I finally found a true Dutch bike in North America. Here's what you need to know
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- čas přidán 27. 05. 2024
- I've looked for years for a true, authentic Dutch-style bike to buy in North America, but they aren't easy to come by. But now, after visiting a unique project in Winnipeg, Canada, my wish has come true. And after riding the bike for a little while, here are my thoughts.
Big thanks to Anders Swanson and Leigh Anne Parry and of Plain Bicycle (and do Dan Reihl who helped me choose my bike).
Want to buy one of their new or used Dutch bikes? plainbicycle.org/
The Plain Bicycle Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...
0:00 What is a Dutch bike?
1:20 The origins of the Plain Bicycle Project
4:55 Getting my hands on a Dutch bike
5:53 My first-ever ride
6:35 Why people think this bike is weird
6:55 Uprightness
7:51 Swept-back handlebars
8:22 Chain guard
8:47 Internal gears
9:23 Wheel lock
10:22 Sturdy back rack
10:48 Pedal brakes
11:28 Dynamo lights
12:07 Durability
13:43 Why these bikes are built for life
Thanks to StreetFilms and NorCal Cycling for the footage used under Creative Commons. And to Plain Bicycle for the footage from the Netherlands.
#cycling #bike #commuting
My bag, backpack and pannier sponsor is Two Wheel Gear - the best bags I've used for urban cycling and bike commuting: bit.ly/3MRtdfA
Buy my book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: rmbooks.com/book/frostbike/
I don’t really do proper product reviews, but here are some products that I’ve tried on this channel that I like. (Of course you don’t need anything fancy to ride a bike, other than a bike, but these are Amazon affiliate links, and I get paid a small commission if you buy them 😉)
• Here's the winter bike I'm riding these days: bit.ly/2PhqUqF
• Cliq Smart Bike Light (nice rear brake light): amzn.to/39lfqwo
• RedShift Acrlight Smart LED Pedals (clever lights for your pedals): amzn.to/3NL1Npg
• Aftershokz Titanium bone-conducting headphones (if you want to listen while you ride): amzn.to/3e9Tofa
• JBL CLip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker (for your party-pace group rides): amzn.to/3pcMLPm
• Crane Bicycle Bell (the ding is sublime): amzn.to/3OwfZCu
• Ibex Merino Wool clothing (good for summer and winter): bit.ly/3xXkbEd
• Bicycle Cargo Net (why did it take so long for me to buy one of these?): amzn.to/31s1Ovu
• Vaude Cover II Rain Poncho (for higher-end, try Cleverhood or People’s Poncho): amzn.to/3jLkift
• Kryptonite U-Lock (your bike is going to get stolen eventually, sigh, but at least make it hard): amzn.to/3tPWcGi
• Peak Design phone case (the one I use, paired with the Peak Design phone mount): amzn.to/3HGM0FU
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As a Dutchy, 500 bucks for a used bike feels criminal
Lucky devil
Yeah, but given the efforts to change the feeling and use of bikes in this continent, and the long long lasting nature, I'd say it's a great investment.
Yeah,.. but we don't need all the shipping and there are second hands everywhere. At some point elderly people tend to stop riding bikes as well and sell them cheaply. The only new bike I ever bought was when living in Shanghai, all my other bikes were 2nd hands or give away. My favorite bike was an aluminium frame Peugeot from the mid 70's. I biked from Dijon to Avignon on that in a two week adventure in the 90's on that, carrying a tent, provisions and a sports bag. Not the safest thing ever, but I survived without a scratch. Had to get used to hills though.
They are Canadian Dollars in all likelihood, which have a lower value than US Dollars.
It's the fact that they're shipping them. It's very expensive to ship large items across the Atlantic when you aren't a large corporation taking advantage of economies of scale.
To really make it the classic Dutch bike, there's one piece of essential stuff missing on your bike. It's a "jasbeschermer", litterally translated: a coat-protector. Two plastic sheets covering the top part of each side of the rear wheel, which ensures that nothing can get stuck between the spokes of the wheel, like indeed the tips of a long coat if you're wearing one while riding. Or - as in your case - the straps of your heavy bag flapping in the wind (or even the feet of a toddler when you carry it on a special seat that can be attached on the rack).
That’s what I wanted to put here. But he’s also missing „snelbinders“
And side bags for groceries
what about a front rack/crate
@@idedudink3602 that’s more optional. Some have it, but most don’t. A coat protecter and elastic binders on the cargo rack come standard.
thought you where going to say a play card fixed to the wheel so it makes a funcky sound with the spokes when your riding it. Or those plastic balls fixed to the spokes. Or is that a Belgian thing?
One thing you missed about the rack on the back is that it is very often used to carry people. When youre with a group of people and a few ppl aren't on a bike, or when youre on a date and one person came by public transport, someone will be going on the back of a bike.
I will always find it hilarious when a pair of teenagers (or adults) is stopped at an intersection, and the "baggage" on the back will get off and jog along for a couple steps to let the engine get back up to speed before hopping on again.
Not in Germany though, polizei will throw a hissyfit about safety, even on an empty road.
@@Widdekuu91 German tourists here sometimes even wear helmets which we find kind of hilarious, our whole infrastructure is made for bikes, I live in a semi car-free town to allow space for pedestrians and cyclists.. It's quite unnecessary and frankly you'd never see someone wear a helmet on a bike here unless they are going high speed cycling, because it's safe enough to not need one.
@@eev14
You're wrong. Increasingly more bicyclists are wearing a helmet. Hitting your head on pavement/tarmac can cause very, very serious permanent brain damage. Not just a temporary concussion but permanent brain damage!
Construction workers, moped and motor riders (should) know helmets can prevent serious damage. Mountain and sport bikers know it, urban bikers should know it too.
I know, firsthand, how devastating brain damage can be.
Be safe, young or old, wear at least a helmet.
Yes, I remember the times when we sometimes were with three or four friends on a bicycle. One on the saddle, one on the handlebars, one on the luggage rack and one on the bar in the middle. It wasn't fast and the wheels weren't happy with it either, but we got where we wanted to be. Those bikes are indestructible.
Fun fact, you mentioned how bikes transformed like Copenhagen, Madrid, and Paris, but in fact they changed Dutch cities as well. In the 60's the Dutch cities went in the direction of being built for cars. We're still undoing some of the "damage" from that era to this day.
With no help whatsoever from the "vroempartij."
I love how Dutch is like 70% understandable just by knowing Norwegian and English @@Widdekuu91
Googled it just to be sure and could even get the gist of the Dutch explanation lol
funnily though. While they are more and more introducing completely separated bike lanes, and are slowly starting to change into a full pedestrian/bike areas. But mostly it's painted bike lanes, incorporated on older 2 way roadways, With often car parking making place for bikes. Which in my opinion is a good change, having bike lanes next to parked cars, i've experienced, can get painful in more ways than 1.
But what makes the Netherlands so great, almost all new infrastructure, unless very low in volume, will tend to have completely separated bike lanes. At different elevation to the walkway so pedetrians are less encouraged to walk on it. But all completely separated from cars, giving them another level of separation and safety. And i still don't see that coming in other "Bike friendly cities. at the scale that its here.
Even the small details like the traffic lights, are pedestrian/bike centric in most places in The netherlands. with bikes being one of the highest priority vehicles, I believe only surpassed by an emergency vehicle with active sirens on, and busses
And even then, you'll only wait for a couple of seconds, to like a minute maximum.
it would've been way worse too if people hadn't started protesting. There had been plans to fill (some of) the canals in Amsterdam and in several cities they were thinking about taking down historical buildings to make more space for cars (and in some places they did). The huge post-war economy made it so that a lot of people could buy cars and that ended up with a lot of car related deaths. A very successful (and well known) campaign was the Stop de Kindermoord (stop the childmurder, a lot of children got into accidents). Other influences were that people never really stopped cycling/it wasn't really shunned and the oil crisis in 1973 (they closed the high ways on Sundays for cars and people would go cycle/walk/play on them).
@@Widdekuu91gelukkig zijn niet de grootste meer
As a Dutch guy I find it funny you find our bikes weird. It's my car my gym and my recreational vehicle all in one. No fuel no insurance and maintenance is almost non existent. A secondhand one will cost you about $100 and it will do a couple of years if not more. And the best part is... I'm never stuck in traffic. Only when I move house or have to pick something up I rent a car for the task at hand.
It amazes me ( after experiencing Holland) that the rest of us have not followed your lead. In fact it makes us look pretty stupid in the face of the statistics alone. Being from the UK ( a country stupid enough to vote for Brexit) I now can not emigrate to the Netherlands and am doomed to fight for my place in the road with deisel spewing bmw's.
