Netherlands 10-minute Tuesday Bikes! Riding a bike in the Netherlands is not as simple as it seems. If you are living in the Netherlands from the US and you want to know where to park your bike, what to do if it breaks down or does anyone REALLY ride bikes here…stay tuned because your about ready to find out! The one thing we have learned moving from the US to the Netherlands is many things are not what they seem or as easy as it looks. Biking in the Netherlands is one of them. If you think you need a new bike when you move to the Netherlands…think again!
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Hi Tammie and Eric and thank you for another respectfull review of our habits? I saw in this video that you live near Blijdorp (station).
Have you allready visited the beautiful Blijdorp Zoo? My favorite of our country and that's why I have been a member for over 30 years and I live in….. Amsterdam.😀
true about the 3 fingers.
Traitor. now they know Who she is.
Since the bikes are topic, did you ever hear of "De elfstedentocht"? Done by bike. Over 200 km in Frysian landscape. So only for the fit, brave or stupid among us. To you it would be like cycling to Amsterdam and back. And back to Amsterdam. But it used to be ice scating. And it will be if Friesland freezes over. But it has been a while. So I do not know if you ever heard about it.
King Wim Lex has done it once. So that deserves respect. Our king is not made of sugar.
The movie "Hel van 63" is about that race. Only a few made the finish in time. Dutch winter can be brutal. 1963 was extreme for here. Reinier Paping was the winner I think to remember. But I will check that after i send this.
If Netherlands freezes over, you are in for another surprise.
Besides cycling, most of us can ice skate too.
Although the younger generations might not. (global warming and such.)
So not only bikes. Ice skates too. Below zero will bring out the "Friese doorlopers".
Cycled from Amsterdam to the west coast many years ago. Often there was bumpy brick roads for cycle paths which shared with motorcycles. It was so windy at times it was difficult to peddle. That's why there's windmills right ?
I opened the instructions I got for my new 10 speed and the wind blew it away, off to the far horizon in record time. But it was a very special experience I cherish.
Nice Video. Also nice to see you"ve held up a Sinterklaas tradition with your shoe in front of the Heater/Central Heating element. Don't forget to put a carrot in it and sing some Sinterklaas songs so you can get a gift in the morning 😁
I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if those who commute by train or subway have a second bike at their point of arrival.
I think NJB put it fantastically. Don't know if he was quoting someone, and I'm unsure if this was how it went, but here we go:
The Netherlands is a country of bicycles, but not of cyclists. If you ask the average Dutch person if he or she considers themselves a cyclist, the answer would be no. It's just a part of every day life, so people don't identify with it.
It's like asking someone from the US if he or she is a car enthusiast, since they're driving one so often.. It's just what you use to get around.
And what that means, is that you'll see anything from newest models to barely serviceable. Large cargo haulers, to compact city fold-able. Used by anyone and everyone.
I think maybe people underestimate the fact that all Dutch learn to cycle at a very young age and never stop riding bikes from then on. Picking up city cycling in The Netherlands when your are not Dutch, is a challenge that most Dutch will find difficult to comprehend….
The biking is awesome here, it just makes everybody so mobile. And the great thing is if you have a bike there is no limit to people going somewhere together. For instance my sons school took school trips by bike, biking over an hour with 50 or more kids to a campsite.
I used to have my kids standing on the back of my bike before they started going on their own ones. But one day some #*^# police man got a personal grudge when he shouted to me that the child must sit which i ignored (i felt safer like this, if something happens the kid can just jump of). He then followed me to the school i was bringing my kid to and literally draged my from there in the police car, in front of all these kids and their parents. Extremely embarrasing and nasty. When i came to the police station you could see that all the other cops where so imbarresed for me as well but couldn't do anything about it.
Most of us learn to cycle as soon as we can walk. That's not to say all of us behave in traffic as we should, plenty of cyclists riding around without proper lights, with their ears plugged and their eyes glued to a screen, ignoring traffic lights, signs and laws… darwinism takes care of that.
That said, people who do pay attention get to enjoy a lot. Not just the cities, you can cycle from Delfzijl to Cadzand or Vaals to Dokkum without much trouble from other traffic. There's a lot to see along the way, things you'd miss driving a car or riding public transport.
