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Re:Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands? by DavideNL on Monday June 19, 2017 @03:40PM (#14589789)
> everything's so damned spread out that bicycling is very impractical.

The solution: e-bike.

Where i live in the Netherlands many people use them (not just elderly.) Just this week i saw a 15 year old kid drive back home from school on an e-bike. If you have to drive a long distance, an e-bike eases makes it much easier/faster...

Re:Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands? by s73ver on Monday June 19, 2017 @04:34PM (#14590231)
E-Bikes are a good idea, but they're pretty expensive. Like, you could buy a car for the cost of one.
Re:Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands? by dredmorbius on Tuesday June 20, 2017 @01:02AM (#14592321)
Cars have exceptionally high ownership costs: parking, licensing, maintenance, fuel, insurance.

Even an expensive bicycle pencils out very quickly relatively.

Re:Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands? by s73ver on Tuesday June 20, 2017 @12:03PM (#14595703)
Perhaps, but both still have pretty high, prohibitive to some, up front costs.
Re:Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands? by dredmorbius on Thursday June 22, 2017 @02:10AM (#14610403)
The responses which occur:

1. Current eBikes are generally small-scale prototypes. Prices should fall with volume.

2. They're generally comparably priced to a small motorbike, for which they're a near substitute.

3. Financing of large consumer purchases turns out to be a fairly frequently-occurring (and solved) proplem.

I don't think this will be a showstopper.

4. Actually, checking Amazon, eBike prices seem to be on par or lower than what I'd pay for a decent standard bike: ~$750 US or so. Kits as low as $250 for wheel conversion.

https://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywo...