Hi all, it’s been a while (except for you who follow me on Twitter), things have been silent on here while I was working on the new Amsterdamize platform, getting it all ready for 2012, for a new adventure. As things go, that will take a wee bit more time. So bear with me :).

I also have to put it on hold because I’m in the middle of packing, as I’ll be heading for Melbourne on Sunday and it won’t surprise you when I say I’m really looking forward to it. 2011 granted me plenty of exciting endeavors, taking me to New York, Copenhagen, Reykjavik and on a few continental trips.

The (Un)5Boro Crew, New York

Copenhagen Posse

Iconic Iceland

Brussels Suits

Dutch Cycling Embassy launch, Brussels

Bike buddies, Brussels

But Australia is the icing on the cake. It will be the first time in my life. It had to happen at some point, as my older brother has been living there for years now.

It will be a 30 hour journey with a few layovers. First London, but time won’t allow me to go search for Little Britain on wheels.

Not to worry, I sense I will in the foreseeable future.

Then Singapore. Again, the window of opportunity is too small to be able to explore.

Touchdown in Melbourne. From the airport I’ll be transported directly to the mountains a few hours from the city, where I’ll spend a relaxing week with my family & experience New Year’s Eve in the wilderness. Right after that the second leg kicks off: returning to Melbourne, meeting up and riding with my bike friends in Melbourne and elsewhere.

Also, on Jan 4th at 5:05pm local Melbourne time I’ll be on Radio New Zealand, the national public service radio station. I’ll be interviewed about Dutch bike culture in general & New Zealands’ efforts. From the preparations for it, I can tell you this could be interesting. So if you have time, do tune in (on the website) and let me know what you think.

I leave behind a wet, windy & dark Amsterdam, diving right into a pool of summer fun. I know what you’re thinking: “There’s a helmet law there! Waddaya gonna do?” Maybe this outfit would be a tad too warm & inconvenient to pull off, but I like the idea. I’m sure I can think of something to circumvent the issue…

So, I hope y’all have a wonderful xmas, a NYE blast and I also hope to see you back here in 2012. BikePLANET-wise, it’s only just begun.

Sometimes a cycle life gets in the way of …, well, you know, actual bike blogging. So, long overdue, but here it goes. Before I arrived in New York at the end of April I anticipated riding with my #bikeNYC friends & possibly joining well over 30.000 other individuals from around NYC & the US on the Five Boro Bike Tour. Best of all, combining the two.

As you’ve read here, the first part never fails, including the part where online friends become the offline equivalent. Cycling just unites that way, easy.

So here it is, part two of my #bikeNYC adventures in 2011.

May 1st, the day after the New Amsterdam Bike Show (which will be part three). Sunshine galore. Ignoring my jetlag, I cycled from my hotel in Soho to 6th Avenue/W Houston St & observed the 5Boro crowd cycling from down- to uptown. Quite a sight and good fun, as the film will show.

Half an hour later I met up with Ronald (Dutch expat, Research Associate at The Street Plans Collaborative) , Carina (Danish expat, freelance video reporter), Liz (Pilates instructor & advocate for Livable Streets), Noah (Mr NYC Cycle Chic), Steve (bicycle advocate/lawyer) & Noel (Asoc. Director of Engagement Technologies for the World Economic Forum) right across the street.

This was me for the day (not unlike on any other day at home):

And my hosts for the day:

Liz & Noah

Steve playing around with his 5Boro vest & Carina was ready to roll.

So we did. Setting out for our self-proclaimed ‘Un-5Boro’, circumventing a few things we couldn’t be bothered with and perhaps just join the Five Boro Tour at some point. Yes, naughty us, crashing the party ;).

Grab yourself a beer/glass of wine/a cocktail, sit back, relax and ride with us for the next 52 minutes, if you will. Roll the tape:

I know, right? Quite an awesome day, despite getting stuck on the BQE for 2,5 hours. Oh, the irony :).

Here are just a few of my favorite pictures I took along the way:

Can you say ‘I Am Legend’ & BikePeaceNYC, you look fab? ;)

You can always count on the NYPD…

Me, hard at work going up Queensboro Bridge…

Arriving at the waterfront in Queens.

Stuck on the BQE, but smiling.

You’ll always find a few Dutch around.

In a massive bicycle gridlock it’s easy to get acquainted with the nearby residents.

Stand out much? Nah..

The United Nations On Wheels #bikeNYC rat pack!

Last pit stop before Verrazano.

Noel didn’t want to freeze his toes off on Verrazano Bridge..and I figured you’d not often catch him in this position.

As I mentioned in the film, the NYPD, in this case a very bad-tempered cop, yelled us off our bikes. Steve tried arguing with him, but to no avail (and no surprise), he wouldn’t budge. Through some banter, Noel found out the cop was not on the payroll of the City of New York, which was odd, but it could easily explain his mobster-like behaviour. Anyway, it was quite entertaining.

Steve lent me his bike helmet (historic moment, I tell ya) saying he’d done 5Boro before and wanted me to finish it (thanks again for the sacrifice, Steve!). Noah & Liz also said goodbye, as they were not ‘packing gear’. Finally, Noel happened to have an extra 5Boro vest, so we were on our way, up and over the bridge, to the finish line on the other side on Staten Island.

