Showing posts with label ultimate Amsterdam bike ride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ultimate Amsterdam bike ride. Show all posts

Friday, 18 September 2015

Cycling in Amsterdam and The Netherlands - The second edition of our guidebook!

There haven’t been updates on the Cycling Dutchman Blog for a while. This is not because I have run out of things to write, but simply because I have been very busy working on the second edition of our English-language guidebook about cycling in TheNetherlands. It is out now!

With the established demand for good, quality information in English about the cyclist’s paradise and knowing that the first edition of our guide would sell out autumn 2015, I set off about a year ago, asking myself how I could make the guidebook better.  How could I make the pack even more informative and how could I make best use of the available pages? Where could I make improvements on the established routes and what were those world-class destinations not yet on the itinerary?


One thing that really had started to bother me about the first edition of the book that it was really exclusively about cycle touring from one accommodation to another, not catering for those who just like to do day rides from one accommodation. At the same time, when making my regular visits to Amsterdam, I noticed an explosion in the availability of bicycle rentals in the city. Where there were about five rentals catering for tourists about five years ago, there are now nearly fifty!


This all has to do with the increased popularity of Amsterdam around the world as one of those cities you want to visit once in your life. Flights are cheaper than ever before and if you have London, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin and Rome on your wish list, Amsterdam is easy appearing on it too. The only problem with Amsterdam is that its historic World Heritage canal belt city centre is only a couple of square miles wide, where other European capitals have much larger city centres, capable of “storing” many more tourists.


Within 15 years, the number of international visitors to Amsterdam has doubled from 4.5 million per year to 9 million visitors per year, with the number of available hotel rooms growing from 16,000 to over 26,000 in the same period. The public space where the visitors wish to roam remained the same though, causing stress on the existing infrastructure. In Amsterdam, locals call this the Disneyland Effect. There is serious concern that Amsterdam’s City Centre starts to become like a 24 hours theme park, not a place to live, work or to do business.


With the City of Amsterdam and the government of The Netherlands now actively seeking ways to attract tourists away from the Amsterdam historic canal belt to other highlights of the country, and at the same time many people still flocking to the Dutch capital, wouldn't it be neat to use the bicycle to get people to explore beyond the obvious and to provide multiple day rides from Amsterdam’s Central station, all with their own themes and sights and all truly showing what the Dutch cycling culture really is about?  


This is how I came about to create six Amsterdam day rides for my new book, all with flexible distances to cater for everyone. Still starting and ending in the historic canal belt, the routes truly show you the great Dutch capital at its best, keeping you away from the rushed locals as much as possible. The green oasis within the city, such as River Amstel, Vondelpark, Westerpark and the Amsterdam Forest (“Amsterdamse Bos”) are all part of the pack, such as are the mighty trading ship “Amsterdam”, Artis Zoo, the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam’s famous multi-storey bike park fietsflat, the stunning Rijksmuseum cycle tunnel and the sublime NEMO-rooftop (with the very best city views).



If you like design and architecture, you'll enjoy the rides in the revived eastern docklands. Surprisingly green is North Amsterdam, very close to the city centre and trending with the locals as a desirable place to live. In West Amsterdam, the book takes you to its garden cities and on the south side of the city centre you can experience Amsterdam's Expressionist's building style from the 1920s.  

The Amsterdam day rides also leave the city boundaries to explore Amstelland and its patchwork of scenic waterways, superb Muiderslot Castle, the straights of the busy Amsterdam-Rhine shipping canal, World Heritage Sea Fort Pampus, the old Waterland seawall with magnificent views over Lake Markermeer and last but not least, the popular Zaanse Schans windmill reserve. Altogether, the Amsterdam rides in the book cover a distance of 232 kms (143 miles) of routes; good for a great week of relaxed cycling from one accommodation only!


