One final note on bicycling in the Netherlands.
In their search for the stupidest bike lane in America, Slate gives props to a (quite-possibly apocryphal) Dutch bike lane that beats them all.
The Dutch are known for innovative traffic-management schemes, with pedestrians, bikes, and cars sharing the road. But I believe in separating bikes from swimmers and boats.
Update: A reader writes that the canal-side bike lane was a bit of guerrilla theater, in protest against the inadequacy of bike lanes in Amsterdam.
Update Mk II: Another reader offers the obvious post heading: “Bike locks.” What’s Dutch for esprit de l’escalier?