There is a common lament in the UK when faced with a certain paucity of cycling facilities, or the typical aggressive or inattentive actions of the driving fraternity - "Why can't we be more like the Europeans?"

If there is anything likely to get support flowing for the EU it's offering the cycling community the heady nirvana of clear and easy cycle transport. Many come back from France with tales of car drivers patiently waiting as the cyclist winds his way up a Tour peak, passing only when safe to do so, and with a cheery encouragement of 'Chapeau!'. Others remark on the Italians, the collective noun for their drivers normally being a 'race', but who nonetheless regard cyclists as having a proper place on the road.

But there is one country that has us gushing more than any other. Why can't we be more like the Netherlands?

Here we imagine unimpeded cycling; an easy flat landscape; sunshine and a constant tailwind; the bicycle is the king, the car a mere serf. Heaven.

But like most dreams could it be too good to be true? While the low-country might be a revelation for those visiting from this island, can a couple of weeks holiday cycling give a true indication of the situation? In an effort to find out we spoke to the experts.

Ligfiets.net began life more or less as a conglomeration of ideas and first appeared online in January 1998. Since then it has been providing information and news on cycling in Dutch, German, Danish, Spanish, French, Swedish, Norwegian and English, and as an initiative of the Dutch Association for Human Powered Vehicles has been going from strength to strength.

These were definitely the people we were after.

I opened with an initial query about the Dutch attitude, wondering how far away it is from that held in the UK...