Epic trip to the Netherlands with our Brompton bikes

This was our second time in the Netherlands. The last time we hired e-bikes but this time we wanted to take our own bikes. We hadn't taken them on the plane before and had to travel around so couldn't take cases for them. we tried out a template from the 2 bikes for adventure KZbin channel and it worked a treat. For the first night we stayed in an apartment hotel near the airport as we knew we would be flying in late at night. then for the next few nights we stayed closer to Amsterdam.
This is more about our travels and the epic cycling infrastructure we used when getting around.
This is part one of three.
#cycling #travel #bicycleinfrastructure #bicycledutch #netherlands #amsterdam #flying #holiday #vlog #notjustbikes #gopro #goprohero12 #insta360 #insta360onex #hover #epic #gcn #bromptonbicycle #wholesome #tourism

[@gordon1434]

Cycle bin is an absolute highlight! Beautifully produced 👏

[@ghostindamachine]

What a great documentary! Some great videography and voice over. As a Dutchie I kinda take it for granted that we can just cycle anywhere on such excellent infrastructure :)

[@Remc01975]

You came right by my work and did part of my daily commute that I've been doing by bike for the last 26 years (Zaandam-Amsterdam). Great video, you were lucky with the weather though...

[@glasgowcycles]

@@Remc01975 definitely lucky with the weather as there was storms before and after our visit. What a great commute to be doing all those years. Has the infrastructure changed dramatically in that time?

[@ianluscombe]

Great video. It's good to see more than just Amsterdam and the red light district. It really is an amazing place. The infrastructure is fantastic. I can't wait to return

[@Newmoor]

This video is put together very well, compliments.

[@glasgowcycles]

Thank you!

[@jameswarnock3125]

Fantastic best video yet! Country and infrastructure night and day to Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. Climate will have a big effect and very little hill fab xx

[@Jeff_P-1988]

1:12 11:50 Just a note of caution, cycling with a phone in your hand in NL can land you a € 160 fine.

[@glasgowcycles]

@@Jeff_P-1988 thanks for letting me know. Next time I’m definitely getting a phone holder.

[@Jeff_P-1988]

@@glasgowcycles You're welcome!

[@bobalinga]

Brilliant video. I'm planning a trip in November by Eurostar with my Brompton. I cant wait. My only concern is being alone and needing to go inside places!

[@glasgowcycles]

@@bobalinga for shopping I would get a big shopping trolley and fold the bike and put it in. We took shots each of watching the bikes as the other went in to shop. Most places we visited I would have happily locked the Bromptons up outside if we had taken the locks. We are looking at the Caledonian sleeper and Eurostar combo for getting over next year.

[@frankhooper7871]

I've taken my Brompton to the Netherlands 3 times now, but happily I only live 25 miles from the ferry port at Harwich, so no need to package it up 😊 🚲

[@mandje2002]

10:29 Cans and plastic bottles have a deposit of 0.15 cents when you return them 😉

[@glasgowcycles]

@@mandje2002 spotted one of the deposit return machines in the big Albert later that day

[@ageoflove1980]

Its also works the other way around. As a Dutchy and you go abroad for a bit longer, you almost feel trapped not having your bike and miss out on the ability to cycle anywhere you like. When you see people in other countries cycle on busy country roads shared with cars, you can really feel the anxiety creeping up on you because of how dangerous and uncomfortable it looks.

[@chefsolid-new]

Really well made video that, nice narration as well. Great work :)

[@wombat1238marsupial]

Great too see that cycling in the Netherlands is not like a life's lottery that it can be in parts of the UK, not knowing whether you'll be involved in an accident if you venture out on two wheels. When they say it's flat there they're not joking😂😂👍👍

[@alamuzz]

Fantastic video!

[@glasgowcycles]

Thank you very much!

[@helenooft9664]

I loved your video, and nice to know that you enjoy your stay in the Netherlands, see you next time.

