People from the British Isles are possibly the only ones who get more days of rain than we do here. 200 days a year on average, and then it rains for hours on each of those days. But hey, thats why our country is so lush and green, its a small price to pay.
The camping you landed your first night.. near the windmill. That's the campsite my mum and dad visited many many summer weekends. He cycled from Amsterdam to there and my mum from Zaandam to there. Under way they met in 1936. That campsite is 100 years old this year.
Sometimes you just forget just how beautiful this little country is. Getting used to the scenery because of, well just life. And seeing it through the eyes of a foreigner is always nice. I hope you really enjoyed it. And lets be honest : when you are from GB you must be used to the weather. And thank god for rain , it's making both of our counties beautifully green, clean and fresh. Just one remark : DO NOT diss our mountains. We are proud of it. ;-)
@@ari-etta you are so right, it's why I like watching how other people experience it which makes me feel more appreciative of what we have and help make sure it will still be good for people that are children now or not born yet. I really hope this world of ours will manage to unite to make it good for all of us. There is so much abundance in some areas that gets thrown away. Or hoarded by the ultra wealthy that already have so much more than 1 person needs that it appears to me that there just should be enough, it just needs better distribution 😉 and we can't say we aren't good at moving stuff. People just have to give up some that have too much. I wish they didn't need convincing to do so of their own volition...
Good choice to go for a Koga bike, I have one myself and it has survived many bike trips. Especially the older models are made with unbreakable steel frames. They dont make em like that anymore. A tip to get less headwind; the prevailing wind is from the southwest, so if you cycle from the south-western part of the country in Zeeland to the north-eastern provinces, you will mostly have the wind in your back. If you cross through the center of the country, theres a big national park there with a lot of pine wood and heath and sand dunes. Its one of the best areas for a cycling vacation IMO. You can spend a week there going through a big variety of environments, from the rivers to the more dry forested parts, and there are plenty of small campsites you can stay at. I had a lot of fun there. Definitely bring a knife next time, and get some cash euros, you can go shop around at some farms along your route and get really good quality vegetables, fresh eggs, fresh meat and cheese, for good prices! A lot of farms have small farm shops that operate on a trust basis, they will have stuff in a cabinet by the road and you can leave the money in a moneybox for the farmers.
Steel frame is the best choice for cycle tours, really liked the Koga! Awesome - thanks for all the tips! I will definitely be back to cycle more in the Netherlands so this is really useful :)
@@guyconlon happy to! The areas i would recommend most are called Veluwe, Betuwe and Limburg. And the route along the coast is very nice as well, but it can get a bit monotonous after a few days. You can take you bike on the train with a bike ticket outside of rush hours, it costs 7 euro, so you can visit some different provinces and travel between them by train.
I’ve been to the Netherlands many times but last year (October 2023) I finally had the opportunity to experience the amazing cycling infastructure. What an incredible country, if only the UK could adopt the same attitude to active travel.
Nice to see your journey! Happy you enjoy our beautiful country! If you are ever in The North Holland area again and need anything while cycling, hit me up!
Great video, thanks! Similar... I rented a bike and didn't realize until about 40 miles in that it weighed 4X my carbon. Lovely country, thanks for documenting and sharing.
Glad you like the cycle paths we only got 35.000km of those , and i guess you noticed it is pretty windy here :) Ow and small remark. your sunglasses should be over the strap not under, it looks less cool but wen we you have a unlucky fall they can get tangled up in the strap. :)
You had the worst weather, such a shame, two weeks later and it is beautifull over here. You cycled through my area, het Bildt and Sint Annaparochie, where Rembrandt got married. It is so pretty here when the sun is shining. Nevertheless, great video
*Future me: Sorry for the TLDR. Love your attitude mate! It makes me happy to see you appreciate our bike culture! I never really understood that it was kind of special until I vacationed in the U.S. Dreadful city planning and a cyclist is more of a nuisance than a participant in traffic whereas here a cyclist and pedestrian are very uhm.. protected? I don't mean like police although that as well but traffic rules etc. Programmed traffic light crossings that will give a cyclist a green light ahead of a car on rainy days. Zebra crossings where you can just start crossing as a pedestrian safe in the knowledge that every (99.99%) car will give you right of way. And they're right to do so because cyclists and pedestrians are treated in our laws as vulnerable traffic which leans heavily towards punishing drivers even in situations where it's not entirely clear if the car was at fault most likely the vulnerable party will be given (Proverb: "Het voordeel van de twijfel geven") not sure, but courts will judge in favor of the vulnerable party in most cases. I need to stop typing. Sorry for the TLDidR if you got to here.
