We aren’t Cyclists, we’re Just Dutch!

Even before they can walk, Dutch children are transported by bike. As babies and toddlers they travel in special seats on "bakfiets,” or cargo bikes.  These seats are often equipped with canopies to protect kids from the elements.  As children grow they take to their own bikes in cycle lanes wide enough for them to ride alongside an accompanying adult.

 And because youngsters aren't allowed to drive unsupervised until they are 18, cycling offers Dutch teenagers an alternative form of freedom (though it comes with responsibility of completing cycling proficiency lessons). All schools have places to park bikes, and at some schools 90% of pupils cycle to class.  

The Dutch regard their bikes as trusted companions. In that kind of relationship it is longevity that counts - so the older, the better. If anything, having a tatty, battered old bike affords more status because it attests to a long and lasting love.

The bike is an integral part of everyday life rather than a "sport," so Dutch people don't concern themselves as having the very latest model of bike or hi-tech gadgets, no matter their age.