When in Amsterdam, renting a bike or going on a bike tour is a must. Not only is it a great way to experience everyday life in the most bike friendly city in the world, it is also literally the fastest way to get around Amsterdam's many historic neighborhoods. And in the current blistering heat, it's basically the only way to get a breath of fresh air (also: completely drenched in sweat).
Biking in Amsterdam, however, is likely a whole different way of biking from what you're used to at home. For one thing, unlike most cities in less bike-friendly parts of the world, bike lanes are everywhere. And if they aren't, then there usually is a quiet side street down which you can safely bike. On the downside, this means less pedestrian and car space meaning the chances for collisions of all three are maximized, especially once you factor in the abundance of canals. The main thing you have to understand about biking in Amsterdam, whether you yourself are doing it or not, is that bikes are king: in rankings of importance, they trump cars, pedestrians, and public transit. Whether you're walking or driving, you are always the one expected to yield your way to the cyclist, and you face criminal charges if you do not and an accident occurs. If you find you find yourself on a bike in the Netherlands, however, being given the right of way by cars instead of being forced to swerve your way around them is delightfully refreshing. God help you if you walk into a bike lane in front of a Dutch cyclist, though.
Moreover, biking in the Netherlands is by far not just a "good weather" thing - Dutchies happily bike through rainstorms, sleet, snow, and heatwaves. If you're going to bike the Dutch way, commit to it and bike regardless of the weather. If anything, it'll make your new Dutch friends respect you more.
Dutch bikes are also remarkably tall, a fact you may not even notice unless you, like myself, are petite in stature. Although most Dutchies probably can't tell the difference as they themselves happen to be among the tallest nations in the world, Dutch bikes are made to be not as close to the ground as most of us are used to. As a result, somewhere along the line, the Dutch developed their own trademark way of mounting their bikes that I am convinced is imparted onto children as soon as or even before they can walk. To hop on a bike like a Dutchie, put your left foot on the left pedal, and after pushing yourself off with the right foot, kick your right leg over to the other side of the bike. Unless you want to kick the seat away from under yourself and risk falling into a canal, I also recommend trying this only after some practice.
Another peculiarity of Dutch biking is back pedal brakes. Most bikes have no front break (the squeezy things on the handlebars we have grown accustomed to in most other countries in the world), or maybe have one weak front brake. As a rule, Dutch bikes stop when you pedal backwards. Make sure you figure just how the breaks on your bikes work before you happily pedal off into the sunset... flying over your handle bars is never fun in any country, especially in a country where 0% of the cyclists wear helmets. If you want to make a Dutchie giggle and/or give you a confused look, ask them why they aren't wearing a helmet. I dare you.
When all is said and done, however, biking in the Netherlands is a delightful experience and I highly recommend it.
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