At 8:00 you are at the world famous Afsluitdijk. Completed in 1925. A 32.5 km long dyke with Waddenzee (sea) to your left, and IJsselmeer (once sea, now lake) on your right. Look how far you can look on a flat earth. Is it 10km or something ? Unsure, but a long distance
Great video Guy!! Thanks for sharing! You have a very positive attitude! I am planning to do something similar. Could you recomend a bike shop for renting a bicycle? Did you book yours on line? Thanks, Pavlos.
Thanks! Yes I used MacBikes in Amsterdam, check out their tourer bike. I'll be releasing a new video shortly talking about my experience, logistics etc.
I planned my own route, using the LF Ronde van Nederland route as an initial inspiration, following that along the North coast for part of my trip. I have the GPX files on Komoot that I can share if interested. If you message me on Instagram (link in my UA-cam profile), I can share the route.
It is also really easy to make use of the network of ‘fietsknooppunten’, that covers pretty much all of the Netherlands. There are several free apps available for planning your trip. These routes are generally also quite scenic.
I'm thinking about doing this, did you like the bike rental shop and if so could you provide a name and a link? Did you make your own route or find one online?
Absolutely! I got my tourer from MacBike in Amsterdam. Very friendly. The bike comes with two panniers which is really useful. I planned my routes on Komoot, if you're interested in the GPX files I can share via Instagram (Gcconlon), if you have that send me a DM.
You can rent good bikes at pretty much every bike shop in the country and there are multiple in every town. Also, you can rent bikes for 4 euro per day at any train station. So you can take a train from the airport to anywhere you like, rent a bike there, go bike around, stay at a hotel or campsite, and go to a different area next day. Complete freedom of movement :) Alternatively you can buy a second hand bike at a bike shop and then sell it at the end of your vacation, it will cost about the same.
Lol. And start of with a picture wearing a helmet.... So much misperception about hills, industry, tulips but I guess it's a foreigners perception. Funny how an Englishman comes to the Netherlands on a pastry and pasta diet while the music in the video is Chinese. Kids in the Netherlands get a new bike at age 12 and a raincoat (but no helmet) and have to find their own way to school. The rain... must feel like home though. But nice to see your experience.
@@mandje2002 funny how we know it's safer but I just can't imagine wearing one for a bike 😂. Although my current e-bike does make me think about it more than I did. Falling whilst cycling at 25km/h hurts I can confirm 😂
Thanks! I know - I'm just so used to cycling in the UK where having a helmet on is sensible but obviously the Dutch cycle/road infrastructure and culture is completely different (and safer).
It's a nice video, but I'm clueless why people do these kind of things. It's cold, wet en windy. You're in constant physical pain. You have to sleep on a hard ground. In a little tent with slugs! You're diners look extremely unattractive (hardly any vegetables). Some of these places are really nice, but you're not even really visiting them. I don't understand it at all.
Well, what is your idea of vacation? He’s enjoying his tour, gets to visit new places and people, travels relatively cheaply and probably living his dream. Rain, wind and cold builds character.
It's good for the soul. I love being outdoors, it doesn't matter if it's beautiful sunshine or wet and cold. The fulfilment you get from completing challenges like this is what it's all about 😊
If biking in bad weather causes you physical pain, consider visiting a doctor. And the food he showed was for snacks along the way, he got all the staples, ham cheese croissant, chocolate bread, sausage bread, spinac and feta borek (which is Turkish food btw) its exactly what I would get haha
Saying "It hasn't stopped raining at all" with a big smile. I like your spirit! 👍
It's good for the soul ☺️
People from the British Isles are possibly the only ones who get more days of rain than we do here. 200 days a year on average, and then it rains for hours on each of those days. But hey, thats why our country is so lush and green, its a small price to pay.
