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    Netherlands

    How the Netherlands dumped cars for bikes



    I went to the Netherlands to visit Gazelle Bikes and learn about how their high-end e-bikes embrace the essence of Dutch bike design, and how the Netherlands has ensured that such bikes can truly replace cars around the country. Read all about my experience over on Electrek at: https://electrek.co/?p=302142

    ⛑️ My safety gear:
    Bike helmet: https://amzn.to/3bn4g6J
    Motorcycle helmet: http://bit.ly/Good_Helmet
    Scooter helmet: http://bit.ly/Scooter_Helmet
    Mesh jacket: http://bit.ly/Mesh_Jacket
    Armored jeans: http://bit.ly/Riding_Jeans
    Armored boots: http://bit.ly/Riding_boots
    Armored gloves: http://bit.ly/Riding_Gloves

    🎥 My filming gear:
    Pretty product shots: https://amzn.to/2F4BNqQ
    Invisible selfie stick camera: https://amzn.to/3Pmu5ad
    Chest mounted camera: https://amzn.to/3P1NJsc
    GoPro: https://amzn.to/3c9mjCk
    Drone: https://amzn.to/3lnxwyQ
    Handlebar phone holder: https://amzn.to/3JmDMmf

    🚲 My favorite e-bikes:
    (Budget-friendly) Lectric XP 3.0 $999: https://bit.ly/Lectric-XP-3-0
    (Low-cost fast commuter) Ride1Up 500 Series $1,399: http://bit.ly/Ride1Up500Series
    (Mid-level) Aventon Level: https://bit.ly/Aventon-Level
    (Premium e-bike) Priority Current $2,999: http://bit.ly/Priority_Current
    (Something for EVERYONE!) Rad Power Bikes: http://bit.ly/Rad-Power_Bikes
    (Power!) Juiced Bikes: http://bit.ly/Juiced_Bikes

    🛴 My favorite e-scooters:
    WideWheel Pro: http://bit.ly/WideWheelPRO
    Mantis Pro: http://bit.ly/FFR_Mantis
    Dualtron Thunder: http://bit.ly/Dualtron_Thunder
    Turbowheel Lightning: http://bit.ly/turbowheel-lightning
    Emove Cruiser: http://bit.ly/Emove_Cruiser

    FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links: https://9to5mac.com/about/#affiliate

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    20 Comments

    1. crabby paddy on

      Yeah by choice, not by economic Coercion with skyrocketing petrol prices and off the chart electricity prices burning a hole in the wages..

    2. Charles van der Hoog on

      You forget to mention that The Netherlands has axstatus neutral culture. In many cultures, status must be shown. I have known several people as friends worth over US$250 million who preferred to go by bike or, when the weather was bad, by tram or subway.

    4. blacklite911 on

      The best thing about the public policy in Amsterdam is that they’re way more willing to take risks than the US. In the States, cities typically have advocates decide a way and then get bullheaded about it. Whereas it seems like Netherlands are more flexible with implementation.

    6. Paul Bras on

      Great video, it really is, concise, yet plenty informative, a pleasant mix of casual and formal in its presentation. Well done.
      I encourage every American who makes these YouTube videos about the great bicycling culture in The Netherlands to omit phrasing that implicates that bikes have more rights in The Netherlands or that bicycling is superior over cars, and so forth (this video does much less of it than others).
      Dutch people don't think this way, it is not a competition for them, or a social or political stance that they take and have to "win." There are so many bike paths and bike priority roads and traffic rules because there are so many bikes, it is the simplest of logic. There are many days when a Dutch bike rider thinks "I wish I would have taken the car today" or sitting in a car looking outside thinking that this a beautiful day to have been on a bike.
      The manner in which many Youtubers (and US bicycle proponents in general) criticize car drivers and state that in The Netherlands they have to yield (status power) over to bicycle riders only creates divides among people and causes car drivers to be defensive and more resolved to maintain their car dominant culture.

    8. sitatoenga on

      One of the disputed things in the netherlands is a change in and by law. If you are a road user and not on the bike and you have an accident with a bike user its ALWAYS your mistake, ensurance is allso inflicted to this point. This is allso a free ticket for bike users to do what you want.😮😮😮😮😮

    9. MonarNL on

      ofc its not just Amsterdam but the entire Netherlands has separated bike lanes.

      And yes kids in the netherlands learn to drive a bike around the age of 5 and also how to swim around that same age. with the amount of water we have its kind of a requirement.
      also young kids drive to school themselves on their bikes. its a much safer country then the USA is when people don't even dare to send their young kids on their own to school because of all the screeps over there xD

    10. Bintzak on

      On the country side most people use cars because of bigger distances but the city is to overcrowded for cars and you pay a lot to park in a city. I go a lot to The Hague for a few hours parking you can pay 20 euro’s 😵‍💫 and for a day it is 50 euro’s. Now I have a bicycle there and I park my car in Wassenaar (free parking) and take the bike to the city.

    11. Pierre PP on

      As a Dutchie I'm getting a bit tired of the false narrative around Dutch biking culture. No, the Netherlands did not dump cars for bikes. 80% of the country is still car dependent. Living without a car is only feasible within cities. However, Dutch travelers choose the mode of transport that is best suited for their destination. Is their destination only 4 miles away? They take the bike. Do they have to travel to a city center? Then they will drive in their cars to a place where they can hop onto public transport for the last few miles. Do they have to go to somewhere in the middle of nowhere? Then a car is the only sane option because public transport or a bicycle will simply take too long. It's not one or the other. It's all the options together.

    12. Gaatjenietaan Privacy on

      Off course you guys don't want to get anything delivered do you? You don't want your stores to be restocked don't you? You don't need a taxi when leaving the pub drunk or from going out, no one works in an area where there is no public transport. No need for an abulance, firefighter or police to reach you.
      Berlin made the same mistake. Recently they decided to switch back with normal roads again.

    14. alex woldhuis on

      you visit gazelle, what a coincidence ,
      all your video is about the dense citys.
      the rest of the netherlands is still everyday in heavy traffic .
      but congrats on your sponsor deal

    16. E Gohres on

      Everywhere in Amsterdam you see abandoned bicycles, most of them missing parts being stolen. It's a public dump for bicycle wrecks, nothing clean about it. They have become a pest.

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