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
Cycle Chic Spotlight: Ingrid, author ‘Hotel Kids Only’
“There are more and more tourists in Amsterdam. And what I see quite often is that the kids of tourists are playing on an IPad or checking their phones, or they are simply bored when waiting in a restaurant. That’s why Charlotte and I decided to make the book ‘Hotel Kids Only’. With this book we want to activate the creativity of kids and at the same time ‘teach’ them something about Amsterdam. It is the perfect book for young children who visit Amsterdam for a holiday, for the kids of expats and as a nice souvenir to bring home after an Amsterdam visit.”
Hotel Kids Only
The book ‘Hotel Kids Only’ is filled with fun things for kids to do; Game of the Goose along Amsterdam’s canals, a colouring picture of Rembrandt’s famous Night Watch, a map of the city for kids, amongst many other things. It is the perfect way for children to spend hours in their hotel rooms, on the plane to Amsterdam or waiting in restaurants or cafes. Ingrid: “Of course there are many bikes in the book too; there is a game where you have to count all the bicycles, there are bikes in the memory game, and in the ‘Game of the Goose’ you miss a turn when you stand on the ‘bike fell in the canal’ field.”
Ingrid the designer
Ingrid Robers (ingridrobers.com) is an illustrator and designer, she does a lot of illustrations for children. Ingrid: “I had not always planned to do so many children’s illustrations. I don’t have kids, I like kids just as I like other people, but I like the creative and pure mind they have. When I make illustrations for children I always think of my own childhood. What did I like when I was a kid? When making this book I also looked at the city imagining I were still a child. What would draw my attention?” The other author of the book ‘Hotel Kids Only’ is Charlotte Borggreve, she founded the well-known ‘Kinderkookkafé’ (restaurant where children cook), and together they wrote another book ‘Kookologie’ (a playful cookery book for kids).
Amsterdam city centre
Ingrid lives in the city centre of Amsterdam, just a 5 minute walk from the Central Station, in a ‘red light alley’ near Spuistraat. “I live in this apartment for almost 17 years and I love the neighbourhood. Even though the area is becoming more and more touristic, it still has a local feel. I actually became friends with quite a few neighbours. When the weather is nice we take chairs out and sit in front of our houses with a glass of wine. One neighbour lives on a typical Amsterdam house boat, that is also a great spot to hang out in summer. The ladies who work in the red light district are my next door neighbours. Most of them work in this alley for many years. So in these past 17 years, I really got to know them.”
Ingrid’s Amsterdam tips
Ingrid does most of her grocery shopping at the many markets in de Jordaan (the Lindengracht, the Noordermarkt and the Westerstraat). Another area she likes is the Zeedijk (Amsterdam’s Chinatown) “There are great Thai and Chinese restaurants in that street. My favourite store is the Chinese department store Dun Yong, a three story building full of Chinese food and other products. I love to go there and try food I don’t know. The nice thing is that they have little cards with information about each product.” When Ingrid has meetings for work she mostly goes to café Kobalt, where they have nice coffees and a relaxed atmosphere. Her favourite bar in the area is ‘Café In de Wildeman’: “It is a typical brown café with many different beers. There is a nice mix of locals and tourists and always when I go there I end up talking to new people or neighbours, it is a place I even go alone, because there is always someone to chat to.”
- There is a Dutch and an English version of Hotel Kids Only
- Hotel Kids Only is published by Uitgeverij Rubinstein
Winter wonder blur
I caught these Amsterdammers going though the Rijksmuseum bike path, enjoying today’s sunny chill and riding fast through the tunnel. So many people out and about on their bikes today. Babies, bakfiets, lovers, and friends — I love that no matter the weather, we keep on peddling.
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!
I (don’t) want to ride my bicycle..
Sometimes you just wanna hitch a ride with your Dad. Best view in town!
By Mel
Cycling for all ages
In the Netherlands almost everyone cycles. Around 85% of the people owns a bike. Women cycle a bit more often than men and young people between 12 and 18 years old go for a few more rides than the rest. But the differences are small. See below a graph I found on the website of the Fietsersbond, the Dutch Cyclists’ Union, about the amount of bike rides people make per day, per age group.
bike rides per person per day
Cycling gives you independence, you can go wherever you want, when you want and by yourself. This is important for everyone but especially for kids and for elderly. Besides being independent, by cycling they stay active and healthy. I think all around the world people should be able to cycle safely through their cities, no matter what your age is! It makes life so much happier….
Your first bicycle
Can’t start young enough, right? These young children are hard to keep up with. Did you know a run bicycle like these supports the development of a child’s balance, motor skills and self-confidence?
This post is by our guestblogger Nienke Laan. Nienke is an Amsterdam based photographer. She also works as a researcher at the Amsterdam City Council. Doing research about many topics, and one of them… cycling of course!
Busy sunny afternoon
The two-weeks of summer are suddenly over. The rain has returned. But sometimes, suddenly, the sun breaks through the clouds. Then everybody goes outside to enjoy it!
The little girl is a bit sceptical about the sudden sunshine and is checking if there really isn’t any rain falling from the sky…
Mums and dads cycling – Cycle Chic Republic
This last Friday of the month, the Cycle Chic Republic collected pictures of mothers and fathers cycling with their kids from all over the world.
Knowledge in youth is wisdom in age
When cycling in Amsterdam, don’t be surprised if you’re overtaken by a little 4-year old speedster on her little pink (or his little blue) bike.
It sometimes looks like Amsterdam toddlers learn how to ride a bike, before they have even taken their first proper step.
To the supermarket, through the Vondelpark, to daycare, just like their parents, today’s youth loves their bicycles.
As a parent, you should however always take into account the tiny legs, small lungs and short concentration span of your child, which together cause some cycling tours with your youngster to end in a public transport ride or a long walk home.
Amsterdam Cycle Chic 