Bicycling

Bicycling is a great way to get around town. If you're in Amsterdam you see that many locals use the bicycle as main means of transportation to get around town. Biking is so popular that there are more bicycles than inhabitants in the city. You have many bicycle types: the standard Dutch bicycle without suspension, gears, and other fancy stuff up to 'Hummer' like vehicles used by yuppie moms to transport children to and from school. Also the 'pick-up' bicycle is very popular with house squatters as it allows them to move furniture around town very easily and cheaply.

Rules

You do not need a bicycling license! It is true that Dutch children get bicycling lessons and even an exam when they are in school, but it is the same thing with swimming - you do not need a license for that.

A helmet is not required, drive on the right, do not use the paveway - use the bicycle lanes or (if absent) the regular street (except for highways!).

Theft and parking

Bicycle theft is quite common, so when you park your bike always lock it to the bike of your biking partner or to another object. Do not lock only a wheel, but lock both wheel and frame to the other object. Officially it is not allowed to lock your bike to something else than a bike stand, this policy is not really executed with the exception of areas around big public locations like central station. If you park your bike outside of the official parking areas it will be cut loose and transported to a municipal parking hangar outside of town where you can pick it up after a one hour bus-drive.

Nice routes

The center can be quite intimidating for your first bike ride, maybe it's a good idea to start riding in a more bicycle friendly neighbourhood like a park (the Vondelpark!), the eastern docklands, or northern Amsterdam. The nice thing about northern Amsterdam is that within 10 minutes you can be out in the country and looking at the polders, channels, dikes, windmills and cows. To get to northern Amsterdam just hop on the ferry that leaves behind central station. If you want some more space and quietness you could also go to the Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest) which is located a bit south of Amsterdam (...) in Amstelveen, this enormous park also has a lot of interesting things to offer.

Rental places

There are a number of big bicycle rental companies spread all over town, but highly concentrated in the center. Prices per day vary from 8,50 euro per day to something around 4 euro a day (long term). The following companies are popular with tourists:

• Bicycle hotel  Bicycle oriented hotel
• Mac Bike  5 locations in the center, also @ central station
• Mike's Bike Tours  Offers tours
• Damstraat rent-a-bike  Near dam-square
• Bike city rental service  Unmarked bicycles, you won't be recognized as a tourist!
• Workcycles  Cargo bicycles

Bicycle hotel

If you're visiting Amsterdam by bike or plan to make a bicycle your daily means of transportation it might be an idea to stay at the bicycle hotel. The hotel rents bicycles and has free bicycle parking, it is located in the Pijp area (just minutes south of the center).