Your cycling fallacy is…
“The Dutch and Danes have cycling in their blood, we don’t”
The response
The Netherlands and Denmark both have high levels of cycling. Some claim that this is because they are somehow temperamentally different to us, or that they have a different relationship to cycling as a mode of transport, or a different culture.
This is untrue. Car ownership is high in both countries; the Dutch and the Danes also walk and use public transport. Furthermore, immigrants to the Netherlands cycle more than they do in the countries where they come from – indeed, they cycle more than people do in other European nations.
The Dutch and Danes don't cycle because it is their manifest destiny to do so, but because they live in places where cycling is designed for, making it a convenient, safe, and obvious way to get around.
![Busy cycleway on Blackfriars Bridge in London One of central London's busy cycle routes in the morning rush-hour](fallacy_images/size_display/blackfriars-bridge-cycleway-london.jpg)
Busy cycleway on Blackfriars Bridge in London
One of central London's busy cycle routes in the morning rush-hour
Photo by As Easy as Riding a Bike (Copyright, used with permission)
![A cycleway in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA](fallacy_images/size_display/a-cycleway-in-salt-lake-city-along-300-south-aka-broadway.jpg)
A cycleway in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Photo by Salt Lake City (Copyright, used with permission)
Related fallacies
Further reading
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Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands? — BBC
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More New Yorkers Opting for Life in the Bike Lane — The New York Times
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Why is cycling popular in the Netherlands: infrastructure or 100+ years of history? — Roads Were Not Built For Cars
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Selling cycling — As Easy as Riding a Bike
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A second Dutch transport revolution – despite a rise in car use and ownership — A View From The Cycle Path
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Immigrants cycle far more in The Netherlands than most people think — A View From The Cycle Path
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Bicycle Dutch - How the Dutch got their cycling infrastructure — BicycleDutch
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