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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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    Do you have friends? :) – Eugen Martynov Dec 1 '17 at 12:54
  • 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. – Gala Dec 1 '17 at 13:04
  • 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). – Gala Dec 1 '17 at 13:52
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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. – Sebastian Lenartowicz Dec 1 '17 at 14:45
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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.
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