[@glasgowcycles]

Thank you! 😃

[@TurnYourBassUp]

Nice, the 'big' Albert Heijn is the one near where I live and the one I always shop at

[@Discobiskits]

Incredible city would live there in a heartbeat! Never explored it properly by bike but it's defo on the to do list. Great video 👍🏼

[@francesmorris4907]

How fab are the Bromptons ! What a fab way to travel around Amsterdam, love the way you have taken us viewers with you describing your surrounding areas . The infrastructure for cycling must be like heaven to you both . Great content. ! Thanks for sharing your trip 🤩☀️

[@jackoghost]

its a lovely video and brave to use those small wheel bikes to go around, they are meant for short distances, glad you enjoyed it do have to note the music was a bit loud, was struggling with hearing you speaking

[@fennekeg]

Bromptons have small wheels but good gears, I have one with only 3 gears but use it to commute to the station 7,5km away no problem

[@glasgowcycles]

Here is a link to the video with the music turned down. It was to loud this was my mistake. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3y8Y32oqbChZqs

[@jpdj2715]

Have you considered a ferry from UK to NL? With the folding bikes you cross as pedestrians and even an overnight passage is relatively cheap. You'd need to travel to Newcastle and arrive in IJmuiden. In this video'trip you crossed a waterway called North Sea Canal that connects between the North Sea coast and Amsterdam in a straight line (~23km = 14.3 miles) with cycle path along it. Or from IJmiiden cycle to nearerby Haarlem via the nature reserve in between as stop-over to A'dam. With the ferry you don't need to wrap the bikes either. Folded, you don't need permission to take these Brommies into PT as hand luggage. So e.g. Haarlem Central Station to Amsterdam Central station is a 15 min ride @ €4.90 one way p.p.

[@glasgowcycles]

@@jpdj2715 thanks for this information. We looked at this option. Will do this next time as it definitely takes the worry out of travelling. We are also looking for more routes for next year so the North Sea channel could be a possibility.

[@jpdj2715]

@@glasgowcycles - cool. Cycling the North Sea Channel (NSC) is not so interesting, maybe. I've seen you're not afraid of, but positively interested in modern urban architecture. With that in mind, the NSC is most impressive in the black of the night when one of the huge container-cargo vessels of over 300m sails through it. In daylight, the size of these things does not come across, really. But at night with their little light dots on them they are seriously impressive. I once contacted Amsterdam harbor authority to ask for the next one passing and they were defensive, maybe suspecting some danger could be brought upon such a ship. If you have connections in Maersk ... Here's a link to a high resolution map with the ferry "DFDS" terminal on it, looking at a national park south from it. It's documented from the perspective of hikers and cyclists. www.np-zuidkennemerland.nl/download/NPZUIDKENNEMERLAND23188.jpg The ferry terminal is in the 100..101*4097..498 quadrant Note that walking paths are not open to cyclists and a lot of people in the NL think the traffic code is not for them, but for all other people only. As we have reduced liability for the weaker in traffic since a few years, cyclists being the [anatomic opening] in traffic, often, they still have to learn that while car drivers must pay special attention to them, they need to do that w.r.t. pedestrians. Between each other in busy cycling traffic, make sure you can adapt to the tempo of "the dance" being danced there. Don't try to do a waltz in a room full of tango people. Drive defensively and anticipatory more than 10m ahead of you. You have done this before of course, look at your itinerary (options) in Google Maps Satellite view and went to street view to travel that route already in the virtual. If not, try it. Repeat. Note that Google Maps (GM) for the NL has pretty good bicycle navigation support, and for PT. Occasionally, GM misses a shortcut like an underpass for cyclists under a dual carriage way, or it may not have precise operating data for a ferry for pedestrians and cyclists, so the route will not come up. Potentially, specialised apps do better, but I never needed one, so I don't know.

