dutch city bikes

I would rather be posting about steel hardtails or something but my wife is about to buy a second hand Union Load step through bike. Its got a nexus 3 speed rear hub and coaster brake while the front is a drum brake.
linky

I have no idea about maintenance, reliability etc and as its a few years old she was wondering about longevity.

Does anyone have any experience of similar bikes? I’m blaming eurovision for this sudden interest in euro bikes!

Any help appreciated

Hmmm, there goes some tumbleweed rolling by…

I’ll go back to persuading her a mountain bike is a better option!

I rode one of the styled bikes in Amsterdam, good job it was flat weight was impressive in the wrong way.

Yeah they weigh a ton and this one only has three speeds. We live in Edinburgh too although down by the coast so flattish.

She loves the riding position though

I have the privilege of riding this beast when I visit my dad in Spain.

Exhibit A :

Pros: you can carry a slab of beer and a six pack of coke on it.

Cons:
Heavy.
Awful saddle. Riding for more than half an hour is seriously uncomfortable.
Archaic components. Ok not a proper Dutch bike, this one had low end shimano gripshifters, 3×7
Geometry so bad the front wheel hits your foot if you try to turn too sharply.
You can also get pedal strikes on a flat surface if you lean over too much when cornering.

A modern hybrid mtb with pannier/rack would be a million times better. You can lower the saddle and /or raise the bars using spacers of it matters that much? Might be able to find one with a lady friendly angled top tube too?

dutch style bikes are great – comfy riding position and the hub gears and brakes are good and reliable

I think these look great for £370.

Decathlon, again.

19kg though.. Jesus. And it’s not cheap either.

the dutch are not bothered by weight – they want a bike that has an annual service at the dealers then just keeps rolling on – hence hub gears and roller brakes

What about this you’d have to buy a rack if you want. and it doesn’t look quite as quaint.. But it’s a cool 4kg lighter lol!

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductMobileDisplay?catalogId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=165534&productId=1230893&storeId=10001

they want a bike that has an annual service at the dealers

Even with mechanical disks, if you’re just pootling round town, an annual service will be plenty.

I’d rather a bike that doesn’t weigh as much as a sack of cement powder, lol!

she was wondering about longevity.

Post apocolypse it’s going to be cockroaches, scorpions and dutch bikes, nothing else. Apart from Keith Richards, of course

mattyfez – Member
19kg though.. Jesus. And it’s not cheap either.

I agree about the weight, a good hybrid with extras would be a ‘better’ bike.
But the lady wants a retro/Dutch style bike…

And it does come with rack, guards, dynamo lights and a Nexus hub for £370, which isn’t bad going.

If I lived somewhere flat, I might be tempted.

Well if its anything like my mrs she’ll never go out when it’s wet anyway.
Or at night.

So do you really need dyno, full mud guards and front and rear racks?

tjagain – Member
the dutch are not bothered by weight – they want a bike that has an annual service at the dealers then just keeps rolling on

They also have about 3m elevation around the country. You could fit hub gears etc to something not weighing that much and have something equally reliable. The weight made them a pain in the arse especially if you can’t/don’t want to leave it on the street. Just because lots of people have them doesn’t make it ideal everywhere for everyone.

Also just checking we agree what flat is

Get her a laura trott mtb 1, £350, and it’s about 6.5kg lighter!
And it’s got hydraulic brakes and an up to date drive chain.
And air forks.

A modern hybrid mtb with pannier/rack would be a million times better.

Mattyfez, I don’t think you can make a sensible assessment of the bike the OP’s wife is considering based on your own experience of riding a completely different bike which looks like it is the wrong size and seems to be set up to be ridden by a creature with only a vague resemblence to a human being. I appreciate it’s not your bike and you only ride it rarely, but in your shoes I would not be able to rest at least until the saddle was levelled on that bike (it looks like the seatpost has been turned 180 degrees?). In any case, that bike itself looks more like a hybrid MTB than a dutch city bike.

OP, if your wife likes it and finds the riding position comfortable, and it’s flat where you live/she only wants to use it for short distances, then it will beat a hybrid/MTB hands down. With the encased chain, hub gears and drum/coaster brakes, it should need virtually no maintenance. It’s the sort of bike where you don’t have to think about getting kitted up and ready, you just get on it and go whenever you want/need to and whatever you are wearing.

until the saddle was levelled on that bike

I do level it, but something is broken so the saddle slowly tilts.
Anyway, I refer you to Mike smiths post above, the Dutch have to cope with gentle elevations almost a meter high on occasion, so weight isn’t such an issue.

I just don’t think it’s sensible in this country.

An I certainly don’t get ‘kitted up’ , I often ride in jeans, a t-shirt and normal jacket if I’m popping into town in my mtb.

If I’m going for a proper ride I’ll switch out the jeans for some mtb shorts, that’s about it.

You’re not married, are you?

I may as well be. Anyway her indoors managed 20 miles on her second outing on a decent bike.. Albeit at a very steady pace..

I just don’t see any sense in buying a 20kg bike, unless it’s a ebike. It’s just to heavy and if she’s not as strong as an Ox, will just put her off and it will be one more thing taking up space in the garage.

I do level it, but something is broken so the saddle slowly tilts.

That’s even worse. ‘Something’ is broken? You mean to say you haven’t identified the problem. I am deeply disappointed in you. This is Singletrackworld. You are supposed to be a ‘proper cyclist’©. You should not be able to rest until you had got to the bottom of the problem; even better if you could post a thread on here about it with photographs. Have a word with yourself, and take your toolkit out with you next time you go out to Spain.