Noel and I rode right on, towards the ferry.

But not before stopping for some brew.

Where you, predictably, bump into like-minded/familiar people.

Police started wrapping up their long day…

We caught the Staten Island ferry back to Manhattan…

Which allows beers AND drinking on board. Perfect. After all, you don’t have a utility bike with basket and panniers for nothing, aight? PS: Noel had the Heineken, I had the local flavor, in true UN-style :).

Riding along the East River…

Noel heading back to Brooklyn and me to Soho, thinking: “Wow. Just wow.” Yes, epic.

We escaped reality, tasted ‘what could be’. We Were All Legends.

Thank you, #bikeNYC. With love, from #bikeAMS.

It has cleared up a bit in Amsterdam and the rest of the country, two weeks of what seemed like never-ending downpour was clearly enough for most. People moaned, sighed and bitched like there was no tomorrow. But whaddayagonnado? Shit happens. At the same time we completely and conveniently forget about the absolutely gorgeous months of April and May (record droughts). Alright, alright, it’s supposed to be summer in July, not feel like the end of November.

Anyhoo, tomorrow I’ll be getting on a plane (gasp) to Copenhagen, on business. Last time I paid the Danish Blues a visit it was for leisure and I took the (slow) train, as I had to bring my bike along. It was cool. I serenaded ladies in red, competed in a slow bicycle race (and let my opponent, who was coming of age, win, of course) and drank way too many expensive beers. Emphasis on ‘expensive’, not ‘too many beers’.

Referred to by the aforementioned, herring-eating individual I was invited by Wonderful Copenhagen to cover the UCI BMX World Championships in my role as an inquisitive journalist, who expect me to insightfully peel off the layers of one of the sportiest of ’street bicycle cultures’. Naturally, I’ll try not to disappoint them.

Accredited by the UCI, yes m’am, there’s a first for everything. You see, there will be all sorts of street events going on all over town, all evolving around our two-wheeled (if not more) friend, the arts, the urban life, etc. I’ll be all over it, trust me. Lauren is joining me, so she can see for herself how cheap Amsterdam really is for shopping. ;)

My lack of BMX-cred doesn’t mean I won’t attempt to sneakily attach my GoPro camera to the BMX of one of the Dutch contestants, because I will. Or whoever will indulge me. Either that, or they’ll most likely rip off my press card and toss me in the Søerne to go look for bikes there.

As you might know or have been able to assess, I have NO knowledge whatsoever of who’s what in the BMX universe. Doesn’t mean I don’t admire these rascals. It will be intriguing to dive back into this semi-sub-bike-culture which I left behind at the age of 10. Oh, the memories.

I leave you with photos..I mean postcards, as many often tell me I live in one. From a, as you by now have guessed, VERY wet Sunday in July.

I’m charging 3 cameras as I type this, cross your fingers it will be a dry weekend in Copenhagen.

That, or I just might convert and ask this fine craftsman and fellow Dutchie if I can join him on his maiden voyage…when the moment is right. And only if I can bring Lauren, of course.

Croix De Beaucaillou.

Wanna GAGA?

Tourists will ride their rental bikes, no matter what. In style.

‘Double Dutch’ – summer contradictions.

In NYC I hooked up with professional photographer Dmitry Gudkov of BikeNYC Portraits fame. As it often goes, we found out about each other’s existence through the interwebs, given our mutual interest for people on bicycles, bike culture & photography. Subsequently, it was an even bigger pleasure meeting him in real life.

It took some time for me to do this post, but now it’s even more relevant, as Dmitry’s efforts were put in the lime light as a feature on the Flickr blog this week. Greatly deserved & no small thing, when you consider Flickr has millions and millions of photographs to choose from.

From the middle of Soho we rode towards the Hudson shore, where Dmitry was keen on finding a nice spot to take my #bikeNYC Portrait, as he’d insisted on via Twitter ;).

He lead us to Pier 54, in front of the High Line.

Dmitry started his art direction, I positioned myself behind my Workcycles Omafiets (which Julie from Adeline Adeline was so nice to let me borrow for the weekend), fiddled with my bag for #bikeAMS exposure, and this was the result:

Dmitry still owes me the picture of me lifting my Omafiets over my head, in true hipster style…you know, just to bust another myth about Dutch bikes ;).

We continued our ride on the Hudson Greenway and a few minutes later I spotted something familiar up ahead on the bike path: a black Dutch granny bike, a long haired woman riding it, in normal clothes, without a ‘magic mushroom’.

To Dmitry: “Look, I think that’s a Dutch girl.” “Yeah?” I immediately shift into gear: “Let’s catch up, go go go!”

I passed her, turned around and said: “You MUST be Dutch!” “Huh?” She had music on, so took out her earplugs. “Sorry?” “You MUST be Dutch!” Haha, no, I’m Danish!” “Ohhhh, so close!”

