cycling in Italian cities - eviltoast

I travelled a bit through Italy recently, by bicycle. Cycling here seems either

  • super sporty road cyclist
  • poor people on what’s left of what used to be a bicycle

Stumble upon Lodi, Lombardy: cyclists everywhere, like dutch style: adults carelessly cycling with 2 kids and lots of luggage on a single normal city bike and without helmets. What’s so different about Lodi (or the region) that it’s so common here, but not in other Italian small or medium cities? Any Italians with answers? Thanks