Do any of you have a Dutch bike? They seem so much more practical and comfortable than the bikes we have here and wonder why they haven't caught on in the U.K.
Outside Amsterdam Railway station there are hundreds of these old Dutch bikes all rusting, mangled and abandoned. It looks like a work of modern art.
May the wind be with you all.
Dutch bikes
Some aspects of them are great - they tend to come with mudguards, carriers, even lights and locks on some. Plus they have an upright position that someone new to cycling would find more comfy.
But, on the other hand... the Netherlands has a long tradition of cycle commuting compared with the UK (OK, we did have a tradition too but we mislaid it somewhere) so such an oldfashioned looking bike is more readily accepted there - here people appear to want something that looks a little more flash, hence all the MTB clones. Also, we tend to have a few more hills so something with more gears and less weight could be advantageous in some towns.
But, on the other hand... the Netherlands has a long tradition of cycle commuting compared with the UK (OK, we did have a tradition too but we mislaid it somewhere) so such an oldfashioned looking bike is more readily accepted there - here people appear to want something that looks a little more flash, hence all the MTB clones. Also, we tend to have a few more hills so something with more gears and less weight could be advantageous in some towns.
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appolo
Lawrie, I have a Dutch-style roadster,made by Giant.It is my work bike (open frame,ladies style),because I'm hopping on and off all the time at work and have an back problem.Although the frame is ally',Giant put steel wheels on it,for strength and durability presumably but this makes the old bus' very heavy.The newer Giants' have ally' wheels.A friend in the local D.A. has just bought the new model for his wife and very nice it looks too.
Mine has the Shimano Nexus 7 speed hub,which personally I can't fault,roller brakes (ditto),rack,stand.carrier,lights.As a package,it was very good value for money.
The pluses of this type of bike are:
Comfort allied with a much more relaxed riding style,almost regal
Ease of maintenance,dependability
Usefulness,just hop on and go
(I've also used for gentle touring,not fast but actually quite theraputic)
The minuses:
Some models are heavy. Gazelle bikes and Koga-Myata are great but tend to be weighty. So if you want to stonk up that hill.forget it.
Can't think of any more!
I think the main reason they are not popular here (yet,anyway) is cultural.We started to give up the bike years ago when everyone was encouraged (brainwashed) to get a car. Only now are we realising that for a great majority of local journeys,the bike is perfect.(Sorry,not preaching to the converted here), but perhaps mainland Europe knew better all along.
For certain jobs and distances they are perfect. It's a tool to do a job.Get a good one,you won't regret it.
Mine has the Shimano Nexus 7 speed hub,which personally I can't fault,roller brakes (ditto),rack,stand.carrier,lights.As a package,it was very good value for money.
The pluses of this type of bike are:
Comfort allied with a much more relaxed riding style,almost regal
Ease of maintenance,dependability
Usefulness,just hop on and go
(I've also used for gentle touring,not fast but actually quite theraputic)
The minuses:
Some models are heavy. Gazelle bikes and Koga-Myata are great but tend to be weighty. So if you want to stonk up that hill.forget it.
Can't think of any more!
I think the main reason they are not popular here (yet,anyway) is cultural.We started to give up the bike years ago when everyone was encouraged (brainwashed) to get a car. Only now are we realising that for a great majority of local journeys,the bike is perfect.(Sorry,not preaching to the converted here), but perhaps mainland Europe knew better all along.
For certain jobs and distances they are perfect. It's a tool to do a job.Get a good one,you won't regret it.
I have just bought a Batavus Alamo and am simply delighted with it. I posted a picture of it in the Tea Shop. (I gave my Specialised Hardrock X Country to my daughter as I found it very slow and hard work on the road - it made me think I was old and unfit.) The main factors that influenced me were: I have problems with my back and need an upright position; I wanted an easy ride on the road and a machine that would work for light touring and I also hope to persuade my husband to tour with me. The latter seems to be working. We have been out locally together in hilly Berkshire. He has an old Galaxy which has a 10 speed compact. As far as he is concerned my new bike is as good as his, which is saying something. He also made enquiries about purchasing a Dutch bike himself. My new bike feels no heavier than my MTB as I can lift it in and out of the car unaided. I can get from A to B more quickly than before. I also do not have to ensure my trousers are tucked into my socks on that I am sufficiently padded for local trips. With regard to fashion etc. the verdict of the rich kids that I teach is that it looks cool!
Yoyo
Yoyo
Si wrote:Some aspects of them are great - they tend to come with mudguards, carriers, even lights and locks on some. Plus they have an upright position that someone new to cycling would find more comfy.