@@johnfowler4820
As a Dutch I sold my car got a 'bakfiets' sinds then I can do weekly groceries with it. Get the dog in the 'bakfiets' to visit the forests. It also keeps me fit (I'm 40+), and when I need a car I just ofc rent it or ask a friend. I do have an insurance for the 'bakfiets' well the ANWB one, cuz if I get a flat tire or I break the chain they come and fix it for me on spot 🙂
Yeah so weird
You are describing my dream! Only weird to us North Americans because we can’t seem to get it out of our heads that there are better ways of living and doing than our typical ways. It puts an exclamation on how far we are from widespread adoption of those Dutch ways of doing things that are so beneficial in so many ways. Perhaps I’ll have grandkids who will be living in a time that is much closer to the more sensible Dutch way of transportation. And that includes renting a larger vehicle when needed! 😊
As an American, I am truly envious of this aspect of your culture. I'd love for us to have better biking/walking infrastructure, but here in the states, if it doesn't make some corporation money, it doesn't become a reality without a heckuva fight. There are some amazing biking/walking cities in the US, but they are on the rare side
It was so fun to view Dutch bikes from an outsiders perspective cause they are so normal me as a born and raised Dutch person. When you said “this bike looks weird” I was like hold up how do American bikes look ??!?
Am
Many American bikes are generally complex. They are made of aluminium or carbon frames. This is because they are generally used as recreational vehicles, not transportation. However there are many bikes similar to dutch bikes manly used for in town commuting and boardwalk bikes. Many can be rented via an app.The latest type of popular bike here is the fat tire bike. Fat tire bikes are generally used as recreational bikes in snow or sand as a sort of SUV of our bike world. Of course e-bikes along with Dutch type bike infrastructure will change the way Americans think of bikes.
@stuarthirsch Thank you for the explanation! I find it fascinating how different cultures view and treat similar objects.
What I always hate about non-dutch bikes is that they're more like atbs or mountainbikes; you have to lean on your steering wheel with your back at an incline. This puts a lot of pressure on your arms, wrists and back. Also, to look around you have to practically strain your neck the whole time, as if you're looking up. It's so freaking uncomfortable!
Mainly because North America is actively trying to kill you Poutine, Sugar Cereals, and Pickup trucks
My husband works at Accell, this is a bicycle factory located in Heerenveen (the Netherlands). 8 out of 10 bicycles no longer have a dynamo because, if you stand still in the dark, the light will go out. Nowadays they are all with battery, this is safer, the tires also have reflective edges so that you are also clearly visible from the side. Cycling upright is better for your back and the pack carrier is useful for panniers in which you can do your shopping (which I always do). I prefer to go by bike than by car , you stay fit , get the necessary vitamins from the sun and you feel more connected to nature .
I have hub dynamo on mine, I would never change that for battery lights. Some lights have build in capacitor.
@@krollpeterMost have that as its much simpler and has a longer lifetime.
@@jepulis6674 And with LEDs nowadays they are also quite ok in terms of brightness. For normal riders that is.
I wish there as a converter to change the 6 V AC to 5 V DC, though.
As an Amsterdammer (owning 3 bikes:classic, sports and cargo) you forgot to mention the bell. It’s very helpful when cycling in a touristic place with tourists not minding others 😜
Wooow een werkende bel? Fancyyyy.
Ik hou t op schreeuwen 😅
@@boneitchmr moneybags here with his bell, just bump into someone and yell a disease in Dutch and move on 😮
well, I live in Amsterdam as well and that bell if of zero use with tourists bcs they don't know the sound and what it means. I have three different sounding bells on minein hopes they at least recognise one. A horn works great though, but does make them jump. It's a lesson we are willing to teach for free lol
What’s wild to me is this is how bikes in the US used to be. My grandmother’s bike from the 50’s was upright, had swept-back handle bars, had a chain guard, had coaster breaks, had a rear rack and a front basket, and had lights powered by a dynamo. I’m sad that we got rid of it 😢
We need to bring them back
I actually would like a state factory to make bikes. I feel in the economy state manufacturing does have a role to play which is to make the things private corporations don't want to make. Private corporations want to make either luxury goods that are advertisable and can be sold for a lot or are disposable and need to be frequently replaced.
I think we need state factories to build simple but sturdy things as those go against the capitalist model of economics.
@@MrMarinus18.. definitely agree they need to bring dynamos back. But build them into the gearing with a on/off switch
@@nubie1100 - Though I would like to avoid battery operated lights, outside dynamo's are a drag, literally. Putting a dynamo in the hub makes total sense (clean, efficient), but the problem with that is that it is always ON, whether you switch it off or not. There will always be magnetic resistance, also during daytime when you don't need it.
@@tubularap . Brushless. Then do a leaver on/off to move magnets out from resistance
Been into bikes my entire life (51 yo), bmx, freestyle, MTB, road/gravel bikes all here in the US. Our family spent 2 weeks in Haarlem, Netherlands last summer and never drove a car once. Our Airbnb had a shed full of these single speed Dutch bikes that were free to use. We used them multiple times daily for everything, at first it was quite a shock but we quickly came to love them. So simple and so comfortable.
Love this. The simplicity is overlooked here, I think. There are so many benefits to keeping it simple.
Agree 💯. And as usual great video.
what was the shock?
@@ArjenHaayman how comfortable and simple they were. All my bikes have been sport type bikes, lots of gears and not as comfortable, more aggressive forward posture.
Haarlem is lovely! I went there back in March and we cycled to the coast and back on the nature trails.
As a dutch person currently using a 3rd hand no-gears bike- I can't overstate how durable they can be. The thing's at least 30 years old, first it was grandma's, then mom's (I remember sitting on a child seat on the back, back in kindergarten) and now I've used it for ~6 years. I used it when my job was delivering mail, which involves carrying 30-50 kg of mail on the back 5 days a week, yet I can't remember ever taking it to the shop, everything just works, aside from the occasional flat tire.
It's rusty as hell and the coat guard is shattered to bits because plastic degrades and it has toppled over with other bikes like dominos a bunch of times, but it rides! Only now is the chain starting to struggle (tbh it has always been noisy, but it only recently started to affect the actual riding), so now I gotta finally learn how to fix a bike lol
Same story with the domestic made Norwegian classic bikes they made here in Norway, holy hell they were solid, i have a collection of them, i commute on them all the time, truly are built like tanks and the quality of the steel and paintwork, they don't really rust away they just develop a patina, there is no limit as to how far these things will go.
@@HansensUniverseT-A nice! Cool that Norway has such sturdy old bikes too, is it common to commute by bicycle? I just fixed the chain issue today; all it needed was tightening, now my bike is quiet and smooth again (see I really only ever dealt with tires lol)
Chain lube!
I just love the fact that such a “basic” dutch item can be so succesfull and remarkable in other countries 😀
that model was in denmark like 50 years b4 it spread out in holland.
A bike with a frame like that was to enable ladies to mount a bike without showing their undies. They used to be a bit less sturdy than the gents bikes with the triangle frame. I had a friend who literally had a hundred year old bike he got from his gran. Those old bikes are from the pre consumer era and are pretty indestructible, so quite sought after.
As a Dutch person (owning 3 bikes, and 0 cars, haha) it's so cool seeing someone appreciate something that we consider so normal. If I ever move to Canada, I now know where I can get a bike :). Thanks for the great video!
Ik ben ook een Nederlander en heb in de kindertijd/middelbare schooltijd zeker gefiets ja. Maar zodra ik op m'n 19e een auto had heb ik nooit meer een fiets aangeraakt, tot een half jaar geleden toen ik was gepakt met rijden onder invloed. Nu een elektrische fatbike gekocht is wel leuk maar ouderwets fietsen zit echt totaal niet in m'n bloed.
Just take one with you! 🙂
volgens mij heeft die man niet door dat hij alleen maar vrouwenfietsen heeft geimporteerd haha
@@Mental_Illboy ja fietsen LMAO ik ben het zelfde, ik rijd ook liever mensen dood onder invloed
@@jewhunterbiden Ik heb inmiddels de EMA cursus afgerond en moet in November voorkomen. Ondertussen rij ik stiekem steeds weer vaker onder invloed. Met mooi weer pak ik de fatbike wel.
We're recently back from a two week cycle vacation in south Holland. We rented 3-speed Omafiets for 10 days in order to ride like the locals, and covered a couple of hundred kms during our cycle tour. We appreciated the many features that Shifter points out in the video (fenders, rear wheel lock etc etc.) Our rentals had front hub generators (way better than dynamos rubbing on the tire) and a front rim brake to augment the rear coaster brake. On a couple of days (before renting our own bikes) we rode with my aunt on borrowed neighbour bikes, that had 7-speed hub gears - so much nicer to have the additional gears for headwinds or occasional rises - in otherwise flat terrain.
Sadly, living in the Okanagan in mountainous BC, we won't be buying or riding Omafiets. we both have eBikes to get back up the hill to the ridge we live on.
The most common brand is Gazelle, a rather ironic naming. perhaps your bike frame had been painted over?
