Oh dear, you've only followed bike paths that run alongside the car infrastructure. No wonder you find it sterile and don't see any cafes. Next time, use a navigation system tailored to the Netherlands. Then you'll be directed along a network of bike paths that go through villages and nature, away from the major highways
It got better but I really wanted to see what the paths along main routes were like and they are amazing. If you want to go far and quickly you can do it safely.
@@HereWeAre0_0 I don t know if this is true?: I have heard Google and others cannot deal with the amount of nice bikepads of The Netherlands. I would avoid those bikepads you have used where I can(and lesser windy). Do you know of the bicyclenetwork with numbers? Green on white letters. At every point you can choose to go to another branche easily. There are also the "mushrooms" red on white "mushrooms" more in rural area s.
I admire that you managed to cycle from Hoek van Holland to Maastricht in one day. That I have never seen before. Your were by the way also in Belgium (electricity wires above ground).
I think you’ve experienced that flat isn’t always as easy as it’s made out to be because of the relentless headwinds you get in those flat open spaces 😅
This was oddly satisfying and fun to watch. Thanks for sharing. The cafe's you missed out on was unlucky but probably because you were using the bike 'highways' and not really touristic area's. The roads you were riding are mostly used to commute. When you mentioned this, you were in a classic industrial area. The cobblestone road is interesting though, that one must be a really old road by now. Your trip was certainly interesting because you took nearly all the routes I wouldn't have taken as I'd go a more touristic route haha. Hope you had a good ride :) Great job also, what a trip!
Your comment about how well the bike infrastructure is built, like the automobile roads in the UK, was interesting. From what I could tell from your video, the cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands is much, much, MUCH better than anything we have here where I live, automobile or otherwise (we don't have any cycling infrastructure of any kind), and I live in the Detroit Michigan area where EVERYTHING is about the automobile.
It's not just the cycling all our other infrastructure is also much better, but it costs money and half of your population thinks (has been brainwashed into thinking by the 1%) that spending money for the greater good is communism, so sadly you will always be stuck with your crumbling crap roads
@@HereWeAre0_0 yes i am very proud when i go to another country mostly not very good for cycling. Last year i was in italy near Brindisi, Ostuni some really nice cycling there. Rent a bike not so easy.
Ah, some of my old training roads in Brabant! Not sure what you used for navigation but it did take you along some roads and cobbled sectors that I'd personally try to avoid 😅 Tip though, at 7:11, try to ride on the dotted line, because those bricks are laid lengthwise you're only catching half as many bumps.
@@HereWeAre0_0 Doesn't take much to be blown away in my stormy flat country... So always check the direction the wind is blowing. Infrastructure does little about wind.
Youre are a true cycle fanatic covering the distance you did in such a short period of.time ! We apreciate your appreciation. Good luck.with the upcoming.elections in the U.K. 😮
The bridge you passed under at the 13:30 was the starting point of operation market garden during WW2. The canal now is the border between two parishes of the city/town of Lommel. (It's not a river, it was dug, I think mostly under Napoleon or even earlier.) Road was once built to connect Holland with the 'prince bishopric of Liège' and avoid Habsburg authorities. Only finished after the war of succession and it was a toll road. The town of Luyksgestel was traded with the agricultural land on the Northern (left) side of the canal after which irrigation, farms, school, church et cetera were built. (Treaty of Fontainebleau). Intended to provide (mainly horse feed I believe) for a military camp 20km south. Quartz sand extraction operation to the left just after the bridge is Sibelco. And the metal processing plant on the right hand side is Umicore. In the Eastward direction you are heading is Overpelt/Neerpelt which used to be part of the prince bishopric of Liège I mentioned before. And behind you leads to Antwerp.
I noticed you cycled from Rotterdam to Zwijndrecht, through Dordrecht and towards Breda, then geographically starting going east heading for Maastricht. It’s just the route you chose. I believe you could cycle from Hoek van Holland to Maastricht without following a single highway, but it would be a longer and harder to follow route. I also think you must have done this on a Sunday or something, I’m not sure why all the cafes were closed. I admire you for cycling such a long distance in 1 day, still impressive! I hope you come back to the Netherlands and maybe enjoy the absolutely beautiful bike paths of Drenthe for example.
You rode right by my old house in the south of Rotterdam. Awesome cycle paths we have, happy to see you enjoying it, although all the lights do have a flaw I must admit.
I once made the mistake trying to cycle from Eijsden to Utrecht in just one day. I knew it was a bit too much for me, but thought I could manage when cutting of through Belgium. Almost the whole morning I was along canals. The bad pavement and the boredom that whole morning caused that I thought I couldn’t do the final 60 km and called it a day. I took a train in Den Bosch.
My late wife's constant amazement comment was: "It's so damn flat!!" then I took her to the province of Limburg where we had a vlaai or two. Granted, She was from Colorado hence the opposite of The Netherlands.
@@HereWeAre0_0 When you come and visit the east of the Netherlands, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Groesbeek, it's right next to the German border and a lot more hilly then the rest of the country. Groesbeek is amazing, Giro D'Italia went through here once, was amazing to see
The wind has been pretty relentless these past weeks, I commute past a lake each morning here in NL and it's been non stop headwinds. I admire your dedication not to hop on a train at some point ;) As for the cafe's.. you really need to go into a town for that, we don't really have roadside stops for cyclists, since most people just cycle locally and have a cup when they get to their destination. It's something I miss as well, it makes those faster "expressway" routes pretty lifeless.
