It’s a bit cold in Amsterdam at the moment, but cyclists still have to get around. Though nobody’s wearing lycra.
The trams are having trouble too... (Photo: Parool)
...but shopping must still be done...
..and kids need to get to kindy... (Photo: de Volkskrant)
...and a nice ride in the park is always wonderful exercise! (Photo: de Volkskrant
It looks a bit colder than it is in Brisbane just now.
I remember you scoffing when Miranda Devine wrote that Sydney was unsuitable for bicycles, unlike the eminently suitable Amsterdam! These photos make her look even sillier.
Yes, it’s not always a perfect day to get on the bike in Amsterdam.
When it stops snowing, there’s the rain, and when that stops, there’s the wind.
Then there are the uneven cobbles, the narrow streets, the steep bridges, the tourists standing chatting on the cycle paths…come to think of it, it’s a terrible place for bikes and they should just ban them all.
You make hilly Sydney sound like a velodrome
Love the photos. You should take a look at this post about cycling in Amsterdam. I wish more cities were so bike friendly!
http://www.montaguebikes.com/folding-bikes-blog/2010/05/where-to-bike-with-montague-amsterdam/
Photo’s of Delft 34 years ago looking very similar to yours. Some of us loved to travel in the European winter.
I met a couple in Amsterdam and the wife said she would come and pick me up and take me to meet another friend. I don’t think she ever knew how shocked I was that the pick up vehicle was a bike not a car. And I dinkied like I was riding a horse not side saddle like they do. When we got to lights and canal bridges I just stayed put. Later when I realised how I should have been riding I felt extremely embarrassed.
I still tell the story 34 years later. And sometimes wonder if she tells the story about this stupid Australian she picked up who didn’t ride side saddle and didn’t get off the bike at all until the destination was reached.
G’day Angela. I don’t think there is a correct way to dink on a Dutch bike, especially if you have to carry a toddler, a golden retriever and a cello as well as your friend. Somehow Amsterdam riders seem to manage it all, though I’ve never become a comfortable dinker or dinkee.