November 4th, 2009
Arie Dekker’s Endless Summer Entry
This summer picture is taken in the summer 2008 while cycling from Hull to Aberdeen with Bamburgh Castle on the North Sea coast in the background. Having only 2 weeks for my yearly cycling holiday I am doing the 6000 Km North Sea Route bit by bit, about a 1000 Km at the time. The bike is a modern Pedersen bicycle, custom made to size and specifications by Kemper in Germany. In this bike all the shortcomings I experienced during previous long cycle trips with other bikes are dealt with. It has an over dimensioned fork, enabling 50×559 Schwalbe marathon extreme tires that cope with even the most uneven, unpaved surfaces that sometimes are part of the route. Gearing is internal, using the magnificent 14 speed Rohloff hub while Magura HS33 brakes have proven very useful and add to the feeling of safety.
I experience these yearly solo cycling trips almost as meditation. The mind is concentrating on only a very few basic things, landscape, weather (will it stay dry? how will the wind be?), gradients and last but not least where to sleep and eat.
—Arie Dekker, Netherlands
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7 Responses to “Arie Dekker’s Endless Summer Entry”
I really love your bike
Where are you in Netherlands?
Luc, I am living about 30 Km North of Amsterdam in a place Bakkum, situated on the North Sea coast. Maybe that is why I am so fascinated to do eventually the full 6000Km circle around the North Sea.
It could be a great trip. Will you do it with your Pedersen. I’m quite fascianted by that bike
It is a great trip! I already did 4 from the 6 K Kilometers. England, Scotland. Netherlands, Germany and Denmark are done, all on Pedersen bike. “Just” ± 1800 Km to go in Sweden + Norway.
The black Pedersen bike proved perfectly suited to tackle all stretches. Only drawback is that you cannot stand on the pedals while doing very steep slopes. It is then just a matter of using extremely low gearing. The 14 gears in the Rohloff are situated in such a way that I use 10th gear on the flat without wind, so there are plenty of low gears available. If the concept of the Pedersen bike (thin tubes in triangles, making a strong and stiff construction + a nice design!)) interests you there is also a USA website (www.pedersenbicycles.com) with info.
I hope to try one.
Is there some owners in or near Belgium?
Luc, There are some Pedersen owners in Belgium, there even is a Pedersen tandem (in Gent?). The Belgian Jan Hufkens also owns one which he used to cycle to Santiago. You can ask for his details via the website of the Pedersen club NL http://www.pedersen-genootschap.nl. Via this site you might be able to ask for more people.
Thanks for the informations Arie
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