The bikelane network in the Netherlands is so extensive, you can get almost everywhere in the country just riding them. Time where there are no bikelanes are quite rare. A map of the network looks pretty much like the Netherlands.
Oh boy, it's all about preparation. I use the free Garmin Basecamp and the Open fietsmap (Open cycle map) when I want to have the nicest routes. You have to tweak the settings a bit and then it adjusts the route between two points according to the best scenery. There are videos on TH-cam that explain how to. But, the headwind stays of course:)
Me, I use Google Maps by default. The "ANWB Eropuit" app would give you the more scenic routes (by having you choose numbered nodes) - but it may have you ride two sides of a triangle. There is at least a similar nodes network in Flanders (I can't remember it from Walloon) and maybe Germany. Note that Apple Maps has recently added bicycle navigation for the Netherlands, but seems to treat bicycles as impeded cars. So it is unlikely to show those railways-turned-bike roads. Unfortunately, my form has entirely gone. However, in 2015(?) I rode from Eindhoven (railway station) to Maastricht (railway station) touching Belgium (Achel) and Germany (east of Sittard). On my Brompton folding bike.
@@HereWeAre0_0 although your ride seems to end in Maastricht and that is back in The Netherlands. Didn’t you noticed the difference in roadsigns and Bike Path quality 😉
I'm not sure how TH-cam led me here but it was oddly interesting to watch. You did manage to choose the least scenic route in the country pretty much, but I guess you were trying to keep it fast and direct.
Fun fact, that red light house near the ferry has a duplicate twin at the summit of the Oberalppass in Switzerland, to mark source to sea of the river Rhine
I am not sure what navigation system you used, but if you go for special cycle navigation, it will take you away from the main roads, through beautiful rural areas. If you used Google, that is a very car centric navigation, even if you opt for the cycle route.
Thanks. I used a combination of Strava, RidewithGPS and Komoot but I wasn't trying to find the small roads as my goal was to check out the cycling infrastructure which was incredible.
yes, I came here to say the same. By the looks of it, it wasn't a very pleasant ride by my standards. And away from the main roads you'll find that the infra may even be better, since there you'll find more people on bikes
"psychologically one of the hardest rides" hehe, cool you got to experience what a lot of Dutch kids learn to live with at an very early age while cycling to school so called "tegenwind", head wind. 🙂
Not sure if you only drove through The Netherlands. From Vlissinge to Maastricht is va Belgium on the bike 199, not via Belgium at least 250. Maybe it's nice if you can refer now and then where you are or passed by
Nice summary of the Dutch's roads. I think I recognized some of the roads. I hate the parts where cars have nice tarmac and the bike lane is terrible. Other than that, I'm quite happy with the bike lanes here. Cheers from an avid cyclist living in Mierlo, near Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Hoek van Holland-Maastricht in one day, bikepacking? Respect. Edit: wow, you certainly rubbed many folks the wrong way using “Holland” instead of “The Netherlands”. Apologies on behalf of my fellow countrymen, they seem to take this too seriously. As a dutchman traveling abroad a lot for work I know that more people in the world know “Holland” than “The Netherlands”. (Geboren en getogen in NB, wonend in NH).
Not bikebacking this time, though I do a lot of that. I stayed in The Green Elephant Hostel in Maastricht which was fabulous and I highly recommend it, especially the buffet breakfast. I stay in hostels, hotels and friends' places on this trip.
@@Blackadder75Even if he started in any other province other than North- or South-Holland it would still be acceptable. Holland can be interchangeably used for the Netherlands in informal use. The Dutch who lose their crap over it need to take a remedial Dutch language course and learn the meaning of a pars pro toto. ps. I am Dutch.
I'm not sure if they are allowed but I saw a few. However, they were usually going pretty slowly. Yes, separate cycle lanes are what we need everywhere.
Heya. Those motorbikes are mopeds (technically they fall under scooters here) and we have two kinds. The ones with a blue license plate have a max speed of 25 km/h and are always allowed on cycling paths. The ones with a yellow plate have a max of 45 km/h and in the city are not allowed on cycling paths nowadays, although outside the city they sometimes are allowed to do so for safety reason, especially when the cars are allowed to exceed 50km/h on the road. Keep in mind the max speeds for the mopeds are the legal max speeds, some people like to tinker with them ;)
Living in Germany right next to the Netherlands, cycling is a basic competence here, too. Compared to the rest of Germany we also do enjoy a good cycling infrastructure and flat terrain. But we also share the Netherlands bane of cycling: headwind! You just have to put up with it... ...or get a pedelec.
You should rename your video The incredible bike paths of the Netherlands since you're not only cycling through the two provinces that comprise Holland but the rest of the Netherlands as well.
I'm sure there are many 'better' routes. However, the point is, that in the Netherlands, even in built up urban areas and beside ugly roads full of cars there are fantastic bike paths. This is to be congratulated.
Headwind, yes we know all about this here in NL. I think it is time for you to get an electric bike. If you are not sure about this, just hire one to see if its something for you.
Drives through downtown Rotterdam without stopping, complains later he hasn't seen a decent café yet .... And when he passes café's that are open for business he cycles passed them ....
@@HereWeAre0_0 Well that was half way through the first vid of your journey to southern Germany tbh, but yeah and loved it too! Tonight ill binge the parts past Frankfurt. 😉
I have biked to and from the Ferry before. As a Dutchman, it feels very unsafe having to share the road with lorries. Definitely not the best part of the journey.