Of course, the original framework of the first edition of the book is still present in the second edition. There is so much more to The Netherlands than just Amsterdam and our Randstad Circle Route is in many respects a Best of The Netherlands Route, showing you as many aspects of the country as possible within a reasonably small distance. The 337 kms (208 miles) circular starts and ends at Amsterdam Central Station, but also connects to all ferries from/to the United Kingdom. With a route from/to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport included in the book too, you can now truly start cycling straight away, whether you arrive by plane, ferry or train. 


A main feature of the Randstad Circle Route is the excellent tarmac cycling highway through the sand dune reserves of the Dutch coast, providing continuous access to Holland's sandy beaches. The city of The Hague features the country's seat of government and some world-class museums. At Scheveningen, with its stylish Kurhaus, The Hague can easily compete with English seaside resorts as Brighton and Blackpool. Other seaside towns on the route are Katwijk, Noordwijk and Zandvoort. Away from the coast, Haarlem, Utrecht, Gouda and Delft have all scenic medieval city centres with historic canal lay outs and great shopping opportunities. 


Of course, the book couldn't miss out on the Dutch tulip fields. A section of the Randstad Circle is especially adapted to be utilised as a day ride from Amsterdam when taking bikes on trains. We did something similar for World Heritage Kinderdijk Windmills (missing out in the first edition), so you can choose to access this special area as a day trip from Amsterdam (again taking bikes on trains) or as part of the Randstad Circle Route. Other highlights of the Randstad Circle are the River Vecht, the Green Heart, a new route through the City of Glass, Holland's lowest lands (6.7 meters below sea level) and the world's largest steam engine.  


The Randstad Circle should easily cater for another week of relaxed cycling fun. If this wasn't enough, the second edition of the book also keeps featuring the Northern, Eastern and Southern routes of the first edition. These routes all link with the Randstad Circle (and thus with Amsterdam) and provide another 428 kms (264 miles) of routes; good for a third week of great cycling! These routes provide further variety on what the Netherlands has an offer. Utrecht Ridge National Park, the River Rhine, the famous Delta Dams, the world's largest reclaimed island and even some real Dutch hills are part of the pack, bringing the total length of routes in the second edition to a staggering 1,064 kms (656 miles)!


So, how was it possible to include so many more routes in the book? Well, I decided to completely redesign the book, making much more effective use of the available page space and also to rewrite all text. In the new book, the 125 maps (with multiple scales for urban and rural areas) are still at the heart of the navigation, but the many directions in the first edition have truly reduced to those which are essential. This has resulted in less fluff and greater clarity! You can see an example of the new design of the pages here. There are more examples shown on the offical website.


Another important content improvement is the facility listings. In the second edition of the guide, you'll find that the number of listed venues is doubled from 150 to 300, now all with full contact details, such as address, phone numbers and website URLs. Besides hotels, B&Bs, hostels and camp sites, bike shops and bike rentals are now included too! Just for Amsterdam, we now show the 25 most conveniently located bike rentals!


Last but not least all general information in the book is also completely reviewed. Besides chapters about the special cycling-minded traffic rules of The Netherlands and the cycle route signage systems, the second edition also puts the history of the Dutch cycling culture in a wider context. With the international interest in the Dutch cycling world at an all time high, the available information is growing by the day. The guidebook provides a great summary of the Dutch cycling story and also pinpoints you towards the best further background reading sources. 


Altogether, I regard Cycling in Amsterdam and The Netherlands as my best guidebook yet, providing an outstanding pack of information and routes, all in a format that easily fits on your handlebars in a standard bag or cycle map. It is not only good for on-the-road, but also provides great prior-to-the-trip planning fun and can serve as a treasurable long-term memory to a great experience. Given the fact that the book provides three weeks of cycling fun, it could even serve you for three one-week holidays! The GPS-tracks download pack also ensures that all routes of the book can easily be cycled with Navigation App of your choice. If you order the book via www.cyclinginholland.com you'll receive the GPS-tracks pack at no extra cost. 

