Holland Cycling



C

Chris Konopka

Guest
Hi there all

Im new to using news groups and i haven't well ever used
one. I've just decided to use this as i want some
information, i live in the UK and am planning a cycling
holiday in Holland, are there any tips you can give me, me
and about 7 other friends will all be staying in tents and
the trip will last 8 to 10 days, were not sure on distances
or anything yet, any info or website would be much
appreciated.

Cheers

CK
 
Chris Konopka wrote:
> Hi there all
>
> Im new to using news groups and i haven't well ever used
> one. I've just decided to use this as i want some
> information, i live in the UK and am planning a cycling
> holiday in Holland, are there any tips you can give me, me
> and about 7 other friends will all be staying in tents and
> the trip will last 8 to 10 days, were not sure on
> distances or anything yet, any info or website would be
> much appreciated.
>
> Cheers
>
> CK
>
>

Green Rizzlas are your friend., and ignore the mate who
turns up when hes skint!
 
On Tue, 04 May 2004 21:02:53 +0100, Chris Konopka wrote:

> Im new to using news groups and i haven't well ever used
> one. I've just decided to use this as i want some
> information, i live in the UK and am planning a cycling
> holiday in Holland, are there any tips you can give me, me
> and about 7 other friends will all be staying in tents and
> the trip will last 8 to 10 days, were not sure on
> distances or anything yet, any info or website would be
> much appreciated.

Get the ferry from Harwich, there are some really cheap
deals through them, something like £50 return inc. rail from
London to anywhere in NL. Get a quality map of the
Netherlands, and also do web searches for camp sites.There
are many sites in the South (Zeeland), and far North and in
Gelderland.There are not so many in the 'Randstad' area,
from Rotterdam to Amsterdm, and out to Utercht, so make sure
you know where you are going, else it may be a long ride to
find somewhere. The Zeeland area is very flat,with mainly
small villages, with towns far apart.Gelderland around
Arnhem/Apeldoorn is very nice, some hills, with lots of
tourist attractions worth visiting in the area, it is 70
miles or so from Rotterdam,so it may be worth taking a train
to the area, then touring when you get there.It is close
enough to the German border to go there for a day. What do
you want when you get there? If you just like going round
towns, sitting in cafes/lazing around, then the Randstad
area is best, with Gelderland second as the towns/cities are
quite near. For quiet times with no traffic, the far north
islands,anywhere 20 miles North of Amsterdam,or Zeeland are
good. For more info, let us know what you want. Alan.

--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.
http://www.dvatc.co.uk - Off-road cycling in the North
Midlands.
 
Chris Konopka wrote:
>
> Hi there all
>
> Im new to using news groups and i haven't well ever used
> one. I've just decided to use this as i want some
> information, i live in the UK and am planning a cycling
> holiday in Holland, are there any tips you can give me, me
> and about 7 other friends will all be staying in tents and
> the trip will last 8 to 10 days, were not sure on
> distances or anything yet, any info or website would be
> much appreciated.
>
> Cheers
>
> CK

www.m-gineering.nl/touringg.htm might be of interest
--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL www.m-gineering.nl
 
"Chris Konopka" <[email protected]> writes:

>Im new to using news groups and i haven't well ever used
>one. I've just decided to use this as i want some
>information, i live in the UK and am planning a cycling
>holiday in Holland, are there any tips you can give me, me
>and about 7 other friends will all be staying in tents and
>the trip will last 8 to 10 days, were not sure on distances
>or anything yet, any info or website would be much
>appreciated.

Have a look at this:

http://holland.cyclingaroundtheworld.nl/WhereToGo-
LongDistance.html

For a description of the signed routes network and
other tips.

Email me or post again when you have questions about
specific places or routes (I'm Dutch)

Roos
 
"Chris Konopka" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:qESlc.532$fi6.78@newsfe1-win...
> Hi there all
>
> Im new to using news groups and i haven't well ever used
> one. I've just decided to use this as i want some
> information, i live in the UK and am planning a cycling
> holiday in Holland, are there any tips you can give me, me
> and about 7 other friends will all be staying in tents and
> the trip
will
> last 8 to 10 days, were not sure on distances or anything
> yet, any info or website would be much appreciated.
>
> Cheers
>
> CK
>

I've cycled to Amsterdam twice and the Hull Rotterdam
ferry is better than the Harwich Hook one. It was free
breakfast etc but not sure if it is now. The first time we
cycled to Amsterdam and then back down to France to save
on the ferry back. The worst bit was getting the bikes on
the train in the UK. Great trip down through Holland and
Belgium to Calais.

The pastries and coffee keep you going, and the funny
tobacco we got in Amsterdam
 
Hi,

Holland is great, though I have used their excellent youth
hostels rather than camped. You can easily pick up good Falk
maps over there showing routes, the old 'Falk plan' 1:50000s
were very good abut are now hard to find, the latest ones
are OK though. You will still get lost trying to get out of
Utrecht though
!

A useful tip is the secure cycle storage at stations in many
of the towns, handy if you want a look around without your
bike and gear.

