Comments on: Cycling – Netherlands Bicycle Tour – Day 1 – Amsterdam

By: hector

hector — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 07:23:00 +0000

Looks great on your tour there! Love to stroll the beautiful places riding a bike.

By: Japanese Bicycle Garage – Wait Until You See This | Cyclemania - Cycling Blog

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:57:44 +0000

[...] Helen and I participated in our Dutch cycling adventure, we saw plenty of bicycle garages & storage facilities. Amsterdam Bicycle [...]

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:24:34 +0000

Sounds like a great trip – keep the posts and photos coming!

By: amsterdamize

amsterdamize — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:08:05 +0000

@digital dame: I quickly uploaded a screenshot from one of my videos to let you see in detail what it looks like. You turn the key on the left side, then pull the lever on the right all the way down to execute the actual (enforced steel) circular bar, then turn the key back and pull it out.

By: http://digitaldame.wordpress.com/

http://digitaldame.wordpress.com/ — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:43:26 +0000

Thanks, Les and Marc. Bike theft is huge here as well (like most places) and likely to increase with the increased use of bikes these days. Keep those excellent new bikes safe, Les! I’m intrigued by the back wheel lock, I wish US bike manufacturers would clue in to something like that.

Maureen

By: amsterdamize

amsterdamize — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:02:45 +0000

Les, you’re spot on, but to be clear for your readers: ‘independent’ junkies (who are not part of any social reintegration program) steal and sell bikes (mostly to students) to fund their drug habits. Just in case anybody thinks drug dealers need a bike to head out and sell as much as they can (I don’t want to give them any ideas either ).

By: amsterdamize

amsterdamize — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:58:59 +0000

@Digital Dame: looks can be deceiving, certainly when you’re distracted by how odd they look or from the dirt that they collected from standing there. Basically, many of them have (rear) wheel locks, attached below the saddle, also generically called ‘fietsslot’ (fiets=bike, slot=lock), as it has been the most common (standard) bicycle lock for decades), or ‘wielslot’ (wiel=wheel). Most of them do have an extra chain or U-lock attached to a bridge railing, a tree or whatever solid, but hard to sometimes spot. Another note, you see many partly destroyed bikes lined up, rotting away or demolished by petty vandalism. Every month a city bike service collects these from the streets to be destroyed and recycled.

By: Les Faber

Les Faber — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:54:31 +0000

Hey Everyone: Thanks for your comments and kind wishes. Helen & I are having an absolute blast!

“Digital Dame”. Every bike over here comes standard with a lock that disables the back wheels. Marc, if you see this post, tell us the Dutch name. Plus everyone uses very strong locks. Bike theft in Amsterdam is a huge problem. Sadly, the drug trade produces a need for quick cash. The locks Helen and I got for our new fiets are virtually indestructible. The chain can only be cut with a grinder. Bolt cutters will not work.

By: Peter Hanschke

Peter Hanschke — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:04:30 +0000

Hey guys,

Glad you arrived safe and sound. If you get a chance, go and have Indonesian food … can’t get that here in Ottawa. It’s a real treat! Try the Restaurant Puri Mas – a 20 minute walk from your hotel.

Peter & Mary

By: amsterdamize

amsterdamize — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:33:03 +0000

On behalf of Les & Helen I just like to say that it bugs Les quite a lot that he’s not able to respond immediately, as he and Helen spend as much time on the road as possible and sometimes have to look hard to find a place with Wifi. So you know. He has seen and read most of your comments, but hopes to respond a.s.a.p to the new ones.

Cheers, Marc