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FeedGallery: Assen, Netherlands
This gallery was last updated on Thursday 20th September 2007.
Photos of cycling in and around Assen. It's a wonderful place to live and a wonderful place to cycle. It's also being made nicer all the time by excellent quality new provision. Assen spends 1.8 million Euros on new cycle provision each year, which breaks down to nearly 30 Euros per person per year. This is just the capital budget for new infrastructure. The maintenance budget is in addition to this, school cycle training is in addition to this, etc.
The city also receives a lot of benefit from the equivalent of S106 money.
65000 people live here and each person makes an average of nearly 1.2 journeys per day by bike.
Some shots here of the new housing estate Kloosterveen, are of note as this is a new development of some 8000 homes which is similar in scope to some of the "eco-towns" in the UK. This, however, is MUCH more cycle friendly and the new development has a wonderful direct route to the very centre of the city, which has no traffic lights on it at all (this makes it rather more efficient than using the driving route which has a minimum of three sets to get to the city centre).
People use practical bicycles for practical purposes here. As a result, cycle parking does not use sheffield stands, but more useful stands which hold the bike upright while you load your shopping on board. The few sheffield stands in the city are generally left unused as better alternative are available. Or people will use the stands on their bikes.
For more information on Assen, including some short videos, see this website: http://hembrow.eu/cycling/assen.html
Also see the photo gallery here:
http://hembrow.eu/cycling/photos.html
And the English language articles on Dutch cycling policy and provision here:
http://hembrow.eu/cycling/articles.html
And there's a blog here, explaining different aspects of how cycling works in the Netherlands:
http://hembrow.blogspot.com
I have now solved the mystery of why this path is narrower than the usual 4 metres and why it had its width written on it. The path was resurfaced a few days after this photo was taken. The width was written on to make sure the contractor d ... [more]
"Tegelijk groen" indicates that cyclists have their own green phase at these traffic lights and that they're allowed to travel in any direction on a green - including diagonal, which is demonstrated in the video. Its is less obvious that ... [more]
Family cycling. No-one wears a helmet, the straps on the child seat of the child on the front adult bike aren't even done up. This is what happens when conditions for cycling feel, and actually are, safe. Lots of room for riding side by ... [more]
Study Tour participants waiting for others who are measuring a road. Four metre wide cycle path.
Nice wide path alongside the canal. There's enough space here for four bikes abreast, so if you're riding with a friend and someone else is riding with a friend in the opposite direction it doesn't cause a problem. Pedestrians and dog walke ... [more]
A view from a bridge of the canal path shown in #11713. This lovely bike path is very well used by cyclists, roller skaters etc. It is the standard width of four metres wide. For a video of this path see #11873.
Wonderful canal path. Other views are at #11713 and #11784, but this one provides video. The path has the standard width of four metres.
It's the 20th of December, just after 8 am. It's been below freezing for several days now, but here are a mother and child on the way to school on a cycle path by the canal in Assen. See also #12341
It's the 20th of December, just after 8 am. It's been below freezing for several days. Cycle commuters on a canal path in Assen. Also see #12339
Canal path in Assen. Watch the video to see an example of the sort of bike path which runs through housing estates from this path. In this example, it's a 1970s estate.
A cycle path which provides an alternative for a short distance to that shown in #11713 and goes into a residential area. Because this is merely a link path, it is narrower than usual at just 3.5 m.
Older, but good quality bike path on the side of a relatively minor road right at the edge of Assen in the Netherlands. Four metres wide.
Proper use of armco barriers to keep cyclists on the bike path safe. A view of this path with a cyclist for scale is shown in #11783. The path is four metres wide.
Another view of the bridge shown in #11525 and #11526, but with a cyclist for scale showing how wide the cycle path is: four metres.
Here a well surfaced road for use only by tractors and bikes turns into an excellent cycle path through a new (and incomplete) housing estate - Kloosterveen. The path is four metres wide. There is now a much longer video showing this rou ... [more]
Here a cycle path cross roads crosses a road. Note that the cycle path is four metres wide, smoothly surfaced and takes a direct route. The road is three metres wide, bumpy and takes an indirect route. The first crossing with a bumpy gre ... [more]
Cycle path in new housing estate. Full segregation where there is a 30 km/h speed limit on the road. Note that the cycle path is smoother, wider and more direct than the road and at crossings, drivers have to give way to cyclists. The cy ... [more]
Excellent new cycle paths in a new housing estate providing for families to ride bikes with children in complete safety. The main cycle path is four metres wide. It is crossed by a 3 metre wide path with a 2 metre pavement alongside.
On one of the routes to a school in Assen there are several road signs drawn by children. This is my favourite: "Fiets Liever" or "Prefer Bikes". I assume the idea of this is to remind drivers that children will be on their bikes around ... [more]
This very narrow road gives way to two different cycle paths within 50 metres of one another.
A brand new Dutch housing estate, showing cycle paths which go everywhere. It's also very pleasantly landscaped, doesn't look crowded and doesn't prioritise cars above all else. The path is four metres wide.
