Netherlands 10-minute Tuesday Bikes! Riding a bike in the Netherlands is not as simple as it seems.

Netherlands 10-minute Tuesday Bikes! Riding a bike in the Netherlands is not as simple as it seems. If you are living in the Netherlands from the US and you want to know where to park your bike, what to do if it breaks down or does anyone REALLY ride bikes here...stay tuned because your about ready to find out! The one thing we have learned moving from the US to the Netherlands is many things are not what they seem or as easy as it looks. Biking in the Netherlands is one of them. If you think you need a new bike when you move to the Netherlands...think again!

[@jolandafrijlink6103]

My father tought my brother and i how to fix our bikes at a young age. In that time bikes were more mechanical and simpler. I can tell you that knowing how to fix your tire early in the morning when no one is home and you have to be at school it is a blessing.

[@janaaj1an889]

Rode a bike a lot as a kid. Rented a bike in Amsterdam in the summer of 1963 (on leave, US Army in West Germany). I got caught in major traffic around (and around) central Amsterdam. I was afraid to stop. I don't know how long that went on, but I was exhausted (got it back to where I rented it, though!). Was happy to walk after that! Love the Dutch (I have a Dutch name, but from 400 years ago). --Jan

[@gert-janvanderlee5307]

@@janaaj1an889 Nope Jan is still used as a name today too.

[@AlexK-yr2th]

We are all taught to change or "plakken" a flat tire with our bare hands at a young age.

[@winmachielse1233]

I am a mailman in Rotterdam myself. Without my bike it would be impossible to do my job.

[@renebosch5917]

Wait a minute … if you want to integrate in the Dutch way, you do NOT go to a bike repair shop to have your tires pumped up. You do that yourself! The lady you filmed did it correctly. Same with punctured tires … you fix that yourself. That’s in fact a job for the man in the house … Eric …

[@priscillawilson3519]

All so normal to us, we don't even see it... thank you for opening our eyes to our great culture!

[@Jurjen_Warrel_Ottenhoff]

I grew up in a small town and from 11 years old I had to cycle 12+ km (7.5 miles) to school. When I started at that school the first thing my mom did was teach me how to repair a punctured tyre and gave me a tyre repair kit and a small pump for in my backpack.

[@bertoverweel6588]

Hallo lovely people , got a electric bike a few monts ago , I am 70 and after I have had corona my lung content was not as it was before , so now I can cycle every where again . Nice video again like always . Groetjes .

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Hallo Bert! Glad that you can get out there and enjoy cycling again😊!

[@robcherry6734]

Take care Bert, lot’s of accidents with OAPs on eBikes in NL as, all too often, the bike outperforms the riders reaction. Our Local A&E was full of OAPs and me one Sunday afternoon last winter, we all had accidents on e-bikes 😀

[@bertoverweel6588]

I am not going that fast , 18kmh tops , I am not in a hurry but now I can make longer journey's .

[@Paul_C]

@@bertoverweel6588 most e-bike are sold as an 'range extender', it isn't so much the speed but the distance that is all important. I bought mine for that use, rather than depending on busses. It saved time and it extended the possible distance. Started with 3 km on a good day, and that got to 25km in one year. Today it is possible to take it up to 100km and slightly more and that is with 40% left of the battery. That means to me a lot. Now slowly working to increase speed. So yes, e-bikes have a place in the mix.

[@AnneSpeeFrickus]

Laughing out loud at Erics version of what happened 😂. By chance tomorrow the mobile bikerepairshop, Fietsklaar, is coming by our house (Rotterdam too - we live in Nesselande) to check two of our bikes. So awesome - they come to you in their van and repair your bike outside your house. Love them.

[@wimschoenmakers5463]

Nice video...... Yeah, most of us had those 'battlewounds' learning biking. Don't worry about it. You are a pro soon ! 🤣

[@FrouketenVelden]

You guys are so cute! For everyone taking notes: really internalize this: biking in the city is not for fun, its to get from one place to the other. Think of it as a vehicle, would you stop in the middle of the road, cross without looking, turn without looking and signing? Nope, its really dangerous and it causes many terrible accidents. Also you are not allowed to park your bike anywhere in city centers/big in big city's (only in parking spots) look out for signs where it is not allowed. There are constantly trucks driving around to take the bikes (hundereds a day in Amsterdam at least;) and you have to pick them up somwhere far out of the city on Fiets Depot and pay a fine;) It has happend several times that I left my bike in front of a shop for 5 minutes and it was gone. Also, always try to lock your bike to something and if you just moved to a the city, consider buying the most crappy looking second hand bike (but technically outstanding ofcourse)

[@diashaliz]

I have traveled through North America for several years with my boyfriend. He worked as a truck driver, so we went to many places. Because we spent a lot of time in the truck, I wanted to take a walk every day. We parked the truck at a wallmart for groceries and walked to a restaurant down the road. A boy who was in the car with his mother called after us while we were crossing the road, why on earth would we walking, you have a car for that, are you crazy.. It was good to notice what we are used to here in the Netherlands, walking is for crazy people ;)

[@skippynoah]

Thank you Tammy and Eric for this video. Again informative and fun. Most people here learn as a child to repair a punctured tire. Bless the ‘anti-lekbanden’ these days as this prefent us from a few flat tires a year. Children in primary school get a traffic exam so they know about traffic rules and can go all alone on their bike safely to school. Keep those video’s coming!!

