Fiets Blog Award 2017
We are excited to be recognized by Amsterdam Diary as a contender for the
2017 Fiets Blog Award!
If you have a moment give us a vote and while you’re there check out some of the other great bike blogs they are featuring.
https://amsterdamdiary.com/nl/awards/fiets-blogs-award-2017/
Our 2017 Best Nine via Instagram
Winter Wonderland of Bikes
It’s that frosty time of year again and Amsterdam has been hit with more than a generous dusting of snow! From Friday to Monday, winter’s magic descended upon the city and disrupted travel across the country. Up and onwards, Amsterdammers cycled on, showing that neither rain nor wind nor snow will keep us off our bikes!
Cycle Chic Spotlight – Anoma
Anoma is a working mum and Creative Producer who landed in Amsterdam with her family after living in London and New York. When she isn’t exploring other corners of the globe, you can find her cycling around the city, often with her two silly, adorable kids in tow. I met up with all three of them along the canals to chat about raising a family in our bike-friendly city.
How did you and your family end up Amsterdam? We’ve been here for nearly three years now and time has flown by in such a good way! We have hosted so many of our friends and family from around the world, introducing a lot of them to Amsterdam. My husband, Damian’s work brought us over for a period of time and then we decided to stay for a bit longer. We lived in Brooklyn, NY for many years before this chapter and have a deep-rooted love for New York. Amsterdam has been a healthy and fun place to live.I’m a nature loving city women, so Amsterdam is a great place to live in and raise a family. I don’t compare the cities, as we live different chapters of our lives in different places.
Tell us a bit about your family and how you make the most of Amsterdam’s bike-friendly lifestyle. We love cycling together here! They love it less when it’s raining. Sometimes, we drive and Damian has a motorbike, but my go-to choice is always to cycle first. We never got a bakfiets because I like to take up as least amount of space when moving.
Isa is five years old and she has just conquered learning to ride her own bike. It’s such a prideful moment for her and us! Etienne is eight years old and learned to ride a bicycle quite early on while we were living in Brooklyn. He has a BMX and he wants to do tricks all the time, he also loves skateboarding. The kids enjoy going to the skate park on Olympiaplein. We also have a big dog named Lake, who wants to be out and about with us at all times, but she is a bit slow when running alongside the bike, and I like moving fast.
For us, the kids are a bit too young to cycle alone at this point, but it’s great to see so many children independently cycling to and from school. The bike rules the road and nearly all drivers drive with that in mind.
How does cycling fit into your daily commute as a working mom?
My life in Amsterdam involves the bike, rain or shine (or rain and rain!). I do most everything on my bike and ride super fast from place to place. In the morning, I head to meetings, yoga or my studio to get some computer time in before squeezing in another meeting. As a Creative Director, I share a studio space with a film director in the Jordaan, which is not only centrally located but also a wonderful bike ride! Of course, there are challenges such as trying to look presentable for a client meeting when it’s a 20-minute cycle and dumping down with rain. That can be a bummer, any day.
In the afternoons, I ride quickly to the grocer to grab food and usually end up getting way more than I actually can fit into the bike basket. Then, I head off to school to get the kids and we go park for more wheels and playtime and walk the dog.
Do you have a favorite area to cycle through?
Anywhere at night, when the sky is clear, is stunning! I try to cycle through the Rijksmuseum tunnel as often as possible, as it’s magical! I don’t scream at the tourists, instead, I ding my loud, happy sounding bell, and say, “Look Up” nicely.
How does cycling contribute to your life?
There are moments when I am really grumpy or pissed off about something and then, after seven minutes of riding my bike, I start feeling absolutely happy and energized! Cycling allows me to shake off all the internal negativity, it’s that simple.
Interview and photography by Lily Heaton
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.
Tot ziens Winter!
Amsterdammers are so very happy to see winter behind them. The days are now longer, brighter, and we can wear less clothing. That’s always a good thing!
At Amsterdam Cycle Chic, we are constantly taking photos and we end up blogging or gramming only a handful. So we thought we’d give you a purge of our winter collection. Enjoy!
