The trick to cycling in busy places like Amsterdam in rush hour is to look people in the eye, to signal (especially as a beginner) and to be decisive. Accidents happen when you dawdle or hesitate, or don't pay attention. As long as the people around you can predict your movements they will adjust.
I think the same for pedestrians. Don't hesitate at a pedestrian priority crossing, I will cycle through. But be decisive and I will gladly brake and let you go. Same from the other side, as pedestrian with right of way, I will take it to the point of pushing a bike out of the way if needed. I'll just make sure that if there is a collision due to the other person's disregard of the rules, they'll be worse off. But also try to live and let live. Wherever possible, just wait a sec so someone doesn't have to brake and just signal them through, whatever the mode of transportation.
I think in America we have a sense of self and rugged individualism which brings about a culture of walls, powerful cars, closed curtains, back yards instead of front porches, guns and isolation. We live as isolated individuals or groups, while in Europe its much more about community, efficiency, openness and street life. Its not about the bike, its the freedom a bike gives you to leave the isolation and participate in life.
So do the dutch its kind of only old wierd people living like that or rich prople in those modern appartment where the only thing you dont see are the bathroom.. (who could live like that?) I just got a house from a old man, he would share the tv with the rest of the street when watcing.. Im about to turn the wiev from the house to the back of the house, that have a amazing view.. Not the first time i had to turn the house 180° to get the wiev In the old days they wanted to look at the street and away from the good view, today we pay money to look at the nature.. They did not do that in the same way in the old days Often old houses would not have the best wiev in the living rooms, it would be in the kitchen or something like that
What surprises me most about America is the fact that many people "pretend" to be good friends, but in fact they don't know each other at all. As a Dutchman on holiday in the US, I was approached several times and I asked myself: do I know these people? But a few seconds later they just ignored you again, there was no social interaction at all…
the open curtains is also part of a form of social security called "eyes on the street" if your curtains are open you can see the street and with everyone having their curtains open the street suddenly becomes very well monitored. you're a lot less likely to steal a bike, harass someone or do anything illegal if you know that all that needs to happen for you to get caught is for someone to walk into their livingroom or throw a glance out the window. ^^
Windows without curtains is common in the wealthier row-house neighborhoods of Baltimore. You can take a stroll through the neighborhood and quickly peep into dozens of houses. There's something strangely comforting about it. We inherited our architecture from the Dutch so it makes sense.
Thanks for sharing this! Maybe I can get more comfortable to do the same in my row house in Philadelphia. I'm slightly concerned about tempting theft though since I have a lot of bikes in my living room. I think I need to embrace this lifestyle despite the risk
Totally fair point! I think it was a little dramatized in this video, but I think the experience of being intimidated at first isn't unique. Fortunately it doesn't take long to get comfortable.
What I love about some of these spaces is they remind me of it acting as a living room, almost, for residents of the city. I notice a lot of the focus in Europe and Asia is to prioritise the impact that the streets - and the furniture within it - interact with people, to almost force it on people to communicate. The implications of this are an obvious benefit on quality of life, because whereas in the UK or US where most small towns are designed for the working men who are passing through, cities like Amsterdam in Europe with the tightly bound cobbled streets force people to notice others presence. Instead of the person walking down the pavement being out of focus with the rest of the imagery, they’re noticeable, which sometimes promotes positive encouragement. I first noticed this on my first trip to the Netherlands in 2015/2016, where we stayed in a campsite just outside Rijnsburg, and on our visit to Leiden it was the first time I had experienced a place where it genuinely felt EASY just standing there on the street. There may have been some exploration holiday notions going on but it’s been noticed in each visit since. For some background if you don’t know me, I have Asperger’s syndrome, so I benefit and am massively aware when a city is designed to be therapeutic for its residents in order to provide greater quality of life. Cities designed for humans are Better cities. Point-blank-period.
The way that I would describe cycling during rush hour or in locations where it gets really busy is "Controlled Chaos". From and outside perceptive it may look like all those cyclist are all doing their own thing and not following the rules and riding like crazy and nearly causing people to crash and makes you feel very anxious, but when you get used to it you realize that it's not as crazy as it looks, people are following a rhythm, people are following the rules, in fact they follow "rules" that aren't actually rules and are more like agreements between everyone, it's actually very safe and crashes are very rare and people aren't always a moment away from crashing, they are in fact all maneuvering as expected. When you are new it looks chaotic, when you get used to it you realize it's very controlled and controlled more by the people not as much by laws and rules.
On a dark road, with no lighting, between two villages, it is nice to have a light that also give you some sight. And I don't know since when this "lights are not to see but to be seen" came up. If you can see where you ride, others can see you to, and with only a glowing nail.....I don't know.
@@JacobBax Belgium here. Some people ride without lights, because they reason that they can see with the street lights and adapting your eyes to the dark when there is none. Of course they'd be dressed fully in black. And then they cross a road. A car driver can't see them without their lights on. But they don't care. They reason "I can see the cars just fine, so I'll be okay." "Lights are to be seen" is a warning to put your lights on, even when you think you don't need them yourself to see.
Some countries allow flashing lights. Where I live, only bicycles are allowed flashing white (front) and red (rear) lights. It can work well in mixed traffic because it quickly identifies you as a bicycle to other, faster moving, vehicles.
@@joelogjam9163 flashing lights are forbidden in the Netherlands. Reasoning behind it is that during the 'off time' of the light you are 'not visible', a light that's on all the time makes you visible all the time.
@@Fjodor.Tabularasa I didn't know that. Why do we sell those strap on bike lights that can be set to static or flicker mode? That's just dumb (they are clearly intended for use in a bike, not to make yourself or pet visible during running/walking when dark)
This series has been amazing, and I really enjoyed it. Houston, where I live, is doing a lot of great things, but, of course it's no where near what a lot of cities have done. I get really excited seeing what could be possible. Being present where you are and not thinking of the next place, is a really great thought to live by. Using my bike as transportation has really allowed me to experience the world in a way that I never would have. I feel like people go from one bubble to another here. House, to car, to work, to car, to house, It's all one bubble to another, and they miss the world around them. I'd love to see you guys visit other bike centric locations. Yall could do a whole bicycle travel side channel maybe.
So cool to hear you mention how riding a bike changed how you perceive places because I've been experiencing the same as I ride my bike more places. Before my mental model of my city was more like a series of tubes to get from one place to another, but now I can tell you all about the sight and smells and bumps in the pavement along the way. I've also had many interactions with people I wouldn't have had in my car which has also been heart warming and a lot less isolating :-)
@@een_schildpad this is awesome! I wonder if people look at me like I'm crazy, because in just slowly cruising through the city with a look of bliss on my face
Thanks @Veronika! I appreciate the support! I hope we can visit many more cities in the future. Maybe even Houston. My brother lives in Austin so maybe we could do a little Texas tour.