There was nothing left for her to do than stop and have a chat with us. We introduced ourselves and the reason for chasing after her. It turned out her name was Carina Jensen, a Danish expat living and working as a video journalist in NYC. Coincidently, she was hired to cover the New Amsterdam Bike Show that would take place the next day.

Dmitry wasted no time and asked if he could take her bicycle portrait. Of course he could. And of course I captured that process.

Dmitry could appreciate the humor of it a few days later:

His #bikeNYC Portrait catch:

Together we rode back into town, chatting up a storm.

Just so you know what all that stalking looks like, here’s another ‘behind the lens’ moment, me photographing alongside Carina & then spotting Dmitry taking a picture of me…and shooting that. ;)

A perfect start of my NYC weekend, a great time with new-found friends. We went our separate ways, into the city jungle, with the knowledge that we would see each other again the following days. My cliffhanger for the upcoming posts…

A recent survey by the Dutch Gazelle bicycle company among 800 people asked what their motives are for cycling. For short trips of around 4 km 88% uses the bike instead of the car. The main reasons: 70% said ‘it’s good for my health’, 40% opt out of the car ‘because it’s good for the environment’ and 35% prefer the bicycle ‘because it’s faster than by car’.

This is common knowledge, it confirms many other surveys and research papers. I’m more interested in what follows:

66% said ‘cycling clears my mind’, 60% uses their time on the bike ‘for deep thoughts’ and 44% find it perfect ‘for day dreaming’. Good, good.

Here comes the kicker: it also revealed that 27% regularly flirt while cycling.

Powerful. It speaks volumes on how comfortable it is to cycle in the Netherlands. Based on just this, I can easily back up what I say on a regular basis: here, cycling is like walking, a faster way of walking. It’s that accessible & easy. Not just that, it’s by far the most sociable mode of transportation.

It confirms the fact that, particularly over here, people don’t have to change into a different mental mindset when they hop on a bike. And we also know that the particular bikes we use allow us to maintain that posture in a practical sense. ‘Upright is right’, as it’s often coined.

Flashback: Jasmijn Rijcken of Van Moof visited the New Amsterdam Bike Show in NYC almost two months ago, just like I did (on which I’ll post soon). We briefly met and talked, a real pleasure. Like me, she got around town on a bike (why change a habit). All good. You’d think.

A few weeks later she shared what happened to her on that day (April 30th) with Joanna of New Amsterdam Bike Show. She got stopped by a cop:

Our friend Jasmijn was stopped in SOHO by NYPD for riding in a skirt! The officer said she could distract drivers and cause an accident…and should go home and put pants on.

Outrageous, of course. Hence, this news traveled fast. I mean, real fast & around the world. I read about it first on Lovely Bike.

Not surprisingly, New Yorkers on two wheels could relate to this feeling of harassment, as the NYPD has been notoriously cracking down on people on bikes for the most frivolous things, ranging from handing out tickets for having a bag hanging from the handlebar, for speeding in Central Park, to fining people for not riding in the bike lane (which resulted in the video ‘Bike lanes’ by Casey Neistat, that subsequently went viral worldwide).

It’s the infamous & flawed ‘cheat sheet’ at play here.

So, back to skirts. Followers of this story quickly started to doubt it, as Jasmijn works for a bicycle company & she’s actually responsible for its marketing efforts, viral marketing efforts. Controversy was born. Streetsblog dove into it, and they confirmed what I thought initially: if this was a stunt, it’s a pretty bad one when it comes to aiming to sell bikes. It’s far too risky to make it up, the backlash would destroy sales. I’d also e-mailed with Jasmijn & couldn’t imagine her playing along with it off the record.

Doug Gordon of BrooklynSpoke asked if someone would be willing to organize a protest ride. Liz Patek had already been contemplating organizing ‘Fancy Rides’ to get more people on bikes in the Broadway bike lane, so she volunteered & combined the two: the ‘Short Skirt Celebration Ride/Love The Broadway Bike Lane’ for June 15th was born, with a little Facebook & blog help from Copenhagen Cycle Chic.

This is not about teaching NYPD a lesson. This is about normalizing the idea of people on bikes here in NYC. I repeat this is NOT about teaching the NYPD a lesson. If you plan on shouting or carrying protest signs, please do not join us. No silly antics or street theater please. I do welcome my friends in the Broadway community to please join us. I will send you off at 7pm so you can make your call times.

This is NOT a protest; this is a Celebration of People on Bikes.

Maureen, aka @InspiredCyclist, captured it for prosperity & shared her experiences.

That was Volume I.

Volume II is happening this evening. Joanna is organizing ‘Skirts on BIKES: The Official NYC Ride – Celebrating Freedom and Fashion‘. Initially, she had coined it a ‘protest’ ride, but it’s good to see Liz’s smarts rubbed off on her ;). The ‘official’ part, take it as you want. In the end, it’s all about the right intentions.

Jasmijn is in NYC right now & she will be participating. I’m looking forward to hearing from her afterwards.

Have fun, #BikeNYC, we’ll be riding in spirit with you.

(Message to #NYPD: people on bikes, get used to them, embrace them…or at least shed those inhibitions; flirt with them. You’ll feel so much better.)

