Well, its my last night in amsterdam - but I think I'll be taking it easy tonight. I plan on getting up early tomorrow and laying rubber to the road, heading south for Belgium. Even cutting corners at pretty much every oportunity I still spent way too much money in this city, but its been a good introduction to Europe generally, and the culture-shock just makes me sort of shake my head rather than interferes with me actually doing anything.
One of my longest standing friends came into town last night and we drank a crate of Grolsh together and wandered the city, smoked a joint or two (hey now, with your oldest friend in Amsterdam, it would be wrong not to!) and I sent him off on the train this afternoon. I'm feeling restless and ready to ride, and now nothing is holding from rolling anymore. I'm going to try and get in touch with the Rat Patrol chopper-bike club in Gent, Belgium, and perhaps I'll have more luck there getting in touch with the freakbikers than here (probably could have been done with a few more days here I think).
I still havent found somewhere that will let me upload photos, but you'll see them as soon as i do..
I guess that's about it for now- more to come from the road!
-simon
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Kracken Amsterdam
Day three here, a lot has changed.
Intending to stay in town until at least the 30th (my friend Ian is coming here on the 29th, and I want to chill with him in a crazy foreign city), I was beginning to worry about accomodations - hostels run around $40 cdn per night, which is pretty much my budget for an entire day. Couchsurfing.com was not turning up anything, and I am super paranoid about leaving my bike anywhere out of sight with the panniers on it, pretty much limiting my mobility (can't very well take it into public bathrooms now, can I?).
That was, until I cracked the Kracks. Krack is dutch for Squat - they have a vibrant squat community here with roots back to the late 1970s, when activists fed up with the lack of housing began to occupy empty buildings. The tradition has carried on since then, and while the police conduct 'eviction waves' to clear squats that have lost their court cases, there is a resilliant base of squatters who continue to occupy buildings all over town. They are a tight knit community, and tend to be politically active in a variety of other ways as well.
I found out where one of the squatter hangouts was - the Voku Molli (means people's kitchen) where they host a thursday night vegan dinner for 2euros, showed up, and made the push to get over my fear of the unknown. Started talking to the kids who were showing up, and soon enough had befriended a couple. I happened to have bike tools with me and helped a guy named Bart fix up a bike he had salvaged from the street. Next thing you know we've got my map out and they are pinpointing squats around town, good places to hang out (squat bars, where most of the community congregates to hang out and drink cheap beer), his girlfriend has my notepad and is writing down contact info for squatters in Barcelona. It's not too long before I am offered a place to stay for the night. So now I'm crashing in a third floor, street facing room of a squatted building with some ultra friendly dutch kids - apparently the invite is open for a little while at least (and perhaps as long as I need?). While there seems to be no 'bike culture'in the sense we know (bikes being so dominant here, the concept seems a little meaningless) there is radical culture, and the way the squatters interact reminds me a lot of our community. I've Kracked a local scene, plugged myself in, and am feeling as good about it as I was bad about being a lame-ass tourist stuck in hosteltown. I've also been invited out to another squat bar tonight, and was given the lowdown on another people's kitchen this evening so I wont have to break the bank to eat.
What else to say about Amsterdam? Pictures are worth a thousand words - but they're all stuck on my camera right now. I had the good fortune to get hooked up with internet at the university (through Jeroen, one of the kids I met last night), but was too stupid to bring my USB cable with me, and am unlikely to find a connection this good again for a little while, so they might have to wait. Lots of good stuff though, including mad-packed bike racks, the very few stylin bikes I've seen (I'll say this - while Amsterdam may be the city of bikes, it seems to have taken on the mantle inspite of itself. Bikes are a major part of transportation here, but they are all ugly as hell and in terrible shape - everyone's bike rattles, clanks, and has rust all over the place - people genuinely don't seem to care about them!), student housing built out of shipping containers, and the inside of the squat building I'm crashed at. I have seen ONE fixed gear bike (being ridden by a messenger), and several fakies (singlespeeds with coaster brakes) - these bikes stand out in the sea of rusted out citybikes, and even mountain bikes stand out enough to catch my eye. There is NO BIKE POLO in Amsterdam. I have asked anyone who might have heard about it that I've come in contact with (messenger guy, people in bike shops, the squatters), and I think if it was going on someone would have at least heard about it. Alas, my mallet rests at the ready, perhaps in Paris I'll do better.
