Feets on Fiets
It’s officially Autumn here in Amsterdam- cold, crisp, and a tiny bit wet. The sandals are disappearing and the scarves are coming out.
One of my favorite parts of my morning commute is watching in awe as women weave in and out of the other commuters, pedaling on pointy toed pumps. And I recently realized I had taken quite a lot of heels on wheels photos. So in order to savor the sunshine of summer we are posting a our favorite Feets on Fiets; our new reoccurring seasonal round up!
I hope you enjoy these stylish stilettos and funky socks sneaking out of a suit cuffs as much as we do.
Chic Review: Majem Raincoat
Think back to the last time you cycled to work or anywhere in the rain. If you live in Amsterdam you probably don’t have to think too far back, for you, what was the most dreaded part? For me it’s not the commute itself but the clingy, cold, wet jeans I’m stuck sitting in at my desk for hours after my ride. Until recently I thought the only option was to either accept the wet jeans and be stylish with a traditional raincoat, or go for the function over fashion route by wearing one of those Ikea ponchos and looking like “a potato” as one of my colleagues so nicely pointed out (you know who you are).
Until I found Majem rainwear- where fashion truly meets function.
I first encountered Majem while walking through Modefabriek on a work inspiration trip and this coat caught my eye. I was immediately drawn to it’s unique silhouette and smart style.
It was beautiful, I was intrigued, and after speaking to the owner I was almost sold; but being a product person I needed to give it an “on bike in rain” test ride (or rides) before I could truly make up my mind.
Designed in Amsterdam and made from recycled plastic, Majem was created with the urban commuter in mind. The coat runs long for extra protection on and off your bike I’m 174cm (5’7″), wearing a small, and it hits just below my knee. Whether you are commuting in a suit or jeans, to work or just getting around town, it has you covered.
What makes this jacket unique are the two side zippers that allow for a quick transformation from a raincoat to a stylish poncho depending on the amount of rain protection you need that day.
My favorite part about this coat, aside from the obvious function and style points; I never got overheated or sweaty. The relaxed fit and the fact you can make it into a poncho creates enough airflow that you don’t get as much interior cold, wet of other rainwear garments.
Pros:
- You’re covered from head to toe= dry happy jeans
- Functions as a raincoat & poncho when needed
- Adjustable well-fitting hood w/ good brim (so important!)
- Two secure front hand pockets
- Smart unique design = Fashion + function
- You feel super snazzy wearing one
- Locally designed
- Sustainable material
- No damp cling
- Guaranteed inquisitive compliments when wearing
Cons (that really aren’t cons but help make for a more balanced review):
- Could use a fit adjustment tab at waist
- Currently only available in black and off white (Pink & grey are coming in SS18!)
- Unisex sizes, not necissarily a bad thing just may lead to a roomier fit on some
What more can I say, this coat has won me over.
Traditionally the coats are €135,00. However, Majem is offering an exclusive discount to Amsterdam Cycle Chic readers.
From August 22nd- September 22nd when you enter AMSTERDAMCC at checkout you will receive €25 off, plus free shipping on your purchase at http://www.majem.nl/
Or if you are a local and love an in shop experience Majem jackets can be found at the following retailers:
- They have their own shop on the Molsteeg 8 – Next to Magna Plaza
- VERSE Goodstore on the Prinsengracht
- Pop-up Passage at Central Station officially opening Sept. 7th
In the meantime, be sure to check out their beautiful Instagram @majemdesign and tag us both after your first Majem dry ride! #majem #amsterdamcyclechic
I wont’t sign off hoping for more rain but I will say cheers to more dry rides!
And as Majem says “enjoy the rain”.
Mérida
The freedom of movement
We love the summer!
We dug through our archives to find a gem of a photo (taken by former ACC contributor Aude de Prelle) for a photo contest happening now until November. It’s sponsored by Mucca, the owner of the website Jak and Jil. The theme this year is Girl Power. What better than to enter a photo of young women taking an everyday bike ride?