An example of excellent segregation of bikes and cars on a brand new housing estate. Bikes are this side of the water, cars are the other side of the water. This cycle path is 3 metres wide. In this case, both cars and bikes are allow ... [more]
Dutch primary schools don't have gates. They do have very good cycle paths, though. This path is the standard width: four metres. The pavement is two metres wide. This is actually a temporary school in a new housing estate. You can se ... [more]
Dad's just dropped his child off at school using a "Vaderfiets" - Father Bike. This is factory fitted with an extra saddle on the top tube to carry children. Note the rare use of low quality "Sheffield Rack" style parking in the backgrou ... [more]
Brand new housing estate at Kloosterveen near Assen. This shows the excellent cycle path alongside homes. Cars are permitted to park between trees. There is a special mesh which protects the greenery. Also, even though these are smaller ter ... [more]
New school in Kloosterveen outside Assen. Note the high quality of construction, including novel features such as a green roof. Also note how the cycle path leads directly to the cycle parking. The previous photo includes part of the run ... [more]
Cycle parking at a primary school. Run the video to see how much and where this is. Note that primary schools tend only to have a couple of hundred children who will almost certainly come from under a kilometre away. There are no wall ... [more]
At this point, minor access roads are linked by short sections of cycle path producing a direct route for bikes but not for cars. While it may look like the junction loses priority for bikes, it does not. The Dutch traffic laws expect both ... [more]
This road turns into a cycle path, goes over a bridge which crosses a cycle underpass and then crosses a road. This allows cyclists to take a much more direct route than drives travelling in the same direction. Play the video to see h ... [more]
Cycle and pedestrian underpass. It's wide, smooth and avoids a set of traffic lights. The cycle path is four metres wide, the pavement is 2.5 m. When I took this photo, I thought this path seemed perfectly smooth. There were a few imp ... [more]
Emerging from a cycle underpass. Almost central in the image on the right of the path is parking for the bus stop (but no sign as it's being redone at present). When I took this photo, I thought this path seemed perfectly smooth. There w ... [more]
I've used this cycle path virtually every day since we moved here. Smooth surfaces are very important for cyclists. However, while this surface was a little rough, as you can see from the bit still remaining red tarmac, it was smoother t ... [more]
Cycle path junction with road and merging into segregated cycle lane. This style of "hybrid" cycle lane is old fashioned and therefore narrower than current practice. It is 2.3 metres wide.
Segregated ( "hybrid") cycle lane. It's an old facility and at 2.3 m wide it is narrow. However, this is still enough to be able to pass slower cyclists within the lane. It's not that unusual to see three bikes side by side when kids are ... [more]
Segregated cycle lane turning into a proper cycle path. This type of provision widely spaced from the road is replacing the old fashioned hybrid style lane. The video shows the same place on the 21st of December when the temperature w ... [more]
A cycle path crossing a road. The cars give way to cycles in both directions. This is short of Maria in Campislaan, which is parallel to the bike path on the left in this photo, by a car width so that one car at a time trying to pull out of ... [more]
Cycle path seamlessly turning into a Cycle Lane. Car parking is on the road side of the path and there is separation so that incidents with car doors should be unlikely.
Cycle lane separating from road at the junction. The cycle traffic light is several metres beyond the traffic light for cars, and the green for bikes comes a couple of seconds before the green for motor vehicles. This gives cyclists a head- ... [more]
This cycle path is separated by grade from the road. It is around 2.5 m wide + a different colour section which keeps it apart laterally. At the junction it becomes more widely spaced from the road.
At this point the single direction cycle path becomes bidirectional for a short section to allow more efficient use of the crossings. It's all wide, smooth etc. At this point, cars are restricted by central bollards in the road and such ... [more]
Segregated cycle path. Single direction, 2.5 m wide path with 0.5 m wide guard strip and a 2 m wide pavement. Note the pinch point which keeps drivers behaviour reasonable does not adversely affect cyclists on the path and gives a useful ... [more]
Retro-installation of segregated cycle path. This is a single direction cycle path, so can be just 2.5 m wide, with a 0.5 m guard strip in a different colour. Pedestrians have their own path the other side of the trees on the left.
Martin and James on closest modern equivalent to a "hybrid" cycle lane. This is a segregated path with minimal separation from the road. It has separation by grade for most of its distance, becomes separated horizontally at the major junct ... [more]
Martin and James on closest modern equivalent to a "hybrid" cycle lane. This is a segregated path with minimal separation from the road. It has separation by grade for most of its distance, becomes separated horizontally at the major junct ... [more]
Access roads used for very local traffic and parking are sometimes shared with cycles. This example shows how a cycle path changes into an access road.
Cycle path crossing the entrance to a 30 kph minor road in a residential area in Assen. The road gives way to the cycle path.
Full segregated bike path in area with 30 km/h speed limit. This gives benefits because traffic calming can be applied to the road while cyclists continue unimpeded. At crossings, drivers give way to cyclists. Also, cyclists can ta ... [more]
Fully segregated bike path in 30 km/h area. The road gives way to the bike path at this junction, where the path and road cross
Fully segregated bike path in 30 km/h residential area. The path takes a more direct route than the road, and drivers in cars have to give way when the path and road cross.
Junction between bike paths, all some distance from roads. Note also that the grey concrete is a separate pavement. Shared use paths are not used in the Netherlands (though sometimes pedestrians do walk on bike paths). However, first go ... [more]
Peelo is an estate built in the 1970s in Assen. It's crossed by many by excellent cycle paths which take a direct route and to which motor traffic gives way. This video nearly reaches the same spot in the oppostie direction as the video ... [more]
High capacity bike path and road crossing. The priority here may not be obvious to English viewers. The Dutch expect to give way to traffic from the right at junctions like this, so priority for bikes and cars is equal.
Four metre wide and smooth bidirectional bike path beside a very large road. Note that all cycle crossings of this road are single stage crossings.
Single stage crossing of very wide road, both the road and bike path have been upgraded since the google maps imagery was created.