Certainly not the best routes you could have chosen, neither around Rotterdam nor along the way with the cobblestones etc. Please don't use google maps as they never give you the best or nicest options. A 10 out of 10 for perseverance though 🙂
You past many, many nice villages with small restaurants on your way to Maastricht. And doing this on one of the most uncomfortable bicycle around. In a nasty and uninspriring part of the year. In a hurry. Is say well done sir!.
Thanks, actually the bike is quite comfortable for me and fast. One of the goals of the trip was to bring it back with me to Japan. I rode to Zurich and there are 4 more videos to come.
Not all paths are going to be perfect. It has taken decades to build all the bike lanes. Once a road is up for major maintenance they usually upgrade the bike paths to the red smooth surface with is the current standard.
Wat een gezeur altijd, steeds weer.....De overheid en toeristische sector zin er mede schuldig aan door Holland overal te noemen. Ik zou de Nederlanders niet de kost willen geven die de UK Engeland noemen en de USA Amerika.
Ah yes the wind, this is why we have concrete leg muscles in the Netherlands 😂. The LF routes are better albeit a bit longer. The shortest routes are not always the best but great utility.
I think you made the typical tourist mistake of choosing bicycle paths made along side car infrastructure. If you had dug a little further, you could have driven across bicycle paths that weren't in flat open spaces, along highways or canals with far better infrastructure. But instead you scraped the bottom of the barrel when it came to cycling lanes... Second, your mic has issues with the wind. And third, you spelled Hoek van Holland to Maastricht wrong. All i really got from your video, as a dutchmen myself, is a tourist with out a clue. In the future, try the "fietsersbond" routeplanner. You can choose many different routes, including routes with a minimum of cars, plenty of nature, and plenty of rest stops. Between anywhere to anywhere within the Netherlands.
Point taken, but Hook of Holland is spelt like that in English, and perhaps you miss the point. If I'd gone alone all the beautiful tourist routes no one would have noticed the "incredible bike paths".
Sorry, yes, I was in other parts of the Netherlands too and it was all amazing all the way to the German border. In the next video, which I'm working on, I travel to Koblenz.
It is The Netherlands, not Holland. You gone through Belgium instead and are not able to read the signage. If you do not have a clue where you commenting on, don't vlog about it and spread misinformation. Not appreciated, get informed and/or educated a tiny bit more before you broadcast. Thank you. Your home country is not the standard nor example you judge or criticize others on. And commenting "these lanes keep braking up by lights" is so D.....
I apologise, I'm just some ignorant tourist making off the cuff comments and I think most people watching would recognise that. I appreciate you putting me right. BTW, I'm amazed so many people are watching this, I was expecting maybe 100!
Mr Alex, stop being rude, most of the Netherlands call it Holland, hup Holland hup, was that only for those parts called Holland? You are being very rude, i am Dutch, and embarrassed by people like you...
@@Lilygirl283 You can be embarrassed all you want, but it doesn't change anything and states more about you than about me. Just by naming the exception, you actually confirm the rule. Calling someone rude for pointing out facts is rude in itself. It is your personal opinion or emotion that is not based on facts nor reality and merely a personal grievance. It is Trumpian... You might call them haters, rude or be embarrassed, it doesn't change anything. It is simply not being able to manage or absorb that others have different opinions and observe reality different than you. In this case, based on facts. No need to lash out. Please, learn to deal with it. This is about commenting on a YT video that misrepresents reality and states wrongs. Please read the initial post again in a objective manner. When done by a foreigner that makes a lot of assumptions, is uneducated on the subject, draws the wrong conclusions based on his or hers subjective observations and lack of experience on the matter, it cannot be a reason for you to contradict and call people names just because you don't like what you hear (or read). Personally, I find it important that these comments are made because the main audience of these kind of videos are foreigners and apparently they need to be educated about Dutch reality and that is also why YT enables for people to comment on the issue at hand. And, BTW, the word Dutch does also not exist in the Dutch language either. Most of the Netherlands does NOT call it Holland whatsoever for the simple reason we speak in Dutch and we call it Nederland. I never heard anybody from the other 10 provinces than Holland, refer to themselves coming from Holland, unless in Asia where they hardly heard of The Netherlands and refer to it as Belanda. But then again, Holland is also an area in Singapore that they often understand as such, not to mention the NY area and bridge. Just because someone made a song about (HUP) Holland 35 years ago and you are able to refer to that, doesn't make a wrong right. If you start taking songs and movies as reality (and try to present it as a burden of proof), you seriously have to ask yourself, not others. Neither does it allow for you to call people names, get personal and it is sad really you become emotional about it (that is what embarrassment is).
You miss the point. Your ugly routes are the most beautiful ugly routes in the world! You can travel quickly and smoothly across your country on a bike just like most people travel across their countries in a car.
You passed right by the street I live in Breda so that was an amusing surprise. Also, don't be put off by the keyboard bums on here berating you for calling it Holland. It's rather sad seeing such poor behaviour and insecurity in some of these comments as most nationals end up calling it Holland anyway. Just listen to them chanting at the world cup.. Please visit again!
@@Lilygirl283 Not me,i call it Nederland.Ok,its called the Netherlands not for a long time,but come on,every citizen off the Netherlands knows that its the Netherlands or Nederland.
You know what's scary? I cycled this cobbelt part today th-cam.com/video/dzS4tFm4Yi0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=BupAkZGsQ4vgFoyZ&t=476 And now youtube recommended your video.... it's the hamseweg near langeweg... Crazy.