[@malcolmfoy6304]

Top wee video you should try southern Spain they have improved the bike infrastructure dramatically scenery stunning perfect for your travel bike.thx for the vids once again.

[@tony-kiernan]

Important to remember they didnt have this in the 80s. It's not tradition, its design. Change CAN happen

[@glasgowcycles]

Hopefully my home city Glasgow will have a basic network in place in *checks notes* eight years time.

[@oof8850]

Well done to the Netherlands. I hope Glasgow becomes this good for cycling eventually

[@rubens1337]

Great video, looking forward to seeing the other parts! Uncle Albert is the best one I have heard so far, gave me a wee chuckle. We normally call it "Appie" but the pronunciation would be like the ketchup brand, without the z at the end.

[@oof8850]

Awesome. Missed your videos

[@97bowie97]

11:50 ATTENTION!!!! This is not allowed in the Netherlands. The fine for holding a mobile electronic device while cycling is €160. Use your phone in a phone holder. The best solution for using your phone while cycling is to place your phone in a phone holder. You can easily click when your navigation system asks for an alternative route. You can also easily click on the next song on your playlist. Nowadays there are even waterproof phone holders so you can use your phone on the bike even in the rain.

[@glasgowcycles]

@@97bowie97 thank you for this information. I honestly wasn’t thinking and will make sure I have a phone holder next time I’m over.

[@j.vanderson6239]

The crucial thing is that every car driver is also a biker sometimes. He knows and understands that he is last in priority when he drives

[@davidharris4062]

Got to hand it to the Dutch they are switched on as are most of the other Scandinavian countries, unlike here in the U.K.

[@tomarmstrong1281]

The 'music' was too much of a challenge for me. Others might feel differently.

[@PH61a]

I agree: the first thing I thought "the music is too loud". Especially in the beginning.

[@glasgowcycles]

Here is a link to the video with the music turned down. It was to loud this was my mistake. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3y8Y32oqbChZqs

[@ohjajohh]

Uncle Albert :)

[@Bruintjebeer6]

I never knew you can go to Schiphol on a bike. I always go by car or train

[@fennekeg]

yup there's cycle lanes everywhere, mostly for the Schiphol employees, and some people from the neighbouring villages who take the train there.

[@Bruintjebeer6]

@@fennekeg i learned something new Thank you

[@PAINTuRED]

It's such a disappointment that the rest of the world cannot build with such purpose and intention like how the Dutch do. It's amazing how everything is scaled for human beings and not cars

[@daphnelovesL]

This not the Netherlands just North Holland. It's like a drive in UK and you drove around London.

[@glasgowcycles]

@@daphnelovesL part 1 of 3

[@sanderjansen5187]

If you are on a cycle path were you share the road with cars the speed limit is always 50 km/h our less.

[@fennekeg]

That would be 60km, at least here in the countryside.

[@yepyepyepyep4602]

nice one! next movie loose the background music when you talk

[@glasgowcycles]

Here is a link to the video with the music turned down. It was to loud this was my mistake. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3y8Y32oqbChZqs

[@aeiouaeiou100]

2:50 Very shit road by Dutch standards, is not in line with the latest design standards at all and is probably on a the list of the municipality to be redesigned within 5 to 10 years.

[@glasgowcycles]

We had to detour onto this road as there was a golf event on. There is a road like this near Glasgow that drivers don't give anything close to the respect and space we got on this road.

[@Aviopic]

Nobody says Albert Heijn, just Appie is enough.

[@eddiezweers4158]

Love the review, BUT...(not bashing, just a heads up) the music is a wee bit to loud charaid (in my best Scottish accent)😉. It is not like you're going to attract a million young subscribers who like watching these kinda video's with loud techno, when you can't hear a word you're saying anyway. It will put people off watching the reviews. Which is a shame, and a waist of time for you because I can imagine these vids take a lot of afford and time to edit. So From the Netherlands I wish you good luck and safe travels. Sláinte 🚲🍻🍺🍻🚲

[@glasgowcycles]

Here is a link to the video with the music turned down. It was to loud this was my mistake. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3y8Y32oqbChZqs

[@alicekoppenol-pitti6257]

" Uncle Albert" 😂 that's a good one. Love the impressions you filmed and the lovely voice over. I hope people around the world get to understand what the Netherlands are trying to convey with their excellent urban structures. it makes traveling by Bike extremely safe. Biking is a relatively cheap way of traveling and it keeps you healthy and happy.

