Holland / Netherlands

fixed gear is not a very popular thing yet but Lohman on de Clerqstraat en Presto on the Haarlemmerstraat are the good bicycle stores in Amsterdam.

geluk! www.osmosno.com

Don't forget paying a visit to RIH!

fantasy world, in it?

best thing is to avoid easyjet and klm... you can pay pretty much your air fare again by taking your bike.
use ba if you can. as long as you got a bike bag then its part of your air fare, plus they tend to have more respectful baggage handlers.

I'm moving to Rotterdam pretty soon and i really wanted to take my bike with me, but the excess baggage fees are a joke so i'll have to pick up a bike over there.

Can anyone tell me if there are any shops in Rotterdam (or Amsterdam) where i can pick up a fairly cheap complete fixed gear? it only has to last me 6 months.

I'm moving to Rotterdam pretty soon and i really wanted to take my bike with me, but the excess baggage fees are a joke so i'll have to pick up a bike over there.

Can anyone tell me if there are any shops in Rotterdam (or Amsterdam) where i can pick up a fairly cheap complete fixed gear? it only has to last me 6 months.

Try 290SQM in Amsterdam. Best bet. It's really a clothing shop but one of the guys knocks out conversions. They tend to be mainly single speed with coaster brake but maybe they'd be able to sort you out.

Quote from their site

We're not another fashion shop that sells bikes. We don't get a box from china and put the wheels in.
All our bikes are hand made by our in house bike mechanic.
We've been building bikes for the last 4 years just as our clients want.
We can make any type of bike you want or we can fix your old bike.......

http://www.290sqm.com/

I'm moving to Rotterdam pretty soon and i really wanted to take my bike with me, but the excess baggage fees are a joke so i'll have to pick up a bike over there.

Can anyone tell me if there are any shops in Rotterdam (or Amsterdam) where i can pick up a fairly cheap complete fixed gear? it only has to last me 6 months.

i live in Rotterdam and i build cheap bikes (conversions)(probably around 150,-euro depending on what parts i use), what size do you need?

My friend also has some shopspace recently http://www.rotterdamfixedgear.com/site/

• we hang out in the city on fridaynights (square 1940), practicing tricks and playing polo, drinking beers and talking bullshit, just come by and we will sort you out
  

i'll need a 54cm (could go one down one up), how much do you usually charge for a complete set up(w/front brake)?

pretty bummed i couldn't bring my bike, i was keen on going to some of those rotterdam fixed events, i might bring some tools, pedals and whatnot if i can get a bike sorted.

Could you not post it, or is that too expensive, also wouldn't it go on as sports equipment, I know easyjet charge £15 to take your bike on, surely it would be cheaper than buying a whole new bike.

i'm coming from sydney australia, my airline quoted me $360USD excess baggage fees for one way ($720 return), postage is about the same. i figure if i get a bike over there i can sell it after i'm done and get (some) money back.

i'm coming from sydney australia,

Do you know Hippy? Can you take him back with you when you leave?

i'm coming from sydney australia, my airline quoted me $360USD excess baggage fees for one way ($720 return), postage is about the same. i figure if i get a bike over there i can sell it after i'm done and get (some) money back.

Makes a lot more sense now, you can get a bike for a tenner over there off the less salubrious residents of the Dam, won't be quite as awesome as your current bike mind:)

I was just living in the Netherlands for 7 months. its a bit of a shock to be back and cycling around London where you have to fit for your rights on the road.

Oh I miss the roundabouts where the cyclists have the right of way...

Where did you live?

Proposing a three day cycling trip to Holland with my girlfriend at some point perhaps towards the end of August.

Given our (very) amateur status, the orange lands seems to make sense due to proximity, ability to take bikes on the ferry, the flatness, their quite embarrassingly good ability to speak english and the countries general attitude towards cycling.

My question really is would we stand a chance of doing a trip from amsterdam to rotterdam...even doing 40k a day or so on single speed bikes...we may have upgraded by then to a 2 speed rear hub system....

but in people's opinion is it just not possible?!?!

Also any routes/places to see etc would be much appreciated

thanks

Will

super flat.

super easy to navigate.

super nice people.

super grass.

the canals are all worth pootling along.

hang on i'll throw you some routes i've done.

Its flat yeah but It can be windy, if that helps : )

You would have absolutely no problem at all. I can also give you some things to do/see as I have spent a lot of time there.

amsterdam to hook of holland via utrecht.
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/980386

hmm can't find my other rides i've done.

the dams along the coast, south of rotterdam are amazing.
the bike routes follow the n57

wow, thanks for the response...especially skive with routes etc...please keep any ideas coming...the confidence behind doing it on single speeds is very encouraging...

I spent 3-4months doing figure of 8s around the whole of Holland a few years ago on seriously old Dutch bikes. It's so flat that I remember cheering any incline (albeit a motorway flyover, etc) that we came across. It is almost too easy to ride around the Netherlands. Enjoy!

Also, ride the Erasmusbrug once you hit Rotterdam, to fulfill your TdF 2010 fantasies.

I loved the National Park de Hoge Velowe when I was in mid east Nederland a couple if years back - an absolute gem of a place. Woods, heath and it even has a sort of desert bit, with amazing ossified trees. Be sure to check out the sculpture gardens as well as the interior of the Krolle Muller museum...

Quite near near Arnhem as I recall.

In Rotterdam just now-cycling heaven as far as I am concerned. amsterdam is only about 68km away, super easy even if the wind is anti. Amazing paths, drivers let you out when they don't even have to and there are routes going over the whole country that ensure you hardly have to sully yourself with exhaust fumes whilst taking in some lovely scenery and checking out the herons and windmills.

me likey.

Highest mountain in Holland is 300m, just outside Valkenberg in southern Holland.

All this makes me want to pay a visit.