Lovely video..(and that gnocchi meal looked really good!)
That cycling path next to the sea...wow, that looked beautifull.
Den Helder isn’t just an industrial town, it is our Royal Navy Base, Harbor and Naval Yard and ferry port to the island of Texel.
Well actually Den Helder isnt an Industrial city. The air is clean, actually, one of the most cleanest in the Netherlands
The camping you landed your first night.. near the windmill. That's the campsite my mum and dad visited many many summer weekends. He cycled from Amsterdam to there and my mum from Zaandam to there. Under way they met in 1936. That campsite is 100 years old this year.
Ahh that's amazing, thanks for sharing!
Sometimes you just forget just how beautiful this little country is. Getting used to the scenery because of, well just life. And seeing it through the eyes of a foreigner is always nice. I hope you really enjoyed it. And lets be honest : when you are from GB you must be used to the weather. And thank god for rain , it's making both of our counties beautifully green, clean and fresh. Just one remark : DO NOT diss our mountains. We are proud of it. ;-)
Glad you liked it ☺️ I had a great time, even with the rain - felt just like home!
Noted for next time!
@@ari-etta you are so right, it's why I like watching how other people experience it which makes me feel more appreciative of what we have and help make sure it will still be good for people that are children now or not born yet. I really hope this world of ours will manage to unite to make it good for all of us. There is so much abundance in some areas that gets thrown away. Or hoarded by the ultra wealthy that already have so much more than 1 person needs that it appears to me that there just should be enough, it just needs better distribution 😉 and we can't say we aren't good at moving stuff. People just have to give up some that have too much. I wish they didn't need convincing to do so of their own volition...
It’s a great way to spend a holiday. The cycling network in the Netherlands is brilliant. Looking forward to your next video.🇮🇪
Absolutely! Part 2 coming soon 😁
Those dunes are amazing. We also go there once a year. Thx for posting.
Thanks! Beautiful scenery
Good choice to go for a Koga bike, I have one myself and it has survived many bike trips. Especially the older models are made with unbreakable steel frames. They dont make em like that anymore.
A tip to get less headwind; the prevailing wind is from the southwest, so if you cycle from the south-western part of the country in Zeeland to the north-eastern provinces, you will mostly have the wind in your back. If you cross through the center of the country, theres a big national park there with a lot of pine wood and heath and sand dunes.
Its one of the best areas for a cycling vacation IMO. You can spend a week there going through a big variety of environments, from the rivers to the more dry forested parts, and there are plenty of small campsites you can stay at. I had a lot of fun there.
Definitely bring a knife next time, and get some cash euros, you can go shop around at some farms along your route and get really good quality vegetables, fresh eggs, fresh meat and cheese, for good prices! A lot of farms have small farm shops that operate on a trust basis, they will have stuff in a cabinet by the road and you can leave the money in a moneybox for the farmers.
Steel frame is the best choice for cycle tours, really liked the Koga!
Awesome - thanks for all the tips! I will definitely be back to cycle more in the Netherlands so this is really useful :)
@@guyconlon happy to! The areas i would recommend most are called Veluwe, Betuwe and Limburg. And the route along the coast is very nice as well, but it can get a bit monotonous after a few days. You can take you bike on the train with a bike ticket outside of rush hours, it costs 7 euro, so you can visit some different provinces and travel between them by train.
I’ve been to the Netherlands many times but last year (October 2023) I finally had the opportunity to experience the amazing cycling infastructure. What an incredible country, if only the UK could adopt the same attitude to active travel.
Super fun to watch your video. Keep up the good work
Thank you ☺️
Nice to see your journey! Happy you enjoy our beautiful country! If you are ever in The North Holland area again and need anything while cycling, hit me up!
Beautiful country. Thanks for the offer 😊
Nice cycle tour despite the rain😊
Absolutely! Beautiful country for cycling.
Love the positive attitude towards the weather. Don't have any control over it anyway so you just got to "roll" with it. Get it? Get it? 😂
🤣🤣
Really funny to come across this video! I live in Heemskerk (the sand dunes you were driving through) Great quality video btw!
Thanks! The sand dunes around there were one of the highlights of the trip, they reminded me of where I'm from in England.