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Thank you Sandra!💕

[@hcjkruse]

bicycle excursions suggestion: 1. Maastunnel. 2. Cycle to Delft or from Schiedam to Maassluis to experience what highschool kids experience. 3 Cycling weekend on Texel.

[@catharinaforbes-boeren82]

Lovely episode !

[@BrazenNL]

Excellent format.

[@yvonnebirch6026]

Fun video ! I am sorry for your little tumble Tammy. I loved to see your cosy neighborhood. As a former Amsterdammer I realize now what snobs we were. I am sorry I missed out exploring some of the other big cities in the Netherlands. Rotterdam looks like a great city to live in. Have a great week ! Love from Monterey ! 💕🌷

[@sim-one]

Loved this one! ÁND learned things I didn’t even know! Well done guys! Keep doing this, it’s a keeper! 👍🏻

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Thank you Simone!💕

[@macbosch64]

So sorry that you got injured while riding a bike, hopefully it isn’t too painful. I love riding a bike, it’s so easy to get around and you get some fresh air too (allthough I wonder How much fresh air there is still left when I ‘m cycling on the Brienenoord bridge next to a motorway) . I still have my old bike it’s about 20 yrs old now…but it still works fabulous. I use it for everything, going to the gym, or to work , to see friends, only when the weather is bad I ‘ll go by car.

[@r.f.devries8073]

Nice Video. Also nice to see you"ve held up a Sinterklaas tradition with your shoe in front of the Heater/Central Heating element. Don't forget to put a carrot in it and sing some Sinterklaas songs so you can get a gift in the morning 😁

[@Hansse]

Hi Tammie and Eric and thank you for another respectfull review of our habits? I saw in this video that you live near Blijdorp (station). Have you allready visited the beautiful Blijdorp Zoo? My favorite of our country and that's why I have been a member for over 30 years and I live in..... Amsterdam.😀

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Hello Hans! Thank you watching us! Yes! We love visiting Diergaarde Blijdorp! We have annual passes so that we can go when ever we want❤

[@connievanlewe7762]

I really like your 10 minutes Tuesday.👍🙂

[@AlexK-yr2th]

Those backpaddle brakes are dangerous when not used to it. As a kid we were supposed to stamp hard on it and make our tires squeak and slip to find out what the max. stopping power was. I suggest that you try that as well so you don't have a reflex to stick your legs out. Better though to get handbrakes because Americans are used to that. "Terugtraprem" is actually a real Dutch word...

[@Paul_C]

It takes getting used to when using coaster brakes. And the same with a new bike when the handbrake is not the same as your previous bike... In my case left brake and right brake were switched. All of a sudden 🙄 right was left... that was, eh, painful. 😄

[@norajazzypoppy9043]

Auw 😱 I hope you feel better Tammy🚲😊♥️

[@vanderquast]

great 10 minutes 😊👍

[@margreetanceaux3906]

ANWB (Dutch AAA) even offers an insurance: if there’s something wrong (‘pech’) while you’re on the road, they come to you to repair the bike - just like their service works for your car (Wegenwacht). Anywhere! If you’re riding something cumbersome like a 3-wheel bike (i.e. impossible to be picked up by a friend, in a regular car), this is a lifesaver.

[@robcherry6734]

Agreed, we have one and it is!

[@Sjiesjam]

Love how You always say the Netherlands.

[@bramharms72]

Was watching Not Just Bikes' stream but I switched over when I saw this pop up, you may not have his numbers, but at least you have that. Fun video.

[@nimwey7701]

Eric has such a wild imagination, love it🤣

[@frankboyd.]

Cycled from Amsterdam to the west coast many years ago. Often there was bumpy brick roads for cycle paths which shared with motorcycles. It was so windy at times it was difficult to peddle. That's why there's windmills right ? I opened the instructions I got for my new 10 speed and the wind blew it away, off to the far horizon in record time. But it was a very special experience I cherish.