But, on the other hand... the Netherlands has a long tradition of cycle commuting compared with the UK (OK, we did have a tradition too but we mislaid it somewhere) so such an oldfashioned looking bike is more readily accepted there - here people appear to want something that looks a little more flash, hence all the MTB clones. Also, we tend to have a few more hills so something with more gears and less weight could be advantageous in some towns.
I've wondered about how many people here use a bike as a means of transport and today carried out my own unscientific survey. Walking down the main street of our nearby small city(Peterborough) I counted 105 bikes on the various bike storage things. This was in a distance it took me under 10 mins to walk - say 5-600 yards. Not one of them was an "enthusiats" machine so I'd say quite a lot of people use them as a means of transport. Many were what the the more disdainful here describe as a BSO(bike shaped object) but they work and they get people around. About half a dozen were elderly Raleigh roadster types which are, to my mind, the strongest, best made and most suitable machines for knock about everyday ridng. They last forever and rarely go wrong.
Never mind Dutch cycles I think our home industry perfected the general use bicycle many years ago. Clones of these are still being made in India, China and probably many other underdeveloped countries.
My wife is Dutch but has lived here for 15 years. She needed a new bike recently and we thought we'd just pick one up on one of our regular visits to Holland. We were put off by the weight of them. As Holland is so flat weight is a minor consideration when designing their bikes, but here in Newcastle with it's more varied terrain it really matters.
After more research we realised German bikes offered all the advantages of Dutch, ie> well designed lighting systems, solid design, low maintenance, mudguards and rear carriers but with more thought about weight.
We settled on the Fahrrad Manufaktur S300 . You can get these from German bike shops and have it sent over or a shop in London called Bikefix. This bike has been brilliant for everyday town and city use, much cheaper than the city bike recently reviewed in the CTC magazine and excellent design. It tends towards sit up and beg but not as badly as Dutch Roadsters and weighs a little over 15Kgs.
After more research we realised German bikes offered all the advantages of Dutch, ie> well designed lighting systems, solid design, low maintenance, mudguards and rear carriers but with more thought about weight.
We settled on the Fahrrad Manufaktur S300 . You can get these from German bike shops and have it sent over or a shop in London called Bikefix. This bike has been brilliant for everyday town and city use, much cheaper than the city bike recently reviewed in the CTC magazine and excellent design. It tends towards sit up and beg but not as badly as Dutch Roadsters and weighs a little over 15Kgs.
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JC4LAB
On the point of Dutch bikes and hills, this blog, which I visit regularly, has an interesting post on this very subject:
http://cycleliciousness.blogspot.com/20 ... -myth.html
http://cycleliciousness.blogspot.com/20 ... -myth.html
Dutch bikes in UK depends on where you live. York for instance a lot of them around, and one of the local shops cycle heaven ( http://www.cycle-heaven.co.uk/ ), import them. The local police even use them.
My partner just thinks it is great in the traffic, and cycle ways, in fact it worries me at the speeds she gets up to, with panniers (dutch) loaded with shopping, and coat flying!
My partner uses a 7 speedGazella Impala every day for work. This is 5 years old and steel, most of the Gazella are now Aluminium, and feel significantly different.
In terms of riding distance, the UK and dutch bikes dont work, but in Holland I rode from Amsterdam out to Edam and back, 35 miles no real problem, but not something to do every day.
Have a play with one they are certainly different, and buy one go to Holland on the ferry and bring it back, certainly cheaper.
My partner just thinks it is great in the traffic, and cycle ways, in fact it worries me at the speeds she gets up to, with panniers (dutch) loaded with shopping, and coat flying!
My partner uses a 7 speedGazella Impala every day for work. This is 5 years old and steel, most of the Gazella are now Aluminium, and feel significantly different.
In terms of riding distance, the UK and dutch bikes dont work, but in Holland I rode from Amsterdam out to Edam and back, 35 miles no real problem, but not something to do every day.
Have a play with one they are certainly different, and buy one go to Holland on the ferry and bring it back, certainly cheaper.
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McHoen
I'm Dutch myself and thus have 30 years experience with Dutch bikes in Holland. I live in Oxford now but have built myself a nice single-speed coaster brake bicycle to get around town. The coaster brake wheel I brought over from Holland because they're 26 Euro, new.
I've totally had it with gears. Unless you have to climb 8% hills or steeper you really don't need them and your bicycle needs so much less maintenance! And with the coaster brake, no cables!
Why do people buy a mountain bike style bicycle to get around town?
99 % of them will never get outside the town limits...
And the tractor type tyres they have... My god they make you slow.
Dutch style bikes, yes, the best!
I've totally had it with gears. Unless you have to climb 8% hills or steeper you really don't need them and your bicycle needs so much less maintenance! And with the coaster brake, no cables!
Why do people buy a mountain bike style bicycle to get around town?
99 % of them will never get outside the town limits...
And the tractor type tyres they have... My god they make you slow.