@@Propelbikes Austin Schmaustin. Houston is where it's at. Just kidding. That would be awesome! Your friend from Not just Bikes made a video about how he hated Houston, but it was mostly centered around the suburbs. But it still made me cry a lil
The series has been amazing, it makes me home sick as a Dutchie living in California. I hope to one day have saved up enough money to go back, buy a small house or apartment in the east of the Netherlands and enjoy my last days cycling around. I am a stubborn one, am being frowned upon because I don't own a car, bought a condo based on the safest bike route to work, imported a bike from the Netherlands and let the wind blow through my hair on my way to work. I should probably get a helmet...
the christmas lights in the shops (and a lot of houses) go up at the start of november. (so after Halloween, but that is not celebrated much in the Netherlands) They are the start of 2 months of several festivities. On the 11 th of november we celebrate sint Maarten. (but only in certain parts of the Netherlands) 👀 The children (primary school) craft lanterns and bring light from door to door while singing saint Martins songs. (The days are shorter then. As soon as the sun goes down at app 18.00 hours they start.) In return the children receive candy. The shops and neighbourhoods also participate in this 'bringing of light when the nights are longer by putting up their lights. The Saturday after st Maarten, Sinterklaas arrives.. so now the lights are for him. Sinterklaas evening is celebrated on the 5th of December. not until after the 6th of december they're considered christmas lights. 🤓 Traditionally they have to be down by the 6th of January, when the 3 kings arrive. (But hardly nobody uses that day as a deadline any more) practically they go down when the Christmas vacation of the schools are over: the second week of January.😎👍
Could we all give a high five to Tara, with her lovely smile and "can do" spirit? She literally rode an adult man on a bike through the streets! Lovely video, thanks for the information in it, really appreciate the different approach.
the trick in busy traffic on a bike in amsterdam is to go with the flow and be decisive. Or take one of the many alternative biking routes usually with less traffic.
Love these types of videos. Would be great to see you looking at the bike infrastructure in other major cycling cities around the world. London? The videos work really well when you are accompanied by a local expert.
Chris love to watch the development of you and your Channel here on you tube.your inspiration has led me to buy my first bike in 30 + years a R&M supercharger 2 which i love .Thank you and keep up the fantastic work you do. From bonnie Scotland
Something for the bucket-list: surviving in the middle of the mad bicycle 'charge' just after a bridge re-opened during rush hour (like the Berlage bridge over the Amstel). Imagine the start of a Red Bull Megavalanche but for regular commuters.
We had three drawbridges in the center of the town, that would even open at rush hour for ships. So we could not see each other because of the bridge deck. As soon as the bridge closed two groups of hundreds of cyclists would storm towards each other in a hurry not to be too late at work or school. Over a small distance of only ten meters! I always stayed on the ultimate right side, and went slowly...
@@toastsandwich2862 Sometimes I hear shouting behind me, want to look over my shoulder to see why and who is doing this, and just when I swirl a little, ZOOOOOFFFF, they fly past me. I taught myself to go to the right, no swirls, and wait till it's over. Too bad for those who are behind their group, because I take back the cycle path immediately. Sometimes one or two will face the grass...
@@hendrikdependrik1891 I live between four big schools and rush hour is short, but from 8 to 9 all cycle paths look like what Vredenburg is all day. All in the age 12 to 22, so dare devils.
3:03 what they always forget to clarify about these house-taxes is that it was up to the city to take care of the foundations, which was expensive and had to be standardized. So that is why the cost of these foundations added up according to the width of a building.
I would love to see you guys visit really bad cycling places. Especially places that are on the come up. It was interesting to visit Houston and talk to people there that want to see the city change. I live in a Midwest city and it’s a struggle. I constantly choose my car over my bike for transportation because it’s so hard to go anywhere here.
I came to the US and this was the same thing I experienced. Back home I could use my bike or hop on a bus, but here, uber is the only choice, even to a market 700m away.
Yes. I am new to cycling and I need to learn exactly what you just said: ''to just enjoy being somewhere as apposed to focusing only on getting somewhere''.
this is so cool! I've been living in Amsterdam for almost 3 years now. its such a great place to get around etc. I love it here. I'm from South Africa by the way
When I was bicycling through Berlin I would encounter random people sitting partially outside on a window sill who would strike up a conversation. Often these people would be smoking. My impression is that many, perhaps even most, people in the US are dominated by fear. And perhaps with good reason; US urban areas can be rough. But this abject fear also drives US citizens to forgo bicycle and car transportation in favor of truck and SUV's, as these bigger vehicles seem best suited to ramming hostile people away.
It's also interesting how the bigger the SUVs get the bigger people want. You don't want to have the smallest vehicle on a dangerous street. I'm seeing that a lot here in Pennsylvania
@@Propelbikes The urban assault vehicle isn't owned by urban dwellers (where would they park it at night?) but by suburban and rural people driving into urban areas for their jobs. And these 6,000 pound vehicles aren't just to punch through other vehicles; they are mostly to intimidate pedestrians. Talk to any urban assault vehicle owner, and the first and last thing they talk about is how much they fear neighborhoods with black and brown people just waiting to attack them. While they might be right, may I suggest instead doing everything possible to close motorized traffic so people can develop those social skills that comes from walking and biking.
I wish one of the biking channels with a focus on Dutch cycling culture would experience cycling on the country side and be nearly driven of the road by speed (race bike) cyclists, scooters or elderly people with too little control and too fast e-bikes. That would make the experience more complete :) Also do it at a time when schools are opening/closing to see the hordes of kids/families/students etc.
I didn't know you were in Philly! As a fellow Philadelphian one thing that'd be cool to see would be a comparison video between riding in Philly and in the Netherlands. It's obvious to those of us paying attention that biking there would be much safer/comfortable/quieter than here, but it'd be nice to have something to point to that makes the point crystal clear
Thanks Jonathan! I am thinking about some videos around this topic for sure. Some places here are comfortable to bike, but even where there is some infrastructure there is a high percentage of reckless driving unfortunately
@@Propelbikes Yeah - we have some scattered bike infrastructure (though not an actual network that can get you around safely), but we have almost no traffic calming measures in place at all. IMO that would take care of most of the unintentionally reckless driving, which I think is a big part of the problem. But yeah there's some intentional recklessness too, which needs different solutions.
About the windows: who doesn’t want to enjoy the view (on the canal)? Why barricade your windows with steel bars, curtains etc? It’s a strange that in so many countries people do this.
I hate closed curtains. Nothing gives me a feeling of being locked up than curtains. I rather have you see me in my underware and look away, than lock myself up.
Great video and enjoy the ones you post. I think that the cross-pollination with other like-minded people on their videos is valuable for comparing and contrasting perceptions, experiences and locations. Currently we live in Dusseldorf, Germany and I believe that the area here is also very bike friendly and worth a future visit.
It looks like it was a great trip. Beautiful city and architecture. I like the idea of a city where bikes are the major means of transportation. Much more people friendly than here in NYC. I'm definitely used to it since I grew up here but a shift in Amsterdam's direction, even a little bit, would be awesome.
I really like you videos! Tara and you look like super chill people to hang with. Maybe you can try a long distance cycle route next time you visit The Netherlands (I recommend you to do so in spring or summer, due to the Dutch weather). When I was in highschool I cycled with my buddies from ‘Amsterdam’ to ‘Bergen aan Zee’. It took us 6 hours (with a lot of stops and with single gear coaster brake bicycles), we didn’t have e-bikes back then. I am curious how you will experience the cycling network from the city center of Amsterdam, through the countryside (and the dunes) to another town.
So many things to say in response to this video: 1) Yes, more of these. 2) Did I hear you say that you are living in Philadelphia now? 3) By American standards, I think most people would say I'm an experienced cyclist, but when we were in Amsterdam last, riding there was so intimidating. We never became relaxed. Thanks again for another great video!
I am Dutch and lifed in various Dutch cities, always using my bike for transport. But Amsterdam, wow, biking there is a different ballgame, at least in the crowded city centre.
Thanks! I hope we can make more similar vids. yes, I'm in Philadelphia, for now at least. I think you would eventually become more comfortable cycling in Amsterdam, I feel good about it at this point.
Really enjoyed the video, and appreciate all that you’re doing to spread the message about cycling as a real mode of transportation, not just leisure and exercise. Regarding the open windows, to me it makes the city feel warmer, more cozy, and safe.
This was my favorite of your videos and I subscribed because of it. It might be because I love Amsterdam (and Netherlands in general), but there was a calmness to the video too. Thank you.