 The book with 164 full colour pages (page size 225 x 120 mm), spiral/wiro bound and the electronic GPS-tracks pack costs £18.95 for deliveries within the United Kingdom, £22.95 for deliveries in all other EU-countries (including The Netherlands) and £24.95 for deliveries world-wide. Find out more and order the book via www.cyclinginholland.com. Retailers interested in stocking the book should be in touch with our distributor Cordee (ISBN 9780957661714). 
What about another great guidebook by the Cycling Dutchman?

The London - Land's End Cycle Route Book is designed for those who LOVE cycling, but don't like traffic. The book takes you onto the most beautiful cycle routes of southern England, including the Camel Trail, Devon Coast to Coast Route, Bristol and Bath Railway path, Thames Valley route and many more! What makes the book unique is that the route is completely continuous, including detailed directions and local knowledge all the way. Get inspired; choose your favourite route sections or go for a full summer holiday adventure; 164 pages, colour, wiro bound, fits in standard handlebar bag, see http://www.london-landsendcycleroutebook.com.

Other popular Cycling Dutchman blog articles:

Explaining Dutch cycling infrastructure:



Dutch bike rides and Dutch cycling culture:

Dutch style bike rides in the United Kingdom:
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Sunday, 11 August 2013

Amsterdam: "In The City of Bikes"

2002. About the same time I embark from Amsterdam on my coast-to-coast bike ride across America (a journey which in the end will make me move to the UK), Pete Jordan from San Francisco travels to Amsterdam to study its cycling culture. His aim is to return to the USA to make America’s cities more bicycle-friendly, but just as in my situation, Pete’s life is bound to change forever because of his journey.


At the same time I fall in love with my special lady from Britain whilst travelling, Pete Jordan falls in love with The City of Bikes and convinces his bride, Amy Joy, to live together in Amsterdam. Just as when I move from The Netherlands to the UK with my bride and I gradually learn about the (lack of) cycling culture in England, Pete Jordan spontaneously starts to study the history of cycling in Amsterdam. His study will result in a fantastic book I’d like to write about today; it is named In the City of Bikes.

In the first place, In the City of Bikes (also available in Dutch as De Fietsrepubliek) is Pete’s personal story, hilariously describing the culture shock he experiences after his arrival in The Netherlands. The book naturally starts on how Pete on his first day in Amsterdam immediately gets shouted at by an attractive looking girl on a bike. He is walking on a cycle path, as many international visitors to Amsterdam do. It doesn’t stop there. Pete gives a full inside to everything what is happening to him; he writes about the theft of the bike he buys for his wife (and his attempts to buy it back on the black market), the unique experience of cycling in a cycling traffic jam after a night out in the pub and how he gets into an argument with the police whilst he is convinced he has right of way (finally finding out he has been misinterpreting Dutch traffic rules for years).

These personal stories make the book an entertaining read, but it is Pete Jordan’s study into the history of cycling in Amsterdam which makes this book truly special. It is the first full study on this topic ever published and features some amazing facts, all based on historic accounts from newspapers, council documents and personal stories from many people, even including Anne Frank (yes, she wrote about cycling in her famous diary!). Finally, we are able to picture the full history of cycling in Amsterdam, thanks to Pete Jordan’s ground-breaking research.


The study takes the reader on a journey in time, starting in the 1890s when bicycles where a novice, only affordable for the wealthy. There is the compelling story of how the Dutch heir to the throne Wilhelmina was forbidden to learn how to ride a bike by the government, as cycling was regarded to be dangerous (putting the continuity of the Dutch Royal family at stake!). She nevertheless taught herself once she became Queen at the age of 18 and was regularly sighted happily cycling in the streets of The Hague, up to old age (see picture).


Jordan also finds how it was actually WWI (in which The Netherlands managed to stay neutral) which brought cycling to the masses. From 1918, the Dutch could cheaply import bikes from broke neighbour Germany, causing the transformation of Amsterdam into the City of Bikes as we still know it today. Jordan then shows an interesting parallel between The Netherlands and the USA in the 1920s. 

