3 Star De Amsterdam boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 2 of 2

  De Amsterdam South Holland Tour
Netherlands

I was extremely disappointed in the quality of the bikes. I had assumed from what I read that the bikes were hybrid bikes similar to what I own: less than 30 pounds, gears, maneuverable, easy to ride. These bikes were very heavy, hard to pedal, hard to walk. No one got the bikes off the barge for us to ride or put them back on. That means I had to struggle with the bike up and down a steep and dangerous metal ramp. I was more tired from riding 30 miles on the flat on one of these bikes than I was after riding a metric century up some pretty big hills on a road bike. I do not believe that a bike and barge trip should emphasize the biking and provide such poor bikes. Electric bikes were an option, but I do not choose to ride one. I want to ride a good quality hybrid or road bike. Riding was so much work that it took away some of the pleasure of seeing the Dutch countryside. The rest of the trip was very nice, but the biking was a big part of why we went on the trip and it was a huge disappointment.