This cycling video was entertaining, but the cycling route you chose was boring and monotonous. There are nicer cycling routes to Maastricht with small villages and many rustic stopping places.
"The Incredible Bike Paths of Holland" Please stop calling The Netherlands, holland, we got 12 provinces, 2 of which are called North and South Holland, the 12 combined are called The Netherlands
I'm sorry, I realise that now but can't change it in the video easily. It is amazing how few people in the world know this. Hopefully my mistake and you and many others pointing it out will help to educate the many who didn't know.
@@HereWeAre0_0 Indeed, no biggie, just wanted to educate you about this little fact, but you already seem to know! Have a great day! Nice video, keeps being beautiful to cycle through our little country!
@@HereWeAre0_0 No worries friend. Let me tell you my experiance. During a motorrace i say to a english speaking person 'a you'r English people are all the same' Oeps,... he was from Wales and he didint like it at all. Ha ha you cant have it all.
Oh dear, you've only followed bike paths that run alongside the car infrastructure. No wonder you find it sterile and don't see any cafes. Next time, use a navigation system tailored to the Netherlands. Then you'll be directed along a network of bike paths that go through villages and nature, away from the major highways
It got better but I really wanted to see what the paths along main routes were like and they are amazing. If you want to go far and quickly you can do it safely.
@@HereWeAre0_0 You are always welcome!
You can cross Rotterdam from west to east with just 1 traffic light. Following big car routes is not the fastest and hardly ever the shortest :)
@@HereWeAre0_0 I don t know if this is true?: I have heard Google and others cannot deal with the amount of nice bikepads of The Netherlands. I would avoid those bikepads you have used where I can(and lesser windy). Do you know of the bicyclenetwork with numbers? Green on white letters. At every point you can choose to go to another branche easily. There are also the "mushrooms" red on white "mushrooms" more in rural area s.
th-cam.com/video/sx1TsHc4ZgI/w-d-xo.html I know Flanders has the same, not sure or if they have the mushrooms also.
I admire that you managed to cycle from Hoek van Holland to Maastricht in one day. That I have never seen before. Your were by the way also in Belgium (electricity wires above ground).
Rode my first day today in the Netherlands. What a dream place to ride a bike
12:28 Where you said "this bikepath is a bit shite" you were just riding past signage saying bicicles should be in the road😂
Oops! Thanks for pointing that out
This is in Belgium btw 😊
dat je daar op de weg moet fietsen is ook wel shit haha
I think you’ve experienced that flat isn’t always as easy as it’s made out to be because of the relentless headwinds you get in those flat open spaces 😅
That's why I ride recumbent
Yeah, and somehow you always have a headwind, coming or going...
This was oddly satisfying and fun to watch. Thanks for sharing.
The cafe's you missed out on was unlucky but probably because you were using the bike 'highways' and not really touristic area's. The roads you were riding are mostly used to commute. When you mentioned this, you were in a classic industrial area. The cobblestone road is interesting though, that one must be a really old road by now. Your trip was certainly interesting because you took nearly all the routes I wouldn't have taken as I'd go a more touristic route haha.
Hope you had a good ride :) Great job also, what a trip!
It was amazing and I will be back
Your comment about how well the bike infrastructure is built, like the automobile roads in the UK, was interesting. From what I could tell from your video, the cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands is much, much, MUCH better than anything we have here where I live, automobile or otherwise (we don't have any cycling infrastructure of any kind), and I live in the Detroit Michigan area where EVERYTHING is about the automobile.
Yes, it is unbelievable in the Netherlands, the quality and extent of it is truly breathtaking and something the people should be very proud of.
It's not just the cycling all our other infrastructure is also much better, but it costs money and half of your population thinks (has been brainwashed into thinking by the 1%) that spending money for the greater good is communism, so sadly you will always be stuck with your crumbling crap roads
@@HereWeAre0_0 yes i am very proud when i go to another country mostly not very good for cycling.
Last year i was in italy near Brindisi, Ostuni some really nice cycling there.
Rent a bike not so easy.
Ah, some of my old training roads in Brabant! Not sure what you used for navigation but it did take you along some roads and cobbled sectors that I'd personally try to avoid 😅 Tip though, at 7:11, try to ride on the dotted line, because those bricks are laid lengthwise you're only catching half as many bumps.
he got some free Ronde van Vlaanderen / Paris- Roubaix experience thrown in....
I love the sense of glee in your voice as you start using the infrastructure
I was genuinely blown away by it.
@@HereWeAre0_0 Doesn't take much to be blown away in my stormy flat country...
So always check the direction the wind is blowing. Infrastructure does little about wind.
Youre are a true cycle fanatic covering the distance you did in such a short period of.time !
We apreciate your appreciation.
Good luck.with the upcoming.elections in the U.K. 😮
The bridge you passed under at the 13:30 was the starting point of operation market garden during WW2.
The canal now is the border between two parishes of the city/town of Lommel. (It's not a river, it was dug, I think mostly under Napoleon or even earlier.)
Road was once built to connect Holland with the 'prince bishopric of Liège' and avoid Habsburg authorities. Only finished after the war of succession and it was a toll road.
The town of Luyksgestel was traded with the agricultural land on the Northern (left) side of the canal after which irrigation, farms, school, church et cetera were built. (Treaty of Fontainebleau).
Intended to provide (mainly horse feed I believe) for a military camp 20km south.
Quartz sand extraction operation to the left just after the bridge is Sibelco.
