nederlands biking info?

David W. Dunkle said:

Where can I get English information about biking in the Nederlands? I mean maps and such. I am
mainly biking for transportation and pleasure, not distance oriented touring (necessarily) and not
as part of a tour. I want the info before I go. Thanks!

There is information, a tour report and links at :
hsa.lr.tudelft.nlfietsvak.htmOpen ↗

--
Michiel Erens

Iceland pages at : home.wanadoo.nliceland.htmOpen ↗ Email address at :
home.wanadoo.nlicecontact.htmOpen ↗ Posted by news://news.nb.nu

A good place to start is the official Dutch Tourism people.

I got a wonderful package deal some years ago Bike/Hotels/Meals/Maps from VVV Gelderland. Guy

David W. Dunkle <[email hidden]> wrote:
: Where can I get English information about biking in the Nederlands? I

Try Google.

: mean maps and such. I am mainly biking for transportation and pleasure, not distance oriented
: touring (necessarily) and not as part of a tour. I want the info before I go. Thanks!

Unfortunately best VVV offices and bookstores that sell their stuff are located in the
Netherlands :-/

There's also the excellent route planner: www2.holland.comindex.htmlOpen ↗
.holland.com/fietsroutes/RouteTypeChoice.jsp

--
Risto Varanka | helsinki.fi~rvarankaOpen ↗ [email hidden]

The original poster asked:

Where can I get English information about biking in the Nederlands? I mean maps and such. I am
mainly biking for transportation and pleasure, not distance oriented touring (necessarily) and not
as part of a tour. I want the info before I go. Thanks!

My reply:

Unless you're in the Netherlands, you likely won't be able to obtain the truly excellent 1:50 000
scale maps that show all bike trails (fietspads), foot trails, and local roads. Having cycled all
over that wonderful country, however, I can tell you that if you're riding for transportation and
pleasure and aren't concerned about traveling great distances, you won't need a map, or at least
anything more elaborate than a plain ol' road map. If you're riding from town to town, just head
into the center and look for the red and white signs which indicate bike routes. You'll find those
signs between towns as well, along with the characteristic concrete "mushrooms" that provide biking
information in rural areas. In town, just remember to keep right on the roads, unless there's
fietspad available, in which case you must use it. If you want / need maps, they're available from
both the ANWB (the Dutch equivalent of the American Auto Association) and the VVV (tourist bureau).
You'll find one of those organizations in any Dutch town larger than a village, and even in some of
those as well.

Enjoy your trip!

Trent

5 Jan 2004 said:

David W. Dunkle <[email hidden]> wrote:
: Where can I get English information about biking in the Nederlands? I

Try Google.

: mean maps and such. I am mainly biking for transportation and pleasure, not distance oriented
: touring (necessarily) and not as part of a tour. I want the info before I go. Thanks!

Unfortunately best VVV offices and bookstores that sell their stuff are located in the
Netherlands :-/

When I rode into Holland from Northern Germany in the summer of 2002, it was raining and windy. I
knew I had to follow bike paths and I found the some paths just over the border, but the signs on
the paths gave the names of the next village which, without a detailed knowledge of the area, wasn't
useful. I choose to follow a path that paralleled a road that went to Emmen. Here is part of my ride
report from that day:

"After my initial frustration with the bike paths, I set out to make my way as best I could to
Emmen, the big city in these parts which is only 10 miles or so, by direct road, from where I
crossed the border. Of course I could not use the road. Instead I rode twice as far in moderate rain
and wind on mostly brick bike paths and still didn't get to Emmen. This despite the fact that I
stopped at a very good bike shop after about ten miles and confirmed that I was indeed headed for
Emmen. Yeah, right, but only if I knew the way to go at each of several unmarked places where I had
to make a choice! This, to be impolite, stinks.