Hands up those who have had the experience of being overtaken by a bus which then pulled in at a bus-stop. Well designed segregated cycle paths prevent bus-stops from causing conflict between cyclists and buses. They also prevent cyclist ... [more]
Rising bollard in Assen. Absolutely no conflict with cyclists due to this bollard as cyclists are on a separate cycle path. This is not a through route for car drivers (they are allowed here for access only), but only for buses and bikes ... [more]
Large road junction in Assen, Netherlands. This shows clearly the width of the cycle paths (4 m - wider than road lanes), that they are well spaced from the roads and the way that crossings are direct and do not stop in the middle even when ... [more]
Wide cycle path next to the road that the car came from. This path has priority over all the side-roads, so the car driver waited for us, as he should. It's -5 C in Assen today, hence the warm clothing ! Note that the cycle path has been ... [more]
Approaching a cycle path at -5 C on the 22nd of December. Note how the path and the minor road leading to it are clear of ice.
Junction on four metre wide cycle paths in Assen just around the corner from the rubbish bin shown in #12353 As ever, they're wide, smooth, well sign-posted, kept clear of ice and leaves, actually go somewhere useful etc. etc.
30 km/h access roads for housing often run parallel with the road. Even when they're one way, they allow cycling in both directions. They also join up with cycl epaths to allow direct access by bike to places where you have an indirect r ... [more]
A very urban bike path going around the back of some busy streets, and what a pleasure it is to use it, despite the temperature being -5 C. Assen in the Netherlands, 22nd of December.
Reindeer in a kinderboerderij in Assen on the 22nd of December at a temperature of -5 C.
A rubbish bin for cyclists on the move. This is on a cycle-path near a school in Assen. Making throwing rubbish into a bin into a "fun" thing to do probably helps to avoid litter. The bin is called a "blikvanger". This usually means "eye ... [more]
Quite apart from being good for accommodating bicycles, one of the other excellent things about decent cycling infrastructure is that it lends itself to other activities too. Tonight is the first day of Assen's annual avondvierdaagse. Th ... [more]
Kinderboerderij in Assen. This is a city farm for children (and adults) to visit. Most residential areas across the country have one of these. We know of six in Assen so far. Like many such things, this is not car friendly at all. It is ... [more]
Excellent bike path and pavement next to one of the Kinderboerderijen in Assen. There's some kind of donkey in that field if you look closely. This is one of our alternative routes to one of the schools and to the centre of the city.
Part of Eliza's commute to and from school. Despite appearances, this is very much an _urban_ cycle route. It just happens to pass through one of the many small woods in Assen. The path is tarmac and very smooth and wide with no signs of ... [more]
Bridge on cycle path in Assen. This is a very old cycle path crossing an even older bridge. The path is 3 metres wide, but narrows to a mere 2.5 metres over the bridge. This is the narrowest cycle path I've found in this area.
When service vehicles (this is is for an electricity and gas supply company) need to access areas which are only accessible by bike and footpath they can do so without greatly inconveniencing cyclists too much because the paths were built w ... [more]
This car may look in the photo as if it's overtaking the cyclists, but it's not. There is no one in the car, which is parked. The driver has chosen to park in such a way that he blocks the road instead of the cycle lane. Assen, Netherlan ... [more]
Sound barriers being installed along a road which is being widened in Assen. The road is being widened from 1 lane each way to 2 lanes each way. Even though the road will have only a 70 km/h speed limit (44 mph), the problem of noise fro ... [more]
You see these posts around occasionally. It reads (English first, then Dutch): This is a climate wood. These trees are at this moment busy tieing up CO2. That is desperately needed, for CO2 discharge is an important cause of climate chan ... [more]
New properly segregated path replacing older hybrid style provision. Also note that the road is being reduced from three lanes at this point to two.
New segregated provision replacing older style hybrid path. Note how plenty of room is given for overtaking, for car doors etc. and how cyclists are sensibly segregated from both pedestrians and motorists. Where the path meets a side ... [more]
Brand new fully segregated path approaching a junction. Note how the entrances for driveways are kept deliberately narrow so that drivers have to take care crossing the cycle path.
Entering a lower capacity street. This is a single direction bike path leading to a low speed street with on street bike lanes. The woman in the red jacket is on the wrong side of the road. Building paths as wide as they are here means t ... [more]
The Tegelijk Groen sign tells you that all the green cycle lights will go green at once and you can cross in any direction (even diagonally). If you watch the video you'll see how this leads directly to a newly upgraded road. Note how th ... [more]
Assen town centre. The road isn't compltely pedestrianized, however motor vehicles are not allowed here all the time. In practice this works very well for cycling.
The centre of Assen. As ever this demonstrates the wide demographics of cyclists in the Netherlands.
There's an event on in Assen, so extra cycle parking has been provided and there is are yellow overflow cycle parking signs ([P] Fiets) installed on this and several other lamp-posts to point to the overflow cycle parking areas just outside ... [more]
Fairly typical street scene showing more cycle parking in Assen. The streets have an enormous amount of space for bicycles right outside the shops, cafes etc. Note also the blue right turn sign. This has an "except cyclists" sign underne ... [more]
One of many bikes parked inside the covered shopping centre. This one has a particularly stylish way of transporting a youngster voorop (on the front). See also #12360 for another view of the same place.
