Cycling without a helmet

Ice cycling

2012-02-10T20:13:00.000+01:00

Ice capades on the canal!

Bikes, strollers, babies in sleds, skates, couches, chairs, dining tables, etc... I don't even have to leave my apartment.

A view from my window.

Fiets en Wandelbeurs

2012-02-07T07:02:00.000+01:00

Yay! Fiets en Wandelbeurs is this weekend.

For those of you that don't know about it, it's a convention for people who like to go on trips with their bicycles... and wandelbeurs-ers. (A word that I haven't quite figured out yet. Hikers? Wanderers?)

Wandelers?

Last year to find the RAI convention center, I remember following a hoard of hiker outfitted attendees with enormous backpacks and sensible stiff soled shoes... but once inside, I ignored most things that were not bicycle related.

In the back hall, they had a small track set up for test riding all sorts of fancy steeds. I made some videos here.

Test riding!

Also last year, I picked up some maps that I used on my bicycle trip to Antwerp and I made the poor Brompton guy fold and unfold one for me. Can you imagine how many times a day he has to do that?? Well, not for me again :) Other fun discoveries: cave-biking in Slovenia (which inspired my experience in Limburg), brewery specific bicycle routes, ortlieb bags, super fluffy bicycle seat covers and funny theft deterrent device posters.

This year, I want to learn more about camping and campsites.

Maybe the stuffed shrew will be there again.

Taking the lane

2012-02-06T18:21:00.000+01:00

What should you do if the bicycle lane on the road is covered in ice/slush and slime?

Take the lane. The cars can slow down and then drive over the tram tracks to pass.

But be sure to wear a cute hat on your custom painted omafiets!

Brompton in the snow

2012-02-04T14:04:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, the murphy's law of package delivery happened when DHL tried to deliver my package during the only time of the day that I was not home. It was obviously going to happen, so I didn't try and avoid it by staying home all day (if you do that, then they won't deliver at all). So, desperate for my package (new boots), I asked them to leave it at a pick up point in Den Haag for me today! The pick-up point is only 5 kilometers from the train station, so taking the folding bicycle seemed like a great idea...

Then there was a blizzard-like snowstorm.

Today, I woke up to beautiful frosted trees, slippery snowy roads and bicycle paths. Half the trains were no longer running, but I could still get from Leiden Centraal to Den Haag Holland Spoor.
To put a positive spin on it, in addition to picking up my package, I also tested out the Brompton in the snow.

First, I do believe cycling on a snowy path isn't too difficult if you go slowly. If visibility is good, it can even be fun. Wear wool layers and a hat and you'll be fine. Oh, and gloves! The crossing buttons might be frosty.

Soft new snow, is easier than packed and smooshed snow but it can also mask ice underneath. The route I had to take to the pick-up point was on multi-use paths which tended toward the packed and slippery side. (The widest bicycle-only paths were plowed) Slipping isn't so scary if you go slow.

I had to be prepared to step off the pedals at any time for balance or to stop, even if I had the right of way, for nervous drivers who were completely freaked out by the snow.

The bicycle held up very well at the beginning but started to "catch" after 30 minutes on the uphill portions. By catch, I mean the chain was skipping and catching until I shifted to a lower gear. Then, it operated better. There is probably a real technical term for this...

At the same time, the snow had started packing into the fenders and along the rims. This caused the wheels to make strange new noises. I picked up the bicycle and shook it a few times which helped until the snow built up again.

Overall, I think my bicycle held up very well and I felt secure on it. The brakes squeaked but worked, and anytime I felt slipping, I could easily steady myself. At no point, did I wish that someone would pull me along, bundled and warm.

The shifting was weird going uphill but otherwise fine. Maybe proper snow tires would help with slipping, but I think going slowly is enough of a precaution... And I hope it's not going to be this snowy for much longer. The most important thing is to be prepared to stop at any time.

Especially for the relentless cuteness that might cross your path.

Snow day!

2012-02-03T13:21:00.000+01:00

Car in the bicycle lane...

2012-01-30T08:09:00.001+01:00

Can someone please explain to me why this vehicle to me? A mini-car for the bicycle lane? Why? Who?

It's beyond me.

*** After posting
Yes, sorry... it makes sense as a handicapped mobility vehicle! In ignorance, I assumed it was an annoying pleasure vehicle like the scooters that teenagers love speeding down the bicycle paths, but no, it's a legitimate, and kind of cool vehicle that can contain an entire wheelchair.

Market Day bicycles

2012-01-29T09:14:00.000+01:00

At the Leiden Saturday market, I spotted a few standouts in bicycle decoration and bicycle shenanigans.

The first bicycle to catch my eye, (on the way, past hundreds of boring old omafiets paint jobs) was a green grinch themed frame... It's soft, fluffy and green.
Why would someone do this you ask?
Well, why not?

Later, a young woman (Marian, I did ask) walked a zebra motif omafiets past me. I followed behind and awkwardly caught her attention. She was very kind and posed for me with her bicycle. It's different than the other zebra omafiets so now there are two in town. How many zebras in a harem?

On my way back home, I managed to make a video of a bike rack passenger pulling some luggage behind the bicycle. Always a favorite.

There's also some general traffic madness that happens on the Breestraat every Saturday when they close it to private cars.

Below, scofflaws! Both cyclists and pedestrians alike take the traffic signals as "suggestions" and I venture to think this is okay. It all works out, people travelling with the same relative mass and speed are not such a danger to each other... and the buses are driven by professional with immense amounts of experience and patience.

Omafietsen Vrijdag

2012-01-27T11:34:00.000+01:00

Crazy fractal vegetable revisited

2012-01-25T16:52:00.000+01:00

For sale at Mabrouk Slagerij on my way home... (Near the Beestenmarkt)

I know from the last time that it doesn't taste that special but how can you not buy this???

Look at it!

Bicycle twin scofflaws

2012-01-14T07:12:00.000+01:00

I rode behind these two on my way out of Leiden on Friday. They were soooooo slow!
It was painful to stay behind them, but I wasn't in a hurry and I found their matching ruff imitation hoods very amusing. Also, they seemed to knock handlebars several times.

Then, they run the red lights at the end of the video!
(The woman standing in the lane is a passenger of one of the other waiting cyclists.)

After the light, I caught up with them again because they are so freaking slow. Why even bother running lights??? Eventually, they turned left off my route and I put my camera away.

Kids these day.

Good American beer

2012-01-13T19:33:00.000+01:00

There is good beer in America and great beer from Iowa!

While in Iowa, we went for a visit to the Peace Tree Brewery in Knoxville.

We'd heard of them from tasting their Rye Porter that is distributed widely around Iowa. The other beers are harder to find but turned out to be just as delicious!

A beautiful tasting room:

A special beer that is being aged in Templeton Rye whisky barrels (another great Iowa product.)

And in the tasting room, we found a flyer for the brrrfest, a festival of local and small breweries from around the region in Coralville on January 28th. If you're in the Iowa area, be sure to go!

Parking space

2012-01-09T18:59:00.000+01:00

There are an equal number of bicycles (plus one scooter) and cars in the two photos below.

Reading the recent NYTimes article on parking reminded me to post this... imagine how full the parking lot would be if all the cyclists drove cars to work too!

