it's extreme high quality. The Gazelle company is 131 years old, they make one of the best bicycles in the world.

[@hendman4083]

Van Moof went belly up.

[@carmenl163]

The bikes you mention are not considered great by test sites. Stella, Cortina, Gazelle and Koga are all regarded to be the best e-bikes 2023.

[@vikingking1]

Thanks ❤

[@InfiniteCyclus]

7:52 you're riding at the wrong side of the road mister!! 😂 Always cross on the right side of the intersection, unless it's a two way bikelane. But this clearly was a one way bikelane.

[@carmenl163]

Hahaha, I noticed that too!

[@saranbhatia8809]

Great share!

[@ronaldvb3663]

6:50 you ar right. When I see a group of cyclists with helmets in the Netherlands I try to go around them as much as possible. 😂 Most tourists have problems driving in a straight line…

[@scmorton8]

I’m equally encouraged and discouraged by this video. I’m so happy for (and envious of) the people of the Netherlands and, at the same time, feel like the majority of Americans just don’t get it or even care to imagine a better way for our cities and suburbs. The bike advocates in the US are a small but mighty group. Now we need to move from a fringe movement to a broader societal priority where politicians are winning elections by prioritizing people-first infrastructure.

[@TheWineroute]

perfection.

[@michaelnoeldner3279]

I'm moving to the Netherlands in 3 years and I'm taking my Trek bikes with me.

[@dknowles60]

i would love to find out where i can buy a Gazelle on the Us, how does it do on 7% hills

[@Nomi6668]

Loved it

[@petes5041]

Rode a bike in A Amsterdam. Loved it, nice and flat. I now live in Wales. If you think I'm going to climb the Hills and Mountains, around here on a bike, you're off your head!

[@dimrrider9133]

We have headwinds outside the cities, you will pray for a mountant ;p

[@dknowles60]

how does the mirco car do on 7% hills

[@derekjolly3680]

So happy Mr. Bearded Long Hair finally ditched the plastic hat for a while eventually. Part of the terrific picture for cycling culture there does actually involve normalized bike conditions where you don't always treat it like sport or pretend plastic hats protect you. Marvelous places there.

[@abel6846]

We didn’t dump our cars, in fact, car ownership in the Netherlands is pretty high. We just see the bike as a viable alternative in everyday transport. And governments recognized that this is something that should be encouraged and catered to.

[@Siranoxz]

Micro cars are all over the Netherlands my guy 👍

[@moretea8314]

With so many bikes on the road; do bike riders need Insurance for crashes, injures to self and others? Great to see so many people getting out and keeping fit and cooperating.

[@git393]

With how the law is designed, in most car vs bike crashes the insurance of the car driver pays (even when the cyclist was mostly at fault). Everyone has healthcare so thats a non issue when thinking about biking

[@hendman4083]

Almost every dutchie over 18 has a personal liability insurance, which should cover any liability for damages caused in a bike related accident.

[@Aviopic]

​@@hendman4083and those under 18 are covered by their parents liability insurance.

[@mavadelo]

Amsterdam is an excellent city to ride a bike.... and it is not even the best Dutch city to drive a bike. Cities like Utrecht, Venendaal, and Apeldoorn (famous for the Celebration of the Canadian WWII Veterans on Veterans Day) have made cycling infra into an art

[@lws7394]

The Dutch have not dumped cars at all !! There are about 10mln private vehicles on a17mln pop. And they drive av. 13000 km per year. (admitted that is less than the 22k km by US driver average) It is just that they don't need them all over to do groceries, go to school or meet up at a pub....

[@davidc.w.2908]

At 5:52 you can also see why driving is safer in the Netherlands; driving schools. When you want to obtain a driver’s license, you must learn so, by using such a school.