Bikes, bikes and more bikes.
Amsterdam transportation is unique in that the most common vehicle is a bike.
There seems to be no rules or regulations for bikes in Amsterdam. You have a better chance of being hit by a bike than a car in Amsterdam. There are more than 800,000 bikes in the city and 225,000 bike racks.
Needless to say there are bikes locked on anything and everything in Amsterdam. I saw a locked bike hanging from a bridge. Each year around 12,000 bikes are found in the canals. Rumor has it that bike stores may be using this tactic to help generate sales.
Most locals have 3 bikes each. One for everyday riding that can be beat up and left outside, a second for when they forget where they parked their first bike (maybe after a night of pub hopping), and a third for sport riding on the holidays. The third bike is usually a luxury bike that is treated with care and kept inside. The average Dutch person rides about 4 miles a day.
I saw everything on bikes from dogs riding in baskets, multiple children being picked up from school on one bike, to large packages and Uber Eats tied on the back. Bike riding occurs in all weather and the only protection worn is a rain coat! I’m pretty sure locals learn to bike before they can walk.
Biking is by far the fastest way around, however, I preferred to explore Amsterdam by foot (yes, I’m a chicken). In my defense, I wanted to be able to stop, shop and take in the sites without having to worry about hitting anyone or being hit. Plus they bike so fast I probably would have caused a bike jam.
We did visit a local brewery, Browerij ’t IJ, and it was packed for Thursday happy hour. I’m going to assume there are no drinking and biking laws because the locals finished their pints, hopped on their bikes and headed home (in the rain).
On my next visit, I will take a little more time and do some bike riding out in the countryside. I’ll have to decide if I want to rent a vintage bike from the The Humble Vintage or the fancy yellow bikes with the extra seat on the back from The Yellow Bike The Amsterdam Ride.
If you are headed to Amsterdam, check these bike rentals out:
Website-The Yellow Bike The Amsterdam Ride
Website -The Humble Vintage