Cycling in Iowa

2012-01-08T12:05:00.000+01:00

During my stay in my home town over the holiday season, the weather was gorgeous... and my wonderful hosts let me fix up and borrow their bicycles! One was a large-enough hybrid with front suspension and wide tires, perfect for the unknown ground conditions that form the bicycle paths, tracks or streets in the town. (And I did put my nice new brooks saddle on it.)

Ames bicycle related municipal code is here and I'll provide a short summary for the curious: Helmets not mandatory, brakes are required, only one occupant per bicycle unless a seat is provided, yield right of way to vehicles if the road intersects the bicycle path, yield right of way to pedestrians all the time, sidewalk riding is permitted except in a few specifically named areas, baggage is allowed so long as the cyclist has at least one hand on the handlebars. The last one also applies to unicycles!

On the nicest afternoon, I went out with my brother for a ride. He wore lots of safety gear including the winged pants protectors that I bought as a present for him the year before. :)

Our overly ambitious destination was to be the Heart of Iowa trail in Slater, but on the approach the "path" turned out to be a gutter lane of a country highway. The road traffic speed was over 50 miles an hour and the attached "bike path" was covered in debris and gravel. Spot the faint bicycle graphic painted on the road under the dirt.

I've been told that a lot of brave cyclists take this path and do a nice 30-50 mile loop for training or pleasure. Maybe it's in better condition in the warmer months?

I've also been told that a lot of people think it's normal to drive 7 miles to the trail, unload their bicycles from their cars and then cycle back and forth over the limestone inset path on the trail... Weird, but this does explain the car-powered bicycle pump.

At this time, however (and spoiled from the lovely separated and clean paths in the Netherlands), I did not want to ride so close to speeding cars and trucks while going over loose debris... plus we had to be home for teatime at 4pm.

So we decided to ride around town and go to a few of the local parks instead of the trail.

There were some very nice paths, some other on-street lanes and some annoying (and official) sidewalk cycling. Overall, the infrastructure is pretty good and improving, apparently. Maybe we'll do the full trail ride in the summer.

We had a very fun afternoon!

Sidewalk cycling is expected here.

Bicycle Friendly Street sign exhorting drivers to be nice and careful.

A two-way path next to a high speed country road... but no debris.

A bicycle path!! Out behind the new middle-school.

Bicycle warning sticker

2012-01-06T12:59:00.000+01:00

Purple bike!

2012-01-05T03:43:00.000+01:00

I found childhood photos of the purple unicorn bicycle I learned to ride on! (There's a rainbow unicorn illustration on the banana seat.) I remember coasting down the incline of the driveway with my feet sticking out to get the balance right. After that, it was just luck and pedalling. My parents tried to get me to wear a helmet but I was always taking it off or complaining about it. The one memorable accident I had on this bicycle was due to trying to ride with one hand and make a "thumbs up" gesture with the other hand- the awesomest thing a cyclist could do... I fell off onto the sidewalk, no harm to anything other than my dignity.

But how stylish, eh? Fenders, chain guard, a basket, streamers and a squeezebulb horn!

I think this is 1983 or 1984.

Two cyclists, one patch of grass

2011-12-31T17:27:00.002+01:00

Two bicycles, one patch of grass, originally uploaded by _Alicia.

I'm in Chicago!

A car powered bicycle pump...

2011-12-28T23:30:00.002+01:00

A quick two household survey revealed that all bicycle pumps in Iowa require cars for operation. No huffing and puffing, no back breaking manual labour. It's simple and easy to fill your bicycle tires.

First. Get your car.

Without cars, this bicycle pump is of no use.

What good is a car powered bicycle pump without a car?, originally uploaded by _Alicia.

Find a car, turn the car on, plug in the pump.

Approach with caution. It may seem weird, but go ahead, it works.

Restless in Iowa

2011-12-28T04:44:00.000+01:00

I'm in Iowa for the holidays and I'm restless already!

Luckily, I received some nice little bicycle tools for christmas... and, I've been told that I can fix and use the bicycles in the garage... if I'm so inclined.

I am so inclined. (The weather looks fine for tomorrow.)

First step, find the bicycles in the garage!

One bicycle needs a new tire, tube, lube, air and trueing. Plus, dust removal.

The others only need air, lube and better saddles (so squishy!!! Why???). I suppose I'm a total brooks saddle snob now because I can't imagine riding around town on a plush, squishy cushion! However, if I can't get the first bicycle up and running, I won't have to imagine it.

Dark days and planning for spring

2011-12-24T12:14:00.000+01:00

Up until the shortest day of the year, and with the general darkness of winter in northern Europe, it's hard to not get a little depressed. Also, the dutch weather of unpredictable, inconsistent rain and wind, does not help with the mood. For me, depression will mostly manifest by sleeping more than usual, going to bed earlier and earlier or, watching endless reruns of Buffy, Angel, or Firefly. I think (hope) the bottom for me this year was when one night I fell asleep at 20:00 pm after watching several Lexx episodes that I had seen before. (If you aren't familiar, it's a show about a porn star, a canadian poofy-haired zombie, a robot head and a sleazy pilot living on a giant dragonfly spaceship. Yeah. Watching might be understandable, but re-watching??)

SO! Time to start planning better days ahead!

I signed up for ride this spring, The Swift-Joop Zoetermelk classic , the 75k. (Ha ha, what a name.)

Sadly, the eleven cities bicycle ride is already fully booked, so I'm to plan a trip of my own to Friesland. Maybe I'll follow the route... Organized rides are fun for motivation, but, truly, underplanned one or two day trip with only a destination in mind are the most fun!

For anyone interested, there are a few more organized rides on the calendar here.

And, I've started taking spin classes at the gym. Of course, it's nothing like being on a bicycle outside but at least I get some comfort from the motions. Plus, the class is in dutch so I'm learning words like sneller, sneller, sneller, zwarter, zwarter, zwarter. It's quite challenging during the class, but I haven't been sore afterwards. I think all the riding I've done has made my muscles very tough for cycling, even if no one can tell by looking at me. Or I need to turn the knob.

For now, no more TV, I'm staying up until 9pm at least :) and I'm making plans for ride destinations in the New Year. This is definitely on my list. And of course, happily reading the blogs of people who keep going despite the cold, dark and rain.

(I'm still bicycle commuting to work everyday, that will never stop!)

Strange holiday tradition?

2011-12-21T11:24:00.001+01:00

Someone put a loaf of bread under my bicycle last night.

Pimp your bike!

2011-12-19T07:18:00.000+01:00

For charity :)

As part of the Glazen Huis - Serious Request action for the Quintus house fraternity/student organization of Leiden University, you could pay money to have your bicycle decorated or "pimped." (The word fraternity is a bit of a misnomer, Dutch fraternities are co-ed.)

Anyways, I went by on Saturday to see how the Pimp Your Bike action was going.

Inside, in an unventilated bicycle parking and storage area...

Some very creative young women were making great progress on a large number of bicycles.

Meer Het Glazen Huis

2011-12-17T05:58:00.000+01:00

More info!

Here's the official Leiden city website about Het Glazen Huis. (I like the extensive "praktisch" information section about parking, cars and bicycles.)