Whilst in The Netherlands the bicycle finally became cheaply available for the masses, the same happened with cars in America. By the time the cycling era in The Netherlands had truly started, it already had come to an end in the USA.  The historic personal accounts of nationals from both countries (whilst visiting each other’s countries) are a joy to read and provide a great inside into how people saw things in the 1920s and 1930s.


Probably because of the large numbers of people cycling, Amsterdam's City Council was by no means cycle-friendly in the 1920s. The Mayor even decided to ban cycling in one of its shopping streets, while drivers were allowed to keep driving through this narrow "Leidse Straat" (see picture). 

 What about this "letter to the editor", reflecting on this issue, in the Telegraaf daily of 13 November 1927:

 "Despite all our democratic airs, a delusion is now developing in the heads of our authorities and ourselves; the idea that ten cyclists are less important than a single motorist. Therefore, cyclists of Amsterdam, unite. If we don't, soon - as pariahs of the roadway - we'll simply be consigned to the streets that are lifeless and poorly-paved."


Sadly, the writer of this letter couldn't imagine how accurate this look into the future would be. 85 years on, in many countries cyclists indeed feel as the pariahs of the road. He/she would be proud though to learn that his/her words are not forgotten and, thanks to Pete Jordan's research, can inspire cycling campaigners today. 

From the 1920s and 1930s, Jordan’s historic account continues into WWII and shows how the Nazi regime (beyond many other things) also brutally affected the Amsterdam cycling way of life. Jordan found that of the four million bicycles in The Netherlands before the start of WWII about two million bicycles were either confiscated by the Germans or "ridden to death” by the Dutch themselves. Especially the Hunger Winter (1944-1945) was the end to many Dutch bicycles. Hungry city folks were forced to head for the countryside in search for food, cycling incredible distances in harsh conditions. 


As supplies of rubber had run out for years, many tyres and inner tubes were worn out, making many Dutch people ride their bikes on the bare wheel rims, gradually decaying their bikes forever.  As Jordan writes, it took years before the number of bikes in The Netherlands was back on the levels of from before WWII, with most bicycles this time being home-manufactured. Iconic Dutch brands as Gazelle and Batavus still exist today.


With all its economic wealth, the 1950s and 1960s than finally brought the take over by motorised traffic, just as happened in England around that time. Roads were built with only motorised traffic in mind and cyclists and pedestrians were pushed into the margins. The Netherlands counted 3300 road deaths in 1971, with over 400 of these deaths among children under the age of 14. As also shown in the video How the Dutch got their cyclepaths, the “child murder” finally sparked the Dutch “modern day” Cycling Revolution of the 1970s.


Pete Jordan’s book tells the tale on how, helped by the climate created by the Flower Power and Hippie movements, a handful of passionate campaigners managed to organise various large cycling demonstrations in Amsterdam. 

 Various public declarations by campaigning groups are quoted in the book, like this very first one, dating from 27 July 1965:

“Amsterdammers! The asphalt terror of the motorised bourgeoisie has lasted long enough. Every day, human sacrifice is made to the Auto-Authority. The smothering carbon monoxide is their incense; their likeness poisons the streets. Provo's White Bicycles Plan presents liberation from the car monster. The White Bicycle symbolises simplicity and cleanliness in contrast to the gaudiness and filthiness of the authoritarian automobile ”. 

The legacy of the Amsterdam 1960s and 1970s cycling campaigns still echoes in mission statements of organisations like the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain and the Times Cities Fit for Cycling Campaign today.

The oil crisis of the 1970s caused the need for the famous Dutch car-free Sundays (see picture) and was another push  to change road layouts in favour of cycling for good, as it reminded many people how pleasant cities were before the take-over by motorised transport. In the 1980s, Amsterdam City Council and many other Dutch authorities gradually reviewed their transport policies in favour of sustainable traffic, including some revolutionary concepts as the famous Dutch roundabouts.  

