Greetings all,
Business is taking me to Amsterdam next week. I’m looking for a good shop to pick up a Rabobank Kit but other suggestions are always welcome. Also, I’m not that familiar with the city and could use some good running/training routes plus I’m not sure if my hotel has a pool of any length…
all help is appreciated,
MLT
lots of great public pools (25m and 50m) all over the central city, some even with fun year-round waterslides. and great running trails in the large ‘vondelpark’ (near the Rijks museum).
have fun.
The best shop that I visited was “Van Herwerden” http://www.vanherwerden.nl/ Not in Amsterdam but near Den Haag. Also, the riding is great, bikes have the majority right of way and there are plenty of bike lanes. Find your way out of town and enjoy the country side.
Sights to see in Amsterdam are numerous, museums andmore museums. If you like military history there is plenty to see, Arnhem museum is cool, Sheveningen is a good place to visit great beach great seafood. I hope you’ll have a car.
yep, those museums are great too.
here are some adressen of some pools. press “kaart” to see where it is. 1. Floraparkbad Sneeuwbalwg 5, 1032VS Amsterdam Telefoon
Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6368121
Fax: 020-6340821
Binnen- en buitenbad - Leszwemmen… Meer info Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 2. Sportfondsenbad A’dam West C Dirkszstr 11c, 1056TM Amsterdam Telefoon Website Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6188911
Fax: 020-6163044
Meer info Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 3. Bredius, Openluchtzwembad Spaarndammerdk 306, 1013ZX Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6846984
Meer info Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 4. Zwem U Slanker 1e C Huygensstr 39, 1054BR Amsterdam Telefoon WebsiteE-mail Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6839363
Fax: 020-6839363
Meer info Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 5. Bijlmer Sportcentr Bylmerpk 76, 1102BL Amsterdam Zuidoost Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6972501
Fax: 020-6974125
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 6. Flevoparkbad Zeeburgerdk 630, 1095AN Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6925030
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 7. Floraparkbad Restaurant Sneeuwbalwg 5, 1032VS Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6323549
Fax: 020-6494970
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 8. Jan van Galenbad J v Galenstr 315, 1056CB Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6128001
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 9. Marnixbad Marnixpln 9, 1015ZM Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6254843
Fax: 020-6275298
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 10. Mirandabad Zwembad Golfslagbad, De De Mirandaln 9, 1079PA Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-5464444
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 11. Plons, Zwemschool 1 rechts
J Bernardusstr 25, 1091TS Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-4686681
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 12. Robbedoes Zwemschool J Postmahof 1a, 1063XB Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6115886
Fax: 075-6223317
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 13. Sloterparkbad Pres Allendeln 2-4, 1064GW Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-5063506
Fax: 020-5063507
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 14. Sportfondsenbad Amsterdam West C Dirkszstr 11c, 1056TM Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6188911
Fax: 020-6163044
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 15. Sportfondsenbad Oost Fronemanstr 3, 1093KT Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6650811
Fax: 020-6683192
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 16. Wagenaar Sportschool B Loderstr 84, 1063PP Amsterdam Telefoon Kaart /Route Tel: 020-6134121
Rubriek: Zwembaden en zwemscholen 17. Zuiderbad Hobbemastr 26, 1071ZC Amsterdam
i think they sell rabokits here:
Presto Cycle Sport
Haarlemmerstraat 76
1013 ET Amsterdam
(=near central station)
or here: Lohman Fietsenspecialisten
De Clercqstr 70-76
1052NK Amsterdam
Tel: 020-6183906
Fax: 020-6851369
E-mail: info@lohman.nl
Website: www.lohman.nl
.
Lohman is the best in Amsterdam itself
Presto is a nice roadie shop.
Bike shops here are quirky… the Dutch like value for money so they don’t go in for all that carbon malarky… for example the dutch Profile Design distributor didn’t supply the brake levers so had to go to germany to get them…
but they are good for Tacx as is a dutch brand andf the rabobank kit is easy enough to get hold of
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Run shops…
RunnersWorld (Vijzelgracht 7, tel 020 420 87 00) - I love this one as it is just up the street from me… nice friendly staff
Run2Day (Overtoom 345-351, tel 020 6167272)
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Running… Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s version of Central Park with lots of runners and a nice 2mile loop.
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I work in Amsterdam so PM and i’ll give you my contact details just in case you have further questions
The one I use is a great 50m pool (http://www.optisport.nl/sloterparkbad/) it also has outside pool during the summer months.
but it is a bit outside the city centre 9there is a tram to it though
how crowded is that pool in the morning. I’ll probably have to do my swimtraining over there next year since my school will be 5minutes away from it. The pool (50m) i use now is quiet in the morning and only cost me E1,-. So i hope i will be able to train there once in a while.
i go for the early lane swimming and it is pretty good… yep… you are never alone, but it is empty enough to find a good rythmn and keep to you plan.
a bit more expensive than a euro but the 10x ticket reduces it nicely… well worth going to
and in the summer months they open up the outside pool… cool
Thanks for all the great feedback.
