Riding in Amsterdam
May 1st, 2010 | By Fredcaster | Category: Travel, VideoI was in Amsterdam last week on business and brought along my Dahon Speed Pro TT. The only times I rode in a gasoline-powered vehicle were my taxi rides to and from the airport. Everywhere else I went (including my daily commutes to and from the RAI convention center) were via bicycle. Hey, when in Amsterdam, do as the Amsterdamers do, right?
Here’s a video of a typical ride in Amsterdam.
cool commute!
Glad that the real riding wasn’t that bumpy–couldn’t help but think of Paris-Roubaix! You still need to check out the Bike Friday Tikit for speedy folding.
great fun to watch,thanks,
was camera mounted on bike?
Yeah, it was on the handlebars. Hence all the shaking, especially on the cobbles. I really need to find one with built-in image stabilization.
Thanks David for sharing your cycling life with us, I can’t wait for your podcast every week.
Ciao, Sergio
Pembroke Pines, Fl
A great movie, really evocative of riding in Amsterdam. These are my everyday sights (you even went past a building a used to work in on the Vijzelstraat). A pity we didn’t run into you (figuratively) during your visit, but I did nearly run into (literally) some of the convention attendees near the RAI last week! Thanks for sharing.
If only here in the USA we respected cyclists like they do in The Netherlands.
Great video David, though I do feel a wee bit seasick after it.
David, great interview with Marc and information on bicycling in Amsterdam. I travel to Amsterdam every two years since 1996 for business tradeshow at the RAI, and this year for the first time, decided to rent a bike. I rented from Mike’s Bikes for small fee after taking their country tour. They rent regular (for Amsterdam) bikes with two locks: one to lock the back wheel, and another large chain lock to prevent the removal or tossing of the disabled bike into the canal! My bike came with very practical built-in panniers. It was great freedom to go anywhere i wanted without the usual exhaustion of walking too far and wide.
It was especially interesting Marc’s comment about no helmet law. I think back to my childhood(no helmet) when I rode everywhere, including school. My son and two daughters never rode to school growing up. My wife is a pediatrician and knows the safety in helmets, so it was a LAW in our household from the beginning that they must always where helmets. Helmets, besides not being cool, were an irritation (as are quickrelease seats, wheels and other components) that made it inconvenient to ride their bikes to school. Perhaps going back to simple bikes and no helmets would encourage more kids to ride to school? Just a thought.
On another note, my company, in St Paul, finally built a shower this past year enabling a group of us to bicycle on a more regular basis. My ride takes me along the Mississippi River for about 5 mi of my 18 mi one-way commute. I am hoping to average at least one day per week riding to work this season. Not a Fred yet, but a life-long bike enthusiast who enjoys the ride, signing off from Minneapolis, City of Lakes and 10,000 bike trails. Great show, David! Keep up the good work.