Renting a Bike in Amsterdam

Bike riding in Amsterdam is a joy that is almost unparalleled. If you don't believe me, you should give it a try - you will be hooked, I tell you!

Luckily, there are a number of bike rental places in Amsterdam. However, you should ensure that you know what to look out for if you want to avoid any inconvenience.

Two places that I have rented from are Rho Hotel and Frederic's.

Rho Hotel is located very close to Dam Square. If you go to the south-east corner of Dam Square (intersection of Warmoestraat and Damstraat), walk south a few metres and you will see the Rho Hotel.  Incidentally, I have stayed at this hotel many times, although I never knew of its bike rental scheme until later. Rho Hotel operate a bike rental facility. I forget the cost but it is very cheap and affordable.

Incidentally, you should recall that because bikes are not constructed from complex and high tech materials and parts, and many are stolen and resold by junkies, the cost to rent of a bike remains very low.

Rho Hotel have many, pretty much identical, bikes. All use "coaster" brakes where you must backpedal to apply deceleration i.e. if you wish to slow down or stop! There are no pedal brakes as I found to my disappointment. If you have never used coaster brakes before, feel free to try them out as I did. However, you may prefer to go to Frederic's as I mention below.

The bikes at Rho Hotel are of very good quality, they look almost brand new and are much better than your typical beat up Dutch granny bike. I had no problems with my bike.

Frederic's, located on Brouwersgracht, nearer Central Station, is also a hotel with a bike rental facility. You go to the hotel and pay for your bike which you collect from the garage around the corner. All the bikes look different and each must be a couple of years old minimum. These really do look the typical Dutch bike! They seem a little rickety but are absolutely fine. There is an abundance of hand brake bikes here too! The price is €10 a day, decreasing the longer you keep the bike.

Unfortunately, I feel that they are not as well maintained as they could be. Out of a part of four, at least half of us had problems ranging from: only one gear selectable out of three, broken bulb, faulty wiring etc. A quick trip to the garage fixed these problems though.

All in all, because of hand braking being a necessity for myself, I choose to go back to Frederic's every time because their service is good and the bikes good enough.

None of the above bikes, by the way, feature evidence of being a hire bike, except for small stickers on the rear mudguard.

They are not like the infamous Yellow Bike or Mac Bike rental bicycles which make you stand out like a tourist and are not recommended!! Mind you, nobody wants to steal one of these obvious rental bikes so they do have some advantages!

Remember to bring either some ID and a credit card imprint with you when renting a bike. Some places will want to keep your passport or take an imprint which are returned when you return the bike. Just be prepared which will save you a trip back to the hotel.