My new job is requiring me to travel extensively and it’s good to know what’s available.
thanks,
MLT
The biggest / cheapest bikeshop you can find probably in Holland is in a town called Limbricht. This is very close to the ‘Amstel Gold Race’ area, around a two hour drive from Amsterdam. Half way, you could take a dive in the brand new 50m pool in Eindhoven, with a chance of meeting Pieter van den Hoogenband!
www.salden.nl
http://www.zwemcentrum.nl/main.php?cm=81,79,80,140_1Deabf1_VjwPM5iKc1RPvs
The shops that were mentioned before (Presto and Lomans) are good suggestions for Amsterdam.
On the site of Presto there is an American guy posing in their apparel in front of the Palo Alto Bicycles shops. I have met this fellow a year ago when cycling with the Alto Velo club. Guess what, I still have the idea to pose with my Palo Alto Bicycles apparel in front of the Presto shop some day…
Bump
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Greetings all,
Business is taking me to Amsterdam next week. I’m looking for a good shop to pick up a Rabobank Kit but other suggestions are always welcome. Also, I’m not that familiar with the city and could use some good running/training routes plus I’m not sure if my hotel has a pool of any length…
all help is appreciated,
MLT
I suspect you’ll pay more for a Rabobank kit there than here. I see them on eBay all the time for what seems to be reasonable prices.
I second the Van Herwerden recommendation. Bike shops in Holland are not like they are here.
If you look in the Rotterdam phone book, for example, you’ll find twenty pages of bike shops! But don’t get too excited… in Holland bikes are mostly a mode of transportation, so they’re looked upon in a sort of utilitarian way and the shops are what you remember bike shops being like here in the sixties. The type of shop you’re looking for is harder to find. I suspect if you look at the Colnago site, though, and then do the dealer locator in Holland you’ll find what you need.
I too will be spending some time in Amsterdam this summer and am wondering if there is anywhere that rents a road bike. I have searched around but only can find city/touring bike rentals.
Amsterdam is a great city. I’ll second running in the Vondels Park. Not that big, but very nice. I do recall seeing a race organized there one weekend morning.
As far as bikes… first thing you will observe is a bunch of $20 bikes with $100 dollar locks. There is a reason for that. NO way would any bike of mine see the streets of Amsterdam.
Rent one of the beater-cruisers. Pedal around in the bike lanes. Revel in the fact that bikes have the right-of-way. Stop often and have a cup of Cappicino or pancakes.
Visit one of the coffee shops if that’s your thing. But then I would stick to walking.
Stop often and have a cup of Cappicino or pancakes.
Poffertjes… don’t miss the poffertjes!
And it goes without saying: “frites, met”
You’ve got all the great advice already but I couldn’t resist adding to it as I left Amsterrdamm last week after living there for 6 months.
First up Slotterbad is the best pool I’ve ever swam in - that may say more about me than the pool but every morning the Dutch swim team are in the last one or twoo lanes so I’d assume it’s the best around. The tram out there is I think the 14 (or possibly the 15) and I caught it from Rosengracht near the centre - you may be able to catch it from Dam square too but not sure. It is very slow though and when I was feeling particularly hard I’d run there and back which works out much quicker (24 mins from Leidseplein). I also took my wetsuit and swam in the lake there a couple of times eearly on but it may still be too dark for that.
Vondelpark was a bit of a dissappointmment to me - all around the edge it’s about 2 miles and as the trees are still bare it’s not that pretty.
Finally, and sorry to end on a bad note, I thought the cycling sucked. Counds odd I know but it’s virtually impossible to get to any real countryside from amsterdam and while it’s very safe with all the bike lanes the country so densely populated it’s very stop start due to all the road junctions etc. Needless to say there are no hills!
Not exactly what you’re looking for but…
I do a lot of business travel and I like small comforts, Amsterdam is a great City for this. The most civilized beer experience I have ever had was in nearby Haarlem.
I give you… the kleinije (forgive my spelling). Half a pint of ice cold, perfectly carbonated, pale lager (you do not know Heineken until you have enjoyed this treat). Instantly followed by another short cold one. No flat luke warm second half, it rekindled my taste for beer.
As far as cuisine goes you might take a pass on the Dutch traditional food like stampot, boeren koel or brune boenen (although I have to say I crave boeren koel with rookworst and make it at home from time to time in the winter).
But don’t miss…
pannekoek & poffertje’s, some one mentioned patat met mayonaise,
rijstafel (hard to categorize Indonesian feast with a Dutch sensibility).
Humble yourself by riding the aptly named Locomtiv bike around town. Appreciate what it is to live like this.
Man I miss Holland!!
If we’re talking about beer (and we always should) you’ve got to check out Gollum just off Spuistraat (sp?) you really have to search for it but it’s got a menu of 250 specialty beers and about 10m2 of floor space - a proper Dutch experience. Oh and eat all the bitterballen that you can. Having just posted about eating food in the most natural state you can this is a bit hypocritical as in 6 months i never got a straight answer as to what these actually were (except for deep fired) but they are truly awesome.