UPDATE:
Julie Hardee, aka @juleskills participated in last night’s Skirts On Bikes ride and took great pictures! Looks like they had a great time celebrating. And the pictures of Jasmijn retelling her story ‘on stage’ are priceless :).

UPDATE II:
Jasmijn’s company Van Moof recorded the ride, here’s the result. Lovely.

In two days I’m off for a long weekend, returning to New Amsterd…I mean, New York City. Besides that the weather forecast is set to warm, I’m primarily going for another hot item: The New Amsterdam Bicycle Show:

New York Press Kicks Off Bike Month NYC 2011 With
The New Amsterdam Bicycle Show: Benefiting Transportation Alternatives

New York, N.Y. April 8, 2011—The first bike show in New York City was in Brooklyn in 1897, and 114 years later, we’re bringing the bicycle show back! New York Press, Manhattan Media’s lifestyle publication for the city’s young trendsetters, and Transportation Alternatives announce The New Amsterdam Bicycle Show: Benefiting Transportation Alternatives. This show promises to dazzle attendees as much as The New York International Auto Show, which will end the same weekend that the bicycle show begins. This pivotal event will take place April 30, 2011, at Chelsea’s new cultural venue Center 548, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and will kick off Bike Month NYC 2011.

The New Amsterdam Bicycle Show is thrilled to announce the addition of Raleigh Bicycles andBicycling Magazine as recent sponsors. Raleigh Bicycles will be setting up a huge exhibit at the show, featuring their new and classic bikes along with other amazing brands such as Bern Unlimited, Biomega, Jamis and Specialized.

Bicycling Magazine, along with SRAM, will be sponsoring BIKELANDIA—the seminar section of the show, featuring readings, discussions, presentations and artwork throughout the day. Headlining BIKELANDIA will be a panel on urban youth cycling programs, led by editors from Bicycling Magazine, along with other influential cycling figures. The panel will include editors from Bicycling Magazine and noted bicycle bloggers. BIKELANDIA will also feature Anne Lutz Fernandez reading from her book Carjacked, followed by a Q&A with the author. Caroline Samponaro, the TA’s director of bicycle advocacy, will also speak about safety and cycling issues in New York City. New York Press’ Gut Instinct columnist, Joshua M. Bernstein, will discuss bicycling safety and protocol.

Also featured:

• Bike giveaways from Sweden’s Bike My Me and Cooper Bikes USA
• Farmcart, the Bushwick-based caterers, will be pedal-pushing delicious sandwiches and treats
• La Colombe Torrefaction, the world-renowned coffee-roasting company-roasting at the show
• An urban bicycle fashion show produced by H.U.B and designer Nona Varnando
• Kissena Cycling Club will be hosting fantastic stationary roller races
• A hand-built bicycle row featuring A.N.T., Horse Cycles, Folk Engineered, Hold Fast, and Royal H
• An indoor demo area to test-drive bicycles
• More activities to come – to see our expanding list of our exhibitor’s click here

The Consulate-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands will also have a presence at the New Amsterdam Bicycle Show. They will be located next to Rolling Orange’s booth, and will have world-renowned cycling blogger Marc “Amsterdamize” van Woudenberg charming the crowds. The Dutch Consulate was instrumental in bringing in many of the Dutch brands featured, brands such as Gazelle, WorkCycles, De Fietsfabriek and accessories by Basil and Yepp.

Tickets are now available online here, and cost $15 for general admission in advance and $20 day of the event. The show will benefit Transportation Alternatives, the advocacy group dedicated to reclaiming the city’s streets from automobiles. TA representatives will be on hand to provide valet bicycle parking to guests, as well as safe and useful bicycling tips for new New York City cyclists.

“This show heralds New York City as America’s leading bicycle metropolis. It’ll have something special for everyone, especially those just getting into biking,” said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives.

Author of The Bicycle Diaries, musician and bicycle advocate David Byrne added: “TA has been in the forefront of helping rebalance our priorities as far as urban transportation goes. For too many decades, we all just rolled over and gave the automobile whatever it, the oil companies and the carmakers wanted. Now we know better—cars are a wonderful invention, but there are greener ways to get around this city. Having a good life in our cities is possible, and these folks are helping bring us closer to that goal.”

Sounds good, huh?

On Saturday, April 30th (missing Queensday in Amsterdam in the process) I’ll be representing the Netherlands for all the good stuff that is cycling, know-how & other Dutch specialties, in the way I know best: by showing it & telling about it & sharing it, aka I’ll be putting up a live video stream for the occasion (between 11:00-17:00 local time). Also, I’ll be filming interviews & and, like mentioned above, be part of the Bikelandia panel ‘Building A Better City For Biking Through Bike-Centric Blogs‘ for some serious blogging Q&A.

Before & after The New Amsterdamize Bicycle Show my itinerary consists of the following:

Thursday:
- Pick up my Workcycles Omafiets for the weekend, generously provided by Julie of Adeline Adeline.
- Going out for dinner & drinks with dear friends
Friday:
- Meet & greet a few people in the city
- Join the Queen’s Day party at the Dutch Consulate
Sunday:
- Celebrate the kick-off of Bike Month by joining approximately 30.000 others for the 5 Boro Bike Tour hooking up with like-minded locals for the Un-5 Boro Bike Ride through NYC.

