Before you ask, the bicycle situation in Amsterdam is a tad different from the rest of .nl. Bikes with racks, crates, child seats, sea containers and mobile homes attached are much more common. It makes sense in a city full of tiny streets lined with cobble stones. (It also makes sense ‘coz it’s cheap.)

Crate bike in Amsterdam

Since bikes are uniquitous, it makes sense they’re adorned with useful additions such as crates. I kid you not, people actually transport living pets in them, as well as more mundane items such as groceries. They also come in handy to transport your heavy-duty chain lock, required to safely store your bicycle on the street.

Another crate bike in Amsterdam

Crates come in all sorts and sizes, but invariably represent the owner’s personal style. Black plastic bakery crates are common; they cost a €5 deposit but are often “borrowed”. Any crate originally devised for transporting produce works great too. The black omafiets (grandma bicycle) above comes with a deluxe reed crate, but might be seen as a particular posh exception to the rule. Both photos were shot literally within 10 meters of each other. Can you imagine how many crate bikes roam the streets of Amsterdam every day?

If there is something Nederlanders do, it’s building bridges. No wonder with a country that’s more water than land. And cities that have more canals than Venice! (Not sure if that is actually true, but it sounds dramatic.) And if you think having the longest bicycle-bridge in the world is outlandish, wait ’till you’ve seen one of the many bridges in the busiest highways.

I will cover Nederlands’ bridges more than once on this blog, but the two I have lined up for this episode are one of the most eye-catching stuff we have.

Bruggen van Amsterdam

Bridges over the Leidsegracht, Amsterdam

No, not in bruges, but in Amsterdam is where you will find the bridges you know from postcards. If you look at the picture above, that is just one snapshot I took earlier without paying much attention to what I was shooting. These brick bridges are everywhere in Amsterdam, and the best thing is that they are essential to life in the city.

The bridges connect all parts of Amsterdam and urban, every day life would be impossible without them. Cars, bicycles, trucks, tourists, it all crosses these bridges countless times every day. They are well-maintained, painted, cleaned and in daily use. I know what you’re thinking. How quaint! And that is exactly what it is. You could also say how gezellig they are. But you would be wrong. There is nothing gezellig about bridges, they are just there as part of the road. We need them to cross the enormous amounts of water we have.

The bicycle bridge

Nescio Bridge, the biggest bicycle bridge of the world, east of Amsterdam

A friend of mine showed me this little gem (above): the Nescio Brug, the longest bicycle-only bridge in the world (see this beautiful shot on Flickr). “Nescio”, Latin for “I don’t know”, was the pseudonym of the Dutch writer Jan Hendrik Frederik Grönloh, born June 22, 1882 in Amsterdam. You mount this little puppy on your bike and are given a wonderful view of the IJ lake and the IJburg residential development. Then back down where it’s a half-hour trip to the center of Amsterdam.

This part of .nl, although decidedly flat, can be starting point for many great bicycle rides through polders and former lakes, now dry and developed for farming. Green grass, blue skies and black/wite Friesland cows, this area between Amsterdam and, well, Germany boasts some of the most typical Dutch views you will ever find. Who said this country was boring? (I did.)

The view on the polders, and bridges in actual highways, will be covered in an upcoming post.

How does a typical Dutch bike look like? Pretty much like you would expect. The overwhelming majority rides a typical mens or womens bike. Mountain bikes are not that common, which would be expected for a country without mountains. Beach cruisers are a rarity except for Amsterdam (see below). Nobody wears a helmet. Let me repeat that. Nobody wears a helmet. You will be made fun of when you do. Children might be seen wearing one, but even that is quite uncommon. Luckily, car drivers are extremely aware of cyclists. They should, too, since people driving a car who hit a cyclist are always at fault; even when the cyclist is to blame.

Of course, there are many types of bicycle besides the common type. But this is primarily an Amsterdam situation. For instance, the bakfiets (lit: crate bike) is used by Amsterdammers to transport offspring. Not many people outside Amsterdam have one, though. People have racing bikes too, but these are seen outside cities and most often in the south of Holland, where actual hills can be found.

Amsterdam Bike Madness

As every tourist will tell you, you have bicycles and you have Amsterdam Bicycles. This latter species is often broken, bent, rusty but nevertheless has at least two heavy-duty chain locks. People in Amsterdam will just ride their bike everywhere: to work, going out, friends obviously, but also hauling furniture from Ikea, moving house and/or transportation of entire living rooms.

A tourist coming to Amsterdam will often mistake this behaviour for typically Dutch. That is not entirely the case. In other cities, people will have bikes as well but use them much less often. This might simply be because in other cities, stuff is farther away. Also, many inhabitants of Amsterdam simply do not have a car. And with the nonexistant Metro network (yay for sarcasm; Amsterdam has two metro lines) there isn’t much choice left.

Where do we ride our bikes? Quite simply: everywhere. Most often though there will be a cycling strip on the street, done in red asphalt. Bike lanes are depicted using the sign above. Mopeds are not allowed on this lane, you and the thousands of other cyclists have it all for yourself. In cities, traffic lights will have signs especially for bikes, often on a different schedule from the main lights. The newer versions have counters in them so you know exactly when to go. (See the picture at the top of this page.) In rural areas you simply follow the main traffic lights.

The art of riding

So how do you ride a bike? Well, first and foremost you never wear protection. Or did I already mention that? Second, you ride quite fast and straight towards your goal. Cycling is not a leisure activity and people will tend to ride quite fast. Third, when you arrive at your destination you park your bike as close to the door as humanly possible. Put it directly on the sidewalk. Yes, even when there are notices warning you against this. All Nederlanders do this and you should, too. Fourth, lock your bike. All bikes usually have a standard lock under the saddle. Use it because otherwise your bike will be gone. In Amsterdam, you then also chain your bike to something sturdy. You do not use a wimpy chain from the hardware store, you use a hardened steel cable, preferably also suited to dock oil tankers. Fifth, when (not if) your bike eventually gets stolen, you yell out loud: “Godverdddooooommmeee me fiets is gejat!!“. Then, visit the local AFAC to see if hasn’t been towed instead of stolen.

If after all this you are still interested in cycling, I really recommend you hire one during your next stay in Holland. Cycling is what we do; you will see soon enough that you have become one of us. Well, in theory anyway, since most rental companies have either hideous red bikes or hideous yellow bikes. Still, you will like the experience. Just make sure to stay to the right of the lane, don’t make sudden stops and when you hear a bell, turn around and/or get out of the way!