I was not inferring they were right and we were wrong or such. I am only reporting what I saw and after all they are the experts in comparison. It is hard to explain how many people were using a bicycle and that leaving aside the number walking (and smoking). Now, sure, there were tons of cars as well of course and the autobahn was fun. But the cycling infrastructure and the amount of cyclists is astounding to somebody from North America.

I was not just in the cities, I drove between them and explored about. There I saw nothing different from as described, I saw no sporting use of cycles or lycra kit. And I looked hard. I am sure they are there, of course they are but nobody is commuting on racing bikes wearing cycling specific clothing. If one were to do so I expect that they would be thought odd and out of place and inappropriate. By this I mean, again, a perception I had been told that, and nothing I observed indicated differently, Europeans tend to dress more formally on average than Amurikans. A dude in Lycra team kit, cleated shoes and an aero helmet pushing his carbon fiber wonder-bike along the sidewalk cafes would stick out like a sore thumb among these serious cyclists in suit and ties or company overalls. It is just not what they would wear it would seem. But I am sure what I saw was a small slice of the overall cycling scene.

Oh, absolutely no fixies, none.