Our description of the photo was this:
The freedom to move with ease, safety and joy – at any age & any background – is a reflection of a city that recognizes women as an integral part of its social & economic fabric. This photo captures a moment of freedom. We don’t know where they’re going or where they’re from, but we do know that these women are exercising their power & right to move. And the humble bicycle is a tool to get them there.
We know a lot of our followers and readers have their own blogs with fantastic photos of women on bikes – let’s populate this contest with these photos! To enter your photo, check out the Photo Challenge 2017 website. It’s super easy!
Rapha Women’s 100km Ride
At AMS CC we like to celebrate all aspects of on the bike life in Amsterdam- from the old Dutch bike that clanks as it rides, to carting 3 kids, all the groceries and a puppy while making it home for dinner, to urban speed cyclist, and everyone in between. This past Sunday we met up with the women of the Rapha Club House Amsterdam who where headed out on their Women’s 100km ride through Amsterdam.
[Photos by Amsterdam Cycle Chic]
What started in 2013 as a small group of female riders in the UK, has grown exponentially ever year and expanded over 6 continents (Antartica has yet to report in). The best part of Rapha Women’s 100 is it’s not a competition; it’s about connecting a community of women cyclist around the world through a shared adventure and love of the road under two wheels.
According to Rapha’s website over 7,000 women across the globe joined in and rode together on Sunday the 23rd. More than 100 of those women were riding in Amsterdam!
[Photo courtesy of Maaike Steenwijk]
Unfortunately, my little Dutch bike wouldn’t have made it through 100km (yes, Im blaming the bike) so we only have photos of the beginning. Maaike Steenwijk followed the cyclist along the ride and was kind enough to loan us a couple of her photos. Thanks for letting us join the fun!
If you’d like to get involved next year or are looking for local cycling events, drop by the AmsterdamRapha Club House on Wolvenstraat 10 and be sure to check out A.S.C. Olympia – the oldest cycling association in the Netherlands.
Cycle Chic Spotlight: New Team Member Mérida
Where are you from and why did you move to Amsterdam?
Im originally from the East Coast of the US and my family lives in the middle-of-no-where Mexico. For the past 5 years I was living and working in Baltimore, MD at Under Armour as an Apparel Concept Designer. This January I relocated to the European HQ in Amsterdam and have no plans of looking back. I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of the world and I can finally say ‘I’m home’.
What do you love about cycling in Amsterdam?
This is going to sound so cliche but literally, everyday I see or experience something that makes me smile, I truly can’t get enough of this city. I love the intimacy that cycling gives; you’re at life level with everything and as you whizz by you get just enough of a glimpse to see into someone’s story- Or just enough to create a new one in your head.
I also love seeing the city’s style up close. I’m constant in awe of the women who are flying past me in the morning rocking 5″ heels, meanwhile I have to concentrate to keep my boots on the pedals. Amsterdam is so effortlessly chic and cycling never seems to get in the way of someones outfit; just enhances it.
What is your bike like?
She’s just a classic, used, back pedal bike. It says “Roady” in some peeling off letters on the frame but I’m not a brand name kind of girl, I chose this one for the color. I love adding little bits of pop; I was secretly thrilled when my original bell, just a plain silver one died because that meant I got to buy this new minty fresh one! I just found this new bike paint that promises a “no drip, no professional needed” coating, so who knows what color or colors she’ll be by the end of the year.
Is there anything you don’t like about your new no-car life?
Aside from the fear of my wheel involuntary flying off while I’m cycling at great speeds; I haven’t figured out the best cupcake transport system yet. I love to decorate and share cupcakes co-workers and friends, but the Amsterdam roads are not so forgiving. So in the mean time I’ve started the #BikeNowFrostLater movement. If anyone has any possible op de fiets solutions- please send them my way!
Why did you want to join the Amsterdam Cycle Chic team?
I love how engrained biking is in the city, from toddlers learning on the balance bikes- to the guy doing wheelies under the Rijks Museum Tunnel, everyone is equal when in the bike lanes. And there is something so magical about the morning commuter rush, like a flock of swallows, each an independent being but the flow never falters. I want the opportunity to share those moments with the rest of the world.