Pete Jordan makes this unique tale a fascinating read, especially as there are so many parallels with present-day campaigns for proper cycling infrastructure in other countries. In summary, In the City of Bikes is a fantastic read, rich in detailed facts, personal stories and entertaining all the way though.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a new cyclist or a passionate cycling campaigner. Pete Jordan’s ground-breaking book has something to offer for everyone who loves cycling, even if it was only for that one simple message: “Wherever you are in the world on your bike, please know you are not alone. There may well be a cycling traffic jam in the middle of the night in Amsterdam right now.” That just feels good, doesn’t it? 
Copyright notice: many historic pictures illustrating this article are sourced on the internet and seem to be copyright-free. If this is not the case and you have the rights to a picture, please and we’ll remove the picture from the website. 


What about getting on your bicycle yourself with one of my "Cycling Dutchman" guidebooks?
Cycling in  Amsterdam and The Netherlands - The very best routes in the cyclist's paradise makes you travel beyond Dutch cliches like clogs, windmills and the Amsterdam red light district, allowing you to truly explore the lowlands. The book features 1064 kms of routes and has special chapters explaining the unique Dutch cycling-minded traffic rules and its cycle route signage systems; 164 pages, colour, wiro bound, fits in standard handlebar bag, see also http://www.cyclinginholland.com.

The London - Land's End Cycle Route Book is designed for those who LOVE cycling, but don't like traffic. The book takes you onto the most beautiful cycle routes of southern England, including the Camel Trail, Devon Coast to Coast Route, Bristol and Bath Railway path, Thames Valley route and many more! What makes the book unique is that the route is completely continuous, including detailed directions and local knowledge all the way; 164 pages, colour, wiro bound, fits in standard handlebar bag, £ 15.99, see also http://www.london-landsendcycleroutebook.com.

Other popular blog articles by Bicycleandtour.com:
Explaining Dutch cycling infrastructure:




Dutch bike rides and Dutch cycling culture:

The 12 best bike rides of The Netherlands
Dutch style bike rides in the United Kingdom:

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Saturday, 6 April 2013

The ultimate Amsterdam bike ride


OK, here is the thing. Amsterdam is famous for its bicycles and cycling culture, but if you are visiting from overseas and decide to join in with all that cycling fun, you might not find it fun at all. You’ll indeed find out that Amsterdam is ruled by cyclists, much more so than you’d like. Cycling in Amsterdam’s historic city centre can be extremely hectic, with local cyclists fighting for every inch of space, not to mention buses, taxis and trams. As a browsing, wobbly cycling tourist who is trying to figure out how it all works, you may well have to deal with Amsterdam cyclists who overtake you very close and fast, cut you off at corners or harass you by relentless ringing of their bells. If you completely “mess it up” in their eyes, you might get shouted at too!


To be happy on your bike as a cycling tourist in Amsterdam, you should avoid the main through fares in the city with its cramped and narrow cycling infrastructure, used by large numbers of rushing locals. My Cycling in Amsterdam and The Netherlands guidebook provides six great Amsterdam circular routes. In this article, we show you one of the routes (route A), taking you from the Central Station into the greenbelts of the city. This 20-28 km route will take you to places in the historic Amsterdam canal belt where cycling is actually at its best, with lots of Amsterdam landmarks to be seen on the way. It will also give you a more correct image of what cycling is like in The Netherlands as a whole.


Join us on this circular route at the main ferry landing behind Amsterdam Central station. If you were still in doubt about the unpleasantness of Amsterdam’s inner city cycling, it says it all here. Total mayhem when a ferry arrives. Cyclists, mopeds and pedestrians all rush off in all directions, pushing through, honking and ringing bells. As a visitor you should just observe this spectacle, it is definitely unique for Western Europe. 


