travelgirl2

In Amsterdam, we didn't see too many helmets. So, you may want to have her bring her helmet with her.

We took a tour with Mike's Bikes and it was fun. They did talk some about the marijuana coffee shops, but she'll probably notice this on her own anyway.

The bikes in Amsterdam are old clunkers, which my kids found very funny. Mike's Bikes were nicer than most others we saw.

carmelbythesea

Okay. I had to nearly laugh aloud at the scaremongering. I've home exchanged a month in Amsterdam each of the last 3 years with my wife and 3 young children, all under 5. We bike every single day. Last year, my wife rode with our 6 week old strapped in a baby bjorn front carrier! And neither of us had ridden a bike in 10 years. Does that put things in perspective for you?

Sure it's busy, but orderly, riders friendly (except to meandering pedestrians straying into the bike lane), and there are bike lanes everywhere. And very few cars. Gosh, someone mentioned Vondelpark? I would say Vondelpark is about as safe as biking through a cemetary.

You said she bikes 10 miles/day? She sounds like she could handle the Tour de France, let alone Amsterdam. Let her have the opportunity. If you're concerned, ride with her for the first day and see how you feel. I think you'll look back on this thread and laugh a bit at the overreacting.

Ciao from Copenhagen
Carmel, Calif.

PalenQ

Scaremongering?

<but I did have a very near-miss once when crossing a street alongside a car - the car moved more quickly and a tram whizzed by in front of me, I swear by 6 inches. I only stomped on my brakes b/c hubby yelled 'STOP!!' and only then did I see the tram.>

Travelnut

That was me. I am a "50's" adult who rides bikes for exercise and I am no alarmist. The center is very busy and hectic, occasionally road construction, and I won't ride around Dam Square anymore. I will ride in the neighborhoods off the canal rings, ex. Jordaan, Museumplein, etc. We rode to Rembrandtpark, and we rode alongside the Amstel for about 12km and back, all enjoyable. But it's no Disneyland and riders need to be constantly aware of all types of traffic - no one is watching out for you.

PalenQ

Yes it's not scaremongering but a first-hand experience - as i base my scaremongering comments on 35 years of riding bikes in Amsterdam

yes a 16 year can do it - many Dutch do but not right off the bat thinking it's a cakewalk

plus i see no reason for the average tourist to bike in the centrum - Vondel Park of course - but the compact centrum is eminently walkable. Bike theft used to be rife as well - and maybe still is so parking a bike in the centrum is not suggested without a super super lock - not the cheap ones rental companies supply. a renter would of course have to put a hefty deposit down on the bike in case it were stolen.

Scaremongering? Not at all but sage advice i feel for a parent of a 16 year old.

biking in Amsterdam is utilitarian for locals but not a picnic or a relaxing thing IME

WillTravel

There's also the issue of jetlag. We're in Amsterdam for three nights at the start of our trip, and I know that one's reflexes are not as sharp for the first couple days. We have been to Amsterdam before, so I think it would be a great idea to explore some outlying areas. I suggested the bike tour, but she's not too keen on the idea. We'll see.

Tuscanson

Bicycling is the best in Amsterdam. Sure you have to pay attention.
Last month I enjoyed a nice ride, 5-7 miles or so along the Amstel River out of town. The further out of town you get the quieter it is. Just follow the Amstel. Eventually all you see are nice parks, homes and villas. I went as far as Ouderkerk, stopped at that quaint little town for food and rode back.
It was my favorite experience in Amsterdam.

PalenQ

Tuscanson's ride is great one - though it's hardly biking in Amsterdam itself, which for the novice is full of pitfalls - but after getting to the Amstel Canal there is a beautiful bike path along it - and from Oudekerk you can take a really nice path to Abcoude, an even neater small town, and onto Breukelen (Brooklyn) and then return on the same canal or at Brukelen put your bike on a train and train back.

Guenmai

I've been biking in Copenhagen since the early 70s and it's very easy to bike there. There are bike lanes with their own mini-sized traffic lights and tons of folks bike...from children to grandparents. I think it will be a good investment to pick up a pair of Helly Hansen rain pants and light-weight nylon jacket. It rains a lot in Denmark and I never left home without those two items. I used to bike through really bad downpours. I hate arriving somewhere...like to a friend's house... soaking wet. Helly Hansen raingear kept me dry. You can buy it in the States. Happy Travels!

WillTravel

My daughter ended up renting from Mike's Bike Rentals on Kerkstraat, and biked in Amsterdam, and had an absolutely fabulous time while we were there. She spent most of her time on her bike. I'm still not thrilled with the idea of city biking in general, but she does do it at home in a less supportive environment than Amsterdam.