From a professional standpoint part of my job is sending street recaps of things I’m seeing in Amsterdam and other travels back to our US based design teams. I’m already cycling about admiring the city’s finest and freshest, sneaking photos of anything that catches my eye. I’m known for leaving a friend mid sentence to chase someone/ something down the street snapping away, trying not to crash my own bike.
Welcome Mérida!
Pictures of Mérida by Lily.
Flowers & Fiets
Aalsmeer Flower Festival Bike Tour
June 17-18, 2017
We lucked out for our first Aalsmeer Flower Festival bike ride and the weather was stunning. With 6 large event stops, the self guided tour wound through the charming city and unless you got as lost as many times as we did, was 26km in total.
Each venue offered a unique experience, ranging from, making your own flower jewelry, listening to live music under a lily covered cabana, to joining a bouquet building workshop at the International Floral Design School. There truly was a little something for everyone, including a pancake truck if you got peckish (I did mention it was 26km right?).
If you missed the festival this year, I highly recommend taking a day trip to bike through Aalsmeer. The neighborhoods are quiet and beautiful, flanked by fields and greenhouses.
Aalsmeer can be reached by bike from Amsterdam with a nice ride through Amsterdam Bos or you can hop on the train, just remember your bike needs a ticket too!
Keep a look out for next year’s event which will be June 16th-17th, 2018.
Along the way you were greeted by other bloemen enthused bikers denoted by the floral chain that was given at the start of your ride.
One of the ten new Art Boxes (utility lockers) hand painted by local artist, scattered throughout the tour.
For other great day trips by bike be sure to check here and here.
(Do you have favorite summer day trips? Tell us in the comments and we’ll add it to the list!)
Summer cycling in Barcelona
With grey skies looming over Amsterdam, my mind easily drifts back to sun soaked Barcelona where I recently spent a weekend sipping sangria at the beach, eating tapas and of course, exploring the unique culture and architecture on offer. While not traditionally associated with urban cycling, the popularity and infrastructure for bicycles was evident everywhere in this Spanish city.
In the last decade, Barcelona has seen a significant jump in riders with the city’s recent investment in new infrastructure such as bike lanes and traffic lights. Accustomed to Amsterdam’s bicycle-friendly layout, I was happy to notice all the chic people on bikes – and riding on some nice bike paths.
From fixies to mountain bikes and even Dutch cargo bikes, cyclists filled the busy boulevards, city squares, parks and quiet streets. Here’s a peak at the eclectic mix of cycle chic-sters in Barcelona…
As a daily cyclist myself, I was keen to try out Barcelona’s bike share program Bicing. While deemed as shared public transport and highly popular, it’s only available for locals with an annual subscription. So, instead of taking a spin on two wheels, I instead had the pleasure of snapping photos of cyclists as they whizzed by. I spotted plenty cyclists of all ages commuting along the city center’s tens of kilometers of cycling paths.
Looking for more? Check out the Barcelona Cycle Chic blog!
In the Spotlight: Prof. Ruth Oldenzi & The best summer read “Cycling Cities”
We were lucky enough to take a ride and have a coffee with esteemed Professor, lecturer, and researcher Ruth Oldenziel, co-author of the latest and greatest book “Cycling Cities: The European Experience.” It’s 200 pages are carefully researched and thoughtfully describe how cycling came to be (or not so much) in several European cities – with Dutch cities as a backbone story of cycling decline, automobility, then incremental change towards what are now urban cycling “success stories.” Of course every city has its own story, culture, and responses to change, and this work delves into those stories from 14 cities in 9 countries. From Budapest’s bicycling revival to Manchester’s “standstill”; Lyon’s corporate enterprise to innovations in Malmö – we can read about diverse trajectories in urban cycling but all with the same goal: to get more people on bikes. Ruth tells us more…
ACC: What made you want to write this book?