[@deheermailmum5036]

always nice to hear and see that whats normal for us is not normal for people from other countries

[@YTVB4]

Love my bike 🚲 and I feel handicapped without it! So if it would get stolen, which has happened unfortunately, it's a real pain! Because finding one that will match you as good as the one that got stolen, is quite difficult. My locks have always been more expensive than my bike 😉. I do go to a bike repair shop if I've a flat tire.

[@maaiker2977]

People really shouldn't feel intimidated by biking or feel bad for falling. Happens to all of us. They are learning experiences. Some of mine are; 1) my first crash while still doing "drivers ed" with mom and dad: they told me to turn right but forgot to mention there would be a steep drop and you need to break. I was launched down hill, crashed against a stone planter and did a summersault into rose bushes. Lets just say I wouldn't recommend it. I cried my eyes out. 2) always maintain your bike: mine was rusty and broke while I was riding at high speed. I got launched face first across the pavement. Au! 3) when its freezing keep in mind it could have rained at night which means the road can have ice patches. You blink once and all of a sudden you are riding a zamboni. Don't panic cause than you will fall... just glide it out. 4) just cause you have the right of way doesn't mean you'll get it. I got run over by a car on a separated bike path. The guy wasn't looking.

[@dutchyjhome]

Yes we start counting with 1 on our thumb and so our pinky is number 5. Yes we start riding a bicycle at a very young age, not to play with the bikes, but to get acquainted with this form of functional transportation. And Yes we almost transport anything you can come up with per bike. If you want to transport something and it does not fit your bike, you've gotta go lent, rent or buy a bike which does enable you to transport your coach (for example) or closet. I'd say that there is a least a comparable amount of bike variations available here in The Netherlands, as there are variations of Cars/Trucks/Vans and Buses available in the USA. So just like the average American can come up with a car/van/truck or bus variation to serve his purpose, we can come up with any kind of bike variation which serves our purpose for local transport obviously.

[@alexanderjwz2124]

it depends on what you are used by , we have breaking with your feet or with hands, you should try also breaking with hands so you experience both and see the difference.

[@rinynewton8297]

Again love the video. I have 3 brothers and 3 sisters. I was the one who was handy with bikes and so I was the one who always had to fix tires if they where flat! Nowadays i couldn't because they are a bit more technical. Tammy why don't you get yourself a bike with handbrakes, i think they are safer and better more modern to. Mind one brake is for the front tire and the other hand for the back, so you need to brake for the back tire mostly at first then the front tire comes into it. Only using the front will topped you over if you use it to hard. I am on my bike every day and love it. We learn to cycle from the minute we can walk, first with mom and dad later on your own. Also kids at school sit thrue an exam how to be safe in traffic. I remember going every day in summer to the lake which was a good 45 min away on your bike. Hot sun, then swim and cycle back home. Loved it. We would go with a big group of kids out the same street then come home to one the kids house and there would be a big salad for all. Great times on our bikes! Thx again for given me lovely memories. 😊❤

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Hi Riny! What great memories! Thank you for sharing💕

[@Aragorn.Strider]

great video!

[@ingridwatsup9671]

Loved the vid! You’re becoming a real Dutchie when you’ve passed your bike exam (yes all Dutchie have that test) and you’ve acquired a few scars. So we’ll done Tammy! The air pumps in the streets are great, but a bit of exercise with your own pump doesn’t hurt.

[@Harolddespui]

Bike exam? 😀

[@rinynewton8297]

@@Harolddespui ja zeker. Verkeersexamen op de lagere school.

[@Harolddespui]

@@rinynewton8297 Dat is voor mij héél lang geleden. We hadden toendertijd wel een soort van verkeersexamen, maar dat was algemeen, dus niet op de fiets gericht. Een fietsexamen klinkt alsof je fietsles in het verkeer krijgt en daar examen voor moet doen.

[@knelia2]

@@Harolddespui Voor mij ook heel lang geleden (50+ jaar). Destijds als klas (lagere school) onderweg op de fiets en de verkeersregels geleerd. Doen ze dat tegenwoordig eigenlijk nog ?

[@Anonymous-sb9rr]

Ik ben 31 uit Rotterdam en ik nooit een fietsexamen gehad. Wel verkeerslessen op de basisschool. Fietsen leerde ik van mijn ouders.

[@tetaomichel]

You will learn and the falling is only in the beginning. We all fell one or two times when learning.

[@B0K1T0]

Lovely video, I recognize that street :) I live not too far away and I've noticed the DIY bike repair station there as well, it's quite recent but pretty cool idea!

[@empress53]

That would have hurt a lot. I hope you have recovered well!

