In Amsterdam, most bike rental places offer tours or the city as well (or perhaps its the other way around). Either way, one of the most popular bike rental places is Mike’s Bike Tours.
They only have one location, but we’ve heard from a number of people who specifically look for it on the recommendation of satisfied customers. Word of mouth advertising rocks.
All rental bikes at Mike’s Bike Tours are Beach Cruisers, which are fantastic for cruising around Amsterdam and surroundings.
By the way, one thing that sets the place apart is a handy printed guide to Amsterdam. Pick one up at their store, or visit their website’s Visitors FAQ for answers to questions such as “Why are the bikes in so old?”
Amsterdam is known as the City of Bikes, with an estimated 1 million on the streets, in a country that actually has more bikes than people.
The typical bike in Amsterdam is big and black, called either an Oma (grandma) or Opa (grandpa) bike. No need for mountain bikes here as there are no mountains in the Netherlands! And, if you had one, it would likely be stolen anyway.
Bikes here are often old and rusty because of RAMPANT bike theft. The rule of thumb here is, spend more on the lock than the bike. No kidding.
Another interesting fact is that near the close of WWII, while fleeing the city from Canadian troops, (yes, Canada does have an army!) the Nazis stole virtually every bike they could get their hands on. The few bikes remaining developed a status that survives to this day in “the older-the better” tradition. (And yes, the Dutch still want their bikes back.)
– Source: Mike’s Bike Tours, Visitor FAQs (Link added by us…)
, Visitor FAQs (Link added by us…)Address & Information
Mike’s Bike Tours
134 Kerkstraat [Google Map]
1017 GP Amsterdam
Phone: 020-622 7970 [Amsterdam phone info]
E-mail: mikesbiketoursamsterdam@yahoo.com
Last updated CET (Central European Time)
Do not republish or repost.