And the metal processing plant on the right hand side is Umicore.
In the Eastward direction you are heading is Overpelt/Neerpelt which used to be part of the prince bishopric of Liège I mentioned before.
And behind you leads to Antwerp.
Great! Thanks for the info
If you haven’t tried bike paths through dunes along the coast line than try. One of the best things ever on the sunny day
I noticed you cycled from Rotterdam to Zwijndrecht, through Dordrecht and towards Breda, then geographically starting going east heading for Maastricht. It’s just the route you chose. I believe you could cycle from Hoek van Holland to Maastricht without following a single highway, but it would be a longer and harder to follow route. I also think you must have done this on a Sunday or something, I’m not sure why all the cafes were closed. I admire you for cycling such a long distance in 1 day, still impressive! I hope you come back to the Netherlands and maybe enjoy the absolutely beautiful bike paths of Drenthe for example.
Thank you, I will definitely be back.
You rode right by my old house in the south of Rotterdam. Awesome cycle paths we have, happy to see you enjoying it, although all the lights do have a flaw I must admit.
I knew exactly where that still with the cobbles was! It’s actually 5kms from my house! Great ride!!
Thanks, I'm glad you could see your old neighbourhood
The bridge @13:30 was the startingpoint of XXX corps during operation Market Garden in 1944....if i'm not mistaken.
I think almost half of your route went through Belgium. The never ending canal starts around Turnhout and goes all the way to Maastricht via Hasselt.
Where it becomes crap, it's Belgium
"het Jaagpad". One of my training routes. it's really nice and not much disturbance.
I once made the mistake trying to cycle from Eijsden to Utrecht in just one day. I knew it was a bit too much for me, but thought I could manage when cutting of through Belgium. Almost the whole morning I was along canals. The bad pavement and the boredom that whole morning caused that I thought I couldn’t do the final 60 km and called it a day. I took a train in Den Bosch.
My late wife's constant amazement comment was: "It's so damn flat!!" then I took her to the province of Limburg where we had a vlaai or two. Granted, She was from Colorado hence the opposite of The Netherlands.
In the next video, which I'm working on, I dispel the myth that all of the Netherlands is flat and cross the mountains to Koblenz.
@@HereWeAre0_0 When you come and visit the east of the Netherlands, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Groesbeek, it's right next to the German border and a lot more hilly then the rest of the country. Groesbeek is amazing, Giro D'Italia went through here once, was amazing to see
Two vlaais😂😂😂
The wind has been pretty relentless these past weeks, I commute past a lake each morning here in NL and it's been non stop headwinds. I admire your dedication not to hop on a train at some point ;)
As for the cafe's.. you really need to go into a town for that, we don't really have roadside stops for cyclists, since most people just cycle locally and have a cup when they get to their destination. It's something I miss as well, it makes those faster "expressway" routes pretty lifeless.
I cycle Rotterdam to the Hague every day, and the wind is my nemesis.
I really enjoyed the diversity in road infrastructure, I'm from the Netherlands but it surprised me how diverse the paths for bicycles are.
The bikelane network in the Netherlands is so extensive, you can get almost everywhere in the country just riding them. Time where there are no bikelanes are quite rare. A map of the network looks pretty much like the Netherlands.
Nice video. Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome and thanks for watching
Its like you came off the boat from the UK with your bike and rode straight home
Kind of what I did do except I continued to Zurich and Flew to Osaka
Oh boy, it's all about preparation. I use the free Garmin Basecamp and the Open fietsmap (Open cycle map) when I want to have the nicest routes. You have to tweak the settings a bit and then it adjusts the route between two points according to the best scenery. There are videos on TH-cam that explain how to. But, the headwind stays of course:)
Me, I use Google Maps by default. The "ANWB Eropuit" app would give you the more scenic routes (by having you choose numbered nodes) - but it may have you ride two sides of a triangle. There is at least a similar nodes network in Flanders (I can't remember it from Walloon) and maybe Germany. Note that Apple Maps has recently added bicycle navigation for the Netherlands, but seems to treat bicycles as impeded cars. So it is unlikely to show those railways-turned-bike roads.
Unfortunately, my form has entirely gone. However, in 2015(?) I rode from Eindhoven (railway station) to Maastricht (railway station) touching Belgium (Achel) and Germany (east of Sittard). On my Brompton folding bike.
11:56 now you are on the bikepaths of Belgium 😊
Really? Wow! Had no idea😂
@@HereWeAre0_0 although your ride seems to end in Maastricht and that is back in The Netherlands. Didn’t you noticed the difference in roadsigns and Bike Path quality 😉
Wow at the 8:08 mark i knew i recognized something, it's the village i lived for the first 4 years of my life.
Now i live in the next town 5mins away.
Do you have a bell?
No, is that a legal requirement in the Netherlands?
@@HereWeAre0_0 yup but they’ll probably understand why you don’t. The fine isn’t that much either
Why is this such a sweet and twee question? It really tickles me 😂
Interesting and great vid. Soo it looks like once you get away from the more dense areas you will actually see people on road bikes in full kit.
I think in the more dense areas maybe I was not in the 'nicer' parts that road riders, who know the area, would go.
How are you controlling the wind noise? Great video
I'm not 😂
@@HereWeAre0_0 no dead cat or anything?
I'm not sure how TH-cam led me here but it was oddly interesting to watch. You did manage to choose the least scenic route in the country pretty much, but I guess you were trying to keep it fast and direct.
