Netherlands...Pt3

Netherlands Pt2... land of the bicycle...

The bicycle was maybe invented in Scotland-though some folk dispute this but the Netherlands have adopted it for there own.
There are 3 times bicycles to people, think about that for a minute, cool eh?
Everyone all ages ride bikes.
My Dutch girlfriend Hanneke says kids can ride bikes before they can talk properly and her granny who is 88 years old cycles daily in all weather.

So, with a whole country on 2 wheels its no wonder cars have to give way to bikes, think about that for a minute if you too live in the UK... now that's really cool! -:)
They have to give way to you which doesn't come easily when your a UK cyclist used to having some car drivers so wrapped up in there own world there subconsciously trying to run you off the road or they just hate waiting behind a cyclist. It will take me some time when over here to get used to riding across in front of cars approaching junctions.
Also need to remember and keep right..i was doing ok until junctions!.

Cycling here is sweet, its bliss, and its how it should be on the roads- everyone is chilled and well mannered.

The other strange thing is no one wears cycle helmets except mountain bikers and roadies. Apparently there are not the head injuries you would expect from this.
Maybe its due to driver awareness of cyclists?. With most car drivers being cyclists as well or at some time cycled too?. This is great and the mutual respect seems to work what i saw.

Mostly the bikes around town i saw were A-B bikes, we would call them commuters, hacks or road rats. Americans call them beater bikes,  the Dutch just call them bikes...or rather Fiets...



Most are traditional style 28" wheeled steel framed roadsters with a chain gaurd at minimum and single speed coaster (back pedal) rear brake.
Prices for these start at around 150 euro new for one of these basic roadsters...


For a few euro more and many have internal gear hubs of 3,4,5,7 or 8 gears with a front dynamo hub and roller (drum) brakes, a built in key operated lock on the rear wheel and full mudguards and side or centre stand, rear rack with heavy panniers and maybe a sprung brooks saddle too...


Popular makes are Batavus
And the biggest dutch manufacturer Gazelle...
Both of these company's make bikes with all the features mentioned and with a `sit up and beg` riding position, they offer sensible and low maintenance bicycles...



There are lots of bike shops selling new and secondhand...as well as private sales at roadsides...


There was a shop at the train station at Zwolle where you can drop your bike off, go to work, then pick it up serviced for on your return.
Secure parking lots for bikes in towns as well - a million bikes a year are stolen in the Netherlands.
Because of this many bikes around town are beater bikes. Some easily recognisable to there owners...





There is some real cool bikes cruising about towns though they arnt often left unattended...



The sheer number of bikes is unreal. The train stations bike parking has to be seen to be believed...






The whole country has cycle routes and most roads except motorways have cycle paths.
Cars have to wait until no oncoming traffic before overtaking - yep no getting 1 feet of clearance at 60mph like can happen here in the UK!


Stunning scenic countryside routes...




In town bike traffic control...



Don't ride past here if you have the munchies, it is a cookie factory!...


Good route signs too...





In the country there are farm houses with rest rooms for cyclists where you can get coffee and sometimes homemade ice cream...


At the weekend out walking the dog mid morning i saw a cyclist(s) about every minute passing where we walked. Some just take there dogs with them on there bikes...


I spied these good dirt jumps outside Deventer...


There are proper signed mountain bike trails in the woods. And like here in the UK groups of folk meet up to ride the trails...




The trails here in the Veluwe are a sandy loam soil, no sticky clay mud here, ideal for year round riding...





See here how soft it is...i know a bike just perfect for riding here...



Looking around bike shops i bought a few items you cant buy here for a future project build. Some stuff is cheap, some about the same. 2nd hand brooks coil sprung B66 saddles are aplenty at around 25euro on a 2nd hand website is seriously cheap and also 2nd hand hub brake wheels and dynamo`s. I love it here,
happy days...


Here is some film in the town of Zwolle... 1000`s of bikes!


bicycles in the town of zwolle...netherlands from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Netherlands....

after all the hype in the news regaurding flights cancelled into the weekend, i went online to get a refund wednesday evening and all flights were back on!..yeehaa...pack the backpack up late wednesday night then up at 4.30am and i arrived at amsterdam 9am...

so my first visit to the netherlands and from the air it really does look flat after scotland but as i discovered over the next 5 days its scenery,villages and towns are scenicly breathtaking...

to avoid the city rush hour traffic hanneke headed to her home village via the poulders region...an area of manmade (reclaimed) farmland and bulb fields...


hanneke lives in a small village beside the river ijessel in the veluwe region which is renowed for its scenic beauty and wildlife...and it is stunning...


the village and surrounding farmhouses and gardens are immaculate...








we walked along the riverside through meadows of flowers that reveiled hidden beaches...and postcard picnic sites...




alongside the river from zwolle to deventer is the raised dyke road which must be one of the most scenic cycles i have ridden...

first time i have seen storks...


a WW2 roadside defence bunker...




unlike scotland i saw no litter anywhere in the countryside,small towns and villages...




there is also alot of woodland...sandy undulating paths through heather floored woods of scots pines, silver birch and alder amongst other familiar trees...
if you have ever been to rothiemurcus forest and the surrounding woods of avimore in the scottish highlands you will feel at home deep in these woods...
the woodland are populated with boar and red squirrels...only the latter are still in scotland in small areas...





we cycled to the towns of zwolle and deventer and the towns arcitecture is lovely...and cafe lifestyle is right up my er...street...

zwolle had a really nice pancake shop...love the apple and ciminom pancakes...





daventer is a larger town and despite a weekend and being real busy everyone was chilled out and just strolling about...








i liked the charles dickens street with themes from his most famous novels...


most days the temperture was around 24-26C...warmer than the UK with a chill air after sunset...

i didnt get to meet up with tommy as he was working but hope to meet up next visit soon though i met some of hanneke`s friends and family and everyone made me very welcome...including hanneke`s best friend...diesel!..

all good things come to an end and soon enough it was time to come home...

oh i havent mentioned the famous dutch cycling culture yet?...oh dont worry fellow bike geeks!...loads and loads of pics and film to edit still...
i will do another post soon on cycling and bikes dutch style...