Great video, thanks! Similar... I rented a bike and didn't realize until about 40 miles in that it weighed 4X my carbon. Lovely country, thanks for documenting and sharing.
Do I actually hear you call dunes dungeons? 😉
The dunes in the Netherlands are indeed very nice though. I like your vlog.
I spot a hemet on your bike but i see you used it for the rain hhaha
Hope you had a great time in our small country.
Very beautiful video, well done. 👍👍The weather was typically Dutch, or should I say British?☺
Thank you ☺️ Haha indeed!
Really enjoyed your video
Thanks!
Well mostly you see millions of bikes in cycling videos, now empty roads.
Good to show them too.
you said Amsterdam... not Emsterdem... you made my day...
Glad you like the cycle paths we only got 35.000km of those , and i guess you noticed it is pretty windy here :) Ow and small remark. your sunglasses should be over the strap not under, it looks less cool but wen we you have a unlucky fall they can get tangled up in the strap. :)
Never thought about that before 👍
The Dutch don't care less about "biking" or bikes,... It's just the most practical thing to go on from A to B...
in that hills the duinen is something inside ;)
You had the worst weather, such a shame, two weeks later and it is beautifull over here. You cycled through my area, het Bildt and Sint Annaparochie, where Rembrandt got married. It is so pretty here when the sun is shining. Nevertheless, great video
Thanks! Ahh lovely area there, despite losing feeling in my hands and feet around that point with the cold and wet 😂
Another week later and back to endless rain :)
@@TheSuperappelflap Ja, alhoewel het zonnetje nu weer schijnt.
We as a people don't "like biking", we use it as a convenient mode of transportation.
*Future me: Sorry for the TLDR.
Love your attitude mate! It makes me happy to see you appreciate our bike culture! I never really understood that it was kind of special until I vacationed in the U.S. Dreadful city planning and a cyclist is more of a nuisance than a participant in traffic whereas here a cyclist and pedestrian are very uhm.. protected? I don't mean like police although that as well but traffic rules etc. Programmed traffic light crossings that will give a cyclist a green light ahead of a car on rainy days. Zebra crossings where you can just start crossing as a pedestrian safe in the knowledge that every (99.99%) car will give you right of way. And they're right to do so because cyclists and pedestrians are treated in our laws as vulnerable traffic which leans heavily towards punishing drivers even in situations where it's not entirely clear if the car was at fault most likely the vulnerable party will be given (Proverb: "Het voordeel van de twijfel geven") not sure, but courts will judge in favor of the vulnerable party in most cases.
I need to stop typing. Sorry for the TLDidR if you got to here.
At 8:00 you are at the world famous Afsluitdijk. Completed in 1925. A 32.5 km long dyke with Waddenzee (sea) to your left, and IJsselmeer (once sea, now lake) on your right. Look how far you can look on a flat earth. Is it 10km or something ? Unsure, but a long distance
The Afsluitdijk is an impressive feat of engineering!
On a bright day you can see much further than 10km. Standing on some dikes and hills you can see cities in the distance, 20, 30km away.
30 meters! We're is your sherpa!!!!😂
🤣🤣🤣
Great video Guy!! Thanks for sharing! You have a very positive attitude! I am planning to do something similar. Could you recomend a bike shop for renting a bicycle? Did you book yours on line? Thanks, Pavlos.
Thanks!
Yes I used MacBikes in Amsterdam, check out their tourer bike. I'll be releasing a new video shortly talking about my experience, logistics etc.
@@guyconlon Thanks! That would be very useful because I will be travelling from Cyprus, so I have to be well prepared!😀
Sorry for the crap weather - bet you felt right at home as a Manchurian😉
Exactly, just like being back home!
You were close by In St Annaparochie 👍
Yes! I stopped in the village at a café sheltering from the rain.
Are you following a route or did you design your own route. I am from Canada and I want to tour in Netherlands
I planned my own route, using the LF Ronde van Nederland route as an initial inspiration, following that along the North coast for part of my trip. I have the GPX files on Komoot that I can share if interested. If you message me on Instagram (link in my UA-cam profile), I can share the route.
