Fiet is the Dutch word for bicycle. They do have bicyclists in the Netherlands, spandex-clad road warriors who think nothing of a 100 km ride on a cold morning.
But those are cyclists, not fietsers.
For decades I was a cyclist riding my yellow Romic road bike frame, with its Shimano and Campagnolo hardware, all around Atlanta on the weekends.
But as I aged it all became too much. It would take half an hour to prepare, between the outfit, the shoes, and my water, and another hour to shower and unwind after. I didn’t mind that when I was 40, but as I entered my late 60s, arthritis and spinal stenosis cut my maximum distance to 10 miles, and that over the flattest roads I could find.
What I dreamed about, even when I could do a solid 50 miles, was to ride just to get somewhere, and do something, then ride back.
It was this e-bike that saved me. It’s an Edison, built right here in Atlanta. The Edison is a real bikey-bike, a mountain bike styling that lets me sit up straight, without spandex or bike shoes. On it I have easily done weekend rides of 30 miles over hills. There’s also a rack with which I can travel 3-5 miles for groceries. I have ridden the Edison to bars, restaurants, and doctor appointments, knowing I can get back safely. Sometimes I feel like an Edison salesman, as I did with my late Scion 20 years ago.
It’s heaven.
Fiets of Strength?
I know. Atlanta is hell for a fietser. The bike paths that exist are performative, designed for recreation rather than getting anywhere. Even the famed Atlanta Beltline is awful, too crowded with walkers and gawkers most days to be useful for two wheels. If it weren’t for 50 years of experience riding alongside cars, what I’m doing now would be impossible.
The calendar also says I’m running out of time, even for this. I will turn 70 next month. Will my lifestyle ever fit my life?
That’s what my coming trip to the Netherlands in March is mainly about.
As I’ve noted before, the Netherlands has the most intensive network of dedicated bike paths in the world. Most of it came along before there were e-bikes. The country is flat, like Houston. Most trips are just a few miles. People sit comfortably, with baskets and trailers, without even bike helmets, going about their lives.
It’s what Atlanta could be if it gave e-bikes proper infrastructure. (Well, you’d still need a helmet. The hills, you know. I can easily hit 35 mph on a downhill.)
I want to see what an e-bike is capable of on that network. It’s less than two hours, by bike, from where I’ll be staying to the center of Amsterdam. It’s about double that distance to other major cities like The Hague and Rotterdam. Will an e-bike let me do an overnight trip to those places? Even at my age?
Let’s Find Out
The Netherlands also has a great train network. America’s trains are for freight, while Europe’s are for people. I can reach any major city by train and, from there, rent a bike that will get me around any city in the country. They’re advertising a bike bridge over a major freeway intersection, near Eindhoven. I want to see it.
A “Benelux” rail pass will also let me travel to Belgium or Luxembourg. I’ve never seen Luxembourg. There are some fascinating bike trails in Belgium, too.
Is two months enough time for me to see and do it all? At the age of 70?
Come with me and find out.