The rest I’ll play by ear :).

So, #BikeNYC & others, come on down, bite the apple (or orange, in this case) and join the bike fun.

You wanna hook up with Amsterdamize, little ol’ me? Get that ticket or contact me through Twitter or e-mail, and hopefully we get to meet & ride for real.

See ya! … Oh, before I forget…Queen’s Day & a massive bike tour, you have to come prepared, right? So I already have the bike sorted, but I do have to make an appropriate appearance…hence, I did some shopping. Now THAT’S my kind of hi-viz…see if you can pick me out of the crowd ;).

I’ve tweeted many times about my Australian cycling friend Paul van Bellen from Sydney & his cycling tour project ‘Cycling Dutch Style‘:

“If you want to get more people cycling in Australia, you need to make it more attractive, easy and convenient.” – Paul van Bellen.

In May 2011 Paul will lead 30 Australian cycling thinkers over a 500km, 13 day tour in The Netherlands, the world’s most cycle friendly country. Filmmakers Rowena Crowe and Paulo Alberton will follow and record van Bellen’s tour as his team studies innovations and attitudes in cycling. Rowena and Paulo will shape the material collected into web friendly stories and information for a website called www.cyclingdutchstyle.com.au, and also into a documentary, once participants of the tour return to their homes and routines in Australia. Our website will be fully functional by early March 2011, in time for us to engage with our audience.

The Impact
Major cities around the world are embracing cycling as a way to commute, in a bid to combat pollution, save petrol and avoid traffic congestion. While cycling groups in Australia are trying to promote cycling as a sustainable transport alternative through initiatives like Ride to Work Day, our major cities are lagging behind the rest of the world in infrastructure investment. The Netherlands has invested heavily in bicycle infrastructure over the last 30 years. The result is today 30% of all trips are done on a bicycle throughout the country, whilst in Australia many cities are aiming towards 5% by 2016.

These stories will not only entertain broader audiences but they will also contribute to a valuable and unique online resource that may inform policy making in Australia and inspire other city planners around the world.

The Tour
The 30 participants meet in Dieren, the Netherlands on May 10th 2011 to begin their tour. Over the next 14 days they will ride an average 50 km per day. Our cameras will follow their journey, recording the sights and sounds and seeking their views on the state of cycling in these cities.

We will meet Dutch people who use the bike infrastructure daily as they ride to work, school or to the shops. We will meet with experts who are involved in developing and maintaining this infrastructure. Together these stories will help us better understand the positive effects of investing heavily in cycling infrastructure.

Each day we will be reporting from the saddle, bringing knowledge from the road. We will invite our audience to engage with our findings and consider how these ideas could be adapted to Australian conditions and way of life.

Key moments on the tour will include a visit to: Groningen, the world’s number one cycling city with 60% of all trips done by bicycle; Utrecht where they will meet the cycling infrastructure experts from Fietsberaad, the Dutch centre for cycling policy; Houten, which is recognised as a yardstick of a liveable sustainable city, where the direct route to town is on the bike path and cars are forced to use peripheral roads. For full break down of the itinerary go here.

What We Need & What You Get
We are asking US$ 8,000 (not Australian dollar) to cover the expenses of the plane ticket and accommodation, so we (Rowena and Paulo) can participate on the tour and create content for both the website and documentary. Our professional and creative work is voluntary. Also in order to offer you these fantastic and irresistible prizes, we have accessed the support of Gazelle Bicycle Australia who is offering Gazelle products (Gazelle bikes and accessories) as prizes at cost value, only for this project. This means a great return for your contribution!!! The monetary value of your contribution is just over to the value of the prizes. Check the prizes underneath. And if you prefer another bike, Gazelle is flexible and happy to discuss this with you. Please be aware that contributions are made in US dollars. Currently A$ and US$ are nearly the same value, but please check for up to date exchange rates prior to making your contribution.

This project desperately needs to get documented, thus funded & supported, so go click!

FFFYI (Fun Facts For Your Information):
- ‘van Bellen’ is a Dutch surname
- the verb ‘bellen’ means ‘ringing’, either calling on the phone, ringing the door bell or…wait for it…ringing your bike bell :)).

AND…look at Gazelle’s famous print ad series from the early 20th century that came in the form of a cartoon called ”t AVONTUUR van PIET PELLE op zyn GAZELLE.’, which translates into ‘The adventure of Piet Pelle on his Gazelle’. Both rhyme, and so it does when you exchange ‘Piet Pelle’ for ‘Paul van Bellen’…

I rest my case, there’s only so much that can be written in the stars, I suppose ;).

Coincidently, I hooked up with Rowena Crowe late November when she was in town for the IDFA. She’d bought a crappy but lovely bike to get around. Crappy as many other beater bikes, but lovely all the same, because…it got her around ;).

We rode together, she asked the questions and filmed for prosperity. As Rowena writes: “This film gives you a sneak preview of the kind of people we will be meeting on the cycling Dutch style study tour in May 2011.”