[@buddy1155]

@6:44 You are cycling on the wrong side of the road.

[@glasgowcycles]

Thank you. This was first thing in the morning but still no excuse for bad cycling.

[@Paul_C]

A suggestion if I may: when you start to speak, can you mute the music? At least tone it down? It gets annoying fast not able the spoken word. One last thing, cycling with a handheld camera, even if it is a phone, is a no-no in the Netherlands. It carries a hefty fine, for cyclists AND car drivers too, and they can get very expensive too. Stop riding when you need to check your route, or picture. In end all it does end up in the coffers of governments, though that can be a good thing too, infrastructure is expensive. 😊

[@glasgowcycles]

@@Paul_C when editing this video with headphones on it sounded ok. Now that I’ve previewed on other devices I can see how irritating it is. Will release another edit with the music down and also make sure that the sound levels are better in future videos. Was quite excited to get this video out and probably rushed at the end without properly previewing.

[@glasgowcycles]

Here is a link to the video with the music turned down. It was to loud this was my mistake. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3y8Y32oqbChZqs

[@PieterPatrick]

Great video... But I stopped watching because of the loud music.

[@glasgowcycles]

@@PieterPatrick I think I can change that. Will try when I get home later on.

[@glasgowcycles]

Here is a link to the video with the music turned down. It was to loud this was my mistake. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3y8Y32oqbChZqs

[@PieterPatrick]

@@glasgowcycles Thanks.

[@RAWDernison1]

... on Brompton"s ... in the Netherlands ... how silly ! This must be "Still Game" banter, two punctures in 13 minutes. RENT (or buy and store) yourself some 26 / 28 inch wheels, a proper bike-shop offers second-hand "oma-fiets", modern e-bike and cargo-bikes. Saves money and a lot of rubbish on mainland Europe. In the Netherlands, I've only seen these folding contraptions in trains /w office people. Who ? Who in the world takes his own bicycle to Holland ... signed: the Dutch Anti Brompton League. haha

[@fennekeg]

Bromptons are not your average folding bike, they have proper gears and you can travel quite the distance on them (and I have Schwalbe marathon plus tyres on mine). signed, a converted pro-Brompton Dutchie

[@petersteinmeijer519]

Next time play the music a little louder. I could still hear what you were saying sometimes.

[@daaaaaaaaaaavid]

Smart ass..

[@glasgowcycles]

Here is a link to the video with the music turned down. It was to loud this was my mistake. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3y8Y32oqbChZqs

[@51bikerboy]

Your background music choice is horrible! You could have used music from the Average White band or Gerry Rafferty!

[@petersteinmeijer519]

@@51bikerboy Or no music at all.

[@ghostindamachine]

I do not agree :) Matter of taste I guess.

[@glasgowcycles]

Unfortunately I would have received a copyright strike if I used any of their music. If only I could use a track from the Night owl then I could Get it right next time. Here is a link to the video with the music turned down. It was to loud this was my mistake. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3y8Y32oqbChZqs

[@EJannings]

The Music is horrendous.

[@ghostindamachine]

I do not agree :) Matter of taste I guess.

[@hansdenotter7376]

Just a little too loud…

[@glasgowcycles]

Next video I'm going to keep any music that I use as low as possible.

[@glasgowcycles]

Here is a link to the video with the music turned down. It was to loud this was my mistake. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3y8Y32oqbChZqs

[@EJannings]

@@glasgowcycles Much better!!