Travel light if possible, share as much gear as you can
including your repair kits and spares. We have posted
dirty washing home and taken old socks etc then binned
them after use.

The Hull-Rotterdam ferry is good as you can come back via
Zeebrugge-Hull if you want (for the same price), it depends
where you live.

Andrew.
 
In article <xr9mc.1448$4m5.993@front-
1.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, [email protected]
says...
>
> "Chris Konopka" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:qESlc.532$fi6.78@newsfe1-win...
> > Hi there all
> >
> > Im new to using news groups and i haven't well ever used
> > one. I've just decided to use this as i want some
> > information, i live in the UK and am planning a cycling
> > holiday in Holland, are there any tips you can give me,
> > me and about 7 other friends will all be staying in
> > tents and the trip
> will
> > last 8 to 10 days, were not sure on distances or
> > anything yet, any info or website would be much
> > appreciated.
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > CK
> >
>
> I've cycled to Amsterdam twice and the Hull Rotterdam
> ferry is better than the Harwich Hook one. It was free
> breakfast etc but not sure if it is now. The first time we
> cycled to Amsterdam and then back down to France to save
> on the ferry back. The worst bit was getting the bikes on
> the train in the UK. Great trip down through Holland and
> Belgium to Calais.
>
> The pastries and coffee keep you going, and the funny
> tobacco we got in Amsterdam
>
>
>
I did Harwich - Hook every weekend for about 6 months, while
I was working in amsterdam. The over night 'slow' boat[1]
gives you supper and breakfast for free, the 4hr cat makes
you pay for all you eat. Both have bars and casio's if
that's yor bag, the slow boat also offers cabins and a good
nights sleep (apart from one memorable night crossing when I
was the cause of their fastest ever crossing, but that's
another story). and both have duty free shops. And if you
book in advance both are resonable priced.

Actually there are two slow boats each doing one crossing a
day and passing each other in the middle of the north sea.
Theres one fast cat that does two crossings in each
direction each day.
--
.paul

If at first you don't succeed... Skydiving is probably not
the sport for you.
 
On Wed, 5 May 2004 20:48:04 +0000 (UTC), paul wrote:
>a good nights sleep (apart from one memorable night
>crossing when I was the cause of their fastest ever
>crossing, but that's another story).

Appendix?
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> On Wed, 5 May 2004 20:48:04 +0000 (UTC), paul wrote:
> >a good nights sleep (apart from one memorable night
> >crossing when I was the cause of their fastest ever
> >crossing, but that's another story).
>
> Appendix?
>
Gaul stones, though the sympomes are chest pain and
sweating. These are not symptoms that are welcome in a
slightly overweight 40y old when you are the captin of the
boat he's on in the middle of the north sea. Especially when
it's two windy for helecoptors to fly. Having said that the
diagnoses from the shore side doctor was gaul stones, but it
needed and ECG and a scan to confirm, neither of which were
available on the boat. I've since had my gaul bladder
removed, and life is much more comfortable.
--
.paul

If at first you don't succeed... Skydiving is probably not
the sport for you.
 
paul [email protected] opined the
following...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> > On Wed, 5 May 2004 20:48:04 +0000 (UTC), paul wrote:
> > >a good nights sleep (apart from one memorable night
> > >crossing when I was the cause of their fastest ever
> > >crossing, but that's another story).
> >
> > Appendix?
> >
> Gaul stones, though the sympomes are chest pain and
> sweating. These are not symptoms that are welcome in a
> slightly overweight 40y old when you are the captin of the
> boat he's on in the middle of the north sea. Especially
> when it's two windy for helecoptors to fly. Having said
> that the diagnoses from the shore side doctor was gaul
> stones, but it needed and ECG and a scan to confirm,
> neither of which were available on the boat. I've since
> had my gaul bladder removed, and life is much more
> comfortable.

<pedant> Gall? Gaul was France once upon a time. </pedant>

That aside I'm sorry to hear it. A friend had similar
problems recently which he described as a pain that he
couldn't wish on anyone.

Jon
 
On Sat, 8 May 2004 14:25:03 +0000 (UTC),
paul <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
>> On Wed, 5 May 2004 20:48:04 +0000 (UTC), paul wrote:
>> >a good nights sleep (apart from one memorable night
>> >crossing when I was the cause of their fastest ever
>> >crossing, but that's another story).
>>
>> Appendix?
>>
> Gaul stones,

Silly, you should have those on a channel crossing not a
North Sea crossing.

--
Andy Leighton => [email protected] "The Lord is my
shepherd, but we still lost the sheep dog trials"
- Robert Rankin, _They Came And Ate Us_
 
On Sat, 8 May 2004 14:25:03 +0000 (UTC), paul
<[email protected]> wrote in message
<[email protected]>:

> I've since had my gaul bladder removed, and life is much
> more comfortable.