[@urbandiscount]

People do lots of leisure trips by bike as well. Where you live, you're close to the very nice area of allotment gardens and old levees stretching towards Overschie.. Just turn right at Vroesenpark, cross under the A2o Freeway by Vroesenbrug and head to Overschiese Kleiweg . Turn right at the mill, first left, and you'll be on Achterdijk, which I think is a beautiful exit from the city. You'll end up at the airport end of Overschie, and you can cycle back through Zestienhovenparkt. If you go right at the start of Overschiese Kleiweg, you'll end up in Hilligersberg at its Kleiweg. (it's got a very nice bookstore/cafe) You're also fairly close to Oude Leede and the Ackerdijkse Plassen. Also a very surprising green area, just north of you. Try it out. Even in this season it's good cycling, and you'll see lots of people around enjoying a ride.

[@IesKorpershoek]

Great video. You miss one big point about bikes, every week hundreds are stolen, especially the new electric bikes. So, make sure your bike is insured and you or your family holds legal liability insurance. In the case of a 'misshape', it can be quite expensive. You may also consider joining a bike service/support plan like AAA for cars in the US. Whenever or wherever you have a problem with your bike they come and help you.

[@Nitzpitz]

Hope you recovered well Tammy, that must have hurt

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Hi Nitzan! It did hurt, but I am all healed up now! Except for a scar on my arm!😊

[@annebokma4637]

That metrostation is right in front of my previous home. Looking out the window that is what I saw. Walked a lot in the park one block over. Shame the apartment was way too small, else we could have bumped into each other

[@ouwesdebouwes3224]

Dutch moms be like "Oh you fell off your bike and now you have a bleeding knee, thats ok it will heal, no problem....WHAT!? but there is also a hole in your pants now ? YOU REALLY NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL YOUNG MAN!!" XD

[@MusicJunky3]

Now you know why we are so tough 😉 , you fall down and you get get up and continue on your journey. Same goes for skating . Now you stiil have to look forward to that sinking feeling when you go outside and your bike has been been stolen despite it being chained up.

[@niehoe3048]

Yeah I believe Eriks story. Tammy's seems a bit unbelievable.

[@ingridwatsup9671]

😂😂😂

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Lol!😂😂

[@joannewink7101]

Yes, me to. Tammy has a great imagination. 😁

[@elsvanzwoll]

I would stick to Eric’s story. 😂Sounds bad ass😂👍🏼 Ps: I ask my neighbour for help. I’m lazy 😬 Love your vlogs as always. Love Els 👋🏼

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Lol!😂. Thank you so much, Els❤

[@irbaboon1979]

If you enjoy biking or exploring things - take a train and do a weekend in the south of NL; you can try cave biking in valkenburg or climb some decent hills in that area… very different from Amsterdam area.

[@dimrrider9133]

They live in Rotterdam lol i saw it on the Metro sign ;p

[@irbaboon1979]

@@dimrrider9133 going to south will be a culture shock then... Very different architecture and mindset :)

[@dimrrider9133]

@@irbaboon1979 im from Breda 😆😎💪Parel van het Zuiden

[@irbaboon1979]

@@dimrrider9133 Anything above Echt is the north... :)

[@pieternoord3287]

It's True

[@jurrione]

Since the bikes are topic, did you ever hear of "De elfstedentocht"? Done by bike. Over 200 km in Frysian landscape. So only for the fit, brave or stupid among us. To you it would be like cycling to Amsterdam and back. And back to Amsterdam. But it used to be ice scating. And it will be if Friesland freezes over. But it has been a while. So I do not know if you ever heard about it. King Wim Lex has done it once. So that deserves respect. Our king is not made of sugar. The movie "Hel van 63" is about that race. Only a few made the finish in time. Dutch winter can be brutal. 1963 was extreme for here. Reinier Paping was the winner I think to remember. But I will check that after i send this. If Netherlands freezes over, you are in for another surprise. Besides cycling, most of us can ice skate too. Although the younger generations might not. (global warming and such.) So not only bikes. Ice skates too. Below zero will bring out the "Friese doorlopers".

[@rienkeheinen3601]

I love your videos. Thank you for that! I am sitting in a wheelchair and I am using a handbike. and a bike to transport packages and my service dog. You can't connect those things at the front of your wheelchair. I don't know know if it is possible to download photos in this reaction/message????

[@Aan-rg3qi]

Wear those scars with pride! We all have them.

[@DerkJanKarrenbeld]

Regarding number three: it's not consistent! I actually do: 1. Index 2. Index and Middle 3. Index, Middle, and ring 4. Add pinky 5. Add thumb But even among my friends it's not consistent.

[@pieter1102]

I delivered mail by bike in the Netherlands in the 1970's!

[@Wielie0305]

The art of biking is not to fall off 😃

[@nfboogaard]

STST great TMT!

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Thank you, Nielsi!😊

[@requiescat4399]

I live close to Giethoorn and I see many foreign tourists struggling biking., especially Chinese tourists. Dutch children learn biking when they are like 3 years old, but in a big city biking can be chaos.

