Social media can help you find people who share the same passion and connect with them. You can build these connections all over the world through our virtual playgrounds, but there are many cases where you can expand those horizons and really meet up in person.

Today was the day when I, Ronald, met up with Jeroen. We have followed and responded to each other on Instagram for some time, and we discovered we don’t live that much apart.

We even ride the same routes sometimes without knowing.

But that all changed after we both came on board with Soomom as ambassadors, and we took this opportunity to finally meet in person. 

A Scenic Day on the Saddle

The alarm clock was set early and it was still dark while it was ringing. I got out of bed and made a good oatmeal breakfast, it was important to get the day off to the right start.

Everything was packed the night before. We planned to meet up at a place I don’t come to all that often, the National Park of South Kennemerland, a delightful corner of the Netherlands. It’s a beautiful dune and woodland area with long stretches of roads flowing through pristine nature.

After a 30 minute drive, still in the dark, you can see the light of the sunrise peeking through above the horizon.

This will be a glorious day for a bike ride.

Meeting an Old Friend for the First TIme

Jeroen pulled up in his car a couple of minutes later. As we set up our bikes we talked and prepared for our ride.

Jeroen, with his attractive red Canyon endurance road bike, while I got my special Cannondale gravel bike ready.

These early fall mornings are chilly in the Netherlands, so you need to layer up. We both made the most of our Soomom gear, starting with matching base layers, the Pro Classic thermal jersey and a Lightweight Windproof jacket.

As the sun rose higher we headed straight into the National Park. Enjoying the winding, flowing roads through the woods made while the early morning glow lit up the sky. 

Lots to catch up on

After a quick break to shoot some photos of the sunrise we head out on a more gravel path. That’s the luxury of riding in the early morning, the roads and trails are so quiet that you can ride anywhere.

Since Jeroen and I met online through Instagram we really don’t know all that much about each other. We talk about our families, our backgrounds and also what drives us as people.

Jeroen told me about his experience in the army. He was a soldier in the special forces for many years. He came by many scenarios that made him the man he is today. Some things he mentioned are moments in time we as normal citizens will never experience. It made him the man he is today, and now working in the private security sector. He’s a man that has a certain drive, call it dedication, and that is true to this day.

To push yourself to the limit, not just in cycling but in every aspect of life, takes this level of dedication. From the urge to have a clean bike after every ride, to tough indoor training sessions. Nothing is too crazy for this man.

Soomom family

Continuing through the woods and open dune field the sun shone its glorious yellow orange glow. The zippers of the windvest were opened as our body heat from riding went up a notch.

Talking about the technical side of the Soomom clothing together we agreed all the little details, like the off center zippers, were of good use. We have ridden with many clothing brands and Soomom is a brand we both feel connected to.

Not only the fabrics, but all the technical features and the Soomom culture built by the Ambassadors.

Climbing High

We arrived to a place that is a little unique in this area, a short but steep climb called “Kopje of Bloemendaal”. This iconic climb is a must to ride but it can leave you out of breath very quickly.

 You have to pace yourself, especially in the beginning, because that's the rough part. Riding this section of 10% elevation on a cobbled road is tough.

Riding with a trained machine like Jeroen made me dig a little deeper on the way up.

But what goes up must come down and that is what we did. Heading in the National Reservation again for some more flowing sections of roads though the Autumn trees.

Family and Cycling

Later on we talked about family. I’m a real family man and nothing is more important to me than my wife and 3 kids. We have been through hard times these past years, with a complete low when my daughter (now 12 years old) was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. That really was a tough time, but luckily and happily she is alright now.

What helped though was keeping focused on our faith in God and the things that matter most in life. Riding outside in nature made me feel at rest again.

Enjoying nature helped me and my family see we are not in control.

Until we ride again

We ended our ride by cooling down and heading to the parking lot. It was a great experience meeting up for both of us. We promised each other we would do this more often.

After we packed up our things and got the bikes in the car we said goodbye.

Until the next ride.

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