Not mentioned is the fact that virtually no one wears helmets (only the "spandex" racers do). My aunt recommended we bring/wear our helmets, so other cyclists knew we were tourists and give us some slack. after a couple of days we stopped wearing our helmets, and one day I got scolded (by a local riding by) for not being far enough off the cycle path while consulting my map. Which made me smile despite her stern words....
We can only dream of Canada becoming a bike culture like Holland.
Yet Canada has gnar trails 😂. We don't
Je had zin !😂
pro tip: your tires (rear tire especially) are a little underpressured by the looks of it. More pressure equals easier riding and keeps your tires better protected from punctures
Who is the pro? You are more likely to get a pinch flat if your tyres are very under inflated but not more likely to get a puncture, far from it. How on earth would you know if it's underpressured unless you know the tyre, weight of rider/cargo and road conditions?
Quiet clown @@muddydog6605
tires look just fine to me
Little anecdote about their durability: my dad has a bike like this, which he found as it was going to a landfill. He fixed it up, and fifty years later he still rides that bike. It's not his main bike, but whenever he goes somewhere bikes might get stolen he brings this one and uses just the single frame lock. It never gets stolen because it looks so old.
Unfortunately, that tactic no longer works in the Netherlands, as new bikes are much easier to recover than old bikes.
Even my dad's rusty old bike got stolen when my brother borrowed it, even though my brother used a chain lock to secure the front wheel to the rack.
That wheel was the only thing the thief left behind.
Ah, we dutch call that a "stationsfiets" (train station bike). The old crappy bike that's too old to get stolen.
My daily bike is from 1978 or 1980 or so. What's amazing is that only the tires have been changed. Maaaybe the chain, but that I'm not sure of. I know the rest has never had to be changed. Full disclosure: it lived most of its life staying under roofs, it's only the past 2-3 years it lives outside permanently. But like... It's so good. I just have to go through more oil now that it stays outside.
@@nonexistingvoid Common knowledge not to lock just the front wheel. It's easy to remove, you can get the front wheel off within 30 seconds. You should run the chain lock through the frame in addition to the front wheel to be way more secure.
@@nonexistingvoid It depends how shit your bike looks though. I don't even lock my bike half of the time while living in one of the more criminal infested neighbourhoods in the country. Bike looks so shit that no one wants to steal it x)
I am from Denmark and I never would have imagined someone get this excited and puzzled about a regular town bike. To me (I am from denmark), this is the original bicycle. My parents (and grandparents) had them while I grew up and they are still in sale. The ringlock is the go to lock for this type of bikes and back in the day, these locks were the norm if you wanted insurance to cover biketheft.
The ringlock is also the easiest one to bust. Just a short wiggle with a cheap lockpick, a decent wack and they'll fly open (AXA locks, found on most commuter bikes, especially)
I wouldn't know. I've never tried...
Where I live, they are covered by insurance nonetheless.
@@lostinature I've had dozens of such Dutch commuter bikes with ring locks, point is, no one is gonna put insurance on a
Are you from Denmark?
@@BoyKhongklai don't know where you are from, but in Denmark it's common that insurance for possessions also cover bikes (up to a certain amount) se long as they are locked with an approved lock (the ringlock is approved).
ANY lock is easily beatable with the right tools, thats not my point...
@theothertonydutch4465 Yes
what you probably missed about the handle, is that if you have a bit of practice, the curved shape makes it very easy to bend forward and lean your elbows on it and bike like that. It is an astoundingly comfortable way of biking, especially when there is a lot of wind or if your too late because you have a lot less resistance
Dutch bike aerodynamics
I'm Dutch and have a transportfiets (I've had it since middle school which also fit's the stereotype since nearly every teenager had it 10 years ago like me) and I love cycling like that xDD
I even beat some mountainbikers going uphill and at a traffic light, they were commenting on how there must be a little electric engine in there. I can tell you that there wasn't, only my 3 gears
@@evo3s75 this is way too relatable. The feeling of overtaking electric bikes as well
I have just returned home to Texas after a week in Haarlem and Amsterdam. I am in awe of the extent that bicycles matter in day to day life there. It is truly inspiring!
After visiting NL I really loved the omafiets. They were GROSSLY overpriced in Sweden, so I ordered a basic transportfiets (the ones with both front and rear racks) from NL for like a quarter of the price. And I love it! It's almost my sole means of transportation and that thing carries tons! It's bullet proof! 👍🏻
For the aspect of functionality Kronan bikes used to be a good approximation, but their quality was very poor.
I owned one, and I had to replace many parts fairly quickly. The frame and the luggage carriers seemed to be the only sturdy parts. That was probably the reason why they left the Dutch market. It seems they are still active in Sweden, but I don't now what the quality is now.
Swedish Kronan bikes were amazing. 32 kg of steel frame, single speed pedal-braked bike. I never felt safer, since approaching an intersection or traffic lights required timing. Contrary to the other poster i didn't have any maintenance other than the bike chain needing thightening regularly (because of the strain put on it when you get going) i didn't have any problems, but i had a very basic edition. What I loved the most was the front rack which was bolted to the frame, and not balanced on the front wheel and the handlebars. Even loaded with cat litterbox filler that bike was solidly stable. I loved it.
I ended up living closer to work and started walking after i saw a really bad accident between a cyclist and a car close to work. I had one of the first generation Kronan bikes released in The Netherlands - bright yellow (because of visibility) and licenseplate started with EI. I recently met another person who still had theirs in active use as a postie bike, over 25 years old.
@@weerwolfproductions Maybe they reduced quality over time by buying cheaper parts. With my bike I had many problems, to name just a few:
* the handlebars broke off twice, the first time i got a new one under guarantee, the second time guarantee was over and I replaced it with a sturdy stainless steel one
* The main sprocket was made of very tin plate material with some relief pressed into it to give it a bit more sturdiness, the connection to the crank was not welded, but also some kind of press connection. This connection also broke off twice. Once during guarantee, one time after. And again I replaced with a more sturdy generic sprocket. But since the Kronan wheel size was non standard, the gear ratio was also non-standard, so after the replacement the gear ratio was a bit off.
*The paint on the mud guards and wheel rims chipped off easily, and since the underlying metal was not galvanized these started to rust quickly.
*The inside of the axel-break mechanism wore out very quickly
* The pipe carrying the saddle bended!
* The pedals wore out very quickly
*The lights were with old-fashioned incandescent bulbs, which did not give much light.
Despite all this i really loved this bike, the big front carrier enabled me to transport many big things, for which other people would have used a car.
@@boldvankaalen3896 I had maintenance issue too. But I have to remind myself that I bought it second hand and I owned it for 10 years haha. The big front rack was great! I kept it after giving the bike away.
For me it was:
Fenders replaced 3 times.
Had to replace both of the old rims due to a known design issue the very old ones split in the middle.
The chain needed quite some maintenance (maybe because it is so heavy?).
It was overall VERY rusty.
The last straw was when the new back rim broke and perforated my back tire with a loud explosion sound. It bended the whole tire/rim.
The frame though was indestructible. Once a car opened its door in front of me in the bike lane and the car door was broken, my bike did not have a scratch. Also once accidentally drove against a public steel wastebin and instead of having my frame damaged, the wastebin had a dent and opened up.
I'll never forget my visit to the Netherlands about 10 years ago. I was a halfway serious bicycle racer, and I was amused by the silly looking Dutch bikes. On a whim, I stopped at a bike shop and asked for a test ride, just so I could prove to myself how awful these bikes were.
That bike was amazingly smooth, so comfortable, the handling so stable and predictable. It was weatherproof, with fully enclosed chain and an internal seven-speed hub that would change gears at the softest touch of a finger. If I had to make a 100 kilometer ride, I would choose that Dutch bike over my titanium frame, high-end Shimano-equipped racing bike in a heartbeat. It was truly an eye-opening experience for me.
This bike has a lot of the same features as the mamachari bike used in Japan. Everyone from high school students going to school, to parents dropping their kids off at daycare, to businessmen going to work in a suit, to old folks going to buy groceries uses a bike very similar to that dutch bike.
As a true dutchy I can tell the sound your bicycle bell makes just by seeing it.
We bought a Dutch bike from a company in Burlington back in 2017. It’s never needed any maintenance and it gets winter ridden. The powder coat is still in perfect shape. Everyone who sees it loves it, and wants one.
Especially the older Grandma bikes are basically indestructible
You only need to buy one bike in your life time , they will last for ever .
My first thought as a Dutch person in 2023: "6 years? Hardly worth to mention that no maintenance was needed." Most people here don't do maintenance at all. Only repairs. And if you don't abuse your bike too much, repairs are few and far between
@@Ro-zn6um In before somebody goes "i have a bike that's older than America" 😉😁
(im sure somebody somewhere actually does lol, but doubt they still ride that haha)
@Ro-zn6um same. So long as they don't get stolen they go for ages. My mother still has her bike that my grandma passed down to her in '87. Now I use it for groceries.