I know that feeling of thinking that you know how to ride a bike and then go to one of these cities at rush hour and feel like a newbie, people on the right, on the left, in front, behind and the continuous beeps of the doorbells to get you to move away , because you are getting in the way all the time, it can be a terrifying and stressful experience. But I don't change riding a bike every day for anything in the world.
Less lecker Pannekoeken and Tara would have got it a little bit easier. 😉 Chris, Tara, great time to watch your stay and reports in the Netherlands! Best wishes for the new year!
it is so so true. I have lived in Netherlands from America for 3.5 years and when I first moved to Netherlands it was hard to understand or get used to the open window to the street thing. It was Odd to me or a bit difficult to get used to people walking past my window only 2 feet from were I was sitting on the couch watching tv or relaxing. It would not be common for a little girl to stop and bang or look in the window at my cat sitting on his window bench. I would ride my bike to the market in the evening and see families like watching a tv show or department store window display. I would think how the people were not afraid that everyone could see what they were doing and what was in their house. This is such a very dutch thing.
No its not a dutch thing, scandinavia does the same.. And btw dont hang your nice expensive lamp up before you go shopping, and the window is broken when you come home
@@Hansen710 Ha ha. Yes I will remember this one. More then anything I enjoy learning how to be more dutch and adapt myself to the culture as I learn a lot and gain a lot.
Amsterdam is intimidating in rush hour; try Copenhagen!! Nice presentation. You could check out Nice (Nizza), Geneve, Wien, Graz, Copenhagen, Paris, Strasbourg, Milano. All have a cycling culture. It's interesting to compare how they're developing cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, and their approach to dealing with the private car virus in our cities. Happy New Year and Joyeuse noel
Our windows are big, but the reason we don’t cover them with curtains is because we enjoy looking out more than we fear people looking in. Sometimes you see your neighbours sitting on the couch while walking past their house, if they look back, they wave and you wave back. This all happens within a second or two. Most people close their curtains or blinds at night so they don’t have a big dark rectangle in their wall.
Very funny to see Amsterdam through American eyes, thank you! Maybe something to think about next time you visit us: there are so many bike paths, that are totally separated from the roads and streets for cars, that you see a very different country if you travel on a bike. From a car The Netherlands can be quite boring, from a bike it is fantastic.
Love your observation about allowing people to look into your home, I noticed this a number of years ago in Holland, I have now adopted this in the UK, funnily enough my house is the only house on the street with curtains open until it is really dark. It's a shame as many houses never open their curtains or blinds!
Gotta say I do LOVE living in Long Beach 🏖 So cool to see it mentioned here. I have a 15 year old that I am actively encouraging to go to college in The Netherlands.
If you are serious about this you might already want to look into seeing if you can get him a second nationality if he/she has got recent European roots. Many EU countries have a relatively easy route to getting one. The difference in tuition fees is significant between EU and non-EU students. For Leiden University (different universities have different tuitions): "The tuition fees for the academic year 2021-2022 are: Dutch, EU/EEA, Swiss and Surinamese students: €1,084* per year Non-EU/EEA students €17,716 per year"
Even in countries like Ukrain there was in the capital city Kiev just a 6 or 8 lane road closed for cars during sundays, just for people to walk there and enjoy the city. Really like it where more european cities and even american are being influenced by each others policies.
no we do not really decorate for Halloween even though it is becoming more of a thing in recent years. We have Sinterklaas for December 5th, stores and homes will be decorated for Sinterklaas.
On the subject of Europe and city touring , Did a tour of the old iron Curtain (Euro vello 13) and the highlight was Berlin and the city Border wall bike ride , thing was I starting at 5am in the morning , nothing like just you and your bike at the Brandenburg gate, recommended at the week-end to take in Mauerpark (wall park) Sunday where its one big music party , buskers , dance , etc plus the market
Great video. Now I wanna go. Thanks for this and all your videos. Funny about Americans--we always want to focus on "where next?", instead of being present exactly where we are. There was a movie years ago--late '60s I think--titled "If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium." That's us, struggling to be fully engaged in where we are now, always wanting then next rush of another adventure. Thanks for getting me to think a bit, and happy new year!
Thanks Eric! I'm learning to slowdown more and just enjoy where I'm at. My immediate next thought is that I would love to take a world tour though :) Happy New Year Ahead I hope!
Yes, more like this. It's so interesting. Maybe you could visit and compare other places known for cycling. Copenhagen? Ljubljana? Still wondering what caused the spill at 5:50.
We went to Copenhagen briefly, but we definitely need another trip and I haven't heard of Ljubljana before, but it looks fun after a quick Google. The spill was largely due to not being prepared for some wet leaves
"Note, the word 'ferry' comes from the Dutch word 'veer'." Not according to most etymological sources. It comes from the Old English "ferian", meaning to carry or convey something; in Middle English, especially across water. There are similar forms in Norse and Frisian and the older form is the Proto-Germanic "farjan", to carry, transport. It's related to "fare", travel, go, as in "farewell".
@@judebrown4103: Yes, Dutch is related to those languages, and it's likely that "veer" comes from the same Proto-Germanic roots as the English word "ferry". There are many Dutch and English words that are similar and share the same early origins. The word "sleep" has the same origins as the Dutch, Old Frisian, Old German etc versions, and was "slaepan" in Old English (approx. 5th to 11th century), but "sleep" doesn't come from "slaap".
Dutchie here, the windows without curtains thing doesn't apply to all of us, especially not to me. Always found that odd and I really don't want random strangers being able to look straight into my living space.
After living in Flanders and then moving to the Netherlands, the difference is striking though. In Belgium at night it looks like the country is deserted, almost every house dark. And that's because most have their living room towards the back of the house or heavy curtains are closed. In the Netherlands, bright and curtainless.
I experienced cycling in Amsterdam on a guided non e bike tour. I was and still am an avid cyclist now at 80 mostly ebikes . I grew up in Boston have driven and cycled here with zero fear. Cycling in Amsterdam….I was scared shitless. It was worse than any auto driving I’ve experienced, that said I’m glad for the experience but would not do it again.
1st time living in Amsterdam (north) and doing a course near the flower market, I cycled without hand on the wheel for about half the time if not more. It's not that bad coming from way less busy places on the other side of the country. Unfortunately my current bike is to unstable to do it safely :( as I prefer my hands in my pockets whilst cycling. (It does help to be able to brake with your feet pedals, so you don't have to anticipate too much)
Philly! You should come down to Baltimore and talk to the Bikemore folks about what they're doing to make Baltimore a better city for cyclists and pedestrians.
@3:42 it's exactly the same here in Copenhagen thats why nobody draws the curtains as anyone is welcome to look but not stare in huge amounts of time, as u say a peak is fine but don't stare.
Thank you very much for sharing this video. It made me feel nostalgic, as I’ve been in Lisbon for the last 4 months due to the pandemic, but going back to Amsterdam in January ✌️😎 I miss my Ebike 😉 here everything is done by car although there are already some bike infrastructures, now we just have to change the Portuguese mentality 🤪
When you head back to NL, you have to check Utrecht (the best city for cyclists in the world IMO) and Rotterdam (for a different - compared to other Dutch places - perspective). Barcelona, Paris, Oslo, Helsinki should be on your list if you want to show and check how other nations are approaching livable cities trend. If you end up in Finland, you'll get extra points if you record a trip to Oulu - winter bicycling capital. On top of those classic places, on English CZcams I'm missing the content from South America. Bogotá is doing great things for cycling I've heard and I'd love for someone like you to give us a look into that.