Dutch style bikes, yes, the best!
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Ben Lovejoy
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We used to sell bikes like the dutch ones, see raleigh but given utility cycling has never really been taken seriously here they died out and LBSs started recommending 5-speed racers then MTBs. Things are a bit better now with at least some choice in hybrid bikes. Trouble is that to do the dutch bike thing well the bikes land up costing a lot. For a country like Holand that's fine because they buy them as a means of transport so spending £500 isn't silly money. Trouble is if you're not sure about whether you want to cycle spending £500 is too much. So lots of people for whom these bikes would be great land up buying a cheap MTB or hybrid which turn out to be rubbish and land up in the shed!
It's good to see that Raleigh are again giving this idea a go see elegance.
It's good to see that Raleigh are again giving this idea a go see elegance.
"Marriage is a wonderful invention; but then again so is the bicycle puncture repair kit." - Billy Connolly
Yes, my wife has an imported Gazelle and it's fantastic.
I'm always borrowing it to nip into town as you can just get on it an ride. No need to find lock, trouser clips, lights, etc. as it has no exposed dirty parts at all, and built-in lights and lock. I will take a cable lock if leaving it for longer than a pop into a shop, but otherwise it's get on and go.
The riding style is very regal and upright, can be a pain into a strong wind, making you relax and enjoy the view. Its handling is very stable, but it isn't slow: top gear of the seven comes in useful with a tailwind when you're doing 20mph+. It is quite heavy.
I'm always borrowing it to nip into town as you can just get on it an ride. No need to find lock, trouser clips, lights, etc. as it has no exposed dirty parts at all, and built-in lights and lock. I will take a cable lock if leaving it for longer than a pop into a shop, but otherwise it's get on and go.
The riding style is very regal and upright, can be a pain into a strong wind, making you relax and enjoy the view. Its handling is very stable, but it isn't slow: top gear of the seven comes in useful with a tailwind when you're doing 20mph+. It is quite heavy.
Anthony Cartmell (also known as "admin" when posting in a more official capacity on this Forum)
Kangaroo trike, Windcheetah recumbent, Batavus dutch bike, Dawes Galaxy Twin tandem, Pashley unicycle
http://www.fonant.com – Quality web sites.
Kangaroo trike, Windcheetah recumbent, Batavus dutch bike, Dawes Galaxy Twin tandem, Pashley unicycle
http://www.fonant.com – Quality web sites.
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appolo
I was in an LBS yesterday and noticed that "Claud Butler" (or at least the bike is marketed as such) are doing a modern take on the roadster with a Nexus 7' hub. Fairly basic alloy frame and parts but perfectly servicable and well up to the job.At last the humble hub gear seems to be coming back to utility type bikes. About time too.
I fancy one of the new Raliegh Pioneer's with the Shimano 8 speed hub. Although for some peculiar reason Raliegh have seen fit to use a chain tensioner on it. Probably so they can use the same frame as other models that has vertical drop-outs I suppose. Almost negates the reason for using a hub gear in the first place if you still need a tensioning device.But apart from that, it looks like one very good bike.(And I am a long term Raliegh fan!).
I fancy one of the new Raliegh Pioneer's with the Shimano 8 speed hub. Although for some peculiar reason Raliegh have seen fit to use a chain tensioner on it. Probably so they can use the same frame as other models that has vertical drop-outs I suppose. Almost negates the reason for using a hub gear in the first place if you still need a tensioning device.But apart from that, it looks like one very good bike.(And I am a long term Raliegh fan!).
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reohn2
appolo wrote:I was in an LBS yesterday and noticed that "Claud Butler" (or at least the bike is marketed as such) are doing a modern take on the roadster with a Nexus 7' hub. Fairly basic alloy frame and parts but perfectly servicable and well up to the job.At last the humble hub gear seems to be coming back to utility type bikes. About time too.
I fancy one of the new Raliegh Pioneer's with the Shimano 8 speed hub. Although for some peculiar reason Raliegh have seen fit to use a chain tensioner on it. Probably so they can use the same frame as other models that has vertical drop-outs I suppose. Almost negates the reason for using a hub gear in the first place if you still need a tensioning device.But apart from that, it looks like one very good bike.(And I am a long term Raliegh fan!).
I just sold a Dutch bike with a 7sp Nexus hub,I didn't care much for the Nexus 7 (a bit like pedaling in treacle)though I did like the full enclosed chain and roller hub brakes, and the very sturdy steel rack.
To replace it I've bought a Claud Butler Classic with deraileur gears and conventional rim brakes.It wll be as the Dutch bike was an occasional runabout so should fit the bill,but I couldn't live with the 'treacle transmission'.
I'm sure Hubbers(alias Hubgearfreak)will be along to tell you which is the best hubgear to buy.