Cycling in Amsterdam... any tips what to be mindful of?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
PS Don't eat too many of those 'fancy cakes' - you might fall off your bike into the canal !
 

Julia9054

Guru
Location
Knaresborough
Cycle in the morning. Gets really crowded in the afternoon and the locals are not very tolerant of dithering tourists on bikes. Also by the afternoon there are too many dithering tourists on foot wandering into bike lanes. I found it fun but a bit stressful.
I recommend finding a nice bar for the afternoon!
 

woodbutcher

Veteran
Location
S W France
I love my bikes and l love Amsterdam although but not together at the same time. And whats with all the bikes being dumped in the canals....bloody dozens of them when l was there last year ?
 
OP
OP
stoatsngroats
Location
South East
I had a bit of a skim through youtube but far too many videos are jokes, dull vids of busy routes or Americans basically freaking out at bikes as transport.

One did remind me that some use a fist pointing down from the elbow with upper arm horizontal as a stop signal (like our pothole signal but with a fist) rather than the UK wave or Italian raised hand, but it was too long a vid for just that nugget. Another summarised the need to get off the bike lane ASAP if you stop, else you will get tyre tracks across your face sooner or later. And if you park, lock it proper and make a note of where (save a gps waymark?) because one bridge full of bikes can look much like another after a beer!

Other than that, this seems a good summary of signs, except that square bike symbol signs (like the UK "this road is a shoot cycle route" one) or "fietspad" in white on blue means you can cycle there but don't have to (same meaning as our round bike symbol signs, which there mean you must use it instead of the carriageway).


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-cYZo5kToM


Thanks for all this! I checked YT yesterday and saw the same piffly vids, which prompted the question!

Dutch nationals seem good at spotting non dutch nationals on bikes so don't panic. My GF doesn't really ride bikes much but we covered 60 miles when we went in January without any issue. Expect a disgruntled yo or hey if you get in someones way.

Keep right in the cycle lane and overtake on the left. Expect mopeds to come past you at crazy speeds. Don't stop in a cycle lane without looking behind first.

The main thing. Lock it or loose it!

I’m not sure we’ll leave our bikes ever, as they’ll fold if we stop somewhere, and we’ll sit outside for lunch etc.
No Amsterdamage for us, that’s not our reason for visiting.
I have a small plan to see a few things, which maybe not the normal stuff tourists would do, and I think our cycle around Paris has given us a good idea of driving on the right side of the road.

Thanks everyone for your info!
SnG
 
  • Like
Reactions: mjr

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
When we were there we did struggle a bit working out what was a coffee shop as opposed to a "coffee shop"
As far as I can tell, ones that sell nothing harder than coffee call themselves koffie huis, koffiebar, koffiesalon, koffietent, koffie spot or anything except koffieshop.The koffieshops of the leafy type display a green and white sign and a licence, as well as usually a no-under-18s sign:
640px-Coffee_shop_license_AMS_mirror.jpg

(source)
 

Slick

Guru
I'm heading over with Mrs Slick on her ebike closer to the end of next month. I'm glad I read this thread as neither of us have cycled there before and the truth is we're really just planning on passing through on our way to Utrecht but I'm starting to think 100km a day might be a but hopefull on the busy cycle paths but I suppose time will tell.
 
Location
España
Oh but @HobbesOnTour in https://www.cyclechat.net/posts/5655541 implied that they were only going to fine young people...

I am so sick and tired of you telling me what I think (and then avoiding an actual debate). Go away, and stop dragging me into your crusades. I've said it before and I'm saying it again now - any valid points you make are severely diminished by the provocative and disrespectful way you use language to make those points.

I referred to a "target market" of extreme offender, who are "young" in the main. Also very easy to catch - just set up a few hundred meters from a school. Of course, schools are closed now.

Here's an idea...... how about we wait and see what happens before going apoplectic? I've lived here for 20 odd years and find the Police to be very sensible. I'd be very surprised if any touring cyclist gets anything other than a friendly warning for misuse of a phone while cycling.
I can't imagine too many laden cyclists cycling one handed while using a phone anyway and personally, would never advise it.
 
Location
España
I'm heading over with Mrs Slick on her ebike closer to the end of next month. I'm glad I read this thread as neither of us have cycled there before and the truth is we're really just planning on passing through on our way to Utrecht but I'm starting to think 100km a day might be a but hopefull on the busy cycle paths but I suppose time will tell.

I've no idea of your physical skills, Slick, but I wouldn't be too worried about the distances, so long as you give yourselves the time.
Yes, some of the paths can be busy, some more than others, so that can limit speed, but moreso for people who really want to go fast.
Big, urban areas can be slow, but that's only sensible anyway. I've never cycled through Amsterdam and have no desire to, but it's nothing to be scared of. Some of the areas around Amsterdam, especially on the way towards Utrecht are fabulous for cycling! From urban to rural in 60 seconds! ^_^

There's lots of daylight so you can take your time. Enjoy!
 
U

User169

Guest
Police in NL already tweeting that they've handed out fines for using a mobile whilst cycling. Police in Groningen have come under fire for the following gem (now deleted):

"The first cyclist has been fined for holding a mobile phone while cycling. As well as getting a bad result from her doctor for her STI test, she got bad news from us, namely a €95 fine. Watch out, fines are being issued from today!’
 
Top Bottom