That metrostation is right in front of my previous home. Looking out the window that is what I saw. Walked a lot in the park one block over. Shame the apartment was way too small, else we could have bumped into each other
Eric, I think I liked your version of what happened to Tammy better. 🙂😅😂
You guys are so cute! For everyone taking notes: really internalize this: biking in the city is not for fun, its to get from one place to the other. Think of it as a vehicle, would you stop in the middle of the road, cross without looking, turn without looking and signing? Nope, its really dangerous and it causes many terrible accidents. Also you are not allowed to park your bike anywhere in city centers/big in big city's (only in parking spots) look out for signs where it is not allowed. There are constantly trucks driving around to take the bikes (hundereds a day in Amsterdam at least;) and you have to pick them up somwhere far out of the city on Fiets Depot and pay a fine;) It has happend several times that I left my bike in front of a shop for 5 minutes and it was gone. Also, always try to lock your bike to something and if you just moved to a the city, consider buying the most crappy looking second hand bike (but technically outstanding ofcourse)
Texting on youre bike is iligal here sow just dont do it because there already enough bisyclist who die from diong this because they dont see a red light and get run over sow dont use youre phone on youre bike in youre car
That would have hurt a lot. I hope you have recovered well!
It took my niece ages to learn to brake. She was a mess the weeks when she just threw herself of the bike at speed 🤕
She was four, though 🤣
Every dutch person is born with a bike under his or her ass starting at 3 years of age. Don't drive when dronk even dutch people fail trust me speaking from experience 🙂
Do you know this about our bike’s 😳 https://youtu.be/cUIac-ox5t4 9/3/23 14.27
If you don't know how to stop on your bike, you should learn that first. Stopping by putting your feet on the ground is NOT how you should do it, as Dutch little kids learn early on. LOL🥴
also repairing your bik, and pumping up your tires is learned at an early age, and yes everyone has a bike pump, and folding bikes even have a pump built in right into the bike.
Something negative about the dutch. It's so common to ride a bike here that the dutch even think that any bike is theirs. In other words get a very good lock, because even with locks it can get stolen. I've lived in Belgium for 9 years, didn't even lock my bike and it was never stolen. I came to holland and it got stolen within a year. 4 more within 2 years.(even with a lock and a flat tire at my own home door.) Also stupid rule in the Netherlands is that if you find your own bike in someone else's garden, you are not allowed to get it back. It would be called stealing, even if it's your own Bike. So not everything here is all roses.
Dutch culture is superior due to the influence of Calvinism. Most are not religious anymore, but they can thank their Calvinist heritage.
Lovely video, I recognize that street 🙂 I live not too far away and I've noticed the DIY bike repair station there as well, it's quite recent but pretty cool idea!
Biking is easy here…..but yeah, as soon as we're able to walk we're also on some sort of bike. 🤣
Patching a flat tire is something we learn at a very young age….I was 8 I guess. And everybody has fallen off at times, either as stupid accident, or fault of another or just by own stupidity when trying to show off (usually girls involved 🤣) or people trying to bike when roads are slippery because of frost……personally I think those are most hilarious. 🤣
great video!
I have traveled through North America for several years with my boyfriend. He worked as a truck driver, so we went to many places. Because we spent a lot of time in the truck, I wanted to take a walk every day.
We parked the truck at a wallmart for groceries and walked to a restaurant down the road. A boy who was in the car with his mother called after us while we were crossing the road, why on earth would we walking, you have a car for that, are you crazy..
It was good to notice what we are used to here in the Netherlands, walking is for crazy people 😉
Regarding number three: it's not consistent!
I actually do:
1. Index
2. Index and Middle
3. Index, Middle, and ring
4. Add pinky
5. Add thumb
But even among my friends it's not consistent.
I love your videos. Thank you for that! I am sitting in a wheelchair and I am using a handbike. and a bike to transport packages and my service dog. You can't connect those things at the front of your wheelchair.
I don't know know if it is possible to download photos in this reaction/message????
The only way to know you did it wrong, is to fall with your bike. We all did it when we were young. We tend not to fall again until we’re in our seventies; at least we try not to.
Those backpaddle brakes are dangerous when not used to it. As a kid we were supposed to stamp hard on it and make our tires squeak and slip to find out what the max. stopping power was. I suggest that you try that as well so you don't have a reflex to stick your legs out. Better though to get handbrakes because Americans are used to that.
"Terugtraprem" is actually a real Dutch word…