That's pretty much where my head is at now - I've landed on my feet and this crazy city doesnt scare me anymore (I was overwhelmed at first, I'll admit).
Things I want to do in the next couple of days:
-Go to at leat one art museum - They have a rembrandt museum here, but I believe there is also a Breugel exhibit at a different museum and I would much rather see that!
-Check out the Amsterdam Velodrome - I stopped in the only bike store I've seen yet with a track bike in it, and asked about velodromes. If I had been here a month earlier they would have had open training sessions in which I could have rented a bike and ridden the track - its all pro for May-September, unfortunately. Still going to try and get out there to watch a couple of races. I also drooled over a really hot orange Rabobank bike jersey in the shop, but at 60 euros (roughly $90), I think its a souvenier out of my price range... we'll see.
-Check out the Chopperdome (Holland's answer to the freak bike madness of Mini Bike Winter in Portland) - Some detective work, going through the dead baby bike club from Seattle and getting passed onto the Choppaderos has given me an address that might help find Mutant bikers in Amsterdam. So far, the only chopper I've seen was parked in front of a squat that I don't know anyone staying at.
-Find a swimming pool. Gotta clean off somewhere, as I'm starting to get a bit ripe. Its HOT here.
-Take a long ride out of town - 40-60 K loop in the surrounding countryside.
Thats about all I can think of for now. Miss you guys lots, and was thinking of you this morning while y'all were Midnight Massing (9 am here). More updates to come, and hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures online soon.
-midnight/on the road
Intending to stay in town until at least the 30th (my friend Ian is coming here on the 29th, and I want to chill with him in a crazy foreign city), I was beginning to worry about accomodations - hostels run around $40 cdn per night, which is pretty much my budget for an entire day. Couchsurfing.com was not turning up anything, and I am super paranoid about leaving my bike anywhere out of sight with the panniers on it, pretty much limiting my mobility (can't very well take it into public bathrooms now, can I?).
That was, until I cracked the Kracks. Krack is dutch for Squat - they have a vibrant squat community here with roots back to the late 1970s, when activists fed up with the lack of housing began to occupy empty buildings. The tradition has carried on since then, and while the police conduct 'eviction waves' to clear squats that have lost their court cases, there is a resilliant base of squatters who continue to occupy buildings all over town. They are a tight knit community, and tend to be politically active in a variety of other ways as well.
I found out where one of the squatter hangouts was - the Voku Molli (means people's kitchen) where they host a thursday night vegan dinner for 2euros, showed up, and made the push to get over my fear of the unknown. Started talking to the kids who were showing up, and soon enough had befriended a couple. I happened to have bike tools with me and helped a guy named Bart fix up a bike he had salvaged from the street. Next thing you know we've got my map out and they are pinpointing squats around town, good places to hang out (squat bars, where most of the community congregates to hang out and drink cheap beer), his girlfriend has my notepad and is writing down contact info for squatters in Barcelona. It's not too long before I am offered a place to stay for the night. So now I'm crashing in a third floor, street facing room of a squatted building with some ultra friendly dutch kids - apparently the invite is open for a little while at least (and perhaps as long as I need?). While there seems to be no 'bike culture'in the sense we know (bikes being so dominant here, the concept seems a little meaningless) there is radical culture, and the way the squatters interact reminds me a lot of our community. I've Kracked a local scene, plugged myself in, and am feeling as good about it as I was bad about being a lame-ass tourist stuck in hosteltown. I've also been invited out to another squat bar tonight, and was given the lowdown on another people's kitchen this evening so I wont have to break the bank to eat.
What else to say about Amsterdam? Pictures are worth a thousand words - but they're all stuck on my camera right now. I had the good fortune to get hooked up with internet at the university (through Jeroen, one of the kids I met last night), but was too stupid to bring my USB cable with me, and am unlikely to find a connection this good again for a little while, so they might have to wait. Lots of good stuff though, including mad-packed bike racks, the very few stylin bikes I've seen (I'll say this - while Amsterdam may be the city of bikes, it seems to have taken on the mantle inspite of itself. Bikes are a major part of transportation here, but they are all ugly as hell and in terrible shape - everyone's bike rattles, clanks, and has rust all over the place - people genuinely don't seem to care about them!), student housing built out of shipping containers, and the inside of the squat building I'm crashed at. I have seen ONE fixed gear bike (being ridden by a messenger), and several fakies (singlespeeds with coaster brakes) - these bikes stand out in the sea of rusted out citybikes, and even mountain bikes stand out enough to catch my eye. There is NO BIKE POLO in Amsterdam. I have asked anyone who might have heard about it that I've come in contact with (messenger guy, people in bike shops, the squatters), and I think if it was going on someone would have at least heard about it. Alas, my mallet rests at the ready, perhaps in Paris I'll do better.
