Sometimes the city of Groningen has to cede its first place to Zwolle and Leeuwarden, but for the past twenty years it has consistently been at the top when it comes to the use of bicycles in major cities. Quite remarkable for a city of 177,000 inhabitants, the sixth largest in the Netherlands. Why do people use their bicycles there so often? This article provides an answer to that question by comparing the 40 largest cities on the basis of:
• Bicycle policy: the implemented quality of bicycle facilities.
• Traffic policy: the competitiveness of bicycles versus other modes of transport.
• Town planning and/or environmental structure.
• Autonomous or external factors.