Netherlands Nirvana

[ScumOfTheRoad]

Being the first of an occasional series about cycling in the Netherlands. From SOTR, currently residing in Eindhoven.

Bulletin the First - How I landed from Mars

The first bicycle commute I did in the Netherlands was when I was staying in the mental hospital.
Bed and Breakfast run by a mental hospital - honest. They hire out bikes per day.
I was pootering along the cycle track near work (being overtaken by grannies - see Bulletin ghr Second).
The track came to a junction with a side road. Seeing a car approaching from the left I screeched to a halt  as best I could - using the back pedal brake and sliding my foot.  I stood patiently waiting for the car to come across my front.
In its turn, the car screesched to a halt and the driver gave me such a look, as if to say "What planet are you from then?"
I realised that bicycles have priority at junctions - indeed the 'give way' markings are set back from the cycle track for cars emerging from a side road.
Entering from the main road cars turning right will always (I hope) give way to the cyclists on the cycle track.
Unlike in the UK where they would run over you and say SMIDSY.

Which brings me to one of my pet bugbears - there is a UK Highway Code entry which says - give way to pedestrians if you turn off into a side road.
Hah.  Pedestrians in the UK take their lives into their hands if they cross the road when a car is turning in.

Speaking as a driver too though, I was approaching a roundabout on my first day. A woman on a bike wasn't even on the roundabout,
just approaching it from my right. I drove onto the roundabout and was treated to a "Hallo!" - as if to say - "Oi! You there! Its my right of way!"
In the Netherlands the cyclist  on the roundabout if they are on the cycle track - again you give way BEFORE the cycle track,
not after it, so when a cyclist is already on a roundabout wiht a segregated cycle track they are considered to be on the roundabout.

[Polar Bear]

I had a similar experience in Denmark on my first visit at a small roundabout.   Nobody would drive on until I was clear.   Most refreshing.

[Adam]

It's another world.  Very nice.  Although it took a while to suss out the arrow markings on the tarmac, to indicate when cyclists didn't have priority.

[yoav]

It certainly takes a while to get used to being a cyclist in Holland after cycling in Britain for many years. Once you do get used to it, it becomes a pleasure. Unfortunately, I have no economic, social or family reasons to live in Holland so I will have to subsist on a diet of holidays to get my cycling nirvana, for now.

[ScumOfTheRoad]

Bulletin the second. On grannies and parking.
I own an 'omafiets' in the Netherlands - which translates as a Granny Bike.

Being a lardy type, and just having returned to cycling to work, I am regularly left in the dust by what can only be described as 'matronly' types.
There will be a polite 'ting ting' of a bell behind me as I pootle along, which says 'out of the way lardarse. Fit Dutch woman wants to overtake you'
plus 'Oh - why the hell are you wearing a kilt on a bike'. followed by Dutch granny sweeping past me.

It really is normal to see middle aged and older ladies in skirts and men in normal clothes cycling along. The sort of people who would never be seen dead on a bike in the UK. The type of bike does help - full chain guards, step through frames, and kickstands on all bikes. Plus nurses locks so you cna pop into a shop for a minute or two.

Talking about bike parking, Eindhoven, where I live, is very proud of their underground car park. For bikes.
this has two entrances with moving travolators, so you just wheel your bike down into a cavern which is equipped with double deck bike stands, plus a pump and tools free for use. There is an attendant there at all times when the bike park is open.  Parking for disability scooters and cargo bikes too.
They even offer the free loan of a baby buggy, to encourage parents to come and shop in the town I suppose and leave the bike parked up.


https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/cycling-in-eindhoven/
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/07/31/travel/31NEXT5.html









 

[yoav]

The hovering in Eindhoven is brilliant. I just had to do a few laps of it before continuing on my way, last year.

[Dave_C]

We had our first Dutch holiday last year in Centre Parcs south of Eindhoven. We made a special visit to see it. My two boys were glum, "Dad why are we at this boring bridge?" as I took countless photos.

We are heading back again in a couple of weeks, and I can't wait! Then a week in Black Forest where I'm hoping I can find some trails to cycle on.

[ScumOfTheRoad]

Dave, you are welcome to call in at Scum Towers.

[Dave_C]

Dave, you are welcome to call in at Scum Towers.

That is a most kind offer. We are staying south in Kapper Vannen (spelling), so I'll mostly be spending time with the family in the parc and heading south, east or west into the countryside for a couple of hours each morning to get my fitness up.

Kindest regards, Dave C

[ScumOfTheRoad]

Bulletin the Third  - on Hovenrings and Pipes

On the commute into work this morning, I saw th emost Dutch sight ever. A gentleman cycling along, in business suit, sporting a fine beard and puffing on a meerschaum pipe. The puff of somoke timed with the revolution of the pedals resembled ever so much a steam train...
Just imagine that in the lycra scrum at London traffic lights!
ALso a few days ago I spotted a young blade on the way to work - three piece suit, looked the management trainee type who would be coveting his first works BMW 1 series in the UK.  Netherlands counterpart on a sturdy bike of course.

Regarding the Hovenring, this is the Dutch equivalent to London's wobbly bridge. The Hoven part is because it is at the intersection to Eindhohen, Veldhoven and Meerhoven.
This is a busy intersection of two fast dual carriageway roads. I gather it was realised this was bad for cycling, so the solution of building a circular roundabout or bridge suspended above the junction was proposed.  Famously the thing began to wobble in the wind when first constructed, so mass dampers were put on the suspension wires.
I have only been out to have a look at it once, so must make another trip   https://hovenring.com/

[yoav]

We had a family holiday to centerparcs Kempervennen (we called it campervan) a few years ago. We decided to go eco and only use public transport to get there (from Carlisle). The irony was that the only way for "foot passengers" to enter the park was to queue up between the cars and check in at the gate window.

