Off-Peak Bike Commute

That's really the way to go, if you can swing it. For one thing, you avoid the Dutch junior high and high school kids who ride to school in packs, three or four wide, taking up the entire bike path and only yielding, if at all, at the last minute. It can make for hairy situations. Today, I first did some work at home, then around eleven got on my way. It's mild fall weather in Holland (60s and sunny with little wind), and I rode in shorts again (long sleeves, though). I also finally took my friend Piet's advice and followed the Vecht river all the way into the city of Weesp. That way, you avoid riding the bike path (perfectly safe) alongside a busy highway. It's a slight detour, but Piet is right to say that it's more that worth it. He's been doing this for years, and it's clear he knows what he's talking about. On the other side of Weesp you pick up the little road alongside the Amsterdam Rijnkanaal (where I only saw one ship today, the entire way to Amsterdam; this made it less interesting; also, deserted, the canal looked not nearly as forbidding). The section behind the Central train station in the city was easier too, with not nearly as many ferry passengers trying to get across the bikepath. Tuesday is going to be different: it's supposed to rain, and I'll have to head out around 7 am.