Bicycles in Amsterdam

[scroca]

I didn't have very long in Amsterdam, but I was there recently and two things struck me as I stepped out from Central Train Station:

1. People are very tall.

2. There are more bicycles than I thought existed in the entire world -- and I'm just talking about the ones parked outside the train station.

I hope to return to Amsterdam one day for a longer stay with more time to look around. I don't know if I'd have the nerve to get on a bicycle in that city though. I don't know how you folks who live there get around without crashing into each other.

Oh wait, there's a #3: The public urinals!!! Haha, that was hilarious.

But seriously, great city. I have to get back there.

[K.Katso]

Bikes are a way of life here in NL.

In Amsterdam, I've seen crashes between two bikes, between bikes and cars, bikes and pedestrians, and bikes and trams. It can get pretty hectic and many people don't obey the traffic laws. If you want to bike in the city, I suggest you rent one and just pedal around. Don't bring anything expensive.

Now, if you haven't been to the rest of the country then I would suggest you bring a good road bike and get out there. There are bike paths along almost every highway or other road, and it is very easy to get from one side of the country to the other completely by bike. You can also take your bike on most trains and metros (in specific cars).