Bruges to Amsterdam - what to wear and bring along?

[rebeccaC]

The UNESCO National Heritage Site where all the windmills are is especially beautiful, I forget the name right now.

the Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout ?

I'll second BikeDutchess' recommendation for light rain gear.

Have a great time!!!!

[withm]

the Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout ?

I'll second BikeDutchess' recommendation for light rain gear.

Have a great time!!!!

Yes that's it. And definitely bring rain gear, including pants. I think we wore rain gear for some portion of almost every day. We all brought saddles but I don't think any of us bothered to install them. The hybrids provided were really nice.





Oh, and it's flat, but with flatness comes a price. Very windy!

[PortlandKelly]

I did a tour like this a few year back. I wore nice workout t-shirts, lycra bike shorts and sneakers. To be honest, I wish I had just worn regular street clothes each day (maybe chamois underwear) and mtn bike short on the longest day which was probably in the 35 mile range too. I found that I was never on the bike for a long stretch at a time so the bike shorts were overkill... we were constantly stopping for coffee, explore a market, village, etc. I typically like to try and blend in with the community I'm visiting and not stand out head-to-toe in spandex. Unless I'm on one of those mega bike tours where we are really clocking tons of miles each day!

The other thing I wish I had done differently was to have a lightweight backpack/tote bag. I kept my rain jacket, sunscreen and other daily gear in the panniers they supplied. Most of the time when we'd lock our bikes while exploring, I'd feel comfortable leaving things in the pannier(never my wallet). A tote would have come in handy if I felt I needed to carry more items while off the bike. Guess what I am trying to say is the things I needed during the day were floating freely in the pannier. I wish I had a tote/backpack to carry those things around if need be.

Have a fabulous time! Although I don't even need to say it because it's going to be wonderful!!!!

[esoterrica]

It was a great trip! Most of the group wore jerseys and shorts with chamois, and had full raingear, but I took a different approach and I'm glad I did:
Cycling briefs with small chamois, by Novara but no longer online
Quick-dry pants - Columbia Just Right straight leg pants or Pearl Izumi capris
Quick-drying fitness tees (REI, North Face, Champion by way of Target, nothing special)
Sport bra
Leather Keen shoes w/ toe guard
Baseball-style cap (no helmet)
Usual cycling gear - raincoat and light jacket

I brought some comfy knit dresses, cardigans, and sandals to wear on the boat or walking afterward.

I stood out somewhat but not as much as the spandex crowd. The bikes had waterproof panniers so I also brought along a small purse for my wallet, camera, and phone, and a lightweight tote bag to hold a long-sleeve quick-drying tee, raincoat, light jacket, sunscreen, umbrella, and a bandana for drying saddles and handlebars. PortlandKelly, the tote was very helpful--I always took my purse along when we stopped, and unpacking the bike at the end of the day (and repacking in the morning) was much faster with the tote. It rained every afternoon but never cold enough to warrant rain pants, so I just tossed my raincoat on and waited for everyone else to put on their rain pants...then take off their rain pants...ad nauseum. I also brought along a saddle with a cutout, but didn't use it: I was able to grab a bike with a wider saddle and adjust the angle, and we stopped very frequently so my butt was tired by the end of the trip but never sore. Each day was 20-30 miles.

The whole group rode with the guide (10-12mph), and if there was a long stretch with no pavement I would sprint ahead with the boys, which was fun. I found riding into Antwerp and Ghent a little scary--I am accustomed to riding with traffic and was not unusually concerned about my own safety, but some of the people in the group were inexperienced and I was worried about them. I skipped the last day of riding into Amsterdam (had too much fun the night before, I do NOT recommend being hungover on a boat).

The countryside was beautiful, even in the rain. We did go through the windmill site, which was gorgeous. One of the highlights for me was pulling my sisters for a few miles along the sea--serious winds from the side, it was as hard as hill-climbing and a nice break from toddling along. I also enjoyed the lovely bicycle trails in the Netherlands...it was hard to come back to the US and commute on potholed roads with oblivious drivers, and I miss the delicious chocolate.

The boat was very comfortable, the captain was charming, and the meals served on the boat were delicious--look for the barge Sailing Home if you are interested in your own bike/barge tour!

[BikeDutchess]

So nice that you circled back with your ride report, and great to read that you had such a good time! Sounds like your plans on clothing logistics worked out well.

I'm headed for the Netherlands soon, and can't wait to ride those bike paths again, with the wind whipping through my hear (no helmet, yay!).

[jobob]

Oh that sounded wonderful, thanks for the report!