Is cycling so successful in Amsterdam because it’s as flat as a pancake?

I don't think topography is given enough attention. All the famous Dutch cycling cities are very flat. So is most of Copenhagen. I don't know for sure how much flatness contributes to the extraordinary success of cycling in those cities but I suspect it's a lot.

Flatness means less effort, so there's less sweat and less need to wear special clothing. It helps explain the preference for heavy bicycles in some places.

They're more comfortable because they have big, fat bump-absorbing tyres. An upright riding posture makes more sense because obtaining mechanical or aerodynamic advantage isn't as critical in a sympathetic environment.

Bikes can be loaded up with enhancements like baskets, chain guards, bike stands, and dynamos. The option of carrying shopping, children, a passenger, or everyday items like a change of clothes and a bundle of textbooks isn't as off-putting as it is in undulating places.

I expect flatness is a key reason why cycling in the immediate post-war era in Australia was strongest in certain regional centres like Bundaberg in Qld and Grafton in NSW but not in others.

The role of topography is often downplayed or dismissed by cycling advocates because, I suspect, it doesn't fit with the dream that all cities can potentially emulate Amsterdam, or at least Copenhagen.

Those with a stake in promoting cycling prefer to focus on matters where changes can be made. Topography and climate are inconveniently immutable; they're 'nature' whereas something controllable like infrastructure provision is 'nurture'.

The lay of the land isn't destiny; it doesn't mean cycling can't win a significant mode share in non-flat places. But my intuition is topography imposes a limit; even with the same suite of policies, localities with an undulating landscape aren't likely to come close to emulating Amsterdam.

Having said that, the future might be very different. The increasing popularity of affordable, power-assisted bicycles should make topography largely irrelevant for cycling.