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Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?

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Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?

#331

Post by tinus_hn »

pikzen wrote: post #244
nisse72 wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would imagine that an angle grinder works equally well with all locks regardless of brand.

Because clearly, when stealing a bike, you want the entire neighborhood hear you for ten minutes, emitting sparks everywhere, while you had to bring an angle grinder. You're supposed to be somewhat discreet when doing that, not warning everyone. Most people's locks can be cut with a strong set of shears. The other ones are usually not worth spending your time on unless it's everything there is. In which case, like @j…

I have 'stolen' my own bike after losing the key. It was in bright daylight in plain view with a ton of people walking by. No one said anything.

Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?

#332

Post by Doxin »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #324
collyw wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had the quick release clamp stolen on mine (after taking the seat off). Twice in one week, because i happened to have a spare. And the window wipers from my car one time.

I saw a bike chained to something once, little foldable bike, with the saddle missing. It dawned on me later that the owner probably took it with him, to make it less attractive to be stolen.

That, or the seat got stolen. Some people have an odd sense of humor.

Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?

#334

Post by LeonM »

kabes wrote: post #198
cr0sh wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A basic Mustang GT is only about 40k USD - so you're talking about 3-4x as expensive...?

A GT would set you back around $60k in the US, which is the v8 5 l which LeonM. The 2.3 ecoboost would cost around $60k usd in the Netherlands.

I was indeed talking about the 5.0 V8. Since the F series trucks are not sold in europe through the ford dealerships (only specialised import companies) I had to find an example of a car that it both sold in the USA and the Netherlands.

Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?

#335

Post by piva00 »

mercer wrote: post #152
eecc wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure beats paying for a car, insurance, road tax, gasoline, parking... did I forget anything? Yeah, having your bike stolen sucks, particularly if on your way back home from a night at De School but whatever... still cheaper (and healthier and fun) Get it over, or you can go live a couple years in Rome and learn what it means to live in a hideous car-infested city.

How is De School? I've been meaning to check it out and I heard it's from the people that ran the club in the Trouw building, which I kind of liked by the (relatively) mediocre Amsterdam club standards.

I really like De School, went there for their Weekender during ADE and it was one of the best parties I've ever been to, good enough to compare to some days I had at Sisyphos in Berlin...

Out of ADE my last time there was back in December, wasn't really fond of many clubs in Amsterdam but De School is definitely one of the best, definitely worth checking it out and I'm going again now in the end of June :)

Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?

#336

Post by cr1895 »

pjc50 wrote: post #10

A couple of other factors; I don't think the Netherlands has ever had more than a tiny car or oil industry.

> I don't think the Netherlands has ever had more than a tiny car or oil industry

Heh. Only a tiny oil industry?

As the others mentioned the obvious, Shell, there is far more to the Dutch offshore/oil industry: most of the world's heavy offshore construction expertise is Dutch (Heerema, Allseas, etc.); 1.32 million barrels/day oil refining capacity. Also,

The top exports of the Netherlands are Refined Petroleum ($38.3B), Crude Petroleum ($14.4B), Computers ($14.2B), Petroleum Gas ($13.6B) and Packaged Medicaments ($13.3B), using the 1992 revision of the HS (Harmonized System) classification. Its top imports are Refined Petroleum ($34.9B), Crude Petroleum ($34.8B), Computers ($17.9B), Telephones ($14B) and Packaged Medicaments ($11.8B)." http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/nld/

The NL is very much a significant oil and gas country.

Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?

#338

Post by [deleted] »

kalleboo wrote: post #301
Buetol wrote: post #245

I just want to add that the Netherlands can afford those nice infrastructures in part because it's a tax heaven since the 70s [1] Also, please make the bay bridge have a bike path...personally I would just ban all the cars during the day but to each his solution. [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_tax_in_the_Netherl...

How does not charging tax give the country public money to build infrastructure with?

[deleted]

Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?

#339

Post by oe »

jacquesm wrote: post #162
nisse72 wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would imagine that an angle grinder works equally well with all locks regardless of brand.

Cold spray and a hammer is faster and much less noisy and does not come with a free pyrotechnics display.

There's a video where a guy breaks a bicycle lock with a angle grinder, in the middle of the day in a city center. Nobody bats an eye. Breaking the lock doesn't have to subtle.

Re: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?

#340

Post by agumonkey »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #322
agumonkey wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to believe my ugly old cheap bike would never be stolen. I was wrong.

There's the other part of theft; if someone got their bike stolen or lost, some people just steal another.

Fair point, althought some people told me a third option: metal frame reselling; apparently it's worth a few bucks; that was the only valuable part on this (everything else was plastic or lowest quality possible)
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