cycling in Holland

Reggy

hi there, just looking for some advice on cycling in/to holland. myself and my friend were thinking of taking the ferry from hull in the UK to rotterdam and then cycling from rotterdam up to amsterdam (only around 70km) and perhaps taking a longer, more scenic route on the way. I can only get a week off work so Holland seems a better option than trying to do say France in one week.

however, as cycling goes, we are pretty amaterish. we both cycle to work up and back (15 miles each way) everyday and a leisurely cycle at the weekend, so we have a really good level of fitness and would certainly find >70km in one day no problem.

just wondering how safe hollands roads are to cycle on?
has anybody done this route?
would i need more than a week to do it properly?
we also may have to cycle from liverpool to hull (or else get the train) - has anybody done this route???

feel free to suggest any other routes in europe......
Thanks

blorg

I'd take the Rosslare ferry direct overnight to Cherbourg and cycle around the WW2 landing grounds in Normandy. Beautiful countryside. You don't have to go far. Either a loop or one way with train/bus back.

Going via UK to Holland makes little sense IMO if you are time limited. Also note that Amsterdam-Roterdam is basically all urban while N France is rural. Roscoff/Brittany another option. See my blog here www.crazygyonabike.com/Ivan

Reggy

thanks for the advice! i will certainly look into it! we are total amateurs so we dont own bike cargo bags and tbh we would both find it difficult unassembling and reassembling the bike at the other end, lest a pedal or something went missing in the cargo area of the plane! (we also have yet to buy panniers!)

problem is, getting to rotterdam, we would almost certainly have to fly.
originally, we were thinking of taking in rotterdam, den haag and amsterdam. although the distances are almost too short (rotterdam to den haag is <40km!) and it would mean jeopardising my pretty bike at the hands of a clumsy aer lingus baggage handler!

as i have said, we are amateurs and cycling through cities we felt would give us a better safety net (ie with public transport in the case of mechanical failure). but the idea of visiting the WWII landing sites is something I would love to do. any ideas on what sort of loop we could do that would take in all the sites and would also tax us physically? also any advice on preparation - ie equipment in particular would be much appreciated.

thanks

petethedrummer

Holland is flat as a pancake and covered in bike lanes, so its probably the right country to start in. If you do 30 miles a day already you'll be grand physically.

Just get your bike serviced, a rack and some pannier bags. Get a cycling guide book and a lonely planet for accommodation.

I've taken an aluminium bike with carbon forks on Aerlingus. I just wrapped the fork up and took off the pedals. It was grand.

Ardennes1944

im going to normandy carentan st.mere etc this june but in a car. would love to hear the best way to do it by bike for another time though...:D

blorg

I wouldn't worry about the safety net, there are endless picturesque little villages and towns in Normandy. Google Maps is a good resource to figure out where you might be able to go from Cherbourg. I have the route I took listed on my blog above- I was going to Istanbul so wasn't looking at the sites in particular but it struck me as something that would make a nice tour in its own right. It is quite flat, too (not as flat as the Netherlands obviously.) And, being France, the food is fantastic.

Flying is not actually that bad although the ferry is certainly less stress, especially if you are not used to it. Flying with both Aer Lingus and Ryanair I always give them my touring bike as is, I don't pack it or disassemble it in any way. No major problems so far. Although I believe for Amsterdam they are picky and bikes have to be packaged.

Bikes are just €10 on the ferry to France and you just roll it on into the cargo deck and they tie it down to a railing. At the other end, you roll it off. No hassle. If you get a cabin it is very relaxing and you wake up fresh and ready to go on arrival.

Are you going to camp or plan to stay in B&Bs?

Ardennes1944

blorg wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about the safety net, there are endless picturesque little villages and towns in Normandy. Google Maps is a good resource to figure out where you might be able to go from Cherbourg. I have the route I took listed on my blog above- I was going to Istanbul so wasn't looking at the sites in particular but it struck me as something that would make a nice tour in its own right. It is quite flat, too (not as flat as the Netherlands obviously.) And, being France, the food is fantastic.

Flying is not actually that bad although the ferry is certainly less stress, especially if you are not used to it. Flying with both Aer Lingus and Ryanair I always give them my touring bike as is, I don't pack it or disassemble it in any way. No major problems so far. Although I believe for Amsterdam they are picky and bikes have to be packaged.

Bikes are just €10 on the ferry to France and you just roll it on into the cargo deck and they tie it down to a railing. At the other end, you roll it off. No hassle. If you get a cabin it is very relaxing and you wake up fresh and ready to go on arrival.

Are you going to camp or plan to stay in B&Bs?

me? or OP?:o

Reggy

it pretty much depends on funds whether or not we camp or do B&B. from your own opinion, what is the best experience? we are easy going guys so would be taking it handy enough and certainly will be enjoying the food and beer/wine along the way, so not sure if a lack of showering would help with the social side of things! (although most campsites have showers i guess)

i also posted on an old thread earlier today, asking for some advice on equipment - ie sat navs (i know, probably an unnecessary expense for novice tourers). i'll guess a few spare tubes, a multitool, plenty of access to fluids and the bare essentials in clothing will be enough - however would a tent take up much space in a pannier or worse, prove too heavy?

i certainly think we are leaning towards northern france - the route is probably safer, more scenic and less stressful than holland, but i am glad to hear that i can check my bike in as normal if choosing the latter option. in relation to that, if i was say, travelling with aerlingus, you would just wheel it up to the check in desk as assembled and send it off with them? my bike is aluminium and with a CF fork too, so I guess not a whole lot could go wrong in transit......

blorg

I like to camp as long as the weather is good. I wouldn't do it in the rain if I could avoid it. It is certainly cheaper. B&B will be €30-50/night for a double I think if you are lucky. Sometimes though you just don't want the hassle of putting up the tent at the end of a day's cycling.

