Who is Biking?

After experiencing Amsterdam for a couple of days, I wanted to briefly reflect on the types of people I see biking in each of these cities. The reason for posting about this topic is that the answer runs the spectrum of life stages, from very young children to older adults. In both Denmark and the Netherlands, I have witnessed young children, some probably as young as five or six, biking in the environment with their parents. Children not much older, closer to say an eight to 12 range also bike and often do so independent of any parents by their side. Biking in tandem with children are parents of varied ages and one can spot their presence by seeing the bikes with an extra passenger seat attached (see photo below of the Utrecht school for example).

Several bikes parked at an elementary school
in Utrecht, Netherlands; both bikes for adults & children

 Adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults all bike frequently in both countries as one may expect to be the most common life stage type to see using an active transport mode. Of course, these are often commuters, of both school and employment, living a life where they need to go from Point A to B at least somewhat routinely, and often Points C, D, and E between the origins and destinations. Among the most common persons to be biking, one is also likely to see the most variety in the type of bike used, from the standard personal bicycle to cargo bikes, multi-seat bikes, and e-bikes. The bikes can serve to transport an individual during their commute or errands while also providing a leisurely ride through a park on a sunny day.

Adults commuting past UO students on a weekday

Leisure ride through Oosterpark, Amsterdam

 

Lastly, I have seen a good number of older adults riding both manual bikes and e-bikes in both countries. The importance bikes of various types bring in expanding accessibility among older individuals has multiple positive outcomes, much of which have been outcomes I continue to discuss throughout the blogs posted about this trip: independence, access to meet basic needs, a socializing activity, and leisure. Although the e-bike has been a consistent form that allows people access to biking I also saw the 'balance bike' commonly used by both very young children, but also older adults who may not be able or wish to use either a pedal bike or e-bike. In the picture below, I spotted an older gentleman using a balance bike and "pedaling" along with their feet on the ground to move about the park on a sunny weekday.

When the infrastructure, vehicles (i.e., the bikes), and culture all converge, one sees that everyone can, and often does, bike in these societies.

Pictured center, an older gentleman in Amsterdam moves on a balance bike through the park