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.

Every once in a while I have some catching up to do with what’s happening in the vlogosphere. I’m in the middle of writing a guest post for Curbside Cycle in Toronto, but I probably get to finish that tomorrow and meanwhile I wanted to post at least something interesting.

So, here you have it, a trailer video posted by Californian Michael W. Bauch of everydaybike.com in early May of this year, called ‘Riding Bikes With The Dutch’.

I quote:

Welcome, Come Along for the Ride

The first time I stepped off the train in Amsterdam I was literally speechless. As soon as I set foot on the ground I was almost run over by a mob of bikes. I turned to look up and to my amazement there was a 3 level structure dedicated to just parking bicycles. Everyone from three years old to 93 seemed to be tooling around the city on two wheels. This was too much to take in with just my own eyes. I needed to share this with everyone I could and this is why I made my film: Riding Bikes with the Dutch.

The Dutch Get it

Bikes aren’t just for Lance Armstrong. You don’t have to have the latest carbon fiber frame and wear a spandex body suit to ride a bike…what a revelation.

Bicycling is a lifestyle – not just a race, a hobby, or the latest fashion craze.

Bikes aren’t just for kids. Adults can play too!

Cars treat bikes with respect. Cyclists are treated like real modes of transportation, not second class citizens.

Cities should be designed for people – not cars.

Bicycling infrastructure is a key part of the planning process for new construction, not an after thought.

It being a trailer obviously means there’s something to be released:

Anyone who has ever made a movie will tell you that it takes a lot of time & patience; no different here. With over 35 hours of raw footage the editing process has begun. I will let you know where you can see my movie and how you can buy my DVD when it is time.

I am aim to have more details for you in the coming months. So be patient, stay tuned, and keep riding…

Oh, I can relate, Michael, take all the time you need, I’ll be waiting. I’m a big sucker for bicycle film awesomeness :).

[Update] This just came in through the feeds from Pascal van den Noort of Vélo Mondial, which I think fits perfectly with this post:

New Amsterdam Bike Slam Part 2

Four hundred years after Henry Hudson’s arrival in Manhattan, two teams of Dutch and American planners & designers face off in a battle for the future of New York City transportation. Their challenge: find ways to bring NYC cycling up to the level of the Netherlands, the only country in the world with more bikes than people. The New Amsterdam Bike Slam is being organized in New Amsterdam (sometime also referred to as “New York City”) from 10-13 September 2009. It is an initiative of Amsterdam Cycling to Sustainability, produced by Vélo Mondial and Transportation Alternatives, with funding from Transumo and the City of Amsterdam. After three days of preparation, the New Amsterdam Bike Slam teams face off in a live debate “battle,” and compete to provide the most compelling vision for making lower Manhattan and Brooklyn a bicycling area on par with Amsterdam. The battle begins at 10:00 pm, followed by a late night dance party at the renowned Meatpacking District club, with DJ John Julius Knight. Full background on the program: newamsterdambikeslam.org.

Here are the posts New Amsterdam Bike Slam Part 1 and Part 3.

Nice work, Pascal! And a nice aside: my good friend Henry of Workcycles fame is one of the sponsors:

…The next morning at Battery Park, Mr. Job Cohen, Mayor of Amsterdam – one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world – will convey the prize to the winning team: free Dutch bicycles, courtesy of Workcycles.