Whatever you make of it; isn’t it great they are all on bikes or by foot, rather than in cars? The mayhem will only last a couple of minutes or so and then, the cycle path alongside the IJ-Harbour is yours!
To start, we follow the signposts of the Amsterdam-Brussels long-distance cycling route, taking us away from the harbour and station onto a cycle path alongside a scenic canal to Nieuwmarkt Square. In medieval days, this used to be the city’s boundary. You’ll be greeted here by an impressive city gate, now housing a stylish cafe. It is one of the few remains of Amsterdam’s medieval fortifications which were not affected by an ambitious 17th century extension project, which would create the majority of all those famous canals Amsterdam is now famous for. 

Nieuwmarkt Square is also the place where American Brian from San Francisco made a spontaneous analysis of Amsterdam cyclists. The way how he cataloged them in various groups of sub-cultures makes a great read, don’t miss this very funny website!


The route continues further south and hits the banks of the Amstel River, which gave Amsterdam its name. The traffic calmed road on the east side of the river provides a splendid cycle route away from the historic canal belt with some famous Amsterdam landmarks to take in on the way. The Magere Brug, in English known as the skinny bridge (which is a straight translation of the Dutch name) has been a river crossing point for centuries. It is a must for most Amsterdam canal boat tour companies to sail at least once under this bridge on every tour.

You’ll also cycle by the Stopera concert hall, the Amsterdam Heritage Museum, Royal Carré theatre and the luxurious and most expensive hotel in town, the Amstel Hotel. 





Further south, the route via the banks of the Amstel River takes you under the Amsterdam orbital motorway, from where the horizons widens. A peaceful Dutch river scene including angling, canoeing and cycling awaits you from here. 



A Rembrandt statue depicts the Old Dutch master catching the scenery in one of his paintings. Right next to this statue, you’ll find an authentic Dutch windmill, the closest in the vicinity of Amsterdam’s city centre. 



Just down the road, you’ll find the Kleine Kalfje cafe the obvious spot for a break. It is on a crossroads for popular local leisure cycling routes and cyclists make up the majority of the customers.


From here, we continue west by the Kalfjeslaan. This traffic free rural lane also sets the border line between Amsterdam City and its independent southern suburbs. The lane is lined with trees and popular for Sunday walks or bike rides. It brings us into the Amsterdamse Bos, the Amsterdam Woods, a large park, comparable in size with London’s Richmond Park. The Amsterdam Woods were created in the 1930s as a labour regeneration project and it is now one of the few full grown forests in the world below sea level.


The Amsterdam Woods are the most obvious local leisure destination for Amsterdam city dwellers. On nice sunny days, you’ll find many Amsterdam people heading out by bicycle to the park, either for just a ride or a picnic. Weekend mornings are especially popular for running.  

Further entertainment is provided by an educational centre (Bosmuseum), a city farm (Geitenboerderij), a Dutch pancake restaurant in traditional rural setting (Boerderij Meerzicht) and an open air children’s pool (at “Grote Speel Weide”). The Amsterdam Woods also feature a large hockey sports complex and a 2 km-long rowing canal (Bosbaan), which has been widened in recent years to be able to host international rowing tournaments.

The vast size of the park makes you can still feel very much on your own, despite all the high profile attractions. The park, with paths either designated for walking, cycling or horse-riding (Dutch micro infrastructure at its best!), is a must for any visitor to Amsterdam who is into cycling. Having cycled in many places over the world, I still find the Amsterdam Woods unique. As “The Cycling Dutchman” I feel proud and very lucky to have grown up in this special place.


Heading back from this park to Amsterdam’s City Centre, the route follows a cycle path parallel to a heritage tram line, with electric trams from 1920s and 1930s era operating during weekends. The route takes you through the actual tram railway yard, with plenty of opportunities to see some of this old rolling stock, being collected from places as far as Vienna. 

