I hear ya and remember those days. I'm fortunate to now live in an area of Austin where I can ride to most of my meaningful destinations on an emerging network of inviting cycle facilities and quiet, low-volume, low-speed streets. Thanks so much for watching and for the comment. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
Oh I love your ride! Living in Houten I often go by bike tot Utrecht. I was surpised that you took the right turn at Lunetten station. I always go to the left 🙂 I will go there next time. If you ever have the chance to ride again I recommend to take a right turn at 8.11 under the rail tracks. You will have another great ride entering Utrecht at another point. Thanks for this! I loved it
Yes! As well as to school and other meaningful destinations, basically, it's a great way to get where folks need to go. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John
@@ActiveTownsyou always show the alternative way of transportation. To win over Americans you need to show that you’re not restricted by car. Maybe you can show you still can travel anywhere by car and no freedom is taken away from you, plus it’s good to show how wonderful the car experience is while there still plenty of alternatives to the car.
Good point! I try to emphasize that the Dutch have some of the highest satisfaction ratings of drivers worldwide. I know there are others out there covering that side of the experience much better than I would. Come to think of it, in all my years visiting The Netherlands I’ve never needed to drive or catch a ride in a car. It’s just so easy to take transit and ride my bike, the need has never presented itself.
@@ActiveTownsI think your nearly there by saying the need never presented it self. But you still have the choice. The freedom of being able to pick what ever mode of transportation you want is key in getting an active towns. People will always pick the most convenient for them. The Dutch figured out how to combine modes of transportation safely. A few days ago you had Kylie and she didn’t get it. And yes there are other TH-cam channels that maybe show the roads in the Netherlands. But yours is to show an active town and the car still is part of the active town in the Netherlands. I don’t say waste a week in a car in the Netherlands. Just do a single video and let people see you still have every freedom to travel by car and that will make the battle to create active towns easier as you always can reference to that video. Nearly every video where you cycle you still see cars driving around.it gives an popular to point out there is still the freedom to do so.
@@krakakapaul 💯 Darn, now you've given me a reason to visit once again. hehe 😂 In all seriousness, I was presenting to an urbanism student group at Texas State University last night and was emphasizing precisely what you are referencing - The freedom of being able to pick what ever mode of transportation you want. Thanks again for the suggestion!🙏Cheers! John
I know this ride like the back of my hand and STILL just spent half and hour of my life with you riding it 🤣 Although there was an uncomfortable stomach lurch when you turned right at Lunetten instead of left 🤪 Great job as always 🤩
I felt the same, Kylie, at exactly the same location! I was also worried for the end (I knew where you would be going, John) but fortunately you ended up taking the Herenweg and not the terrible Weerdsingel! That would be the route anyone from Utrecht would take, so you are really fully integrated!
That's a good way of describing it, although I find the ride with the masses in Utrecht to be almost a ballet of sorts, almost soothing in a different yet still comforting way. Several weeks later, I would do the reverse ride to remind myself what that was like. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
That's some serious pace you're pedaling mate! 🚲 Was there a Dutch soccer team match that day...? Hence al the orange shirts I saw during the ride.....🧡
Yup! Yes, indeed. The tragic comedy was not lost on me. 😂 I did have the last laugh, though, as I was able to replace the wind muff when I returned to the apartment where I was staying in Utrecht. 😎
Thank you for this ride down memory lane, though it looks a bit different now. I grew up in the south of the city of Utrecht, and back in the day, as kids, we took the Houtensepad (the Houten pathway) to Houten. I kind of lost track there in the video. Everything has changed ... for the better.
You are quite welcome! Delighted that you found your way to this video. Thanks for tuning in and commenting. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
The classic Mark Wagenbuur format - show, don’t tell! Personally I prefer verbal context / opinions, because I live the optical reality on a daily basis. That’s the prerogative of living in The Netherlands!
@@ActiveTowns My guess is that he'll show you Den Bosch NOORD, which is far more than 50 per cent of the city. You have already been shown Rosmalen, OOST and ZUID as well as the city centre (BINNENSTAD). That upcoming video will surely be the highlight of my day. I admire Mark for his in-depth knowledge of the subject.
@@reneolthof6811 Thanks for the compliment! But I can't really remember where we went this time, maybe even to Vught... I will be as surprised as anyone... ;-)
Too bad that those mopeds/scooters aren't banned yet. ( the non-electric ones ) Nice the way the mother had her hand on her daughter's back; not really pushing, but it was there.
