Utility Cycling - The Stages of Dutch Bike-Riding Proficiency

I found this on a website and I thought it was really delightful.....

Foreigners who visit Holland are often surprised by the omnipresence of bicycles and the almost deadly acrobatics performed on them. An American woman who lives here found this aspect of Dutch culture hard to master and wrote the following note:

The Stages of Dutch Bike-Riding Proficiency

1. Learning to ride a bicycle at all

2. Learning to ride it in public

3. Learning to ride it in the only part of the country that ISN'T as flat as a pancake (optional, only applicable in Nijmegen or the extreme south of the country)

4. Learning to ride the bicycle in traffic

5. Learning to ride the bike in traffic while being passed by a semi/bus

6. Learning to ride it while carrying groceries/talking on the cellphone and while being passed by a semi/bus

7. Doing two or more of the above activities in the snow/ice

8. Getting to the place where you aren't being passed by little old ladies and children

If you master all eight stages, you'll be as close as is possible to riding your bike like a Dutchman/woman… though don't EVER expect to meet or exceed native cloggies in bicycle riding prowess.

[Christy Beall, 'Adventures in Kikkerland']

I found this on a website and I thought it was really delightful.....

Foreigners who visit Holland are often surprised by the omnipresence of bicycles and the almost deadly acrobatics performed on them. An American woman who lives here found this aspect of Dutch culture hard to master and wrote the following note:

The Stages of Dutch Bike-Riding Proficiency

1. Learning to ride a bicycle at all

2. Learning to ride it in public

3. Learning to ride it in the only part of the country that ISN'T as flat as a pancake (optional, only applicable in Nijmegen or the extreme south of the country)

4. Learning to ride the bicycle in traffic

5. Learning to ride the bike in traffic while being passed by a semi/bus

6. Learning to ride it while carrying groceries/talking on the cellphone and while being passed by a semi/bus

7. Doing two or more of the above activities in the snow/ice

8. Getting to the place where you aren't being passed by little old ladies and children

If you master all eight stages, you'll be as close as is possible to riding your bike like a Dutchman/woman… though don't EVER expect to meet or exceed native cloggies in bicycle riding prowess.

[Christy Beall, 'Adventures in Kikkerland']

Now that is it in a nutshell! Here is a link to a streaming webcam (http://www.eyelogue.com/donniecam.html) (SLOW MODEM WARNING!) on a street corner in Amsterdam. It is amazing to watch the traffic mixing it up. I have seen bikes go by with people reading, eating, talking on the phone, etc...basically everything you see American drivers doing:rolleyes: best one so far was the guy pulling the sweater off over his head while making the corner.:D

Aaron:)

I found this on a website and I thought it was really delightful.....

Foreigners who visit Holland are often surprised by the omnipresence of bicycles and the almost deadly acrobatics performed on them. An American woman who lives here found this aspect of Dutch culture hard to master and wrote the following note:

The Stages of Dutch Bike-Riding Proficiency

1. Learning to ride a bicycle at all

2. Learning to ride it in public

3. Learning to ride it in the only part of the country that ISN'T as flat as a pancake (optional, only applicable in Nijmegen or the extreme south of the country)

4. Learning to ride the bicycle in traffic

5. Learning to ride the bike in traffic while being passed by a semi/bus

6. Learning to ride it while carrying groceries/talking on the cellphone and while being passed by a semi/bus

7. Doing two or more of the above activities in the snow/ice

8. Getting to the place where you aren't being passed by little old ladies and children

If you master all eight stages, you'll be as close as is possible to riding your bike like a Dutchman/woman… though don't EVER expect to meet or exceed native cloggies in bicycle riding prowess.

[Christy Beall, 'Adventures in Kikkerland']

christy must be pretty cr@p on a bike, because meeting or exceeding the typical dutch cyclist's ability is not very difficult.

Now that is it in a nutshell! Here is a link to a streaming webcam (http://www.eyelogue.com/donniecam.html) (SLOW MODEM WARNING!) on a street corner in Amsterdam. It is amazing to watch the traffic mixing it up. I have seen bikes go by with people reading, eating, talking on the phone, etc...basically everything you see American drivers doing:rolleyes: best one so far was the guy pulling the sweater off over his head while making the corner.:D

Aaron:)

that's in the Jordaan, there's hardly any traffic to contend with.

What about riding in traffic on narrow wet cobblestoned streets by the side of a canal, with a baby in a front-mounted seat and a toddler in a seat in the rear, while smoking a cigarette?

I found this on a website and I thought it was really delightful.....

Foreigners who visit Holland are often surprised by the omnipresence of bicycles and the almost deadly acrobatics performed on them. An American woman who lives here found this aspect of Dutch culture hard to master and wrote the following note:

The Stages of Dutch Bike-Riding Proficiency

1. Learning to ride a bicycle at all

2. Learning to ride it in public

3. Learning to ride it in the only part of the country that ISN'T as flat as a pancake (optional, only applicable in Nijmegen or the extreme south of the country)

4. Learning to ride the bicycle in traffic

5. Learning to ride the bike in traffic while being passed by a semi/bus

6. Learning to ride it while carrying groceries/talking on the cellphone and while being passed by a semi/bus

7. Doing two or more of the above activities in the snow/ice

8. Getting to the place where you aren't being passed by little old ladies and children

If you master all eight stages, you'll be as close as is possible to riding your bike like a Dutchman/woman… though don't EVER expect to meet or exceed native cloggies in bicycle riding prowess.

[Christy Beall, 'Adventures in Kikkerland']

This is great news, I now have something new to master. . .I was getting bored