Netherlands tour

[snorri]

I'm not particular about the Afsluitdijk but it looks like it might be fun to do?

Fun in a perverse sort of way, like thinking up what you can do to pass the time as you cycle. Some things you could be tempted to do, see how far you can cycle with your eyes shut, trying to read a book whilst cycling, checking the calibration of your computer using the track side markers.
It certainly is a bit of a novelty and likely to be the longest flat straight you have ever cycled.

 

[slowmotion]

sllowmotion- its still good advice - I was not laughing much over the last few weeks cycling into the SWstly across germany and holland from the Polish border

I did not wish to seem to disagree. I just had bad luck with the wind on the day. Actually, I got lost for a couple of miles, somewhere, and asked a delightful Dutch couple for directions. I mentioned the wind.

"Ah yes, the wind is your destiny, and if you go in the other direction, it will still be in your face", and he gave me a very big wink.

A great place to cycle, and utterly delightful people.

Just go...

 

[rich p]

I did not wish to seem to disagree. I just had bad luck with the wind on the day. Actually, I got lost for a couple of miles, somewhere, and asked a delightful Dutch couple for directions. I mentioned the wind.

"Ah yes, the wind is your destiny, and if you go in the other direction, it will still be in your face", and he gave me a very big wink.

A great place to cycle, and utterly delightful people.

Just go...

I am going!!! It's route advice I'm after

 

[ComedyPilot]

I am doing a clockwise route from the 'Hook' past Haarlem up to the Afsluitdijk, to Sneek (love the name!!) over to Assen, down to Amsterdam and back to the 'Hook'.

Not bothering planning a precise route, just going to 'wing it'.

 

[User169]

The Wadden islands are very nice, but they are small so there's not much there in the way of cycling. Also, there aren't any ferries between islands so you can't hop directly from one to another.

On the other hand, they have fantastic beaches. Texel is probably the most developed, Schiermonnikoog the least, with the rest somewhere in between.

 

[rich p]

I am doing a clockwise route from the 'Hook' past Haarlem up to the Afsluitdijk, to Sneek (love the name!!) over to Assen, down to Amsterdam and back to the 'Hook'.

Not bothering planning a precise route, just going to 'wing it'.

I prefer that approach generally CP, but with 6 of us I have found that it's safer to pre-plan the accommodation.

 

[ComedyPilot]

I prefer that approach generally CP, but with 6 of us I have found that it's safer to pre-plan the accommodation.

Jack Jones here Rich, so can do what I like, when and where I like for as long as I like.

 

[Amanda P]

I'm not particular about the Afsluitdijk but it looks like it might be fun to do?

Mrs Uncle Phil and I crossed it a few weeks back. With the wind behind us, it was fun to do!

It's quite a novelty (well, it was to us) to be cycling along with sea on both sides, and not to be able to see proper land in either direction. Every so often, we'd pass a fishing boat working just off the Ijsselmeer side of the dike.

Just when it starts to get dull, you come to the cafe (heading north). Then when the kaffee en gebak starts to wear off, you come to the sluices, where you could well be held up for ten minutes while a procession of picturesque sailing barges goes through. Then there's a little harbour, where there's an outdoor display showing how the dike was built - it's an impressive bit of engineering, on an impressive scale.

And when you've forgotten that bit of excitement, you're in Zurich already (not the one in Switzerland).

We'll have a CrazyGuy page up in the next few days with some pictures.

 

[rich p]

Mrs Uncle Phil and I crossed it a few weeks back. With the wind behind us, it was fun to do!

It's quite a novelty (well, it was to us) to be cycling along with sea on both sides, and not to be able to see proper land in either direction. Every so often, we'd pass a fishing boat working just off the Ijsselmeer side of the dike.

Just when it starts to get dull, you come to the cafe (heading north). Then when the kaffee en gebak starts to wear off, you come to the sluices, where you could well be held up for ten minutes while a procession of picturesque sailing barges goes through. Then there's a little harbour, where there's an outdoor display showing how the dike was built - it's an impressive bit of engineering, on an impressive scale.

And when you've forgotten that bit of excitement, you're in Zurich already (not the one in Switzerland).

We'll have a CrazyGuy page up in the next few days with some pictures.

That's sounds promising Unc. I'll check out you CGOAB.

 

[ComedyPilot]

As an aside, I pulled the longest wheelie I have ever done on the Afsluitdijk. I got my Fireblade into 4th gear, and about 80mph before the front wheel came down.

 

[Dayvo]

Big skid-mark, CP?

 

[ComedyPilot]

Big skid-mark, CP?

No, but I lost two of the five 1 litre beer steins I (cough) liberated from a bar in Assen, that had spent the journey thus far nestling under the cargo net on the back.

 

[slowmotion]

rich p

If you need cycle maps, go here, a Dutch map shop....

www.dezwerver.nl

You cannot buy them on the phone, but a delightful Dutch lady will tell you how to fill in the on-line form, and patiently, in perfect English. I bought the www.falk.nl maps,

1:50,000 scale . 1 cm= 500 metres

Fietskaart met knooppuntennetwerk

They turned up in the post three days later.

If you want me to sing the praises of cycling in Holland, just send a PM. I am still on a big high... and no... not like that!

 

[Penfold]

rich p

If you need cycle maps, go here, a Dutch map shop....

www.dezwerver.nl

You cannot buy them on the phone, but a delightful Dutch lady will tell you how to fill in the on-line form, and patiently, in perfect English. I bought the www.falk.nl maps,

1:50,000 scale . 1 cm= 500 metres

Fietskaart met knooppuntennetwerk

They turned up in the post three days later.

If you want me to sing the praises of cycling in Holland, just send a PM. I am still on a big high... and no... not like that!

Don't know how (or why) but my PC attached a google option to translate that page/site into good old English. Worked a treat....

May have to ring that 'nice lady' though cos I want to replecate the route that XXX Corps took from the Dutch/Belgian border right up to Arnhem (as the Bridge Too Far film) Hope to do that tour next September when the 'normal' celebrations take place. Back in the day, it was a single road al the way, however, modern times seem to have added a whole road network.

 

[Will1962]

Don't know how (or why) but my PC attached a google option to translate that page/site into good old English. Worked a treat....

I've got I.E. 8 and when you go to a page that the meta data says is in a particular language, it offers to translate for you. It also prompts you to always translate from that particular language. If you say 'yes', then it automatically translates when you launch a page. You must have selected that option at some point. It is a really useful feature when planning tours.

May have to ring that 'nice lady' though cos I want to replecate the route that XXX Corps took from the Dutch/Belgian border right up to Arnhem.

I came south from Arnhem (over the bridge), through Nijmegan, over the bridge at Grave, and then SW from there. The bridge the XXX Corps took at Nijmegen is the Waalbrug, but there is a really impressive cycle bridge (called the Snelbinder) that is attached to the railway bridge about 1KM west of the Waalbrug.

Will