North Americans are so focused in cars and their main argument is always - but in cars I don’t have to experience 90% of the problems caused by cars. Just the traffic! And if we added more lanes and more parking we’d solve traffic. No I’ve never heard of induced demand, what’s that?
My wife and I biked around Copenhagen during rush hour a couple years ago. It was a cool experience and interesting at having to sit through multiple light changes because there was so much bike traffic. It was hard for my wife because she rides so slow and the locals were just flying by her. It did feel safer than riding back home though.
i really enjoyed this. The atmosphere is just so different there than in North American cities. I would encourage you to check out Ottawa, Ontario (not in winter lol). Its a North American city that is remarkably bike friendly. It's great to know that the transformation is possible
I remember that after I visited the us once as a teen, I started noticing that places never felt real to me if I only saw them from a car window, and when I later visited Canada and saw many of the same problems( to a lesser degree, Vancouver was pretty nice in a lot of ways), I noticed how little of this kind of city feel available for being real. I live in Brazil and we have a lot of urban problems, but nothing ever felt as dead as north American suburbs, and of we can have better cities, rich colonizer countries in NA really have no excuse, and I hope you get real cities soon
I would like to request some added footage OR different versions (sometimes) where we get to feel more of the ride experience in edition to the slick back n forth cuts which really focus on the dialogue and human moments of interest (which i also like ) - but id like to also associate this channel with the “flow” of what it is to ride a bike rather than perpetual discussion of BIKE POLITICS , history , infrastructure , our cause , our struggle etc etc - those things are important and ALSO of great interest (one doesn’t diminish the other) the two “vibes” could be separate ?? which could equal more content and be a good thing ? not complaining but more requesting more moments of “bicycle flow vibes” (if possible :)
That’s a great idea Idrissa. I too love Propel videos and appreciate all the hard work it takes to make them. There must be so much of that regular footage edited out… would be cool to see it in addition.
@@Propelbikes Getting more ideas from NJB hey? Jason is the only content creator out there that’s got me to part with my cash. Go for it Chris! A great way to justify that “One more camera”. 🤣
man you got to do it more, go around Europe and get how they doing with their amazing bike friendly cities (meanwhile we here in US just try not to get hit and killed by cars), good job anyways, great videos
The growth of amsterdam just before the Dutch golden age is mainly helped by the city of Antwerp falling into decline, after the Spanish troops razed it. Making a lot of the protestants seeking refuge in the (Reasonably) safe northm aka, Amsterdam a lot of these were already wealthy traders.
About the windows facing streets. I feel it is less romantic. Especially in the wintermonths (october through march) there is not much natural light. The houses are often build next to each other so there is only light from the front and the back. And for our privacy (and warmth) we do use curtains!
Every time I’ve been in the Netherlands I’ve been absolutely terrified of walking and crossing the roads near bikes. I’ve found that they have little to no respect for pedestrians. I was in Utrecht during the Vuelta Grand Depart and I was shocked to see how many people showed no care or respect for the roads that had been closed and for the people trying to watch the race as they kept biking even in tight situations, just smashed the bike bell because fans were rightfully taking positions near the barriers. On the other hand crossing the roads with cars and having to deal with them in your general vicinity was one of the best experience I’ve ever had as someone who walks and uses public transit as his main mode of transportation. I hadn’t even started to cross the road that on the other side there was already a car waiting for me. It may be because drivers are also cyclist and are as such aware of what it’s like to be the most vulnerable on the streets. I was also a bit disappointed by public transit, mostly because having to buy your ticket directly from the driver slows things down and is way less efficient than other options
you dont need to buy a ticket from the driver. all dutch people have a OV which is a card that you can use for all public transport and you can buy that one too, to use for your stay but i guess you didnt do the research did you.
@@r.a.h7682 it wasn’t just me though. When the bus arrived only the door next to the driver opened for people to go on board and a big queue formed as people were buying tickets straight from the driver. It’s extremely inefficient and makes people less likely to go on the bus. And the process of buying them online is way poorly publicised than it is, for example, in the Flanders where it’s really easy
Been lucky to have cycled in a few countries and it may surprise you that Amsterdam is one of my least favourite cities for cycling. There are simply too many cyclists for the available cycle lanes. One of my most favourite cities for cycling is Tokyo. Although can be very busy but majority of the great majority of Tokyo drivers respect cyclists.
Make sure in rush hour to be the dominant one - keep your bike in center of the lane. With other words: in front of the car that is behind you. Same mistake is made by scooters and mopeds that are now forced to drive on the roads instead of bikepaths. When keeping right of the lane cars will try to pass you as you offer them the space. Motorcyclists know very well not to do that and are taking same space as a car would do, thus driving middle of lane.
The trick to cycling in busy places like Amsterdam in rush hour is to look people in the eye, to signal (especially as a beginner) and to be decisive. Accidents happen when you dawdle or hesitate, or don't pay attention. As long as the people around you can predict your movements they will adjust.
Exactly ! In traffic, be predictable !
Do they have a slow lane. Looked like criterium racing at times. 😂
Agree, be decisive. If you hesitate, it will co fuse other riders and cause accidents
I think the same for pedestrians. Don't hesitate at a pedestrian priority crossing, I will cycle through. But be decisive and I will gladly brake and let you go. Same from the other side, as pedestrian with right of way, I will take it to the point of pushing a bike out of the way if needed. I'll just make sure that if there is a collision due to the other person's disregard of the rules, they'll be worse off.
But also try to live and let live. Wherever possible, just wait a sec so someone doesn't have to brake and just signal them through, whatever the mode of transportation.
just the opposite of driving in Boston, MASS during rush hour. Whoever makes eye contact loses.
"Americans are often focused just on going somewhere and never really too focus on being somewhere!" ... well said, I could not agree more!
Thanks, not my original idea, but I am definitely going to try and help promote it
I think in America we have a sense of self and rugged individualism which brings about a culture of walls, powerful cars, closed curtains, back yards instead of front porches, guns and isolation. We live as isolated individuals or groups, while in Europe its much more about community, efficiency, openness and street life. Its not about the bike, its the freedom a bike gives you to leave the isolation and participate in life.
And in the suburbs they don't want side walks or public transport, because it might attract "the wrong people". That's not a society.
I just like to GLIDE! Enlightenment!
So do the dutch its kind of only old wierd people living like that or rich prople in those modern appartment where the only thing you dont see are the bathroom.. (who could live like that?)
I just got a house from a old man, he would share the tv with the rest of the street when watcing..
Im about to turn the wiev from the house to the back of the house, that have a amazing view..
Not the first time i had to turn the house 180° to get the wiev
In the old days they wanted to look at the street and away from the good view, today we pay money to look at the nature..
They did not do that in the same way in the old days
Often old houses would not have the best wiev in the living rooms, it would be in the kitchen or something like that
What surprises me most about America is the fact that many people "pretend" to be good friends, but in fact they don't know each other at all. As a Dutchman on holiday in the US, I was approached several times and I asked myself: do I know these people? But a few seconds later they just ignored you again, there was no social interaction at all…
Whiners and weaklings hiding behind a gun and inside tank like cars.
the open curtains is also part of a form of social security called "eyes on the street" if your curtains are open you can see the street and with everyone having their curtains open the street suddenly becomes very well monitored. you're a lot less likely to steal a bike, harass someone or do anything illegal if you know that all that needs to happen for you to get caught is for someone to walk into their livingroom or throw a glance out the window. ^^
This is an excellent point! People walking and on bikes provides a similar level of security.
Windows without curtains is common in the wealthier row-house neighborhoods of Baltimore. You can take a stroll through the neighborhood and quickly peep into dozens of houses. There's something strangely comforting about it. We inherited our architecture from the Dutch so it makes sense.