Today, there is a Pimp Your Bicycle action by a fraternity Quintus.
€7.50 to have graffiti on your bicycle... warning- it's staged within view of my apartment window so you may end up on this blog.

Quintus is also making a sexy pin-up calendar of students for sale... yikes.

The other fraternity in town, Minerva, will be sponsoring a running loop around the Rapenburg canal.

Leiden University is sponsoring many other activities too, including a tour of the Academiegebouw, a very old building where official, solemn activities take place. I sat in for a Ph.D. defense earlier this year and was impressed with the wall of portraiture in just one of the rooms.

More bicycle action is taking place at the Boerhaave Museum, with the EnergieFabriek.

They have set up spinning bicycles, racing bicycles and rowing machines to generate electricity that is being used for Serious Request.

If I understand the dutch correctly, most of the bicycles are reserved by teams in competition, but there are two that are not reservable and can be ridden for 10 minute "donations" of energy. That might be fun!

If you find something that sounds interesting, please come visit Leiden and remember to bring all your trash with you! (The intimidating number of bins are also part of a charity action)

Here's are some videos of traffic near one scaffolding tower on the main street toward the town center. Play all three at the same time. :)

Het Glazen Huis

2011-12-15T06:55:00.001+01:00

There's a very popular charity event that takes place in a different Dutch city each year. It's called Serious Request, or Het Glazen Huis, or (thank you english Wikipedia!) that stunt where a bunch of DJs are locked into a glass room and have to play music for 6 days straight without ~~sleep~~ solid food. Citizen participants can request songs for a cost and all (most) proceeds go to the charitable cause. Others, such as school children or local businesses, can raise money and deliver it to the organization directly.

This year the event is being held in Leiden. The city is very excited about this and has put up all sorts of staging areas, floating platforms, traffic controls, towers with LED lights, and massive recycling bins every 25 meters. This is making a me a little nervous... especially the recycling bins. Why do they need so many of them?

But no matter. It's going to be wild for a few days. I look forward to learning more about it and finding a way I can contribute... without getting grumpy with the massive influx of charitable people roaming the city with bags and bags of used product packaging that need to be recycled.

Lunch break

2011-12-13T21:22:00.000+01:00

I made this video on my way back from a walk to the Leiden Centraal Station during lunch today... It's always nice to see (and benefit from) the orderly dutch bicycle, car, train, pedestrian, scooter, etc., traffic planning, especially in a busy business district.

Awkward bicycle rack designs

2011-12-10T08:37:00.001+01:00

There is abundant bicycle parking all over Leiden... and it is usually abundantly full of bicycles.

Many racks seem full until you look closely. Often there are spots open, but hard to see (or use as intended) because of all the other bicycles. There's one kind of rack, the two level ground secured style, that is particularly troublesome.

See, here in the Netherlands, people ride dutch bicycles. It's not a trend. They just ride dutch bicycles, probably because they are dutch. Dutch bicycles tend to have enormous sweptback handlebars. Those alone, without boxes or baskets, can take up a lot of space. The classic dutch bicycle is also very very heavy. This means that most people will not lift their bicycle, ever, and that the maneuverability of it in a direction other than backwards or forwards, is rather bad.

This leads to some awkward parking situations.

The most awkwardly designed rack is the double level ground rack. There's a high slot with a wheel rest alternating with a low level ground slot. They are very close together.

Dutch bicycles are usually stolidly taking up all the low level rack slots. They were wheeled in with no lifting. Done. Great.

You may think, look at all those free spots around them!

No. Due to the design, a dutch bicycle effectively takes up two slots. They are too wide and heavy for just one spot. (Remember, it's really best to blame the rack designer, and not start calling the bicycle "fat." That can go all sorts of ugly places.)

When I try to put my bicycle into that higher level rack slot, it ends up suspended in the air.

The wheel is an inch above the slot.

I suppose if I also had a fat bicycle it would fit, but I would have had to lift it into place... and that is to be avoided.

Leaving my bicycle hanging from the other bicycles is poor etiquette.

If I try to go under them and into the rack, the dutch bicycles would have to be lifted just a few inches off the ground and then they would hang from my bicycle...

In the end, I and many others, simply forgo the rack slot and use a kickstand to squeeze in. It's no big deal, easy enough to do, but I imagine there must be a better rack design!

How about lifting the high level racks just a few inches? Or spacing them further apart? Or making them all ground level?

A very large basket

2011-12-08T07:14:00.000+01:00

De Bier Winkel fiets!

2011-12-04T11:28:00.000+01:00

The best bier store in Leiden has a new bicycle!

Smartphone battery pack for cycling trips

2011-12-01T16:39:00.000+01:00

A couple of months ago, I got a smartphone and took it along on several cycling trips. I was excited about being able to look up maps 'n stuff...

However, after or during each trip (with painful rationing of the phone), I'd inevitably say something like this:

"Stupid ^)%*^!! smart phone, what's the &^%! point if the battery doesn't last for even one day? This thing sucks. ^%$#^%$#."

My boyfriend listens.

For my birthday, he made me a battery pack that can charge up my phone, twice!

And, for a special touch, he put it inside a dutch cycling patch repair kit.

Pedestrian and bicycle traffic

2011-11-30T07:23:00.000+01:00

We can all get along! :)

A bridge from two angles:

Parking after dark

2011-11-28T22:08:00.001+01:00

Lights at night (5 pm!!) in the bicycle parking shed

Saturday morning scene

2011-11-27T07:45:00.000+01:00

Two bicycles are better than one

2011-11-25T22:28:00.000+01:00

I love my brompton!

A pony loves my brompton!

The photos above are by the Travelling Two and here's their story of our super fun Brompton trip a few weekends ago during the last of the warm non-rainy weather of 2011.

Also, many thanks to The Prudent Cyclist for encouraging me to get one!

So...

Obviously, my little red bicycle has been great for commuting, ponies and multi-modal travel. I can go on the bus or train at any time without paying extra, or the hassle of buying a "printed only" ticket. The lighting works without a thought and I can carry it up and down the stairs with one hand.

And now it's nice to know (empirically rather than by the Path Less Pedaled blog) that my brompton IS comfortable enough for a wind-at-my-back 60-70k day. My trip in the Hills of Limburg notwithstanding- that trip would have been difficult on any bicycle, including my lovely vintage 80s blue koga-miyata.

A side by side view.

The wheelbase is somehow magically the same. I'm not an engineer or very good with a measuring tape, but it looks the same and I'm impressed.

The crank arms are also the same length and distance from the ground.

The most obvious positional difference of the bicycles appears to be the handlebars. The brompton grips are higher and closer to the seat. This makes it feel twitchier and puts more of my own body weight on the seat. Fortunately, it's comfortable for shorter days and trips so far!

For those longer trips that are primarily about cycling, or require more weighty luggage, I'll probably still take my favorite blue bicycle. However, it's really nice to have (easy to carry and store) options for commutes, shorter and exploratory trips... or for daytrips that might involve iffy weather when I'm feeling irresolute.

Two bicycles are better than one! :)

Bicycle frame with sculpture

2011-11-22T18:17:00.000+01:00

Bicycle parking in London

2011-11-19T09:39:00.000+01:00

Or, Two Bicycles, One lock.