@petersteinmeijer519 Yeah, they are a bit challenging at times, especially on the cycle paths. And yes, I love seeing those special moments between people that reinforce that there should always be enough room for people to ride side by side. Thanks so much for watching and for contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John
To be honest, the sound of the messy bike seems to be sharper as one would experience in reality, wich is mainly smoother, not as distinguished as here.....
I wish we could have cities like this in Canada, all canada is infested with dangerous driver and cars ruined all cities. it's unlivable. riding bicycle here is like a death wish
Hang in there, Kevin. There are a handful of cities in Canada and North America where this is normal... note, not very many, though, so we have a lot of work to do. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you enjoy and find the Channel helpful and inspiring. I've interviewed many folks doing good work up there in Canada. Cheers! John
Nah, this was shot on June 25th. It will take me the better part of the next several months to produce all the content I shot during the 60 days I was in Europe. Yeah, I heard about that congress... will you be attending?
what the... I posted a route suggestion for you and youtube just poofed it.? perhaps in your spam folder. If not I wiill see to get the suggestion to you another way.
Believe me, the poofing part happens all the time. hehe 😂 I have a secure Contact Me tab on my website that you and others are welcome to use www.activetowns.org
@@ActiveTowns I had already copied it and have send it to your activetowns email :) I am sadly aware of the poofering. I tend to comment a lot of history stuff and somehow youtube sees it as soam or something and it often disappears. Maybe they don't want people to learn or something :) Thnks for the reply.
The mopeds are a menace, indeed. But tbf, I 'm under the impression that irl the noise doesn't appear to be as obnoxious as it sounds in this video. But I am not a mic expert.
Hmmm... I'd say it depends... but mostly, I find the noise to be quite obnoxious. IRL. That said, even the electric versions can be shocking because of the speed, mass, and aggressive driving behavior of many, not all, of the riders. Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John
I do mind the noise, but even more do I mind the exhaust fumes which are bad for breathing when you have a long disease, like COPD or asthma. Sometimes a moped or scooter is going very slowly and you keep breathing the bad air if you cycle behind them. Once I had to stop because I was literally out of breath because of this. They should ban the scooters and mopeds with combustion engines. Or don’t let them on cycle paths. Let them drive on the road.
@@RealConstructor Yes! Thank you. It's worth reminding everyone that outdoor air pollution is a leading cause of death worldwide, killing millions of people every year: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 4.2 million people die prematurely each year and countless others suffer non-fatal health events which are influenced by the convenience internal combustion engine (ICE) powered mobility devices (cars, motor cycles, scooters, etc.)
It's my belief that pretty much all the drivers we saw were likely locals versus pass-through traffic. For the most part, in my impression, they were also patient and courteous drivers.
Banning only makes sense if strict and frequent checks are going to be made, and that can get very pricey. In practice, making unwanted behaviour inconvenient or illogical works much better and that can be done a lot cheaper.
@@egelmuis Agreed! Which is my approach in reducing motor vehicle speeds in general... transforming the street design to result in the desired behavior first versus defaulting to enforcement.
Yet another great video! You're so lucky to be able to do this so often - and do it for a living!
Thank you! Yes, I am quite humbled and honored that my profession has evolved into this arena. I really appreciate you tuning in. Cheers! John
In America, I have to drive my car to find a good place to bike. And even those places are not as vast as this. I'm so jealous.
I hear ya and remember those days. I'm fortunate to now live in an area of Austin where I can ride to most of my meaningful destinations on an emerging network of inviting cycle facilities and quiet, low-volume, low-speed streets. Thanks so much for watching and for the comment. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
Oh I love your ride! Living in Houten I often go by bike tot Utrecht. I was surpised that you took the right turn at Lunetten station. I always go to the left 🙂 I will go there next time. If you ever have the chance to ride again I recommend to take a right turn at 8.11 under the rail tracks. You will have another great ride entering Utrecht at another point. Thanks for this! I loved it
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the ride. Thanks so much for tuning in and for the tip. Cheers! John
this is one of the highest peaks of the western civilization. hats off
🙌 Thanks for coming along for the ride. Cheers! John
Well it's dead flat around here
What a great way to commute to work
Yes! As well as to school and other meaningful destinations, basically, it's a great way to get where folks need to go. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John
@@ActiveTownsyou always show the alternative way of transportation. To win over Americans you need to show that you’re not restricted by car. Maybe you can show you still can travel anywhere by car and no freedom is taken away from you, plus it’s good to show how wonderful the car experience is while there still plenty of alternatives to the car.