Thanks for sharing this! Maybe I can get more comfortable to do the same in my row house in Philadelphia. I'm slightly concerned about tempting theft though since I have a lot of bikes in my living room. I think I need to embrace this lifestyle despite the risk
@@Propelbikes It's definitely neighborhood dependent. I would just use common sense about it.
Seems like the difficulty biking during rush hour was largely due to riding a cargo bike in it.
Totally fair point! I think it was a little dramatized in this video, but I think the experience of being intimidated at first isn't unique. Fortunately it doesn't take long to get comfortable.
Love it. Can't get enough of Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
Thanks!
What I love about some of these spaces is they remind me of it acting as a living room, almost, for residents of the city. I notice a lot of the focus in Europe and Asia is to prioritise the impact that the streets - and the furniture within it - interact with people, to almost force it on people to communicate. The implications of this are an obvious benefit on quality of life, because whereas in the UK or US where most small towns are designed for the working men who are passing through, cities like Amsterdam in Europe with the tightly bound cobbled streets force people to notice others presence. Instead of the person walking down the pavement being out of focus with the rest of the imagery, they’re noticeable, which sometimes promotes positive encouragement.
I first noticed this on my first trip to the Netherlands in 2015/2016, where we stayed in a campsite just outside Rijnsburg, and on our visit to Leiden it was the first time I had experienced a place where it genuinely felt EASY just standing there on the street. There may have been some exploration holiday notions going on but it’s been noticed in each visit since. For some background if you don’t know me, I have Asperger’s syndrome, so I benefit and am massively aware when a city is designed to be therapeutic for its residents in order to provide greater quality of life.
Cities designed for humans are Better cities. Point-blank-period.
Great comment Max! Thanks so much for sharing! I hope your holiday season is going well!
Great perspective!
We don't really celebrate Halloween either, only as students because it's a good excuse to have a party.
Sinterklaas
Ok, but wow - I love that 😂. To be honest, why not - it’s not like parties hurt anyone (when done properly, and staying cautiously clear of covid-19)
🧙♂️🧛🧝♀️🧟♀️
The way that I would describe cycling during rush hour or in locations where it gets really busy is "Controlled Chaos". From and outside perceptive it may look like all those cyclist are all doing their own thing and not following the rules and riding like crazy and nearly causing people to crash and makes you feel very anxious, but when you get used to it you realize that it's not as crazy as it looks, people are following a rhythm, people are following the rules, in fact they follow "rules" that aren't actually rules and are more like agreements between everyone, it's actually very safe and crashes are very rare and people aren't always a moment away from crashing, they are in fact all maneuvering as expected.
When you are new it looks chaotic, when you get used to it you realize it's very controlled and controlled more by the people not as much by laws and rules.
I like that phrase controlled chaos. The reality is that it's much more like the way that nature normally works.
And remember: lights are not to see but to be seen, they must not flash and they must be pointed towards the road, not shine into anyone's eyes...
On a dark road, with no lighting, between two villages, it is nice to have a light that also give you some sight.
And I don't know since when this "lights are not to see but to be seen" came up. If you can see where you ride, others can see you to, and with only a glowing nail.....I don't know.
@@JacobBax Belgium here. Some people ride without lights, because they reason that they can see with the street lights and adapting your eyes to the dark when there is none. Of course they'd be dressed fully in black. And then they cross a road. A car driver can't see them without their lights on. But they don't care. They reason "I can see the cars just fine, so I'll be okay."
"Lights are to be seen" is a warning to put your lights on, even when you think you don't need them yourself to see.
Some countries allow flashing lights. Where I live, only bicycles are allowed flashing white (front) and red (rear) lights. It can work well in mixed traffic because it quickly identifies you as a bicycle to other, faster moving, vehicles.
@@joelogjam9163 flashing lights are forbidden in the Netherlands. Reasoning behind it is that during the 'off time' of the light you are 'not visible', a light that's on all the time makes you visible all the time.
@@Fjodor.Tabularasa I didn't know that. Why do we sell those strap on bike lights that can be set to static or flicker mode? That's just dumb (they are clearly intended for use in a bike, not to make yourself or pet visible during running/walking when dark)
This series has been amazing, and I really enjoyed it. Houston, where I live, is doing a lot of great things, but, of course it's no where near what a lot of cities have done. I get really excited seeing what could be possible. Being present where you are and not thinking of the next place, is a really great thought to live by. Using my bike as transportation has really allowed me to experience the world in a way that I never would have. I feel like people go from one bubble to another here. House, to car, to work, to car, to house, It's all one bubble to another, and they miss the world around them. I'd love to see you guys visit other bike centric locations. Yall could do a whole bicycle travel side channel maybe.
So cool to hear you mention how riding a bike changed how you perceive places because I've been experiencing the same as I ride my bike more places. Before my mental model of my city was more like a series of tubes to get from one place to another, but now I can tell you all about the sight and smells and bumps in the pavement along the way. I've also had many interactions with people I wouldn't have had in my car which has also been heart warming and a lot less isolating :-)
@@een_schildpad this is awesome! I wonder if people look at me like I'm crazy, because in just slowly cruising through the city with a look of bliss on my face
@@skyfirefly76 Depending on the person, they’re happy for you, envious, or hostile. The negative ones are NEVER happy people, so they don’t count. 👎 😆
Thanks @Veronika! I appreciate the support! I hope we can visit many more cities in the future. Maybe even Houston. My brother lives in Austin so maybe we could do a little Texas tour.
@@Propelbikes Austin Schmaustin. Houston is where it's at. Just kidding. That would be awesome! Your friend from Not just Bikes made a video about how he hated Houston, but it was mostly centered around the suburbs. But it still made me cry a lil
The series has been amazing, it makes me home sick as a Dutchie living in California. I hope to one day have saved up enough money to go back, buy a small house or apartment in the east of the Netherlands and enjoy my last days cycling around. I am a stubborn one, am being frowned upon because I don't own a car, bought a condo based on the safest bike route to work, imported a bike from the Netherlands and let the wind blow through my hair on my way to work. I should probably get a helmet...
the christmas lights in the shops (and a lot of houses) go up at the start of november.
(so after Halloween, but that is not celebrated much in the Netherlands)
They are the start of 2 months of several festivities.
On the 11 th of november we celebrate sint Maarten.
(but only in certain parts of the Netherlands) 👀
The children (primary school) craft lanterns and bring light from door to door while singing saint Martins songs.
(The days are shorter then. As soon as the sun goes down at app 18.00 hours they start.)
In return the children receive candy.
The shops and neighbourhoods also participate in this 'bringing of light when the nights are longer by putting up their lights.
The Saturday after st Maarten, Sinterklaas arrives.. so now the lights are for him.
Sinterklaas evening is celebrated on the 5th of December.
not until after the 6th of december they're considered christmas lights. 🤓
Traditionally they have to be down by the 6th of January,
when the 3 kings arrive.
(But hardly nobody uses that day as a deadline any more)
practically they go down when the Christmas vacation of the schools are over: the second week of January.😎👍
Excellent explanation! Thanks so much for sharing!
Your partner’s gleeful cackle every time she nearly biked you into something was magnificent! She’s a keeper, my friend!!
Could we all give a high five to Tara, with her lovely smile and "can do" spirit? She literally rode an adult man on a bike through the streets!
Lovely video, thanks for the information in it, really appreciate the different approach.
Glad to see the impact Amsterdam has had on you, Chris. As you say, there are many lessons there for cities across the world.
Thanks! It has been very impactful!
Love your video, born native car driven Amsterdammer, inspires me to bike more and more, thnx!!!
the trick in busy traffic on a bike in amsterdam is to go with the flow and be decisive. Or take one of the many alternative biking routes usually with less traffic.