I LOVED riding around in the Netherlands. The bike I rented had 5 gears and was your typical Dutch bike. It was pleasant to sit upright and feel like I was riding as transportation, rather than sport. When I got home, I felt like I was leaning a little too far forward 😂
Riding this way really changes your entire outlook, I find. It's just a totally different experience from riding a bike built for sports and speed.
@@Shifter_Cycling Try to ride it wearing a three piece suit and a high hat.
Saw Máxima riding one with high heels and a Taminiau dress, looked great.
Now try a recumbent 😉
I missed out and just rented a fat tire ebike during my Netherlands travels. I wanted to ride on the beaches next to the water though.
@@AssBlasster I gotta give one of those a try. Riding through slush on the winter would probably be easier, eh?
15:11 steering should be higher, seat be adjusted to just be able to stand when seated, and steering to make 90 degrees angle with the arms when holding the steer :)
I brought my Dutch transport bike to Calgary when I moved back!! I get strange looks too, and people comment on how upright I am, which came in handy after an accident because I can still ride without hunching over. It's the best bike I've ever had, and I'll never let it go.
I used to think these bikes were dull. "You can't have as much fun on them as my road bike or a mountain bike" I would think. Then after a few years and learning about how the Dutch live their daily lives I realised how fantastic they actually are. Not necessarily the experience of riding them itself, but how delightul and peaceful they can make a town or city when a large portion of the population use them for their daily errands. At that point I came round to how brilliant they actually are. Now I'm actually a bit of a dutch bike snob, and think the best ones are the bikes that are as low maintenance as possible - hub gears and hub/coaster brakes! 😄
The fancier ones come with seven or eight speed gearhubs and the steeringbar is easily adjustable in many positions and heights, allowing for a more hunched over sporty feel if you want. They're very versatile.
I'm overtaking roadies with mine on a regular basis, which makes it objectively more fun than the road bike I left behind
Internal gearing is pretty great. I think disc brakes have rendered drum brakes obsolete on newer bicycles. I have a nuvinci CVT hub on three of my bicycles and haven't had a problem with it. Nexus 8s I've had bearings come loose and screw up the hub. Will not buy another Nexus hub.
Lol, those bikes are dull indeed. There are not made for fun, but for transportation on an easy way. You want to get decent on your job or school. No compleet wet of sweat.
I think the "delightful and peaceful" part comes from the fact that these don't look aggressive and speedy, so the bike roads don't feel like racetracks.
I have noticed that many e-bike models available in the US are up-right style "Dutch" bikes. Especially the ones classes as "commuter" bikes.
Yes, I bought one of those and initially had a hard time with the swept back handlebars, and the upright riding position, but now I love it. It's perfect. Absolutely perfect.
A lot of the bikeshare bikes also have this kind of “cruiser” model. They have integrated lights, step-through frames, swept-back handlebars, fenders, etc - all the things you would expect on a good commuter bike
Oh my, you had me laughing.
I instantly visioned a racer bike, a bmx and a mountain bike with an electric motor 🤣🤣
No, no we don't put engine on bikes ment for sports. The city bike (as we call it in Denmark) is a mean of daily transport
The e-bikes are for when we get old, or are carrying heavy loads, like the cargo bikes
With 2 kids, school bags and the shopping, you DESERVE it 😇
In the Netherlands there's also a huge selection of different bikes, with basically endless permutations of features - from no gears to 21 gears, ergonomic or sportsy models, with or without bike rack, etc.
These are generally the most common ones, but you can get your hands on any bike you so choose.
Also they would have a front brake, wouldn't they? Isn't it law having two independently operating brakes?
@@krollpeter In the Netherlands a single brake like the coaster brake in the video is enough, other European countries like of the top of my head Germany, Belgium or the UK do mandate 2 brakes.
@@WiljanVeening Thanks for the info! Correct in Germany having 2 brakes is law.
To slow down a bike at a junction or traffic light, a coaster brake suffices. And it leaves the hands free for hand signals or safer steering. For sport purposes there is surely better. Unfortunately here in Singapore there are no bicycles sold with coaster brakes.
Really cool to see that the bikes everyone gets here as a teenager (because they’re really sturdy) and cheap (20 years ago probably 50 euros a bike) are that much appreciated overseas. Still remember my first omafiets and I also got it from my “oma” (grandma). First thing I did was spray-painting it bright blue and my twin brother painted his one red so we could keep them apart.
I often pass a family (I think they're a family) on their Dutch bikes on my morning commute in Toronto and they make me smile. They're typically chatting with each other as they cruise along, which is helped by the fact that the bikes are so upright. It's so nice to see.
I love the tone of your videos. You aren’t yelling about anything, or telling us this is the best thing ever designed and everything else sucks. It’s just “These things are great: they’re weird in some ways, but they are really good in other ways, and they are good at what they were designed for.” It’s such a sensible presentation, but one that is hard to come by.
Absolutely. A lot of youtubers in this vein (urbanism, bikes, etc) can seem a bit angry hey? Something that I think we need to move away from in these circles is "the Dutch way is the only way". There are definitely things to learn from them, but we also need to be practical. Tom lives in my city, and he's absolutely right about this bike being not the best option for everyone. Some people have to travel quite far by bicycle to get to work, and nearly everyone has a few hills they need to go up and down (some that are quite beastly). So it really isn't the best option for everyone.
@@codylittlefield7885 For longer travels ( >25 km ) you can use a bike with electrical motor assist and with steep hills (those exists in the southern part of the Netherlands) disc brakes are recommended. These bikes do exist but are of course not cheap (around 2500 euro!).
@@codylittlefield7885 Unfortunately I feel like it is that way with any topic online. Find a video about motorcycles, camping equipment, shoes... They all have that same tone.
@@grewdpastor yeah these are becoming more popular now. But the typical omafiets doesn’t cut it for a lot of people.
@@grewdpastorthat is exactly what I thought! I own a bike like that and am very happy with it. My panels are in use every day as I go to work. Within a bit more than 5 years I Made 20.000 kilometers on this bike. One can decide the amount of support (4 levels).
As a dutch bicycle mechanic i love these videos, its not just a product you are reviewing, its a part of our culture.
This bicycle that you reviewed is from the brand "batavus" and the model is called "old dutch" (because such frames were made quite some time ago and they are very good and solid so they still produce them)
Oh not a Gazelle?
Fairly sure it's a Gazelle from the chain case, but it's _hard_ to tell them apart since the basic setup is basically following the generic template that every dutch bicycle manufacturer has made for over 120 years.
I don't know why, but this struck me as a batavus aswell. I used to ride an old Dutch, but like is said, it's hard to tell. Previous owner could have easily installed aftermarket parts aswell.
its not a batavus or gazelle , its a cheap ranger or pelikaan brand , i worked also in a bicycle shop 8+ years . sold alot of gazelle / trek / cube
batavus uses the leather chain guards , as do gazelle .
I bought a Dutch bike from Plain bicycle, in Winnipeg, at the end of June and took it back with me to Alberta. It’s the best daily bike I’ve owned. Well worth the money. I’m riding in the rain now. Something I wouldn’t do before. Just throw on a rain coat and ride. I’m hoping for 12 months of riding this year.
Anders is a legend. I was lucky enough to have him sell me my bike the day we went in. Thank you, Anders. You set me up with the perfect bike
You can ride this thing in the rain for ages and it will still work fine! It's not uncommon over here in Belgium (same type of bikes) to ride like a 30 year old bicycle who has always been out in the weather with minimum maintenance and still working like a clock!
In true dutch spirit: "rain is just water and most of it falls around you!"
Last month (May 2023), me and my wife went to the Netherlands as part of our Europe Trip. We both love road cycling, and I’ve been a cycling commuter for a decade, with my steel road bike. So when we were in Amsterdam, cycling capital of the world, of course we went to rent some Dutch bikes from Black Bikes, the largest Dutch bike rental in Amsterdam. First impression, these bikes are heavy, LOL. But man, the upright riding position and the swept-back handlebar made the riding experience sooooo much better and very comfortable. We ended up rode the bikes for 73 km, 67 km on day 1 to the outskirts of Amsterdam, and 6 km on day 2 when we rode from our hotel to return the bike to Black Bikes rental.
Second thing, it felt great to ride these bike with our normal, daily cloth, and without helmet! Eleven years of cycling, and that was the first time I ride a bicycle without a helmet! But somehow I feel safe, maybe because of this established cycling culture in the Netherlands. This was a new and eye opening experience for us on how to ride bicycle in a different way. We are so used to ride our road bikes with tight fit road jersey. Even when I go on my cycling commute, I still use my running jersey, cycling shorts, and cycling-specific backpack.