Bikes parked near the Albert Heijn supermarket in Assen, including a rare MTB, but also more normal bikes. Watch the video to see some more of the bikes parked not just here but also inside the covered shopping area. There were plenty ... [more]
Bikes parked next to the Koopsmansplein in Assen. There is a similar layer of bikes all around the plein as you can see if you look closely next to the ice cream stall at the far side. Some bikes are parked at stands, but while there are a ... [more]
More of Assen's bikes by the Koopmansplein. Note that the "wheelbender" type of rack shown here is quite common but does not cause the problems you might expect due to being a little larger in size than often seen in the UK. It is qui ... [more]
A different style of bike parking. This rack grips the wheel but is not a "wheelbender" because it grips a larger proportion of the circumference of the wheel. There is an extra arm which holds bikes more securely and allows for locking. Al ... [more]
It's the 21st of December, -4 C, about half past mid-day on a working day. The bike racks are more than full as usual. Watch the video to get an idea of how many cyclists you see here, even on cold days. The paths have, of course, all be ... [more]
It's the 21st of December, before mid-day on a work-day and -4 C. Assen in the winter. Plenty of bikes around. The white between the tiles is salt. All the paths are well salted and it's quite safe to cycle.
22nd of December. It's -5 C, but no-one's enthusiasm for cycling is damped too much by this. It's the last Saturday before Christmas. The racks in the city are all full, there are bikes parked everywhere other than the racks too and the ... [more]
Down a gentle slope at the biggest high-rise in Assen there is a good bike shop and watched cycle parking.
Cycle parking at Assen station. There really are quite a lot of bikes here for a city of 63000 people. Play the video to get an idea of how many. Not all the bikes are in this park - there is another similar cycle park on the opposite side ... [more]
At this school in Assen,. there are 850 cycle parking spaces for 725 students. The bikes show up very well on the google maps aerial photography. Try counting them. A very high quality cycle path leads from the school entrance to most ... [more]
Brand new cycle parking stands of a type quite popular in Assen, Netherlands. These are not the best variety as they don't also have a loop to tie to the frame. However, this is a low crime area and few people bother to lock their frames ... [more]
Groningen Railway station parking. Unlike in the photos from 10 years ago ( #9747 ), this now has the bikes undercover and has architectural features on the roof. Watch the video to see some of the bike parking. No bike is shown twice in th ... [more]
Groningen railway station as it looks now. In contrast with older photos (e.g. #9747), the cycle parking is now hidden from view. Watch the video to get an idea of what this space looks like. In this video I am walking over the roof of t ... [more]
Bike parking on the other side of Assen railway station. There is a lot of bike parking here, just as there is everywhere else around the city. Also see #12021 for a view of the parking at the front side of the station.
Temporary bike parking stands which previously were deployed in a totally routine manner on a local building site so that workers could use them and now awaiting collection.
Seat provided as part of an initiative to encourage recreational cycle journeys to such locations as the woods near Assen in Drenthe that this is next to. There's a splendid bike path all the way here.
Equivalent of A-frame shop, but with bike parking built in. Not the greatest quality of parking, but how marvellous to see a shop adding a bit to the available parking. Assen, Netherlands.
Yet another shop with branded cycle parking outside. Retailers here in Assen seem to like cyclists. The car parking shown on Google's aerial photography doesn't exist any more.
Another example of a company providing branded customer cycle parking outside their premises. In this case it's a central heating company. Like many of the other photos, this location now looks completely different to the google aeria ... [more]
Cycle parking at the restaurant right next to the entrance. Also note the yellow box of tools available for use by cyclists which you can see a closer image of in #12781. The blue bike at the right in the parking is an OV-Fiets. OV stand ... [more]
Crossing the entrance / exit from a new underground carpark. Unusually, bikes give way to cars at this point, though as very few cars ever seem to be here it doesn't cause a problem. Perhaps the choice of priority is determined by driver ... [more]
Bike path junction with road. Once you get away from this junction, excellent segregation between road and cycle path is achieved by the road being on this side of Het Kanaal (a canal), while the cycle path is on the opposite side (in the n ... [more]
Crossing Het Kanaal on an excellent bridge. There are many such bridges. The bike path is on the far side of the river while the road is on the side where the camera is. There are countless bridges like this in the area and it's perhaps ... [more]
Cycle path alongside Het Kanaal. The road is on the opposite side of the canal behind the vegetation to the left of the image. This degree of segregation combined with excellent quality cycle paths makes cycling a pleasure. It also makes ... [more]
Bicycles parked at the bus stop. Bus stops here always have bike parking provided. Bike + bus is quite a popular way to travel a longer distance than you might want to travel by bike alone. The bike path here is 4 m wide and the thin (cl ... [more]
Excellent new cycle path in the standard four metre width. This path links the new development of Kloosteveen with Assen in the Netherlands. #11714 includes video near this location. This cycle path, between the new development and ... [more]
Excellent cycle path in the standard four metre width. Following from the video which gets us to this location, watch #12118 which follows on from here. This cycle path, between the new development and the city, was built with the equiva ... [more]
This used to be one of the main roads to the centre of the city, but now it's a "bicycle road" and used by cars only for access. Motorists have been given a different (less direct) route. While these look like 1.5 m bike lanes each side ... [more]
Old main road being re-worked into a "bicycle road" which gives priority to cyclists. Through motorised traffic is being sent by a different (longer, less direct) route over a new bridge #12105). This will consist of two large red cycle lan ... [more]
Four metre wide cycle path past an industrial estate. Very wide and well used, even at the weekend. Note the racing cyclist coming in the opposite direction. People ride such bikes at speed on these paths quite freely because they are go ... [more]
Continuation of cycle path to the next town,. This is part of a sequence of photos and videos starting at #11773 and ending in #11778. #11775 is the next part. This is unidirectional, there is an identical path on the other side of the r ... [more]
