Now this is why we moved to The Netherlands – they have conferences on bike touring!
As regular readers might guess, this one was organised by the fabulous Wereldfietser club and their great work meant that 650 people came through the doors last Saturday in Rotterdam to learn all about travelling by bicycle.
Here are some pictures that give a flavour of the day – mark your calendars for next year! (Photos courtesy of RobertJan).
It was very busy. The whole day looked like this. I can’t remember a moment of relative calm. What was there to see? Displays from bike tourists, workshops on things like how to get started and how to pack your bike for the plane, a book fair and a second-hand market.
This bike got a lot of attention. The owner had it painted in Pakistan and the work cost about $80. It was absolutely gorgeous.
This was our table at the fair, where we talked about our trip and answered questions from people planning journeys.
And here we are looking a bit silly – Friedel is trying to grab a bite to eat (something not easily achieved when everyone wants to talk to you!) and Andrew manages to find time to smile for the camera. We talked to so many people our throats were raw by the end of the day.
Our neighbours had also gone quite far on their bikes and brought huge maps to show off their trips.
You could learn about cycling in Oman at the fair.
And even about traditional dress!
It was really a wonderful day out. Do come next year if you’re in the area. Thanks to RobertJan for letting us use his pictures in this post.