[Ep. 997] It may be the place where you least expect it, but an essential part of the North Sea Coastal Route no 12 is at risk of being closed in the Netherlands. The local chapter of the Cyclists’ Union organised a protest ride. More information in the blog post: https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/?p=24561
40 Comments
I rode this route recently into a northerly wind. Was a bloody good test of stamina!
No way that this path should close.
ahhhh no easy solution.
I cycled there on a tour (from Scotland) 8 years ago and it was one of my best memories of cycling in the Netherlands. It needs preserving.
I got to cycle through there during my last trip, it's a wonderful place if a bit hot in august.
Lots of hills though, might need an e-bike for a little boost once in a while.
I love cycling in the dunes!
I look forward to cycling this area next year, I hope fingers crossed it is still open x
If the dunes need to be free to sift and the dunes are encroaching on the path, why not come out on a regular basis, scoop the part of the dune approaching the path and move it to the other side.
I see maybe an hours work every month. Not too bad.
0:33 Drinking water company? It's not Nestle, is it?
its a freaking bike route near the beach taking up very little space…jesus christ. how badly can 'nature' be destroyed with some cleaning or slight re-routing? god help the dutch crappy govt….they have been screwing dutch farmers as well.
Please update on this story as it develops. Thank you.
Iedereen kijkt dwars door die hypocriete glasaal Ernest heen. Ernest wil zijn straatje schoonvegen en net doen alsof hij naar beide partijen luistert terwijl zijn beslissing allang vaststaat. Als de mens moet ingrijpen en onderhouden dan is wat er ontstaat een park en geen 'natuur'. Nederland heeft alleen uitgestrekte zandverstuivingen door ingrijpen van en roofbouw door de mens. Als ze allemaal verdwijnen is dat terugkeer naar een meer natuurlijke situatie. En alle organisaties en specialisten weten dit.
Prima stukje verslaggeving! Hulde.
That doesn’t look like 60 people turning up. Merely 10 or maximum 20. 😂
Thanks for sharing, we had planned to go cycling there this summer.
Wel de lusten niet de lasten, typische babyboomers
Die oudjes klimmen graag op de barricades, voelen ze zich ook nog eens nuttig. Komt wel goe.
Would be a shame if it goes. Haven't had a chance to cycle all of it. Also the logic behind it is just silly.
2 km detour isn't a problem, imho. 10 km would be absurd, 5 would be annoying.
Great to see people in action. Hopefully their voices willl be heard! Unfortunately there are no young people (20-30 year olds) involved, showing the apathy towards diminishing public resources. They will inherit a lesser planet, and be happy to pay for it. Where are the middle age folk though? The 40-somethings?… those who have seen the best and the worst of economies, and should have enough life experience to see that such amenities are under threat from profiteering compaines or inadequate public bodies who have no business owning or managing such resources.
1:54 Jaguar owners with bike racks need their parking space! First time I ever seen a Jag with bikes on 😀
I find it quite funny that cycle campaigners in the Netherlands are asking for bollards to be removed, whereas in the UK they tend to be massive bollard fans. I guess on longer distance routes like this with no lighting, and where if people are injured they are a long way from help, it is probably a serious concern though.