If you see a sign ‘Fietsers op de rijbaan’, that means that you can drive the normal road. That sign is for car drivers so they are warned beforehand.
We Dutch, like our German cousins, are extremely good engineers. That's why the Netherlands 🇳🇱 is so well built and engineered.
You certainly are!
I cycled LF Maasroute in the opposite direction in June 2024. You didn’t choose a very scenic route. Do it again, but follow the LF Maasroute.
I will! Thanks
Fun fact, that red light house near the ferry has a duplicate twin at the summit of the Oberalppass in Switzerland, to mark source to sea of the river Rhine
My final destination was Zurich. I should have gone there!
6:54 Cafe was closed?
Yes, I think so
I am not sure what navigation system you used, but if you go for special cycle navigation, it will take you away from the main roads, through beautiful rural areas. If you used Google, that is a very car centric navigation, even if you opt for the cycle route.
Thanks. I used a combination of Strava, RidewithGPS and Komoot but I wasn't trying to find the small roads as my goal was to check out the cycling infrastructure which was incredible.
yes, I came here to say the same. By the looks of it, it wasn't a very pleasant ride by my standards. And away from the main roads you'll find that the infra may even be better, since there you'll find more people on bikes
Knooppunten routes are the best.
@@hondaryder3779 not the shortest, though.
Amazing video. I love cycling in NL. Should do it more. What camera did you use?
Thanks, it's a GoPro Hero 11 Mini
The south of Limburg gets interesting from Sittard (Windraak) to Amstenrade, Hoensbroek Castle, Voerendaal, Ransdaal, Klimmen, Valkenburg, Maastricht.
Great video, next time start in Maastricht ;)
I did, the next day😂
"psychologically one of the hardest rides" hehe, cool you got to experience what a lot of Dutch kids learn to live with at an very early age while cycling to school so called "tegenwind", head wind. 🙂
What is the opposite called? I can't wait to try this again with a tail wind!
Rugwind , rug means your back @@HereWeAre0_0
@@HereWeAre0_0 We even have a cycling against the wind national championship th-cam.com/video/VMinwf-kRlA/w-d-xo.html
@@HereWeAre0_0 Wind in het ruggetje = Wind in the back. Wind mee= wind in the riding direction.
Not sure if you only drove through The Netherlands. From Vlissinge to Maastricht is va Belgium on the bike 199, not via Belgium at least 250. Maybe it's nice if you can refer now and then where you are or passed by
His startingpoint was Hoek van Holland...not Vlissingen and it's 200+ km to Maastricht.
Realy nice video!
Where? And try Hoek van Holland and Maastricht.
Check out the east of the Netherlands too. (Less wind) And check out the "F##" bikeways that are cycle highways for extra fast intercity cycling.
Nice summary of the Dutch's roads. I think I recognized some of the roads. I hate the parts where cars have nice tarmac and the bike lane is terrible. Other than that, I'm quite happy with the bike lanes here. Cheers from an avid cyclist living in Mierlo, near Eindhoven, Netherlands.
I've never seen better bike paths anywhere in the world.
You did the Zuid Willemsvaart. Respect and chapeau
Thanks
The ship, DFDS is a Danish Company and a transport Giant
Some say this guy is still cycling, probably in Spain somewhere
and the thumbnail shows the oldest one, aaah! :P nice vid, be it bit noisy. sterile but easy.. nailed it :)
Hoek van Holland-Maastricht in one day, bikepacking? Respect.
Edit: wow, you certainly rubbed many folks the wrong way using “Holland” instead of “The Netherlands”. Apologies on behalf of my fellow countrymen, they seem to take this too seriously. As a dutchman traveling abroad a lot for work I know that more people in the world know “Holland” than “The Netherlands”. (Geboren en getogen in NB, wonend in NH).
Not bikebacking this time, though I do a lot of that. I stayed in The Green Elephant Hostel in Maastricht which was fabulous and I highly recommend it, especially the buffet breakfast. I stay in hostels, hotels and friends' places on this trip.
I would tolerate the use of Holland in this case, as his starting point even has it in its name!
@@HereWeAre0_0 Were you allowed to take the bike into your room?
@@Blackadder75Even if he started in any other province other than North- or South-Holland it would still be acceptable. Holland can be interchangeably used for the Netherlands in informal use. The Dutch who lose their crap over it need to take a remedial Dutch language course and learn the meaning of a pars pro toto.
ps. I am Dutch.
Well done, in one day. Hopefully you did find some cafés down the route
Yes, I did of course and many charming and beautiful places were awaiting me.
Were those motorbikes allowed on the cycle paths?
I’ve learnt to appreciate cycle lanes where I live in UK. It’s battling with traffic that I hate.
I'm not sure if they are allowed but I saw a few. However, they were usually going pretty slowly. Yes, separate cycle lanes are what we need everywhere.
Heya. Those motorbikes are mopeds (technically they fall under scooters here) and we have two kinds.
The ones with a blue license plate have a max speed of 25 km/h and are always allowed on cycling paths.
The ones with a yellow plate have a max of 45 km/h and in the city are not allowed on cycling paths nowadays, although outside the city they sometimes are allowed to do so for safety reason, especially when the cars are allowed to exceed 50km/h on the road.
Keep in mind the max speeds for the mopeds are the legal max speeds, some people like to tinker with them ;)
Just intrested. Why you biked in these city centers? Nice job btw.
I had a long way to go and I was mainly focusing on the incredible biking infrastructure. I will be back though.