The Plain Bicycle Project story is so heartwarming! For a while, I volunteered at a bike coop in Brooklyn, and some of the work we did was to put bikes in the hands of people who couldn’t afford to buy bikes in other ways. Some of our customers were deeply grateful, not only to have wheels but to be greeted warmly by the world of bike people.
If only they sold to the US. Maybe this has changed since then, but I asked them in 2022 and they only sold Dutch accessories to US, while their Dutch bikes were only available to Canadians (due to laws/restrictions).
I did come across a US company that imports Dutch bikes, although they had a much smaller selection; the name's skipping my mind, unfortunately.
@@Ryan_hey
is it the Amsterdam Bicycle Company? That's where I ordered my Azor.
J.C. Lind offers Workcycles and Gazelles.
Wish we have something like this in Indonesia
@@andrimufid2195 You have becak becak so you have the people to make these too: yang sepeda pintar.
@@andrimufid2195
In Indonesia you should be able to get a Japanese Mamachari. That's the closest equivalent I can think of in Asia.
I hope you'll read this: Your bicycle is a slightly older model Pointer Glorie (the non-Deluxe model), minus some aftermarket swaps such as the bell and seat, and the headlight was swapped for a generic chrome unit (a common occurrence as people are often too lazy to fix their headlight after something happens to it.)
The taillight is an odd one as it comes from a newer Pointer Glorie (R3 model), but that could just be a transitional thing between production years.
You are missing the rear wheel spoke guards that originally come with it but those don't really add much value to the bikes anyway.
Not very useful info, but info I thought you might want to know about your bicycle! :-)
U are right not a Gazelle ore a Batavus but a Pointer.
You can see *lots* of omafiets in *Edmonton*. My friend Nicola started it, back in 2021. Eventually eight of us ordered Dutch bikes from Anders, and he delivered them to us. We call ourselves the Omafiets Mob. After that, a guy named Matt Hoyt got Anders to teach him how to bring a container of Dutch bikes to Edmonton. So there are hundreds here now. Tom, you really should visit sometime.
I'm in Edmonton! Where would I go to get one of these bikes?
😊
5:20 this segment felt like your channel from an alternate universe lol
Notice how the rear seat tube is more angled backwards - this is very similar to american beach cruisers. Makes it very comfortable for city "stop n go" riding. This is what i really hate about riding a bike in the city - if the seat tube is too vertical, i have to either stretch my legs uncomfortably, or get off the bike. With the seatpost angled backwards like that, you can both reach the ground and have the pedals far enough so you dont need to raise the saddle too much.
This is a great point, but I find the geometry of these bikes a little different than beach cruisers. Both are absurdly comfortable, but this bike feels a bit more upright than laid back, which I think is good for cities.
As a dutchy, great to see how happy you are with our most tradional oma fiets!!
Great project!
Gazelle is a brand they have a big factory in a village named Dieren, where they have a great production... off bicks for more than 70 years.
They probably can help to improve the project!
We have a lot off projects in the country to make secondhandbicks ready for refrugees and learn them how to ride a bick and learn the traffic ruels.
Groetjes Marijke
Coaster brakes are great and maintenance free...until the chain falls off! It's pretty standard that you also have a handlebar brake, disk or otherwise, on the front wheel. Hardly ever use it but can be a life saver when needed. Great video and great to see that some in America see that city bikes is what most people need/want!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Until the chain falls off........... yeah, that's becomming quite quickly a terrifying situation..... 😜😜!
I know, because I'm Dutch too 😜.
When you de brug af geht and your Omafiets loses its ketting, so you have to step on the grond with your new airmax to not drive into the sloot. Your soles all naar de Kut, then vechten with the chain case. Good times.
@@thedutchest🤣🤣🤣 Exactly dat dus!!
My parents, both over 60 just bought a dutch style e bike and they have already but 400km on them this summer. Its really good to see older folks staying active and healthy. They even find that the power gives them more confidence for longer rides.
It's almost the national pastime for elderly people here in the Netherlands. Even during hot summers they will still go out biking, because you get a nice breeze and don't have to work hard for it on an e-bike.
My husband turns 65 this year, and he had exactly the same result as your parents when I bought him a Dutch e-bike (I got his from LeMond) and it transformed his biking with me. On his old Mountainbike he was hesitant to ever ride more than 10 to 12 miles with me, but on the Dutch he will join me on 30 mile rides, and the cool part is, he almost never uses the pedal assist, he actually turns it off unless there is a steep hill or something (unlike the bikes in the Netherlands, his Dutch is an 11 speed with hydraulic disc brakes, so 14% grades are do-able). The more comfortable seating position and ease of riding a step-through frame gives him great confidence, and we’ve ridden about 200 miles in less than a year.
My parents both over 60 bought 2 e bikes 2 years ago and have driven more then 3000km in two summers
My parents are 81 and 82 🇳🇱 They are still biking a lot, nowdays with an ebike and helmets.
I remember being thrown at first when I arrived in Copenhagen and everyone just left their bikes around everywhere. I knew it was low crime, but that seemed extreme. Then I realized they had the in-built locks on the back wheel, which I'd never seen before.
I really want to get a Dutch bike at some point.
"normal bike" - it is the most regular european bike we can think of. Some dutch variations probably exist on this one - but nothing that does stand our from a normal bike in any european country
In cities its also very common to have an extra cheap and beat up (looking) bike so it's less likely to get stolen and even if it is stolen you can get a replacement for under a 100€
That lock on the back is how I lock my bike in >90% cases. It takes about a second or so. I only use the chain in a high risk place because it takes a bit more time.
I have to give you a fair warning about those breaks. The power is transfered through the chain to the back wheel, so make sure your chain is well maintained. If your chain is a bit loose and you hit some bumps it can fall off and there goes your only way of braking.
That's extremely rare.
Growing up in the 1960s in the US, this is what most bikes were like, except that men’s bikes all had a tube across the top. There were no mountain bikes, and 10-speed road bikes were rare (and no one wore bicycle shorts).
I’m looking for a three-speed upright bike now, because there is so much more to do on a bike without being hunched over, head down, going fast.
it's so aesthetically pleasing when someone rides a proper classical bycicle
Yes it is. And that is important for getting regular people riding bikes. Cool looking Dutch bikes, no need for helmets with private cars banned in urban areas. That’s how we have to do it., and now.
I get compliments on mine all around town; they just look and ride so different than the standard commuter road or commuter mountain bike in North America.
Although a lot of people think it's just an electric bike, since a lot of electric bikes take after the Dutch design.
@@christill These bikes are beautiful and I totally would've looked for one. But functionality is another story. In Winnipeg, this kind of geometry would be great because Winnipeg is flat as a washboard, but it would be very poor for hilly areas (you're not directly on top of the pedals, so gravity can't help you exert as much force with each downstroke, and your stance is more laid-back, which hurts propulsion too). In North Vancouver, a very hilly area (we're literally at the base of a mountain range), e-bikes have skyrocketed in popularity because of their assistance with hills.
@@jellybeansi Just get a Gazelle e-bike then. Authentic Dutch bike with assistance.
@christill I've checked out Gazelle. Nice bikes, but they don't have the classic Dutch look with the swooped frame. They're more similar to something like R&M which have more appealing designs to me (of course those are pretty cost-prohibitive). I'm on an Electra Townie.
When you asked where you could find a Dutch bike in Canada I immediately went, "wait is this a Plain Bicycles video?" which turned into "hey it's a Plain Bicycles video!" I've stood in the same shop! I've chatted with Anders! I go by the Bike Lab heading into work!
Ya, I immediately thought of Winnipeg! He must be doing well, I see them all over.
It's so bizarre to see things you've lived with all your live deconstructed like this haha
And actually, it explains (inversely) some of the unsafe/unstable feelings I have on a more sporty bike.
Glad you're enjoying your omafiets!
My wife has a Batavus. She uses it for shopping and going to the pub. I found it buried under a meter of brambles at the back of the garden when we bought our house and restored it for her birthday. It had been outside under those brambles for a very long time and the front hub brake/dynamo was completely seized, but you can get all the parts fro these bikes. It weighs three times as much as her road bike!
Love this! I picked up a used Dutch bike from a very nice couple earlier this year. They were moving back to Netherlands and didn’t want to take it back with them. It is a Batavus “Personal Bike” with a 4 speed Shimano Nexus hub. It is very sturdy with a nice rear rack and a dynamo on the front wheel to power the lights. It has roller brakes front and rear. It even still has the Dutch bike shop decal on it. 😊
Batavus is one of the older Dutch Brand bikes. And high quality as well also quite expensive when buying them new , Starting Around 655 Euros , You will own them for life and probably donate it to your children and grand children . 1 time investment and saves you tons of money .