Why we cycle in the winter?
Here in Amsterdam, it’s getting pretty darn cold. It’s a biting, bitter, wet cold. This is the kind of cold that creeps into every crevice that is exposed and then laughs in your face.
No, there’s no snow on the ground – and it’s not even THAT cold, according to the thermostat (or Northern Scandinavians, for that matter). I’ve read -4C (25F) as the lowest temp recently. But for some reason, and maybe that’s the Californian in me, it just feels cold.
We’ve gotten a few emails recently asking about the cold weather and cycling: “What do Amsterdammers do in the winter?” So, Henri and Maria: this is for you.
It’s a habit.
You see, when you live in Amsterdam, you become so used to your bicycle as your main way of getting around. Your whole life starts to revolve around your bicycle. Your routes become habits. The grocery stores, cafes, shops along your routes become daily destinations. Out of habit (and probably laziness, too). On your daily routes, like to and from the office, you get used to being able to zone out, to think about other things, and to let your mind wander. You know your route that well. It’s that predictable, and dare I say, boring but relaxing at the same time.
You probably even know small, particular details about your route, things that you think only you know. (Like the small patch of uneven pavement that you knowingly swerve around.) You’re so used to it – the route, the swarm of cyclists around you, the mind-wandering thoughts – that you need this time, even if unconsciously. It’s the moments of your day you get to just be, and you even sort of forget that you’re peddling. It’s this critical nothingness in your day, and at the same time maybe the best part of the day, that becomes a deeply ingrained habit.
Next to the ride itself, you are used to your “usual” stops – for groceries, bread, coffee to go, the corner post box. You have different preferred places for different routes and directions. You know where you like to park your bike at these places. You have your favourite part of the bike rack or sidewalk (remember, Dutch bikes have kickstands!) and you park there almost every time. It’s second nature.
So what happens when it gets cold? When it rains? Snows? When the streets are frozen? In extreme conditions like snow or frost, the City ploughs the bike lanes at 3am – before they plough the rest of the street. That happens a handful of times every year. So that’s helpful for safety reasons.
Other options exist – tram, bus, walking, even car – and some do people opt out. (Stats show only a small percentage opt out in the winter.) But for the most part, Amsterdammers are only continuing their time-honoured, ingrained habit: using the bike.
We all know habits are hard to break. So Amsterdammers are no special species when it comes to cycling in the winter. There’s only one thing we do: wear a warm coat. After all, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing.
XOXO
Amsterdam Cycle Chic
Get your self-driving bike today only!
Google Netherlands has finally released it’s much-talked-about self-driving bicycle. “It’s the best invention since the bicycle itself,” says the director of the Dutch bicycle advocacy group, the Fietserbond.
Check it out for yourself:
Still chic in the ’20s
I love seeing old photos and footage from back in the day. The Eye has a great collection of these old films and this one caught my attention.
A little history lesson: this was when about 80% of all trips were made by bike. Now about 60% of all trips are made by bicycle in the city center. Amazing right?
And look at the people. So simply chic with their hats and jackets. Sitting upright on their oh-so-Dutch bikes. Love it.
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!
Double Dutch
If you follow us on Instagram, you might have seen this already. It got so much love on the social media networks that we thought it deserves its own post on the blog.
So, here you go. This is how it’s done.
How to bike in the rain
We don’t need much gear for cycling in the rain – maybe a poncho if you remember to grab it as you rush out the door. Sometimes I see rainpants. Or huge capes.
Umbrellas are pretty common too – again, if you remember it. This little girl has it figured out:
- get comfy in the cargo bike
- shield yourself from the rain with a bright and super cute umbrella
- relax and let mom do all the work
Dappermarkt night
Holiday lights warm up the streets of Oost! Even on a rainy night, these folks are flying along Javastraat on their way home from work, heading out with friends or just running errands.
By Sarah
Cycle Chicstagram October
Check out Amsterdam Cycle Chic’s top 10 Instagram pics of October.
