{"id":408,"date":"2016-10-13T10:15:06","date_gmt":"2016-10-13T08:15:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weblog.wur.eu\/international-students\/?p=408"},"modified":"2017-06-08T15:47:10","modified_gmt":"2017-06-08T13:47:10","slug":"pranav-kulkarni-bicycling-by-the-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weblog.wur.eu\/international-students\/2016\/10\/13\/pranav-kulkarni-bicycling-by-the-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Pranav Kulkarni – Bicycling, by the way!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cycling is not just a way of getting around in Netherlands. It forms an important part of the culture, almost like a religion. Considering the large, lush green meadows and flatlands, cycling is a very pleasant experience. In Wageningen, where a large part of the population is students, bicycles can be seen in every nook and corner. It is the most conventional means of transport and a very cheap one. It is impossible to imagine this place without its cycles.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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For an international student like me, who hails from India, cycling used to be a thing of the past, that gets revived with fresh vigour. Here, you will find yourself, again pedalling with wind at your back and in your ears, with the same childish smile on your face as it used to be in the good ole\u2019 days. The type of cycle you use, the number of gear speeds that you have, the colour, sturdiness of the frame, the lock, the seat, the bell, all these things regain their lost importance. It feels like being a kid in adult body again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cyclists in Wageningen range from law abiding, good-faith people to outright smart and indifferent people. In the rush hour, especially (around the time college starts in the morning and ends in the evening) you will get to meet all of these sorts. Some struggling with loads of baggage, some pedalling leisurely, some racing down the lane like this is their last cycle trip on earth and some being downright mischievous. It\u2019s a fever that never went down, a circus that will never stop performing. <\/span><\/p>\n

During the morning hours, the parking lots are crowded with people who have to park their bikes in a jiffy and hurry to whatever lecture or practical they are running late for. It\u2019s like a super-busy market place which has stuff on sale. You will see cyclists running, pedalling, partially cruising, partially pedalling with worried eyes, scrutinizing the parking lot for an empty slot. It\u2019s the same every weekday. What never ceases to amaze me is the fact that how do all these people find their bikes in such a crowd after they are done with the day? Well, they have a solution for that too.<\/p>\n

\"cyclingwageningen\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Most of the students in Wageningen (and I presume, the whole of Netherlands) are very sentimental when it comes to their bikes. They will decorate it, make it a unique piece. Something more than a locomotive machine, a work of art. Some will apply paints, some will have nice side bags attached to their cycles, some will put up different things on the handle and some will leave the cycle bare but with very minute adjustments that just make their bike unique in its own way.<\/p>\n

You can see from the whole range of cycles that hit the road every morning, that people obviously, prefer some brands over others. Fittings and comfort according to their needs. There must tons of models of cycles that can be seen everywhere. If there is one business, I were to invest in Netherlands, I will surely go for bicycle production. There are cycles of racer variety, mountain bikes, city bikes, folding bikes so on and so forth [Source<\/a>]. They may have handle brakes (which most of us are acquainted with) and typical Dutch pedal brakes [Source<\/a>]. Sometimes, I wonder, what would it look like, without the bikes? I can\u2019t imagine.<\/p>\n

For the first timers, the cycling experience will be a bit rough in the beginning (especially, if you hail for a left-side driving country like me!) but believe me, you will get adjusted to it. Just a few tips that must be kept in mind…<\/p>\n