Arriving in Vries from Assen. We've had a journey of around 6 km so far on this superb path. The sequence of photos starts at #11773 and ends at #11778. #11776 is the next part. There is an identical path on the other side of the road fo ... [more]
Bus stop with covered cycle parking behind in the wooden shed. It is very common for bus stops to have cycle parking, and on a work day they are very well used (this photo was taken on Sunday morning). This is part of a sequence of photo ... [more]
Cycle path going smoothly behind a garage in order to prevent cyclists having to be careful of drivers entering and leaving the garage forecourt. Note that an equivalent quality cycle path on the other side of the road is used by cyclist ... [more]
We started in Assen and now we're in the middle of Vries - almost half way to Groningen. To get here we have followed a fantastic smooth and wide cycle path to which side roads give way, and now that we're in Vries, for the first time in ma ... [more]
The cycle paths in the Netherlands are suitable for high speed riding and are well used by racing cyclists travelling at speed. They're difficult to photograph as they're difficult to keep up with. I huffed and puffed on my 3 speed to ge ... [more]
Yet another example of a side road giving way to a cycle path. This is the other side of the road from the sequence shown from #11773. Note how the 2.5 m wide concrete surface passes through the road. Cyclists definitely have priority he ... [more]
Groningen Airport Eelde - this airport is between Groningen and Assen and serves both cities. Surprisingly, there isn't a bike path right outside the terminal, but watch the video to see how short a distance it is to the cycle path. The pat ... [more]
A Dutch junction quite similar to Cambridge's A10 / A14 junction at Milton. However, here cyclists are definitely not on the road and this is used even by school children (a lot of them). Watch the video to see how it works. We start ... [more]
Following a group of "racers" into the village of Zeijen. They've been riding three abreast for as long as I've seen them with no trouble whatsoever from any traffic. The sign indicates the speed limit on all the village's roads, includi ... [more]
When there isn't a cycle path, speed limits on the roads are low. The speed limit on this rural road is 50 km/h, or around 30 mph.
This sort of minor road in a village will have a 30 km/h speed limit in the Netherlands. In this case, 1.5 km of road past just a few houses has this speed limit. The other end of the zone is shown in #12268
The entirely rural 30 km/h around the village of Deurze. This zone is about 1.5 km long on mostly empty rural roads with just a few houses. The other end of the 30 km/h zone shown in #12136 "Let op, rechts heeft voorrang" is to tell peop ... [more]
This minor road is about to turn into a dirt track passable only by tractors... but not for cyclists, who continue to have a nice smooth tarmac surface to ride on. Watch the video to see how this work. One of the great advantages of a pr ... [more]
This road is closed to motorized vehicles and so available nearly all the time for cycling. Why only "nearly" ? It's a military practice area, so come in at the wrong time and you might find yourself facing a tank... Still, it's wonderfu ... [more]
Excellent cycle path next to the road, but I'm taking the little paths today as you'll see from the video
A rather antiquated example of a paddestoel sign marking the start of a really nice bike path in the middle of nowhere. It's not that there is anything wrong with the roads around here for cycling on. They're only used by the odd tractor ... [more]
This once through road at the exit of a small village is no longer a through road for drivers. However, cyclists have been provided with a marvellous way out. An excellent cycling signpost at the end of the tunnel gives many options for ... [more]
Terrible rough surface for anyone driving a motor vehicle, but a fine path for cyclists.
"Slecht Wegdek" means "bad surface". It really is a bad surface. I wouldn't want to drive a car over it. Of course, we don't have to worry about this if we're on a bike. Watch the video to see how much better you're treated on a bike. ... [more]
An example of how segregation allows motorists to be controlled without adversely affecting cyclists. At this location the road narrows and bends and it is necessary to give one direction of travel on the road a higher priority than the ... [more]
Bridge built over a ditch so that cyclists can continue to be segregated from motor traffic on this narrow section of road. Note that drivers at one point along here have to give way to oncoming vehicles. Cyclists avoid the problem of ha ... [more]
A less good than average treatment of a tunnel under a motorway, but still creditable as allowing cyclists to continue at a good pace without giving way to anything at all. The video continues to cross the bridge shown from the other sid ... [more]
Segregated cycle path in Assen. This would be exceptional by UK standards, with side roads giving way to the bike path etc. However, it now falls below what is required here, the tiles are a little bit rough and the width is just 3 metres. ... [more]
Photo taken on the 21st of December at a temperature of -4 C. This is no reason not to go to collect your shopping on a bike with two young children aboard (you can see the older child achterop - on the back, play the video to see the secon ... [more]
Long cycle underpass which goes beneath the railway, railway station and two roads roads. The cycle path is four metres wide. For some of the distance it also has a 2 metre pavement for pedestrians, but at this end they come out in a separa ... [more]
Start of a combined cycle and car underpass. Note how the bike part doesn't go so deep as the car bit because it doesn't have to allow for high vehicles. Because of this, the gradients are less for cycles. Also note that this is a bidirecti ... [more]
Update April 2008: A meeting with city officials brought the information that this is only a secondary path in this direction. The primary bike route is to be 5 metres wide and parallel with this one on the other side of the canal. The " ... [more]
The new cycle path on Vaart ZZ. This replaces what was already a fully segregated path, with a better quality version of the same. It's decently wide (three metres) so not even a "steam" roller on the path (here as part of the works) can bl ... [more]
New bridge constructed to take a dual carriageway over a cycle path. This huge bridge replaced a very large road junction which was in this position previously. Drivers can no longer leave the dual carriageway at this point and follow wh ... [more]
Assen, Netherlands. What was once a perfectly good road for driving on is being converted into a "bicycle road". This involves cutting a metre wide strip from the middle of the road, leaving two single direction 2 m wide cycle paths. The ga ... [more]
Cycle commuters going along the bicycle road in Assen on a wet morning... The bicycle road has priority for bikes. It is not allowed to park a car on the road and it does not provide a through route for cars. Cars (apart from those of ... [more]
Hunebed near Assen. Drenthe has quite a lot of these ancient monuments, and they're reachable easily by bike. And yes, you do seem to be allowed to climb all over them.
