1 00:04:40,033 --> 00:04:43,632 I love that we can cycle this much. 2 00:04:43,632 --> 00:04:49,233 When I’m on holiday abroad, I notice how few people cycle. 3 00:04:49,312 --> 00:04:53,233 But I don’t really think about it. Or that’s special. 4 00:04:53,312 --> 00:04:56,353 We’re born and bred with it. 5 00:04:56,432 --> 00:04:59,353 Everyone has at least one bike. 6 00:04:59,512 --> 00:05:01,992 I think there are more bikes, than people in the Netherlands. 7 00:07:05,312 --> 00:07:06,713 Our morning routine is… 8 00:07:06,793 --> 00:07:08,353 ...get dressed, have breakfast. 9 00:07:08,432 --> 00:07:10,512 I take my daughter to school. 10 00:07:10,593 --> 00:07:13,312 As soon as I’ve dropped her off at school… 11 00:07:13,392 --> 00:07:15,312 I cycle on to work. 12 00:07:15,392 --> 00:07:18,112 I cycle pleasantly to work. 13 00:07:18,153 --> 00:07:21,312 It’s always busier here in the centre. 14 00:07:21,392 --> 00:07:25,353 Then there is a stretch along the railway track. 15 00:07:25,432 --> 00:07:27,312 But as soon as I leave the village Oss. 16 00:07:27,392 --> 00:07:32,392 And when I reach the fields it’s so lovely and quiet. I can just let my mind go blank and just cycle. 17 00:08:20,632 --> 00:08:22,312 I use my bike for work. 18 00:08:22,392 --> 00:08:24,512 It’s very important for my job. 19 00:08:24,512 --> 00:08:26,153 I’m an account manager… 20 00:08:26,153 --> 00:08:29,233 working mainly in Amsterdam and The Hague. 21 00:08:29,392 --> 00:08:33,192 Sometimes people think it strange when I arrive by bike… 22 00:08:33,352 --> 00:08:39,232 Because most account managers turn up in a car in a suit with a briefcase. 23 00:08:39,393 --> 00:08:42,633 In a city like Amsterdam that is just not feasible. 24 00:08:42,633 --> 00:08:49,552 It’s so much easier and quicker by bike. And it makes my job so much nicer. 25 00:08:59,712 --> 00:09:03,352 Cycling gives you so much freedom, you’re out in the open. 26 00:09:03,513 --> 00:09:09,033 You’re adaptable, you get to see things. In short, it is just great. 27 00:16:00,153 --> 00:16:04,312 So I don’t really think about it... 28 00:16:04,312 --> 00:16:07,592 and then it just goes naturally. 29 00:16:07,753 --> 00:16:11,552 I just whistle and the melody comes naturally. 30 00:16:11,712 --> 00:16:16,033 I like to whistle on my bike, that’s when I am cheerful. 31 00:16:16,352 --> 00:16:18,913 Maybe? I’ve no idea. 32 00:16:32,753 --> 00:16:36,352 This e-bike now is 2,5 years old… 33 00:16:36,352 --> 00:16:40,153 and it’s done more than 10.000 km. 34 00:16:42,753 --> 00:16:46,513 It’s exercise and my muscles stay supple. 35 00:16:46,513 --> 00:16:50,513 And I think it also broadens your mind, cycling through the countryside. 36 00:16:50,633 --> 00:16:54,113 Especially in this weather, the autumn is a great time to cycle. 37 00:16:57,153 --> 00:17:05,512 I try to keep the bike in the lowest gear so that I have to work harder. 38 00:17:05,512 --> 00:17:11,992 But when there is a slope like a bridge, or there is some wind – I get some support. 39 00:17:11,992 --> 00:17:16,113 But I try to do as much myself as I can do myself because it’s good for my muscles. 40 00:17:16,113 --> 00:17:18,192 And then it’s good for my body. 41 00:17:18,553 --> 00:17:21,512 If I keep it in highest gear, for instance, I travel at 24 km/h. 42 00:17:21,553 --> 00:17:23,553 But I won’t have to do anything myself. 43 00:17:23,712 --> 00:17:27,512 But that is not what I call cycling. You have to put in a bit of effort. 