Getting Around Amsterdam: Bikes

Riding a bike seems to be the preferred mode of transportation in Amsterdam. We did see some cars, but there's very limited parking within the city. With nightmarish parking, and the fact that Amsterdam is pretty darn flat,  biking is just easy. 

Most roads even have dedicated bike paths. Amsterdammers do not appreciate tourists getting in their way; most have bike bells and will ring them to signal for you to move, but they don't slowdown.

We loved checking out all the interesting bikes. We never saw kid carriers similar to the ones we use on Mackinac (ones that get attached to the bike and are pulled behind the bike.) In Amsterdam, they were all in front of the rider.

This sweet girl and her mom let me snap her picture while they paused for a snack. Her mom explained that it's easier to push the weight than it is to pull it.

Some bikes did have seats attached behind the adult. This bike has room for two kids - and groceries.

Others had kid seats up front. I tried for days to get a picture of a child in a seat like this one.

We didn't just see seats for kids. These two little dogs rode around Amsterdam in style.

With all those bikes, people need  placees to put them when they aren't riding. We noticed bikes parked all over the place: locked to bridges,

locked on barges, 

we even saw this three level bike parking garage. In one part of town the city is building an underground parking area to hold 2,000 bikes. It should open in 2021.

We never saw bikes parked at the at the curb on the side of the road. You know another thing we almost never saw?

...helmets...

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