Three quarters of the Dutch sing while riding their bikes. In Amsterdam singing is now officially allowed on two bicycle paths. No more awkward pauses in cyclist’s songs because they’re passing one another!
As a daily cyclist and former amateur singer this news makes me very happy. And that is exactly what Mapije de Wit of Mapije Fun Design had in mind when she thought this up. In her column de Vogelvrije Fietser (The Fancy Free Cyclist), she first wrote about the singing bike path.
Research shows that 77% of people at one time or another sing while riding their bikes. Not all cyclist sing in equal measure; about 32% sings now and then, 23% sings regularly, 12% sings often, and 10% very often!
According to De Wit there are many people who would like to sing on their bikes, but are secretly scared of doing so. For instance, they stop whenever someone passes them, or just hold it in. But according to Mapije de Wit people actually like encountering someone who sings while cycling. De Wit: ‘[Singing] makes people happy! It would be a shame not to do it, right?’
As Americans get more dedicated bicycle paths, so cyclist are no longer dodging cars, perhaps singing while cycling will catch on in the US too.
New in the Netherlands: the singing bike path
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