Ouderkerk aan de Amstel

I purchased my road bike with the intention of exploring the Dutch countryside on the weekends. Six weeks after the purchase, I hadn’t yet taken the bike out of the city, mostly because of travel (a weekend in France), bad weather (rain almost every weekend), and a neck injury that made a riding position very uncomfortable. The weather finally let up this weekend (it was mostly cloudy, but at least dry), and my neck has improved to the point that I can spend long periods of time on the bike. So, around 5pm on Sunday, I grabbed the bike and took it on a route that my landlord had recommended.

I reached the bank of the Amstel River just outside my apartment, and I was out of the city only a mile later. The noise and congestion of the city was first replaced by parks and quiet restaurants on the outskirts of town, and then by tranquil open fields and farms.

I was surprised by the feeling I experienced during the ride. I think it was an unexpected relief to be out of the compact, urban city – to have a long stretch of road to myself, and to see a mile in front of me. It may have also been the feeling of cycling as quickly as I wanted, and having full leg extension on the bike. It may have been some comfort at seeing the types of houses that I grew up with – the “horse property” type houses of Gilbert and Chandler, Arizona. And, of course, everything was quite beautiful.

I continued for about ten miles with the river to my left the entire time. The right side of the road was occasionally lined with nice, large suburban houses with flower gardens and farm animals, but it was mostly bordered by large open fields filled with sheep and cows grazing on grass. Many cyclists passed me (men on their “good” road bikes and with cycling shoes), and I passed many groups of families and couples taking leisurely rides on their city bikes. Cars slowed down and gave cyclists a wide space when passing.

All in all, a great experience. I’m hopeful that the weather will be similarly pleasant for upcoming weekends, and that I can do some rides to nearby cities, like Utrecht, Alkmaar, Haarlem, and perhaps even Den Haag and Rotterdam.