Erika and the Art of the Side Saddle Bike Ride

Although there are more bikes than people in Amsterdam, it does sometimes happen that you end up with more people than bikes.  This usually happens after meeting for dinner and then choosing to go out for drinks.  Some folks take the tram and some bike, so moving through the city afterward becomes a slight dilemma.  If you leave your bikes, it can be a pain in the neck to come back for them.  Walking your bike along the sidewalk is a horrible, awkward, and (snob alert!) touristy thing to do.  Overpriced cabs are for suckers.  So, depending on the level of trust you have in your friends, sometimes the best thing to do is to go two to a bike, demonstrated here by our lovely model, Erika, and our friend, Paul:

The side-saddle ride took us a long time to attempt, because it looks a little scary and a little difficult, and also Rob was afraid of the responsibility of not dumping Erika on her hind parts.  In reality, it's very easy.  The bike pedaler can barely tell there's an extra person on the bike, leading Rob to constantly ask, "Are you on?"  (Also, there is a fear that he won't realize he lost his passenger blocks ago.)  The passenger has to hop after a slight running start, but that's surprisingly easy.  The trickiest part is holding your legs up for long periods of time and, of course, the hard metal bike frame isn't the most comfortable on your rear.  (Unless, of course, you're as lucky and pampered as Erika, who happened to have a pillow to sit on in this photo.  What a princess.)

  

Other than that, as long as you are sure to keep your feet and clothes out of the spokes, you'll be okay.  You can't see where you're going, so that can be a little uneasy, but as long as the pedaler announces big bumps (which hurt), sudden turns, and all stops (you have to pop off before completely stopping or you'll both fall over), you should have a safe ride. 

Of course, if you're not up for the thrill of the side-saddle, you could always spring for this method: