>>508592883I'm native to Amsterdam, I can vouch for that.
I rode in the centre for 10 years without an accident by riding like I'm driving a car, keeping my head on a swivel and braking gently ahead of time.
Most people don't do that. They keep pedaling until the last moment and slam the brakes, which they think they can do and get away with because it slows down so well, but it causes chaos everywhere.
They never look around them and always have their eyes dead straight on the next intersection or obstacle (another cyclist) in front of them. That means they never see shit coming in time to act preventatively in anticipation, and always have to resort to the accident they cause and the "fuck you kankerlijer".
Hand signals? Forget about it. Some people use them (me included) but most just lean into the corner unannounced while people are crossing, whether there's a zebra crossing or not. And yes, they don't adjust their speed to get between gaps either. You move, or they hit you.
Local cyclists in Amsterdam are generally really shit at traffic.
Jeans, lycra, it doesn't matter. Everyone's the king and nobody's paying road tax for the privilege. Then they crash and they cry.
If foreigners think of riding in Amsterdam btw, I recommend behaving like you're a car. Gentle pacing, head on a swivel, hand signals even if you don't know where you're going.
The few cyclists who are grown up will respect it, and the cars respect it and adapt as well. Prevents a lot of bullshit.