Awesome bicycle tunnel near Rotterdam - Benelux Tunnel (Netherlands)

[@outtatrex]

You are the best ambassador for Dutch cycling, the Dutch government should pay you for all the work you do. Thanks for sharing.

[@abushams3336]

Actually it isn't that unusual , it often is a short for 'Alida ' as my great-aunt 'Ali' was called , it kind of disappeared when it became more known as a Turkish / Arab men's name ...

[@sonnylatchstring]

Mammoet was a company that managed to lift the Kursk (K141) from the bottom of the Barents Sea in 2001.

[@sonnylatchstring]

The tower is named The Bollard

[@ruudvisser712]

The building was actually constructed mostly out of steel in a big hall, then hoisted on a pontoon, towed downstream and then hoisted into it's current location...

[@ruudbuursema7590]

Love the way you show the world our country. The poem at the wall is from Jules Deelder, a poet from Rotterdam and he wrote it for his daughter, Ari. ( an unusual name for a girl though..) It's the longest poem in the world.( in distance) "Dear Ari, Don't be afraid , the world is round and is so for long. People are good , people are bad. But they all go the same road. The longer you live, the shorter it takes You come out of the water and go through the fire Therefore dear Ari, don't be afraid The world will spin and will do so for long"

[@spinningtrue]

Thanks and thanks for the translation that's a very cool poem!

[@lws7394]

'The longest poem in the world ' lmao ! the original lyrics : Voor Ari Lieve Ari Wees niet bang De wereld is rond en dat istie al lang De mensen zijn goed De mensen zijn slecht Maar ze gaan allen dezelfde weg Hoe langer je leeft hoe korter het duurt Je komt uit het water en gaat door het vuur Daarom lieve Ari Wees niet bang De wereld draait rond en dat doettie nog lang *** btw did you use the older, in 1941 finished (!), Maastunnel as well ? It is beautiful, in Art Deco style and renovated some years ago .

[@mr.labman5967]

@Ruud, a little bit strange , riding in a tunnel under water while we all know water always levels and still saying we are living on a round earth “🌏” is really strange!!! But this video is not about flat earth so enjoy biking!!!!

[@cebruthius]

Ari is just short for Ariane

[@ruudbuursema7590]

@@cebruthius , that must be it!

[@HansJongstra]

Just a little tip when using the escalator. There is no need to use the brakes. As soon as the whole bike is on the escalator, turn the steering wheel 90 degrees. The bike is then not able to go anywhere anymore, you can even let hands loose of the bike.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

It is called Benelux tunnel because we wanted to honour the Benelux treaty. And in addition it is the most important route from Rotterdam to Antwerp. That border crossing near Breda is the busiest in the world. Fortunately there are no checks to speak of anymore because of Benelux and Schengen treaties.

[@robbadub007]

@UK: Please take note...

[@yellowgreen5229]

​@@robbadub007just to point out that while Brexshit turned into a far right nationalist mess, the Benelux treaty was just the capitalists forced to unite against socialism, just as they did when they invaded the USSR and refused to join with the Soviets UNTIL AFTER Hitler invaded them! Meanwhile yankee monopolies have been allowed to rampage through Europe which is what caused the Brexshit reaction and IS CAUSING the far right movement all over Europe so maybe don't rush to defend the failing result!

[@cebruthius]

The tunnel Amsterdam can only dream of!

[@spoonman2605]

2:47 the building is called ‘de Bolder’. It is Mammoets office building. The building was constructed indoors in a shipyard - in one piece! And then it was transported to its current position (in one piece!) by Mammoet - because that is what they do: lift and transport immensely large objects

[@spinningtrue]

That is wild! Pretty sure I knew somebody who did an internship there when I was a student.

[@captainchaos3667]

Mammoet is a pretty cool company. You should look up some of the stuff they do, like transporting entire oil rigs in one piece.

[@margreetanceaux3906]

The whole Netherlands is a delta, and the Nieuwe Maas is the constructed mouth of the Rijn/Rhine. You’re absolutely right!

[@ronaldstrous2764]

Last may I made a bicycle vacation. I went through the maas tunnel, where the escalator is a bit longer. Going down I had to lean backwards because of al the luggage. Going up I had to lean forward. In Antwerp we went through the Sint-Anna tunnel, but there we took the elevator 😊.

[@roberts6035]

Greetings from Pernis. It is my hometown and for a few years I used the tunnel every day. The trick is to build up a lot of speed downwards so it is easyer to go up. And DFDS is a ferry to England.

[@abushams3336]

Regretfully it has been closed now due to worn out escalators and elevators, was planned for refit in 2030 but they might pull that forward .. there is an alternative connection in the same system but without elevators and quite a heavy incline , originally used for mopeds .. The Heinenoord tunnel ( actually under the Oude Maas , so the OLD instead of NEW Meuse ) has a system with only , bigger, elevators .. and the Maastunnel in Rotterdam has an antique escalator and a newer elevator system. Those three are all way preferable over the Kill tunnel as they have completely separate tunnels for the bikes , while the last has a bike path beside the cars .. a attack on the lungs, especially on a busy day ..