Thanks for the tips! I agree
Love these types of videos. Would be great to see you looking at the bike infrastructure in other major cycling cities around the world. London? The videos work really well when you are accompanied by a local expert.
Since when is London a cycling city????
I'm hoping that is what we do in the near future. Just might need to get some financial help to make it happen, but we have some things in the works.
Chris love to watch the development of you and your Channel here on you tube.your inspiration has led me to buy my first bike in 30 + years a R&M supercharger 2 which i love .Thank you and keep up the fantastic work you do.
From bonnie Scotland
Thanks Bonnie! Maybe one day you could show us around your city! That would be cool!
Great content, love how you show cycling in other countries. Keep up the awesome content.
Thanks Steve!
It’s great to see a different perspective. I appreciate how much you advocate for E bikes and bicycles in general. Keep up the great work!
Thanks David!
Something for the bucket-list: surviving in the middle of the mad bicycle 'charge' just after a bridge re-opened during rush hour (like the Berlage bridge over the Amstel).
Imagine the start of a Red Bull Megavalanche but for regular commuters.
We had three drawbridges in the center of the town, that would even open at rush hour for ships.
So we could not see each other because of the bridge deck. As soon as the bridge closed two groups of hundreds of cyclists would storm towards each other in a hurry not to be too late at work or school. Over a small distance of only ten meters! I always stayed on the ultimate right side, and went slowly...
one time a group of 30-50 feral cyclists flew past me on the bridge at 45 km/h and tore my limbs from my body
@@toastsandwich2862 Sometimes I hear shouting behind me, want to look over my shoulder to see why and who is doing this, and just when I swirl a little, ZOOOOOFFFF, they fly past me.
I taught myself to go to the right, no swirls, and wait till it's over.
Too bad for those who are behind their group, because I take back the cycle path immediately. Sometimes one or two will face the grass...
Or just do a U-turn at Vredenburg, Utrecht during rush hour.
@@hendrikdependrik1891 I live between four big schools and rush hour is short, but from 8 to 9 all cycle paths look like what Vredenburg is all day. All in the age 12 to 22, so dare devils.
3:03 what they always forget to clarify about these house-taxes is that it was up to the city to take care of the foundations, which was expensive and had to be standardized. So that is why the cost of these foundations added up according to the width of a building.
I would love to see you guys visit really bad cycling places. Especially places that are on the come up. It was interesting to visit Houston and talk to people there that want to see the city change. I live in a Midwest city and it’s a struggle. I constantly choose my car over my bike for transportation because it’s so hard to go anywhere here.
For sure, I will plan to do this as well. There is no shortage of these places in the US
I came to the US and this was the same thing I experienced. Back home I could use my bike or hop on a bus, but here, uber is the only choice, even to a market 700m away.
Yes. I am new to cycling and I need to learn exactly what you just said: ''to just enjoy being somewhere as apposed to focusing only on getting somewhere''.
this is so cool! I've been living in Amsterdam for almost 3 years now. its such a great place to get around etc. I love it here. I'm from South Africa by the way
Baje cool
When I was bicycling through Berlin I would encounter random people sitting partially outside on a window sill who would strike up a conversation. Often these people would be smoking.
My impression is that many, perhaps even most, people in the US are dominated by fear. And perhaps with good reason; US urban areas can be rough. But this abject fear also drives US citizens to forgo bicycle and car transportation in favor of truck and SUV's, as these bigger vehicles seem best suited to ramming hostile people away.
Guilt and fear are a nasty combination.
I really enjoy making connections with random people, but on the streets of America this could be deadly.
You can also strike random conversations with strangers here in Chicago, but you'll be called a weirdo.
It's also interesting how the bigger the SUVs get the bigger people want. You don't want to have the smallest vehicle on a dangerous street. I'm seeing that a lot here in Pennsylvania
@@Propelbikes The urban assault vehicle isn't owned by urban dwellers (where would they park it at night?) but by suburban and rural people driving into urban areas for their jobs. And these 6,000 pound vehicles aren't just to punch through other vehicles; they are mostly to intimidate pedestrians. Talk to any urban assault vehicle owner, and the first and last thing they talk about is how much they fear neighborhoods with black and brown people just waiting to attack them. While they might be right, may I suggest instead doing everything possible to close motorized traffic so people can develop those social skills that comes from walking and biking.
I wish one of the biking channels with a focus on Dutch cycling culture would experience cycling on the country side and be nearly driven of the road by speed (race bike) cyclists, scooters or elderly people with too little control and too fast e-bikes. That would make the experience more complete :)
Also do it at a time when schools are opening/closing to see the hordes of kids/families/students etc.
I didn't know you were in Philly! As a fellow Philadelphian one thing that'd be cool to see would be a comparison video between riding in Philly and in the Netherlands. It's obvious to those of us paying attention that biking there would be much safer/comfortable/quieter than here, but it'd be nice to have something to point to that makes the point crystal clear
Thanks Jonathan! I am thinking about some videos around this topic for sure. Some places here are comfortable to bike, but even where there is some infrastructure there is a high percentage of reckless driving unfortunately
@@Propelbikes Yeah - we have some scattered bike infrastructure (though not an actual network that can get you around safely), but we have almost no traffic calming measures in place at all. IMO that would take care of most of the unintentionally reckless driving, which I think is a big part of the problem. But yeah there's some intentional recklessness too, which needs different solutions.
About the windows: who doesn’t want to enjoy the view (on the canal)? Why barricade your windows with steel bars, curtains etc? It’s a strange that in so many countries people do this.
I hate closed curtains. Nothing gives me a feeling of being locked up than curtains. I rather have you see me in my underware and look away, than lock myself up.
These are great points! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Great video! Greetings from your new neighbour Belgium 🇧🇪😉
Great video and enjoy the ones you post. I think that the cross-pollination with other like-minded people on their videos is valuable for comparing and contrasting perceptions, experiences and locations. Currently we live in Dusseldorf, Germany and I believe that the area here is also very bike friendly and worth a future visit.
It looks like it was a great trip. Beautiful city and architecture. I like the idea of a city where bikes are the major means of transportation. Much more people friendly than here in NYC. I'm definitely used to it since I grew up here but a shift in Amsterdam's direction, even a little bit, would be awesome.
It's great seeing Tara at the helm. It really is. She is a great role model for women cycling, women "manhandling" a cargo bike.
I really like you videos! Tara and you look like super chill people to hang with.
Maybe you can try a long distance cycle route next time you visit The Netherlands (I recommend you to do so in spring or summer, due to the Dutch weather).
When I was in highschool I cycled with my buddies from ‘Amsterdam’ to ‘Bergen aan Zee’. It took us 6 hours (with a lot of stops and with single gear coaster brake bicycles), we didn’t have e-bikes back then.
I am curious how you will experience the cycling network from the city center of Amsterdam, through the countryside (and the dunes) to another town.
Thanks! I hope we have the opportunity to do many more similar videos in other places. We definitely would love a longer tour
So many things to say in response to this video: 1) Yes, more of these. 2) Did I hear you say that you are living in Philadelphia now? 3) By American standards, I think most people would say I'm an experienced cyclist, but when we were in Amsterdam last, riding there was so intimidating. We never became relaxed. Thanks again for another great video!
I am Dutch and lifed in various Dutch cities, always using my bike for transport. But Amsterdam, wow, biking there is a different ballgame, at least in the crowded city centre.
Thanks! I hope we can make more similar vids. yes, I'm in Philadelphia, for now at least. I think you would eventually become more comfortable cycling in Amsterdam, I feel good about it at this point.