Of course we stopped for beers as well. Like the ride, we took it slowly, as her jet lag was starting to kick in. I’m looking forward to springtime, to give that part of cultural integration another shot.

What can I say, really. We traveled to Munich for ein paar Bier und Spaß and…oh, who are we kidding, Oktoberfest Wiesn was absolutely fantastic. Just our luck, it was the 200th anniversary of one of the world’s biggest excuses to let it all hang out.

Of course, like in any civilized society, many people in Munich get around on bikes. We felt right at home.

Lauren’s Nikon in one hand and my iPhone in the other, we went around town and the Wiesn grounds on Thursday, as a warm-up for the big day on Friday, you know, just easing into it. I think we did it the right way…

Just enjoying our walk into town, to the daily market and center squares…

Spot the Amsterdammer :).

A few beers in Hofbräuhaus:

And then checking out Wiesn itself, riding along with some Wiesnettes…to the biggest fair I’ve ever seen in my life.

Bathroom pit stop in a small tent…

Let’s just say Thursday took longer to finish than anticipated.

Friday brunch…

An impromptu Pedersen bike ride…

Off to claim our spots at Wiesn 2010…

but not before hitting the traditional Historischen Oktoberfest, where we gave this peculiar bicycle race arena a run for its money:

Getting closer to our Garden of Eden…

Yup, we’re there and not leaving…

See you in 2011, Munich!

Alright, time to catch up, shall we?

In May I flew to Florida to spend quality time with Lauren & her family and attend a friend’s wedding in New Orleans.

Obviously, Florida was hot and humid, a matter of moving slowly, balance your air conditioning, so to speak. I had the opportunity to bike around, be it in a resort-like beach area, very private, so nothing eventful to report, when you consider the short routes to the beach.

Leaving this area meant switching to a car. Urban sprawl, huge sprawl of course. On the move, I did spot a few locals going about on two wheels. Emphasis on ‘few’. I didn’t envy them, but as it goes with locals, I’m glad it made sense to them. Little glitters of gold in an ocean of metal boxes.

Naturally, my New Orleans experience & observations were quite different, walking around in this vibrant & characteristic city.

Laid-back, colorful, entertaining, never a dull moment, I’m sure you’ve heard it all. Well, as with many other cities, there’s more to it than meets the eye, a vibe you can’t entirely put your finger on. I sure couldn’t, being there for just a few days (not counting that one day in 1992), but I felt it going round every corner. Little & longer encounters, the details of local customs, the friendliness, the smells and more, much more.

I’ll let the pictures serve as what they are, mere glimpses into a rich urban culture that I can’t wait to return to.

The wedding party was equally fun & interesting :).

PS: can someone please finally fix this water management problem in NOLA? Just one night of heavy rain blanketed the entire city. Thanks a bunch. NOLA people deserve much better than this. (And let’s not even get into the whole BP debacle..)

Queen’s Day is just around the corner. Ok, still over a week to go, but with so many people preparing for the biggest outdoor party evah, this fever just takes over, you’d almost forget it’s just about celebrating someone’s birthday…which isn’t really her’s :).

There are many dead giveaways to know you’ve submerged into something typically Lowlandish. If you think tourist season in Amsterdam is busy, think again. The streets function merely as vague indications of routes through an ant farm, when you realize over a million more people than usual roam the city. Perspective: Amsterdam has about 750.000 inhabitants, a little over a million if you include the suburbs. Oh, and I can only guess how many partygoers venture out on the canals.

Orange, lots of orange. No escape from orange. You wouldn’t want to be caught dead wearing something this orange on a workday or in the weekend, but on this day (and the night before) it’s obligatory and people take their creativity to a whole new level. Hell, it’s suspicious if you don’t. It’s always fun to see what’s new, the new fad this time.

I’m sure many first-time visitors who never heard of April 30th will need a bit more adjusting than they bargained for. But, once the senses have settled, keen observers should be able to distinguish many Dutch traits and treats.

As Dutch as tulips, windmills, wooden shoes…and bicycles.

Speaking of treats: as Queen’s Day is really a very good an extremely good reason to visit Amsterdam, I guess mixing it up a bit wouldn’t hurt that first experience…you could book yourself a room in the Bicycle Hotel:

“Bicycle Hotel is a cosy place to stay located in the centre of Amsterdam in the cultural district of De Pijp. It is close to all the key sights and within walking distance of RAI, Van Gogh and the Modern Art Museum. The hotel is well known for its bike rental services with the possibility of hiring carrier bikes and cycling solutions for families with children.”

Amsterdam and the Bicycle Hotel, it doesn’t get more Dutch than that, right? And I happen to know Amsterdam Hostels run a nice competition this year, a good (read: real easy for Amsterdamize aficionados) opportunity to win free rental bikes if you book before…yeah, April 30th. Check it out!

