Search found 2741 matches

by willem jongman
15 Jun 2023, 9:51am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Dutch coast
Replies: 12
Views: 964

Re: Dutch coast

I am Dutch, and I would suggest not to rely on hotels, B&B's etc. This will be peak holiday season, so you have a much better chance to find a place on a campsite - there are many campsites in the Netherlands. See here for the Natuurkampeertreinen website: https://www.natuurkampeerterreinen.nl/?lang=en They are mostly very nice and bicycle friendly, but there are many other campsites. See Archies campsite database for those. Normally making a reservation is not necessary if you arrive by bike, but at this time it may be wise to nevertheless do it.
Please realize that the long dike in the North (the Afsluitdijk) is being renovated and closed for bicycles. But there are busses that take bikes. The scenic alternative would be to take the ferry from Harlingen to the island of Vlieland, and from there the ferry to the island of Texel (https://www.waddenveer.nl/en/) and from there the ferry to Den Helder, the Dutch naval base.
by willem jongman
13 Jun 2023, 9:12pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes
Replies: 77
Views: 7408

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Those are stiff and slow, of course. It is the price you pay for Bombenfest puncture protection.
by willem jongman
12 Jun 2023, 2:07pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes
Replies: 77
Views: 7408

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

That height difference has nothing to do with the rim diameter. Some tyres are simply designed to be tall, and others not so much. Moreover, rim width can also make a difference. Put a given tyre on a wider rim, and the ratio of width to height changes.
by willem jongman
12 Jun 2023, 1:17pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes
Replies: 77
Views: 7408

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Tyre choice is inevitably a compromise, but the parameters have changed over the years, favouring wider tyres. First, there is the social and economic change of increased and faster car traffic on the roads. This has forced us to move to smaller roads with worse surfaces. So we need wider tyres. Second, tyre technology has moved on, allowing increasingly flexible sidewalls, even on wide tyres that in the past needed stiffer sidewalls to cope with the stresses of larger air volumes, unfortunately making them slower. Conversely, these days you can have a wide tyre that is also flexible and hence fast. In fact, on those rough surfaces, wider tyres are not only more comfortable, but also faster.
In my own case, my loaded tourer has 26 inch wheels, and I use either the nominally 55 mm Marathon Almotion, or the almost as wide Compass/Herse Rat Trap Pass. The latter is glorious, but fragile. The Almotion is a nice compromise, but is now sadly discontinued in 26 inch. Fortunately, I bought some stock before they disappeared. My fast 'credit card' tourer has 35mm Panaracer Paselas in the non-puncture protected version. It is fast and comfortable, and in a pinch can handle a mild forest trail, which is enough for this bike.
by willem jongman
15 Apr 2023, 9:55am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Italian Maps Online
Replies: 7
Views: 795

Re: Italian Maps Online

What would the maps be used for? I have found Openstreetmap based Openfietsmap maps perfectly fine for navigating with my Garmin, although the quality of the maps varies a bit between the countries that are covered.
I used the IGM paper maps in the late 1970's for some archeological field work. I was not impressed, but there was nothing better at the time. I would have to ask the colleagues in our team to find out what we are using now for digital base layer. I guess it all depends on purpose and budget.
by willem jongman
13 Apr 2023, 7:08pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Italian Maps Online
Replies: 7
Views: 795

Re: Italian Maps Online

The Istituto Geografico Militare is the Italian equivalent of the Ordnance Survey: https://www.igmi.org/
by willem jongman
6 Apr 2023, 3:30pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Exploring new packing ideas
Replies: 10
Views: 701

Re: Exploring new packing ideas

Sorry, missed that one. I am not sure if this is for intercontinental trips, but admittedly even internal US travel cannot easily avoid flying, at least for now. As for packing: less is more. These days we only have two rear panniers each, plus one tent. Often, I even use small panniers rather than the 2x20 litre Ortliebs.
by willem jongman
6 Apr 2023, 2:46pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Exploring new packing ideas
Replies: 10
Views: 701

Re: Exploring new packing ideas

These days we hardly fly anymore for ecological reasons.
by willem jongman
12 Mar 2023, 2:42pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Bike friendly hotel in Rotterdam.
Replies: 15
Views: 1299

Re: Bike friendly hotel in Rotterdam.

I am not sure what is meant by revolving doors. All trains have spaces for bicycles, although not necessarily enough. You are only allowed to have your bike in one of these special bikes spaces, but they are indicated on the outside of the train. More recent trains have entrances level with the platform, some older trains will require that you lift the bike a bit. Be quick and efficient getting on and off, because the trains only stop for short periods of time. Most stations have elevators.
On weekdays there are restrictions during rush hours, but not for travelers with international tickets. And you need a day ticked for the bike.
by willem jongman
28 Feb 2023, 3:09pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?
Replies: 49
Views: 4277

Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

By the way, there are youth hostels in the Netherlands, but not that many. The organisation is called Stayokay.
by willem jongman
28 Feb 2023, 3:07pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?
Replies: 49
Views: 4277

Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

I guess it is more about yourself than about conditions. I have often worked abroad for longer periods, so I am used to being on my own and it does not normally bother me a great deal.
However, it helps to arrive a bit later, take your time setting up the tent and having a shower. If you cook your own meal that also takes time. Sometimes you are in a field with just small tents, if so there are shared preferences and experiences.
For me the most uncomfortable situation is early or late in the season. Right now in the Netherlands it gets dark and quickly cold as well around 6 pm, so what do you do after that? For this reason my cycle touring is usually on hold until late March, when we get daylight saving time.
by willem jongman
2 Jan 2023, 4:56pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: looking for advice on a tent.
Replies: 32
Views: 2751

Re: looking for advice on a tent.

I fully agree that for UK summers these US style tents are too cold, although here in the Netherlands we have recently had a few summers with some really hot weeks where I would take my US tent.
I know Hilleberg have optional mesh only inner tents, but that is both a very expensive solution, and still not quite as well ventilated as my MSR Zoic, not to mention the wear from UV light.
by willem jongman
2 Jan 2023, 4:49pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: looking for advice on a tent.
Replies: 32
Views: 2751

Re: looking for advice on a tent.

Our Hilleberg and Helsport outer first four season tents are quite uncomfortable in hot weather such as we had this summer in France. Since the sun also ages these expensive tents pretty quickly I decided to get the much cheaper summer tents for more comfort and to postpone expenditure on replacing the Hilleberg. My experience has also persuaded me that using these US style tents in colder wet weather is undesirable. So I would not use them for a summer holiday in the Netherlands or the UK, unless for the kind of summer weather that is becoming more common now. But for summers in for example Italy, absolutely.
by willem jongman
2 Jan 2023, 11:17am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Amsterdam to Madrid?
Replies: 8
Views: 654

Re: Amsterdam to Madrid?

Nice route guides with gps tracks here: https://www.cyclingeurope.nl/ We did a large chunck of the trajectory to Barcelona, and loved it (we did the option across the Massif Central).