One of many small paths in an area of mixed heath and forest just a couple of minutes cycle from the city of Assen. Anyone can escape the city and get out into some greenery on their bikes with ease. While all these paths are well surfac ... [more]
A relatively narrow, recreational cycle path in the Netherlands. However, it's still wide enough for two bikes to be side by side, it's surfaced with smooth tarmac, it's been gritted because it's cold, cleared of leaves and has signposts. ... [more]
Marvellous recreational path through a forest. This was wonderfully smooth and quite up to speeds of over 30 km/h. It's also possible to proceed slowly, of course, and picnic benches are provided at regular intervals to allow for a gezel ... [more]
Fantastic cycle path through heath. This is what makes cycling such a pleasure in the Netherlands. A very smooth tarmac recreational path with absolutely nothing nearby. I rode along here the whole time in excess of 30 km/h without having ... [more]
27th December 2007. It being a bit warmer (5 C) today I decided to go for a ride of around 40 km in the afternoon. This meant riding on a lot of really beautiful paths in the middle of nowhere. I dismounted for the rather large and immob ... [more]
Bike path in Pittelo, Assen. Four metres wide, amazingly smooth and also provides for service vehicles to get to the canal.
Typical Dutch bike path between villages. In a location like this where traffic is lighter, you will find that a bidirectional path on just one side of the road is quite common. There is, of course, attention paid wherever someone might ... [more]
Cyclist are on this side of the canal, the main road is on the other side of the canal. This road is actually shared as an access road for a few houses and for tractors to get to fields. Watch the video to see how you can get all the way fr ... [more]
The sun's shining, it's a lovely day and here I am cycling flat out on a proper segregated bike path which goes for another 4 km before I have to worry about a road junction. I'm here, the cars are over there. Just try crashing into me, ... [more]
Nice little country lane. It's quite difficult to find anywhere without separate provision for cyclists, but it does exist where the speed limit is low and there is virtually no traffic. This road provides access to a couple of farm buil ... [more]
Nice smooth tarmac cycle path through the countryside in the middle of nowhere. There is an enormous network of these. They're ideal for recreational rides.
Segregated cycle facility... We're this side of the canal, the cars are the other side of the canal.
These arches over the cycle path appear to have been installed for no reason other than that they're nice to have.
The sign for drivers says "Assen 16 / Groningen 14 / Zuidlaren 9". The bike route sign says "Assen 15 / Groningen 12 / Zuidlaren 8". It is almost always the case that cycle routes are more direct than driving routes.
Has anyone ever told you that cycle routes are indirect ? These two signposts are about 10 metres apart. The blue ones show distances for cars, the red for bicycles on the bike paths. Mostly the show the same distances to different pl ... [more]
Knooppuntnetwerk route signage in Friesland. It's a join-the-numbered-dots system of maps as shown spaced a few hundred metres apart in all directions across the province. This is claimed to have paid for itself almost as soon as it was ins ... [more]
Two "Except Cyclists" signs in one photo. I've yet to find a one-way street here which doesn't except cyclists. See also #12343 which shows three more within a few metres of this location.
Little signs that say "uitgezonderd" with a picture of a bike and a bromfiets (an especially gutless class of low power motorbike) mean that these vehicles are excepted from whatever regulation is otherwise enforced by the sign. There ar ... [more]
Unusually for the Netherlands, an urban landscape which is dominated by cars. There is comparatively little cycle parking, presumably because there is little need for it. This is Oosterwolde in Friesland and an example of the "Shared Spa ... [more]
Traffic safety is taken very seriously at the school. It's already well in advance of that at a typical British school. No parking of cars on the pavement and a very high rate of cycling and walking. However, this is clearly something which ... [more]
Traffic safety is taken very seriously at the school. It's already well in advance of that at a typical British school. No parking of cars on the pavement and a very high rate of cycling and walking. However, this is clearly something which ... [more]
Traffic safety is taken very seriously at the school. It's already well in advance of that at a typical British school. No parking of cars on the pavement and a very high rate of cycling and walking. However, this is clearly something which ... [more]
Today the children's bikes were inspected at school. A police officer comes to the school premises to test all the kid's bikes once per year. It's quite a job as virtually all kids bring their bikes to school. The result: A sticker sayin ... [more]
"Blij dat ik fiets" - "Happy that I cycle" Sticker for the rear mudguard given out by Fietsersbond - the Dutch cycle campaigning organisation. Smiling while cycling is normal here.
Veilig Verkeer Nederland distribute a set of "happy families" cards to children who pass the traffic safety examination. These are all quite witty. e.g. The top left in the "Weather or no weather" group says "With the wind on your back, ... [more]
Secondary school students riding home from school. They will have come from a school in Assen but probably live in Beilen, about 20 km south. A 40 km round trip to school is not particularly unusual in the Netherlands. This isn't a cy ... [more]
There's no cycle path here, but there is a service road next to the main road, which gives cyclists wonderful traffic free conditions.
