I took the photo above at the RAI train station. The Dutch love riding their bikes! I am amazed at the number of bicycles in the city. I am staying at the Holiday Inn in the southern part of the city. The hotel is about 30 minute bike ride from downtown. I am attending an introductory workshop to the IBO Middle Years program. Every day as I walk to and from the nearby convention center where the conference is being held, I see literally hundreds of people riding bikes.
There are all sorts of people on the bikes. There are of course many students and they are riding together on the way to school, chatting, sending text messages, etc, all while continuing to pedal. There are old ladies, men, young professionals, etc. I even see many people smoking while pedalling. I think it kind of defeats the purpose of exercise. I asked a Dutchman at the conference, what is the percentage of people that ride a bike at least once a week, and he reckoned 90%. When I asked him how this craze for bicycles started, he just said that Holland is a flat country. Well, no matter how it started, what a great thing for a city. The past two days have been hovering around the freezing mark, and there are still loads of people biking. What a great thing for a country!!!
Amsterdam literally has a bike trail on one or both sides of every street
Bill's Blog 
One of my memories of Amsterdam is of bicycles chained to the many bridges over the canals. I saw young professionals pedaling to work, briefcases in hand. I also made the mistake several times, while walking, of pausing in a bicycle lane to look and admire. That can be dangerous.
Nice to hear how a visitor appreciates our bike culture, Bill. I’m a former Melbourne boy living in Holland at the moment too, and that “skyscraper” in your photo is the Rembrandttoren – I can see it out my window as I write this.
We’ve just come back to Holland (my wife is a native Amsterdammer) and we got straight back on the bikes – report below.
http://richardtulloch.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/amsterdams-10-most-beautiful-streets/
Go well and thanks, Richard
http://richardtulloch.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/amsterdams-10-most-beautiful-streets/