1. Iris on her new bike
2. Colder mornings
3. Doggy morning run
4. Speedy super daddy
5. Lambike ;-P
6. OMG, that is sooo Dutch
7. On the ferry
8. Waiting for a friend
9. Cycling with his daughter’s back pack
10. Deux par deux
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.
Instagram top 10 September
Check out Amsterdam Cycle Chic’s top 10 Instagram pics of September.
1. Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
2. Birthday flowers delivery (AP Bloem)
3. Wedding guests
4. Doggy cycling
5. Super daddy
6. Super mummy
7. Urban racing
8. Little girls will grow up
9. Super green
10. No chance to go incognito
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.
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.)
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.
In the Spotlight: Maud, initiator Cyclehack and bike expert
“Dutch kids are the happiest kids in the world, and our bike friendly culture certainly is one of the reasons for their happiness. That is why my mission is to promote cycling and make sure it stays the preferred mode of transport in the Netherlands.” Maud de Vries is one of the initiators of Cyclehack Amsterdam and a bike culture expert. Cyclehack is a global movement where people get together to address the barriers to cycling and come up with creative solutions. “With Cyclehack we wanted to give Amsterdammers a wake-up call. We Amsterdammers are so used to cycling every day, that we do not always fully appreciate what we have. When I ask an Amsterdammer to look at cycling through the eyes of a tourist, people start talking about what cycling means to them and how it influences lives, here and in other parts of the world.”
Amsterdam is an example of bike friendliness, but still we encounter some barriers. Can you name some of those barriers?
According to the city council the important barriers that need to be addressed are bike parking, bike theft, too crowded cycle lanes and connecting cycling to public transport like the metro and the train. We, as the organisers of Cyclehack, see two other important challenges; innovation and marketing. We want to claim the bike like Scandinavia has claimed fashion. Amsterdam should again be the number one cycling city in the world.”
Cyclehack took place in 40 cities around the world in the weekend of the 20th of June. What are the ideas with the highest potential that came out of Amsterdam’s Cyclehack?
We are already working on putting some ideas into practice: Cycle Space (a space about cycling in the city), LinkLock (a lock attached to a pole that indicates when a bike was parked, to help address the problem of bikes gone a stary), and the ‘bike-back-crate’ (a foldable bike crate that you can take with you on your back) amongst others. But there are many other ideas that came out of Cyclehack that we are talking about with the city council and Dura Vermeer, one of our sponsors.
Beside organising Cyclehack Amsterdam you do a lot more to promote cycling, can you tell us something about your other projects?
I am a creative strategist working mostly on bike to work projects. I address the issue of how to get people on their bikes (and out of the car). I am looking at creative ways to change people’s behaviour. I work a lot on ‘Toury’. Toury is an bike to work app, it is a game that triggers people to get on their bikes. For some people losing weight could be a trigger, other people are triggered by environmental reasons, health reasons or because cycling is very relaxing after a day of work. The app addresses all those different triggers. We work internationally with this app with big companies and organisations.
Why do you love cycling so much?
Cycling gives me a feeling of freedom. It immediately relaxes. I can stop wherever I want, I see things that I don’t see from a car or public transport and it is social, you connect with other people. I just love it!
What bike do you have?
I have a Workcycles FR8. It is a great bike! It is the first bike that I spent quite some money on. I bought it when I had my first child. It is great for short and long distances and I can carry my two kids and the groceries on it. When I arrive home, I ride the bike into my house and put the groceries in my kitchen. I have recommended this bike to many friends and everybody loves it.
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
The conversation
Some people are gifted in the art of conversation. And they excel in it. Nothing would hinder them, not even a trip through the city. When you get them started, you can’t get them stop it. They are great company, unless they are too tall, they could be an obstacle to your driving capacity!
by Aude
Instamonth: April’s top 10 Instagram pictures
Check out Amsterdam Cycle Chic’s top 10 Instagram pics of April.
1. Carrying flowers on back carrier
2. Love on a bike
3. Turning to the right
4. Kings Day: Bikes in Vondelpark
5. Another windy morning
6. Bike crates are soooo cool!
7. Kings Day: Hipsters in the Vondelpark
8. Mums and Babies
9. Kings Day: Vondelpark Flea Market
10. Kings Day: Dinking
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.
