A look into cycling in the Czech Republic. From Prague to smaller cities like Olomouc and Ostrava. Most people seem to cycle for recreational reasons but there is some utility cycling too. See more in my blog post: http://bit.ly/PuXklf
"Where there is cycling infrastructure, there's also a lot more cycling"
Something so simple yet so many politicians fail to understand it and still wait for people to massively use the bicycle before building decent infrastructures, while it should be the other way around altogether.
It is same in Poland and we can blame only government for not being pro cycling !!!!! They try to do new routes in Cites for cyclist but they do the wrong way not safe and not easy to travel. In the Cites they simply paint footpaths, the paths ends up in nowhere and quality is poor !!!! They have to do something with it there is more and more Cyclist every year . I don't want to talk about countryside because there is no Cycling Paths.
Situation is mixed here in Warsaw, too, but where there are cycling lanes, they are good and the network is growing, but centre of town is like Prague. As for crash helmets, all the nations where cycling has suddenly become more popular…UK, US, Poland, Czech Republic, lots of people wear them. In nations where cycling is part of the culture…Netherlands, Belgium etc…few wear helmets. Dutch don't see cycling as a dangerous passtime, it is way of life. Not so elsewhere.
That sounds very similar to the UK, here there are a lot of "shared use" paths, for pedestrians and cyclists. They often paint over footpaths here too…
I live in Bratislava, Slovakia and I've also been to Amsterdam. It's just day and night difference. The infrastructure here is close to non-existant and the drivers are intolerant. Often the only option to ride somewhat safely is to use the pedestrian sidewalks.
It's the same situation in Poland, where bikers choose to ride on the sidewalk, which seems for them more safety than the streets, where the drivers sometimes shows theirs hate to the bikers and often push a cyclists to the edge of the street. Last years, situations with the bike infrastructure in the main cities, such as Kraków, Poznań, Łódź, Wrocław and Warszawa (capital – Warsaw) still changes for better, I think. Many organizations and bikers (Masa Krytyczna, Miasta dla Rowerów, Rowerowy Kraków, Cykloturysta) still fighting about share roads for bikers, but the Government hasn't a good bike infrastructure's designers. More of them have no idea about that, how it looks the right bike line or paths.
I live and cycle quite regularly in Czech republic, but I live in a rural area. I like your observations and you are absolutely right on everything. However what you should know is that historically during communism there was a shortage of bicycles, so they were never part of the equation. But saying that, I do see older people with older 70s style bicycles using them for shopping, but that's in villages where the traffic is light. Dutch style bikes wouldn't be practical here, they are too heavy and you need gears. As for cycling in the main cities, I would say more dangerous than London, where I commuted by bike for 4 years and became quite political about it. Recreational cycling is very popular here, almost all my friends do this, usually with mountain bikes or hybrids, plenty of gears and suspension. Love your videos, cycling in NL is a dream, many happy times cycling in the Eindhoven, Veldhoven area.
0:17 – ugly modern habbits – actually this wall is "designated" for "graffiti" very long time and it has long history aproximatelly since 1950, from when one of the biggest and most known acter Jan Werich started to receive notes from people, after few years is was wall for "fight" against comunism…. it is known as Lennon´s wall and it is kind a symbol of freedom/democracy here…. I am very said that you call it ugly habbits, it is not illegal graffity on historical buildings. You know, this wall is even in tourtists guides books and as open space it is really visited by tourist….
"Dutch style" bikes would look like something from your grandpa's attic here, that's what we were using as kids. We are ex communistic country and people still want to show they have modern bike and not that old crap from old times which looks exactly as city bikes in Netherlands. I am not saying such bikes are junk, but it's different mentality here. And ofcourse we are mountainous country, even Prague has many hills, it's like down, up, down, up….you can't riding around whole day in bike without gears. But if you go into some village you will see many cheap old bikes "dutch style" locked on train station, peolpe buying it for going to train station because it's enough for that and it's too cheap that even thieves don't want it, you can buy such bike for 20 eur in pawnshop. 😀
It's crazy to watch it for me. I am from Olomouc and i recognize a lot of parts from your footage. But now is it changing, slowly, but you can see the differences. bicycle paths are build when there is an opportunity. I also lived few months in Netherlands and the cycling is totally different there, but i like both ways. The perfect chilling dutch cycling vs. the little bit chaotic, strenuous, but enjoyable czech cycling.
20 Comments
"Ugly modern habits"? That is the John Lennon Peace Wall! en.wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Lennon_Wall
"Where there is cycling infrastructure, there's also a lot more cycling"
Something so simple yet so many politicians fail to understand it and still wait for people to massively use the bicycle before building decent infrastructures, while it should be the other way around altogether.
It looks a lot like the US! A few facilities here and there but largely you are sharing the lane with cars.
