Leiden Cyclists

In the Netherlands, there are cyclists everywhere! Leiden, where we stayed for the tournament, was a cyclist's dream! There were special crosswalks for bikes, bike paths throughout the city and parking spaces for bikes like the one below. Because of the flat streets, people could ride their bikes to work without breaking out into a sweat. I observed plenty of people eating breakfast as they rode their bikes to work!

These bikes were parked under this taxi stand. Very few taxis, but tons of bikes. I got a chance to speak to some teachers from the American School of the Hague, who told me that they have bikes in Leiden and Amsterdam. They live in Amsterdam and ride their bikes to the train station in the mornings. Once they get to Leiden, they find their other bike kept there and ride to school. The problem comes if it's been raining for awhile and they ride the bus to school a few days. Then, it's really hard to remember their parking spots! And clearly, looking for a bike in Leiden is like finding a needle in a haystack.