About once a year, on the Oosterscheldekering barrier in the south of the Netherlands, there is NK Tegenwindfietsen: a bicycle race cycling into a headwind. This year it was 120km/h: this is why it’s so difficult, and also why it’s so brilliant.
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38 Comments
I would like to formally apologise to all the people of the Netherlands for absolutely butchering the pronunciation of your language.
Not even riding decent bikes, I'm from New Zealand, I know all about biking into head winds. Especially on the Coast. But it is a comfort thing for me, I don't find the old heavy frames comfortable or the seats. I don't need Electric assistance or anything stupid like that. Although I have been looking into it, however Mountain bikes in my range and skill are around the $7500 – $16500 NZD to buy. So am going to be waiting a while for them to drop in prices. I go up and down extreme ratios, so need a top electric bike with excellent torque and power combined.
Lucky the Dutch are aerodynamic.
Imagine how fun it would be to do the other way. You’d outpace regular traffic!
Imagine if they went the other way!
I figured they were going with the wind and going fast, but this just shows that people need a challenge in life
Those are the stupidest hats ive ever seen.
Imagine riding the other way with massive tailwind 😀
Embrace the suck
Stupid.
I'd love to do something like this!
i dont know how strong the winds were at the time but i had to bike over the barrier, against the wind as part of a school trip when i was 16 and it was downright painful
Headwind tailwind what is the difference… If you have the muscle in the legs!
I can't wait to see the Dutch tailwind cycling championships
Hear me out, why not go the other way?
"Why are you doing it?"
"I really dont know"
curious what the rules on drafting are? like if i was really fit i'd burn up energy to catch up to the last rider and then just sit on their wheel until almost the end.
This is now on my bucket list. I’ve done Brugge, OST End etc. let’s do this.
so thats how you flex in dutch.
2 tides every day. Moon comes around only once. Hmmm.
God made the world, but the dutch made the netherlands.
I've cycled that bridge once, it was definitely windy, rainy, horrible and definitely not how I pictured my dutch cycle holiday…
this is a textbook "don't ask why, ask why not instead" scenario. you have to love the dutch for it.
Finding the "Here, the tide is ruled by the moon, the wind, and us." stone 4000 years in the future with little remains of the dam must be one of the coolest things future generations will find about our times
Reminds me of biking down the US West Coast in late October, there was one day that had comparable winds…
Que evento e obra incrível do povo holandês!
Would you even need to pedal if you were going the other way?
😂
Bro, as a Netherlands resident I can tell you that sometimes with the wind on your back the bikes go really fast! The opposite is well shown here.
It would be really nice they had a helmet
NATURE —- Is our greatest adversary and our best friend. I think the Dutch know that very well.
Holy Wow! That would just be so demoralizing. If you could push through to the end it would be on nothing but anger.
Good cardio 👍
so Cool
God made the world, but the Dutch made the Netherlands.
we found you! 😀
well I do not mind, this is a great story about my country
i love that even the participants don't know why they're doing this