MacBike
MacBike is an Amsterdam bike rental and tour company founded in 1988, operating five city-centre locations with 2,500+ bicycles serving 150,000 tourists, families, and corporate groups annually through rentals, guided tours, and repair services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What MacBike does
MacBike is a Dutch bike rental and tour operator founded in 1988 in Amsterdam by Jos Louwman and Arnold Gruppen, serving international and domestic tourists, families, corporate groups, and local residents. The company operates five physical rental locations in central Amsterdam — Central Station, Waterlooplein, Leidseplein, Vondelpark, and Damsquare — supplemented by four bike repair shops and operates under the A-Bike parent brand. MacBike maintains a fleet of 2,500+ bicycles spanning city bikes, touring bikes, electric bikes (Bosch-powered), fat e-bikes, cargo bikes, kids bikes, and tandems, supported by nearly 100 employees and serving approximately 150,000 visitors annually.
The core product is hourly and daily bike rental, priced from €5.85/hour online, with a co-developed custom city bike manufactured in partnership with Batavus. Online reservations are processed through the FareHarbor booking platform with a 10% online discount, and e-bike rentals carry mandatory insurance at €8.95/day. The offering is extended by ten or more guided bike tours (operated via partnership with Mike's Bike Tours Amsterdam) priced from €35 to over €200 for private custom itineraries, free self-guided audio tours through izi.TRAVEL integration (covering Waterland, Harbours & Architecture, and Wilde Stad routes), corporate teambuilding packages, and group activities for companies and schools. Ancillary revenue streams include bike repair services and bicycle and accessory sales targeting local Amsterdam residents.
MacBike makes money primarily through usage-based rental fees, premium guided tour tickets, ancillary insurance charges, corporate group bookings, and retail sales of bikes and accessories. Customer acquisition relies on a multi-channel mix: organic SEO on the multilingual macbike.nl website, social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TripAdvisor, referral partnerships with the I Amsterdam City Card, Tiqets, and Amsterdam hotels, plus direct walk-in traffic at the five city-centre locations. The business is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds, and the founders remain associated with the operating company more than three decades after inception.
MacBike firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MacBike
- Legal name
- MacBike
- Website
- https://macbike.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- MacBike is an Amsterdam bike rental and tour company founded in 1988, operating five city-centre locations with 2,500+ bicycles serving 150,000 tourists, families, and corporate groups annually through rentals, guided tours, and repair services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MacBike industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bike Rental Services
- NAICS
- Recreational Goods Rental (532284)
- SIC
- Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- E-Bike Rentals (THADAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cycling, Mountain Biking & E-bike Adventures (THAJABAF), Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH), E-Bike Retail (CRAMAHAE)
Keywords
Where MacBike is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
MacBike business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Bike Rentals: Hourly and daily rental of various bike types including city bikes, touring bikes, e-bikes, cargo bikes, kids bikes, and tandems. Pricing varies by duration and bike type.
- Guided Bike Tours: Guided cycling tours in and around Amsterdam including city highlights, countryside, and themed routes. Includes both group and private tour options.
- Bike Repair Services: Repair and maintenance services for both rental bikes and customer bikes. Four bike repair shops serving locals in Amsterdam city centre.
- Bike Sales: Sale of bicycles, articles, and accessories from store locations
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | City Bike - 3 gears, lightweight, 2 locks |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Touring Bike - 7 gears, suspension, 2 locks |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Electric Bike - Bosch engine, 7 gears, 25 km/h |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Cargo Bike - 7 gears, carries 2 kids, 2 locks |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Kids Bike - handbrakes, lightweight |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Tandem - 7 gears, fun for 2, 2 locks |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
MacBike product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MacBike is a bike rental and tour company operating five locations in central Amsterdam. The company rents a diverse fleet of bicycles — city bikes, touring bikes, electric bikes, fat e-bikes, cargo bikes, kids bikes, and tandems — on hourly and daily bases, complemented by guided bike tours, self-guided audio tours via izi.TRAVEL, and bicycle repair services at four workshop locations.
Product overview
MacBike is a bike rental and tour company operating five locations in central Amsterdam. The core offering is a diverse fleet of rental bicycles including city bikes, touring bikes, electric bikes (e-bikes), fat e-bikes, cargo bikes, kids bikes, and tandems. This rental fleet is complemented by guided bike tours ranging from quick city highlights to full-day countryside excursions, audio guides available through izi.TRAVEL, self-guided cycling route maps, and group/teambuilding packages. The company also offers bicycle repair services at four workshop locations. Online booking is handled through FareHarbor integration, while audio guides are delivered via the izi.TRAVEL platform. The product portfolio spans short-term rentals, guided experiences, self-guided audio tours, and corporate/group services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- City Bike Rental Standard urban bicycle rental with 3 gears, handbrake option, lightweight design, and 2 locks, suitable for city exploration in Amsterdam. Priced from €11.25/hour to €17.95/day.
- Touring Bike Rental Hybrid bicycle rental with 7 gears, suspension, and 2 locks, designed for longer distances and countryside routes around Amsterdam. Priced from €12.95/hour to €22.50/day.
- Electric Bike (E-Bike) Rental Electric bicycle rental with Bosch engine, 7 gears, and 25 km/h pedal assistance for effortless cycling across the city. Mandatory insurance at €8.95/day. Priced from €31.50/hour to €41.50/day.
