WTB: Road or Cross Bicycle in Amsterdam

[Scott Shire]

A very good friend has just moved to Amsterdam to complete his doctorate.

57/58 size. Cheap.

Amsterdam CL is sparse and I can't read the Dutch eBay

Any help is hugely appreciated

[buldogge]

He needs to look on Marktplaats.nl under fietsen

Tons of good buys on all kinds of classic Dutch steel...I have (3) bikes that have come from Marktplaats listings:

1991 Panasonic PR6000
1995 Reus Criterium
1995 Batavus Pro

If I were him, I would grab an 80's Gazelle Mondial and go to town. Having said that, roadbikes stick out like a sore thumb in A'dam...so...I would grab a typical citybike for locking up at the station/bar/Albert Heijn/etc.

Good luck to him...I'm jealous.

-Mark in St. Louis

A very good friend has just moved to Amsterdam to complete his doctorate.

57/58 size. Cheap.

Amsterdam CL is sparse and I can't read the Dutch eBay

Any help is hugely appreciated

[Scott Shire]

Killer tips, Mark. Thanks so much.

[maunahaole]

That's good advice. A A-dam city bike is the way to roll there. Lots of cobbles that the city bike seems to absorb. A 3 speed might be nice. He should keep in mind that bikes get seriously crowded on the racks there and a race type frame with thin wall tubes will get dented quickly. I agree with the stealth factor of a city bike as well. Folks there don't seem to be slowed down much by the 70 pound bikes on the big tires. Also, there are lots of rail tracks in the streets there, that can easily suck up a road tire.

[buldogge]

NP...Completely agree with above as well.

I felt downright scared locking my Reus up in A'dam, the few times I did...the average city bike is a tool, and are stacked/banged/etc. at will.

He should buy one of each...getting out of A'dam for a ride is quite easy, and the infrastructure is amazing, to say the least.

-Mark

[maunahaole]

I'd agree with that. We were only there for a week, but took the train to Maastricht one day. Needless to say, once out of A-Dam, I really wanted to have my road bike. Beautiful smooth and uncrowded roads and what seemed to be extensive cycle paths as well.