Tourists best use the fiets "knooppunten route kaart". It'll show you better cycling routes
The thumbnail seems like a roadie nightmare
It was 😂
Living in Germany right next to the Netherlands, cycling is a basic competence here, too. Compared to the rest of Germany we also do enjoy a good cycling infrastructure and flat terrain. But we also share the Netherlands bane of cycling: headwind! You just have to put up with it... ...or get a pedelec.
Or ride a recumbent
Great infrastructure in Holland
Rest of the Netherlands as well.
You should rename your video The incredible bike paths of the Netherlands since you're not only cycling through the two provinces that comprise Holland but the rest of the Netherlands as well.
Done
I’m cycling LF Maasroute from Maastricht to Hoek van Holland over 6 days. A far better route than what you’ve shown here.
I'm sure there are many 'better' routes. However, the point is, that in the Netherlands, even in built up urban areas and beside ugly roads full of cars there are fantastic bike paths. This is to be congratulated.
NETHERLANDS!! Or New York is representative for the whole USA...period!
Rustaaaagh
Headwind, yes we know all about this here in NL. I think it is time for you to get an electric bike. If you are not sure about this, just hire one to see if its something for you.
Yep, I'm getting a bit long in the tooth and it's on the cards.
Victor Meldrew on tour :)
😂 If only I were haff as funny 🤣
Drives through downtown Rotterdam without stopping, complains later he hasn't seen a decent café yet ....
And when he passes café's that are open for business he cycles passed them ....
Blimey! You watched the whole thing! Thanks
@@HereWeAre0_0 Well that was half way through the first vid of your journey to southern Germany tbh, but yeah and loved it too! Tonight ill binge the parts past Frankfurt. 😉
It's so funny how the bike path in the thumbnail looks absolutely terrible to ride on😂😅
I have biked to and from the Ferry before. As a Dutchman, it feels very unsafe having to share the road with lorries. Definitely not the best part of the journey.
You are in belgium several times. You can see it by the awful powerlines and the bad roads and bikepaths
Nothing compared to what we have in the UK, and Japan, where I live now.
Certainly not the best routes you could have chosen, neither around Rotterdam nor along the way with the cobblestones etc. Please don't use google maps as they never give you the best or nicest options. A 10 out of 10 for perseverance though 🙂
amazing, man those cobles, horrible.. we can laugh about it now hahahaha.
Yeah, I don't want to remember those too much, though they were beautiful.
You past many, many nice villages with small restaurants on your way to Maastricht. And doing this on one of the most uncomfortable bicycle around. In a nasty and uninspriring part of the year. In a hurry. Is say well done sir!.
Thanks, actually the bike is quite comfortable for me and fast. One of the goals of the trip was to bring it back with me to Japan. I rode to Zurich and there are 4 more videos to come.
Not all paths are going to be perfect. It has taken decades to build all the bike lanes. Once a road is up for major maintenance they usually upgrade the bike paths to the red smooth surface with is the current standard.
It is an incredible job and something to be very proud of.
Maastricht is not a city in Holland but in Limburg, the Netherlands.
Yes, I'm sorry about that, and it's been mentioned a lot. I stand corrected.
There is much more to cycle in country. Take the LF’s, Long Distance bicycle paths!
Wind noise is too much,I can only imagine hearing this on headphones.
The wind was too much and I think you can imagine that 😂
It's the Netherlands. Holland (north and south) is just a small part
Thanks. That is something that always confuses us Brits.
Well, true but the only part that really matters 😜
@@HereWeAre0_0 Think of saying to a Scot that he lives in England: he would get angry and yell its the United Kingdom.
Wat een gezeur altijd, steeds weer.....De overheid en toeristische sector zin er mede schuldig aan door Holland overal te noemen. Ik zou de Nederlanders niet de kost willen geven die de UK Engeland noemen en de USA Amerika.
@@lumbraci Nou voor mij best belangrijk
Ah yes the wind, this is why we have concrete leg muscles in the Netherlands 😂. The LF routes are better albeit a bit longer. The shortest routes are not always the best but great utility.
😂
I think you made the typical tourist mistake of choosing bicycle paths made along side car infrastructure. If you had dug a little further, you could have driven across bicycle paths that weren't in flat open spaces, along highways or canals with far better infrastructure. But instead you scraped the bottom of the barrel when it came to cycling lanes... Second, your mic has issues with the wind. And third, you spelled Hoek van Holland to Maastricht wrong. All i really got from your video, as a dutchmen myself, is a tourist with out a clue. In the future, try the "fietsersbond" routeplanner. You can choose many different routes, including routes with a minimum of cars, plenty of nature, and plenty of rest stops. Between anywhere to anywhere within the Netherlands.
Point taken, but Hook of Holland is spelt like that in English, and perhaps you miss the point. If I'd gone alone all the beautiful tourist routes no one would have noticed the "incredible bike paths".
@@HereWeAre0_0 the previous poster went a bit too far with the 'dutch directness' , my apologies
We have paths in the rest of the Netherlands too, not just in Holland.
Sorry, yes, I was in other parts of the Netherlands too and it was all amazing all the way to the German border. In the next video, which I'm working on, I travel to Koblenz.
It is The Netherlands, not Holland. You gone through Belgium instead and are not able to read the signage. If you do not have a clue where you commenting on, don't vlog about it and spread misinformation. Not appreciated, get informed and/or educated a tiny bit more before you broadcast. Thank you. Your home country is not the standard nor example you judge or criticize others on.