Biking the bike
You see a lot of double bikers in town. Sometimes you just need to bring back your spare bike from the other side of town (after one too many drinks..*hiccup*!), or lend a bike to a friend. Let me tell you, it’s not easy to balance! It’s the next on my list of things to master. Holding an umbrella whilst cycling was my last successful feat..whoop!
By Mel
Cycle Chic Spotlight: B&B owners Wieger and Anne Marie
Wieger and Anne Marie love to go out for dinner, visit art galleries, and look for nice boutique hotels or B&B’s for their next city trip. So why not turn their passion into their work? That’s what they did, they started their own B&B in a typical Amsterdam house in the popular neighbourhood De Pijp. It is called Ollies Bed and Breakfast. The breakfast is lovely, they have cool photography in the rooms and they made their own mini-guide of the city so that their guests can enjoy Amsterdam as much as they do.
Food and Art
Wieger and Anne Marie love art. The museum district is only a 5 minute walk from their B&B. Wieger: “The Rijksmuseum is really a must see, both for the art and for the cool designed building. It is amazingly done.” Anne Marie: “But we actually prefer to visit art galleries and especially photography galleries. In weekends we love to walk around de Spiegelkwartier. We always pay a visit to Jaski Art Gallery and the Yellow Korner.” The Spiegelkwartier has been the heart of the art and antiques trade for the past 80 years with over 70 specialised art and antique dealers.
Their other hobby is to go out for dinner. Anne Marie: “We love restaurant Sent just across the street. It is a small and lovely place where they cook with a Green Egg. But we have so many other favourites like Vis aan de Schelde [Close to RAI. “Michelin-star quality food, and a very relaxed atmosphere”], Toscanini in the Jordaan [a very popular Italian place, so make sure to make a reservation], ‘French-bistro-style’ restaurant Rijsel in a side street of the Amstel, fine dining at Fyra just off Vijzelgracht and Bar Americano [along the Amstel, where you can eat Italian food and stay till late at night for drinks at the bar].”
What to do in Amsterdam
Wieger calls himself an Amsterdamophile: “Amsterdam is the best city to live in. The size is perfect, everything is walking distance. And after living here for almost fifteen years, I still enjoy the beauty of the city.” Anne Marie: “There is always something nice to do in Amsterdam; concerts, expositions, new pop-up stores opening and there are many festivals. I am not that much into electronic music festivals but I love food and art festivals like De Rollende Keukens in the Westerpark, the Food Soul Festival and the Affordable Art Fair in Amsterdam-Noord. For shopping I recommend the 9 Straatjes and the Pijp. Just a few minutes’ walk from our B&B you have the Gerard Doustraat. Since a few years a lot of nice stores have opened there. It is becoming very trendy.”
Bikes and Boats
“The best way to see Amsterdam is by bike or boat”, says Wieger. “My favourite cycling spots are the Vondelpark, the old canals and the cycle path under the Rijksmuseum.” Anne Marie: “On sunny days we take a boat, bring some food and drinks, friends and nice music and sail through the canals.” They would both recommend tourists to rent a bike and go through the city like locals do. Wieger: “I think it is recommendable for tourists to plan their cycling trip a bit before they start cycling. Cycling can be quite hectic. But there are nice routes and neighbourhoods like the Jordaan are great to discover by bike.”
Photo: Anne Marie and Wieger celebrating Queens Day on a boat in the Amsterdam canals
Ollie’s Bed and Breakfast
Ollie’s Bed and Breakfast has got three rooms. Anne Marie and Wieger live on the first and second floor and the rooms are on the third and fourth floor of a typical ‘de Pijp’ building with steep stairs in a cosy street. “Working together is going really well. We have a good division of tasks but we also work a lot together,” says Anne Marie. Wieger: “We have the same taste of style and paid a lot of attention to detail when furbishing the room. We would love to have guests over who share our taste for interior design and our love for photography.”
Amsterdam Cycle Chic 