[@amossutandi]

I thought China is an even bigger bicycle country than Holland.

[@NeoOnyx]

Lol, my hand gesture for “3” is index finger, middle finger, ring finger. Don’t know if that’s typically Dutch, but that’s how I do it 😊👍🏻

[@rutgerb]

Nederlanders tellen vanaf de duim. Amerikanen niet. Nou ik toch aan het schrijven ben: de oude Egyptenaren telden niet hun vingers maar met hun duim de knokkels en top van elke vinger. Zo tellen ze 4x3=12 per hand. En van hun hebben wij 24 uren, 60 minuten e 60 seconden in onze tijdaanduiding geerft. Het is wel intressant om te bedenken dat een fysieke 'beperking/eigenschap' zo'n gigantische impact heeft op ons mentale begrip van de wereld. We gebruiken en denken decimaal omdat wij tien vingers tellen/hebben. Egyptenaren gebruikten hexadecimaal omdat ze toevallig anders telden, en aliens...?

[@PieterBreda]

We all learn to cycle at a very young age. It can't be easy when you start cycling at an older age. Remember that Amsterdam is not a typical Dutch city. In most areas people have sheds or places where you can store your bike. Theft is a problem everywhere. And in the big cities in the Randstad, everything is crowded. It is quieter in most of the smaller cities. A lot of foreigners think they know the Netherlands while all they know is Amsterdam.

[@rudyloedeman5730]

In national park De Hoge Veluwe in the Netherlands they have the White Bicycle plan, which means you can grab a bike for free and enjoy nature and leave the bicycle where you want within the parks boundary limits

[@meeuwtje]

Besides that you can also visit the Kröller Müler museum., with painting of Van Gogh, Picasso, Mondriaan etc.

[@brozius]

I repair my bicycle myself, I think bicycles here are easy to maintain and repair.

[@cascar7972]

You forgot to show the best place to ride a bike. De fietserstunnel. Cool in the summer and in the winter no cold wind too to bother you.

[@koevoetje]

Not were we live...It is a small Village naar Willemstad....The most are coming there by car.....Willemstad is a place you have to see...It is not big but it has a harbor ...And other old building.As a mill...And you can sit to eat or 🍻 something almost naar the water... I don't know if it is easy getting there by bus...!!

[@buddy1155]

I agree, all our "vestingsteden" are underrated, our windmills and tulip fields and cities like Amsterdam, Zaanseschans and Giethoorn are overrated. But it is kind of nice that the vestingsteden are not infested with tourists.

[@michielvdvlies3315]

Helwijk?

[@gert-janvanderlee5307]

Stopping by putting both feet in the ground only works in cartoons. Unfortunately you learned that the painful way. The guy that repaired my bike the last time (broken chain) picked it up at the adress I left it and brought it to my home when it was finished. And he was cheap compared to the local bike shop.

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Wow! That’s great service!!😊

[@jackvandersluis1723]

👍

[@ane-louisestampe7939]

It took my niece ages to learn to brake. She was a mess the weeks when she just threw herself of the bike at speed 🤕 She was four, though 🤣

[@JustRob_NL]

Riding bikes is fun, but there is also a downside of it, if you bike in some "polder landscape" and u have the wind in your back it goes well, but there is a moment u have to go back,wind in your face(tegenwind), thats hard biking, and sometimes u got it both ways (tegenwind).

[@erpece]

I think maybe people underestimate the fact that all Dutch learn to cycle at a very young age and never stop riding bikes from then on. Picking up city cycling in The Netherlands when your are not Dutch, is a challenge that most Dutch will find difficult to comprehend....

[@annebokma4637]

I stopped cycling. Everything is in walking distance and getting the bike and parking it then loafing it up and parking it back home takes longer then just walking there. Haven't used a bike in 20 years and don't own a car myself. Still have a tire pump though 🤣

[@woutvanostaden1299]

​@@annebokma4637 I use a unicycle for that. It's free on public transport and no hassle at al.

[@kimspirit6510]

true about the 3 fingers.

[@spilln01]

yes the scars we all have them lol its all in the game ! Dont worry about it lol

[@scrappedlives]

Eric, I think I liked your version of what happened to Tammy better. 🙂😅😂

[@darkiee69]

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if those who commute by train or subway have a second bike at their point of arrival.

