PELOTON

As much as I would like it to work in the United States, I have my doubts that any bicycle sharing program could work here. The first program of its kind was launched in Washington D.C. early this year with a mere 120 bikes. Hardly what could be considered a confident initial investment.

There are many reasons why I share that lack of confidence in a program of this kind having much success on this side of the Atlantic. Americans have a very different mindset than our European counterparts, many of whom view the bicycle as a viable means of transportation as opposed to a toy or exercise machine.

In the Netherlands, the Dutch have embraced the bicycle for decades, and rain or shine, hot or cold, you’ll see large numbers of the citizenry take to the roads on what most Americans would judge as rickety contraptions. One major difference is that in Holland, cyclists have their own roads, and signalization, equal rights on the roadways, and perhaps most importantly, the respect of those with whom they share the roads. In the United States, if you are brave enough to take to the roads, you are constantly doing battle with tons of steel, and drivers who begrudge having to share their roads with mere bicycles.

Follow up:

Americans are the most litigious people in the world, and when someone is injured, they sue everyone in sight. Despite knowing the risks of use, if a company provides someone with a bicycle, and that person is injured even due to their own stupidity, the company will be sued for all they are worth. The legal risks of any such bike sharing enterprise in this country, surely outweighs any possibility for long term profitability.

Sit at any outdoor café in Amsterdam, and you will observe an amazing phenomenon as you watch the parade of cyclists glide by. There with the men, sitting straight-backed on their Granny bicycles are beautiful women dressed for the elements, commuting to work or going out for a night on the town. Aside from racing enthusiasts, the “bimbo” factor in this nation of high-maintenance excludes the majority of the women from ever considering taking to the streets on two wheels in any context other than for a workout followed by a shower and hair-redo. And it’s not all the fault of the ladies. Men in this country are threatened by strong physical women, and tend to shy away, unfairly labeling sports-minded women as “dykes”.

Even men who ride bicycles in this country are seen as “different” and are the butt of jokes and mockery. There’s just something wrong with a grown man who chooses two wheels over six or eight cylinders of pure, raw, power.

There is another very important factor that enables Europeans to use bicycles as a viable means of transportation, and that is the fact that many cities have efficient mass transit systems. In Amsterdam, people who live outside the center have clean, inexpensive trains that run frequently and create a feeder hub system for the city center. Outside the Central Station is a massive multi-level bicycle garage that holds thousands of bicycles. Commuters take the trains to and from the center and then use their bicycles to get around the city.

Admittedly, aside from the cold weather, frequent rain, and wind, Amsterdam is almost ideally suited for bicycle commuters, but what is special about Holland is that the Dutch government has made the investment and effort to promote and protect cyclists. What is even more special, is how the Dutch people have embraced their bicycles.