Amsterdam

ianwilliams

I'm going to Amsterdam next week. Only for a couple of days with my better half.

Are there any bicycle-related things worth seeing? Cool cafes? Great picturesque routes down the canal?

We are definitely going as tourists rather than cyclists, but if we can tick both boxes at the same time I'm happy.

Thanks!

bigpikle

cant help on bike things to see, but many hotels have bikes you can borrow easily enough for a pootle around. The bike lanes take a bit of getting used to and if you cant ride, use your iPhone, dodge traffic and text all at the same time then you are at something of a disadvantage!

Bike lanes seem to exist pretty much on every street so I doubt you'll need any special route to ride along all the canals.

Have fun.

cyclingsheep

If you do ride be mindful of the tram tracks

crescent

I just spent a weekend in Amsterdam and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to say though, the thought of cycling there didn't really appeal to me. You cannot move for bikes, it is absolutely mind-boggling just how many bikes there are and all seems to be a bit haphazard in terms of who has right of way etc - crossing the road is an extreme sport in itself. We decided to drink beer/coffee and eat waffles instead. Lots to see and do and there did appear to be loads of bike hire places if you decide to go for it. Enjoy.

ugo.santalucia

Not really...
if you find the time, maybe worth a visit to the fiets fabrik... it was on my way home from work... they make "unusual" things.
Other than that, shops are disappointing, as they sell pretty much only every day bikes

Bozman

I've been there plenty of times, apparently I even went for a week once, can't say that I ever saw a bike there but if I remember correctly there's a small bike park outside Central station.

FJS

Most people like to take a look at the bike multistory in front of Centraal Station. Furthermore not many cycling specific sights. For Amsterdammers bikes are not something for urban hipsters, mamils or any other subculture, just an everyday tool. Just rent a bike and use it to get around. Cycling in city centre can be a bit chaotic, but as long as you give trams always right of way, pretty safe. Use it to see visit places in other parts if the city and you'll see how much more relaxed cycling there is than in the UK. The heavy rental town bikes are even fine for a gentle ride out of the city, say following the river Amstel to the village of Ouderkerk for a coffee and back the other side of the river, about a 10 mile round trip. My non-cycling British other half enjoyed it. Or take your bike on the free ferry behind Centraal Station to quieter Amsterdam-Noord for a loop to villages like Ransdorp. Or just to the new Film museum's cafe with great views, just next to the ferry.

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Not really...
if you find the time, maybe worth a visit to the fiets fabrik... it was on my way home from work... they make "unusual" things.
Other than that, shops are disappointing, as they sell pretty much only every day bikes

That's what the reaction of an Emirates sheik to UK car dealers must be lika, 'what, not just Ferraris and Porsches?'.
For most Amsterdammers a bike is something you use, not love. Anyway, there a plenty of more race oriented bike shops. Presto at Haarlemmerdijk is te only in city centre that springs to mind, but outide it Lohman, Tromm, Jan van Wijk, Cor Mantel...
But yeah, de Fietsfabriek is cool http://www.defietsfabriek.nl/nl/nl/225/ ... etsfabriek

gingaman

Amsterdamsebos is good for a pootle around, just outside the city to the south west. Vondel park is also good for a ride but pootling only as there are usually lots of people milling about.
If you go from Vondel park to Amsterdamsebos you could pass through the museumkwartier, lots of museums to see, and the Rijksmuseum has recently reopened after a massive renovation.

http://goo.gl/maps/SH5a8

cesco

FJS wrote:

Most people like to take a look at the bike multistory in front of Centraal Station. Furthermore not many cycling specific sights. For Amsterdammers bikes are not something for urban hipsters, mamils or any other subculture, just an everyday tool. Just rent a bike and use it to get around. Cycling in city centre can be a bit chaotic, but as long as you give trams always right of way, pretty safe. Use it to see visit places in other parts if the city and you'll see how much more relaxed cycling there is than in the UK. The heavy rental town bikes are even fine for a gentle ride out of the city, say following the river Amstel to the village of Ouderkerk for a coffee and back the other side of the river, about a 10 mile round trip. My non-cycling British other half enjoyed it. Or take your bike on the free ferry behind Centraal Station to quieter Amsterdam-Noord for a loop to villages like Ransdorp. Or just to the new Film museum's cafe with great views, just next to the ferry.

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Not really...
if you find the time, maybe worth a visit to the fiets fabrik... it was on my way home from work... they make "unusual" things.
Other than that, shops are disappointing, as they sell pretty much only every day bikes

That's what the reaction of an Emirates sheik to UK car dealers must be lika, 'what, not just Ferraris and Porsches?'.
For most Amsterdammers a bike is something you use, not love. Anyway, there a plenty of more race oriented bike shops. Presto at Haarlemmerdijk is te only in city centre that springs to mind, but outide it Lohman, Tromm, Jan van Wijk, Cor Mantel...
But yeah, de Fietsfabriek is cool http://www.defietsfabriek.nl/nl/nl/225/ ... etsfabriek

Should you be into the "urban hipster" thing however, and like shops that don't sell "only every day bikes," definitely checked out the Pristine fixed gear store (http://pristine.cc/sitex/home/) and say hi to Sam for me.

ugo.santalucia

I used to like going here

http://www.brouwerijhetij.nl/homepage-n ... jndejaars/

it's a brewery in a windmill... the unpasteurised beer is excellent and ask for "kaas blokijes" literally cubes of cheese that go down well with the beer.
You need a bike or you can take the tram, as it's a bit of a walk from the usual places in the town centre

rolf_f

FJS wrote:

The heavy rental town bikes are even fine for a gentle ride out of the city, say following the river Amstel to the village of Ouderkerk for a coffee and back the other side of the river, about a 10 mile round trip. My non-cycling British other half enjoyed it. Or take your bike on the free ferry behind Centraal Station to quieter Amsterdam-Noord for a loop to villages like Ransdorp. Or just to the new Film museum's cafe with great views, just next to the ferry.

You lack ambition! I hire three or single speed bikes and take them cross country on 100km rides. I've done a couple of different rides from Delft to Gouda and back and also Delft to Utrecht and back by train. Utrecht is similarly reachable from Amsterdam. You could do rides involving Amsterdam to Haarlem, Leiden, The Hague and Delft fairly easily (maybe out and back or back by train on longer ones). Also the Windmills at Zansee Schans should be doable from Amsterdam.

As long as it isn't too windy, the hire bikes are perfectly serviceable for that sort of distance. It's quite liberating.