Cyclists, dismount – car drivers, get out and push? An (auto)ethnographic account of long-distance commuting, joy, speed, and unexpected hurdles in Dutch traffic.

Abstract

The Netherlands are known for an exemplary cycle infrastructure: cycle paths all over the place, cycle traffic lights in abundance, and “cycle highways” emerging (Skov-Petersen et al., 2017; Liu et al., 2019; Cabral Dias and Gomes Ribeiro, 2020).* At the same time, the micro-managed infrastructure does not always cater to a variety of cycle styles, speeds, and distances. This does not automatically render the paradisiacal image of cycling in the Netherlands as an example for cycling elsewhere. What makes long-distance cycling so different and difficult in a country with so many cyclists? The title “cyclists dismount” symbolically illustrates the failed match of policy versus use(s): “cyclists dismount (and walk)” has no equivalent for car drivers and therewith represents a systematic priority for motorized users of public road space. This reversal is the impetus for an exploration of long-distance cycling as active mobility (AM) in order to contribute to the notion of long-distance cycling as a sustainable alternative to passive (motorized) mobility (PM).*The original title was ‘cyclists, descend’, the direct translation in Dutch. Apparently, in English, cycling language/discourse is heavily influenced by equestrian culture (with thanks to Peter Cox for pointing this out).