Great legs

City planners and policymakers seem at last to be putting serious effort and money behind making biking a routine, safe, and reasonable part of transportation infrastructure. It’s a positive situation in every way: less traffic congestion, fewer emissions, and better legs for everyone. (On that last point, just ask my husband.) Biking can also reduce health-care costs and both improve the quality of and lengthen lives.

Because bikes are affordable (or can even be given away), cycling provides a more level playing field for those who can’t afford a car or who devote more money than they can afford to using one.

The happy lifestyle of the Dutch is well known and much envied. Biking is clearly a part of it. When I bike, I arrive at my destination already feeling good. I have avoided the stress of sitting in a traffic jam and can park anywhere. Imagine spreading those feelings around an entire population.

Sometimes it’s a challenging workout, with wind, hills, rain, or a full load, so I bike a little slower. And sometimes I would rather take the car. But I don’t. It’s my policy: I do it for me, and I want my kids to understand that, when possible, it’s better for everyone if we bike.

Photos by Lianne Bergeron.Read Liane’s recommendations on biking gear, too.Lianne Bergeron is a Canadian author and entrepreneur who lives and works near Amsterdam with her Dutch husband and four kids. When she’s not teaching English, writing articles, or working on her books, she can be found on the road on her bicycle built for six.