While cycling rates in Assen are already incredibly high by British standards, the fight to increase the rate of cycling still goes on. This was in today's (1st November 2007) local paper. Since this time, the cycling rate in Assen has g ... [more]
A now rare Fietsers Oversteken sign. These old-fashioned signs sometimes appear on relatively little used roads to tell cyclists to use the cycle path on the other side of the road. It's not a huge penalty as the bike paths are perfectly go ... [more]
What do Dutch cyclists want ? Good Cycle Paths ! This is a recruitment pamphlet from Fietsersbond, the Dutch "Cyclists Union" which campaigns for cycling facilities in this country. There is no movement here to want to cycle on the ro ... [more]
Post card from the local government advertising what is being done on newly upgraded rural cyclepaths - which are branded fietsroute+. The points in the green dots: o Clearly signposted o Easy and safe crossings o Minimum of 2.5 m w ... [more]
The council here in Assen publishes a couple of pages in the local paper each week about things that are going on. Today (15th November) this article was included: -------------------- Gritting - Why bollards are removed in winter ... [more]
A couple of days ago back in photo #12123 I added a photo of an article in the local newspaper where the council was promising to grit the paths once winter arrived. This Sunday morning I went for a ride of about 50 km and found virtually e ... [more]
Minor road alongside the main road. I have no idea why anyone would prefer to ride on main-roads with lots of traffic when there is an alternative like this which has virtually no traffic on it except the cars belonging to the people in the ... [more]
Another missive from the Assen local government printed in the paper. This is all about de-icing the roads and cycle paths. The title "Assen government in action against slipperiness" A few salient points. 340 km of road and 207 km ... [more]
The routes taken daily by the four different special cycle path gritting trucks which operate in Assen. They cover 207 km of cycle path each day, keeping the whole clear of icy patchs and safe to use through the winter. This information ... [more]
Lifting bridge for cyclists over the canal in the snow. This cyclist is riding one handed and holding an umbrella to keep the snow out of his face. The cycle paths have all been gritted, so it's quite safe to do this. More Assen cycli ... [more]
The cyclist on the left is confident enough that the road will be free of ice that he's cycling with no hands. Even though it's a minor road, it's completely clear or ice and snow. The roads and cycle paths are gritted daily through the ... [more]
Primary school children cycling back to school after lunch - stopped for a bit of fun in the snow. Note the completely snow and ice free roads even here in a residential area. ALL the roads and cycle paths are gritted and salted in Assen ... [more]
Nodding Donkey oil pump at the NAM (Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij - Dutch Oil Company) headquarters in Assen. NAM is a good part of Shell, and the size of their headquarters reflects this.
View of the bike path which takes workers to the large NAM (Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij - Dutch Oil Company) headquarters in Assen. NAM is a good part of Shell. Also see #12064
Another cycle path as wide as a minor road and to which the roads give way. What you can't see from this shot (but can see from Google's aerial photography) is that following this path gives you a more direct route than the road through an ... [more]
Different ways to travel at this junction. This is a large roundabout with wide cycle paths around it. The priority at these junctions is for the drivers, but you never have to wait long as the roundabout itself is designed for low speed ... [more]
Bike parked at a bus-stop in Assen. It's not at all unusual to see bikes parked all day at bus-stops, but it is increasingly unusual to see bus-stops which don't have proper bike parking. Note how passengers waiting for the bus do not ... [more]
Very old and very cheap cycle facility on a road used by few cyclists where a cycle lane becomes a cycle-path momentarily and goes behind a bus-stop. This prevents cyclists using the cycle lane from being cut up by buses which overtake a ... [more]
It may seem frivolous, but space to do daft things like this on bikes (or not on bikes) seems to be provided in the Netherlands. This extreme mountain biking action was made possible only by reserving space for it and by building an arti ... [more]
Most things to do with bikes are legal in the Netherlands, including cycling with Fido on the bike path. Why should dogs miss out on the fun ? Cycling with two dogs at the same time is considered to be a bit more than the average person ... [more]
A horse being led by cyclist. Riding into the village of Loon, near Assen in the Netherlands on the wonderful smooth and wide cycle path usually used by commuters, shoppers, school run kids, skaters, cycle tourers and of course racers. T ... [more]
View of the construction of a new lifting bridge on the canal at Groene Dijk in Assen. The existing bike path has been moved towards the camera and a new crossing will be installed to cross the road (in one go and with no obstacles). ... [more]
Alternative view of new path construction also shown in #12105 The camera shows the direction of the cycle path, which also turns right to cross the bridge. The van is parked parallel with the road that the path crosses at this point and ... [more]
New bike path over a new bridge. The bike path is as wide as one lane of the road. Other views of the bridge can be seen in #12105 and #12106 The video shows how this new path joins with that shown in #11713 and #12302 The bike ... [more]
Cycle path as seen in #12789 showing the route over the road next to the bridge. It's still under construction, but we've got proper lights now so that cyclists can see where they are going.
"Glass" barriers on this bridge serve to keep traffic noise from the residents of house boats, stop cyclists falling into the water from the bike path and they look nice.
