Freewheelen fietstocht

[Freewheeling]

A few highlights from a little ride around The Netherlands recently.

[AzLaker]

Cool pics Freewheeling. Now, that's the way to bike in the Netherlands.

AzLaker

[Freewheeling]

An overnight stop at a rather nice hotel on the outskirts of Amsterdam provided an opportunity to sample a coffee shop recommended on this very forum. So although somewhat tired I found myself in coffee shop Yo-yo one late afternoon sampling some rather nice outdoor herbs. Although I've been aware of the strain called Fresian Dew for some time this was my first chance to sample it. The hotel was The Manor right near the Oosterpark and whilst I have some serious reservations about the interior decor in the corridors it was a fine place to stay a night and provided the best scrambled eggs of the trip at breakfast the following morning. The cycle paths can be a bit crazy at rush hour, and I probably wouldn't have set out quite so early if I hadn't planned such a long day, but I was fortunate in that almost everyone was going the other way and the few who weren't all turned off at the Science Park leaving me with a blissfully quiet ride out to Muiden and Almere.

[Freewheeling]

I also had a stop over in Zwolle, which has an old city centre much like many other Dutch cities and still has an intact "moat" around the old city and even some remaining sections of old city walls. Whilst the coffee shop scene isn't on a par with the likes of Amsterdam you can pick yourself up some weed and have somewhere to smoke it. It's a reasonably interesting place to wander around when you're stoned, and it has quite a nice park too.

[AzLaker]

Very nice. Last pic reminds me of a Fly's eye.

AzLaker

[HitTheNorth]

Thanks for this I'd love to cycle round NL one day. Zwole looks interesting

[Freewheeling]

A few more of the cycle paths. I rode quite a fair distance while I was there, but relatively little of it was on roads. There are some fantastic paths through the forests of the Veluwe, and some really nice parts near Ommen in Overijssel. That said, it can be hard going into the wind on the polders.

[Strawberries]

Great photos

[starcatcher]

Very nice freewheeling there, Freewheeling.

Forgive me: this is probably such a dumb/boring question but how did you convey your trusty steed(s) to the cycle route?

Did you set out from your home with them strapped securely to the back of your car? Hire them there?

I must know!

[Freewheeling]

Hi Starcatcher,
I'm from the UK and it's pretty easy to take a ferry to The Netherlands from here as long as you can get to the port (cycling not really recommended!), so it's dead easy to take a bike. So I took a bike with me, as did lots of other people on the ferry. That makes it easier to make sure that you can carry everything that you plan to take, because if it won't fit in it gets left behind before you go.

I have hired bikes from hotels when I have been over there too, but just for getting about and day rides returning to the same hotel, never for a multi day tour. The local bikes are often 3 speeds, with the middle gear being the only one that's really useful most of the time. Although the bikes always have a sturdy luggage rack they never seem too have any bags attached, but they usually have a rack at the front with a crate on it that works well for carrying a small rucksack for e.g. a coat and a picnic. Whenever I've hired a bike all of the e-bikes have already been booked, so if you want one of them (to have Lance Armstrong style power for stoner style effort) then I would recommend booking ahead.

[petty]

Hi Freewheeling
Is it a touring frame or a gravel bike frame you have. In my hey day I used to fly with my bike from the UK. You were only required to remove the pedals. Unfortunately the bike was rarely unscathed, sometimes minor with displaced mudguards or major if a wheel was damaged. No box was required. A different story coming back as you were required to fit it into a cardboard box. Being an elongated touring frame the bike didn`t quite fit. I`ve hired in recent times but still not for a while. Even by Dutch standards of comparatively overflowing facilities for cyclists there is a noticeable increase in scenic routes for walking and cycling. When I was active even cycling in the segregated cycle lanes near or beside major highways was a pleasant experience in the acres of flat emptiness under enormous skies.
Glad you enjoyed your trip !!!

[Freewheeling]

Hi petty,
I would call it a touring bike, although I tend to think that grovel bikes are just touring bikes with added marketing . It fits 40mm tyres with mudguards so it's comfy and is just as great on the Dutch gravel and shell paths as it is on tarmac. The issues that you cite with taking a bike on a flight are an important factor in my preference for the ferry, although there are other possible benefits like lower carbon footprint and no customs/security hassle. However, the ferry is probably at least as expensive and considerably slower unless you're close to the shorter ferry routes.
I first went cycling over there in 1995 and there was none of the amazing network of recreational routes that exist now, but it was still way better than facilities are in the UK even now.

[Lemming]

Another fantastic travelogue and great pictures. Thank you.

[Raoul_Duke]

I agree with Lemming. What a fantastic travelogue. I would love to do something like this myself but I'm old, fat and haven't ridden a bicycle in 10 years! I would probably end up in the canal after a smoke if I were to try cycling anywhere although I feel inspired to get fit and make it a goal for the future to do some cycling around NL, thank you!

[Freewheeling]

A few more sights from the tour including the book mountain, a mirror, the Elastic Perspective, the windmills of the Kinderdijk, some polders, and Dafne Schipers bridge. Unfortunately my preferred herbalist was closed for a holiday.