"Forget about road riding in the area around Amsterdam which is dense with bike paths and road rules dictate you are forced to stick to them where they parallel the road. Often they are cobblestone even in deep countryside, though usually smooth.

The best road riding just outside Amsterdam will be in the countryside exclusively, go south/south east along the Amstel River as far as you please, go north/northeast toward Durgerdam and Volendam and beyond, go west to Haarlem (via bike paths) and once there find the LF1 North Sea route along the coastal dunes south in the direction of the Hague, return by train (separate bike ""day ticket"" required, costs something like 12 euros regardless of distance and how used). If you have extra time I would recommend the island of Texel. For real tranquil riding go deeper in the country, there are lots of choices.

One route I did this past autumnn was taking a bike on the train from Amsterdam to Maarsen, just north of Utrecht, then following the river Vecht north back towards the city. The Vecht is lined with castles, mansions and plenty of villages to keep you smiling.

I would recommend you visit the ANWB when in Amsterdam, this is the equivalent of the AAA here in the USA except this motoring club was founded as a bike association! They have a wonderful shop on the Museumplein (museum square) next to the American consulate. They sell a multitude of guides on biking in the entire country including detailed maps of biking routes and recommended itineraries. There is an official network of long distance bike paths that crisscross the country codenamed LF, such as LF1, which runs along the Northsea, etc. The ANWB has what you need for these.

You will not have an easy time procuring a road bike in Amsterdam. A shop next to the Dam square rents a wide selection of bikes from single speed city coaster brake types to 3 speed models with disc brakes and lightweight. The latter is all you need to tour, you can't go too fast anyway or you'll miss the point.
Their website is www.bikes.nl, prices are great. They also sell a good touring map of the region.

You will enjoy your stay. You will especially enjoy your biking, at no matter what speed, truly.

Ronald"