That's pretty much where my head is at now - I've landed on my feet and this crazy city doesnt scare me anymore (I was overwhelmed at first, I'll admit).
Things I want to do in the next couple of days:
-Go to at leat one art museum - They have a rembrandt museum here, but I believe there is also a Breugel exhibit at a different museum and I would much rather see that!
-Check out the Amsterdam Velodrome - I stopped in the only bike store I've seen yet with a track bike in it, and asked about velodromes. If I had been here a month earlier they would have had open training sessions in which I could have rented a bike and ridden the track - its all pro for May-September, unfortunately. Still going to try and get out there to watch a couple of races. I also drooled over a really hot orange Rabobank bike jersey in the shop, but at 60 euros (roughly $90), I think its a souvenier out of my price range... we'll see.
-Check out the Chopperdome (Holland's answer to the freak bike madness of Mini Bike Winter in Portland) - Some detective work, going through the dead baby bike club from Seattle and getting passed onto the Choppaderos has given me an address that might help find Mutant bikers in Amsterdam. So far, the only chopper I've seen was parked in front of a squat that I don't know anyone staying at.
-Find a swimming pool. Gotta clean off somewhere, as I'm starting to get a bit ripe. Its HOT here.
-Take a long ride out of town - 40-60 K loop in the surrounding countryside.
Thats about all I can think of for now. Miss you guys lots, and was thinking of you this morning while y'all were Midnight Massing (9 am here). More updates to come, and hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures online soon.
-midnight/on the road
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The rubber's on the road
I'm Here! An excited hour at the airport reassembling my bike, and the on the open road...
Coming in from the airport, I have my first experience with Dutch bicycle superiority.
Naively, I'd expected the rules of the road to be the same as here - I saddle up my bike (heavy, by the way... already thinking about what I can abandon) and ride out onto the highway. The first car that honks at me doesnt take me by surprise. I'm used to it at home. I'm a road warrior, unflappable. But the next car does. And the next, and the next. What's the deal? aren't these people supposed to be enlightened or something?
Yup. So enlightened infact, that they have entirely seperate roads for bikes, which MUST be used when available. The highway drivers were busy letting me know that I am a freaking idiot. Lesson learned.
Out riding after I find a hostel do ditch my bags (rediculously overpriced - I'm still scrambling to get my hands on some free accomodation) I'm amazed.
Bikes everywhere, EVERYWHERE. Most people seem to have more beat up versions of those Jorg and Oliff 'city bikes' they're always trying to sell to Yaletowners, though I have seen one or two roadbikes, and talked to a kid with a singlespeed who told me that there are a few courriers riding fixed gears (I've yet to see them). Girls sit on the back of their boyfriends'racks looking casual, or text messaging their friends. No one is wearing helmets. Its an entirely different universe.
Today I'm going to try and get a handle on the squat movement and try and actually meet some Dutch people. The downtown core is swarming with tourists and the red light district and hash bars really seem worth about 5 minutes inspection and not much more. I'll keep y'all posted.
Coming in from the airport, I have my first experience with Dutch bicycle superiority.
Naively, I'd expected the rules of the road to be the same as here - I saddle up my bike (heavy, by the way... already thinking about what I can abandon) and ride out onto the highway. The first car that honks at me doesnt take me by surprise. I'm used to it at home. I'm a road warrior, unflappable. But the next car does. And the next, and the next. What's the deal? aren't these people supposed to be enlightened or something?
Yup. So enlightened infact, that they have entirely seperate roads for bikes, which MUST be used when available. The highway drivers were busy letting me know that I am a freaking idiot. Lesson learned.
Out riding after I find a hostel do ditch my bags (rediculously overpriced - I'm still scrambling to get my hands on some free accomodation) I'm amazed.
