I live in central Amsterdam, and will soon be leaving the country for several weeks for Christmas. Given that I typically store my bike in one of the public racks (and don't really want to drag it up 3 flights of Dutch stairs to my apartment), what are my options for storing it during that period to avoid theft/impoundment by the authorities?
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1Do you have friends? :)– Eugen MartynovDec 1, 2017 at 12:54
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I leave it at work, where we have a proper bike shed. But I guess that you would have thought of that if that was an option for you. There really aren't any obvious solution beyond private storage for periods longer than two weeks.– GalaDec 1, 2017 at 13:04
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Note that the delay for bikes parked on the street (not at the station) is 6 weeks. After that, an abandoned bike is kept for 6 weeks in the fietsdepot, and you can get it back by paying about €20 (or €35 if you want it delivered at your address).– GalaDec 1, 2017 at 13:52
2 Answers
You are gone for weeks, why not carry it up and down once? That is by far the easiest solution.
Ask a Dutch friend from Amsterdam, they know how to navigate those stairs.
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This is probably what I'm going to do anyways, but I figured it'd make a useful question for others. Dec 1, 2017 at 14:45
Carry it up to your apartment - that would be simplest and safest.
I ... don't really want to drag it up 3 flights of Dutch stairs to my apartment
Hauling a bike upstairs is indeed a harrowing experience, and I wouldn't recommend it for a few days away, but given that you're leaving for several weeks - it's worth it.
Like @EugenMartynov suggests - try to find a friend, or just a neighbor, to help you carry it up. Anything else would be more time, more effort, more money or more risk - and probably most of them at one. In my opinion.
What are my options for storing it during that period to avoid theft/impoundment by the authorities?
Some other options which I don't recommend:
- Lend your bike to someone.
- Put in in a bike shed at work, or somewhere else the general public can't access.
- Risk it and just leave it locked on some bike rack - but make it someplace where there are always other bikes, so that it never stands out.
- Ask the person on the bottom floor of your building to agree to put it somewhere (maybe in his back yard) - possibly for pay.