Not in itself a trivial process; I understand that
laparoscopic cholecystectomies have an unfortunate habit of
becoming open ones with no prior warning :-(

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University
 
In article <[email protected]>, Jon
Senior <jon_AT_restlesslemon_DOTco_DOT_uk> says...
> That aside I'm sorry to hear it. A friend had similar
> problems recently which he described as a pain that he
> couldn't wish on anyone.
>

I have heard tell that the pain is actually worse than that
suffered in giving birth, but as I have never exprienced it
I couldn'd make a judgement. Suffice to say, I was suffering
sufficently to let total strangers know that I was
suffering. I had tried to hide in my cabin, but went in
search of help when the pain continued to mount... Still,
I'm better now:)
--
.paul

If at first you don't succeed... Skydiving is probably not
the sport for you
 
Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> On Sat, 8 May 2004 14:25:03 +0000 (UTC), paul
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> <[email protected]>:
>
>> I've since had my gaul bladder removed, and life is much
>> more comfortable.
>
> Not in itself a trivial process; I understand that
> laparoscopic cholecystectomies have an unfortunate habit
> of becoming open ones with no prior warning :-(
>

Its not that complex a procedure - I've sat through many -
and almost all conversions are because the anatomy is not
clear when you get in and have your first look and it is
safer for the patient to do a laparotomy. Conversion rate is
about 3%. I'm sure if you insisted they would stop the
operation, wake you up, ask you whether you wanted them to
proceed and schedule another operation for you but since you
are almost certainly going to want to deal with the gall
stones and there are few other options, they might as well
carry on. After all you have not lost anything other than
the risk of a second anaesthesia.

Tony
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> On Sat, 8 May 2004 14:25:03 +0000 (UTC), paul
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > [email protected] says...
> >> On Wed, 5 May 2004 20:48:04 +0000 (UTC), paul wrote:
> >> >a good nights sleep (apart from one memorable night
> >> >crossing when I was the cause of their fastest ever
> >> >crossing, but that's another story).
> >>
> >> Appendix?
> >>
> > Gaul stones,
>
> Silly, you should have those on a channel crossing not a
> North Sea crossing.
>
>
Ah! that'll be why i felt fine once we arrived in the
Holland :)
--
.paul

If at first you don't succeed... Skydiving is probably not
the sport for you.
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> On Sat, 8 May 2004 14:25:03 +0000 (UTC), paul
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> <[email protected]>:
>
> > I've since had my gaul bladder removed, and life is much
> > more comfortable.
>
> Not in itself a trivial process; I understand that
> laparoscopic cholecystectomies have an unfortunate habit
> of becoming open ones with no prior warning :-(
>
> Guy
> --
> May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle
> after posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk
>
> 88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
> Washington University
>
I am lead to beleive that this was almost the case with me,
I was down in sugury for 2hrs+ instead of the 45mins the
surgeon estimated before hand:( The gas man was a friend of
mine, and I was lucky enough to be covered by a company
health scheme and so went private. I feel that these two
factors helped the surgeon to decide to continue with the
keyhole longer than he would have done had I been a stranger
in an NHS OR.
--
.paul

If at first you don't succeed... Skydiving is probably not
the sport for you.
 
>Im new to using news groups and i haven't well ever used
>one. I've just decided to use this as i want some
>information, i live in the UK and am planning a cycling
>holiday in Holland, are there any tips you can give me,

A somewhat belated reaction, but I've just returned
from Eire.

First some links, unfortunatedly all are in Dutch, but
that'll give you some practice with the language :)

www.natuurkampeerterreinen.nl small, "green" campings,
you'll need a card to use them. Other campings tend to be
full of chalets and semi-permanent caravans, but some have a
seperate "trekkersveld" for proper campers.

http://www.fietsplatform.nl/ for the Dutch equivalent
of Sustrans routes: just as winding, but generally
better surfaced.

As for where to go: I'd avoid the south (anything south of
the big rivers) since the (compulsory!) cycle lanes are
rather substandard there, and the west, since it's too
urbanized. My own favorite is the left (south) bank of the
Waal river: little opportunity to take a wrong turn, good
roads, fairly quit (esp. the eastern stretch wich is mostly
banned for cars) and typical Dutch! Going round the
Ijsselmeer (the former Zuiderzee) is another classic:
there's a signposted route of about 400 km. Gelderland,
Achterhoek and Twenthe, all in the east and deep east are
good cycling territories too (or I'm just shamelessy
plugging my own neck of the woods...)

Bear in mind that all of the Netherlands is heavily
urbanized (if not as heavily suburbanized as Blighty),
mostly very flat, and either wet or hot in summer.

If any of your group has a Garmin GPS I could mail you some
routes and tracks.

Mark van Gorkom.
 
Mark van Gorkom wrote:

> Bear in mind that all of the Netherlands is heavily
> urbanized (if not as heavily suburbanized as Blighty),
> mostly very flat

I was pleasantly surprised on my 2 visits earlier this
year how easy it seemed to be to get out into rural
areas[1]. Might not be far to the next village, but that's
hardly a problem.

Pete.

[1] a native guide that likes to plan things well wouldn't
have been a hindrance, mind!
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 

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