RO: I was in NYC in 2009 – the year that marked the 400-year anniversary between New York and Amsterdam. I was going to give a speech and then take a group ride down the Hudson. I rode up to the venue on my Batavus granny bike with high heels and they just looked at me like, what are you thinking? Everyone was wearing Lycra and riding fancy bikes with helmets. I didn’t have any of that stuff, so they didn’t let me go on the ride! I was shocked. But what was interesting was that we were both shocked – at each other’s cycling cultures. I couldn’t explain it to them; I couldn’t explain why I was on this type of bike and why it was ok that I was wearing everyday clothes and high-heels while biking. I couldn’t explain Dutch culture around cycling. That was when the first thoughts about this book started.
ACC: Are there other books like this?
RO: Not really, no. In 1999 a book [by the co-authors] was published in Dutch, called “Fietsverkeer” (or bicycle traffic). And in it was a graph showing cycling levels across several European cities. The graph became quite famous, but because the book was only in Dutch it didn’t take off in the same way. So one of our goals was to translate the book and incorporate the most relevant research in the new book – and update the graph. The other main goal was to create a narrative through lots of images and graphics in order to make is as accessible as possible to everyone – policymakers, advocates, the everyday reader.
ACC: What surprised you most during the research for this book?
RO: When we looked at the cycling data – the numbers – it varied so much. Especially within the Netherlands. Variety suggests that the Dutch are not special people when it comes to cycling – really, it was just a perfect storm of events that lead to this “success story” – if you can call it that. Factors like the car coming a bit later, mediocre public transport systems, the oil crisis, and the social movements of the 70s – all these events came together and created a perfect storm for cycling.
ACC: Is there another city’s story that sticks out in your mind?
RO: Basel is an interesting case. The percentage of trips by bike hasn’t changed in decades. Everything is done so well there – the highways are pristine, the historic city centre is car-free and walking is a high priority, public transit is flawless, efficient and affordable, and bicycle infrastructure is also good. All these modes compete, so one is not really better than another. That makes it difficult for the city to push forward the bicycle share. Biking there is nice, but no where near as fun as in Amsterdam.
ACC: What’s your favourite thing about cycling in Amsterdam?
RO: I love the Weesperzijde (where we are now). Not only have I lived here a long time – I was born and raised in Amsterdam – but I love that this street has no cycling infrastructure and yet it’s a preferred route to and from the city centre. And of course it is – look around, it’s just beautiful.
ACC: Tell me about this bike of yours.
RO: I’ve always had 2nd-hand bikes, but this is my lucky bike. I’m a klutz with bike keys, always losing them. I can’t even tell you how many bike keys I’ve lost – it’s pathetic. I’ve had this bike for six years and never lost the keys!
Thanks Ruth!
For more information and to purchase her book, see the website: www.cyclingcities.info
4 reasons we love Copenhagen
I always love a trip to the other cycling capital of the world – Copenhagen. While leading a urban cycling study tour, I was able to spend 10 days in the city, exploring many new streets, restaurants, and bike bridges. But there’s never enough time, right?
I noticed many differences between the Dutch and Danish bike culture. For example, the Danes, it seems, tend to take care of their bikes – I don’t think I ever saw one rusty old bike with barely any air in the tires. The bikes in Copenhagen are clean, shiny, and well-maintained. The Danes also ride much faster than the Dutch. Biking in this city means business – a serious trek from A to B. No messing around and no chit chat. There were even signs all over the city saying “Keep to the right and look over your shoulder if you want to overtake.” Wow! Yes, sir. Nevertheless, it’s still great fun to cycle in this city. Here’s our top 4 reasons we love Copenhagen.
1) The city is a magnet for gorgeous people. Seriously, gorgeous people. With impeccable style. People-watching is taken to a whole new level here. Anywhere you go, at any time of day, people take care to look effortlessly stunning. It’s like, “Oh this rag? I just woke up and grabbed the first thing I could. It’s nothing, really.”
2)
2)Food is incredible. The Danes know how to eat well. Every meal I had was designed with such care and attention to detail. Fresh fish, heirloom vegetables, perfect sauces, poached asparagus – all was delicious. Favourite restaurants included: Vespa, Madklubben, Marv og Ben, any vendor at the Torvehallerne or Copenhagen Street Food, and Nose to Tail. 
