One of the first things you’ll notice when arriving in Amsterdam is the lack of motorized vehicles. You’ll see the odd car and van here and there, but they are mostly delivery vehicles. The next thing you’ll notice is the sheer volume of bikes that can be found across Amsterdam.
It’s not surprising that with all the bikes, Amsterdam is famous for them.
Bikes in Amsterdam are so popular that its common to find yourself wandering into cycle paths or getting in the way of some cyclist that appears to be in a rush. If your not from Amsterdam then it’s not your fault that your not used to all the cycle paths. Most cities across the world have just a 2 foot wide lane for cyclists. Where as in Amsterdam, Cyclists have lanes that are at least 4 feet wide.
As cycle paths in Amsterdam run everywhere, make sure you keep an ear and eye out for them. Looking down can often reveal if you are indeed on a pedestrian path, or a cycle path. Cycle paths are usually painted with a tan colouring and have a kerb of some kind between them and the road.
The cyclists that cruise around the city on their two wheeled mean machines often have their own set of rules, all of which are unofficial of course. It’s not unusual to see an someone on an Amsterdam bike going the wrong way down a one way street, or seeing them go through red lights, as long as it gets the rider to their destination quicker, it doesn’t seem to matter to the cyclists. Making travelling around Amsterdam on a bicycle the quickest way to travel. (But not the safest neccesarily).
If you want to join the locals in getting around town on just two wheels. Then why not rent a bike yourself? The ground is flat,cycle paths are everywhere and bike are available for rent on a daily basis. The bikes in Amsterdam aren’t anything special. Most have just 3 gears. Meaning low maintenance,easy to manage and cheap to rent. 10 Euros a day will get you your very own set of wheels to explore the city at your own pace.