[@paulnobel6241]

we all had some bike-injuries , i dont know how many times in my life i slipped of the trappers and landed with my balls on the STANG , its hard to steer when you are crying in a high pitched voice hahaha

[@jurrione]

My BMX 2000. That thing was bulletproof. No other bike needed less care than that piece of joy. It was very heavy due to the steel pipe frame. And it had an extra wide front tire. That came in handy riding on wet grass. No other bike gave me more fun. But I guess my age had to do with it too. It was freedom on wheels. It went everywhere and it just never broke down. And the helmets? If you feel like it, go ahead. If I want to wear one? Nah! I'll be fine without. As I understood the most headtrauma is not from accidental falls, but from falls after getting hit by cars. And since there are more people in cars than 40 years ago, more people in cars collide with bicycles than 40 years ago. But as you know, riding a bicycle is not 100% safe anyway. Everybody crashed more than once in their lives for sure. A breakline that snaps. A piece of mud in a turn. A sidewalk in the dark. A frozen puddle. A broken spoke. Or just barely sober enough to keep the darn thing upright, or at least you try before you crash. Blood, sweat and tears, in exchange for freedom and speed. That is Dutch cycling! And also very Dutch, a whole damn cheaper than a taxi! Very unusual to find Dutch folks that can't ride a bike. My refugee neighbour got a course to ride a bike. As many immigrants do. But riding since right after you learned how to walk, is different than an adult trying it for the first time. I know a guy, and his wife is from Thailand. When she came to the village she could ride a bike already. But obvious that Thailand has different rules. The whole village cleared the road when they saw her on her bike. Always she took the middle of any road. And as in a trance she just went where she needed to go without stopping. She was very sweet and cheerful, so nobody really cared. But once her cyclingskills became talk of the town, her husband sent her to lessons for safety. But yeah! Broken arms and legs. Fleshwounds. Bruised ribs. Missing teeth. Shifted kneecap. Crushed boy or girl bits. Dislocated shoulders. Cracked skull. Snapped fingers. Fractured hips. And all the stuff you noticed the day after you went home from the pub soaked by brew. And wonder where the limp and the bumb come from. So put on a helmet? Why not try a steel harnas? Electric bikes are a bit different though. Those things are zoomin'. If they get more powerfull, and I guess they will, they might go over 30 km/h with ease. Or maybe even 50. But for humanpowered bikes I say, that as a country, we got up to here without helmets. Don't feel the need to make a fuzz about starting now. Wear one if you want. But don't expect me to put a shell on my coconut while I go just fast enough, not to fall over. And don't forget that in WW2, the Nazi's took many bicycles to cripple the Dutch population. Silent and fast. Perfect for resistancefighters at night. Easy to pick up to cross a field or a ditch. Fast and nimble on narrow city streets. No wonder that many bikes were taken to Germany for the steel. That was a smart move by the Nazi's. Two birds with one stone. (Here we do two flies in one swat btw.) Walking or cycling 40 km makes a huge difference. So to take bicycles away was a big blow for the Netherlands. Although it sounds kind of crazy across the pond probably. And low supplies meant that repairs were difficult. Wood or rope are known to been used as improvised tires to spare the metal rims from wear and improve comfort slightly. End of todays history class. When I was living in the Middle East, I got a bike from my girlfriend. That was a great gift. A pink mountainbike. When she was here in the Netherlands, she found out that Dutch mainly use it for personal transport. Everybody has one here. So she found it fitting to get me one. It was great. Only 2 options there. The road, or the sidewalk. The road was often scary as hell. But on the sidewalk I was cruisin' like a kid on my BMX. I guess it is just opposite. When Dutch go abroad, they wonder where all the bikes are. Except for asian cities probably. Beijing has a few I heard. So yeah! From "houten loopfiets" till today. I guess it is a western European thing. Le Tour de France and Giro d"Italia are brutal games. Veldrijden in Belgium is backbreaking. Baanrennen with dangerous high speeds. But nobody is as bikecrazy as in The Netherlands. Many of us even ride in snow. As long as the tires make a crisp noise on the snow or icey roads, it is do-able. When riding is silent, you better walk.

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Hi Jurrione! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment with your great stories and information! My youngest brother used to have a BMX bike growing up and loved it! Tammy💕

[@angeloavanti2538]

In Floridah, they call that Royal Palm disease. I always laugh looking at the bike parks. 'Leave a bike, take a bike' is what it looks like to me. He the freak can you find your bike after a few beers and a smoke? 🙃😉

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

😂

[@brozius]

That's what we call "Straat eczeem" - "Street eczema". 😏 😁

[@PainInTheS]

Biking is easy here.....but yeah, as soon as we're able to walk we're also on some sort of bike. 🤣 Patching a flat tire is something we learn at a very young age....I was 8 I guess. And everybody has fallen off at times, either as stupid accident, or fault of another or just by own stupidity when trying to show off (usually girls involved 🤣) or people trying to bike when roads are slippery because of frost......personally I think those are most hilarious. 🤣

[@gerritvalkering1068]

I think NJB put it fantastically. Don't know if he was quoting someone, and I'm unsure if this was how it went, but here we go: The Netherlands is a country of bicycles, but not of cyclists. If you ask the average Dutch person if he or she considers themselves a cyclist, the answer would be no. It's just a part of every day life, so people don't identify with it. It's like asking someone from the US if he or she is a car enthusiast, since they're driving one so often.. It's just what you use to get around. And what that means, is that you'll see anything from newest models to barely serviceable. Large cargo haulers, to compact city fold-able. Used by anyone and everyone.