Where I’ll be on Queen’s Day this year? It’s not final yet, but it looks like I’ll be walking into town and getting on a boat with a couple dozen more slightly intoxicated individuals. If you happen to be in da Dam, look out for me…I’m the guy wearing the orange wig, white t-shirt and red, white & blue flip flops. Oh, and dragging a big ass camera around. :-p

Sure, I missed out on all the NY400 events (all things Dutch you can think of) this summer, but perhaps it’s better that way, cycling around the city on a regular day, without all the extra brooha.

Noel of newamsterdamize.com (yeah, completely meant to be, right) was our generous host for the ride.

Noel of newamsterdamize.com hanging loose on his Batavus Personal Bike

After getting our rental bikes we crossed downtown Manhattan, turned onto the dedicated bike path of Hudson River Greenway and just enjoyed the spectacular views. It was just for a few hours, between lunch and rush hour, but very satisfying. Back in a city that has gone through lots of changes, but will always remain the same, that same vibrant and intoxicating metropole of the world.

Hudson River Greenway

What I observed was both exciting and sobering. First the exciting part. There are certainly more people on bikes, more than I’ve seen on any other visit or stay. And I’m not talking about fixie (male) hipsters (plenty of those), bike messengers and the countless(!) pedicabs.

Women on two wheels are well represented, which is a proper indicator. People with home-made utility contraptions, carrying just about anything.

In general, they are mostly young urbanites in their 20’s and 30’s. And pretty much a 50/50 split between the safety gear-crowd and the laissez-fair, aka those who just dress for the day and get on a bike. Right, ‘Cycle Chic’, aka a piece of Old Amsterdam in the New World. Not a bad score at all, could the paradigm really be shifting?

Second, the much publicized bicycle infrastructure. Of all that was put in place, I saw the right intentions. From pockets of lanes to long corridors, it’s emerging. And more to come.

On both accounts I also recognized the problems. Most cycling (and I emphasize ‘normal cycling’) can be witnessed in more quaint areas, like West Village and the Meat Packing District, where traffic is more permissive and cycle infrastructure more defined. You will only find the ‘die-hards’ and pedicabs on the main Avenues, where cycling provisions are scarce, if not absent. It’s not that it’s impossible to ride there, but when I think of cycling, it’s cycling for the lowest common denominator, that anybody should be able to do so. There’s certainly a lack of subjective safety, as David Hembrow would say.

Then there’s the issue of car drivers and pedestrians not respecting the bicycle grid, something very evident. I saw a lot of cyclists just avoiding the bike lanes because there would be too many people walking there or crossing without looking, (police) cars (double) parked or trucks unloading. I’d get tired of that, too.

But all of that doesn’t take anything away from the progress that’s been made in just a few years, the transformation that’s taking place in this great city. Hopefully, after returning a few more times things will have moved on even further, showing the decisive indicators for safe urban cycling…children and seniors on two wheels. That would be something, really turning the corner.

You’d certainly see more scenes like this too…or maybe not, she’s really one of a kind :-p.

Photo by BicyclesOnly, "NYC Bicycle Commuter, 5th Ave. @ 79th St."

Tomorrow I’ll be on my way to New York City, a long anticipated journey. I didn’t plan this as a cycling trip, nor am I off on a US speaking tour like some are accustomed to :).

I know, I know…of course(!) I’m going to hop on a two-wheeled friend while there, would be crazy not to. The last time I rode around Manhattan was 1992, pretty much the equivalent of the Wild Wild West, dominated by bike messengers. So much has happened in the last few years, so many different takes on the changes I’ve read/followed online, that I naturally need to see and experience this for myself. Luckily, hail to the internets, there’s a big chance that I won’t be riding alone.

I’m aware it’s a short notice, but if you happen to live on that lovely island, have time and feel like joining us on Friday afternoon, drop me a line!

Now I can’t help but hope I’ll catch Famke Jansen riding around the only way she knows how…Dutch-style. Does anyone of you know her regular route? :). The odds for this to happen are much greater than, say, bumping into & identifying BikesnobNYC ;-p.

A long overdue and lengthy leftover from my travels this summer. Biking Berlin with Lauren & Teresa on our orange Fat Tire rental bikes.

Lauren, Teresa (+ ‘Herr Bumblee’) and I biking around Berlin

I just received the nicest of surprises from Lauren, who’s now in Budapest. Ok, rewind.

I said goodbye to Lauren in Berlin, she and her good friend Teresa moved on to Prague and they arrived in Budapest yesterday. I love Budapest, but you already know that :).

Anyhoo, in Prague they rode their rental bikes alongside the Vltava river for many miles, with a beautiful castle as their destination. The surprise? Lauren filmed it and send the videos to me. The rest is now history:

Dankjewel, schatje!

Suffice to say, Berlin was cool. Well, we did enjoy nice warm weather, but the city’s kool factor is hard to describe without seeing it for yourself. Pictures will go only so far.

The last time I was there was during the World Cup in 2006 and as far as I could tell it has only gained more charm. Charm meaning: still and perhaps even more so that time-warp feeling of the 80’s and 90’s, both the urban vibe on the streets and the people. Non-conformists, making up their own fabric.

I think there’s not a city that so vividly and fittingly embraces street art as Berlin does. Graffiti is all around, truly amazing stuff and every neighborhood has at least a few hubs where artists have setup shop. You’d be blind to miss it.