Bikes everywhere, EVERYWHERE. Most people seem to have more beat up versions of those Jorg and Oliff 'city bikes' they're always trying to sell to Yaletowners, though I have seen one or two roadbikes, and talked to a kid with a singlespeed who told me that there are a few courriers riding fixed gears (I've yet to see them). Girls sit on the back of their boyfriends'racks looking casual, or text messaging their friends. No one is wearing helmets. Its an entirely different universe.
Today I'm going to try and get a handle on the squat movement and try and actually meet some Dutch people. The downtown core is swarming with tourists and the red light district and hash bars really seem worth about 5 minutes inspection and not much more. I'll keep y'all posted.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Free Stuff!
Well, I'm off in a week and a half and I need to clean house. You could benefit!
As pictured:
-2 Frames - one really nice ralleigh with 531 tubing, but of dubious structural integrity (has been crashed) - good for a chopper project? Or fix it up and try to ride it anyway? (Don't say you weren't warned if it fails and you die!) The other is a French frame of unknown origin
-Several salvageable alloy wheels
-An old Wright leather saddle
-2 minibikes 16" & 18"... one is modded with some pretty sweet home made bullhorns, but needs a new back tire (worn right thru from skidding). Lets keep these little guys in the community.
-some oldschool Cinelli bars
-Tires, 1 new and one in decent condition. Both 700c.
I've also got a bunch of clothes and some random stuff (shoulder bag, beat up but cute and out of date little globe, random other stuff) I'm giving away.
Want some free stuff? Talk to me about coming to get it/ check it out.
Also available, but FOR SALE:
- 1 Xbox. Its in great condition, comes with 4 controllers and quite a few games. 100 bucks, and a steal of a deal
- 1 White Centurion bicycle, 56 cm. Paint is a bit beaten up, but it runs well. Askin 100 bucks
Might be some other stuff here in the near future... keep your eyes on it..
As pictured:
-2 Frames - one really nice ralleigh with 531 tubing, but of dubious structural integrity (has been crashed) - good for a chopper project? Or fix it up and try to ride it anyway? (Don't say you weren't warned if it fails and you die!) The other is a French frame of unknown origin
-Several salvageable alloy wheels
-An old Wright leather saddle
-2 minibikes 16" & 18"... one is modded with some pretty sweet home made bullhorns, but needs a new back tire (worn right thru from skidding). Lets keep these little guys in the community.
-some oldschool Cinelli bars
-Tires, 1 new and one in decent condition. Both 700c.
I've also got a bunch of clothes and some random stuff (shoulder bag, beat up but cute and out of date little globe, random other stuff) I'm giving away.
Want some free stuff? Talk to me about coming to get it/ check it out.
Also available, but FOR SALE:
- 1 Xbox. Its in great condition, comes with 4 controllers and quite a few games. 100 bucks, and a steal of a deal
- 1 White Centurion bicycle, 56 cm. Paint is a bit beaten up, but it runs well. Askin 100 bucks
Might be some other stuff here in the near future... keep your eyes on it..
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Gearing up.
I've got a confession to make.
I've been doing a lot of shopping lately.
I'm not really a shopper - the whole thing makes me kind of edgy, and spending large sums of money tends to make me feel a little ill. Maybe its deep seated issues with consumer culture, or maybe I'm just cheap. The jury's still out on that one.
Anyhow, of late I've been spending loads of time in and out of outdoor and bike shops around town, whittling down my list of things to buy. Its actually been kind of fun.
The other day I picked up a pair of Axiom Typhoon waterproof paniers.
They've now made their way onto Rex's front rack and are full of old textbooks to get me used to pulling that kind of weight around. I guess hanging on to all of those books after grad made sense after all.
In the last few days I've also picked up a thermarest, camelback bladder, tiny little multi-fuel powered camping stove and pot set and some other exciting bits and peices. Its really the first time I've owned a complete camping set - when this trip is over, I'll now have the capacity to skip town at the drop of a hat. Its an idea I find quite appealing.
The most exciting thing I've acquired in the last week, though, has been my accomodations for the comming months. An old friend was kind enough to lend me, on long term loan, a Hennesy Hammock.
These things are pure grade A made in BC ingenuity. Totally waterproof, and functional to set up even in the absence of trees. I'll admit I'm a little nervous at the prospect of living in a hammock for five months... but I'm also kind of stoked on the concept. Time, I suppose will tell.
In the mean time, I'll continue to work my way down the list.
