In America, you could say that bicycle commuting is a rebellious activity, something only the brave fringes of society would dare attempt. It is something to be honored. We make competition out of it, and even throw ourselves parties for our accomplishments.
Bicycle Rush Hour Utrecht, Netherlands
The video above is from Utrecht, Netherlands. Cycling for transportation is BIG in the Netherlands. In Amsterdam, bicycles have a 38% modal share of all transportation, and the inner city of Amsterdam actually has closer to 57% modal share. In other words, trips by bicycle and bicycle commuting are simply a way of life, as common has hopping into the car in America. Here in the states, though, our modal share of trips by bike is less than 1%! Hopefully as more and more people give cycling to work a try, they’ll realize that it’s really not that hard, and it’s actually a fun thing to do.