(Apologies for the low quality pictures, I only had a camera phone.)

One bicycle.

A man with "cyclist sock" appears with a second bicycle.

He lifts.

And flexes.

Not sure what is going on here...

Finally, two bicycles parked together..

Je kijk niet

2011-11-17T17:31:00.000+01:00

I just had my first cycling argument in Dutch!

Maybe not one to be proud of, but whatever, it's progress on the language front.

On the way home, I take a one way street and sometimes hop the curb to the sidewalk and pull right up to my doorway. When I do this, I always signal with my hand. Usually, I'll check behind me too, but not all the time. It's a rather mellow street. (I don't curb hop if there are pedestrians around.)

Today, I was cycling about 2 feet away and parallel from the sidewalk. Apparently a lady was cycling up fast behind me intent on clearing me in those two feet (and not the other 10 feet of the road). I signalled with my hand that I was going left, but apparently she didn't see it. Instead she came up very close, swerved and then sped by, yelling at me.

Well, the New Yorker me hasn't died out yet, because I yelled back.

Grumpy lady: (angry dutch sounds, moet je hand... angry)

Me: Ik met de hand! Je kijk niet!

Grumpy lady: (Angrier dutch, fading as she rides away)

Me: Ik denk je kijk niet!

I don't know who's right or wrong, but I did what I was supposed to do. It's a quiet street. It's dark. I don't know how she managed to not see me... I guess she wasn't expecting that I'd be going onto the sidewalk- but that's what the hand signals are for!

Speculaas overload

2011-11-16T18:37:00.000+01:00

Holiday season in the Netherlands has begun!

Sinterklaas arrived in the Netherlands last Saturday and is scheduled to appear in Leiden on the 19th of November. Decorations and festive lights have started appearing... and there's a sudden proliferation of holiday treats in the stores and oliebollen stands outside.

One such treat is the speculaas.

MMmmmmmm.

Today, I went speculaas crazy in the store and purchased Speculaas, speculoos paste, speculaas hagelmix and speculaas spice for cooking.

Then I did what any normal dutch person would do (ok, maybe not true).

I put it all together on white bread.

If only there was a speculaas flavored beverage!!

Dutch landscape

2011-11-12T20:05:00.000+01:00

More His & Hers bicycles

2011-11-10T07:27:00.000+01:00

Newspaper holder

2011-11-08T07:23:00.000+01:00

Copenhagenize just posted about these!
I saw one for the first time in Brugge last week at the super fancy Excellerbikes store.
Coincidence?
Or is something telling me to buy one?? (And, of course, I need the Italian bicycle to go with it.)

Extra bicycle parking

2011-11-06T09:30:00.000+01:00

Perfect beer timing

2011-11-04T10:44:00.000+01:00

Somehow, we were in Belgium the day the Westvleteren 12 coupon came out in the newspaper... One box per coupon, per person! We found two.

This was not planned, it happened by the fate/stars/beer gods and a certain amount of beer geekery via our visiting friends :)

The nearest supermarket was about 5k away. I had brought my bicycle with me so we only had to rent one (the night before because the bike store didn't open until 930am).

The store selling the beer opened at 830am. We were there at 815am... A line had already formed.

Belgian people take their beer very seriously! The little lady in front of us couldn't really walk without a shopping cart, but there she was, waiting for her special beer with everyone else. Some people even brought their children as the "per person" for their extra coupons. I marked us as tourists by stepping out to take this photo but no one seemed to mind.

The first pallet was emptied by 8:45am, but a second one was wheeled in to the relief of the crowd.

Here's my box.

Ahead of me around 9am, all the other cyclists are carrying boxes too.

Orange crates in Brugge

2011-11-02T10:54:00.000+01:00

I did a test run to find the supermarket this morning (Westvleteren has issued special coupons for purchasing a box from the local store!) and found cool little crates with my name on them. So, of course, I put one on the back of my bicycle.

I'm not sure what to do with it now.

Some very nice French tourists took this photo for me.
(My friends are all still sleeping.)

Bok Bier Festival - Brompton table

2011-10-31T17:54:00.000+01:00

I attended the Bokbier Festival in Amsterdam this weekend with some friends... I was running errands around town beforehand so I had my bicycle with me. I could have locked it up outside, but I'm paranoid. Instead, I dragged it inside and asked at the coatcheck. The first person behind the counter said yes, but the manager said no.

The hall was packed and there were not enough tables so lots of people made little piles of their things and stood around them.

I think my Brompton was the best one.

It's a seat, it's a table, it's a basket, it's a bike. Versatile!

Oh, and the beer was delicious!!!

Thursday night, Leiden

2011-10-29T05:03:00.001+02:00

Thursday night, Leiden, originally uploaded by _Alicia.

Omafietsen Vrijdag

2011-10-28T06:01:00.000+02:00

Kaas fiets

2011-10-27T07:42:00.000+02:00

Cheese bike!

Handlebar bag

2011-10-26T08:11:00.000+02:00

My koga-miyata came with a small rack in the front, it's cute but it's not designed for panniers or anything heavy. (The back rack was flimsy too, but I replaced it when I built a stronger wheel this winter past.)

First, I thought about buying a cheap basket for the front to carry my purse. However, the baskets at the market are too short, so they hang from the bar, tilting into the brake cable that runs up the front tube.

Next, I looked at some classic attachable handlebar bags from Ortlieb and other brands, but I found them unappealing and not versatile enough. The black plastic clip that has to be installed on the handlebars is ugly and cannot be quickly removed (only the bag is quick to remove). Icky. Practical, but icky. Also, too highly specialized- putting my actual purse/bag in a bag just seems redundant somehow and I'm not going to walk around with a classic handlebar bag as a purse.

There are many "fashionable" handlebar bags out there, but they also seem unappealing, too small, or too girly... and from all the buckles and whatnot, I'm not sure how quickly they would come off the bike. Probably not as easily as a classic bag, but at least they don't leave behind a hunk of plastic.

Instead, my solution was to find a purse/bag designed as a purse/bag that could fit on bicycle handlebars. I needed a strong very adjustable strap, and a stable velcro flap system for enclosure. That was not hard to find! Many bags are designed this way... And it works perfectly on my bike. I can easily access whatever is inside, I can take the whole bag on and off in a few seconds, and it's a simple purse if I want to use it without the bicycle.

The strap goes under the handlebars and inside the top of the flap.

Then, tighten the strap and tuck the excess loop inside.

Close the velcro flap.

Easy.

Photo by the Travelling Two!

Star fort cities

2011-10-25T08:35:00.000+02:00

Star forts have been built all across Europe but seem the most popular and common in the Netherlands. I base my statement on the wikipedia page, List of Star Forts. If you know I'm wrong, please do something about wikipedia. :)

They are so common that I randomly find them on maps everytime I plan a trip.

Hell, I live in one.

Old timey Leiden.

Star forts were developed as defensive cities to guard against attack from the water and land. Often they served as simple deterrents, hence the excellent state of preservation in many of them. Cannons could be mounted on or in the fortress walls. There are elaborate schemes and mappings showing the "dead" zones where hypothetical cannon fire would decimate troops storming the walls.

All this seems rather silly now with aerial warfare, but at the time it must have made a lot of sense.

