4 ms·
I ride my bicycle in Boston year-round, and I found Amsterdam to be pretty stressful to bicycle in. Very crowded streets and very confusing traffic. I'm sure
by wffurr 9y ago
I ride my bicycle in Boston year-round, and I found Amsterdam to be pretty stressful to bicycle in. Very crowded streets and very confusing traffic. I'm sure it was much less dangerous than Boston, but I never really adjusted to the pell mell chaos in Amsterdam. Maybe I just wasn't there long enough.
- grenoire 9y agoYou get used to it. It's a different set of skills, and your reaction times also improve over time. Hand signals help too. Although I still avoid the very center, with all the oblivious tourists walking on bicycle lanes...
- wffurr 9y agoMaybe that was it; I was one of those oblivious tourists, except trying to ride a bicycle in bicycle lanes full of other oblivious tourists. :) I had a fabulous ride out of the city to Monnickendam. That more than the city itself was amazing cycle infrastructure to me.
- Broken_Hippo 9y agoI have been that tourist. It takes a few to adjust to the heavy bicycle traffic while walking around there because it challenges the "who-goes-first" hierarchy. The states: Cars go first, and watch out. Norway (Trondheim): Pretty much walk where you will, others will stop. Amsterdam: Bicycles go first, and the others wait.
- grenoire 9y agoThe real hierarchy in Amsterdam is trams > cycles > cars > pedestrians.
- Broken_Hippo 9y agoHeh. Yeah, I forgot about the trams. Its been a bit since I've been the annoying tourist - probably time to go again :)
- Doxin 9y agoAmsterdam is too busy. Next time you visit spend some time in smaller cities. Cycling can be downright relaxing :P