@@marcusfranconium3392 655 Euro as an "investment" a "good" bike in Canada will run over $1000 and "cheap" ones $400 plus and the CHEAP ones will NOT last till your kids are ready to ride unless they are riding right now
Batavus is pretty much the definition of a quality bike, you made a great purchase 👍
Very curious what the bike shop decal says hahaha. Let me guess, it's on the rear fender?
@@shuenshuen yes, it is on the rear fender! It says "Frank's Rijwielhuis" in the middle. The top says Kastelenstraat 67A, and it says Amsterdam under. It also has what I assume is a phone number on it. The decal is getting old and cracking; I believe this bike to be early 2000s in age.
I'm Dutch and i concur on everything you mention about Dutch bikes. Also a word of advise, don't let the belt of your bag hang like that. You run the risk of getting it caught in the wheel while riding and you don't want that to happen. Great video you have my like and view.
In May 1897 the author of a personal letter in my possession states “Bicycles are getting to be a terrible nuisance in Rochester [New York].” She was probably referring to the then-new “safety bicycles,” the chain drive ones that replaced the high-wheel ones (AKA “boneshakers”).
This video is pretty wild because I (an American) have been riding these Dutch style bikes for several years in my small town in Colorado. I never made the connection that they were Dutch style bikes until watching this video. This has also been the norm in my town for at least 20 years I'd say. pretty cool
Nice bike. You seem to miss two small updrades I would always punt on my bike: rubber straps for fastening cargo onto your rack ('snelbinders') and side guards on your rear wheel. And yes, an internal hub-dynamo is so much better, especially in wet/cold conditions.
Sideguards, yes for skirts especially.
@@dreamervanroom or jackets
When you stall that bicycle between US and Canadian sportmodels, it won't be stolen. Not even with only the wheel lock. What I was missing were the skirt guards, to prevent something getting into the rear wheel, like long scarfs and coats. Perfect for short distance shopping and school.
I would not be so sure that it's safe. There might be Dutch people around moaning about the lack of proper bikes in America.
@@steemlenn8797 😄
There are some skirts protectors for them, but they always end up rubbing against the wheel. If you can find one go for a fabric versionthe plastics onces always crack over Time
You understand estimate how common theft is in American cities. I had a man smash through the lobby door of my apartment building to steal my bike. Someone would be carrying the bike away, and most likely no one would confront them
While not the same, I chose my Trek District 4 for a lot of similar practical features. Internal gear hub (8 speed) with maintenance free belt drive, hub generator with integrated lights, fenders, rack, wrap around handlebars, strong disc breaks. I rarely ride my other bikes anymore.
Anders is awesome, met him ages ago. Love riding my bike, Winnipeg needs to dedicate a lot more resources to it.
As a true Dutchy, I own about 9 bicycles. But my grannybike is one of my favourites! Single speed, but I altered my gearing and added clipless pedals and foam around my handlebars to be able to lie down and be more "aero". I now go out "crushing carbon" on the weekends, chasing down roadies and overtaking them. I once even entered a sprint triathlon and averaged 38.8kph (24.1mph) on the darn rusty thing. Bought it 10 years ago for 20 euros and it is still going strong! At those speeds, the coaster brakes are doing fine although I had to replace the hub once. I love it!
I'm sorry 9?
@@SamyasaSwi Yeah we Dutchies useally own more than 1 bike.
@@svenroede yeah but not 9.... I'm Dutch myself. Did he mean he has owned 9 bikes? Surely he doesn't own 9 bikes right now... That wouldn't be normal
@@SamyasaSwi why not
@@Himechinachae why owning 9 bikes isn't normal? Because most people don't own that many...
Dutch bikes are a beautifully engineered, designed for the task.
I had one in England, loved it.
Modern Dutch city bikes are a direct descendent form the safety bicycle invented in Coventry.
Ironically not a city know for being bike-friendly these days.
There is something so nostalgic about the look of this/your bicycle… handlebar shape, mudguards, dynamo, hub gears, chain guard, fixed light, the stand ……… AND, the riding position just looks so comfortable …….. in the U.K. we used to call them, or a similar design, ‘Sit-up-and-beg’ bikes, because of the upright seating position.
How modern designs have changed the look of bicycles which still has two wheels, handlebars etc. etc. BUT, the riding position of the Dutch Bike, it just looks so comfortable and inviting to ride.
And what an amazing size bell you have too, please give it a ‘ring’ … that’s not a bell, that’s a musical instrument … amazing 😊🤩👍🏼
Thanks,
Steve, Bristol, U.K. 🙏
Hello there! I am glad you posted this since I have been looking for a Dutch bike in Canada for a while. I had a Dutch Gazelle opafietz bike (the one with the bar) in my hometown (Madrid) and I bought it from a similar store to the Plain Bike Project, but they were located in Barcelona. I loved that bike. I still have it in Spain, but it's been quite complicated to bring it here to Montreal where I live. So this is a good alternative for me, in case I can't bring it. As for the brand of the bike you have, the two main Dutch brands are Gazelle and Batavus. I cannot distinguish very well the one you have, but it looks like a Batavus. You will never regret having that bike. It simply doesn't die. Enjoy!
Because of the description of this type of bike on Not Just Bikes, I got myself a Retrospec kid’s bike (I’m 4’11), and I am rediscovering the joy of upright, single-speed, step-through, coaster-brake riding
NJB showed me "blain bicycle" in Winnipeg and I live in Winnipeg and the weekend after seeing his video walked to there store and RODE home on a dutch bike
It looks like the bike geometry on Dutch bikes has a pedal forward style, which is probably why you see the Dutch people ride with almost fully extended legs on the pedals. This makes sense from the standpoint of less fatigue and better for your knees. This probably also explains why I see them, in videos, able to stay in the saddle with feet on the ground when at a stop. I could be wrong, but that's what it looks like to me.
You are right.
Best position is to put one pedal to its lowest position, and then your leg should be slightly bent (as in: not fulle straight/extended with with a small bend). This way you can give the highest force without putting too much stress on your knees.
These bikes are great to learn the value of right posture, if you set up the saddle and steering height properly to your body its gonna be super relaxing and easy, but set it up bad and its gonna be hell to take on even the smallest of hills.
Yep, usually you set the seat hight to be so you can just about reach the floor at a stop
It's fun to watch this, and you don't need to worry about those coaster brakes, those hold up pretty well up to (at least) 25mph/40kmh. When you push back on the pedal, you shift your weight backwards and put more weight on the rear wheel, so it will have more grip.
The moment you lock up the rear wheel, you still have a good amount of control, because the front wheel keeps rolling, so when that's not skidding out sideways, it will go where you want it to.
Durability isn't an issue either, even with 3 speeds internal gearing and a coaster brake on the rear axle it will last decades.
11:50 in winter in the Netherlands its dark when you go to school/work in the morning and dark when you get back, no escape!
Anders, Leanne and everyone else at the Plain Bicycle Project are awesome! I got an Omafiets from them before they'd sorted out shipping, so I was looking at hundreds of dollars in shipping costs. Then Anders asked where in Saskatchewan I was. As it happened he was passing through on his way to Edmonton to pick up some trees for another project. So on the way through, they dropped the bike off at my place in Saskatoon. It's served me well for a couple years now, and I expect to get many more years of use out of it!
Edit: typo
An Omatiet is not as firm as an Omafiets.
(this used to be a joke about a typo)
Now *that* is customer service! What great people!
Swapped the stem on my mountain bike for a straight - 90 degree adjustable one and put it in the straight position to bring the handle bars up and back significantly.
Definitely made it ride different, but this part is important, I can actually ride it again. My wrists and back can not do the leaning forward crap anymore.
So for $15 I made my bike usable again. Would definitely recommend.
You can also buy two inch stem extenders and swept back bars very cheaply from planet X bikes. Then make any bike you have much more comfortable
Great advice! Finna do the same!
The lock…
I’ve been travelling on a bicycle in different parts of the world. The bicycle is equipped with all kinds of expensive features such as hub dynamo with USB and hydraulic brakes. In Patagonia we met british tourists on a motorbike who was impressed with us cycling and our bicycles. However, the most admiration went out to the inventiveness of the ring lock.
If there’s anything you’ll see on literally every bicycle (except racing) of any age, it’s that lock.
I feel so lucky, to live in the Netherlands now. Here a super sturdy secondhand bike costs 100 euros. I have a bike like this from a good brand and it also has a cargo crate up front. It can carry so much stuff. I also have a second bike that is much lighter for when I don't have to transport anything. Lovely video BTW.
3-speed hubs are surprisingly simple on the inside, but any hub with more gears than that becomes exponentially more complicated! A 3-speed is usually the best balance of rideability and reliability.
I think you're right. :-)
I (Dutch) have two Brompton folding bikes. The older one features a 5-speed hub gear, the newer one features both a 3-speed hub and a 2-speed derailleur. The combination takes getting used to, but it does feel sturdier, and seems to keep its adjustments better.
Off-topic: I wish Brompton would have offered drum brakes.