[@hanslinden5289]

Stuntgirl...👱‍♀️...biking is great fun and also very very healthy..

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Lol!😂

[@oldman3319]

Hi Tammy and Eric. How dangerous is it to ride your bike in the US? Especially in cities.

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Hello Old Man! It is pretty dangerous, especially if there are no bike lanes to ride in😮. Automobile drivers are not very good about checking for cyclists (or pedestrians for that matter)….

[@Dutchbelg3]

So in the bigger cities there are organisations that learn immigrants to use the bike in Dutch traffic. Maybe something for Tammy? I hate seeing you getting damaged ;-) Biking IS serious business in the Netherlands and is taught to every kid as much as swimming (Did I tell already there is a lot , a lot of open water in the Netherlands! Kids learn to swim from primary school age on. ) Do you guys know how to swim? 🙂

[@rusrusk9013]

living in New Zealand for 8 months a year biking is suicide and to steep, the other 4 months we live in Holland where we LOVE to ride our bikes.

[@lennartvers1767]

Dutch swear words or Dutch swearing as the next topic? Would love to see you trying some of them. 😁

[@missitheachievementhuntres560]

it is true, we do number 3 that way, just spread your fingers a little bit more :P

[@RAWDernison1]

These minor wounds are called "Straat pizza", I've had worse (haha, auw).

[@resikostjens5866]

Yeahhhhh we all fall many times .. dutch and the bike a love hate relationship 😂😂😂

[@BlacksmithTWD]

Yea, though we do most of our falling when our bones are still quite flexible. Once our bones become more brittle we tend to only fall when the temperature comes below zero.

[@resikostjens5866]

@@BlacksmithTWD yepppppp 😂😂😊😂

[@palantir135]

The only way to know you did it wrong, is to fall with your bike. We all did it when we were young. We tend not to fall again until we’re in our seventies; at least we try not to.

[@xFD2x]

9:46 Episode number 2 (showing 4 fingers !) 🤣

[@Yochemm]

When you didn't all the "Thank you's", you did make into the 10 minutes.

[@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536]

Did you wear your helmet dear? 🤣

[@SwirlingSoul]

You guys are so gezellig to watch! Great content again. And, from a happy viewer: don't worry about the time. If it's Ten Minute Tuesday, then the idea is to have *not less* than ten minutes. Eleven is fine, so is 19... You have some room to play with. I personally don't care if you happen to make a 21 minute video, but if you call that a ten minute tuesday video, Trolls will wake up, guarantueed, to tell you that it's not a ten minute video! Still other trolls might wake up and say that the moment you land in minute 11... But hey, you now live in the Netherlands, and we complain about the *littlest* of things... that is just very Dutch. Feel free to join in! Although I really like your happy positive stance in life. It makes ME happy to watch you be happy. Edits: removal of thirty-four typo's.

[@bertschalk1798]

Hahaha......kudo's !!!! 😁

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Lol! Thank you so much for your continued support, SwirlingSoul😊❤

[@SwirlingSoul]

@@SoultoSoulTravels We love your series. In the beginning we called you Soul and Soul, when we didn't know your names yet, "Ooh! Honey, we can watch soul and soul during dinner, there's a new episode!" Now we know you're Eric and Tammy, but Soul and Soul kind of stuck, here. Friendly greetz, Gwen and Frits. (frits is my hubby)😃

[@ronaldderooij1774]

Falling of your bike is a thing here in NL. It is our second nature. We don't like it, though. It just happens, sometimes.

