Lil’ Bike
Faq-ers!
Q: Do I need to know how to ride a bike?
A: Yes, you need to know how to ride a bike.
Disclaimer!
NB: Our touring E-Bicycles are rather large & are not compatible for anyone under a height of 166cm/ 5'5''
Q: How fit and active do I need to be?
A: While our e-bikes countryside tour or 7 - gear city bikes city tour make life easier, you’ll still be moving and need to have at least a moderate to good level of fitness to complete this tour.
Q: I haven’t ridden a bike since I was a kid, but isn’t it just like riding a bike?
A: Not necessarily. Riding ‘round here is not just about staying upright on a bike while your parents clap happily on, but also negotiating the swarthy seas of other bikes, scooters, cars, pedestrians and, more often than you’d think, horses. Ye’ll need to be confident and capable enough to think and steer independently. If yer not sure about your level, pop by our Ijdok shop and we’ll let you have a spin around the block to test yourself.
Q: I am (still) kind of a kid, can I come along?
A: You need to be 15+ to join our tours and accompanied by an adult unless 18+.
Q: What if it rains?
A: We provide every bike-a-neer with high quality ponchos and rain pants, as well as a sturdy glint in the eye that will echo in your soul, telling you that come wind, hell or high water, we’ll be with you through it all.
There will be tours that experience the authentic, traditional rain that commonly kisses this part of the planet, but many of those same days will also bring bright, glistening sunshine warming our skin and heart cockles. ‘Tis just the way o’ life here. A happy disposition and willingness to embrace the occasional discomfort that comes with garnering life’s experiences will help you get the most out of your bike voyage with us.
Q: What happens if my bike battery runs flat??
Countryside Tour only
A: We’ve designed the tour to allow plenty of leeway with our batteries’ capacity, but you will have control of the usage. Your guide will give you instructions on how best to conserve them over the tour. If there is some unlikely issue we will magic up spares.
Q: How much distance will we cover?
Countryside Tour
A: Our public countryside tour ranges around 35 - 40km. For those of you from the US, that’s about 600 football fields. (2.5 - 3 hours of cycling, with the rest being photo opportunities and enlightening explanations about your surroundings). It’s pretty far, but easy on our awesome e-bikes.
City Tour
A: Our public city tour ranges around 15 - 25km. It’s pretty far, but easy on our awesome 7 - gear city bikes.
Q: What kind of awesome bikes do we use?
Countryside Tour
A: We use Qwic Premium 7D &/ or Batavus Fonk E-Go 7 (speed) e-bikes. They are lightweight, well built and made for cruising around the Netherlands.
City Tour
A: We use Batavus Fonk 7 City Bike or similar 7 (speed) city bikes. They are lightweight, well built and made for cruising around the Netherlands.
Q: How long does a tour take?
Countryside Tour
A: Our public countryside tours are 3.5 - 4+ hours, notwithstanding unforeseeable holdups like tractors, cows and roadworks. This means you will be sitting on your saddle for extended periods of time. We have extra padded seats to keep yer tush as comfy as possible but you need to keep this in mind. At the end of the tour you will know ye’ve been on a good, long ride.
City Tour
A: Our public city tours are 2.5 - 3+ hours, notwithstanding unforeseeable holdups like drunk, high and happy people. This means you will be sitting on your saddle for slightly less extended periods of time.
Q: What will we see and learn that we won’t if we just stay in Amsterdam?
Countryside Tour
A: So much. Within 30 minutes of the tour starting you will have ridden through the urban north of the city, an area you are unlikely to visit otherwise; ye’ll have seen little house-boat villages and soon be taking in the expanse of lush, green fields and wetlands that surround Amsterdam. You’ll literally be able to see how such a famous city takes its place within way less known but more humble surroundings. Ye’ll discover other beautiful little villages and towns and witness the way that the region has been fashioned in the nexus where land meets water.
City Tour
A: So much, while you venture through Amsterdam, traversing neighbourhoods that you are unlikely to see otherwise & pedalling through 800 years of history while being ever immersed in the present.
Q: What’ll we see that we won't do on other countryside bike tours?
Countryside Tour
A: The area that we take you to is not a great hotspot for international tourism. This is not for lack o’ beauty and charm, it just doesn’t host famous sites like Zaanse Schans or some cheese farm that found its way into Lonely Planet in the early 2000s. Rather, the area we take you to is the real deal. It is an authentic and unique part of Holland that is a dream to cycle through. You won’t just see a windmill, you’ll experience why the hell windmills actually became such a big factor here. We can’t guarantee that you’ll meet someone dressed as a Dutch milk maid pretending to stir cheese curd, but you’ll sure as shit see and smell the cows that the milk came from.
City Tour
A: The city tour takes you to parts of the city & it’s surroundings that are not your usual tourist hotspots. Rather, the areas we take you to are the real deal. They are an authentic and unique part of Amsterdam that is a dream to cycle through. You will see landmarks, & you’ll experience why the city of Amsterdam beats to the sounds of its own rhythm. We can’t guarantee that you’ll meet someone dressed as a Weed Leaf, but you’ll sure as shit see someone probably smoking one!
Q: Can we book a private tour and customise it to our wants?
A: Yes. We like booty so get in touch with what you’re looking for and we will exchange your money for our expertise.
Q: Will I see a hill?
A: Not a real one, that’s for sure.