44 00:18:24,393 --> 00:18:27,232 When I cycle to work... 45 00:18:27,272 --> 00:18:32,633 ...and I have a meeting at nine, I feel more alert… 46 00:18:32,992 --> 00:18:36,432 ...then when I’ve been sitting still in a train or car. 47 00:18:36,633 --> 00:18:42,153 What it comes down to is that I’m more cheerful… 48 00:18:42,153 --> 00:18:46,113 ...and better performing in the morning if I take the bike. 49 00:18:46,432 --> 00:18:50,232 It means I have done my exercise, and I get exercise twice a day. 50 00:18:50,272 --> 00:18:56,913 I go to work feeling a lot happier. 51 00:19:18,153 --> 00:19:20,752 Vitality in employees is very important. 52 00:19:21,113 --> 00:19:22,992 If you take the bike to work… 53 00:19:22,992 --> 00:19:26,113 You’ve cleared your mind when you start work… 54 00:19:26,232 --> 00:19:30,232 It lowers stress and it’s just healthier. 55 00:19:30,593 --> 00:19:35,593 It’s been shown that absenteeism is reduced when people go to work by bike. 56 00:26:33,113 --> 00:26:34,113 When I first came to live here… 57 00:26:34,192 --> 00:26:36,232 I noticed the junctions… 58 00:26:36,272 --> 00:26:39,553 where all four traffic lights turn green 59 00:26:39,553 --> 00:26:42,792 I had never seen that before. Once I got used to it… 60 00:26:42,792 --> 00:26:44,633 I noticed that it worked well. 61 00:26:44,633 --> 00:26:51,232 It’s weird because people cross from all directions at the same time. 62 00:26:51,232 --> 00:26:57,952 But somehow if you do it often, you anticipate having to brake or accelerate slightly… 63 00:26:57,992 --> 00:27:05,032 so that you don’t bump into someone. You anticipate and look at the other cyclists. 64 00:27:05,232 --> 00:27:09,992 We don’t actually nod to each other, but it’s more like, okay, I have to brake slightly. 65 00:27:09,992 --> 00:27:10,032 We don’t actually nod to each other, but it’s more like, okay, I have to brake slightly. Everyone watches their left and right. 66 00:27:10,032 --> 00:27:12,792 Everyone watches their left and right. 67 00:27:12,792 --> 00:27:16,752 Over the past 1,5 years it has never gone wrong, which I think is quite special. 68 00:31:19,232 --> 00:31:24,553 Well, at first I had training wheels, but I don’t remember how I learned. 69 00:31:25,113 --> 00:31:27,512 My daddy said I could cycle with without training wheels. 70 00:31:27,512 --> 00:31:29,032 I didn’t believe I could do it. 71 00:31:29,032 --> 00:31:31,313 And then I tried and I did it. 72 00:31:32,032 --> 00:31:38,512 Sometimes we just cycle around when the weather is nice. 73 00:31:38,633 --> 00:31:46,113 Sometimes I just go cycling. Just a little ride. 74 00:32:31,633 --> 00:32:34,032 Well she is practicing hard. 75 00:32:34,232 --> 00:32:36,833 She can cycle quite well by herself. 76 00:32:37,153 --> 00:32:39,553 She has to practice her braking. 77 00:32:39,553 --> 00:32:41,992 But she can tour whole stretches on her own… 78 00:32:42,032 --> 00:32:45,113 of the neighborhood. So that’s great. 79 00:32:51,232 --> 00:32:55,432 Obviously I am a little anxious. But she has to learn. 80 00:32:55,633 --> 00:33:00,752 When she’s older she’ll have to cycle to her friends by herself. 81 00:33:01,113 --> 00:33:04,032 So it’s super if she can cycle independently. 82 00:33:04,192 --> 00:33:09,192 I think that in summer we will be able to cross the bridge together. 83 00:33:09,353 --> 00:33:11,512 Then, she can cycle to the centre of Nijmegen. 84 00:33:11,512 --> 00:33:17,232 And we can reward her with an ice-cream. 85 00:33:36,553 --> 00:33:39,313 I have more freedom on my bike. 86 00:33:39,313 --> 00:33:42,232 And I decide where to go and what time I arrive. 87 00:33:42,393 --> 00:33:45,032 And I can leave when I want to. 88 00:33:45,232 --> 00:33:52,553 I take the bike to school parties or to the cinema. 