Something I recognize, it reminds me of the more anarchistic and everything-goes Amsterdam of yester years. The good people of Berlin should know better, this characteristic of the city is essential, we can all see what impact massive gentrification can have.

One thing that did change since I was last there, there’s notably more cycling going on. Great diversity, young and old, hipsters (lots of fixies) and ‘commuters’ (for lack of better word), it’s happenin’. You can tell people enjoy it, no matter the still high volume of car traffic.

This increase of cycling and the way people move about on bikes also showed me that Berliners/Germans have so much in common with the Dutch. Uncomplicated, laissez-faire, utilitarian, practical, but with flair and lots of personality. A joy to be a witness of while walking and riding around.

Go there. You’ll love it.

That’s all I got. What was I thinking…these pictures wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of Álvaro who lend me his camera for this trip, as my Nikon is in repairs. Heel veel dank, man!

See the photo sets ‘Ich Bin Ein Berliner‘ & ‘Spaß In Berlin‘ for many more impressions.

Oh, hello! How are you?

A week has passed since my return from Italy and as summer vacations go…well, I’ve gone with the flow and I’m sticking with it. The blogging ratio is still low, but the cycling continues, as it continues to be the most important form of transportation for me, all year round. And being able to mix it up with train travel seals the deal.

With those modes, it doesn’t matter where you need to go in the Netherlands. Well over 17.000 kilometers of nearly flawless bicycle paths/lanes and routes will get you anywhere, from big and dense cities to the rural outskirts. My friends Helen and Les from Ottawa can tell you all about it.

Too far? A train station will always be close. It not only costs very little, you also meet people. In the summer the bar for that is always set low. Whether it’s when you help other people getting their bikes on the train and/or negotiating the compartment parking, giving tips to foreign visitors or just the bike itself, a conversation is inevitable. Before you know it, you’ve arrived at your destination. And that’s just one of the perks :).

So, in that sense, Mr Freight and I had a ‘busy’ week. Riding on the streets of Amsterdam, for the flimsiest of excuses and the more designated ones.

Riding to a party with a friend & observing while waiting for the light to go green.

Visiting a friend in Arnhem, where the daily cycle routines seem to be predictably a-ok.

Strengthening the family ties by going for a ride with my niece & nephew and sister-in-law.

But what about the title of this post, you ask? Simple, I will be traveling again at the end of this week, this time to beautiful Berlin. Whether there will be any cycling involved remains to be seen, but it’s hard to imagine there won’t be.

Walk, no, stride like the locals do and act like you meant to turn into yet another cute little alley way to discover its hidden treasures.

At least once a day, make sure you sit down for one form or the other of antipasti. Perfecto as an excuse for people-watching and recharging for the next round on the lungomare.

Take your time to spot and appreciate all types of stylish urban creatures emerging from all the little cracks of the city.

Don’t feel bad about not having pedaled those vibrant streets yourself, as you can still consider yourself fortunate (and a little bit of a Roman) to have cruised around on that other set of wheels.

After all, you’re on vacation in not just any old ‘città d’amore‘. Regardless of bella gente sulle biciclette.

I took home many things from my trip to Bilbao, including video footage, lots of it.

Part 1 takes us a bit back to the moment when Gabemac and I got on the hotel/cruiser bikes to head for the Guggenheim Museum. Let’s just say this is the really mellow first chapter…:)

You (my loyal readers/viewers) will remember my trip to Copenhagen in November last year. Mikael and I shot quite a few photos, go see this, this, this, this, this, this & this to refresh your memory. :)

Since then there was one real loose end…the video of one of Mikael’s life long dreams: racing a real Amsterdammer.

Well, you guessed it, he finally got to edit it and put it up. I then inserted parts of my own footage, to cover all angles, so here’s my Redux of:

The World’s First Copenhagen Invitational Slow Bicycle Race. At the Slowodrome on the Copenhagen Harbour.

PS: As a guest, I did the right thing…

Photo by Gabemac.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to rent a bike and vlog a Bicycle TV episode, as other things got in the way, activities for which I had traveled there in the first place. This involved long days (and nights) on the town, geeking out and just socializing with friends I mostly talk to through the interwebs. I know you’ll understand and forgive me.

This didn’t prevent me from being an astute observer from the sidewalks of this interesting city.

Bike parking, Club Szimpla.

I’ll get right down to it. I completely understand why there is such a massive Critical Mass movement in Budapest. Aside from a few scenic bicycle routes along the Danube and some isolated cycle spots downtown, cycling there is absolutely something for dare devils.

Budapest is completely clogged up with cars, and, to use an understatement, the roads don’t exactly leave much room for pedaling. You have to share the road in a way that would make Paris look like Amsterdam. Even that is too much credit, really.

Nonetheless, its people do cycle, just not in droves as you’d hope for or in ways that would encourage others. Riding on sidewalks, even crossing the bridges while cycling close to the ramp, it’s just nuts.

Photo by Gabemac.

Here’s what I came home with:

I’ve posted this video earlier this week, but I guessed it fits this post more, emphasizing what I took away from this vibrant city.