My complete inventory should look a little something like this:
Camping
Sleeping bag
Compression Sack
Tent/ Hammock
Thermarest??
Cammo net for stealth camping?
Ziplock bags & heavy duty plastic bags
Groundsheet
Cooking
Spoon/Fork/Swiss army knife
lightweight potset
Small Camping stove + fuel bottle
Lighter
S&P&Spices
Can Opener? (or just use swiss)
Coffee filters/ pour over
Clothes:
Lycra shorts
Thermal top/bottom
Wool socks/ socks/ 3pr undies
Cycle cap & bandana
Rain jacket/ shoe covers/ H20 proof tights
3 jerseys/tshirts
1 long sleeve shirt?
2 pr. Bike gloves
Shoes
Flip Flops
Zip off pants/shorts
Sunglasses
Personal Effects
Toothbrush/paste/razor
Small journal, pencil
Digicam, batteries, charger
Microfiber chamois for towel
TP
Soap, small bottle shampoo
Sunscreen
Tools/ parts/ riding gear
Chain breaker
Tri-Allen and Tri-Socket
Tire levers & patch kit
Head Lamp
Spare tube x 2
Swiss army knife
Adjustable wrench
Zap straps
spoke wrench + spare spokes
Compression straps for racks
Pump
Lock setup
chainlube
Duct tape
Length of Rope
Water bottles/camelback
If y'all spot anything obvious missing from this list, point that shit out to me, cause I need to know on the sooner than the later!
see you cats on the streets.
/ms
I've been doing a lot of shopping lately.
I'm not really a shopper - the whole thing makes me kind of edgy, and spending large sums of money tends to make me feel a little ill. Maybe its deep seated issues with consumer culture, or maybe I'm just cheap. The jury's still out on that one.
Anyhow, of late I've been spending loads of time in and out of outdoor and bike shops around town, whittling down my list of things to buy. Its actually been kind of fun.
The other day I picked up a pair of Axiom Typhoon waterproof paniers.
They've now made their way onto Rex's front rack and are full of old textbooks to get me used to pulling that kind of weight around. I guess hanging on to all of those books after grad made sense after all.
In the last few days I've also picked up a thermarest, camelback bladder, tiny little multi-fuel powered camping stove and pot set and some other exciting bits and peices. Its really the first time I've owned a complete camping set - when this trip is over, I'll now have the capacity to skip town at the drop of a hat. Its an idea I find quite appealing.
The most exciting thing I've acquired in the last week, though, has been my accomodations for the comming months. An old friend was kind enough to lend me, on long term loan, a Hennesy Hammock.
These things are pure grade A made in BC ingenuity. Totally waterproof, and functional to set up even in the absence of trees. I'll admit I'm a little nervous at the prospect of living in a hammock for five months... but I'm also kind of stoked on the concept. Time, I suppose will tell.
In the mean time, I'll continue to work my way down the list.
My complete inventory should look a little something like this:
Camping
Sleeping bag
Compression Sack
Tent/ Hammock
Thermarest??
Cammo net for stealth camping?
Ziplock bags & heavy duty plastic bags
Groundsheet
Cooking
Spoon/Fork/Swiss army knife
lightweight potset
Small Camping stove + fuel bottle
Lighter
S&P&Spices
Can Opener? (or just use swiss)
Coffee filters/ pour over
Clothes:
Lycra shorts
Thermal top/bottom
Wool socks/ socks/ 3pr undies
Cycle cap & bandana
Rain jacket/ shoe covers/ H20 proof tights
3 jerseys/tshirts
1 long sleeve shirt?
2 pr. Bike gloves
Shoes
Flip Flops
Zip off pants/shorts
Sunglasses
Personal Effects
Toothbrush/paste/razor
Small journal, pencil
Digicam, batteries, charger
Microfiber chamois for towel
TP
Soap, small bottle shampoo
Sunscreen
Tools/ parts/ riding gear
Chain breaker
Tri-Allen and Tri-Socket
Tire levers & patch kit
Head Lamp
Spare tube x 2
Swiss army knife
Adjustable wrench
Zap straps
spoke wrench + spare spokes
Compression straps for racks
Pump
Lock setup
chainlube
Duct tape
Length of Rope
Water bottles/camelback
If y'all spot anything obvious missing from this list, point that shit out to me, cause I need to know on the sooner than the later!
see you cats on the streets.
/ms
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