Don’t come back until it’s fixed.

(© copyright old farts everywhere)

Dutch city bikes need not be that heavy – you are looking at bottom end of the range stuff comnparable to pig iron bikes from halfords that will be 20kg as well. Remeber these are fully mudguarded etc not bare bikes. Try something like this 15 kgs with fully enclosed chain, full mudguards, strong rack etc.

https://www.gazellebikes.co.uk/bikes/ultimate-s8/

That’s £1300.00 though, lol!

Or 9 annual full services on a £400 bike.

I just don’t think it’s sensible in this country.

The success of these says otherwise:

Arrrrgh, my eyes!

But seriously how many people would buy that bike? And what do they retail for and how much do they weigh?

And also London is flat, so they would be useless anywhere with hills.

Dutch bikes are bloody brilliant.

Once you start to use a sensible bike for riding about town you wonder why you ever pissed about trying to make a MTB work for the same role.

I’m not really suggesting you ride an enduro bike around town, that would be silly, it’s the sheer weight and lack of maneuverability of Dutch style bikes that’s an issue.

Decent ones cost about a grand for a reasonable weight, which just seems silly for a casual bike when you can get a hybrid with a lady friendly top tube for far less.

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the romantic aesthetic of a lady in a flowing gown on her town bike with some fresh bread in her handlebar basket, but things have moved on.

matty – those bikes are better for their purpose than a hybrid – their purpose being easy comfy transport.

They are not un manoeuvrable, they will have full mudguards, built in dynamo lights, good strong racks etc on them and thus you are not comparing like with like. dress up that hybrid to have the same practicality as a dutch bike and you are going to be weighing as much but still not have the practicality

Be fair now, if we are to have a objective discussion, I didn’t say they were ‘un maneuverable’ as you put it.

I said ‘they lack maneuverability’ in the context of more modern design.

When you consider the price difference, in the UK, to keep the weight sensible, and the price, you’d be better off with a modern bike, aka a hybrid, and buy racks and baskets as addons if you want.

The OP bike looks awesome.

I have a very similar bike for commuting and it’s awesome. I pump up the chain and oil the tyres every month or two.

Buy it.

Matty simply wrong. A dutch trekking bike is hybrid – just one built for longevity and utility. Add the rack ( not a cheapo one but one camplable of carry 50+ kgs), sidestand, full mudguards and dynamo hub lights to a uk hybrid and you have a bike that is not as good for its purpose as a dutch bike but as expensive and heavy. there is a reason these bikes are the most popular all over europe – they are good for what they are intended for

These are modern bikes with modern components – have you ever ridden one?

A rack with 50kg capacity .. Damn i could carry 8 slabs of beer on that bad boy!

I’m sold.

its so your friend can sit on the rack. common practice in the low countries

I have a Batavus Personal (look em up and compare to the Loader

Bought it used. Love it to pieces. Near-zero maintenance, rolls like a beaut. Carries EVERYthing with not a twitch. Wouldn’t be without it now. Yes slow. Yes heavy. Yes 3spd Nexus. I replaced chainring (chainset actually) for a smaller one for hilly stuff. Big flat metal grippy pedals are the only other upgrade (essential IMO), as it needs torque carrying big loads and those stock moulded pedals are slippy as.

Heavy and slow is fun when smooth and comfortable. Add perfect balance and near-silent, effortless shifting and braking (these are rollers) and it’s easy to fall in love with Dutch-style for general transport/hauling. Well, it was for me. I make excuses to go on short late-night shopping trips just to use it! Then take the long route just to use it some more 🙂

But we’d need a second bike to carry the cask of ale then. And a second rider!

Jeez, Mattyfez, you and your old man must get **** when you go over for a stay.

We don’t mess about hahha 🙂

Thanks all for the comments. Duchessduvet has just read this thread and was laughing out loud in places so kept her entertained.

I think rusty spanner and slowster summed it up perfectly. She wants a dutch style bike and the comfort and practicality. She won’t be doing huge distances either.

She has ridden my bikes and even did Glasgow to Edinburgh charity ride on a kona Kilauea with p2s and slicks which she found OK. I suggested a pinnacle lithium but she just prefers an upright position. At 5’11” finding fit is difficult, the bobbin bike she tried was way too cramped.

Should mention its a used bike hence questions. I think she will go for it then she can pile up with kids, shopping and wear a floaty summer dress with a baguette in hand!

Get that Dutchie bought, love Dutch bikes, me. Had a great few days over in Amsterdam for King’s Day a couple of weeks ago, great party when the Dutch all take a day off and go a bit more nuts than usual.

Since we’ve been going over there there the last few years, most of my mates have bought Dutch or Dutch style bikes. It’s just a better way of riding in town or sightseeing. They roll well, you can sit up and chat to your mates riding along with you, when you stop, you just put down the kickstand and click the frame lock on. The full chain case makes the chain last forever(put some slime in the tubes, these wheels aren’t meant to be swapped quickly), and UK traffic treats you differently too, more like a human being.

Weight is only a problem if you’re racing.

The spec of those bikes means all you really have to do to keep them good is keep them clean, the tyres pumped, and put enough oil on the chain to keep rust away. Drum brakes, hub gears and coasters means virtually no maintenance.

You could easily do a comfortable cruisey century on one if you wanted to.