I laced in Sachs Torpedo coasterbrake or kickback hubs on all of my grandma bikes, singlespeed 2 speed which is called the duomatic and the 3 speed, all vintage hubs which are pretty much unbreakable and even if you would parts are easy to find.
@@HansensUniverseT-A Those older hubs were built to last! I upgraded my single-speed cruiser
to a very old [and poorly lubricated] Shimano 3CC, and it still shifted perfectly, even with a friction shifter. That should've never worked, but it did...
I would still suggest a 7-speed in more hilly country. The 3-speed is not enough to tackle actual hills. It will cope with various wind conditions and such though.
@@rogerwilco2 Agreed! However, it's not so much the number (of gears) itself that makes a bicycle better suited for hilly terrain. It's rather the transmission ratios that do the trick - and the "slower" ratios are more likely present in a 7-speed than in a 3-speed. :-)
Me, I have a Brompton folding bike with the optional smaller chainwheel on the crankshaft (and the 6 speeds that I have mentioned in a far earlier comment). Compared to my other Brompton (5-speed), this smaller chainwheel allows me to tackle steeper slopes (in the Ardennes) without dismounting. But riding my full-size bike with 7-speed gear would be better (though not on the train to get there and back).
Dutch bikes are great for commuting.
Also, great project. Congrats, guys!
It's such a cool project.
Wouldn’t a hybrid bike be better to get out of the way? I was thinking of getting a comfort bike but that thought process left my mind when I remembered our roads and lack of bike infrastructure. So are you sure Dutch bikes are good to getting to work? Genuinely want to know as in the future I plan on getting a hybrid bike so it’s easier/faster to get out of the way of cars.
@@41052
I can think of a few reasons a commuter bike is better than most hybrids for urban cycling. Feel free to disagree.
An upright cycling position is better for visibility. It's easier to look around and get a view of traffic.
Some hybrids could give you this but many put you in a forward leaning sporty position. Much harder to look around that way.
A step through frame makes it a lot easier to get on and off the bike. Especially if you have a tall trunk bag or child seat at the back. This can be had in hybrids marketed to women (for some reason). But most hybrids have a horizontal top tube.
Easier to attach fenders and racks. They're usually already assembled from the factory. Much better than putting aftermarket parts onto a hybrid as you often run into compatibility and clearance issues.
Most Dutch bikes have dynamo lights from the factory. Again much better than battery lights or trying to retrofit a hybrid with a dynamo set up.
I love upright riding on a bike of this style for short commutes, getting groceries, and doing general running around. You have great visibility, it is very comfortable, and you can carry quite a bit on the rack. The only downside is it is slow but I'm usually not trying to set speed records on the way to the grocery store.
Different horses for different courses. For a short, low speed, flat commute, yes they're perfection. I've actually owned bikes with similar characteristics for commutes like that and enjoyed them tremendously. But my experience is that perfection evaporates quickly if you need to take the bike outside it's natural habitat.
Sure, they're supremely comfortable for slow flat rides under five miles, but over ten and sitbone pain becomes an issue and you're better off with a more even weight distribution. Speed on these things is limited, not just by aerodynamics, but by handling. They can be a handful going down a steep hill because of the changed weight distribution, and that tiller-like steering that makes them maneuverable at low speed makes them super twitchy at even moderate speeds. The coaster brake is just a terrible idea unless you can confine yourself to an easy jogging speed. Again the problem is the bike design can't handle a shift in rider weight, which occurs naturally during hard braking. At the bottom of a hill at a red light you'd slide right into the intersection.
Finally on the dynamo lights -- I used to use these back in the 1980s, but with today's powerful and efficient LEDs there's no reason to use them now. It is nice to have the light permanent mounted though. Another thing I'll note is the lack of front and side reflectors on this thing. Wheel reflectors are uncool, but they really work to stop you getting T-boned in the dark. They do look dorky, and their absence is part of this thing's hipster curb appeal. I'd suggest a product called "lightweights" which are strips of retroreflective tape that wrap around your spokes near the nipples.
Depending on what your commute is like an omafiet might be absolutely perfect for you. Or it might be uncomfortable, or even dangerous. If I had to recommend a bike as a commuter and knew *nothing* about the person's commute, I'd recommend a hybrid with high volume tires, V-brakes, and 2x derailleur gearing. And of course properly outfitted with racks. A hybrid bike is not perfect for anything, but it is remarkably versatile.
I have Dutch bike, a Gazelle Arroyo. I bought it 8 years ago and paid $3,200. I am 75 years old, and I use it in place of a second car to drive to work (7.5 miles) and run errands. It is reliable, easy to ride, and enjoyable.
I really like your channel! Excellent production quality especially THE SOUND!
Thank you for the support! It really helps.
I remember Anders from when I lived in Winnipeg. He was a great and friendly mechanic who’s helped me out a lot at the bike co-op. I even remember once passing him, going in the opposite direction on a cold wintery Winnipeg day. We were both on bikes, of course.
Winnipeg didn’t have great infrastructure at the time, but it was gradually improving. I hope it still is. Winnipeg would make a fantastic cycling city. Not a hill to be found, unless you count garbage hill.
I hope he finds great success in this endeavor. Every city can use an Anders to help promote cycling.
Have you never been to the neighborhood of Norwood? It has a rise cutting across it, the remnants of an old coolie.
@@dougbrowning82 I forgot to mention that I left Winnipeg 9 years ago. Next time I visit I’ll have to rent a bike and boot around and check stuff out
@@mamertpaykart-up6wy We are now getting into bike infrastructure. I have even seen some separated bike lanes and dedicated traffic lights for bikes.
There has been a lot of bike paths added in the last 9 years! Still not the easiest city to commute on a bike, you still have to be a warrior to take on the roads, but if you stick to paths you'd be surprised how much has changed.
Anders is a true biking hero!
As a Dutch woman I can say you miss a very important part on this bike, "jasbeschermers"😊 I dont know the english word, sorry. Literally a jacket protector. It covers about a third of the back wheel and prevents your clothes from being trapped in the wheel. Usefull since we tend to wear our normal clothes on our bikes.
where do you buy these here? My bike keeps eating my skirts
@@dancingq1729
You can make them yourself. Get some plexiglass, a jigsaw and some sandpaper to smoothen the edges. You can make holes in it to fasten it by cableties. Most hardware stores fullfill that need for a few bucks.
It's called a dress guard or coat guard or skirt guard. It also protects children's ankles when they are riding on the back.
I would just buy a pair rather than faffing about with plexiglass, since you want them to be very light and fit very snugly so they don't fall off every time you hit a bump in the road.
@@Welgeldiguniekalias yes that was my question, where in NL sells them, I've not seen them used
@@dancingq1729 Any bike shop, Amazon, Bol, Fietsonline and probably many more.
As a Dutchy myself, grab the bold with both hands and lean your arms on the steering weel. Now you are really riding the bike correctly 😋
Ik feels so strange to me that there are no other bikes on the streets in your shots😂 Lovely to see others getting introduced into Dutch culture, keep it up! 🫡
Wait the D word is ok now?
I’d always been told it was your N word
@@gregkosinski2303Dutchy? Never heard about anyone having a problem with that... Just dont call us german, we dont like that.
@@gregkosinski2303 dont worry bro you can say dutchy, dutch
@@gregkosinski2303 dutch is normal, its holland we get iffy about
You really hit a lot of good points in this video about the Netherlands and the bikes etc, nice video/ docu.
I purchased a used bicycle imported from the Netherlands, and it is so great. I am over 6' tall, so the "medium" size Dutch bicycle is actually bigger than a North American "medium" so I can ride more easily. The built in dynamo lights, the internal hub gear shift, the fenders, back pannier holder built in, and upright position are so well designed for everyday riding.
One thing about Dutch bicycle sizes. We don't really do bicycle sizes here. Almost all are a 28 inch model with smaller sizes being reserved for kids. It is a herculean task to find an adult bike that is not 28 inch.
@@memunist5765
he's talking about frame sizes, not wheel sizes. Frame size just like tire size has a big influence on how the bike rides, it influences the geometry enormously. And the lack of variety of wheel sizes is not a good thing, it leads to all kinds of bad ergonomic compromises in bike designs.
@@Exgrmbl I was also taking about frame sizes. A 28 inch bike is the adult bike in the Netherlands.
@@memunist5765
Thinking about a wheel size as adult or kid makes zero sense. Bike size, as wheel size, is a function of body size. Why would a 155cm boy ride a different size than a woman of the same size?
@@Exgrmbl Almost all adult bikes frames in the Netherlands are the same size. That is all I am saying. I said nothing about tyres.
Yes! Much more needs to be said about the benefits of an upright riding posture. As a cyclist in the USA, I've seen firsthand how hunching over in traffic can be dangerous and lead to long-term posture troubles. An upright posture is not only safer, but it's also more comfortable and can help to improve your overall health.
