Escape from Amsterdam: Zutphen

March 30, 2023 Hansonthebike 2

Reading Time: 4 minutes Most of the cycling images you see on social media are from the western part of the Netherlands. But let me take you to a much more laid back part of the Netherlands.

a bird's eye view of a Dutch roundabout

Cat eye lights built into a road (with video)

February 9, 2023 Hansonthebike 3

Reading Time: 2 minutes Last year, when I was visiting the Netherlands, I drove home one night and noticed these interesting little lights at a roundabout. Of course I needed to know more about it and I returned a few nights later to check out what it was all about. Upon closer inspection, I noticed these were very flat cat eye lights built into the road deck. Decades ago, I remember you would sometimes see something similar in temporary lanes on highways, when there was work being done on the road. However, those were reflectors. Solar powered cat eye lights Technology improved and now [Read more…]

Dafne is an athlete from the Netherlands who holds the 200 meter world record sprint (photo Lee Jin-man/AP)

“Dafne Schippers” Bridge Ramp Built over a School

April 6, 2017 Hansonthebike 2

Reading Time: 3 minutes Mark Wagenbuur wrote about it already a while ago when the bridge was being constructed, but now the new Dafne Schippers bridge in the Netherlands is officially in use. The bridge crosses the important Amsterdam-Rijn canal, connecting Amsterdam’s harbours with its hinterland in Europe. The canal is a considerable barrier and with a growing number of people living across the canal, this bridge was needed as part of the bike route from Leidsche Rijn (I loosely call it a suburb) to Utrecht Centre. The Amsterdam Rijn canal is a 72 km waterway and opened only in 1952. The part north [Read more…]

Cycling to the Quintessential Dutch Windmills

September 13, 2016 Hansonthebike 0

Reading Time: 6 minutes Not far from Haarlem and Amsterdam, the Zaanse Schans is a bike-able destination. We checked out 17th century saw mills, old farms, Dutch skies, a ferry and passed a waste facility that looked like a luxury hotel.