Don’t miss the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium parallel to path. It was used for the 1928 Olympics and was saved from demolition in the 1990s by a public appeal. The derelict stadium was fully restored to its former glory, allowing you now to cycle around the stadium and to visit the Olympic Experience, with lots of artifacts and imagery of those 1928 Olympics. The stadium cafe also recalls the days when Ajax Amsterdam and the Dutch national football team used the stadium for their international matches.


Beyond the stadium, you’ll briefly cycle through an early 20th century residential area. These old high apartment blocks with their very steep stairs along tree lined canals with bike parking racks every 50 metres or so, are typical for the living situation for many citizens of Amsterdam. Deprived from gardens, it makes you understand why public green open spaces are so important for many people here. The Vondelpark is the next one to take in.


Being closer to the City Centre than the Amsterdam Woods, the Vondelpark has a completely different feel. This is an inner-city park and its wide traffic-free avenues, shared among pedestrians, runners, skaters and cyclists can get very crowded. The park was built in the late 19th century and part-funded by the Dutch AA, very much a cyclist’s organisation at the time. 

It took over 20 years of conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists and on-going public debate before the right to cycle in the park was definitely assured. These days "the rules" are as follows; slower traffic (pedestrians) keep right to the sides of the avenues, whilst faster traffic (skaters and pedestrians) use the middle area, overtaking slower traffic on the left; see how you go!


Via Leidse Plein Square and the Leidse Straat shopping street with its single tram track (no cycling!) the route reaches its final stretch back to Central Station. The Prinsengracht Canal provides great Amsterdam scenery and traffic-calmed cycling, although you must keep an eye on traffic coming from the side bridges on the way. Most of the 17th century Amsterdam Canal system is now declared World Heritage site and the views bridge towards the Westerkerk Church are indeed majestic.


Just beyond Westerkerk, you’ll cycle past the Anne Frank House Museum. It is one of those few places in the world where people can still experience the true terror of the WWII holocaust. Queues are inevitable, as every visitor gets the opportunity to walk through the small room where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary whilst hiding for the Nazis, a highly emotional experience. If you decide to visit whilst being on your ride, bring a strong bike lock, as there is no guarded bike parking available at this location.


Talking bike parking, the ride then finishes back at Amsterdam Central station at what is now thoroughly an Amsterdam landmark too. The Fietsflat is a multi-storey bike parking facility, unique in the world and a worthy finish to your ultimate Amsterdam bike ride. 

Note the circular route as described in this article is not signposted. If you like to cycle this route, it is highly recommended you purchase my “Cycling in Amsterdam and The Netherlands” guidebook, which features over 1000 kms of routes. 

All routes in this book have been specially chosen for the international visitor; they feature as many landmarks as possible, taking you through a rich variety of landscapes and high quality routes! Full route directions, maps and accommodation listings are included. 

If you order the book through website cyclinginholland.com  you'll also receive GPS-tracks of all routes for your outdoors navigation device; 164 pages, colour, wiro bound, fits in standard handlebar bag, £ 15,99, see also http://www.cyclinginholland.com. 
The London - Land's End Cycle Route Book is designed for those who LOVE cycling, but don't like traffic. The book takes you onto the most beautiful cycle routes of southern England, including the Camel Trail, Devon Coast to Coast Route, Bristol and Bath Railway path, Thames Valley route and many more! What makes the book unique is that the route is completely continuous, including detailed directions and local knowledge all the way. Get inspired; choose your favourite route sections or go for a full summer holiday adventure; 164 pages, colour, wiro bound, fits in standard handlebar bag, £ 15.99, see also http://www.london-landsendcycleroutebook.com.

 Other popular Cycling Dutchman blog articles:
Explaining Dutch cycling infrastructure:




Dutch bike rides and Dutch cycling culture:

The 12 best bike rides of The Netherlands

Dutch style bike rides in the United Kingdom:

Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , cycle network, , , cycling infrastructure, , , ,
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