Bicycle rental for 5 ft woman in Amsterdam

I'm sure rentals would offer children's bikes, which I would think would work.

She's not really interested in riding a bicycle that is built for kids. If it isn't obvious (ie. all black) that might be ok but bright colors or something identifying it as a kids bicycle will not be acceptable.

I looked at a couple of bicycle rental websites in Amsterdam. They both talk about the adjustable features of their bikes. One mentions that they have 2 frame sizes available for adults. That site says children’s bikes are available for children up to age 10 so I’m assuming that 11+ year olds rent the small adult bikes. Dutch bikes are quite different than even coaster bikes here. The handlebars reach around towards you better so you don’t have to lean over to reach them and the best feature I think is that they don’t have that annoying bar across the frame. They are easy to get on and off of for shorter people like myself (5’3”). I’ve been shopping around for one ever since we came back from Holland last spring.

Also these bike rental places had customer support email so I’d email them and ask about frame size and look at some pictures. Have a great time on your trip!

The two companies Ive rented from in AMS are MacBike and Blackbike. Both had great customer service. You could email the and ask. I have never seen the type of children's bike you describe being ridden in AMS. Its rare to see children younger than 12-13 riding in AMS. Its very intense to ride there. Many crowds of bicycles and scooters clogging the bike lanes. The rental bikes are heavy and plodding, and yes, as Mona says, you do sit more upright than on typical commuter bikes. They could maybe adjust the handlebars and seat-post to change the fit, but best to ask them.

OP, I hope you know I wasn't being snide. I am 5-3 or so with short legs and for home I have a bike that is designed/sized for teens/short women. I have rented bikes a few places, though not Amsterdam, and tend to see bikes for all ages that are more utilitarian in appearance and not really flashy "kids" bikes. I agree that you should be able to email some of the rental companies or another option might be to contact your hotel.

@Jules M - No offense taken.

@Mona & @Jessica - Thank you for suggesting sending an e-mail for customer service. I guess I should have thought of it. We have a Fuji cruiser bike that she loves that was actually built more for the Japanese and West Coast market. I will take measurements off of it and see if they can accommodate her. It's good to know the bicycles in Holland can accommodate shorter people. We are traveling exclusively by mass transit which is great for most things but there are times when it just isn't the quickest. It would be nice to know that we could rent bicycles if we needed to get somewhere quickly or wasn't easily accessible by train or streetcar.

I'm trying to avoid driving largely because the mass transit is so good in Europe and the parking fees can get outrageous.

Do take seriously the point that riding bikes in Amsterdam is quite an intense experience. If you haven't cycled in a busy city before, you may not want to do it there. Take a good look once you're there, and only then decide if you're up for it. I had thought I would do it, until I saw what it actually looked like - clearly not for me.

Harold's point reminds me of my first visit, many years ago. I rented a bike and was scared stiff. Then I took the Heineken's tour, drank 2-3 pints at the end and after that, no worries . . .