RatN – A Look Back – Two Bikers Abroad

In Toto

Now that we are a bit removed by space and time from our Race around the Netherlands adventure, perhaps we can look back with rose-colored glasses.

For a different look at our complete ride, you can check out this Komoot collection.

Our entire 1200km route (cribbed from Komoot collection)

If you’re coming to this blog late, you can find all of our posts about the RatN 2024 here.

To paraphrase Steve Martin’s character in The Three Amigos: “Gonna make it. Gonna make it! Gonna make it!!! Not gonna make it…” Sure, there was a tiny, naive part of us that hoped we could rise to the occasion and do 200km/day and more, but ultimately it wasn’t meant to be and we really knew that from the start. Nonetheless, we were thrilled to participate and would do it again in a few skipped heartbeats. We learned a lot about how to approach the logistics of the event (transporting bikes, feeding ourselves, finding lodging, navigating, pacing, etc) and we came away with a lot more confidence in ourselves and each other. We hope to get back to the Netherlands soon-ish so that we can finish the remaining 650km on our own. Stay tuned, I guess?

Gratitude

It’s also a great time to thank everyone who helped us achieve this goal, because…

An image of Boromir from the LotR movie saying "One does not simply race around the Netherlands"

First off, a huge thank you to Corey and Jen who greased the wheels by giving us a place to land on arrival and an opportunity to ease into the Dutch realm. Not only did Corey pick us up from (and drop us off at) the airport, they also ferried us to the race start in Amerongen and entertained us for several days after the race was over. It’s always so much fun to spend time with them, wherever in the world they are. After several years in the Netherlands, it’s back to Doha, Qatar for them so where will we meet up with them next? Who could say?

Ben, Liz, Jen and Corey in front of a small washer and dryer — Inspecting the all-important washer and dryer is a group activity in the Netherlands

Our neighbor Josephine was kind enough to watch our house and the dogs for us and she knocked it out of the park. We received daily updates on our sick-but-recovering eldest dog, Jules, and her sister Maya; we knew they were in good hands the entire time. Also, thanks to my dad who walked “the girls” every day, which further-cemented the feeling of normalcy for them (and us). I’m sure they didn’t even realize we were gone!

Typical daily update picture that lifted our spirits

Thanks to Renee and David for loaning us the amazing EVOC bags that we used to safely transport our bikes on the bike, bus and airplane!

Thanks to our bikes just for getting the job done! “No Crashies! No Flatties! No Whammies!” We were incredibly fortunate to have no issues over such a long adventure in such varied conditions.

Thanks to Harald for general morale boosts before, during and after the event and for watching our slow-ass dot all eight days. Not to mention the logistical help at the start of our adventure by hauling a bike on his trailer.

Thanks to Bill for picking us up at an increasingly-late hour as the buses and other transit are delayed. You were a sight for sore, tired eyes!

Thanks to the race organizers (Michael and volunteers), the racers (Herold, Henry, and others) and dot-watchers that we encountered along the way. I’m happy to report all positive interactions for our first big event.

Media-Miscellanea

We captured many hours of video footage on the ride, and we’ve been slowly distilling that down to short quick-cut clips glued together by royalty-free music. You can find the entire playlist here. Here’s a couple selections.