Good point! I try to emphasize that the Dutch have some of the highest satisfaction ratings of drivers worldwide. I know there are others out there covering that side of the experience much better than I would. Come to think of it, in all my years visiting The Netherlands I’ve never needed to drive or catch a ride in a car. It’s just so easy to take transit and ride my bike, the need has never presented itself.
@@ActiveTownsI think your nearly there by saying the need never presented it self. But you still have the choice. The freedom of being able to pick what ever mode of transportation you want is key in getting an active towns. People will always pick the most convenient for them. The Dutch figured out how to combine modes of transportation safely. A few days ago you had Kylie and she didn’t get it. And yes there are other TH-cam channels that maybe show the roads in the Netherlands. But yours is to show an active town and the car still is part of the active town in the Netherlands.
I don’t say waste a week in a car in the Netherlands. Just do a single video and let people see you still have every freedom to travel by car and that will make the battle to create active towns easier as you always can reference to that video. Nearly every video where you cycle you still see cars driving around.it gives an popular to point out there is still the freedom to do so.
@@krakakapaul 💯 Darn, now you've given me a reason to visit once again. hehe 😂 In all seriousness, I was presenting to an urbanism student group at Texas State University last night and was emphasizing precisely what you are referencing - The freedom of being able to pick what ever mode of transportation you want. Thanks again for the suggestion!🙏Cheers! John
I know this ride like the back of my hand and STILL just spent half and hour of my life with you riding it 🤣 Although there was an uncomfortable stomach lurch when you turned right at Lunetten instead of left 🤪 Great job as always 🤩
Hehe 😅Thanks coming along fo r the ride, Kylie!
I felt the same, Kylie, at exactly the same location! I was also worried for the end (I knew where you would be going, John) but fortunately you ended up taking the Herenweg and not the terrible Weerdsingel! That would be the route anyone from Utrecht would take, so you are really fully integrated!
Most likely dumb luck, as this was quite early in my trip... although I must say I did remember the area a bit from past trips. 😇
Nice way to commute.
Really quite a joy!
Nice to have a peaceful ride through the countryside before you join the cavalry charge in Utrecht.
That's a good way of describing it, although I find the ride with the masses in Utrecht to be almost a ballet of sorts, almost soothing in a different yet still comforting way. Several weeks later, I would do the reverse ride to remind myself what that was like. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
That's some serious pace you're pedaling mate! 🚲 Was there a Dutch soccer team match that day...? Hence al the orange shirts I saw during the ride.....🧡
Hehe 😂 Yes, this was shot in June when the national team was competing in the Euros. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John
Ignoring orange lights, fully integrated 😂
Full integration has always been my goal in such matters.😁
Also your bike is suitably rattley.
I just call this: "My commute to work".
Love it! 🙌 Thanks so much for tuning in. Cheers! John
Relaxed driving, nice. And good weather
Thanks! Yes, the weather was quite nice... a little on the warm side that week, but I could not complain. Thanks so much for tuning in. Cheers! John
Bookmark under Nice & Relaxing
Glad you enjoyed the ride! 🙌
Isn't it ironic, when your wind muff is blown off by the wind. 😂
Yup! Yes, indeed. The tragic comedy was not lost on me. 😂 I did have the last laugh, though, as I was able to replace the wind muff when I returned to the apartment where I was staying in Utrecht. 😎
Thank you for this ride down memory lane, though it looks a bit different now. I grew up in the south of the city of Utrecht, and back in the day, as kids, we took the Houtensepad (the Houten pathway) to Houten. I kind of lost track there in the video. Everything has changed ... for the better.
You are quite welcome! Delighted that you found your way to this video. Thanks for tuning in and commenting. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
The classic Mark Wagenbuur format - show, don’t tell!
Personally I prefer verbal context / opinions, because I live the optical reality on a daily basis. That’s the prerogative of living in The Netherlands!