All campsites will have showers. To be honest though I like wild camping, you are out in nature on your own then, while campsites can be a bit sterile or organized if you know what I mean. I've spent extended periods wild camping in Iran and Arabia, without a shower, and after the second day it is not so bad, you get used to feeling that way. Three days, five days, a week, it doesn't then get any worse. All you need to wash in any case is some running water, in Muslim countries you can do this in the mosque, in France you can do it in a petrol station toilet. Or if by the sea just go jump in that and you will feel refreshed (beaches are also good places for free camping.) Wild camping does presume a different sort of holiday to an extent though, as you don't have the security of a campsite, you won't generally be sticking your stuff up and then heading off to the pub (there probably won't be one either if you are in the middle of nowhere.) It is more of a pitch tent and stay with it, leaving early in the morning sort of thing. You can of course bring your food and beer/wine with you and it is very nice to eat outside as a picnic. But not so much meeting the locals.

With regard to flying, generally you can just wheel your bike up to check in (note you have to book it on the plane first), they will put a tag on and then you bring it to oversize where either they will send it down the chute or, more often, they will call someone to pick it up and wheel it onto the plane. Again, though, I believe Amsterdam and possibly other Dutch airports require bikes to be boxed. If you were flying anyway though there are a host of other places you could go: south of France, northern Spain, or one of the best places I have ever cycled: Sardinia. Weather will be more reliable there too. But I think ferry to Northern France sounds like the best idea with the time you have, and the least stress.

Al Wright

A colleague and some friends spent a week cycling in the Netherlands a year or so ago. Instead of bringing their own bikes they hired bikes at railway stations. There are special offers on rail travel that allows all day travel within the country for (family) groups for about Eur 30 per day. This allowed the lads to take the train to nearest point of interest, hire bikes and go from there, this allowed more flexibility. The hire rate is reasonable but a cash deposit of Eur 50 per bike is usually required.
Bikes available were 3 speed hybrid types, except at one station where only bikes with rear coaster brakes were available, in this case, of the group when first starting off to mount bike in usual way, fast step forward foot on pedal and throw leg over saddle almost took a nose dive when his weight on the pedal locked the brake on.

pajor

My two cents is when cycling around roundabouts in Holland use hand signals.

This is because there are cycle lanes around (practically) all roundabouts and drivers will HATE you if you don't signal that you're crossing in front of them. In Holland if a driver hits a cyclist it's the driver's fault, no exceptions!!

jimmypage100

Im thinking of doing a similar cycle to Normandy with my mates. Ive got a giant Defy 4 (Road Racing bike) and i'm wondering whether i would need to change the tyres etc. Would this be adequate for such a trip or would i need to consider buying a hybrid style bike? Any advice i could get would be very much appreciated!

blorg

@jimmy- I would change the tyres for as wide as will fit on the frame. Preferably 28s, although you will get away with 25s. And then keep the load as light as possible. No need to get a new bike; the roads in France are good quality.

You can tour with narrow tyres but it would seem foolish if you have the option to go wider. I speak from a lot of experience touring on tyres that were a bit too narrow. You will get more punctures, possible wheel buckles, less comfort and, one of the main issues- the narrower the tyre the more difficult it is to reinflate to correct pressure again (basically impossible with a mini pump and 23s.) Wide tyres you run at lower pressure but remember you need to run your tyres higher than you would unloaded, particularly at the back, to tale account of the extra weight. Wide tyres and a frame pump are a good combination.

cantalach

petethedrummer wrote: »

Holland is flat as a pancake [...]

The Limburg Province, where the Amstel Gold race will be run next weekend, is anything but flat! The weekend before last, myself and a few cycling buddies rode the route that was used for the 2010 Amstel Gold Sportive. See the route profile here:

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/260392

Cycling in that part of the Netherlands was a fantastic experience. The surfaces are superb. There are large numbers of sports/racing cyclists on the road but you get total respect from car drivers nonetheless. Many of the small narrow back roads we rode on are off-limits to motorised vehicles (apart from tractors). The only downsides are the Dutch love for road furniture and a distinct lack of permanent cycling route signage in comparison to cycling in Flanders.

Reggy

yeah that is a goof point about the tyres alright. thats somehting I clearly would have forgotten to do! Talking to my buddy, we are pretty much set on the route suggested by blorg earlier (so thanks for the idea!). only thing to do now is to decide on camping or B&B or a combination of both. July seems to be the best option as both of us have college work to do in august, but we arer open to going in early september either. just wondering would camping be suitable for september (im sure it is still very hot) or would it be almost too hot to camp during the height of it in July. I know u cant predict the weather, but you would be pretty safe to assume that rain can be avoided during these periods?

in regards to equipment, anybody got any opinions on sat nav systems or other prep? Packing lightly might be an issue for me too, I get bloody hungry on the bike too as Im a big guy with hollow legs! i doubt we'll be going quick enough for the bonk to be an issue but between carrying a tent, clothing and food, i might be biting off more than i can chew.....