Even though Canada and the Netherlands are two very different countries, they do share some similarities in everyday culture. One of those similarities is their attitude towards cycling.
The Netherlands has been known to be one of the most eco-friendly countries in the world for a long time. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that biking is so popular among the Dutch. On the other hand, Canada offers many miles within and outside the cities to all biking enthusiasts who prefer this type of transport to all others.
In the article below, we’ll take a closer look at the cycling cultures in the Netherlands and Canada, and see the overall attitude that these two nations have towards biking.
Cycling History
The first time that Canadians expressed interest in cycling was in 1968 when Velocipede bikes appeared. It will take some years until the first Penny Farthing bike appeared. It was introduced by Albert Lane in 1974, who was also the first man to co-found a bicycle club in Montreal. So, cycling has been present among Canadians even before cars have been accepted by the mass population. However, bad weather conditions forced many Canadians in the 20th century to use cars as a mode of transport since biking wasn’t possible throughout the entire year. In the past 20 years, Canada started promoting biking especially among people living in the cities due to the high levels of traffic crowds.
On the other hand, bikes have been introduced to the Dutch at approximately the same time as they were to Canadians. But the first great difference between the two nations happened towards the end of the 19th century when Dutch started building biking roads. People in the Netherlands could plan their future with bikes since their weather conditions were more suitable for biking than the ones in Canada. By 1940, over 4 million Dutch people owned a bike, and today over 35% of their population says that this is their favourite mode of transport.
Sports Cycling
Since the Netherlands is a country with the most cycling supporters in the world, it’s only natural that sports cycling is also pretty much present and popular within this nation. There are various sports disciplines that the Dutch do on a regular basis, and even when they don’t they engage in online sports betting on a cycling event. Online betting and gambling have been recently legalized in this country, so the Dutch have been visiting more and more online casinos to play their favourite games but also to explore the sports betting section. In these sports betting sections, they can find many different disciplines, but still, most of them prefer events that include bicycles.
Even though Canadians had to choose cars over bikes in the past, they continued riding them for sports purposes. Sports cycling has kept this activity popular in this country, so much so that people started betting on it, just like the Dutch. People in different areas have access to the best Canadian online casino websites that offer both casino games and sports betting. The popularity of these sites and betting on cycling events is another proof that Canadians are ready to embrace cycling more than ever before.
Everyday Cycling
From the moment you step into the Netherlands, you will understand that there is but a couple of countries that could compare to the number of bikes on the street. Bikes are the most used means of transport for commuting. It is also one of the main activities that families and couples do together as quality time. And it’s all possible due to the fantastic infrastructure that is incredibly bike-friendly.
Canada, on the other hand, is just now realizing the importance of planned bike roads, and mostly throughout the cities. However, this nation is working hard to support bikers and to make proper roads for all of those who want to use bikes for their everyday needs. It’s obvious that the number of cyclists is growing every year, which means that Canadians are headed in the right direction.
THe interest in cycling in Canada began in 1968 or 1868? And what about the penny farthing? It came in 1974 or 1874?