Hehe, I hadn't thought of that 😂
Very soon, I'll have my ride video with Mark as he shows me a part of s-Hertogenbosch that I haven't yet seen.😀
@@ActiveTowns My guess is that he'll show you Den Bosch NOORD, which is far more than 50 per cent of the city. You have already been shown Rosmalen, OOST and ZUID as well as the city centre (BINNENSTAD). That upcoming video will surely be the highlight of my day. I admire Mark for his in-depth knowledge of the subject.
@@reneolthof6811 Thanks for the compliment! But I can't really remember where we went this time, maybe even to Vught... I will be as surprised as anyone... ;-)
Too bad that those mopeds/scooters aren't banned yet. ( the non-electric ones )
Nice the way the mother had her hand on her daughter's back; not really pushing, but it was there.
Where should they go then? And how about the cars?
@petersteinmeijer519 Yeah, they are a bit challenging at times, especially on the cycle paths. And yes, I love seeing those special moments between people that reinforce that there should always be enough room for people to ride side by side. Thanks so much for watching and for contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John
Makes me wonder how Dutch riders do so well in the Alps.
Amazing what a difference growing on a bike will have.
To be honest, the sound of the messy bike seems to be sharper as one would experience in reality, wich is mainly smoother, not as distinguished as here.....
Thanks for watching and for this insight 🙏
I wish we could have cities like this in Canada, all canada is infested with dangerous driver and cars ruined all cities. it's unlivable. riding bicycle here is like a death wish
Hang in there, Kevin. There are a handful of cities in Canada and North America where this is normal... note, not very many, though, so we have a lot of work to do. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you enjoy and find the Channel helpful and inspiring. I've interviewed many folks doing good work up there in Canada. Cheers! John
18:51 to me flats feel like the netherlands more that two family homes.
For sure... very common housing typology. Thanks so much for tuning in.
Does this mean you’re in Utrecht right now?
There’s the Future Green City congres next week.
Nah, this was shot on June 25th. It will take me the better part of the next several months to produce all the content I shot during the 60 days I was in Europe. Yeah, I heard about that congress... will you be attending?
@@ActiveTowns yes, it’s my home town.
A few colleagues of mine are participating. They are guiding a walk through a suburban town nearby.
@@erik5374 Cool! I hope it is an impactful gathering.
what the... I posted a route suggestion for you and youtube just poofed it.? perhaps in your spam folder. If not I wiill see to get the suggestion to you another way.
Believe me, the poofing part happens all the time. hehe 😂
I have a secure Contact Me tab on my website that you and others are welcome to use www.activetowns.org
@@ActiveTowns I had already copied it and have send it to your activetowns email :) I am sadly aware of the poofering. I tend to comment a lot of history stuff and somehow youtube sees it as soam or something and it often disappears. Maybe they don't want people to learn or something :) Thnks for the reply.
The mopeds are a menace, indeed. But tbf, I 'm under the impression that irl the noise doesn't appear to be as obnoxious as it sounds in this video. But I am not a mic expert.
Hmmm... I'd say it depends... but mostly, I find the noise to be quite obnoxious. IRL. That said, even the electric versions can be shocking because of the speed, mass, and aggressive driving behavior of many, not all, of the riders. Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John
I do mind the noise, but even more do I mind the exhaust fumes which are bad for breathing when you have a long disease, like COPD or asthma. Sometimes a moped or scooter is going very slowly and you keep breathing the bad air if you cycle behind them. Once I had to stop because I was literally out of breath because of this. They should ban the scooters and mopeds with combustion engines. Or don’t let them on cycle paths. Let them drive on the road.
@@RealConstructor Yes! Thank you. It's worth reminding everyone that outdoor air pollution is a leading cause of death worldwide, killing millions of people every year: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 4.2 million people die prematurely each year and countless others suffer non-fatal health events which are influenced by the convenience internal combustion engine (ICE) powered mobility devices (cars, motor cycles, scooters, etc.)
It should be forbidden to drive a car on that bicycle path. Only residents living next to it or somebody, who has a business there.
It's my belief that pretty much all the drivers we saw were likely locals versus pass-through traffic. For the most part, in my impression, they were also patient and courteous drivers.
Banning only makes sense if strict and frequent checks are going to be made, and that can get very pricey. In practice, making unwanted behaviour inconvenient or illogical works much better and that can be done a lot cheaper.
@@egelmuis Agreed! Which is my approach in reducing motor vehicle speeds in general... transforming the street design to result in the desired behavior first versus defaulting to enforcement.