Bike Labyrinth routes: the making of

The sun is shining, the leaves are green and summer is here. For our film team this means the time has come to hop on a bike and record new routes for Bike Labyrinth. And just like that we’ve already recorded many new routes this season (like a route via canal De Vliet in The Hague or the Rainbow Path in Utrecht). One of the projects was recording a bunch of new routes in the north of the Netherlands, which we’d like to tell you all about.

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Dokkum, the Netherlands

Our film team

As a Route filmer, you’re recording new routes almost every day in Spring and Summer. A big chunk of the new routes are recorded in our own country, the Netherlands, but we’re also filming in other countries, such as Germany, France and Finland. You can spot our team almost anywhere! If you visited Friesland last month, you might have spotted one or two of our cyclists, who were recording eleven new routes there.

Friesland, the Netherlands

On a sunny Monday our Route filmers left The Hague bright and early. By now they are experts in packing all of the supplies and equipment needed for the task that lay ahead. Once the van is packed it is time to go.
After about three hours of driving to Dokkum, the most northern point in Friesland, there was still enough time left to get started on a route. So out of the car and onto the bike!

Making the recordings

We put a lot of effort into making new routes for clients, patients and residents. Even from before we start cycling. First a plan has to be made and a map will be drawn; preparing all the possible routes and turns. To make the choice to go either left or right possible, a route has to be cycled and recorded multiple times. Filming a complete route through a city consists of around 20 parts that are recorded individually. In other words, quite the task (and workout).

From recording to route

When recording big cities, like Leeuwarden, the route needs to be split into two. One of our team members takes care of the left side of the city, and the other of the right side. Smaller cities or towns can be recorded in one day, which means the team manages to cycle two cities a day. After the recording is finished, our editors take a look at the material to decide if it is good enough for Bike Labyrinth. Then it’s time for editing, coding and getting the new route online. So there is usually a couple of months between the initial planning of the routes and going live.

As a Route filmer you have the unique position to enjoy and cycle our routes for the very first time, just like these new routes through Friesland. But you’ll need a little patience before you can try them on your own Bike Labyrinth. So in the meantime our team will continue working hard and cycling all over the world to ensure that Bike Labyrinth always has new and fun routes for you.