Updated: June 2026
Brightly colored bikes decorated in flowers, clocks, butterflies, records, and other features are sprinkled throughout Amsterdam. Behind these beautiful bikes is a pretty cool story!
The Flower Bike Man
The bikes are the work of Warren Gregory, an American gentleman fondly known as the Flower Bike Man. Warren began decorating bikes in the early 2000s while living in Tarpon Springs, Florida, a small town that would eventually be home to over 200 of his creations among just 25,000 residents.
A Love Story
Warren and his wife Michelle first vacationed in Amsterdam in 2004 and fell so in love with the city that they moved there just five months later. After two difficult years, the couple returned to Tarpon Springs, where Warren’s most meaningful work began.
Michelle, who suffers from epilepsy, was struggling to remember where she parked her bike. Warren decorated it so she could find it easily. As her condition progressed and she began getting lost on her route home from work, Warren began placing decorated abandoned bikes along her path to guide her home.
The joy his bikes brought to everyone who passed them inspired Warren to keep going. In 2018, he and Michelle moved back to Amsterdam, where he continues to decorate bikes in his houseboat and quietly places them on random streets before dawn, leaving his gifts for the city to discover. Today he is also hired to create custom bikes for individuals, local companies, and festivals.
Where to Spot a Flower Bike
Flower bikes are scattered throughout Amsterdam, with new ones appearing regularly. Keep in mind that locating them can be something of a mystery as they move from place to place. That said, here are some of the best areas to look:
- Spui near The Seafood Bar
- Near the Rijksmuseum
- The Canal Belt historic streets, where a blue bike with bright pink and purple flowers has been spotted
- Oudewijds Voorburgwal in De Wallen near the Red Light District, where a white and red flower bike has appeared
- Grimburgwal Bridge near the canal, home to a purple bike with the simple message “love is the cure”
- Near the Anne Frank House, across the canal from Westerkerk
Canal Close
The streets of Amsterdam come to life with pops of color when you spot a flower bike. If you see one, you know the Flower Bike Man has been nearby. And if you happen to cross paths with Warren himself, say hello!
Keep Exploring Amsterdam
The Seafood Bar is part of my nine-part Explore Amsterdam series. If you’re planning a trip or just love the city as much as I do, here’s the full collection:
- Introduction to the Series
- Facts about Amsterdam
- Dutch for Travelers
- Amsterdam’s Flower Bikes · A Love Story on Two Wheels
- DENHAM: Shopping in Amsterdam
- The Amsterdam Duck Store
- Hiding in Plain Sight: A Bar Worth Finding
- Box Sociāal: Restaurant
- Balthazar’s Keuken: Restaurant
Until next time…
· izzy