How I roll: Chris Wood
What are your wheels?
Several factors led to the selection of my Brompton M6R as my bicycle of choice for touring in the Netherlands.
Firstly, cost. I already owned a bike and one that was perfectly amenable to air travel since it folds. I anticipated cycling in the Netherlands a lot and worked out that the cost of owning a bike would be less than hiring one over the medium-to-long term.
Secondly, time. For a combination of work and family reasons, I generally fly into Amsterdam on a Tuesday morning and back to the UK on a Thursday afternoon. This is a short window of time, so not losing a couple of hours picking up a rental at the start of the trip and returning it at the end of it is time well-saved.
Finally, practicality. Unlike “proper” bikes, foldable bikes are accepted on trains and buses at any time of day without a surcharge. So I can immediately hop on a train from Schiphol airport or can grab a bus if I fancy a break. It fits in a taxi too, should I ever need to grab one.
Lots of people use Bromptons for touring and there’s a wealth of information on how to do so. I can only add that you can relax a whole lot about your Brompton’s specification when it comes to the Netherlands: I pretty much only ever use two speeds the whole time I’m there, whereas many people are adamant you need the full six gears with -12% gearing. Really, two speeds are enough.
What other kit do you take?
Not a lot beyond the usual stuff — e.g. clothes, toiletries, spare tube, tools, etc. In terms of the more interesting cycling stuff:
- I’ve got a Quad Lock phone mount on my handlebars — it’s actually intended for motorbikes, but it’s the best fit for a Brompton;
- I use an old iPhone with an external battery case and a Quad Lock Universal Adapter stuck on the back. I use Ride With GPS for navigation and when the phone’s in airplane mode and the external battery is switched on at the beginning of my ride, I’m still at 100% battery at the end of the day (yes, GPS still works in airplane mode);
- The Brompton T Bag which is cavernous;
- An Ortlieb Dry-Bag PD350 which is my overflow bag. I could fit more in the T Bag, but I prefer to balance the weight a bit more between the front and back of the bike. There’s usually a fair bit of space left in the Ortlieb for other temporary things — e.g. groceries so I can make my dinner. The best bit about this bag is that you can put the Brompton rack’s elastic ropes through the strap holes at the bottom of the Ortlieb bag and then just fasten the top of the bag through the saddle rails. Mounting or unmounting the bag can be done in under a minute.
How do you get there?
I fly from Manchester to Amsterdam with EasyJet and the bike comes with me in its own suitcase. I’m cheeky and only pay for a 23 kg hold bag (not sports equipment, which is twice as much).
Overall, I’ll have the bike in its large case, a cabin-sized duffel bag and the T Bag. As I’m also a Three customer for my phone, I get a free hands-free upgrade on outbound flights, so I can check the cabin bag too and just bring the T Bag as hand luggage. On the way back, I pay for the £6 upgrade to go hands free.
Upon arrival at Schiphol, I drag my luggage over to the left luggage desk.
There are several re-packing tables situated there where I’ll unpack the Brompton from its case and unpack the cabin duffel bag. I distribute the contents of the T Bag and duffel bag between my T Bag and Ortlieb dry bag.
The duffel bag then gets dropped into the bike case and the bike case gets stored at left luggage for €9 a day.
From there, it’s either straight outside and onto the cycle paths that start outside the Sheraton hotel or onto a train to my starting point.
I did consider leaving the bike in a self-storage place nearby to Sloterdijk railway station (a short, direct hop from Schiphol) instead of keep carrying it back and forth between the UK and the Netherlands. It was marginally more cost-effective to fly the bike since it’s just me, but if you’re considering doing this with a partner or as a family with some regularity, I’d seriously consider renting a small storage area instead as it might turn out more cost-effective.
Helmet?
Yes, I do wear one, but to be honest that’s a non-issue for me and anybody else in the Netherlands. People don’t comment or judge, and I just feel happier that way.
I think there’s quite a bit of social pressure not to wear one since the vast majority of cyclists inside urban areas simply don’t wear one. But it’s simply a majority; people do wear them and I’m just one of them.
That said, I’ve never felt stressed or vulnerable while cycling in the Netherlands. Compare that to my 2 km daily commute in England!
Any other tips?
- Make sure you’re carrying loose change — ferry operators don’t like you trying to pay for a 70 cent crossing with a €50 note! Buy a chocolate bar at the airport or something.
- Make sure you’ve insured your bike (theft, damage) and yourself with travel insurance (injury, sickness, cancellations) — these are two different types of insurances. Also make sure that your travel insurance covers touring (i.e. activities beyond incidental cycling). I use Yellow Jersey for both as they “get” cycling.
