The Dutch and their bikes
Just about every Dutch person has a bicycle. It is an easy and fun means of transport for checking out the Arnhem Nijmegen Cool Region.
There are thirteen million bicycles for sixteen million Dutch people. Businessmen in suits, senior citizens, parents with children, women with skirts and high heels and school children; they all use a bicycle. Hardly anybody wears a helmet and it is not that strange to see an extra passenger (or two) on the luggage carrier. Cycling is first of all a practical means of transport and not so much a sport.
Train stations and city centres are usually crowded with bicycles protected by huge locks as bicycle theft is a common thing. Bicycle theft is also the reason why Dutch people never use a very expensive bicycle but just an old one. The locks are often worth much more than the bicycle itself. As there are so many bicycles and they want their bikes to stand out and protect them from being stolen, quite a lot of students paint their vehicles in a very distinctive colour. Painted bicycles may not look like a piece of art, far from it.
It is easy to rent bicycles. If you want, you can rent them at the train stations of major cities or at any bicycle shop.