Memorial to the crew of Lancaster Mk III JB 154 which crashed at this site near Assen in the Netherlands on the 20th of October 1943 at 22:45 when returning from Leipzig. The grey path is a smooth cycle path to the memorial. You can also ... [more]
Kamp Westerbork. After being caught in Amsterdam, Anne Frank was moved here for her last few days in the Netherlands before being put on an East-bound train. You can read more about Kamp Westerbork here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wes ... [more]
Bicycle inner-tube vending machine. The sign reads "Never more without... Continental cycle inner tubes". Also someone had written on Euro-5.50 (the price of an innertube). It's not particularly unusual to see boxes attached to buildi ... [more]
Rijwiel Hulpkist. A chest of tools for cyclists on the outside of a restaurant. Lots of restaurants take part in this scheme of providing free tools to cyclists. You have to ask for a key inside the restaurant. The ANWB are the equivalent o ... [more]
Due to extensive road works, some roads in Assen can't currently be driven down. This style of temporary road sign shows which. However, despite the inconvenience to drivers, it has been ensured that cyclists can continue to use those route ... [more]
A temporary cycle bridge over a canal. This is constructed of concrete and steel and has a smooth 3 metre wide surface. If this had not been installed then an important link in the cycle network would have been broken. That very rarely h ... [more]
The sign reads "Take Care. Cyclists in the bus lane" Cyclists are never expected to share space with buses in the Netherlands, but in this case the cycle path is being resurfaced so cyclists have to use the bus lane. However, buses were ... [more]
This cycle path is being resurfaced so one lane of the road has been taken from drivers as a temporary cycle path while works continue. Note that there is also a cycle path on the opposite side of the road, but cyclists are not told to c ... [more]
The cycle path alongside this dual carriageway has had to be removed temporarily. However, you can't inconvenience cyclists like that, so they've closed half the dual carriageway so that cyclists can use it. This is in Assen in the Nethe ... [more]
A FietsNED van ( see http://www.fietsned.nl ). This is a nationwide franchise business which will come and rescue you should your bike break down. The slogan ? "Fiets kapot? Bel onze servicelijn" ("Bike broken ? Call our service line"). ... [more]
Racing cyclists on a cycle path in the Netherlands. While there are occasionally criticisms of Dutch cycling facilities based on them not being suitable for cycling at speed, this is not really the case. It is generally those who have no ... [more]
Cycle racers going very quickly on one of the many wide, smooth and direct cycle paths in Assen, Netherlands.
One of Assen's very high speed commuters riding a fully faired recumbent trike. All types of bicycle are accommodated on Dutch cycle paths, and high speeds are possible. You can see more velomobiles here: #14710 And read more about ... [more]
I've now been out a few times with the local Sunday morning recumbent riders group, the Huneliggers. This photo shows the bikes outside the cafe where the ride starts, ready to set off on Sunday morning. Many of people ride these velomob ... [more]
Heading back home on the cycle path after racing in Groningen. Note brand new wide, smooth unidirectional cycle path (it's to be the same on the other side of the road), several km of which have been completed along here since we came here ... [more]
Young cycle racers on Assen's cycle racing track. Cycle racing is very popular in the Netherlands and a lot of people compete. Assen, like most towns, has a cycle racing circuit. It also has various road races for which roads are closed ... [more]
The Jeugdtour is the largest youth cycling race in the world, which attracts competitors from all around the world. It is a week long event held annually in Assen. This photo is from the criterium, which is held on roads closed for the occa ... [more]
Racing cyclist on cycle path near Assen. The Dutch have considerable success in cycle racing given their small population, and this is in no small part aided by their large cycling population. The cycle paths here support very high cycli ... [more]
In the Netherlands, wheelchairs and mobility devices are also required to use cycle paths, which have to be made suitable for all these uses.
The neighbour's nanny with a child on a trike with trailer. Residential roads here are used by children with all sorts of contraptions like this. A few days previously the child sitting in the back was riding the trike and pulling his 9 ... [more]
The all important junk mail delivery in Assen, Netherlands. This huge bicycle trailer carries vast amounts of paper and must be very heavy to pull with a bike. Lots of delivery jobs are done with bicycles in this area. The junk mai ... [more]
Children travelling on odd devices safely... The Netherlands. You sometimes see devices like this some way from civilization. These two are actually just outside their house.
A comprehensive network of cycle paths allows all sorts of people to cycle. In this case, a disabled person on a tricycle is being accompanied on a ride out into the countryside. No amount of "vehicular cycling" training allows this to h ... [more]
Three generations of a family cycling together. A very common sight on Dutch cycle paths.
Temporary parking for the fietsvierdaagse in a field at a farm. This is the location of one of the controls, and also a nice place for a coffee.
A vintage bicycle ride in Norg, near Assen in the Netherlands. 107 machines are lined up, on a road closed to cars for the occasion. To see a video of this ride, look here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2OsjSxwlhd8
Dutch primary school children turning up for a traffic safety test. They have ridden their bikes from schools around the city and are now given a 6 km course to follow before riding home again. Schools often make school trips by bike. A ... [more]
Xtracycle Free-Radical taking yet another load of baskets to the post office... You can read a review of the bike after 5 year's use (including a video) here: http://hembrow.eu/personal/xtracycle.html
This is a secure entrance to the military barracks in Assen, Netherlands. The turnstile is for a person to pass into or out of the area, the gate on the right is for their accompanying bicycle. It is very rare in the Netherlands to find ... [more]
It's very common here in the Netherlands for bicycles or bicycle accessories to be given away in competitions for products with no connection with cycling. I guess that is what comes of having a cycling culture. In this case you can win ... [more]
In a bike culture, everyone wants bikes. This bakfiets, surrounded by cartons of fruit juice, is a competition prize in a supermarket. The juice is selling. Unusual bicycles make common competition prizes in the Netherlands.
Advertising on bicycles. These leaflets advertise an upcoming event and had been placed on most bikes in Assen today.
An obstruction on the cycle path... actors putting on a show. This was part of a free to enter "cycling and culture" ride organised by the local council. You can see a video of this here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4gob1PEdGsY
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