@@guyconlon Thanks that is very kind
It is also really easy to make use of the network of ‘fietsknooppunten’, that covers pretty much all of the Netherlands. There are several free apps available for planning your trip. These routes are generally also quite scenic.
Have you a link to where you rented the bike?
Search MacBike Amsterdam and you'll find their touring bicycle.
I'm thinking about doing this, did you like the bike rental shop and if so could you provide a name and a link? Did you make your own route or find one online?
Absolutely! I got my tourer from MacBike in Amsterdam. Very friendly. The bike comes with two panniers which is really useful. I planned my routes on Komoot, if you're interested in the GPX files I can share via Instagram (Gcconlon), if you have that send me a DM.
You can rent good bikes at pretty much every bike shop in the country and there are multiple in every town. Also, you can rent bikes for 4 euro per day at any train station. So you can take a train from the airport to anywhere you like, rent a bike there, go bike around, stay at a hotel or campsite, and go to a different area next day. Complete freedom of movement :)
Alternatively you can buy a second hand bike at a bike shop and then sell it at the end of your vacation, it will cost about the same.
Go to the south of the province of Limburg, Heuvelland, and you’ll experience real hills.
One to add to my list!
Lol. And start of with a picture wearing a helmet....
So much misperception about hills, industry, tulips but I guess it's a foreigners perception. Funny how an Englishman comes to the Netherlands on a pastry and pasta diet while the music in the video is Chinese. Kids in the Netherlands get a new bike at age 12 and a raincoat (but no helmet) and have to find their own way to school. The rain... must feel like home though. But nice to see your experience.
Great video, only too bad about the weather :(
Thanks! The sun finally comes out in Part 2 😊
Bro why did you get an american bike bro it doesnt look anything near any bike you see in amsterdam how did you not notice
The bike is a Koga which is Dutch made. It's a tourer, so it is a bit different from a classic city bike.
don't forget your helmet, tourist!!!😂
Quickest way to identify a tourist 😂
@@mandje2002 funny how we know it's safer but I just can't imagine wearing one for a bike 😂. Although my current e-bike does make me think about it more than I did. Falling whilst cycling at 25km/h hurts I can confirm 😂
@@dochouse6911
my advice...just don't fall 😂
Headwind what headwind😂
Great video, nice to see you’re enjoying the Netherlands. But you can stop wearing the helmet, we don’t ware them here, only the elderly folks.
Thanks!
I know - I'm just so used to cycling in the UK where having a helmet on is sensible but obviously the Dutch cycle/road infrastructure and culture is completely different (and safer).
People who do bike packing or bike traveling usually DO wear helmets, even dutchies! better safe than sorry 😎
Great work Guy! Really enjoyed the video 😄
Thanks Jay!
A Brit cycling in the Netherlands on chinese music 😂
惊呆了，这首歌叫什么名字？🤣
It's a nice video, but I'm clueless why people do these kind of things. It's cold, wet en windy. You're in constant physical pain. You have to sleep on a hard ground. In a little tent with slugs! You're diners look extremely unattractive (hardly any vegetables). Some of these places are really nice, but you're not even really visiting them. I don't understand it at all.
Well, what is your idea of vacation? He’s enjoying his tour, gets to visit new places and people, travels relatively cheaply and probably living his dream. Rain, wind and cold builds character.
It's good for the soul. I love being outdoors, it doesn't matter if it's beautiful sunshine or wet and cold. The fulfilment you get from completing challenges like this is what it's all about 😊
If biking in bad weather causes you physical pain, consider visiting a doctor. And the food he showed was for snacks along the way, he got all the staples, ham cheese croissant, chocolate bread, sausage bread, spinac and feta borek (which is Turkish food btw) its exactly what I would get haha
Not sure if this video is English spoken or not ?
Steenkolen engels.
Switch on sound and you will know.
There are far worse English accents hahaha, this guy is quite easy to understand
Bergen Aan Zee = "behr-gen ahn zay". Dutch "g" is pronounced like the "g" in the English exasperated utterance of "ugh!".
Very useful thanks 🙂 I'm always keen to improve pronunciation as I know being a Brit we aren't the best at it!
Nice video. Disgusting auto-tune music
Holland is i think one on the best for bikes.