Also, when cycling with friends of family it's much easier to have a nice conversation!
But with the upright position you expose all your weight on your butt and prostate. Not so healthy on the long run
@@edbaibek You put your weight on your butt when sitting in an office chair as well, so that isn't a real problem. And if you manage to put your weight in your prostate, I strongly recommend seeking medical help as your prostate should be too far in to put any weight on it at all.
@@edbaibek No. I don't know where you got that idea from, but if you had any idea how common these bikes are in The Netherlands (there are more of these bikes than people) you'd know that's just straight up bs you literally just now made up before you typed it.
@@edbaibek and you are right... somehow. Upright is fine, comfy and safe for town riding, to shop or to work, but not for long-distance riding. Lower back and butt in general suffers a great deal from all the vibrations and weight if the ride takes hours.
Saturday morning watching this video... You made it very interesting to watch for such a common item for us😅 Would love to see more videos of this bike in the USA🤗
Great video. Loved it from beginning to end. I think these Dutch bikes are great for seaside resorts, canal towpaths and are just different which makes them so appealing. Really well presented video ! George U.K.
The omafiets is great. Hardly any upkeep, clean, sturdy, good for your back, and you have a better overview on it bc your head is upright. The pedal brakes are intuitive. On a bike like this you are so balanced, you could even drive it without using your hands. The omafiets deserves to conquer the world. This one is missing an essential part on the back wheel, though. Either a dutch bike bag or a coat protector. Very important, as it prevents broken feet or ankles for the child on the back.
I was lucky enough to find a Dutch bike for sale just a town over from my college. Despite it being 35 years old and being transplanted from the very flat Netherlands to the not-so-flat Appalachian mountains, it has been incredibly dependable, and has served me nicely for 2 years so far. Other than replacing tires and oiling components, it hasn’t needed any maintenance, and I expect this bike may be able to last my lifetime.
Put it inside and don,t let it rust. Use it every day and your grandchildren wil use it. 👍🏻🇳🇱
The flat country side dont let that fool you as the netherlands is one of those notorious windy countries . Where you will face head winds in any direction you decide to go . Also 35 years is young for a dutch bike , they last generations,
@@marcusfranconium3392 For real. Spending an year in the Randstad, the wind practically makes it feel like you're cycling uphill, no matter which direction you go. I wonder how much better an e-bike feels like.
@@bva0 it helps, a lot. Been riding ebikes for work commute and also recreations for decades. I rode regular bikes up to my 40th, but riding 12 kms to my work every day, it’s better for me to do with ebike, because if no ebike, I would take the car much more often.
Saying they are a bit slow really depends on who's riding it. My sons used to cycle 7k per day to school on those very same bikes in 10 mins, my eldest used to cycle over 20km per hour. The only thing I still can't get used to is the peddle breaks. I still prefer the hand brakes. Cycling here in the Netherlands is not only safe, it's both social and healthy.
Im amazed, I've lived in Winnipeg in 2018-2019, and i used a big kids bike to get around.
People (especially in winter time) thought it was so weird and crazy.
In that time i always wondered if i could get a dutch bike somewhere in Canada, since im from The Netherlands it would make it all much better.
Still can''t believe i could have find it in the city i was living!!
Nice to hear Canadian perspective about a dutch bike like yours.
It's funny, here in Finland those are just called bikes. 😄 Though sometimes we call them mummo or pappa bikes. In fact I have one from my late grandpa, made in the 1970s or early 1980s I think. I use it daily for shorter trips like grocery runs. I share that first feeling you had of "Whoa this is really tall!" - compared to my road/cyclocross bike it feels crazy tall when you're so upright. I love it though for several reasons:
1) It has a proper steel rack and mudguards. Extremely easy to throw in cargo bags on the rack or a basket in the front. It's also heavy and unaerodynamic enough that you don't feel bad using all that heavy stuff because it's not going to be fast anyway.
2) Massive tyre clearance. I've got 47mm wide street tyres on it. Schwalbe Marathons. They roll and grip surprisingly well, but are also comfy and stable over gravel and paths.
3) That riding position makes it so easy to go in traffic. You can see everything, no squirming to look back or anything.
4) It's just so relaxing because it takes away any notion of speed or hurry. And therefore you don't worry about wearing "aero" clothing or cycling shoes, using "aero" bags or anything. And that really frees you to *actually* use the bike whenever. All you need is to chuck a helmet on and off you go. With a proper "cyclists'" bike it can take a long time to get going because you feel like you need to change into the proper gear and change back out of it.
5) Service simplicity. The brakes just work, the gears just work. And the rear drum gears are so complicated I can't even service them, so might as well just have the shop do it all basically.
What it's not so good for is longer rides and longer commutes, as it is a bit slower and the riding position is not as good for trying to go far or fast. Up to like 10-15km round trips it doesn't really matter whether I'm riding 22kph or 27kph since at most it's just a few minutes. But last year with a 33km round trip commute, I did definately go for the road bike. I was not only quicker on it, but felt more fresh after the day as the riding position is more ergonomic for putting out power.
And yeah, theoretically, the ones that have the low-swept top tube are called ladies' bikes here, while the same bikes that have a straight top tube are mens' bikes. But that's mostly because of old-time ideas of how you're supposed to hop on when wearing a skirt vs pants. Truthfully especially any elderly people can benefit from the low top tube because it's easier to get a leg through than over. There are also special elderly models which just go without a top tube altogether. They just have one very thick tube from the bottom bracket to the headtube, so it's reeeally easy to just step through.
p.s. You can also just add a front rim brake too. Most bikes I've seen have them, as does my grandpa's bike.
Same in Sweden, it’s just a bike! 😂
Glad in Indonesia we have a good access to dutch bike, i still use my grandfather's bike from the 1960's. But in cities like Jakarta it is now considered hobby things, so the price is quite insane to get these kind of bikes.
I wonder if you'd have more luck looking to Japan than the Netherlands. I think there are a lot of similarities between traditional Dutch and Japanese bikes.
You’ve changed when and how I ride my bike with your channel. I think more about comfort and frequency now. Thank you
Great to hear! I hope it makes you life better. Thank you for the support.
Love my Blix dutch style Aveny EBike- it’s made my short commute to work a real pleasure. Best part of my day most days is riding to and from work - I even ride home for lunch now 🥰
Nice to see you enjoying your bike. However, a word of advice (or maybe two) : When using your bike-rack for puttng a bag on it, it is advisable to but a bag (of mostly equal weight) on both sides, this helps your ballance. Another thing when putting your bag on the rack, I would advice you to take of the carrying band or put (and secure) it on top of your bag. Otherwise there is the risk that the loop hanging down might catch on something that doesn't yield and you might find yourself having a somewhat painfull accident. Other than that, have fun riding your bike and be well :)
This kind of reminds me of when Mike Boyd learned to ride a penny farthing. After getting over the fear of the insanely high seating position, he first noticed how "remarkably comfortable" the seating position is and how it straightened his back out. Really interesting.
I had 4 of them at my winter home. I kept one with monster racks front and back equipped with milk crates. It is an indestructible tank. Great for utility trips for groceries or building supplies. I replaced the others with specific purpose built recreation bikes. I do appreciate the modern amenities for extended daily recreational riding on varied terrain.
Great story telling, greeting from the Netherlands.
I am happy to be watching and following your channel. My dream is to one day cycle in Holland. Your channel as well as the Dutch bicycle are inspirations for me. I live in the south of Brazil and around here, although we have some bike lanes, the bike is far from being taken seriously as a means of transport. I personally use it as a means of transport to commute to work approximately 4 kilometers every day.
I think the bakfiets (cargo bike with a massive cargo bin in front) might be good for Brazil, since it is big enough not to be easily overlooked, and it allows you to transport a lot of stuff using pure muscle power. Short distance delivery jobs become easy that way.
Your video has made me realise how many design cues my (German-built) e-bike has taken from traditional Dutch bikes. A very similar seating position, step-thru frame, heavy duty rack, a chain guard, fenders and lights - it makes for a versatile and super-comfortable package that’s a joy to live with. It’s also very strong and is designed for both street and Grade 2-3 trail riding, so it’s kind of an evolution of a genius design.
As a Dutchie I wonder if the omafiets is actually ours or we just stole it again, made it populair and act like it is ours. Just like tulps and black and white cows haha. Maybe it was German to begin with (probably English or French, because I can imagne that Like Dutch people, Germans are happy when it is simple, practical and it works.. historically French and England wanted to be better and made nice adjustments in the proces).
I love commuting, running errands and exercising with my bike so I'll probably stick to my road bike. Though I definitely do see the practicality and ease of use of this bike. Great video
Some parts of Canada are definitely getting into bikes. I went to Saskatoon in January a few years ago and I was amazed at how many bikes with snow tires there were riding around in the snow.