I went around town for some serious Christmas shopping, but not without stopping and getting off Mr Freight to click away at a few familiar cycle scenes.

T minus 10 seconds

Had je me maar – If only you had me

Give your cycle life some color

My crate was full, time to go home

This leaves me with one more thing…

Starting Amsterdamize in the summer of 2008 was great, 2009 proved to be even better and 2010…well, I’m not in the prediction business, but as long as I got you as my audience I know it will be awesome!

So I say thanks for your passion for cycling, sharing your stories, enjoying mine and making my journey ever so interesting!

See you here and on Amsterdamize in 2010!

Cheers,

Marc

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.

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.