The first time I visited one intentionally was early August. My friends and I went to Naarden, a lovely and well preserved star fortress just west of Amsterdam.

Here's a view of it's perfection from google maps.

We went on a first Sunday of the month in order to take the VestingMuseum tour and see live cannon fire. This activity takes place year round and is a lot of fun if you aren't afraid of tunnels and spiders or don't look too closely at the walls.

Tip: Don't look too closely at the walls.

The fortress walls are extremely well preserved and very picturesque.

Other cities worth a visit include Brielle, here's a post by a fellow star enthusiast with some great photos!

And then there's Bourtange. It's not quite as old and a bit kitschy now, but look at that.

Wow.

I finally visited it this past weekend with friends on a cycling trip! There are some beautiful trip photos here by the Travelling Two. The gorgeous weather and perfect cycling conditions slightly eclipsed the city, but it was still worth a visit.

And here's the latest star fort that I found while trying to get a bromptonable route to Bruges.

Sluis! Star fort.

View Larger Map

Autumn!

2011-10-24T08:18:00.000+02:00

Bicycle Handmoffen!

2011-10-19T17:25:00.000+02:00

Spotted on the Breestraat. How cool are these??

I love the little red buckles to hold them in place.

For sale at Hema.

Even Dutch people are excited (discount!)

:)

Market day shopping with bicycles

2011-10-19T06:54:00.000+02:00

The hills of the Netherlands

2011-10-17T22:41:00.001+02:00

So, if you think Cave Biking is ridiculous... how about riding up and down the highest hills in the Netherlands on a Brompton?

That is what I did on Saturday.

Travelling around the Limburg province looks manageable. It's small on a map, from Maastricht to Vaals and the highest point in the Netherlands (European) is only about 30k. That's an easy distance!

View Larger Map

However, 30k in Limburg is very different than 30k in the rest of the Netherlands.

The first big hill was almost impossible but I stubbornly stayed in the saddle, pedaling in the lowest of my six gears. By the top, I was an overheated heavy breathing mess... but I thought it wouldn't be so bad again. Surely not... once you climb a hill, it will plateau and then you get some nice flat stretches, right? I grew up in Iowa so forgive me.

A steep and narrow path downwards...

The map shows switchbacks and hairpins, but I didn't interpret them correctly until after the second one. Iowa, ok? It was up and down and up and up and up and down. By that third hill, I was no longer riding up, I was walking the bike up, cursing and embarrassed... and then on the steep downhill portions, I was thanking Brompton for the wonderful strong working brakes. I can't imagine what it would be like with heavy touring bags.

Occasionally, I'd look around.

It was beautiful.

Walnuts sold on the honor system.

Picturesque towns.

Picturesque horses.

Look! 10% grade! Another cyclist with an appropriate bicycle and gear!

(Clue to the cycling situation... every other cyclist was on a racing or mountain bike, fully dressed in spandex advertisements, with a helmet.)

I do love my Brompton bicycle but it appears it isn't going to be good enough for everything.

Obviously... no, it wasn't obvious to me. I had thought it might be good enough for any small day trip, but after spending 3 hours on 28k of those hills (with one Limbergse rijstvlaai stop), I gave up and caught a bus. How do the Path Less Pedalled couple do it?? Am I wrong to blame the bicycle? Uphill felt like molasses, the posture was too upright.

I took the bus the rest of the 8k to Vaals and then cycled and walked the bike another 2k to the highest point in the country.

(Another clue about cycling in the area- no bicycle parking. I had to lock up to the signpost.)

Afterward, I flew down the hill and took a bus back to Maastricht.

Which, I suppose, IS the benefit of a Brompton; I could take the bus. With my other bicycle, I would have had to cycle back. Multi-modal travel is very easy with a Brompton and there is peace of mind in knowing that you can change your plans easily. I love peace of mind. I love cycling. I don't love worrying about lack of options. I don't love struggling up a hill on a bicycle that doesn't feel powerful enough. Peace of mind, enjoyable ride. I'm not sure how to balance the two but I should be able to figure it out by next spring when we have good weather again.

Or maybe I should start from the highest point and work my way down. :)

Cycling in a cave

2011-10-17T07:26:00.000+02:00

Yes.

I've been curious about the region of Limburg for awhile so when I saw the page for Cave Biking on the vvv website, I called and reserved immediately. Five days later...

Cave biking.

With a helmet!

Ridiculous but super fun. :)

Omafietsen Vrijdag

2011-10-14T07:49:00.000+02:00

Bicycle and baggage

2011-10-12T07:23:00.000+02:00

Early Saturday morning on my weekly croissant-run, I saw this guy on the bridge.

(It's not uncommon to see but it was the first time I had my camera ready in time!)

He's not coming from or heading to the train station.

It must be laundry day...

What else could it be?

Autumn in Leiden

2011-10-10T06:40:00.001+02:00

Bicycles & crutches

2011-10-06T06:54:00.001+02:00

A curious thing.

It's not uncommon to see a cyclist carrying a friend on the back of a bicycle.

Or to see the friend carrying crutches... really, it's not uncommon, the two photos were minutes apart on a busy road... and here's a related article with photos from Copenhagenize.

Sometimes, the cyclist is alone with crutches in one hand. (I've never managed to get my camera out in time!)

For some injuries it may be easier to cycle than to walk... and what a nice way to transport your friend who can't do either comfortably. Bicycles are stable, slow and reliable and most people can hop on and off with grace, crutches or not.

In one photo below, there's even a cushion on the bicycle.

I'll post a single cyclist with crutches once I get speedier with my camera!

A few days later while waiting outside my favorite pizza place...

Beached bicycles

2011-10-05T07:19:00.000+02:00

Festival day people watching

2011-10-02T07:30:00.000+02:00

It's so easy.
Pick a corner.
Sit.

Cycling with and without a top hat

2011-09-30T16:33:00.000+02:00

Cycling to work during the onset of the Onzet

2011-09-29T08:07:00.000+02:00

They are setting up a street fair on ummm... every major street in Leiden. This makes cycling to work a bit tricky! They have banned most car traffic so it's okay to veer off the bike paths and ride in the road when necessary.

Also, my last point and shoot camera finally died after a valiant 7 years, so I have a new one to play with... :)

(So shaky! How do you keep it still??)

Beautiful weather in Leiden

2011-09-29T05:56:00.000+02:00

When it is warm and sunny, everyone finds a place outside to enjoy it.

Hutspot Marsepein

2011-09-27T08:22:00.001+02:00

It's almost that time of year! Leiden Onzet and Hutspot!

I've been practicing how to pronounce it so that I don't embarrass myself again this year... a great excuse to buy some marzipan hutspot from our local bakery. :)

It's so cute.

A little carrot, spek (bacon), potato and a turnip/onion/celery.

A ride through Zeeland

2011-09-24T09:59:00.000+02:00

Beautiful weather ahead!

After last weekend, I decided to use my next free nice weather day for a long bicycle ride. One route I had in mind was down the coast, over the Delta Works and to Middelburg and Vlissingen. Here's a link to the area, and below a screenshot.

