BIKING CULTURE IN THE NETHERLANDS How do you get around in your home country? Do you use a car, or do you prefer public transportation? Who knows, maybe you are used to taking the bus, train, metro or even the ferry. In the Netherlands, a bike can easily become your best friend. The Dutch are very fond of their bikes! So much so that the number of bikes exceeds the actual population of the Netherlands. If you are interested; in 2019, 17.28 million people were registered as citizens, while the number of bikes was estimated at 22.9 million. This number does not even count the bikes slowly falling apart at the bottom of the canals. To get you ready for your biking experience in the Netherlands, here are our insights into the Dutch biking culture. WHERE TO GET A BIKE When you are searching for your new best friend, aka your new bike, you can start by looking at Marktplaats, the Dutch version of ebay. You will be able to search online for second-hand bikes, which are much cheaper than new and less likely to get stolen. Furthermore, all around Utrecht you can find bike stores, offering affordable second-hand bikes as well. Lastly, if you already have a network in Utrecht, ask your friends if they happen to know anyone selling a bike. After all, many citizens have more than one bike, and may have one to spare. SWAPFIETS If you are not ready to commit to buying your own bike, there is no need worry! Alternatively, you can also rent a bike. The company Swapfiets lets you rent a bike based on different subscriptions. Within your monthly subscriptions, Swapfiets repairs any damages on your bike. In addition, if your bike gets stolen, you can immediately receive a new one as a replacement. However, also when renting a bike through Swapfiets, take good care of your bike as it comes with special conditions. If your bike gets stolen you have to pay a fee of €35, and in case it is not locked at the time of theft, you have to pay a €350 fee. PAGE 27
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