At least as important as the ship you’re traveling on is the bike you’ll be riding every day. There are many reasons why our rental bikes are perfect for your boating and cycling vacation.
A completely arranged vacation
Treat yourself to a worry-free vacation, including no worries about your bike. We’ll happily arrange it so you can do all your bicycling on a comfortable bike, including lending you an easy-to-use bike bag. You’ll travel with a tour leader, meals will be provided, and your hotel room will travel with you. And the bike? It’s ready for you as soon as the ship docks.
The ultimate Dutch experience on many of our ships
Riding a bike made in the Netherlands is the ultimate Dutch experience. Azor, which makes most of our bikes, produces them specially for Boat Bike tours with a strong frame and reliable precision parts. A true Dutch bike for a true Dutch trip! We have a long-standing relationship with one producer, and we support that Azor employs people who have trouble, for one reason or another, re-entering the job market.
Stable, trustworthy bikes
The Netherlands is a bicycling country, so we know very well how important a reliable bike is. Together with Azor we’ve considered carefully what parts go into making a bike, and, for example, our choices for the types of gear shifts or e-bike motors. The bikes need to be as trouble-free as possible. Nothing is more annoying than encountering a problem with your bike, and having to stop and call your tour leader for help. That’s why you bike on a stable touring bike with a strong frame thanks to its wide tube bars.
Most important features of our bikes
Almost all of our rental bikes are touring bikes with seven Shimano speeds and rollerbrakes – a kind of drum brake. They also have a low instep. Seven speeds is plenty in the Netherland because it’s so flat. If you have to go up a small hill, you might shift to an easier gear. The bike has a closed hub where the gears are. The chainguard ensures that your pants don’t get dirty. All of our bikes are also fitted with Schwalbe puncture-resistant tires and normal pedals – not click-in. They’re easy: no special shoes necessary. The e-bikes have Shimano Steps or Bosch motors and a 400 Wh battery with three levels of power-assistance. The battery makes pedaling easier – for example, when cycling against the wind. It feels like you always have the wind behind you.
You sit upright to see everything
Our bikes are typically Dutch, which means the rider sits upright. That means that on bumpy or cobbled roads you won’t injure your wrists, as can happen on a racing bike. Our bikes have a comfortable geometry for people who want to relax while biking. On your vacation you bicycle for pleasure, not to get from A to B quickly. You want to see the scenery. For many of our guests, sitting upright takes some getting used to, but, after all, the whole point of a bike tour in the Netherlands is to see the landscape around you.
Always a well-maintained bicycle
The whole season we make sure that the rental bikes we offer are in good condition and stay that way. Every week they are checked and maintained. During the winter off-season they go through a detailed maintenance survey. Among other things, they get new tires and are carefully cleaned. Some parts are greased or replaced as needed.
Durable and tested bikes
Boat Bike Tours uses bikes that last at least five years. The raw materials like aluminum (for the frame) are used as optimally as possible. Azor bikes are durably assembled: with the most reliable parts, tested for strength and durability. Also the lacquer on the frame is all about durability: it is very hard so that the bike can handle some bumps. The lacquer is applied in an environmentally-friendly way too; no chemicals like thinners are added.
Worry-free biking
When you rent a touring bike or e-bike from Boat Bike Tours, you’ll receive a bike that fits you and your tour, including a watertight bike bag (pannier). A holder for your mobile phone is also available, so you can make the best use of bike navigation using the app “Ride with GPS.” The seat and the handlebars are adjustable to your preferences. The ship’s crew or travel leader are happy to help adjust them. Note: on our premium tours, a helmet and a “limit of liability for damage or loss” for your rental bike or e-bike is included in the rental price. On other tours you can let us know when you book if you’d like these.