- Cargo Bike (Bakfiets) Rental Family cargo bicycle rental with 7 gears, child-friendly bench with seatbelts, capable of carrying 2 children. Priced from €23.95/hour to €36.95/day.
- Kids Bike Rental Children's bicycle rentals with handbrakes and lightweight design, available for children aged 5 to 11. Priced from €8.95/hour to €15.95/day.
- Tandem Rental Two-person bicycle rental with 7 gears and 2 locks, designed for two riders to explore Amsterdam together. Priced from €19.50/hour to €34.95/day.
- Fat E-Bike Rental Electric bike rental with wide tires and modern design, suitable for both city riding and off-road adventures.
- City Highlights Bike Tour Guided 2.5-hour bike tour through Amsterdam's top highlights with professional guide, available in English, German, Dutch, and Spanish. From €36.21.
- E-Bike Sightseeing Bike Tour
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves 150,000 visitors annually
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use MacBike
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MacBike technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
MacBike partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BatavuscoreMacBike co-developed the perfect city bike with Batavus supplier to provide customers with the best possible rental experience. Custom bikes designed specifically for Amsterdam cycling conditions.
- FareHarborcoreOnline booking and reservation platform partner. MacBike uses FareHarbor for all online bike rental and tour bookings, enabling customers to reserve in advance with 10% discount.
- Mike's Bike Tours AmsterdamcoreGuided tour partner providing bike tours under MacBike brand. Tours include City Highlights, North Countryside E-Bike, Urban Bike Tour, and Zaanse Schans Tour.
- Flagship AmsterdamminorCanal cruise partner offering Amsterdam Open Boat Canal Cruise as complementary activity to bike rentals.
- Boom ChicagominorEntertainment partner offering Improv Spectacular show as complementary activity.
- A-BikecoreParent company powering MacBike. Logo shows 'MacBike powered by A-Bike'. Also operates similar bike rental services in Barcelona (a-bike.es).
- TiqetsminorPartnership for Amsterdam Summer Bike Pass combining museum tickets with 48-hour bike rental.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MacBike competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Stromma: Large Scandinavian-origin sightseeing operator offering canal cruises and bike tours across Northern European cities including Amsterdam. Indirectly competitive through bundled tourist attraction partnerships.
- Baja Bikes: Pan-European bike tour and rental operator active in 20+ cities including Amsterdam. Offers comparable guided tours and rental services, with broader geographic scale providing distribution and marketing advantages.
Others
- Tiqets: OTA for tourist attractions and experiences. While a current distribution partner of MacBike (Amsterdam Summer Bike Pass), it represents a potential disintermediation risk if it expands into owned bike rental operations.
- Batavus: Dutch bicycle manufacturer and MacBike's co-development partner for the custom city bike. Adjacent ecosystem participant — also supplies bikes to competing rental operators, making it both partner and indirect competitive channel.
Direct peers
- Mike's Bike Tours Amsterdam: Major guided bike tour operator in Amsterdam offering e-bike countryside tours, city tours, and Zaanse Schans tours. Also a current tour partner of MacBike, making it both collaborator and direct competitor.
- Yellow Bike Amsterdam: Long-standing Amsterdam bike rental and tour operator with similar city-centre locations and fleet. Direct competitor for tourist bike rentals and guided tours in the same geography.
- Dam Bike Rental: Amsterdam-based bike rental operator with city-centre presence near major tourist areas. Direct competitor focused on short-term tourist rentals.
- A-Bike Barcelona: Sister brand under the same A-Bike parent company, operating identical bike rental and tour model in Barcelona. Most structurally comparable peer given shared operations playbook, branding, and booking platform.
- Holland Rent-a-Bike: Dutch bike rental company with Amsterdam locations offering similar city bikes, e-bikes, and tours. Direct competitor for both retail rentals and tour packages.
Emerging players
- Fat Bike Tours Amsterdam: Niche operator offering fat-bike experiences in Amsterdam, overlapping with MacBike's e-bike and city tours but specializing in a specific bike format targeting younger tourist demographics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MacBike social profiles
Digital presenceMacBike compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
MacBike financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MacBike leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
MacBike funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MacBike M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MacBike
What does MacBike do?
MacBike is a bike rental and tour company operating five locations in central Amsterdam. The company rents a diverse fleet of bicycles — city bikes, touring bikes, electric bikes, fat e-bikes, cargo bikes, kids bikes, and tandems — on hourly and daily bases, complemented by guided bike tours, self-guided audio tours via izi.TRAVEL, and bicycle repair services at four workshop locations.
Is MacBike a public or private company?
MacBike is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MacBike founded?
MacBike was founded in 1988. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is MacBike based?
MacBike is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does MacBike make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Bike Rentals are the primary driver. The others are guided Bike Tours, bike Repair Services and bike Sales.
Who are MacBike's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Stromma and Baja Bikes. Others are Tiqets and Batavus. Direct peers are Mike's Bike Tours Amsterdam, Yellow Bike Amsterdam, Dam Bike Rental, A-Bike Barcelona and Holland Rent-a-Bike. Fat Bike Tours Amsterdam is listed as an emerging player.
Does MacBike have an API?
No public API is recorded for MacBike.
What industry is MacBike in?
MacBike's product category is Bike Rental Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THADAGAE, E-Bike Rentals, with a secondary code of THAJABAF, Cycling, Mountain Biking & E-bike Adventures. Its NAICS code is 532284 and its SIC code is 7510.