Bike Tours in Amsterdam
 

We would like to take a bike tour in Amsterdam-an 18 year old, and parents. Two of the family members are great bikers, the 3rd one USED TO BE a great biker …are there any recommendations for tour companies to use or avoid?

MacBike has been around a long time and is one of the most respectable companies. Can't go wrong with MacBike IMO.

http://macbike.nl/en/

If you want to do a bike tour to get oriented with the city and get some history as well that's a good idea. But afterwards you may want to rent bikes and explore the city on your own. It's a great place to explore on bike and as you move away from the city center you'll find some wonderful and quieter places to cycle. Just get a city map and off you go. I love biking there.

I have biked all over Amsterdam and I would NOT advise casual biking on your own in the city even if you are an experienced biker - bike paths are for bikes only - stray off them and get verbal abuse your way - the bike paths themselves can be like LA freeways in rush hour - again expect horns if you are dilly dallying, etc.

Plus add dangerous tram trips that could trip you up, etc. Amsterdam in the touristic center is so so small it is walkable - for best biking get out of the city and into the Dutch countryside with its fabulous network of bike paths but in the city for most folks it is just a bad idea that sounds neat. Well that is my take on it - having been to Amsterdam zillions of times and having led 100s of folks on bike tours into the city - bike theft is also rife.

Chaos - biking in Amsterdam!

https://www.google.com/search?q=biki...=1600&bih=1075

We have a 26 hour layover in Amsterdam so we would only have half a day for an outside of Amsterdam bike tour-which would include us having jet lag! It would have to be a morning tour somewhere-outside of Amsterdam because we have a 4:45 PM flight to Rome that day. Would a half day be enough to do an outside of Amsterdam tour? I figured that my husband would be happy doing the city bike tour because he doesn't like following the herds of tourists…I would never think of renting a bike and doing our own tour because I can already predict the family chaos and disasters!

You can also rent pedalos or small boats to do your own float thru the canals:

https://www.google.com/search?q=peda...=1600&bih=1075

Be sure to take the official canal boat tours and get one that goes into the harbor as well as main canals.

I was biking in Amsterdam just a few months ago and had a blast. It was also quite different from my first experience there in the 1990's. In the 1990's biking in bike lanes was very orderly and now I will agree that it is much more chaotic but no one beeped at me, gave me the finger or directed abuse in my direction but I'm used to biking in Paris and know how to ride in a city so if you're not comfortable riding in a city it probably isn't for you.

On Dutch bike paths you got to know the rules of etiquette - if you are blocking the way for speedier folk you will get horned or yelled at and if you bike out of the official path....

and helmets are still rare with Dutch bikers - wearing one may label you a bike nerd.

A Bike Path is a Fiets path - and pedestrians should not stray in there!

A footpath where bikes are banned often runs next to a bike path - look for a picture of a man with a little kid in tow walking - an image on signs to indicate walking path.

Vondel Park is a nice place and a big place to rent bikes and have nice bike paths around this lovely park.

http://www.amsterdamcitytours.com/bi...FeZDMgodgzIAYg

a list of bike tours - so many special interest ones that sound so neat!

We used Mike's Bikes for a tour. Took the countryside tour and had a great time.
mikesbiketoursamsterdam.com

Tours in the countryside are great and really let you see how the Cutch embrace cycling - grannies and granpas on the bike paths, using them for transportation more than exercise it seems.

Iconic view: a younger guy hand rolling a cigarette whilst riding!

<i>Bike Tours in Amsterdam
Posted by: spedteacher on Apr 7, 14 at 10:25am
We would like to take a bike tour in Amsterdam-an 18 year old, and parents. Two of the family members are great bikers, the 3rd one USED TO BE a great biker …are there any recommendations for tour companies to use or avoid?</i>

I have biked a lot in Holland but would never do it in Amsterdam. You will be so busy avoiding other bikers, pedestrians, and trams that you won't see much anyway. If you want a ground level tour of Amsterdam I suggest taking a ride in a bike rickshaw, if you can find one big enough for three people. For a pleasant ride take your bike over to Haarlem or rent one there at the station. Then pedal through the dunes over to Zandvoort an Zee.

I have biked again a lot in Amsterdam and walked incessantly around and what spaarne says is spot on. Biking in Amsterdam sounds neat but unless you are experienced and know where you are going it could be a ride from hell.