Canals, houseboats and bicycles are all part of the furniture in Amsterdam. Anyone who has visited the city will tell you that, round here, the humble cyclist rules the road.

Cycling lanes are as important as major motorways and official figures from the I am Amsterdam organization estimate about 600,000 bicycles circulate amongst the 750,000 inhabitants. Amsterdam is ideal for bike holidays because it is so flat!

Many Amsterdam hostels and accommodation providers are geared up to be cycle friendly. All the main attractions are close-by and with an estimated 600,000 bikes in circulation, residents know that cycling is the most authentic and convenient way to experience the city thanks to the huge cycle lanes and road signs.

So, to join in with the other pedal pushers, and stay at stay at one of the Amsterdam hostels They’ll kit you out with accommodation and transportation all in one go.

And best of all, you have up to the 30th April to be in with a chance of winning your bike rental for free!

And while you are there, why not expand you bicycle adventure beyond the capital. Like Amsterdam, the rest of the country is best seen from a bicycle saddle.

In the summer of 1997, Tim Doherty set off alone on a daunting round-the-world cycle tour, which turned out to be even more awe-inspiring than he could have hoped. For this book, he has taken the most fascinating and humorous experiences from his diaries and woven them together into a collection of true short-stories.

With many beautiful photographs, sketches and maps, “This Breathtaking World” is a vivid and very personal account of life on the road. The title has a double-meaning, as the author is a chronic asthma sufferer. Tim encountered many problems, but the varied cultures and fantastic scenery along the way were his daily rewards. What remains with him most, however, is his impression of the people in each of the countries he cycled across; their remarkable generosity and hospitality.

Tim completed his tour successfully, finishing up in his home town of Sheffield, England, more than two years after he’d cycled off from there, having pedalled a total of 21,688 miles.

Although Tim finished his trip more than 10 years ago his report is timeless, as is cycling around the globe.  The black and white pictures and some drawings add a personal touch to this book.  A nice read for cyclists and arm chair travellers.

Doherty, Tim
This Breathtaking World: Around the World by Bicycle 1997 – 1999.
London, Lulu, 2009. 978-1-4452-2150-2. This title is for sale at both Amazon and Lulu as paperback.