Wow this is great! The title did not do this video justice as it was a history lesson and a showcase of a beautiful city.
Really enjoyed the video, and appreciate all that you’re doing to spread the message about cycling as a real mode of transportation, not just leisure and exercise. Regarding the open windows, to me it makes the city feel warmer, more cozy, and safe.
This was my favorite of your videos and I subscribed because of it. It might be because I love Amsterdam (and Netherlands in general), but there was a calmness to the video too. Thank you.
" We want more"..."We want more" . Nice vids.
Now do Utrecht at rushhour :)
Great video a usual!
I know that feeling of thinking that you know how to ride a bike and then go to one of these cities at rush hour and feel like a newbie, people on the right, on the left, in front, behind and the continuous beeps of the doorbells to get you to move away , because you are getting in the way all the time, it can be a terrifying and stressful experience.
But I don't change riding a bike every day for anything in the world.
Less lecker Pannekoeken and Tara would have got it a little bit easier. 😉
Chris, Tara, great time to watch your stay and reports in the Netherlands! Best wishes for the new year!
it is so so true. I have lived in Netherlands from America for 3.5 years and when I first moved to Netherlands it was hard to understand or get used to the open window to the street thing. It was Odd to me or a bit difficult to get used to people walking past my window only 2 feet from were I was sitting on the couch watching tv or relaxing. It would not be common for a little girl to stop and bang or look in the window at my cat sitting on his window bench. I would ride my bike to the market in the evening and see families like watching a tv show or department store window display. I would think how the people were not afraid that everyone could see what they were doing and what was in their house. This is such a very dutch thing.
No its not a dutch thing, scandinavia does the same..
And btw dont hang your nice expensive lamp up before you go shopping, and the window is broken when you come home
@@Hansen710 Ha ha. Yes I will remember this one. More then anything I enjoy learning how to be more dutch and adapt myself to the culture as I learn a lot and gain a lot.
@@Hansen710 LoL so true.... Also dutch people will just stand there and watch the thief and do nothing.
Amsterdam is intimidating in rush hour; try Copenhagen!! Nice presentation. You could check out Nice (Nizza), Geneve, Wien, Graz, Copenhagen, Paris, Strasbourg, Milano. All have a cycling culture. It's interesting to compare how they're developing cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, and their approach to dealing with the private car virus in our cities. Happy New Year and Joyeuse noel
@1:49 Right after ‘Sinterklaas’-dutch ‘ Santa’-which is predominantly a children’s party, celebrated on Dec. 5.
Our windows are big, but the reason we don’t cover them with curtains is because we enjoy looking out more than we fear people looking in.
Sometimes you see your neighbours sitting on the couch while walking past their house, if they look back, they wave and you wave back. This all happens within a second or two. Most people close their curtains or blinds at night so they don’t have a big dark rectangle in their wall.
Very funny to see Amsterdam through American eyes, thank you! Maybe something to think about next time you visit us: there are so many bike paths, that are totally separated from the roads and streets for cars, that you see a very different country if you travel on a bike. From a car The Netherlands can be quite boring, from a bike it is fantastic.
Thanks! We definitely have much more to see and explore
Love your observation about allowing people to look into your home, I noticed this a number of years ago in Holland, I have now adopted this in the UK, funnily enough my house is the only house on the street with curtains open until it is really dark. It's a shame as many houses never open their curtains or blinds!
Gorgeous.
Great video’s, thanks for it ! 👍
Yes more videos like this. Maybe an inter-city ride on one of the Dutch cycle highways? Also, visit other great cycling cities like Copenhagen.
Thanks David! This is the plan!
Gotta say I do LOVE living in Long Beach 🏖 So cool to see it mentioned here. I have a 15 year old that I am actively encouraging to go to college in The Netherlands.
If you are serious about this you might already want to look into seeing if you can get him a second nationality if he/she has got recent European roots. Many EU countries have a relatively easy route to getting one. The difference in tuition fees is significant between EU and non-EU students.
For Leiden University (different universities have different tuitions):
"The tuition fees for the academic year 2021-2022 are:
Dutch, EU/EEA, Swiss and Surinamese students: €1,084* per year
Non-EU/EEA students €17,716 per year"
Take us on all your travels. I for one, really enjoyed getting to see the Netherlands through your camera lens.
Even in countries like Ukrain there was in the capital city Kiev just a 6 or 8 lane road closed for cars during sundays, just for people to walk there and enjoy the city. Really like it where more european cities and even american are being influenced by each others policies.
4:34 Or did Amsterdam grow so fast because Parma toke Antwerp in 1585 and many merchants moved from Antwerp to Amsterdam?
True. Merchants who fled Antwerp and moved to Amsterdam greatly contributed to the wealth of the Dutch capital.
Great clip and happy to see more
Christmas decorations go up after Sinterklaas I think. I never really paid much attention to the exact timing though.
no we do not really decorate for Halloween even though it is becoming more of a thing in recent years. We have Sinterklaas for December 5th, stores and homes will be decorated for Sinterklaas.
On the subject of Europe and city touring , Did a tour of the old iron Curtain (Euro vello 13) and the highlight was Berlin and the city Border wall bike ride , thing was I starting at 5am in the morning , nothing like just you and your bike at the Brandenburg gate, recommended at the week-end to take in Mauerpark (wall park) Sunday where its one big music party , buskers , dance , etc plus the market
Great video. Now I wanna go. Thanks for this and all your videos. Funny about Americans--we always want to focus on "where next?", instead of being present exactly where we are. There was a movie years ago--late '60s I think--titled "If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium." That's us, struggling to be fully engaged in where we are now, always wanting then next rush of another adventure. Thanks for getting me to think a bit, and happy new year!
Thanks Eric! I'm learning to slowdown more and just enjoy where I'm at. My immediate next thought is that I would love to take a world tour though :)
Happy New Year Ahead I hope!
Another great video Chris and happy new year!
Love this video style - great insight into being in the city.
Open views through windows: not only from outside in, but also inside to outside: we like to look at the world outside
Yes, more like this. It's so interesting. Maybe you could visit and compare other places known for cycling. Copenhagen? Ljubljana? Still wondering what caused the spill at 5:50.
We went to Copenhagen briefly, but we definitely need another trip and I haven't heard of Ljubljana before, but it looks fun after a quick Google.
The spill was largely due to not being prepared for some wet leaves
Ferrys are free of charge, 24 hours a day. Note, the word 'ferry' comes from the Dutch word 'veer'.
"Note, the word 'ferry' comes from the Dutch word 'veer'." Not according to most etymological sources. It comes from the Old English "ferian", meaning to carry or convey something; in Middle English, especially across water. There are similar forms in Norse and Frisian and the older form is the Proto-Germanic "farjan", to carry, transport. It's related to "fare", travel, go, as in "farewell".
@@newremote and you don't think that Dutch is related to those languages in any way...?!
@@judebrown4103: Yes, Dutch is related to those languages, and it's likely that "veer" comes from the same Proto-Germanic roots as the English word "ferry". There are many Dutch and English words that are similar and share the same early origins. The word "sleep" has the same origins as the Dutch, Old Frisian, Old German etc versions, and was "slaepan" in Old English (approx. 5th to 11th century), but "sleep" doesn't come from "slaap".
@@newremote ah I see, that's really interesting, thank you very much for that clear explanation.👍
Dutchie here, the windows without curtains thing doesn't apply to all of us, especially not to me. Always found that odd and I really don't want random strangers being able to look straight into my living space.
Yes, thank you!) When visiting Netherlands I thought that this 'huge windows without a curtains thing' can't be ubiquitous.
I keep mine open, It feels too dark of they are closed
I enjoy looking into living rooms so I keep mine open for others who also enjoy this.
