In the Netherlands bikes are more than just something people ride for exercise or as an alternate way to commute to work. In fact in the Netherlands bikes are often the primary means of transportation and this means you need a way to carry things home.
Basil Bags has been creating bicycle baskets since 1976 and while it might not seem all that innovative, the company looks to deliver cutting-edge designs that are fashionable and more importantly functional for daily use. This can be enough to quickly transform any commuting-worthy bicycle into a cargo bike.
The Dutch love their bicycles, and they don’t stop riding for much. Because many residents don’t own cars they depend on the bikes to get them where they need to go all year round. That means riding in the rain, which we’ve seen firsthand and it didn’t look like fun. But it also means they need to ride in the winter, and that can be dangerous.
A new disturbing trend is being reported by the European Cyclists’ Federation. According to a recent study the number of kids who walk or ride a bike to school has decreased from 82 percent to 14 percent within the last 30 years. In the United States only 1 percent of children rode a bike to school in 2009, compared to 49 percent of children in the Netherlands. And getting kids back on the bike could help for healthier youth.