I read the forecast and looked at the wind direction with my best sense of denial. I wanted to ride down the coast, starting by taking the train to Maassluis and the ferry over to Rosenburg... Part of the reason for my directional stubborness was that I could only take my bike on the train (weekdays) after 9am, and if I took it all the way to Vlissingen, I wouldn't be able to start riding until nearly 11am! Far too late! And this was too long a journey for my folding bicycle (which can go on anytime anyday)... So I convinced myself that the wind would be mild and not in my face.

The wind was in my face the whole ride... but luckily the light sandblasting effect was really good for exfoliating my skin. More importantly, the views from the ride were so beautiful that I rarely noticed it.

I got a bit lost a few times so my total distance was just over 100k... Also, true to form, I took a slight detour to visit a not-to-be-named brewery that, to my great disappointment, was closed for a private party. I had checked their website in the morning and it said it was open, nothing about calling for more up-to-date information. Grrr. But again, so beautiful!

The clouds were particularly spectacular. I recommend the route to everyone but be sure to go the other direction!

Photos below:

Early morning light on the ferry from Maassluis.

Pumpkins and squashes were for sale all along the roadside.

Fietscafe sign

2011-09-24T05:56:00.000+02:00

I saw several of these signs in Zeeland.Very considerate! The little graphic shows the bicycle "parked" on a plate. :)

Dam tot Dam Fietsclassic 2011, Or, Hilariously bad weather for a bicycle tour!

2011-09-19T18:36:00.002+02:00

At the beginning...

I was happy, excited, and ready to go. The fact that a man riding a bakfiets passed me in the Ijtunnel didn't dampen my spirits.

Official photo:

Later, around the 45th kilometer after lots of heavy rain, it began to hail. And why not?
With rain mind you, not instead of rain.
And then why not some lightening?
And another hailstorm? Sure, thunder too!!

Ha!

Everything was funny. Here's a snippet of camaraderie:

Me: Ha ha, oops, sorry. Have to slow down here.
Racer guy: Where are you from, England?
Me: No, America.
Racer guy: Really! What brings you here?
Traffic volunteer helping us cross the road: The Dutch Weather!!
Me & Racer guy: HA hA HA HA hA hA.

I couldn't stop laughing. Or cycling. More official photo evidence (Feel very bad for the photographer, he had to sit in one place for hours):

Here's the medal that I am giving to my saddle as a reward for good behavior, or my shoes for not falling apart (yet).

Brompton vouwfiets

2011-09-16T06:52:00.000+02:00

I bought a Brompton vouwfiets! It's a cute little red one.

The day after purchase, I used it to pick up a free used sewing machine from an expat in a nearby town. (I found the listing on a local expat listserv.) Upon arrival, I learned that the other expat is British and has his own Brompton... So we chatted briefly about bicycles, which was nice and geeky. Then he checked the tire air pressure (very important!) and assisted me with lashing the sewing machine to the rack.

I was able to ride confidently back to Leiden, about 6k, with no problems. It felt stable in part because the rack is lower to the ground than my regular bicycle. Also, I love it that I had the possibility of hopping on a bus if it was too awkward for the full journey.

Yay, Vouwfiets! It's so adorable and useful!

Now, what am I going to sew?

De Prael brouwerij, Amsterdam

2011-09-14T06:15:00.000+02:00

A nice place to visit on a rainy afternoon in Amsterdam!

They have delicious beers on tap and a good selection of food. Unfortunately, it's only a five minute walk from the centraal train station, making it not ideal for a bicycle ride destination... but you can't have everything! Watch out for the gnomes.

http://deprael.nl/

Dam tot Dam FietsClassic

2011-09-13T08:22:00.000+02:00

Sunday is the Dam to Dam FietsClassic. It is on the same day as a popular Dam to Dam run, so the cyclists can take advantage of the routes closed to cars, including the Ijtunnel!

I've signed up for the 65k route, a few friends are doing the 145k... I did a few "tours" in NYC a few years ago, including the Five Boro Tour (about 45 miles) so I know 65k is doable in a crowd and still fun. Also, the Five Boro tour ended in an hour of serious rain, so I should be ready with low expectations for Sunday. It's the Netherlands, it will rain.

I'm looking forward to it!

Brompton envy

2011-09-09T16:42:00.000+02:00

I don't know exactly when it started, but I have Brompton envy!

I see them on the trains, all neat and folded and I think, Awww, so tiny and perfect!
Just a few years ago the little wheels looked silly to me, but now they look cute. So cool and zippy. And they look like fun to ride on the street! I like the colors, I like the fold, I want one very much...

Have I reached that certain age?

I've been noticing others with Bromptons. The Prudent Cyclist for example, and the Path Less Pedaled blog.. they make it seem so enviable and easy. I wouldn't have to worry about my bicycle being thrown in the canal, or being damaged from the weather. I won't be doing as many longer trips in the winter anyways, so a nice folding bicycle might be encouraging for the shorter ones.

My boyfriend isn't completely adverse to the idea. When I brought it up, he was mostly worried about the prospect of my keeping too many bicycles in our small apartment (he didn't know what a brompton was!!!!!!) but once I showed him the size, he warmed up. I imagine any remaining skepticism will melt as soon as he sees it.

Last weekend, I was fortunate to do a test ride with friends.
The Travelling Two and Trevor were testing out some unusual and awesome recumbents, and luckily the vendor, Maia Ligtfietsen had a little Brompton for me. Fun! And beautiful... I must go back to the Dordrect area.

So, I've made some calculations. It would take about 175 train trips to "save" the cost. (Folding bicycles on trains are free all the time, regular bicycles cost €6 a day and subject to restricted hours) This number as "savings" might be a bit unrealistic... I do travel by train and wish I had a bicycle on the other end about once or twice a month. That's 24 train trip "savings" a year... So, in just over seven years...

But then, I looked into the bicycle benefit plan from my employer, (Very common in the Netherlands). I can get a 35 to 40% savings on a bicycle purchase used to commute to the office. (Yay! Yay! Netherlands!!!) It could make sense to invest early. :)

Embracing cycling

2011-09-04T13:27:00.002+02:00

Embracing cycling, originally uploaded by _Alicia.

Cycling for lovers. (Meanwhile, there's a giant bus behind us all)

The filthiest canal-rescued bicycle...

2011-09-02T09:17:00.000+02:00

This one is the worst.

In fact, I challenge you to find a filthier bicycle!!!

Look at the close up of the wheel! It's like the Swamp Thing.

Previous contenders included:

Omafietsen enzo

2011-08-30T21:17:00.000+02:00

Magic roundabouts

2011-08-29T20:50:00.003+02:00

Inspired by David Hembrow, I finally went and took pictures of the magically appeared roundabout in the Stevenhof neighborhood of Leiden.

The area was under annoying construction for a very long time, but before that, it was an annoying T-intersection with long traffic lights. Bicycles and cars had to wait for a green which was never fast enough. Is it ever?

Google maps out of date:

Exact location for traffic design geeks: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=haagse+schouweg,+leiden&hl=en&ll=52.15847,4.449458&spn=0.002073,0.004726&sll=52.159191,4.449677&sspn=0.007964,0.018904&vpsrc=6&z=18

The construction is now finished, revealing that they've removed all the lights and installed a roundabout!

It's lovely. Circular. Round. Wheeeeeee.