And commenting "these lanes keep braking up by lights" is so D.....
Je hebt zo gelijk, even verder dan zijn neus kijken en dan had hij het geweten, maar klagen is altijd het makkelijkst.
@@WillemHovius-n7j Of in deze tijd, vloggen voor clickbait en wat centen.
I apologise, I'm just some ignorant tourist making off the cuff comments and I think most people watching would recognise that. I appreciate you putting me right. BTW, I'm amazed so many people are watching this, I was expecting maybe 100!
Mr Alex, stop being rude, most of the Netherlands call it Holland, hup Holland hup, was that only for those parts called Holland?
You are being very rude, i am Dutch, and embarrassed by people like you...
@@Lilygirl283 You can be embarrassed all you want, but it doesn't change anything and states more about you than about me. Just by naming the exception, you actually confirm the rule.
Calling someone rude for pointing out facts is rude in itself. It is your personal opinion or emotion that is not based on facts nor reality and merely a personal grievance. It is Trumpian...
You might call them haters, rude or be embarrassed, it doesn't change anything. It is simply not being able to manage or absorb that others have different opinions and observe reality different than you. In this case, based on facts. No need to lash out.
Please, learn to deal with it. This is about commenting on a YT video that misrepresents reality and states wrongs. Please read the initial post again in a objective manner. When done by a foreigner that makes a lot of assumptions, is uneducated on the subject, draws the wrong conclusions based on his or hers subjective observations and lack of experience on the matter, it cannot be a reason for you to contradict and call people names just because you don't like what you hear (or read). Personally, I find it important that these comments are made because the main audience of these kind of videos are foreigners and apparently they need to be educated about Dutch reality and that is also why YT enables for people to comment on the issue at hand. And, BTW, the word Dutch does also not exist in the Dutch language either.
Most of the Netherlands does NOT call it Holland whatsoever for the simple reason we speak in Dutch and we call it Nederland. I never heard anybody from the other 10 provinces than Holland, refer to themselves coming from Holland, unless in Asia where they hardly heard of The Netherlands and refer to it as Belanda. But then again, Holland is also an area in Singapore that they often understand as such, not to mention the NY area and bridge.
Just because someone made a song about (HUP) Holland 35 years ago and you are able to refer to that, doesn't make a wrong right. If you start taking songs and movies as reality (and try to present it as a burden of proof), you seriously have to ask yourself, not others. Neither does it allow for you to call people names, get personal and it is sad really you become emotional about it (that is what embarrassment is).
I feel so bad for you man. I didn't even know there where such ugly bike routes in my country.
You miss the point. Your ugly routes are the most beautiful ugly routes in the world! You can travel quickly and smoothly across your country on a bike just like most people travel across their countries in a car.
@@HereWeAre0_0 i guess that's true, I dont dare to step on a bike in most countries I've been to
It could have rained all day...
It did the next day haha
@@HereWeAre0_0 That would have been a showstopper, no?
You passed right by the street I live in Breda so that was an amusing surprise.
Also, don't be put off by the keyboard bums on here berating you for calling it Holland. It's rather sad seeing such poor behaviour and insecurity in some of these comments as most nationals end up calling it Holland anyway. Just listen to them chanting at the world cup..
Please visit again!
The infrastructure seems so normal, but when i watch this kind of video i realise it isn't.
No, it is incredible from the perspective of most people in the world I imagine
@@HereWeAre0_0 I know but as a Dutchie you take it for granted.
160 km. Wat een bikkel.
230 he said just before Maastricht. So i think close to 240km.
😂
it was 200+, een beetje zoals een tour etappe zou kunnen zijn
It's the Netherlands, by the way.
B.T.W.Our country is named the Netherlands...Not Holland!!!
I apologise and stand corrected
Shut up!! I think he knows by now!
@HereWeAre0_0 don't apologise, most of the Dutch people call it Holland..
@@Lilygirl283 Maybe in your site off the country,not by my site...
@@Lilygirl283 Not me,i call it Nederland.Ok,its called the Netherlands not for a long time,but come on,every citizen off the Netherlands knows that its the Netherlands or Nederland.
You know what's scary? I cycled this cobbelt part today th-cam.com/video/dzS4tFm4Yi0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=BupAkZGsQ4vgFoyZ&t=476 And now youtube recommended your video.... it's the hamseweg near langeweg... Crazy.
Wow! Scary. I thought only 80 people would watch and now 20000 have seen it! Crazy
This cycling video was entertaining, but the cycling route you chose was boring and monotonous. There are nicer cycling routes to Maastricht with small villages and many rustic stopping places.
Yes, but I wonder if the video would have been as entertaining then 😂
"The Incredible Bike Paths of Holland" Please stop calling The Netherlands, holland, we got 12 provinces, 2 of which are called North and South Holland, the 12 combined are called The Netherlands
I'm sorry, I realise that now but can't change it in the video easily. It is amazing how few people in the world know this. Hopefully my mistake and you and many others pointing it out will help to educate the many who didn't know.
@@HereWeAre0_0 Indeed, no biggie, just wanted to educate you about this little fact, but you already seem to know! Have a great day! Nice video, keeps being beautiful to cycle through our little country!
@@HereWeAre0_0 No worries friend. Let me tell you my experiance. During a motorrace i say to a english speaking person 'a you'r English people are all the same' Oeps,... he was from Wales and he didint like it at all. Ha ha you cant have it all.
They have beautiful chemtrails in the air