Tomorrow I will, hopefully - I can't be sure since I don't know where the bike route go! - make it
to Emmen which is "only" five miles from where I ended up after riding for several hours in the rain
and the wind. I will ask where the ANWB is - I don't know what it means, but the bike shop told me
that is where I must go to get bike route maps. Note: this was a very large - bigger than any I've
been in in the US - and very nice bike shop, but they don't have the maps! You have to go to the big
city to get the maps."

And here is my experience the next day:

"When I rode into Emmen this morning, I stopped at the first bike store I saw that was open. A
small, but high class place called Bicycles 4 You. It had a Colnago in the front window. The fellow
working there - the owner, I'm sure - told me how to get to the place where I could buy bike route
maps. Then he said "They are inside a big building and you'll have to lock your bike and leave it
outside." I asked if that was safe he pointed to the nice bike he was working on and said two nice
bikes were stolen there yesterday. No, it wasn't safe. He then said I didn't need that maps to get
to Amsterdam, just a list of towns to go between on bike paths. Then another fellow came in who
spoke better English and wrote the list for me to get to Zwolle, about 80 km down the bike paths. He
said I could ask in Zwolle for routing to Amsterdam and recommended that I route through Utrecht. He
also told me how to get to the first bike path I needed, one going south out of Emmen to Erica."

I did get there, with only minor problems along the way, but I found it very frustrating not to be
able to get the maps! I also didn't make it to Utrecht on my way to Amsterdam because of "bike
route hell":

"I left Nunspeet about 9 AM and retraced my route from the end of yesterday before continuing on
towards Ermelo. I figured that the bike path which I had been following would continue along the
major route which is towards Utrecht. It did, at least as far as Amersfoort, the biggest city north
of Utrecht. I wasn't able, after several tries, to find the bike route from Amersfoort to Utrecht,
so I gave up and headed east on a route I could find. One more example of bike route hell: it is
only ten miles from Amersfoort to Utrecht, but even with a lot of help from the folks at a bicycle
shop in Amersfoort. I couldn't get there. Sheesh!"

Quoted message said:

There's also the excellent route planner:
www2.holland.comindex.htmlOpen ↗
eChoice.jsp

In Dutch. Did I miss seeing an English version?

Mark <cs.unca.edubicycling.htmlOpen ↗

You can order maps from www2.holland.comukOpen ↗

A good detailed cycle map can make all the difference when planning a cycling holiday. Cycle maps of
every province at a scale of 1:100.000 are available from local tourist offices (VVV), ANWB shops or
the Netherlands Board of Tourism. More.....

Good luck.

Frank van Z

"Mark Boyd" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 5 Jan 2004 [email hidden] wrote:

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Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

David W. Dunkle <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

: Where can I get English information about biking in the Nederlands? I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Try Google.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

: mean maps and such. I am mainly biking for transportation and

pleasure,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

: not distance oriented touring (necessarily) and not as part of a tour.

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

: want the info before I go. Thanks!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately best VVV offices and bookstores that sell their

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

stuff are located in the Netherlands :-/

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

When I rode into Holland from Northern Germany in the summer of 2002, it

Quoted message said:

was raining and windy. I knew I had to follow bike paths and I found the

Quoted message said:

some paths just over the border, but the signs on the paths gave the names

Quoted message said:

of the next village which, without a detailed knowledge of the area,

Quoted message said:

wasn't

Quoted message said:

useful. I choose to follow a path that paralleled a road that went to

Quoted message said:

Emmen. Here is part of my ride report from that day:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"After my initial frustration with the bike paths, I set out to make my

Quoted message said:

way as best I could to Emmen, the big city in these parts which is only 10

Quoted message said:

miles or so, by direct road, from where I crossed the border. Of course I

Quoted message said:

could not use the road. Instead I rode twice as far in moderate rain and

Quoted message said:

wind on mostly brick bike paths and still didn't get to Emmen. This

Quoted message said:

despite the fact that I stopped at a very good bike shop after about ten

Quoted message said:

miles and confirmed that I was indeed headed for Emmen. Yeah, right, but

Quoted message said:

only if I knew the way to go at each of several unmarked places where I

Quoted message said:

had to make a choice! This, to be impolite, stinks.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Tomorrow I will, hopefully - I can't be sure since I don't know where the

