Cycling in the Netherlands - advice

[honesty]

In a few weeks time we're going ona family holiday to Hof van Saksen near Groningen. I thought I'd stick my bike in the car and get some early morning longer rides in when I had the chance.

So what do I need to know about cycling in the Netherlands? Are lights required? Bell? Reflectors? What road signs are important?

Most importantly, anyone know the area and where to go for a decent morning coffee and cake?

[Toffee]

Cycling in Holland is very easy.

The one thing I would say is get a bell. Very useful for overtaking on the cycle paths.

[Heltor Chasca]

Get a local map with all the knopppunten listed. Before you know it, you will be miles down the road supping on coffee. You'll be surprised how far you'll get in a morning. Especially on your super powered tourer [emoji6]

[Vorpal]

Groningen is lovely for cycling. For coffee and cake, I can recommend: P.S. koffie, thee & taart

I don't think they open before 10:00. Most places there don't, unless you use roadside services or a truck stop type place.

If it were me, I'd just go where I fancied and find someplace spontaneously. Do get a map, though. Most places, cycle paths are well signposted, but they tend to be sign posted for the centre, or the next town / district, and aren't all that good for wayfinding within a town.

edit: Another possibility: http://folkingestraat.nl/lunchroom-annas/

Their cakes weren't quite as good, but the atmosphere was friendly, and they open early.

[Heltor Chasca]

Vorpal you appreciate cake almost as much as me [emoji6]

[honesty]

Im looking at getting the Falk maps for the area. Seem I need 2 to cover both sides of Drenthe.

Quick google of laws seems to say I need a bell and lights/reflectors in the dark. Anything else?

[Heltor Chasca]

Exemptions I think for foreigners like us, but good you are doing the good thing. A working knowledge of the English language is useful in the Netherlands [emoji6]

A good bike lock. That's one downside to a cycle nation. Bike theft is a not too pretty industry over there.

[cotswolds]

I agree with the above and can add the following:

Use cycle facilities where they are provided (which is pretty well everywhere). Drivers respect cyclists but don't like them in their road space when they don't need to be. (It may be the law that you must use the cycle facility, can't remember for sure.)

If a cycle path runs by a main road, the cycle path will mostly have priority over turning traffic (except for quite major junctions). When you start riding, take a moment to understand the markings. Drivers will completely respect your right of way, but will expect you to ride confidently through and judge their speed to pass safely behind you. If you slow down and hesitate, it causes confusion. Example junction marking where cycling has priority: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.9692947,4.14856,3a,60y,21.93h,67.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2UG2ai4T1bOjSujGTrfDNg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Factor the wind into planning your day.

[nirakaro]

A working knowledge of the English language is useful in the Netherlands.

That's the one thing that winds me up about the Netherlands - most people speak better English than I do!

[reohn2]

Honesty
You're about to get spoiled when cycle in the Netherlands,you'll see what cycling infrastructure is like in a progressive European country,have fun

[andrew_s]

So what do I need to know about cycling in the Netherlands? Are lights required? Bell? Reflectors? What road signs are important?

As a foreigner, Dutch regulations don't apply, so you need to have a working brake, a white front light, a red rear light, a rear reflector, and a bell (a horn is no good).

The blue circle with a bike on means compulsory cycle track. It will take a little time to get used to where to look for cycle tracks - eg if you approach from a side road and there's a 2-way cycle track on the other side, separated by a line of bushes.
The other useful sign is "fietsers uitgezonderd" or "uitgezonderd" and a picture of a bike underneath a no entry or one way sign - it means "except bikes", and that it's OK to ignore the restriction. This makes navigating towns much simpler

With the cycle tracks, as a Brit with the necessary dose of self-preservation, it's quite hard to get used to just riding out in front of cars and expecting them to give way like the locals do, such as when there's a track around the outside of a roundabout, crossing the car lanes 5 m or so back from the car lanes

[mjr]

The blue circle with a bike on means compulsory cycle track.

A blue square with a bike on and usually the word "fietspad" beneath means an optional cycle track.

The green-on-white numbers in circles are the junction node / knooppunten navigation system. You can see the numbers on openstreetmap.org cycle layer. Enjoy playing bingo!

Some direction fingerposts have a cap on the pole with a bike symbol, indicating preferred cycling routes, distinct from the signs for motorists.

Some traffic lights have a "WACHT" (WAIT) in a circle of lights below the red light (or sometimes alongside), where the lights go out as they count down to a green cycling light. At some junctions, the count down will accelerate if more cyclists arrive.

With the cycle tracks, as a Brit with the necessary dose of self-preservation, it's quite hard to get used to just riding out in front of cars and expecting them to give way like the locals do, such as when there's a track around the outside of a roundabout, crossing the car lanes 5 m or so back from the car lanes

Take care - I think this only applies where the triangles are along the edge of the cycle track, pointing at the cars. Where the triangles are across the cycle track pointing at you, then you are intended to give way - but many motorists will let you cross anyway.

As in this country, the fastest routes are generally the ones which minimise junctions with motorists, not always the signposted routes.

[honesty]

Good info. Thanks!

Falk map turned up today as well. Very nice and has the cycle numbers marked on it. I'm also downloading a routable version of the OSM onto my garmin so I hopefully shouldn't get lost...

[Tangled Metal]

A working knowledge of the English language is useful in the Netherlands.

That's the one thing that winds me up about the Netherlands - most people speak better English than I do!

Once you get up to Noord Holland near Den Helder on the dunes German is possibly their second language. We had an issue being understood until one of our group spoke German. Probably understandable if you considered 4 out of 5 car numberplates were German in one town.