[@daphnelovesL]

You missed the other cyclepath without the escalator just around the corner. I hit 60 km going down.

[@CanyonWanderer]

Cool you featured this, a very thorough explanation! For us NL cyclists this is one of the few crossings of the Nieuwe Waterweg, there are some bridges and ferries, but these are quite a bit apart. Actually the Benelux tunnel has another parallel path (apart from the cycling and car tunnel), this is the "moped tunnel". Weirdly enough It is in between the two car tunnels and is restricted to mopeds (due to the steeper parts). But I know from 'sources' (shhhh! ), that more serious road cyclists do tend to use this path as well. But I know (from sources) that the final climbs are pretty steep and therefore discouraged for 'normal' cyclists.

[@janvandoren8910]

The nieuwe maas is not an artificial canal, but part of the river/maas delta. It is heavily modified for the Rotterdam harbour, so it might look artificial, but it is not. Might i suggest google for some background information for your video's 😀 It can also provide you information about the history of the tunnel and why it is called the benelux tunnel.

[@bikeamour]

The Nieuwe Waterweg is a dug out canal though

[@lws7394]

Does it make sense to explain to foreigners that 10km after the Dutch-German border the River Rhine stops being named 'Rijn' ? 🤔 That rivers split and conlfuence as they go .. That in Roman times the Rhine would flood more north in the river delta , just below Utrecht and mouth into the NorthSea near Leiden ? That Since the St. Elisabeth Flood in 1421, the water of the Rhine from Arnhem split into a river IJssel (towards the north) , a Nederrijn/Lek river and a main body called 'Waal' which streams along a 'Beneden Merwede' to the Old 'Oude Maas' into the Nieuwe Waterweg ... Or would it be a bit too much ?

[@ervie60]

@@lws7394 TMI, do a TLDR version for cyclists (LOL)

[@RealConstructor]

It’s better to place your front wheel perpendicular to the frame (the handlebars parallel) so that the front wheel can rest completely on the step of the escalator, it prevents your bike from sliding down backwards (when going up) or falling down forward (when going down). The brakes will also do it, but you have to keep pulling the handbrakes constantly. Placing your front wheel perpendicular is easier.

[@frdml01]

BENELUX was a pre-EU international economic co-operation pact between these 3 countries. Only years later first the EEC (European economic community) and then EU were formed.

[@passantNL]

The Benelux still exists. The Benelux treaty was renewed in 2008.

[@Conservative-Leftie]

Indeed... mammoeth lifted the Kursk...and also lifted the London Eye... That building is not the harbour controltower...it is actually the big black box on that concrete pillar at the start of your second shotlocation...

[@OssWiX]

The Maastunnel (already widely recommended as i can see in the comments) has a modified escalator that's less daunting to use with a bike even though it is quite a bit longer. I would advice observing how people take their bikes up and down those, as the tunnel is frequently used by commuters who have found out the trick of turning your front wheel to lock in your bike without any worries of it slipping down. It too is a busy connection as it is one of the few ways to cross the river. I much prefer cycling in tunnels over bridges since having commuted that way. Especially in Rotterdam where straight after going south over the Erasmusbrug you are confronted with a traffic light, and thus have to break away the speed you build up going down. With a tunnel you can use all that momentum you build up while going back up.

[@spinningtrue]

Thank you! Yes I think I need to plan another trip to the Benelux region to check out more cool cycling infrastructure.

[@peet4921]

You should make a video about cycling through the Maastunnel near the Euromast in Rotterdam, and not just the tunnel is way longer then this one, the escalators are also.

[@yvkon]

And the Maastunnel is the oldest tunnel in the Netherlands made by sinking modules. It's a Rijksmonument. The build started in 1937 and finished in 1942.

[@captainchaos3667]

The port of Rotterdam is enormous. It even was the largest port in the world until not that long ago!

[@buddy1155]

In the top 100 of largest ports there are 5 Chinese ports larger, those 5 ports are larger as the remaining 95 ports combined in the top 100. That is kind of curious, those 5 ports must ship a lot of goods between them, because Chinese never lie about their numbers.

[@cebruthius]

5:08 The speed limit only applies to motorized vehicles, so you can speed all you like on a pushbike (ebikes max out at 25, so even though they're technically motorized it's moot)

[@mr.labman5967]

Great ride wow 🤩!

[@hansa.hansen4746]

The round building is the HQ of the heavy lift company Mammoet

[@IesKorpershoek]

Mamoet; They lifted/Salvaged the Kursk submarine. btw there's an elevator on both sides as well

[@lws7394]

The Mammoet company, actually salvaged the Russian nuke submarine Kursk , back in 2000. Together with Dutch marine salvage company Smit International , Mammoet did the lifting work.