Cyclists and pedestrians now have the right of way, (indicated by the zebrapads and little triangles)

Cars or motorcycles no longer have to stop and wait for an entire light cycle. If the zebrapad and bicycle lane are clear, just keep going.

Vehicles must slow down but they keep moving with a flow which should be a relief to the red light green light system. I imagine. (I don't really know... I hate cars and even being in one makes me angry and unreasonable, lights, flow or not. Best just to tranquilize me and throw me in the back seat.)

Here's a little video:

Tandem in the dunes

2011-08-22T18:24:00.000+02:00

My brothers are visiting... so we did this today.

Bicycle sweater

2011-08-20T19:04:00.003+02:00

Urban Knitting in Leiden by:
http://www.simonevanolst.nl/urbanknitting.php

El Cid Week

2011-08-18T16:47:00.000+02:00

It's El Cid Week again in Leiden.

Here's some official information about it.
http://www.elcidweek.nl/

The Fietscafe has gone past my window seven times now... and it's not even 17:00.

Photos below.

Here it comes!

Whoo-Hoo!

Pedal harder!

Pedal harder!!

Not hard enough. Ha ha. Push it up the bridge.

Shortcut blocked

2011-08-14T07:05:00.000+02:00

The shortest bicycle path between Den Haag and Leiden (along the train tracks) is open.

Construction appears to be finished and there is now a nice wide and smooth path for most of the distance... but they also installed a barrier to keep cyclists from taking a common shortcut.

Why did they put up a fence instead of building a path where people wanted it?

Some of the other construction strategems showed an impatience/anger with cyclists, so is this the end result? Is it private property?

From above with google earth- the angle for turning is very tight... that's why people don't like to do it.

But don't worry, at least they didn't alter or remove the local art.

Blogspot stats

2011-08-12T21:19:00.000+02:00

Why oh why did I ever click on that tab?

Now, I can't stop clicking on it.

And obsessing.

My favorite part is viewing the Traffic Sources Keyword Searches list!

The most common search is "cycling without a helmet" and I imagine most people are looking for actual statistical information, not a random blog from someone who lives somewhere where people don't wear helmets...

Other keywords that pop up are people looking for gnomes and buttplugs. That seems to lead a lot of people to my site... and they are probably not finding what they want either :)

But then there was the very best one a few days ago!
"how to teach a horse to poop in one place"
My complaints about too much horse poop on the bicycle paths and my curiousity about the intentions of the horse and rider are not unique.

Perfectly centered in a four way bicycle/road intersection. How could this not be intentional?

Steps for repairing a bicycle rescued from the canal

2011-08-09T07:02:00.001+02:00

First, let's wonder about the mysterious reappearance of my canal encrusted bicycle... was it Amsterdamize (check out his video on fishing for a bicycle)? Or another local do-gooder?

To make the bicycle rideable again, I've followed these steps.

Step one
The scrubbing.

This step can take several hours but it must be done to make the bicycle approachable for step two. Use gloves, buckets, brushes, sponges, flamethrower and whatever else you have at your disposal. Then dispose of it.

Tip: Don't do this on the sidewalk in front of your apartment. The rust and filth removed from the bicycle will stay on the sidewalk for at least two weeks despite heavy rainstorms.

Step two
The dismantling.
This step requires the right tools, a sense of adventure and lots and lots of patience. Take pictures or make good documentation of the little bitty pieces you remove from the bicycle and the order you remove them in. This will pay off. Oh yes it will.

Tip: A nice large plastic sheet on the deck protects the deck from your bicycle and prevents little pieces and parts from rolling through the slats of your deck.

Step three

The breaking.
Don't give up and throw your bicycle in the sloot. Keep going.
There's always more to break. In fact, go ahead and break the brakes.

Blame the tools. They were not good enough. See Step two.

Those bits in the foreground are supposed to be one bit. Bye-bye three speeds!

Step four

Seek professional help.

Find a used bicycle store with a good mechanic who fixes old used bicycles. You'll be surprised how quickly and easily he/she can fix everything that took you hours to break.

A professional quickly fixing the hub.

Step five

More scrubbing, oiling and new parts!! The scrubbing is to remove the purely cosmetic filth that remains on the bicycle. No water necessary, only a scraper. Scale comes off with force, not soap. Clean and oil the chain. Replace the remaining damaged or broken parts.

Tip: If the saddle has a ripped seal, it will retain water and leak out when you sit on it. This is not fun. Replace the saddle of any bicycle that has spent time in the canal.

There's a scale layer on all the chrome metal parts...

The spokes are particularly time-consuming to descale.

The old saddle has lost it's seal and holds water inside. It is a moist sponge.

From Step two Dismantling. Give the chain attention before the case goes back on.

Step six

Put it all back together again and go for a ride!

Bicycle near a sloot

2011-08-07T08:50:00.000+02:00

Swans and Blikvanger

2011-08-06T07:08:00.000+02:00

My other mixte

2011-08-03T21:33:00.001+02:00

After my around town bicycle was "stolen," I panic-purchased another bicycle from the nearest used bicycle store. The bike was okay, but nothing special so I kept looking on Marktplaats. When I saw a lovely white swooping frame mixte, I hoped it would be mine.

And so it is. :)

It was a very good deal, less than half the price of the panic bicycle. The owner kept it in a garage for years. She thought the wheels needed to be replaced because the tubes were gummed up a bit and wouldn't inflate- so she didn't ask for much money. Why is it some people still get confused on the wheel, tire, tube thing? Anyways, the tubes did inflate after a few attempts. Did I take advantage? Everything else works just fine and was in very good condition.

The cute little logo that's all over the bicycle frame, fork, seat, matching pump, etc:

I'm sorry to be keeping it outdoors after it's cushy indoor life.

Overall, the bicycle feels a bit flimsy compared to my beloved Koga Miyata. The seatstays are not welded to frame. The pedals and Sachs Huret derailleurs have plastic parts. The brakes are german made and weird. Also, I kept knocking the gear shifter with my knee as I dismounted, causing the chain to "mysteriously"catch and readjust when I got back on. It's sad that it took me a few days to figure the mystery out.

I was concerned about the overall reliability of the bicycle but a 40k ride after work yesterday assured me that the bicycle is sturdy enough for town and quick day trips.

Plus, it's very pretty.

Bicycle gate, Dublin, Ireland

2011-07-30T08:49:00.000+02:00

Rainy day trouble making

2011-07-23T15:36:00.000+02:00

Blikvanger after a rainstorm

2011-07-20T21:05:00.000+02:00

(And that's my new pretty little mixte town bike. I'll get round to posting about it soon.)

Sloppy bicycle paint job

2011-07-19T06:42:00.000+02:00

Not the plants!

De Molen in Bodegraven

2011-07-18T06:42:00.000+02:00

Also worth a bicycle trip!

http://www.brouwerijdemolen.nl/

It's about 20k from Leiden along the river route that goes all the way to Utrecht...

We arrived two minutes before it started raining! It's very cosy inside with delicious flavorful beers on tap and a good lunch menu.

Haarlem Jopenkerk

2011-07-17T09:43:00.000+02:00

It's a beautiful day! Why not ride to Haarlem and visit the Jopenkerk?

It's worth it!

