![\"The](\"http:\/\/sayjack.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/DSCF1038.jpg\")
<\/a>The family, ready to ride.<\/p><\/div>\n
The basic road rules, as outsiders say, is \u201cthere are no rules\u201d.\u00a0 This is not true.\u00a0 There are many clear rules regarding right-of-way and traffic signals, and bikes have protected bike lanes and directional privileges everywhere.\u00a0 One of the basic rules is that you may break any rule on a bike as long as you don\u2019t collide with someone else.\u00a0 If you give the car\/cyclist\/motorbike time to avoid a collision, you\u2019re OK.\u00a0 If not, stop.\u00a0 Whoever\u2019s behind you better stop also. Instantly.\u00a0 Anticipate everything that might happen in front of you so you can stop on a dime, or swerve onto a sidewalk, or speed through a gap.<\/p>\n
<\/a>No better way to learn about the city than by bike tour with guide Eva.<\/p><\/div>\n
The roads that line the concentric canals are fun.\u00a0 They\u2019re paved with brick, one-way for cars but two-way for bikes, and they go up and down at the bridges.\u00a0 Service vehicles can be parked in the middle of them, leaving a 1 m. gap to cruise through to the left or right.\u00a0 Pedestrians wander down the middle of the roads.\u00a0 Faster bikes pass on the left and the right.\u00a0 Scenic canals line the way if you have time to look.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Motorbikes get to use bike lanes, which makes them one of the chief hazards for cyclists.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Amsterdam biking is akin to mountain biking.\u00a0 It requires the same skills.\u00a0 Instead of dodging rocks and tree roots, you dodge road hazards and bikes and walkers.\u00a0 You are locked in.\u00a0 You need quick power to get through a gap, then a combo braking\/turning maneuver to avoid a pavement gap, a bunny hop to get up a curb, cold guts to face down a car reluctant to give way.\u00a0 Time speeds along, the scenery is amazing and you arrive at your destination before you ever thought you could.\u00a0 You even ride with low tire pressure for traction and cushioning.\u00a0 No one wears helmets, though, except American tour groups constrained by liability insurance.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Oh yes, and watch for pedestrians!<\/p><\/div>\n
We rented bikes after the first couple days for the duration of our stay, and even the novice bike riders among us enjoyed the freedom and challenge of two wheels.\u00a0 It\u2019s the quintessential Amsterdammer way to experience the city, although our bike helmets and timidity assured we wouldn\u2019t be mistaken for natives.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a>A particularly tricky maneuver is required when a ghost wheel appears in front of your bike…..<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a>Honderd hipsters dominate the Amsterdam bike scene.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Riding a bike around Amsterdam can be daunting at first as one learns the basic road rules.\u00a0 Then it becomes exhilarating.\u00a0 You can get anywhere quickly without delays. The basic road rules, as outsiders say, is \u201cthere are no rules\u201d.\u00a0 … Continue reading