Well, they closed the Afsluitdijk for bicycles, so why not the Noordzeeroute? In all kinds of videos they always show the most beautiful pieces of bicycle infrastructure. As someone who regularly travels long distances through the Netherlands, I unfortunately have to say that reality is not so beautiful at all. For the slightest thing, cycle paths are closed and you have to cycle around for kilometers to get back on your route. Something they almost never do so easily for roads for cars. This week a cycle path was closed and out of curiosity I went to see why. A car was parked on the bike path and a few men were digging a hole in the berm. Cyclists could easily pass, but the closure of cycle paths seems to give these people a peep. I can give such examples on every bike ride I take. There is also the condition of the road surface of the cycle path. in many cases the road surface consists of poorly laid cobblestones or street tiles on which you bounce, while on the adjacent motorway the cars whiz past on mirror-smooth asphalt roads. The transitions between different types of road surface, for example if there is an entrance or a side road, are usually so badly made that you fear that your bike will fall apart into a thousand pieces if you were to go over it at normal speed. Then there are the priority rules at roundabouts. At most roundabouts, cyclists must give way to traffic approaching the roundabout, while that traffic 5 meters further must still give way to traffic on the roundabout. You can tell from everything that this was devised by civil servants who give more thoughts to the motorized traffic than to bicycles. Speed bumps made to slow cars down are made over the entire width of the road so that as a cyclist you also have to jump over them with all the consequences for your bike and your GPS and your behind. It also happens during almost every trip that the cycle path is blocked by parked cars, trucks that have to unload their cargo there, company cars of companies that carry out work in a house along the cycle path, etc. also something that they would not think of to do on a road for cars, but now think "oh it's just a bicycle path"
Overall, it is noticeable that, despite all the great stories, infrastructure for cyclists in the Netherlands is still in the minds of motorists, just a good opportunity to park your car when it suits you and the final item of the budget made by people who probably never cycle like the policy makers. As long as that doesn't change, people should stop glorifying the bicycle infrastructure in the Netherlands. The fact that it's worse elsewhere doesn't change that.
Is there anything to read into the predominance of older cyclists, and not many younger riders? The level of activism which young people exhibit makes this seem like a good fit for their spirit.
I grew up in the region (Heiloo), and was already surprised at the wandering dune when I was last there. To hear this path being threatened is shocking.
It has been included to planned route of our cycling travel in 2020, organized by our russian cycling travel club. Travel is still in planned state, every year different cause. 🙁
Wtf, i just cycled on that. Had no idea they want to close it. is PWN stupid ?
I cycled this path during May 2023
Although I'm an avid cycling enthousiast, as an ecologist I don't understand why these people are protesting. The tiny bit of nature we have in the Netherlands is very often in bad condition due to several factors. In the coastal area a lack of natural dynamics (i.e. shifting sands) has detoriated the ecosystem in a severe way. Shifting dunes are essential for coastal ecosystems as they transport calcium rich sands inland, preventing acidification of the soil. I've cycled here often, but I don't mind if they remove the cyclepath. Plenty of alternatives (hiking can be just as fun), and most importantly: I'd rather walk through thriving nature than cycle through detoriated nature.
cars creeping back in do not know how good you got it
I cycled this track several times during on different days (and times of day), so many people use this path leisurely and it is quite busy at times. This is exactly what makes it beautiful. Furthermore, in de Randstad, this is one of the few places where you cycle far away from cars over a longer distance, one of the few escapes we have as cyclists from that densily populated area.
Juntos pela bicicleta.
I live there and avoid to pay for entrance We pay enough local tax every year so why do i have to pay a dine card as well every time i want to cycle or walk there. For is it is a short cut to the beach in Bergen aan Zee as well and a nice route. This why you don't have to bike alone a road full of cars
I have cycled this route recently, but did not know that I have to buy a ticket… I guess I'll better keep a low profile for now, otherwise they will find me. 😉
Typical boomers that think the whole world is theirs. The number of bike paths through nature reserves should drastically be reduced. Also mountain bike trails.
Maybe cyclist should accept they are not alone in this world. Why shouldn’t cyclist pay to preserve nature for example? While pedestrian do have to pay?
0:46 Not the zoom in on the socks in sandals 🤐
I'm a bid confused. Does it have to be closed because the dunes burry the route?
I was very disappointed when I traveled to Zeeland a couple of years ago and the path along the sea was for pedestrians only. Why should I spend my holidays there when I cannot ride my bicycle while looking at the sea? Riding the bicycle inland is possible anywhere.
Just let the dune bury the bike. There's nothing wrong with a good hike-a-bike carrying your bike up and over the dune.
riding for a protest. hopefully this problem can find a solution. thank you for informing my friend