[@m.moolhuysen5456]

The best trick to taking a bicycle on an escalator is to turn your steer/front wheel perpendicular, this eliminates any tendency of the bike to move down the steps completely.

[@cebruthius]

Your steer 😆

[@m.moolhuysen5456]

@@cebruthius Dang, I forgot that it's only a verb. But I guess that everyone can kind of recognize what I mean.

[@cebruthius]

@@m.moolhuysen5456 Also a noun. A steer is a male domestic bovine animal that has been castrated and is raised for beef.

[@19Darshan63]

You also want to see the Maastunnel in Rotterdam it's near the Euromast 👍

[@spinningtrue]

I will add it to my list thanks!

[@charlyvanbuuren2947]

It was completed during the war. It's a trip back in time....The escalators are really special!

[@BicycleDutch]

I don’t know about a mirror. Not sure where you got that from 😎

[@spinningtrue]

Heh I don't remember I thought I heard that somewhere! Very cool tunnel either way.

[@BicycleDutch]

@@spinningtrue Oh right, it was me. The "mirror" (actually polished steel sheets) seems to be in the ceiling next to the lights to give an impression that it is wider than it really is. I forgot I wrote that in 2011 and I am also struggling to see it in the video. ;-)

[@spinningtrue]

@@BicycleDutch I thought I got it from you but then when you commented I was thinking maybe I read that somewhere else :).

[@ernootje1971]

Did you take the Maastunnel in Rotterdam too?

[@spinningtrue]

No I didn't know about that tunnel I'll have to go back some day!

[@trainluvr]

The historic Antwerp tunnel is on my channel with full detail.

[@spinningtrue]

Checking it out!

[@jeffturner8927]

Some nice infrastructure there. My first road bike had Benelux brand gears. Are e-bikes becoming popular in Europe?

[@VineV-Dutch]

Are becoming? No, they are for years!

[@spinningtrue]

I was passed by zillions of ebikes on my last bike tour!

[@arthurhagen3826]

There is also e tunnel for slow traffic. On my road bike I take one.

[@Rene_Sintemaartensdijk]

De Maastunnel (geopend in 1941) heeft eveneens een roltrap voor fietsen.

[@derekjolly3680]

You'd think they'd have a ramp down and maybe either the elevator up, or a ramp up. A ramp up perhaps more inclined than you'd want to ride granted. The escalator is just funny.

[@spinningtrue]

Yeah it's kind of a funny system but faster than an elevator. I suppose the reasoning is that a ramp would be too steep?

[@dutchman7623]

@@spinningtrue Too long for a ramp to be convenient, and we hate to see elderly and kids sliding back into the tunnel because they cant make it. Or cyclist doing 120 km/h going down. So escalators and elevators are the best solution. Inside, no rain, no snow, no heart attacks...

[@derekjolly3680]

@@dutchman7623 Of course the assumption is that plenty of people would be simply walking their bikes up with a ramp. That's pretty safe and straightforward. Going down, best judgement like always.

[@dutchman7623]

@@derekjolly3680 Yes, but at the Benelux tunnel ramps would be very long and steep. It's 15 meters below ground level. Like pushing your bicycle over a 5 story apartment building... and shooting down at the other side.

[@VineV-Dutch]

Every foreigner: a tunnel for bicycles! Every Dutch person: so what? We have them for decades.

[@nickname4486]

It’s may be an idea when making a movie about a tunnel that you try to film the actual tunnel and not 90% of the time your own head.

[@ruudvisser712]

U usually take the escalator as well, Often stupid scooter and moped owners start their motors when they are just out of the elevator, filling it with fumes when they drive away... 🤥 (and turning the frontwheel 90 debrees will make it even easier to hold on the escalator...)

[@spinningtrue]

Yeah I think there were some mopeds in there doing that when I was there too

[@stephenvanwijk9669]

Your story about de Nieuwe Maas is totally incorrect, you only had the name right.

[@yellowgreen5229]

Ugly concrete, they need to take a page from the Soviets and make infrastructure more interesting!

[@JulesStoop]

Interesting place! In an attempt to reconcile the story about this waterway (artificial or not): the part where the Beneluxtunnel crosses, is the ‘Nieuwe Maas’ it’s a natural river arm. Most if not all of the water flowing through it, is-as you mentioned-Rhine water. A few kilometers further to the west, a section of the same waterway is named ‘Scheur’ (‘rip’). Scheur takes us another 13 kilometers west. After that, the last 5 kilometers or so to the North Sea, are named ‘Nieuwe Waterweg’. While ‘Scheur’ is still part of the original river system (but heavily canalized), Nieuwe Waterweg is a fully artificial canal dug in the second half of the 19th. century. It’s indeed the most important infrastructural factor for Rotterdam’s success as a large sea port. nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuwe_Waterweg#/media/Bestand:Rotterdam_en_de_nieuwe_waterweg_naar_zee,_1857.jpg

[@spinningtrue]

Thanks for the info!