A Saddle Set for Somebody Else

Rental bikes in Amsterdam pass through dozens of hands a week. The saddle is set for whoever rode it last, and in the rush of collecting a bike, locking bags on and checking the map, few visitors ask for it to be changed. By the evening, many of them wish they had.

Too low

A saddle that is too low is the usual problem. The knee stays sharply bent at the bottom of every pedal stroke, which puts the effort on the front of the thigh and the knee rather than spreading it through the leg. On a short ride it hardly matters. Over thirty kilometres, with a bridge every few minutes and a heavy bike with one gear, visitors finish the day with aching thighs and knees that feel more tired than the distance should explain.

Too high

Less common, but equally uncomfortable. A saddle too high makes the hips rock from side to side to reach the pedals, which tires the lower back and makes stopping at junctions awkward, because your feet do not reach the ground. On a city bike, where you stop every minute or two, that is a nuisance all day.

Getting it right

A simple test: sitting on the saddle, with the pedal at the bottom of its turn, your leg should be almost straight but not locked. With your heel on the pedal it should be fully straight. Most rental shops will set it for you if you ask, and most bikes have a quick-release lever under the saddle so that you can adjust it yourself. Check it again after lunch, because saddles on rental bikes sometimes slip down.

The rest of the bike

Rental bikes are upright, which is comfortable for looking around but places much of your weight on the saddle and the hands. Change your grip on the handlebars from time to time. Stand on the pedals for a few seconds over a bridge to take the weight off. Get off and walk for ten minutes every hour or so. And cross tram rails at a right angle, not along them.

The evening after

Riders who book a massage after a day on a rented bike usually mention the saddle in the booking thread, often ruefully. It is a useful line to include: it tells her the thighs and knees have taken most of the day. What the session includes is still her decision, and she explains it before beginning, but a sentence about the ride helps her plan. Nothing on this site claims a massage does anything for a pair of legs beyond how it feels while you lie there.

Ninety minutes is the usual length after a full day in the saddle. Write the booking while returning the bike, or as soon as you are back in the room; the window is forty to sixty minutes from confirmation in central Amsterdam. Give yourself time to shower, because a day of city riding leaves street dust everywhere.

The guide to cycling Amsterdam as a visitor covers the whole day, from the rental counter to the lock-up, and the page on the evening after a ride covers the booking itself.

A note for next time

The hands and the handlebars

A saddle set at the wrong height also changes how much weight goes through the hands. Riders perched too low lean forward and grip harder, and by the afternoon the palms and the base of the thumbs are tender from the cobbles. Rental bikes rarely have padded grips. A pair of thin gloves, even on a mild day, takes some of the rattle out of the old streets, and a change of hand position every few minutes helps too.

What to say at the counter tomorrow

If you rent again, the words are simple: ask for the saddle to be set to your height and stay while it is done. Sit on the bike before you ride away and check your leg reaches almost straight. It takes a minute and the staff expect the request. Visitors who make it on the second day usually say the second ride felt shorter than the first, even when it was longer.

If you are renting again tomorrow, ask for the same bike, or at least ask the shop to set the saddle before you leave. It is a small thing, and it changes the whole day.