In making my recent video about urban cycling in Germany, the conversation steered toward a historical oddity that says something about the historical importance of the bike, not just in the bicycle-loving Netherlands, but in neighbouring Germany as well. Historical footage is from US National Archives.

A huge thanks to my sponsors this year. They support this channel, so please support them. They also make amazing products that I use every day and endorse without hesitation.

Priority Bikes: I happily rode the Priority Continuum Onyx through many Canadian winters before they signed on as a sponsor: https://bit.ly/3tzXTee

Two Wheel Gear: My favourite bike bags and panniers, and the best convertible backpack-pannier that I’ve ever used: https://twowheelgear.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=shifter&utm_campaign=tombabin

Buy my book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: https://rmbooks.com/book/frostbike/

I don’t really do proper product reviews, but here are some products that I’ve tried on this channel that I like. (Of course, you don’t need anything fancy to ride a bike, other than a bike, but these are Amazon affiliate links, and I get paid a small commission if you buy them 😉)

• If you ride a bike in the city, you need a good lock. Litelok is a good option: us.litelok.com/SHIFTER • If you wear a helmet and like to be well-lit, consider the Lumos: ridelumos.com/shifter • Hindsight sunglasses have mirrors so you can see behind you while you ride. Plus, they look good: https://collabs.shop/f9hvof • Love these RedShift Acrlight Smart LED Pedals: https://redshiftsports.com/collections/arclight-pedals?aff=40 • Crane Bicycle Bell (the ding is sublime): https://amzn.to/48gsHQ2 • Bicycle Cargo Net (why did it take so long for me to buy one of these?): https://amzn.to/31s1Ovu • Vaude Cover II Rain Poncho (for higher-end, try Cleverhood or People’s Poncho): https://amzn.to/3jLkift • Peak Design phone case (the one I use, paired with the Peak Design phone mount): https://amzn.to/48giWS6

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