Amsterdam cyclists

"Richard Lucas" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dutch people take their kids to nursery on a bike, go shopping on a bike -
they use them as apractical means of transport. The enclosed chain,
mudgurds, and the semi-enclosed rear wheel mean you don't have to change
out of strreet clothes to this. They are practical,

You don't really need a chain case and semi-enclosed rear wheel to cycle in
street clothes - a pair of trouser clips will do.

Quoted message said:

and also fun to ride.

That depends on how you get your kicks 😉

Quoted message said:

They suit the environment they are designed for.

No doubt, but they are not the only possible solution to that environment.
A bike doesn't have to be heavy and upright to 'work' in a city environment,
allow the wearing of street clothes or transport shopping, or require an
upright posture to be a 'practical means of transport'. 'Practical', for
me, can also include consideration of how long it takes to go any distance
and how much effort is required to do a distance in a given time.
Roadsters are not practical for maximising speed!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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http://www.gazelle.nl/

and

http://www.sparta.nl/nl/

Think I'll pass, thanks..

Don't knock it until you have had a look.

I did look, and they didn't appeal - to me. But I'm all for anything that
makes people cycle, and happy with their cycling. I'm not being snobbish
about my cycling preferences, just not joining in the applause for roadster
style bikes. Those that like them are welcome to them.

Rich

On 22 Mar 2005 08:19:04 GMT someone who may be Roos Eisma
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Cycling is just the fastest way to get around, you want a bike that can
deal with the conditions, and can take your shopping 🙂

Or indeed two people going to a concert in their best clothes, with
one holding the umbrella.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

Richard Goodman said:

Roadsters are not practical for maximising speed!

When cycling through the inner city in Amsterdam my speed was normally
limited by other traffic, not by my efforts or the weight of the bike.
When I moved to the outskirts and had to cover larger distances on more
free running roads I bought my current hybrid. That was after about 10
years in Amsterdam 🙂

Roos

Tony W said:

Quoted message said:

just those heavy things they all seem to use.

Anything else gets nicked by the druggies. These clunckers get nicked by
the druggies -- but the druggies sell them back to you for relatively
little.

So you hope your bike is not nicked by the druggies. If it is you buy
another one from the druggies -- hence perpetuating the trade -- but its
cheap and not too likely to be nicked.

That sounds pretty horrible. Kind of like a public bike pool. Can
you pay a druggie to look after *your* bike for the day? 🙂

On 23/3/05 12:21 am, in article [email hidden],

Andrew Richardson said:

Tony W said:

Quoted message said:

just those heavy things they all seem to use.

Anything else gets nicked by the druggies. These clunckers get nicked by
the druggies -- but the druggies sell them back to you for relatively
little.

So you hope your bike is not nicked by the druggies. If it is you buy
another one from the druggies -- hence perpetuating the trade -- but its
cheap and not too likely to be nicked.

That sounds pretty horrible. Kind of like a public bike pool. Can
you pay a druggie to look after *your* bike for the day? 🙂

Sounds like south africa, where you pay someone to not steal your car.

...d

David Martin said:

Sounds like south africa, where you pay someone to not steal your car.

Where in civilised places you make a bet with your insurance company
that nobody else will steal it... ;-/

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Richard Goodman said:

No doubt, but they are not the only possible solution to that environment.

Which is why it's not impossible, or even hard, to buy other stuff.
When I was last in NL we'd gone, at least in part, for Roos to test out
recumbents, because they're easier to get hold of there than here. This
was a non-roadster bike to supplement her two existing bikes which she
brought over from home in NL, one of which is an audax-a-like and the
other of which is a derailleur equipped Giant hybrid that isn't in any
way out of place here like a Roadster would appear to be. While we were
over we looked in a few bike shops aside from the Ligfiets specialists,
and there's no problem buying anything you can buy here AFAICT. While
on the trains I saw more folders than I ever see in a day here. And so on.

Quoted message said:

Roadsters are not practical for maximising speed!

If your speed is set externally by the traffic environment then they are
often perfectly adequate for that too. Urban environments often do
that. My 'bent is faster than my Brom, but I usually use the Brom
around town because maximum speed is basically a non-issue there.

Quoted message said:

I did look, and they didn't appeal - to me. But I'm all for anything that
makes people cycle, and happy with their cycling. I'm not being snobbish
about my cycling preferences, just not joining in the applause for roadster
style bikes.

If you're "all for it", why won't you applaud something that provides it
to many in a practical package that suits their needs? Shirley it
doesn't have to suit /you/ personally to appreciate it has real virtues?

A few years ago I wouldn't have been seen dead on one either, but last
year a hired example got me around Amsterdam very well, and another
round Bergen.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Upon the miasma of midnight, a darkling spirit identified as Richard
Lucas <[email hidden]> gently breathed:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

http://www.gazelle.nl/

and

http://www.sparta.nl/nl/

Think I'll pass, thanks..

Don't knock it until you have had a look.

Well, I looked and while I could make little of the second site (is that
an electric bike on the front page?), the Gazelles look wonderful!

I've always disliked the hunched over riding position, I want to be able
to sit up and look at the scenery, and am quite happy to just go at
12mph all day. I'm also hoping to interest my SO in cycling as
something we can both do together. I think one of these each might just
be what we both need, in a year or so...

--
- Pyromancer Stormshadow.
http://www.inkubus-sukkubus.co.uk <-- Pagan Gothic Rock!
http://www.littlematchgirl.co.uk <-- Electronic Metal!
http://www.revival.stormshadow.com <-- The Gothic Revival.

Apparently, there is a new way to charge an electric bike's
battery (batteries?) in 15 minutes.

In ebay, offered under Item number: 5570288521

Claims 5 miles charge in 15 minutes, by modification to
existing electric bicycles, scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles
(there are a few, see Can-EV website)

Recently, I spent some days cycling in Amsterdam, seems to be another (cycling-)world. When I got home they show the Netherlands on the news, so I picked up the video about the cyclists and put it into my website. Enjoy!

Cycling in a historical center (no matter if it's Amsterdam, Ghent, Bruges or Barcelona) is never a good idea. There's simply too much going on, the streets are narrow and packed with lots of tourists and locals and shopaholics and trams. Locals know exactly how to behave and how to avoid conflicts. Newbies won't be at their ease.
But from the moment you choose late 19th and 20th century neighbourhoods, a bicycle is a serious option. Over there, the streets have become lanes with own bicycle roads. Everything is just more regulated and separated.