Cycling in Amsterdam: bikes, locks and rules

In Amsterdam, the bike isn't a weekend hobby. It's your commute, your school run and your Costco run, minus the Costco. Get a sturdy one, two good locks and the rules below, and you'll fit right in.

The short version

Buy a plain city bike (omafiets or similar) with fenders, a chain guard, lights and a built-in wheel lock. Fancy bikes get stolen.
Check before you buy used. Run the frame number through the RDW's Stolen Bicycles Register [1].
Lock it twice, and to something solid. The city advises an extra lock to a rack, not to lampposts, signs or bridges [2].
Park legally or the city may haul it to the Fietsdepot. Getting it back costs €26 (about USD 29) [3].
Hands off the phone. You can't hold a phone or other device while riding [4].
Lights after dark are required by law [5].

USD conversions use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1163) [8].

Why everyone rides

Bikes account for 27% of all journeys in the Netherlands, and far more in some cities [1]. Amsterdam has up to 400 km (about 250 miles) of bike paths, per the city's tourism and expat office [5]. Back home you'd budget for gas, insurance and a parking spot. Here you budget for a bike, a lock and a rain jacket.

Buying a bike

New, used or leased

Option	Good for	Watch out for
New city bike from a bike shop	Daily commuting, low maintenance	Pricier, and a shiny target for thieves
Used bike from a shop	Best value; shops usually service it first	Ask about a short warranty
Used bike from a stranger	Cheapest	Stolen-bike risk; never buy one on the street
Bike subscription or lease	No repairs, swap if stolen (check terms)	Monthly cost adds up
E-bike	Longer commutes, hills (bridges), carrying kids	Higher theft risk; battery care

Prices vary hugely by shop, age and brand, so we won't quote a ballpark. Compare a few shops in your neighborhood.

The stolen-bike trap

Someone whispering "bike, bike?" near a bridge at night is selling a stolen bicycle. Buying one is handling stolen goods. Before buying any used bike:

Find the frame number, usually stamped under the bottom bracket.
Check the Stolen Bicycles Register on the RDW's website. Anything reported stolen since January 1, 2008, shows up [1].
Ask for proof of purchase. A real owner usually has a receipt.
Walk away if the price is too good or the seller won't wait while you check.

What to look for

A built-in rear wheel lock (ringslot) plus a heavy chain lock
Working front and rear lights (the law requires lights after dark) [5]
Fenders and a chain guard: it rains a lot, and you'll ride in work clothes
A rear rack or front crate for groceries
Coaster brakes on many Dutch bikes: you pedal backward to stop. Practice before you hit traffic.

E-bikes and fatbikes

An e-bike follows the same traffic rules as a regular bike: no license, no license plate, no helmet law and no minimum age, as long as the motor assists only up to 25 km/h (about 15.5 miles per hour) and has at most 250 watts [6]. Fatbikes count as e-bikes when they meet those specs [6]. A speed pedelec, which goes up to 45 km/h (about 28 miles per hour), is a different animal: it's treated like a moped, needs a moped plate and a moped license [1].

The national government plans a helmet requirement for riders under 18 on fatbikes, e-bikes and other light electric vehicles. It aims to send the bill to parliament in fall 2026 and have the rule start in 2027 [7]. It's a proposal, not law yet.

Theft and locks

Bike theft is a fact of life here. Rijksoverheid notes that only about a quarter of thefts are reported to the police, which means most stolen bikes never land in the register [9]. Your defense:

Two locks: the built-in wheel lock plus a chain lock through the frame to a fixed rack [2].
Lock to a rack, not to a lamppost, traffic sign or bridge railing [2].
Use guarded garages (stallingen) when you can, especially downtown and at stations [2].
Report a theft to the police. A report puts the bike in the register, makes it recognizable as stolen and is needed for insurance claims [9].
Check the depot first. Before you report a theft, check the city's Lost and Found listing; your bike may have been removed for bad parking [3].
Think about insurance for a new or electric bike, and read the fine print about approved locks.

Parking without losing your bike

The city removes bikes that are parked illegally, left unused for a long time or parked dangerously, and takes them to the Fietsdepot in the western harbor area at Bornhout 8 [3].

Fietsdepot charge (2026)	EUR	USD
Collect your bike	€26	about $29
Deliver it to your address	€46	about $51
Storage fee after removal from a city garage	€35	about $39

Source: City of Amsterdam [3].

Bring ID, your bike keys and a debit or credit card. The depot keeps a removed bike in good condition for four weeks, and an abandoned bike for two; after that it's reused or donated [3].

Parking rules to know [2]:

In busy areas, park only in marked bike sections, racks or garages.
Some spots have a two-week or six-week maximum, marked by signs and shown on the city's map.
The city's municipal bike garages are free for the first seven days; after that, the bike may be removed. An annual subscription is €90 (about $100).
At train stations, use the secure station garage.

The rules of the road

Dutch traffic law treats cyclists as real traffic, with real fines. The big ones:

No holding your phone. You can't hold a phone, tablet or music player while riding. Hands-free calls and music are fine; a phone in a mounted holder is fine; holding it while stopped is fine. Police can fine you [4].
Lights after dark, front and rear [5].
Alcohol limit: the same 0.5 per mille limit as for drivers applies on an e-bike [6], and the same traffic rules apply to regular bikes [6].
Use the bike lane, obey lights and signs, and stay off sidewalks and shopping streets [5].
Signal with your hand before turning [5].
Ride two abreast at most, and pull over to check your map [5].
Cross tram rails at a sharp angle, or your wheel will drop in and you'll go over the handlebars [5].

The I amsterdam site's best tip: don't copy locals who run red lights or ride at night without lights [5]. Locals also have little patience for wobbly tourists, so ride predictably, stay right and keep your pace.

Rush hours run roughly 8:00 to 9:00 and 17:00 to 18:00 (that's 5 to 6 p.m.), with crowds at intersections [5]. If you can shift your commute, do.

OV-fiets: a bike at the other end of the train

The NS (Dutch Railways) rents yellow-and-blue OV-fiets bikes at many stations. It's the Dutch answer to "how do I get from the station to the office?"

You need a personal OV-chipkaart with an NS Flex subscription on it. Student travel products don't work [10].
You pay per 24 hours, not per hour. NS lists the base price in its price list; from the fourth day you pay €9.80 a day (about $11) [10].
Seven days maximum per rental [10].
Return it to the same station and close the ring lock in the OV-fiets zone to end the rental [10].

For a short stay or visiting family, regular rental shops are everywhere. I amsterdam puts the average daily rental at €10 (about $11) [5].

Kids on bikes

Dutch kids ride early and often, and families carry little ones on bike seats or in cargo bikes (bakfietsen). Some practical notes:

Child seats go on the front (small kids) or the rear rack. Buy from a bike shop that will fit them properly.
Cargo bikes are common in family neighborhoods. Electric cargo bikes are e-bikes under the rules above [6].
Helmets aren't required today [6], though plenty of American parents still use them, and the proposed rule for under-18s on e-bikes may change things in 2027 [7].
Teens on fatbikes are a hot topic: the government cites a sharp rise in emergency-room visits [7].

Swap tips about kid seats and bike shops with other parents in our community group for Americans in the Netherlands.

Cycling in Amsterdam: buying a bike, beating thieves and riding like you live here