In fact, I want to do it again. :)

Tips for bicycle decoration

2011-07-14T07:07:00.001+02:00

Paint a message on your chain case:

Or a nice simple pattern:

Spruce up your wheels:

Sometimes unexpected materials can make nice patterns:

Don't forget the rims!

Is your head badge too boring? Try this:

Or this:

And if all else fails, you can use the bicycle itself as decoration.

Border crossing

2011-07-13T06:30:00.000+02:00

Cow rescue

2011-07-10T20:28:00.000+02:00

Tube patching & tire booting with a dollar bill

2011-07-06T07:47:00.000+02:00

My friend had a problem with her tire all week plus a lekke band.

The tire has got a nasty scratch and the inner tube was bursting through... which does not help with preventing leaks. She ordered a new tire (white!) but it won't arrive for a week.

So I googled the problem "booting the tire" and found this solution!

What fun!

I have a spare dollar or two that I haven't exchanged for euros.

How to Boot a Tire for Bike Maintenance -- powered by ehow

So last night, my friend flipped her bicycle in front of the house and we went to work on the tire at about 17:15.

By 17:18, a man had walked by, offered advice and when we expressed a polite curiosity about his opinion, he took the tools and did all the work for us. He was skeptical and amused about the dollar bill solution but agreed to do it. His daughter watched him fix the tube and tire for us and eventually his wife came by and they all left in a car.

The end.

Bicycle scrubbed!

2011-07-02T13:07:00.000+02:00

I spent two and half hours this morning (with the help of my lovely neighbor, Magda and my very supportive not tool grabbing boyfriend), scrubbing my canal dredged bicycle. During the cleaning, I ascertained that the front brake is fine, the back break needs some help and the Sturmey-Archer gear cable and lever are toast. I'll have to replace them or enjoy my new single speed bicycle. Surprisingly, the O-lock has survived as well as the white crap encrusted dynamo. I was unable to test the lights yet but it's summer in northern europe so it never gets dark anyways.

Photos!

The classic before and after.

And a few more before shots:

What is that? toothpaste? How the hell did it get on my hub? Gross.

This light may never work again.

Still works!

Bicycle found!

2011-06-28T17:35:00.001+02:00

My bicycle has returned... I rode home from work today and encountered this scene...

I walked around the bikes and recognized my "stolen" bicycle.

And that's the parking spot where I last failed to lock it with the second chain.

It's been in the water for just under one month and wow, is it disgusting.

What the hell is that white crap on the dynamo?

I'm going to lose the panniers... but maybe I can fix up the rest with a sandblaster or a good old fashioned flamethrower. Please advise :)

A bicycle trip to Apeldoorn - Het Loo and the Apenheul

2011-06-28T07:00:00.001+02:00

Photos from my little weekend trip! The ride from Utrecht to Apeldoorn was very nice especially past Amersfoort.

View Larger Map

Somebody turned 50.

Adorable pony near Garderen

Paleis Het Loo fountain with California as an island.

Interior before I was told that it was not allowed to take pictures.

Smug baby monkey

Fixing a flat

2011-06-27T09:05:00.000+02:00

I used my patch kit for the first time yesterday!

And I realized it was the first time I had actually fixed a flat tire by myself (with a small caveat)... which is a bit ridiculous.

It wasn't my first flat.

I've been riding for years in urban settings with glass, nails and potholes as common street features. In the urban setting, my first reaction to a flat was to find the nearest bicycle store and pay a couple of dollars to have it fixed. But of course! I'd never done it before, it wasn't far, it didn't cost a lot, I didn't carry any extra supplies with me. And who doesn't love a bicycle store?

With supplies and tools, I also went on longer rides and had a flat or two but... the second reason I've never fixed my own flat tire is that in those situations, I've been with/or near a man. And a man usually grabs the tools and does all the work. It seems. Why is that? Is it because I always cycle in a skirt? I don't mean to 'genderize' this in an angry way because, of course, I've been happy to let some other person fix my flat for me for free! Why not? I give thanks to all my guy friends over the years who have grabbed the tools and done the job :) D. But it does seem a bit gendery. In fact, I had taken a class on bicycle maintenance specifically for women by a woman because it happened to be the only one to fit my schedule at the time. And when I asked teacher about the gender specificity of the class, I remember her saying "that otherwise the men always grab the tools before the women can get to them."

So, yesterday.

I had a flat out in the countryside... far, far from any city (not really but it felt like it) and I was alone (as alone as you can get here).

I found a driveway and a gate to lean my bicycle against so I could assess the situation and sigh a lot. However, this being the Netherlands, a car full of people drove through the gate within two minutes. The driver and I made gestures about whether it was okay for me to stay where I was... and within another minute, he was heading towards me with a bicycle pump in his hand. He asked if I had a "lekke band" (leaking tire) which I stupidly misunderstood as "lekker band" (nice tire) and became instantly confused. I said no, it is not lekker and so he thought I simply needed air in the tire. This was not true but I didn't know how to express myself better and I hadn't had time to properly inspect anything. Plus, he was already on his knees pumping air into my bicycle tire. This all happened within 3 minutes of my pulling over. Let me just say that I am very grateful for the friendliness and practicality of the people I meet in the Netherlands and I'm sorry that my language skills are so poor!

He was from the local town and was visiting his parents in the countryside on a Sunday afternoon. Oma and Opa were peeking out the door from the nearby country home and the grandkids all came over to watch their father fix my bicycle. He was extremely kind to help me out. He pumped up the tire three times because the air seemed to be leaking from the tube valve... After the second time, I felt so bad for keeping him from his family day that I tried to take over more firmly, but he was determined. The third time seemed to work better and I thanked him and rode off. The tire went flat again because there was a hole in the tube... which I hadn't opportunity to check and I was not going to let the man do it; I'd had enough of his time and I should do it for myself. So I rode off on the soon to be flat tire to find a spot where I could spend some time fixing it again.

I found a picnic table nearby and unpacked my baggage so I could flip the bicycle. A couple of boys rode past and said "lekke band?" at which point I realized it wasn't a kindly sarcastic comment but the actual term for a leaking tire. I nodded and quickly looked away so they wouldn't stop. And, though, it took me far longer than it should have, I eventually found the hole in the tube, patched it and all was good. I will have far greater confidence for doing this myself on my future flats! I will keep a firm hold of my tools... and if I'm with a guy, I will fix their flat, too. If they let me.

I made the rest of the trip from Utrecht to visit the Paleis Het Loo no problem.

Lovely!

Bicycle camouflage

2011-06-25T17:36:00.000+02:00

Dutch school children on a day trip by bicycle

2011-06-18T07:18:00.001+02:00

Dutch school children on a day trip by bicycle, originally uploaded by _Alicia.

Not an uncommon sight.

Bicycles as drying racks

2011-06-16T17:27:00.000+02:00

This morning it was pouring rain without any sign of clearing, so I used my giant green poncho for the first time and cycled the quick five minutes to work.

Inside the employer provided bicycle shed (goes without saying), I found a fellow cyclist in full rain gear.

He started taking it off and draping it over the bicycle. Simple, eh? But of course!

(I've just never done it before... never had a secure shed to leave anything behind... never had my poncho with me when I needed it, etc... )

Here's the shed at the end of the day.

My bicycle as a drying rack for my poncho.