Low-carbon Dutch bicycles become "national cycling"

 　　Cycling 917 kilometers a year With a population of 16 million,

　　the Netherlands has more than 17 million bicycles, ranking first in the world with 1.25 bicycles per capita. In this country, nearly 1/4 of the Dutch choose to cycle to and from get off work, and more than 30% of people's trips are completed by bicycle, with an average of 917 kilometers per person per year. In addition to being a means of transportation, bicycles are widely used for exercise, leisure and recreation. It is no exaggeration to say that the bicycle is the "national riding" of the Netherlands. The world-renowned polling agency Gallup found that the Netherlands and Sweden tied for fourth place on the list of the happiest countries.

　　The Netherlands started to show its talents in the world sports from the cycling event of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Female athlete Van Moser won 3 gold medals in the Sydney Olympic cycling event by one person, and later won the championship of the women's individual time trial of road cycling. One gold, increasing the number of his Olympic gold medals to 4. Since then, cycling has skyrocketed in the country's sports channels, ranking third behind unshakable football and tennis.

　　After the great success of the Sydney Olympics, the Dutch Olympic Committee and the Dutch Sports Federation recognized that the reason why the Dutch won more prizes in all the cycling awards at the Olympics was inseparable from the country's cycling culture, despite the It is the bicycle that raises the eyebrows, but it is a more important and meaningful event to wash away the brilliance of the gold medal and make it a part of public life and entertainment. They launched a nationwide campaign called "Netherlands, the Kingdom of Sports", emphasizing the social impact of sports, rooting sports in the community, and letting the public understand that sports can help improve the overall international image of the Netherlands.

　　Cycling has never been regarded as a sign of status in the Netherlands, regardless of gender, age, or wealth, officials and businessmen, and even members of the royal family have joined the ranks of cyclists. Queen Beatrix sometimes travels by bicycle. “Cycling is a means of transportation that we are obsessed with and love, and it has become a sport that everyone loves and actively participates in. As a way of life that loves nature and enjoys life, it has now been sublimated into a unique Dutch national cultural phenomenon.” The Netherlands A scholar said, "In our country, riding a bicycle presents a relatively calm and calm life scene in the post-car era. People do not need to use cars to show wealth and status, but more reflect a kind of relationship between people. equality and mutual respect."

　　As the Dutch said: "Fish can't live without water, and the Dutch can't live without bicycles." Bicycles are not only a means of transportation for the people, but also a way of life. People's enthusiasm for cycling is uninterrupted and unabated in all seasons. Ordinary people like to ride bicycles when they go to get off work, go shopping and even travel.

　　Cycling on the streets of Holland is always filled with professionally equipped cyclists. Some of these cycling enthusiasts go to the outskirts to participate in the annual bicycle race and perform bicycle stunts. Some travel alone, and there are people of all ages. In the Netherlands, cycling has become a favorite social activity for many young people. They often traveled all over Western Europe alone on a bicycle, a sleeping bag, and a travel bag.

　　750 euros subsidy for buying a new car

　　Bicycles are very popular in the Netherlands and have become an important means of transportation. The reason is that, on the one hand, people have always loved bicycle leisure sports, and on the other hand, it is inseparable from the support of the government. For the sake of energy saving and environmental protection, the Dutch government strongly advocates that people use bicycles as a means of transportation, giving the most fertile "soil" for cycling. In some companies, employees who buy a new bicycle are entitled to a "bike allowance", which is reimbursed in three years, with a total amount of 750 euros.

　　The government is very optimistic about bicycles and regards them as an important part of the sustainable transportation development strategy. In the Netherlands, there is a nationwide network of bicycle routes with a length of 18,000 kilometers. Each road is divided into three parts: motor vehicle lanes, bicycle lanes, and sidewalks, which are marked with different colors, so that people can see which road is a bicycle lane at a glance. Some traffic intersections are also equipped with signal lights for bicycles and motor vehicles as needed, and people have developed such a habit that when turning and waiting, motor vehicles generally give way to bicycles. Parks have dedicated bike lanes, giving cyclists a green light, not even luxury cars. In some nature reserves, no motor vehicle lanes are opened, but bicycle routes are specially set up for people to travel by bicycle.

　　In addition to the bicycle lanes, the bicycle parking lot in the Netherlands is also a scene. Parks, city centres, schools, squares, train stations, bicycle parking lots are everywhere - most of them are free, and each bicycle has a fixed frame for easy locking and binding. One car, one car, very neat and convenient for people to park, and there is almost no situation where the car is staggered.

　　The Dutch Ministry of Transport has also developed a "Bicycle Specialist Program", including the development of new bicycles, the addition of bicycle parking lots and rental yards, and allowing bicycles to be brought on trains. In the Netherlands, places such as train stations have dedicated bicycle parking lots and rental markets. People who are familiar with this situation will rent bicycles to exercise and play every time they go to a city. The bike trust market is also well developed and places to repair bikes are relatively easy to find.

　　To ensure safety, Dutch bicycles are designed with both handbrake and footbrake brakes in mind, and are also equipped with front and rear lights. Riding at night must ensure that the lights are on, otherwise a fine of 10 euros will be imposed. The energy source of the headlights is absolutely clean, completely converted from the power of the cyclist, and is not equipped with dry batteries. The Netherlands is a country rich in oil and energy, and "Shell" is an international well-known trademark. However, through the design details on the bicycle, it can be seen that this country attaches great importance to low-carbon environmental protection.