After living in Flanders and then moving to the Netherlands, the difference is striking though. In Belgium at night it looks like the country is deserted, almost every house dark. And that's because most have their living room towards the back of the house or heavy curtains are closed. In the Netherlands, bright and curtainless.
Thanks for sharing your amazing experiences.
I experienced cycling in Amsterdam on a guided non e bike tour. I was and still am an avid cyclist now at 80 mostly ebikes . I grew up in Boston have driven and cycled here with zero fear. Cycling in Amsterdam….I was scared shitless. It was worse than any auto driving I’ve experienced, that said I’m glad for the experience but would not do it again.
1st time living in Amsterdam (north) and doing a course near the flower market, I cycled without hand on the wheel for about half the time if not more. It's not that bad coming from way less busy places on the other side of the country.
Unfortunately my current bike is to unstable to do it safely :( as I prefer my hands in my pockets whilst cycling.
(It does help to be able to brake with your feet pedals, so you don't have to anticipate too much)
It's always good to see how other cultures approach life, change, and the survival of the planet. Constructive use of technology a big plus.
Philly! You should come down to Baltimore and talk to the Bikemore folks about what they're doing to make Baltimore a better city for cyclists and pedestrians.
@3:42 it's exactly the same here in Copenhagen thats why nobody draws the curtains as anyone is welcome to look but not stare in huge amounts of time, as u say a peak is fine but don't stare.
Thank you very much for sharing this video. It made me feel nostalgic, as I’ve been in Lisbon for the last 4 months due to the pandemic, but going back to Amsterdam in January ✌️😎 I miss my Ebike 😉 here everything is done by car although there are already some bike infrastructures, now we just have to change the Portuguese mentality 🤪
When you head back to NL, you have to check Utrecht (the best city for cyclists in the world IMO) and Rotterdam (for a different - compared to other Dutch places - perspective).
Barcelona, Paris, Oslo, Helsinki should be on your list if you want to show and check how other nations are approaching livable cities trend. If you end up in Finland, you'll get extra points if you record a trip to Oulu - winter bicycling capital.
On top of those classic places, on English CZcams I'm missing the content from South America. Bogotá is doing great things for cycling I've heard and I'd love for someone like you to give us a look into that.
DREAM CITY❤️❤️
I keep the blinds open because I want to see what's going on in the street. Closed blinds cut you off from what's happening around you.
Title should be "Biking in the inner canal ring of Amsterdam is intimidating"
Great video (Love to see more travel videos)
North Americans are so focused in cars and their main argument is always - but in cars I don’t have to experience 90% of the problems caused by cars. Just the traffic! And if we added more lanes and more parking we’d solve traffic. No I’ve never heard of induced demand, what’s that?
My wife and I biked around Copenhagen during rush hour a couple years ago. It was a cool experience and interesting at having to sit through multiple light changes because there was so much bike traffic. It was hard for my wife because she rides so slow and the locals were just flying by her. It did feel safer than riding back home though.
Please keep the content coming.
I love seeing foreign perspectives about my city. Some of this film was hot really close to where I live.
Great video, interesting too 👍
Thanks!
i really enjoyed this. The atmosphere is just so different there than in North American cities. I would encourage you to check out Ottawa, Ontario (not in winter lol). Its a North American city that is remarkably bike friendly. It's great to know that the transformation is possible
Great video. Makes me want to visit Amsterdam after pandemic.
Beautiful 🚴 ✨
I remember that after I visited the us once as a teen, I started noticing that places never felt real to me if I only saw them from a car window, and when I later visited Canada and saw many of the same problems( to a lesser degree, Vancouver was pretty nice in a lot of ways), I noticed how little of this kind of city feel available for being real. I live in Brazil and we have a lot of urban problems, but nothing ever felt as dead as north American suburbs, and of we can have better cities, rich colonizer countries in NA really have no excuse, and I hope you get real cities soon
I would like to request some added footage OR different versions (sometimes) where we get to feel more of the ride experience in edition to the slick back n forth cuts which really focus on the dialogue and human moments of interest (which i also like ) - but id like to also associate this channel with the “flow” of what it is to ride a bike rather than perpetual discussion of BIKE POLITICS , history , infrastructure , our cause , our struggle etc etc - those things are important and ALSO of great interest (one doesn’t diminish the other) the two “vibes” could be separate ?? which could equal more content and be a good thing ? not complaining but more requesting more moments of “bicycle flow vibes” (if possible :)
That’s a great idea Idrissa. I too love Propel videos and appreciate all the hard work it takes to make them. There must be so much of that regular footage edited out… would be cool to see it in addition.
Maybe a patreon for that stuff? I’ve been thinking about it
@@Propelbikes Getting more ideas from NJB hey? Jason is the only content creator out there that’s got me to part with my cash. Go for it Chris! A great way to justify that “One more camera”. 🤣
man you got to do it more, go around Europe and get how they doing with their amazing bike friendly cities (meanwhile we here in US just try not to get hit and killed by cars), good job anyways, great videos
hahaha you made it extra hard for Tara also with this big bakfiets and somebody in it. If she was on a Brompton it would be fine in rush hour :)
The growth of amsterdam just before the Dutch golden age is mainly helped by the city of Antwerp falling into decline, after the Spanish troops razed it. Making a lot of the protestants seeking refuge in the (Reasonably) safe northm aka, Amsterdam a lot of these were already wealthy traders.
Chris, you really need to go live there for a few months.
Tara needs her own channel
About the windows facing streets. I feel it is less romantic. Especially in the wintermonths (october through march) there is not much natural light. The houses are often build next to each other so there is only light from the front and the back. And for our privacy (and warmth) we do use curtains!
Every time I’ve been in the Netherlands I’ve been absolutely terrified of walking and crossing the roads near bikes. I’ve found that they have little to no respect for pedestrians. I was in Utrecht during the Vuelta Grand Depart and I was shocked to see how many people showed no care or respect for the roads that had been closed and for the people trying to watch the race as they kept biking even in tight situations, just smashed the bike bell because fans were rightfully taking positions near the barriers. On the other hand crossing the roads with cars and having to deal with them in your general vicinity was one of the best experience I’ve ever had as someone who walks and uses public transit as his main mode of transportation. I hadn’t even started to cross the road that on the other side there was already a car waiting for me. It may be because drivers are also cyclist and are as such aware of what it’s like to be the most vulnerable on the streets. I was also a bit disappointed by public transit, mostly because having to buy your ticket directly from the driver slows things down and is way less efficient than other options
you dont need to buy a ticket from the driver. all dutch people have a OV which is a card that you can use for all public transport and you can buy that one too, to use for your stay but i guess you didnt do the research did you.
@@r.a.h7682 it wasn’t just me though. When the bus arrived only the door next to the driver opened for people to go on board and a big queue formed as people were buying tickets straight from the driver. It’s extremely inefficient and makes people less likely to go on the bus. And the process of buying them online is way poorly publicised than it is, for example, in the Flanders where it’s really easy
Been lucky to have cycled in a few countries and it may surprise you that Amsterdam is one of my least favourite cities for cycling. There are simply too many cyclists for the available cycle lanes. One of my most favourite cities for cycling is Tokyo. Although can be very busy but majority of the great majority of Tokyo drivers respect cyclists.
Hi. Loving your videos. Thanks for sharing.
Make sure in rush hour to be the dominant one - keep your bike in center of the lane. With other words: in front of the car that is behind you.
Same mistake is made by scooters and mopeds that are now forced to drive on the roads instead of bikepaths. When keeping right of the lane cars will try to pass you as you offer them the space. Motorcyclists know very well not to do that and are taking same space as a car would do, thus driving middle of lane.