89 00:33:52,752 --> 00:33:58,353 I can decide were I can go to. 90 00:35:38,193 --> 00:35:39,632 My parents never drive me… 91 00:35:39,793 --> 00:35:43,313 Not because my parents are lazy - well my dad sometimes is... 92 00:35:43,512 --> 00:35:45,713 It’s just much nicer to cycle. 93 00:35:46,112 --> 00:35:49,592 We live in a small village so everything is much easier by bike. 94 00:35:49,753 --> 00:35:51,152 You get everywhere much faster. 95 00:35:51,313 --> 00:35:55,032 I take the bike everywhere: to football, to school. 96 00:35:55,193 --> 00:36:00,112 It’s good to burn off energy and you can chat with your friends. 97 00:36:44,112 --> 00:36:46,112 Well, Merel picks me up at home 98 00:36:46,313 --> 00:36:48,233 and then we move on to another friend. 99 00:36:48,432 --> 00:36:50,112 and then on to the Blue Bridge. 100 00:36:50,313 --> 00:36:54,193 That’s the place where almost everyone from the suburb Kloosterveen meets up. 101 00:36:54,353 --> 00:36:59,112 Then we cycle with two other friends who are awaiting us there. 102 00:36:59,233 --> 00:37:02,512 And then we all cycle to school together which is great fun. 103 00:37:02,632 --> 00:37:09,793 Sometimes it’s to much fun and we get the giggles 104 00:37:10,112 --> 00:37:17,432 And we end up being late. But that’s okay because it was fun. 105 00:43:18,353 --> 00:43:22,992 My bike is really my all, because with the boys… 106 00:43:23,152 --> 00:43:26,632 Usually you are occupied in driving your car. 107 00:43:26,713 --> 00:43:29,512 But on a bike you are so much closer to the people. 108 00:43:29,713 --> 00:43:31,793 I have my sons on the front and the back of my bike. 109 00:43:31,833 --> 00:43:35,313 The one in the front is actually to big, but it’s just so much fun 110 00:43:35,512 --> 00:43:42,552 Cycling makes it easier to interact with people, you meet others. 111 00:43:42,753 --> 00:43:48,112 My children are very sociable, they are constantly waving to people... 112 00:43:48,313 --> 00:43:54,753 or calling out and that just makes it easy to chat with people. 113 00:43:56,432 --> 00:44:02,112 You sometimes meet and talk to people you wouldn’t otherwise talk to. 114 00:44:02,313 --> 00:44:09,512 For example an older man in a suit, who normally never would talk to me... 115 00:44:09,632 --> 00:44:13,353 but who smiled at my kids and before I knew it, I stopped and we chatted. 116 00:44:13,512 --> 00:44:19,193 And that led to a more in-depth discussion about current society and the current polarization. 117 00:44:19,353 --> 00:44:23,592 Those are things I can stand here and talk about for half an hour. 118 00:44:23,793 --> 00:44:32,152 My kids begging me to go on now, but it’s so nice to have a connection with someone. 119 00:44:32,512 --> 00:44:38,032 That’s what this mode of transport makes possible. Isn’t that great? 120 00:50:12,632 --> 00:50:16,193 I’ve cycled in Paris and it’s completely different. 121 00:50:16,313 --> 00:50:18,592 Totally different mentality and atmosphere. 122 00:50:18,753 --> 00:50:20,512 Far more demarcated behaviour. 123 00:50:20,632 --> 00:50:24,233 Whereas here in the Netherlands when on a bike and the sun is out… 124 00:50:24,393 --> 00:50:27,833 or the weather is nice, you’re constantly eyeing each other. 125 00:50:28,152 --> 00:50:32,313 In the sense that you’re making contact to say, hey isn’t it great weather today? 126 00:50:32,432 --> 00:50:37,512 So in the Netherlands people are more in touch with their surroundings. 127 00:50:37,632 --> 00:50:42,552 Whereas in Paris everyone just seems concerned with staying upright and not falling over. 128 00:50:43,152 --> 00:50:45,353 It’s so different over here.