3) It always seems to be sunny. Every day was beautiful with blue skies and warm weather. People were swimming in the harbour and sunbathing in parks. Glorious!
4) Danish details. I love biking in this city for all the little details, like angled trash cans and foot rests for cyclists. The lovely Cycle Snake bridge that seamlessly flows through the urban fabric. How nice and civilised! They don’t call it Danish Design for nothing.
Top 5 things to look forward to in 2016
Best wishes for 2016!
2015 was a great year. As an ode to all the fantastic shots our team captured in 2015 and all our loyal followers, we’ve put together a short list of the top 5 things to look forward to this year in Amsterdam – doubled up with our most popular blog and Instagram posts of 2015.
1. Several days (at least) of non-stop sun sometime between March 23 and September 17. Otherwise, don’t forget to smile while you squint and bear the rainy weather.
2. Doubling up with a lover (or a stranger). The best part about getting around in this city is pairing up – on one bike is cozy, but side-by-side works just as well. Our cyclists of the month from February love doubling!
3. Wearing black, preferably a leather jacket as well. 
4. Spotting adorable children and their (stylish) mamas. This black and white made waves on Facebook and Instagram. And photos of our own Aude (who now has two little ones) was the most-seen post of the year!
5. Discovering a new favorite corner in this fantastic city. By bike, of course! Maybe a new cafe or a nice view – where ever it is, let it be all yours.
A huge thanks to all our readers and followers this year! We are grateful for your loyalty and we wouldn’t still be around if it wasn’t for you. From all of us at Amsterdam Cycle Chic, happy new year!
Instagram top 10 August
Check out Amsterdam Cycle Chic’s top 10 Instagram pics of August.
1. Rushing to see SAIL
2. Sister in town 🙂
3. Park, walk, catch a train
4. Ladies on bikes
5. My Little Patisserue
6. Cute cargo bike
7. Cycling to the Gay Pride
8. Amalia, Dutch crown princess, on her first school day
9. Colourful girl
10. Ice cream moment
Instamonth
Are you already following us on Instagram? You should, if you want to learn more about Amsterdam’s cycling culture and enjoy the diversity of cyclists and bikes in Amsterdam’s streets. Every month we will post the most liked Instagram shots here on our blog.
Paris sweetness in De Pijp
“In Paris, people care a lot about the quality of food. In Amsterdam the price or quantity of food is sometimes more important. But it seems to be changing. Amsterdammers care more and more about good ingredients and are happy to pay a bit more for high quality food or drinks. That’s why I opened my patisserie here last year. I want to introduce Amsterdammers to the art of French pastry making. ” Parisian Audrey Krief is the owner of ‘My Little Patisserie’ in De Pijp. ‘My Little Patisserie’ is a small café with the best éclairs I have ever tasted. Audrey learned to make patisserie in the French capital and now cycles every day on her VanMoof bike to her own cafe to make these little delights for Dutchies. We asked her to be our Cyclist of the Month.
Paris in Amsterdam
When you enter My Little Patisserie, you feel like being in Paris. French magazines, a map of Paris on the wall and often you hear people speaking French. Audrey: “It’s nice how many customers start speaking French to me. Almost all Dutch people learned it at high school and here in this little French place, they like to practice. Often my conversations go from French to English to Dutch without us even noticing that we spoke so many different languages.”
Patisserie
“I started my career in the movie industry. I worked for 4 years in Australia and New Zealand. When I came back to Paris, I wanted to learn something new. I wanted to make something instead of sitting behind my computer.” That’s why Audrey decided to learn the art of patisserie making at the Ecole de Boulangerie et de Pâtisserie de Paris. After that she worked in a famous Parisian patisserie. “It had always been my dream to start my own business. This dream came true last December, when I opened this place in De Pijp.”
