Buying a Dutch bike?

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  • June 5, 2014 at 3:08 pm #915438
    Guus
    Participant

    Are there any bicycle stores in the DC area that sell Dutch-style bikes? I am not very familiar with the right terminology — when I say “Dutch bike” it doesn’t have to be a European brand such as Sparta or Batavus — but I’m looking for a slow, comfortable bike with curved handle bars and a very upright seating position. Preferably at least 5 gears — no fixie.

    It’s been many years so I’ve used a Dutch bike so I’d like to try them out in person, ordering online won’t really work.

    Something like this would be great (beer not required):

    rh-dutchbike3.jpg

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Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
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  • June 5, 2014 at 3:12 pm #1003400
    jrenaut
    Participant

    Bicycle Space definitely has that style – they stock Linus and Pashley.

    June 5, 2014 at 3:15 pm #1003401
    Tim Kelley
    Participant

    I rode a Trek Pure to work for a week or two a couple years ago:

    http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/town/recreation/pure/pure_s/#

    June 5, 2014 at 3:28 pm #1003405
    consularrider
    Participant

    Is the case of beer a mandatory accessory?

    June 5, 2014 at 3:39 pm #1003407
    mstone
    Participant

    @consularrider 87615 wrote:

    Is the case of beer a mandatory accessory?

    yes

    June 5, 2014 at 3:47 pm #1003409
    chris_s
    Participant

    Papillon Cycles in Arlington on Columbia Pike stocks Breezer bikes now, I believe many would fit your criteria.

    June 5, 2014 at 3:55 pm #1003413
    83b
    Participant

    The Daily Rider on H Street NE has a nice selection of upright city bikes from Gazelle, Pashley, Pilen, Spot, and a few others. I also second the Bicycle Space recommendation. Both excellent shops.

    June 5, 2014 at 4:22 pm #1003418
    Guus
    Participant

    Thank you for all the suggestions! This is excellent.

    June 5, 2014 at 7:01 pm #1003449
    dasgeh
    Participant

    Dutch style bikes are awesome. We have a Biria from Bicycle Pro Shop that we’ve been very happy with.

    June 5, 2014 at 11:17 pm #1003474
    mcfarton
    Participant

    I rented one in Amsterdam and it was very fun. That thing was so heavy and I was carrying a 20 pound lock. I wish I could remember the brand. I will have to dig out the pics.
    How much is something like this? I am imaging around 500?

    Sent from my SPH-L520 using Tapatalk

    June 5, 2014 at 11:43 pm #1003475
    FFX_Hinterlands
    Participant

    Bikes@Vienna has Linus and Breezer City Bikes. A shop that has bikes with fenders, chain guards and integrated ring locks has Dutch Bike Street Cred.

    June 6, 2014 at 11:55 am #1003493
    Harry Meatmotor
    Participant

    I’m gonna play a little Debbie Downer here: So, the one major problem with a full on, true “Dutch Bike” is that they’re all well north of 50lbs. Unless you only intend to ride on flat ground, you’re gonna either need at least 8 gears (cos, the 3 and 5 speed internally geared hubs available just don’t have low enough gearing for any hill steeper than 2-3% unless you want to swap out chain rings), or the bike has got to go on a massive diet. Most American bike manufacturers have figured this out (and offer the look of a Dutch bike, with the convenience of useful gearing and decent weight), but there are still a few city bikes available in the US that are true Amsterdam-style (flat country) city bikes.

    of course, if you’re only gonna ride it a couple of miles at a time and it’s dead flat – go for it, they’re awesome bikes for that!

    June 6, 2014 at 12:24 pm #1003495
    Guus
    Participant

    Harry, thanks for bringing that up. I am not planning to use it for longer rides — 2 or 3 miles is probably the max range — but nevertheless I am now leaning towards American brands vs. importing a true Dutch bike from the Netherlands. We’re visiting there this summer so I could buy one pre-owned and carry it with me in the plane, but this thread has shown me that there are lots of options locally.

    I like my Trek bike, but it is not geared towards commuting. I’ve added fenders etc but the open chain is getting really annoying (always have to worry about my pant sleeves). Most of all I miss being able to sit upright.

    June 6, 2014 at 2:06 pm #1003503
    dasgeh
    Participant

    @Harry Meatmotor 87708 wrote:

    I’m gonna play a little Debbie Downer here: So, the one major problem with a full on, true “Dutch Bike” is that they’re all well north of 50lbs. Unless you only intend to ride on flat ground, you’re gonna either need at least 8 gears (cos, the 3 and 5 speed internally geared hubs available just don’t have low enough gearing for any hill steeper than 2-3% unless you want to swap out chain rings), or the bike has got to go on a massive diet. Most American bike manufacturers have figured this out (and offer the look of a Dutch bike, with the convenience of useful gearing and decent weight), but there are still a few city bikes available in the US that are true Amsterdam-style (flat country) city bikes.

    of course, if you’re only gonna ride it a couple of miles at a time and it’s dead flat – go for it, they’re awesome bikes for that!

    We swapped out the chain ring on the Biria when we bought it — I’m pretty sure they did that for free or a negligible charge.

    You make a good point, though. The downside to that weight is that you’re SLOW, and most American cyclists like to go FAST. Even when you don’t necessarily want to go FAST, the other cyclists around you are usually trying to go FAST, and for me, at least, it can get contagious. Once I was aware of infectious FAST disease, I would consciously choose to go SLOW when I went on the Biria. That made the entire experience much more enjoyable. When buying a dutch bike (even the American ones), you need to make sure you’ll be ok cruising around at a slower pace than most cyclists.

    June 7, 2014 at 7:00 pm #1003588
    FFX_Hinterlands
    Participant

    Yes, Dutch bikes are heavy. My Torker Cargo T (basically a Batavus Personal Delivery bike, similar to rental bikes in Amsterdam) weights about 45-50lbs. It’s a three speed. My commute is 7 miles with a 250-ft climb– pretty flat. I average about 11 mph, with about half a dozen traffic lights to contend with. My “regular” cross-type bike with a steel frame, big saddlebag, etc, weighs around 30 lbs and I can average more like 14 mph over my commute. So basically it takes me 10 minutes longer on the Dutch bike getting home (uphill). The Dutch bike has fatter tires resulting in a cushier ride and I’m less likely to get a flat. It is faster when I arrive at my destination because I have a ring lock (with integrated cable). Carrying stuff is also less fussy.. the more weight you carry the steadier it rides. The Dutch bike is also incredibly stable. I’ve hit patches of ice or mud that probably would have resulted in a crash if I was going faster on a road bike. It would be much easier to add a child seat to the Dutch bike as it would not flinch. Oh, and having generator lights is also great for lazy people like me. One more lazy rider thing.. the full chainguard keeps the chain cleaner and the roller brakes never need pads or get the wheels dirty with brake dust.

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