　　In the Netherlands, bicycle design styles are becoming more and more abundant. There is a bike designed for long-distance cyclists that allows people to ride half lying on the body without getting too tired. Dutch people like to take their children or grandchildren with them when they travel by bicycle. A "mother-child bicycle" came into being. Two or three children can sit in front of it, and the little ones can play freely when their mother rides. Opposite her from time to time, laugh knowingly, which is both safe and convenient for communication. Recumbent bikes are designed for disabled people who have lost their arms and are not slow at all. In these special designs, care for human nature and respect for human dignity are revealed everywhere.

　　Parking on the bridge becomes a scene The

　　capital Amsterdam has a population of more than 700,000 and a total of 550,000 bicycles. About 40% of the city's traffic is borne by bicycles. Looking at the streets and alleys, I saw bicycles swaggering across the city between the crowds and cars, and the "ding ding ding ding" bicycle bells could be heard incessantly. Interestingly, it is rare to see light and beautiful mountain bikes, but there are many old-fashioned weighted 28s that are durable and unattractive.

　　As early as the 1960s, Amsterdam started the "white bike project". A batch of white public bicycles was purchased and placed on the street at the expense of the municipality. Anyone who needs it can ride it, and when it is used up, it can be stored at any nearby parking lot. However, due to the "white" use of cyclists regardless of maintenance, many bicycles soon fell apart. As for those undamaged bicycles, quite a few were taken "for nothing" and "privatized" with other colors. But the government is not discouraged, and since then, a batch of "white bicycles" will be launched at intervals until all of them are lost.

　　Hundreds of bike rental shops are booming in Amsterdam. Customers only need to pay a little rent and pay a deposit according to the condition of the car, and then they can rent an ordinary bicycle and go on the road. Most of the people who rent a car are foreign tourists. Watching the locals riding bicycles is pleasant, and they also want to have fun. You can go around Amsterdam by bicycle, or you can travel all over the country along the 6,000-kilometer long-distance bicycle line. The Netherlands is known as the "Land of the Low Countries", with few mountains and hills, and a mild climate, which is very suitable for cycling and hiking. If you are tired of riding, you can buy a special cardboard box that is high for one person. Ships, railways and civil aviation can handle bicycle consignment.

　　Amsterdam is a "water capital", with 165 large and small canals crisscrossed, and nearly 1,300 large and small bridges on the canals. In addition to railings and lampposts, the bridge is ideal for storing hundreds of thousands of bicycles. From a distance, bicycles are lined up in sequence on the iron railings on the left and right sides of each bridge, forming a scene of Amsterdam.

　　Like many Amsterdammers, Hendrik de Belzer, 71, believes in the idea that "bikes are greener and more practical". He has been riding a bicycle all his life, no matter it is windy or rainy, hot or cold, he has always had a soft spot for bicycles. The old man owns multiple touring bikes, plus a tandem bike that he and his wife can ride together. A few days ago, he added a "mother-child bicycle" to his daughter. From the popularity and popularity of bicycles in Amsterdam, it is not difficult to see that the citizens of this city are not vain and pragmatic.

　　The selling price is rising day by day. Union, the own brand of

　　Dutch bicycles, is world-renowned and deeply loved by bicycle users. In addition, many foreign bicycle brands have established assembly plants in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has an advantageous geographical location as a continental gateway. Many bicycles are assembled here and sold not only domestically, but also to Germany, Belgium, France and other surrounding countries. Because of this, the Netherlands has a huge bicycle market and occupies a pivotal position in the world bicycle industry.

　　Bicycle stores are the main sales channel of bicycles in the Netherlands, accounting for more than 85% of the sales volume. Most of the products sold are high-quality and well-known products, so the prices are also higher than those of low-quality and less well-known products sold through other channels. In 2001, the average price of bicycles sold in specialty stores was 635 euros, while the average price of bicycles sold through other channels was 240 euros. At present, mid-priced bicycles with multiple mixed colors are gradually being favored by consumers.

　　In the Netherlands, the purchase of illegal black cars is strictly prohibited. Once found, in addition to confiscation of the vehicle, it will be subject to extremely high fines and a bad credit record. Such a bad record will directly affect my credit rating, and lose my eligibility for bank loans, car discounts, museum discount cards, etc.

　　The Dutch are very picky when it comes to shopping, both good prices and high quality. However, when buying a bicycle, the first thing is to have high quality, and no matter how low the price is, the quality is not bad. So to sell a bike in the Netherlands, the most important thing is to be of good quality. Improving product quality is the key to expanding the Dutch market, and at the same time, more efforts must be made to increase visibility. In order to effectively expand sales, actively participating in relevant exhibitions and investing in product image advertisements to increase product popularity are essential measures.

　　In the Netherlands, there are two main bicycle exhibitions. Among them, Fiets Rai is an international bicycle exhibition, organized by the Amsterdam RAI exhibition company, and the exhibition period is in March every year. The other is Bike Motioni, also known as the dealer exhibition. As the name suggests, the exhibition object is dealers. The exhibition period is October every year. For retailers, the peak sales season is in the spring and summer of each year.

　　Bicycles can be regarded as a kind of fashion in the Netherlands, and the sales price is increasing day by day, usually between 500 and 560 euros. The bicycles exported from Taiwan to the Netherlands are all low-end bicycles, with an average price of 210-250 US dollars, and the number is about 15,000 per month. A three-wheeled bicycle with a small bucket in the front is very popular in Amsterdam. It can be used to carry children, buy groceries, and even take furniture from TVs to mattresses. For around $3,000 from a good brand, you can get a pretty good used Ford car.