Random bits and pieces from the month of August that I caught along my cycle ways that are worth posting. Top photo: after over 6 months of nudging my Swedish-Egyptian expat neighbors, they finally acted upon it and got themselves two 2nd hand, practical bikes. With crate. For their French bull terrier Baby.

The rain, oh the rain. The summer of 2011 went down as the wettest on record since 1906. Harsher winters, spring turns out to be our summer (yet again) and summers turn to fall. Nothing to see, moving on.

‘Never A Bike Bridge Too Far’.

Two friends making things tidy for the ride.

Putting my GoPro camera to good use while testing the Brik Brut bicycle (more on that in October), for the obligatory ride down the bicycle parking garage at Central Station.

‘Strolling In The Red Light District’ & ‘Mr Fr8 Got A Brand New Crate’

‘Canal View’

‘A Bike Is A Terrible Thing To Waste‘

‘A View From The Cycle Path’. “Sorry I’m late…the bridge was open.” A very valid excuse in Amsterdam.

On Nieuwmarkt. Tom of Workcycles polishing my Fr8 (first time since I’d bought it) for a special photo shoot. Roos of ‘Ride With Me NYC‘ fame assisting.

Friends joining us for drinks.

Pannier action: ‘Unloading’ & ‘Loaded Up’.

‘Parting Ways’

‘Stack’

‘Bird’

Fire Department Ordinance: ‘Don’t Park Your Bike Here. Parked Bikes Will Be Removed.’

‘Meeting Point’ & “Who’s Going Side Saddle, You Or Me?”

Stay tuned for August posts with a more themed approach.

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.

I recently stated that bicycles are the most social means of transportation. Some would say I’m merely preaching to the choir, others might quip “Yeah, sure, maybe in your world, over here it’s war/we’re not even allowed to ride two-abreast/we don’t have time for that sort of thing”.

I understand all that, but putting that aside for a second, I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s really the case. I witness it every day, the socialization factor is X. Yes, Social Factor X marks this mode. This social mobility is vertical, horizontal and diagonal. It enhances city life, personal experiences & generally puts the observer in a very good mood. A win-win.

Using a bike for practical purposes is no different than, aka part of, just going about life, really, so just this fact alone allows every aspect of life to continue, albeit on two wheels (or more).

Amsterdamize was established to not talk the talk so much, but show it, so here we go. First up, a man moving his painting by bike. Again, Dutch people carrying stuff on their bike is as ordinary as…well, name anything.

Then he slows down and gets off his bike. At first I thought he had arrived at his destination. But no, he dismounted because he saw a friend and decided to catch up with him, walking along.

Others bumping into a friend and catching up…

Which brings us to the classic ’sharing the ride with your offspring’…

Equal to walking, it also allows you to catch up with the state of affairs on the fly…

And it helps speed up the shopping together process…despite a few inclines here and there…

You’re also more likely to have some heartwarming interaction with street photographers…

Finishing lunch while making the handicapped more able…

Strengthening the father-daughter relationship…

Checking up on your daughter and friends, swimming in the Amstel River…

Finally, when you’re a kid, there’s no reason not to continue fooling around with your best buddy…

Well, the following ain’t half bad, either :)…

Statistics don’t sell cycling, cycling does. People have to see and feel it for themselves to really understand the significance of putting cycling at the forefront of rethinking our urban mobility. The most powerful means second to that are the visual arts: photos and videos. My modus operandi.

I have more than plenty of photos to show, the video part has been falling behind this year. That’s going to change. I ordered a GoPro camera. I recognized the power of this camera when I saw Paul Martin, part of the Australian Cycling Dutch Style group which I joined a few times on their study tour around the Netherlands a little while ago, put that camera to good use. It’s awesome.

Many visitors I host, have either followed Amsterdamize or have read up on cycling in the Netherlands otherwise, also going through tons of pictures and videos. Either they still couldn’t believe it, or were expecting the ultimate cycling Walhalla. Yet, all of them, really all of them realized upon arrival that nothing beats experiencing the reality on the ground. Steven Vance from Chicago, for instance, was only half-joking when he uttered I was cherry-picking the best cycling moments with my camera…until he rode here himself.

Alas, enough of the babbling. I positioned myself on the bridge over the Prinsengracht, leading towards one of the arterial bike routes in downtown Amsterdam, Nieuwe Spiegelstraat.

That street is a one-way street for cars (not a through-way, but mostly used by people who live there or delivery vans), which can rarely (and won’t) overtake people on bicycles (as it’s a Bicycle Street) and a two-way street for people on bikes (and mopeds unfortunately) & a narrow sidewalk on each side. At that time on that Saturday it was not particularly busy, not like during the week when on average 25.000 people travel up and down this stretch on a daily basis. It’s a fast, thus popular connection between the Museum quarter in the south and the downtown area, en route to Central Station.

The video already received a first comment on Vimeo:

That is what the motor vehicle to bike ratio should be in every city…ideally.

I know, that’s why I’m still living here :). Enjoy. If you have any questions, write it in the comment section.

I have to admit, I have it easy. I live in Amsterdam. Whether I stick my head out of the window or step outside, ANYwhere I go and look (aka, point my camera) there are bikes. Either stationary or with people on them. There’s not a single angle you can view this city without them draping the mis-en-scene. The same, and often more of it applies to the rest of the country.

Anyway, as Amsterdamize’s faithful readers know, it doesn’t mean I take that for granted, unlike many of my fellow Dutchies. They just ride. They put cycling on the same conscious level as walking. You just move, from A to B. “Cycling is just a faster way of walking” & “Bikes are like shoes” are popular memes. We’ve come a long way since the destructive decline between 1950 – 1975. Newcomers: that’s geek speak for ‘this bicycle culture was man-made‘.

Sundays aren’t any different from other days of the week. So similarly, I had my camera with me and on my A to B to C to D route I first stopped for 15 minutes at Meester Visserplein near Waterloo square I started clicking away, aka I put my hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

It’s always nice to get a kiss for your efforts ;).

Next up, I positioned myself in front of Cafe Americain of the American Hotel on Leidseplein, again for about 15 min. Plenty to see.

And often enough, somebody notices me too ;).

I had some time to kill, walked around the neighborhood, moved closer to the edge and finally positioned myself along the arterial bi-directional bicycle path in front of Central Station and clicked away for about 20 minutes.

As always, I wasn’t just an outsider (on foot) or a perceived tourist, but I quickly became part of that stream of consciousness. Interactions usually occur when you create pleasant circumstances where people can see eye to eye.

Going to New York for 5 days was thrilling, highly anticipated and rewarding. Returning home equally so…my new camera was waiting for me.

This weekend I took it for a test ride…uhm, shoot. This journey didn’t disappoint either. Well, how could it, we’re talking people on bicycles in Amsterdam.

Twoo Ready

Grace In The Wind

Solitude

Double Check

Moment Of Clarity

Momentum

Warm

Still Going Strong

Subtle

Sense & Sensibility

Intrigued

Right

Vibrant Chic

Healthy

Fav Color

Man In Black

Giddy

Not Just Any Hat

Can you tell I got a bit carried away? :) …and there’s more, see the entire photo set here or here.