Magictofu

I said extreme right... as in white supremacist (nothing against my center-right friends here).

As for left racists, I can hardly see someone preaching that everybody is equal (and should be no matter what) being racist in the same way... But then, I know a lot of people who consider themselves to be on the left but then fall in 'reverse racism' and despise their own 'race' or ethnic origin.

Sorry, I really didn't want to offend anyone here and I certainly not want to discuss that kind of politics... my teenages are over.

Cheers

Kestrelman

I lived there for 2 years - brought my own bike over. Rode lots of the Dutch bikes, too. They're good for commuters, but not for doing any touring. If you're spending a summer, bring your own bike. You won't regret it. Don't bring a lock though - you won't need it because you will not leave it locked out side or out of your sight at any time, at least not in Amsterdam.

Lots of places to tour - try the ride to Haarlem & Zandforrt. Also the villages along the Durkerdam (sp.).

Ibiza_Pope

I went to amsterdam 2 years ago and I never once saw a mountain bike, everyone there rode bikes that made your grandfathers bike look new. If you took your "fly" bike over there you would need 3 New York locks to lock it up.

I wouldnt risk it, the streets are pretty dangerous with all the crazy drivers too. Everyone has to leave the coffee bar @ some time. LOL

skookum

Why do you want to ship your bike if you can carry it for free?

And the Dutch are tall, I don't know why.

TLN

I know many people who shipped their bikes ahead of time to either bike shops, or known addresses just to make sure their bike got there instead of chancing the airlines... they do lose luggage from time to time. Depending on the situation, you cant afford to be hanging around for a day or 2 waiting for lost luggage.

scubajim

Last time in A'dam, was told something like 10 million bikes are stolen each year. There are tens of millions bikes in A'dam. Wouldn't leave my bike anywhere there!

scubajim

Last time I was in A'dam, hotel manager told me that the Dutch were a tiny people. The stairs they had in the hotel were very tiny. Course I have seen plenty of 6'3" ladies there!

skookum

TLN
Many people take their bikes with them and yes, you are risking the possibility of your baggage being lost. Life is full of risks, you can always stay at home and be a keyboard commando.

Why are the Dutch tall?

The Dutch, he says, won their anthropometric advantage by creating the world's best pre- and post-natal clinics. Over the same period, America's rich-poor divide has been widening. Eight million Americans are now unemployed, while 40 million have no health insurance. Infant mortality is twice as high as in Scandinavia, while an increasing reliance on fast food in America means that even the better-off are tending to expand outwards rather than upwards.

Prof Komlos has applied his research to his own family history. He believes that his modest standing of 5ft 7in results from his birth to Hungarian Jewish parents, who fled Budapest in 1944 when he was still in the womb, and could provide him with a only poor diet of bread and broth for the first years of his life.

His direct experience of how height can reflect social conditions has led him to pay particular attention to the poor of previous centuries. "The heights of the Oliver Twists of London cannot be compared with any other heights apart from, say, indigenous populations in the backwoods of Guatemala," he said.

I don't know if this is right, but it is an interesting theory.

TLN

Really? And here I always thought life went my way all the time.... go figure.

skookum

TLM, you should get out more often. Try Amsterdam, its a cool city.

TLN

LOL thats funny. FYI Ive been to Holland, Germany, France....almost all of Europe. I got married in Italy. Im a dual national German/United States and I have even been up to your neck of the woods. Youre right Am'dam is a cool city. I traveled through there when I was backpacking through Europe one summer and stayed there for a week because I wanted to see as much as I could.

Jeez dude, dont get bent out of shape.

240GL

Have a nice trip! I am sure you will, Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities. You got good advice on lcoks and bike theft though. I just scanned this postcard I picked up on a visit there in the late eighties, I guess it says it all.
Erling.

skookum

TLN
I'm not bent. Give me a call if you are ever cycling up this way.

Dahon.Steve

Why not take a folding bike? You might be able to bring it inside stores and shops.