Amsterdam vs. Paris
“I love living in Amsterdam. Amsterdammers are more relaxed than Parisians. I think cycling really contributes to this relaxed lifestyle. In Paris you see people during their long commutes sitting unhappy in full metros or buses. In Amsterdam people spend their energy on cycling instead of on being frustrated or angry. The smaller size of the city and the more relaxed atmosphere makes the quality of life in Amsterdam higher than in Paris. I do miss the great shopping in Paris. Clothes, food, patisserie, there is so much choice there!” 
Thank you Audrey for bringing this sweet part of French cuisine to Amsterdam. Eating an éclair au chocolat or choux vanille fraise et rose once in a while, definitely makes the quality of life in our city even better!
- Visit the website of My Little Patisserie
- Audrey is looking for a barista to help her on Sundays. Send her an email if you’re interested: audrey[at]mylittlepatisserie.nl
- Want to learn how to make real French eclairs? Audrey starts with workshops in September. Contact her for more information.
Ice cream
One way or the other – ice cream in a cone or on a stick – who can resist an ice cream in summer time..?
by Aude
Amsterdam tip #36
Whats the first thing you should do when you’re invited into a canal house in Amsterdam? Especially one on the third floor?
Run to the window and admire the view! First the gables. Then the rooftops and roof gardens. And then the street below. (Then obsessively take photos of people biking by.)
Instamonth: July’s top 10 Instagram pics
Check out Amsterdam Cycle Chic’s top 10 Instagram pics of July.
1. Tutu skirt cycling
2. Another bike going for a walk
3. Saturday night on Dam square
4. Summer hat
5. Chatting on a cold summer day
6. Let the sun shine
7. A bicycle windmill
8. Walking home along the Amstel
9. Cycling in the countryside
10. Cyclists of the month: Pancake and ice cream makers
Instamonth
Are you already following us on Instagram? You should, if you want to learn more about Amsterdam’s cycling culture and enjoy the diversity of cyclists and bikes in Amsterdam’s streets. Every month we will post the most liked Instagram shots here on our blog.
Snuggle up for sunset
Grab your bike and your love and head out to your favorite vista for tonight’s sunset. It’s bound to be a good one.
[insert Dutch windmills and bicycles here]
It’s Summertime here so we all like to go on an adventure when it’s warm. Kinderdijk is a gorgeous picture-postcard place to visit just 1.5hours from Amsterdam and it’s bike heaven! Flat terrain, windmils, canals, green grass and fresh air..ahh! So go grab a bike and head out on an adventure..fingers crossed you’ll have the wind at your back!
By Mel
Wedges vs Flip flop
by Aude
Flip flop for the driver, wedges for the passenger. Logic you would think. Maybe but I promise the opposite is also possible! In this case full confidence as you can see her hand in pocket, just chilling on the bike luggage rack
TGI Thursday!
The saying goes TGIF, but I’m saying thank goodness it’s Thursday! What a gorgeous afternoon we had here in Amsterdam. I spent some time on the sunny terrace of the Eye. Might even got sunburned! But I love the ferry on sunny days. Where were you?
Hopefully the sun keeps up this magical work til Monday — the nations best holiday — King’s Day!
Sunny days make me feel good
Finally the first real spring days! And what do you do? Ride to your local park and chill out. At the Sarphati Park, in De Pijp, you could barely see the grass. Bikes and people everywhere. Oh ya.
Happy New Year!
Oh what a year!
We would like to thank all of our followers and fellow cyclists around the world and wish you all a wonderful 2015!
Sarphatistraat
by Aude
Sarphatistraat is one of Amsterdam’s main streets. Even if the city is known for all its narrow streets, canals and bridges, some streets are wide and full of trees like in other European capitals. Do you recognize which part is is?
Skies out, thighs out (part deux)
When the sun is shining like this, it’s time to dig out those shorts (again) and wear some sunny yellow shoes to match the lovely weather!
How to cycle chic, California style
Wear a Lakers jersey! Kobe Bryant’s no less. These types of things are not often spotted here on the streets (do people play basketball here?). But in gorgeous LA weather like this, go for it right?! This chick rocks it.
Amsterdam Cycle Chic 