{"id":528946,"date":"2026-03-09T14:16:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T14:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/528946\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T14:16:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T14:16:15","slug":"netherlands-just-named-its-best-cycling-city-and-its-not-where-you-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/528946\/","title":{"rendered":"Netherlands Just Named its Best Cycling City and it’s Not Where You Think"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a country famous for its bike culture, even small differences in infrastructure and safety can shape how enjoyable cycling feels. In 2026, cyclists across the Netherlands gave top honours to the quiet eastern municipality of Tubbergen, naming it the nation\u2019s most bicycle-friendly community.<\/p>\n

The award comes from the Cyclists\u2019 Union<\/a>, which surveyed more than 40,000 riders nationwide about the cycling climate in their municipalities. Respondents rated factors such as safety, infrastructure, maintenance, lighting, crossings and overall riding satisfaction.<\/p>\n

Tubbergen\u2014also the winner in the small-municipality category\u2014stood out largely because of its calm roads and slower traffic speeds. Speed limits are set at 30 km\/h within built-up areas and 60 km\/h on rural roads, helping create safer conditions for people sharing space with vehicles.<\/p>\n

\u201cTubbergen is a quiet municipality where everything is well organised and the residents are flexible and patient,\u201d wrote on survey respondent. \u00a0Another added: \u201cYou can cycle wonderfully throughout the entire municipality of Tubbergen. Definitely worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Municipal leaders welcomed the recognition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re incredibly proud of this title, and we\u2019re a municipality with excellent cycling opportunities,\u201d said Alderwoman Ursula Bekhuis-Groothuis.<\/p>\n

\"Tubbergen<\/p>\n

Tubbergen delegates celebrate cycling award<\/p>\n

Two other communities were also recognized. The city of Zwolle won the title of best large municipality, praised for safe routes and low accident rates. Meanwhile, Pijnacker-Nootdorp captured the award for best medium-sized municipality, with riders highlighting its network of scenic paths and access to nature.<\/p>\n

The survey\u2014conducted with mobility research firm Goudappel\u2014also revealed broader trends. One of the most notable findings was a widening gap between urban and rural cycling experiences. Riders in large cities reported feeling less safe, with satisfaction scores dropping sharply in some places, including Amsterdam.<\/p>\n

Across the country, one concern stood out above all others: safe crossings. Many cyclists identified busy intersections and roundabouts as the most stressful moments of a ride.<\/p>\n

Even in the world\u2019s most bike-friendly country, the results show that cycling success still comes down to the details\u2014calmer streets, thoughtful design and infrastructure that makes riding feel safe and enjoyable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a country famous for its bike culture, even small differences in infrastructure and safety can shape how…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":528947,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[64,63,784,85],"class_list":["post-528946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=528946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528946\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/528947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=528946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=528946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=528946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}