[@heenez2397]

yeah, like 40 years ago every boy had to mend his own bike ;) And his sister's

[@baskoning9896]

Almost everyone can repair a flat tire, if they cant, they have a father or uncle or neighbor who can. Some can do nearly all repairs themselves. Putting a chain back on for example, is pretty easy. Some repairs are a real pain, for instance changing out broken brake-cables or gear-change cables. Only few do those kind of things themselves: we will go to a bike repair shop for that. Here is the recipe for fixing a flat tire. 1) pump it up and check to see if it still flattens. Sometimes some joker will let the air out for fun. 2) put the bike upside down on its saddle. 3) use a single metal (or plastic) tongue to get one side of the outer tire displaced. Fix the tongue in place using a spoke. 4) use another tongue to drag one side of the entire outer tire away from the wheel. 5) take a chair and put a bucket of water on it, near the bike tire, and pump the tire up 5) slowly drag the entire tire through the water, and stretch it out a little as you do: any holes will show up as bubbles. Mark those holes with some chalk or something. There can be more then one hole, so even if you find one hole, do the entire tire anyway. 6) Dry the hole. With a piece of sandpaper or nibbled metal, scratch the inner tire around the hole, to give the glue something to grip on. Dont overdo it. Dont underdo it. 7) put a drop of tube-glue (Simson, rather expensive, but the only thing thats really good) on the hole, and smear it out a little. 8) take a simson sticker (or cut up piece of old tire if you dont have those), and put it on top of the glue spot, with the protective plastic still on it. Move it around a little: so the glue can disperse. 9) from the middle outwards: push on the protective plastic, it has cuts in the middle, so it will 'easily' (ahem) come lose. Inspect that all sides are glued. If not: add some more glue to the mix, hehe 10) wait 10 minutes, pump the tire up once more, and put it in the water once more. It should not bubble. At all. 11) Check the inside of the outer tube with some toilet paper or something, remove any debris/stones etc that might be stuck in the outer tire. Remove the air from the inner tire, and put the inner tire inside the outer tire. Pump it up one or two pumps, so it will stay in place, but dont pump it up yet. 12) with your HANDS preferably (use tongues only if you need to, they can re-puncture your tire easily), go around the outer tire, and pop it back in place. The end will be VERY hard to do. For the last bit, take out ALL air, and try to push the rim in place with your thumbs going from where it already is in place, to where its not. If you have strong hands, you can do it. If not: use a tongue for the last bit: stick it under the part that is still not in place, and flip it using the tongue. Note that this has a high probability of puncturing your tire again, lol, so be careful. 13) once the inner and outer tire are on the wheel again: pump it up, and inspect it runs fine in the wheel casing. There should be no noticeable 'bump' in the tire anywhere. 14) flip the bike back up. [x] done. Get one of these: www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/simson-fietsreparatieset-6-delig/9200000016502238/ (the rubber tube is for fixing the air intake valve, some sets have spare intake valves as well)

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Wow! Thank you for the instructions, Bas!! That is awesome❤😊

[@NaomiClareNL]

So, all the 'pondjes' that mysteriously attached themselves to you two after all the food testing you have done are now being removed through cycling?

[@Freya76]

The biking is awesome here, it just makes everybody so mobile. And the great thing is if you have a bike there is no limit to people going somewhere together. For instance my sons school took school trips by bike, biking over an hour with 50 or more kids to a campsite. I used to have my kids standing on the back of my bike before they started going on their own ones. But one day some #*^# police man got a personal grudge when he shouted to me that the child must sit which i ignored (i felt safer like this, if something happens the kid can just jump of). He then followed me to the school i was bringing my kid to and literally draged my from there in the police car, in front of all these kids and their parents. Extremely embarrasing and nasty. When i came to the police station you could see that all the other cops where so imbarresed for me as well but couldn't do anything about it.

[@sutreB]

Kick-back brake should be banned. In case of an emergency stop the reaction time before you actually brake is bigger and only braking with the rear tire doesn't stop you as quick as using both. (80% front rear 20%.) And if your chain breaks you have a problem

[@DenUitvreter]

If you need to stop that quick you didn't pay attention earlier.

[@sutreB]

@@DenUitvreter Someone opening his car door right in front of you, a child coming from between parked cars. A speeding car wich you did not anticipated. And probably endless more reasons.

[@DenUitvreter]

@@sutreB One the great things about the classic Dutch single speed coaster brake bike is that predictable and anticipating cyling. Just stop pedalling, keep on rollling and check the situation on front of you, including the sound of speeding cars, with pedals in the position for braking. I agree there are individual situations in which hand brakes are safer, but if everybody rode those general safety would be less.

[@dicknr1]

when a dutch person his or her bike goes flat either it means walking, quick repair it, or swap it for another bike in the shelter. The latter reason, swapping it for another bike requires having more bikes. Hench why people here own more bikes per capita. Some people have backup bikes.

[@StefanVeenstra]

Most of us learn to cycle as soon as we can walk. That's not to say all of us behave in traffic as we should, plenty of cyclists riding around without proper lights, with their ears plugged and their eyes glued to a screen, ignoring traffic lights, signs and laws... darwinism takes care of that. That said, people who do pay attention get to enjoy a lot. Not just the cities, you can cycle from Delfzijl to Cadzand or Vaals to Dokkum without much trouble from other traffic. There's a lot to see along the way, things you'd miss driving a car or riding public transport.