[bobb]

I don't really like cycling in The Netherlands. I want to just ride on the road. Not some poxy cycle path that takes me miles off route....

[Kim]

I think that's a sacrifice worth making to stop the cars taking over.  Pleasant and safe places to live are more important than our cycling jollies.  Similarly, I'll take those setts that are horrible to ride over on road tyres over British potholes and chip-seal.

TBH, I think the flatness would drive me insane well before the infrastructure did.

Can't beat the novelty value of drivers giving way at roundabouts, thobut.

[bobb]

I think that's a sacrifice worth making to stop the cars taking over.

But that's exactly what they have done. Try being a bit naughty and riding on the road in NL. You'll get shouted at and abused and even run off the road....

[LittleWheelsandBig]

The Dutch bike paths are nice enough that the tradeoff is worth it. There are hillier parts of the Netherlands. HK, Fidgetbuzz and I rode a 300 there a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.

[Kim]

I think that's a sacrifice worth making to stop the cars taking over.

But that's exactly what they have done. Try being a bit naughty and riding on the road in NL. You'll get shouted at and abused and even run off the road....

I meant taking over all available space, as they tend to do here, rather than taking over the roads specifically.

[Feanor]

To a point.
But I think it's made NL drivers totally unaware of how to deal with cyclists on the road.

On a 600 around a touristy part of ScotlandLand last year, almost *all*of the dangerous overtakes were by NL cars, which surprised me greatly.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

That wasn't the case when we rode on Dutch roads.

[Kim]

I'd suggest that the Occam's Razor answer to that one is that Dutch drivers aren't very good at driving on the left...

[quixoticgeek]

I find this really interesting. As a Brit who's recently made the Netherlands home, I've been exploring the cycling culture here.

The first thing that struck me cycling in Amsterdam is the fact that the Dutch don't seem to understand the concept of bike maintenance. I was cycling along behind a bike recently which not only had very under inflated tyres, squeaked, and rattled, but the rear wheel wobbled not just left to right, but also up and down. It was painful to watch. I've started running bike maintenance workshops at the Amsterdam Hackerspace as I was getting fed up with peoples bikes being in such poor states of repair. I can't fix every bike in town, but I can at least start with my friends...

Critical mass. As an organised ride it of course doesn't exist here. But rush hour morning and evening, you have the critical mass. You don't want to go against it. I had a small pile up recently when I stopped for the red light, which took those behind me by surprise. Lesson learned, follow the pedalling crowd, it hurts less...

Bromfiets. ye gods.

This week a cycle campaigning friend (German origin, now living in the North of England) came over for a cycling conference in Nijmegen. She borrowed a hire bike from the conference and we went for a bike ride. Nijmegen has hills! not big ones, but they come as a shock after cycling in polder country... But what amazed me most is the difference in bikes between Amsterdam and Nijmegen. They were generally in a better state of repair, had more gears, often derailleur gears (they that have gears in Ams tend to be hub gear), and generally looked more cared for. I'm guessing Nijmegen has a lower rate of bike theft to Amsterdam...

Headwinds, ye gods the omni directional headwinds...

Finally, on the subject of flatness. It's a double edged sword. Sure you don't have a hill to go up, but you also don't have a hill to coast down, so you don't get any rest. Something that gently undulates would be a bit easier than the dead flat that you get here. The run up over a bridge, or up onto a dijk(not to be confused with a dyke...) can often be considerably steeper, if brief, than most hills you find in hill country... Leave polder country, and it's not all flat, you can get to 322.6masl down at the 3 country point, which is a nice ride, and the 22km coast down hill to Schin Op Geul station is rather pleasant...

Cycling in the Netherlands is not perfect, but compared to the constant battle that is cycling on UK roads, it is bliss.

J

PS Wearing a cycle helmet here is guaranteed to get you weird looks unless you're on a road bike. I wear one anyway, I've seen how people ride here...

[quixoticgeek]

I'd suggest that the Occam's Razor answer to that one is that Dutch drivers aren't very good at driving on the left...

s/on the left//

:p

J

[ijsbrand]

Finally, on the subject of flatness. It's a double edged sword. Sure you don't have a hill to go up, but you also don't have a hill to coast down, so you don't get any rest. [...]

Being a flatlander, I'd say that is the most annoying thing about cycling longer distances in the Netherlands. The really constant pressure on your feet, and the simple fact that you consciously have to change your sit from time to time in order not to freeze rigid, because the landscape does not force you to.

[quixoticgeek]

Finally, on the subject of flatness. It's a double edged sword. Sure you don't have a hill to go up, but you also don't have a hill to coast down, so you don't get any rest. [...]

Being a flatlander, I'd say that is the most annoying thing about cycling longer distances in the Netherlands. The really constant pressure on your feet, and the simple fact that you consciously have to change your sit from time to time in order not to freeze rigid, because the landscape does not force you to.

Coupled with the omni directional head wind, you see all sorts of bikes with tribars fitted. Makes it possible to make headway on windy days...

J

[Cudzoziemiec]

This week a cycle campaigning friend (German origin, now living in the North of England) came over for a cycling conference in Nijmegen.

From Bremen, I presume?

[Cudzoziemiec]

To a point.
But I think it's made NL drivers totally unaware of how to deal with cyclists on the road.

On a 600 around a touristy part of ScotlandLand last year, almost *all*of the dangerous overtakes were by NL cars, which surprised me greatly.

Anecdotally it would seem to have done the opposite too; made Dutch cyclists unaware of how to deal with motor traffic, if the tales you hear of tourists getting off the ferry and hardly being able to get out of the docks for fear are not exaggerated (which I expect they are).