How to cycle safely in the big city

In Rotterdam more than 200,000 people get on their bikes every day to travel from A to B. The bicycle is therefore the fastest and cheapest mode of transport in a big city. Here is everything you need to know if you cycle in Rotterdam for the first time.

How do you avoid the tram rails? How do you make sure you don’t get knocked off your socks by a lowered matt‑grey Volkswagen Golf on the Binnenweg? And did you know a Swapfiets is actually quite expensive? In a country with more bikes than people and over 153,000 kilometres of cycle paths, these are important things to know. 

Why would you take the bike at all? Okay, there are nicer things than cycling in the rain or into a storm. But in a city where trams and metros break down all the time, or buses take alternative routes because yet another skyscraper is being built, cycling in Rotterdam is therefore really almost unavoidable. And it’s healthy too!

And nothing beats a ride along the Maas where you can enjoy the ever‑rising skyline, or a trip through historic Delfshaven, where you can still get a sense of how the city looked centuries ago. The bike is by far the best way to explore your new home and to see Rotterdam’s many iconic architectural highlights up close. 

Before you get on a bike, you need one. A Swapfiets subscription is popular among students. And it looks easy: you pay 20 euros a month and never have to worry about maintenance. But in reality you pay much more in the long run than if you simply buy a second‑hand bike. Platform Rotterdam Op Die Fiets worked it out for you. And what did they find? After five years you will have paid on average 1,194 euros for a Swapfiets, while a second‑hand omafiets costs 575 euros including maintenance. That’s the difference of a ski holiday with your club!

A second‑hand bike can be bought at many bike shops. They cost on average around 200 euros. 010 Bikes on the Oostzeedijk Beneden is Kralingen’s bike shop and you can also buy a two‑wheeler there. If you want to spend very little, buy one in Zuid. Or order online, for example at 2dehandsfietsenwinkel.nl. You can also pick up a bike on Marktplaats, but be careful not to buy a rust bucket that falls apart at the end of the street. 

Broken beer bottles are not the only annoying obstacles on the cycle path. It’s teeming with cargo‑bike yuppies, inconsiderate fatbike riders, lightning‑fast food delivery cyclists, slow‑moving expats and pensioners on electric bikes. Not to mention the tram rails that suddenly appear out of nowhere. And why does your tyre always seem to fit exactly into one of those rails?

In the warm months you must be extra careful of hordes of German tourists who disembark from cruise ships at the Boompjeskade. You can spot them by their bike helmets, grey hair and practical walking shoes. They all cycle behind a guide on the same bikes and often don’t quite know how their brakes work, or how to signal that they want to turn. 

Although tourists (and born‑and‑bred Rotterdammers) often don’t stick to the traffic rules, it’s still advisable that you do. Otherwise it will cost you. Did you know cycling with your phone in your hand can result in a fine of 170 euros? And cycling without lights or on the pavement costs 75 euros if you’re caught. All fines are listed here.

The Rotterdam cycle paths are no joke. Are you getting on a bike for the first time? Don’t worry, Sportbedrijf Rotterdam offers free cycling lessons for adults. That’s where you’ll learn the ropes. You can sign up individually or as a small group. The lessons take place at Marconiplein, Het Park by the Euromast or in Kralingen, depending on where the instructors live.

Still insecure about it? Then check Rotterdam op de fiets for three nice routes through and around the city for beginner cyclists. For example, a trip along the Rotte: a car‑free route on a wide cycle path. That way you can practice in peace. 

Do practice, because 70 percent of road casualties are cyclists. Choose routes with separated cycle paths if you are a beginner rider – that is safer. Here you can check a list of the confusing junctions and so‑called blackspots the municipality plans to tackle in the coming years. These are places where, for three years in a row, more than six accidents took place each year. Among them is the junction Oudedijk‑Rozenburglaan‑Voorschoterlaan. 

What’s also fun: you can take your bike on the metro for free, provided you travel outside peak hours. So you can even take the metro to The Hague and cycle around there to soak up some culture. You can also take your bike on the train. You do need to buy a ticket of around 8 euros and reserve a spot. 

To finish, a little warning to the Dutch students: pay extra attention in September because the cycle paths are full of international students who are not confident yet on a bike. So be kind to them!