[TulliusCicero]

It's amazing how many people think bikes only work if you're a fit single person with no kids in a big city.

On some level they're aware of ebikes existing, or, y'know, the Dutch, but for some reason the thoughts of "the Dutch bike everywhere" and "the Dutch have children" never quite connect in their heads.

[t43562]

Perhaps I'm wrong but I did think the Dutch were quite fit when I was borrowing a bike and riding around in Amsterdam. I wondered if it was about riding bikes. Perhaps other parts of the country are different.

[TulliusCicero]

Sure, because the Dutch are champions of active transportation: rates of walking and biking are very high there, due to urban design that supports those things. People who exercise will be in better shape than those who don't.

That said, you definitely don't need to be particularly fit to bike there. The bike infrastructure is quite good, and yes it helps how flat the country is (though this is becoming less of an issue with the rise of ebikes).