Riding Through Chaos and Perfection

Before my recent trip, I thought Bonn had a solid biking system. There are dedicated bike lanes, Fahrradstraßen where cyclists have priority, and scenic routes along the Rhine. But after cycling in the Netherlands and Brussels, I realized how much a city’s design influences the experience. Some places make biking effortless, while others make it frustrating. Seeing both extremes made me rethink where Bonn stands.

Biking in the Netherlands felt like jumping onto a moving train—fast, efficient, and no room for hesitation.. I had to stay constantly alert—not for cars, but for other cyclists. There were so many bikes that moving through traffic felt like being in a fast-flowing river. But the infrastructure made it easy. Separate bike lanes, dedicated signals, and bike-first policies meant that everything was designed to keep cyclists moving. Here, biking wasn’t just encouraged—it was the default.

Then I got to Brussels, where biking felt like an afterthought. Many “bike lanes” were just painted lines on the road, leaving cyclists to fend for themselves among cars and buses. At one point, I was forced into traffic when a delivery van blocked my lane—something that would never happen in the Netherlands. The city had some promising improvements, but overall, cycling there felt inconsistent and stressful.

Coming back to Bonn, I realized it sits somewhere in between. It’s much safer and more predictable than Brussels, but nowhere near as seamless as the Netherlands. Some areas are great for biking, but others force cyclists to merge with traffic or take detours. The biggest difference is cultural—biking in Bonn is an option, while in the Netherlands, it’s a way of life.

This trip made me appreciate what Bonn does well but also showed me its potential. If the city expanded its protected bike lanes and treated cycling as a primary mode of transport rather than just one possibility, it could become a truly bike-friendly city. That’s something I want to explore in my final project—because great cycling cities don’t happen by accident. They’re built.

Josh H

References:

Wikipedia contributors. (2025b, March 30). Cycling in the Netherlands. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_in_the_Netherlands#:~:text=Cycling%20is%20the%20second%2Dmost,(urban%20and%20rural)%20nationwide