It is same in Poland and we can blame only government for not being pro cycling !!!!! They try to do new routes in Cites for cyclist but they do the wrong way not safe and not easy to travel. In the Cites they simply paint footpaths, the paths ends up in nowhere and quality is poor !!!! They have to do something with it there is more and more Cyclist every year . I don't want to talk about countryside because there is no Cycling Paths.
Czech Republic is bad to cycling… pffff !!!!??? come to Romania…
Situation is mixed here in Warsaw, too, but where there are cycling lanes, they are good and the network is growing, but centre of town is like Prague. As for crash helmets, all the nations where cycling has suddenly become more popular…UK, US, Poland, Czech Republic, lots of people wear them. In nations where cycling is part of the culture…Netherlands, Belgium etc…few wear helmets. Dutch don't see cycling as a dangerous passtime, it is way of life. Not so elsewhere.
At 3.40 the cyclist is safer taking the lane.
Etis the same In Brussels (and other belgians places) as in Czech Republic.
When do you come hier to make a video about it ?
I already did. There is a video about Brussels and about Kortrijk.
That sounds very similar to the UK, here there are a lot of "shared use" paths, for pedestrians and cyclists. They often paint over footpaths here too…
I live in Bratislava, Slovakia and I've also been to Amsterdam. It's just day and night difference. The infrastructure here is close to non-existant and the drivers are intolerant. Often the only option to ride somewhat safely is to use the pedestrian sidewalks.
If you think Prague is not inviting for cycling, ypu have to come to Brazil. I believe you will reconsider, hahahahahaha! cheers!
It's the same situation in Poland, where bikers choose to ride on the sidewalk, which seems for them more safety than the streets, where the drivers sometimes shows theirs hate to the bikers and often push a cyclists to the edge of the street. Last years, situations with the bike infrastructure in the main cities, such as Kraków, Poznań, Łódź, Wrocław and Warszawa (capital – Warsaw) still changes for better, I think. Many organizations and bikers (Masa Krytyczna, Miasta dla Rowerów, Rowerowy Kraków, Cykloturysta) still fighting about share roads for bikers, but the Government hasn't a good bike infrastructure's designers. More of them have no idea about that, how it looks the right bike line or paths.
Im Czech, used to live in Prague for 3 years, the city center is horrible for cyclists, though there are a lot nice cycle ways in the city surroundings, but even better are mountains around the country like Giant mountains http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=cs&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=cs&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fcestovani.idnes.cz%2Fkrkonose-na-kole-cyklovylet-za-rozkvetlymi-loukami-fyv-%2Fna-kolo.aspx%3Fc%3DA130627_171151_na-kolo_hig
or my home Wallachia in the eastern part of the country Specialized bike resort Valašsko – podzimní ježdění
So many roads with cobblestones, no wonder they are using mountain bikes!
I live and cycle quite regularly in Czech republic, but I live in a rural area. I like your observations and you are absolutely right on everything. However what you should know is that historically during communism there was a shortage of bicycles, so they were never part of the equation. But saying that, I do see older people with older 70s style bicycles using them for shopping, but that's in villages where the traffic is light. Dutch style bikes wouldn't be practical here, they are too heavy and you need gears. As for cycling in the main cities, I would say more dangerous than London, where I commuted by bike for 4 years and became quite political about it. Recreational cycling is very popular here, almost all my friends do this, usually with mountain bikes or hybrids, plenty of gears and suspension. Love your videos, cycling in NL is a dream, many happy times cycling in the Eindhoven, Veldhoven area.
We are trying to get better. We have many associations here trying to enforce cycling and new cycleways. We're trying 🙁
0:17 – ugly modern habbits – actually this wall is "designated" for "graffiti" very long time and it has long history aproximatelly since 1950, from when one of the biggest and most known acter Jan Werich started to receive notes from people, after few years is was wall for "fight" against comunism…. it is known as Lennon´s wall and it is kind a symbol of freedom/democracy here…. I am very said that you call it ugly habbits, it is not illegal graffity on historical buildings. You know, this wall is even in tourtists guides books and as open space it is really visited by tourist….
"Dutch style" bikes would look like something from your grandpa's attic here, that's what we were using as kids. We are ex communistic country and people still want to show they have modern bike and not that old crap from old times which looks exactly as city bikes in Netherlands. I am not saying such bikes are junk, but it's different mentality here. And ofcourse we are mountainous country, even Prague has many hills, it's like down, up, down, up….you can't riding around whole day in bike without gears. But if you go into some village you will see many cheap old bikes "dutch style" locked on train station, peolpe buying it for going to train station because it's enough for that and it's too cheap that even thieves don't want it, you can buy such bike for 20 eur in pawnshop. 😀
It's crazy to watch it for me. I am from Olomouc and i recognize a lot of parts from your footage. But now is it changing, slowly, but you can see the differences. bicycle paths are build when there is an opportunity. I also lived few months in Netherlands and the cycling is totally different there, but i like both ways. The perfect chilling dutch cycling vs. the little bit chaotic, strenuous, but enjoyable czech cycling.