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Amsterdam: A True Bicycling Culture

If you get off the train at Central Station in Amsterdam and see the plethora of bikes for the first time, you will realize it’s a particular piece of Dutch cultivation.

Amsterdam is one of the most bike-friendly cities on earth. The reason why this city has one of the lowest bike accident rates is because of its well-maintained infrastructure for bicycles. There are a lot of paths, signs, signals, and traffic lights designated especially for cyclists. In the Netherlands, over thirty percent of all journeys are made by bicycle and virtually all Dutch kids cycle to school.
 
If you’re from elsewhere, one of the things you may be surprised about is the virtual nonexistence of helmets. The designated bike paths though, which are frequently brick-colored lanes, make city cycling rather safe. Not to mention that most city bicyclists are not riding at Tour de France speeds.
 
(Plus, in Amsterdam helmets are interpreted as very uncool).
 
Because biking is such a conventional form of travelling in Amsterdam (and the rest of The Netherlands), you will see any type of person on a bike. Stock brokers in business suits, elderly people, couples holding hands, and parents with their two kids on the back and one in the front (while making phone calls and holding an umbrella).
 
Renting a bicycle
 
Bicycle rental places can be found all over the city, primarily in tourist neighborhoods such as Central Station, Dam Square and Leidseplein. Day fees vary from € 8 to € 12 with some multi-day fees as low as € 4.
 
Almost all bike hire places in the city offer discounts for groups or added rental days. We recommend you to get the noncompulsory coverage against theft (for an extra € 2,50 to € 4 per day), especially if you get a non-touristy model. Usually, bike rental shops require an imprint of your passport or credit card, and/or a deposit between € 50 and € 200 per bicycle.
 
Locks are included, and we can’t stress enough to always use them.
 
We’re not aware of any bike rental shops that rent helmets as an option, but if you manage to find one you will be the only one in the city wearing one. Practically nobody wears them here. Surely, bicycle accidents happen, but they’re rare. Motorists are well aware of the fact that they are severely outnumbered by bicyclists, so the risks here are not as high as they are in cities with fewer bikes.
 
In almost all cases you’ll get an omafiets (granny bicycle), featuring just a single speed and a back pedal brake. They are heavy and sturdy and the single gear is all you need in the flat environment. Some rental shops offer bikes with hand brakes and multiple gears, and other bicycles such as tandem bikes, kids bicycles, transport bicycles and mountain bicycles.