Quoted message said:

bike route go! - make it to Emmen which is "only" five miles from where I

Quoted message said:

ended up after riding for several hours in the rain and the wind. I will

Quoted message said:

ask where the ANWB is - I don't know what it means, but the bike shop told

Quoted message said:

me that is where I must go to get bike route maps. Note: this was a very

Quoted message said:

large - bigger than any I've been in in the US - and very nice bike shop,

Quoted message said:

but they don't have the maps! You have to go to the big city to get the

Quoted message said:

maps."

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

And here is my experience the next day:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"When I rode into Emmen this morning, I stopped at the first bike store I

Quoted message said:

saw that was open. A small, but high class place called Bicycles 4 You. It

Quoted message said:

had a Colnago in the front window. The fellow working there - the owner,

Quoted message said:

I'm sure - told me how to get to the place where I could buy bike route

Quoted message said:

maps. Then he said "They are inside a big building and you'll have to lock

Quoted message said:

your bike and leave it outside." I asked if that was safe he pointed to

Quoted message said:

the nice bike he was working on and said two nice bikes were stolen there

Quoted message said:

yesterday. No, it wasn't safe. He then said I didn't need that maps to get

Quoted message said:

to Amsterdam, just a list of towns to go between on bike paths. Then

Quoted message said:

another fellow came in who spoke better English and wrote the list for me

Quoted message said:

to get to Zwolle, about 80 km down the bike paths. He said I could ask in

Quoted message said:

Zwolle for routing to Amsterdam and recommended that I route through

Quoted message said:

Utrecht. He also told me how to get to the first bike path I needed, one

Quoted message said:

going south out of Emmen to Erica."

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I did get there, with only minor problems along the way, but I found it

Quoted message said:

very frustrating not to be able to get the maps! I also didn't make it to

Quoted message said:

Utrecht on my way to Amsterdam because of "bike route hell":

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"I left Nunspeet about 9 AM and retraced my route from the end of

Quoted message said:

yesterday before continuing on towards Ermelo. I figured that the bike

Quoted message said:

path which I had been following would continue along the major route which

Quoted message said:

is towards Utrecht. It did, at least as far as Amersfoort, the biggest

Quoted message said:

city north of Utrecht. I wasn't able, after several tries, to find the

Quoted message said:

bike route from Amersfoort to Utrecht, so I gave up and headed east on a

Quoted message said:

route I could find. One more example of bike route hell: it is only ten

Quoted message said:

miles from Amersfoort to Utrecht, but even with a lot of help from the

Quoted message said:

folks at a bicycle shop in Amersfoort. I couldn't get there. Sheesh!"

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There's also the excellent route planner:

Quoted message said:

www2.holland.comindex.htmlOpen ↗

routes/RouteTyp

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

eChoice.jsp

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In Dutch. Did I miss seeing an English version?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Mark <cs.unca.edubicycling.htmlOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>,

Mark Boyd said:

"bike route hell"

I do not remember feeling particularly lost in Nederlands or in any of those neighboring countries.

I am pretty sure that you have not fully comprehended how the system works. Because the network of
routes is so extensive, you do not need detailed map, you just choose the best-looking route by
using a compass. Eventually you'll end up in a place big enuff to show up in a regular touring map
and then you can make course correction accordingly. Also GPS is a big help nowadays.

One thing worth mentioning is that in an old European country the bike routes follow the ancient
roads. Road-signs are removed to direct all cars to the autobahn, but the roads are still there.
These old roads are wider and go directly from city to city. It might be useful to have an old pre-
1900 map when planning best routes.