#opafiets

The Dutch Bike.

 Moving to the Netherlands, I was super excited. I always enjoyed the minimalist experience of cycling. You don’t have to worry about parking, fender benders are no big deal, you can stop wherever and whenever you want and you become part of the mechanics that move you forward. Having been to the Netherlands a couple of times before, I couldn’t wait to cycle through the cities built for cycling as the main mode of transport.

 There was just one thing I couldn’t understand. Almost everyone seemed to be on big heavy looking bicycles that didn’t seem very fast nor exciting. I looked online before coming to the Netherlands and these bikes weren’t exactly cheap either. Typically, you’d be looking at around EUR 500 for a basic Dutch bike that weighs almost 20kg. My fixie cost around that much and it was in the 9s and my commuter hybrid cost half that and was in the 8s. What is the deal with these bikes?

 If one would compare it to a car, I would say it would be the Citroen DS of bikes. It’s not screaming excitement, but little details make it the most comfortable and the appealing ride.

 First, the 28 1/2 wheels give it a tremendous ride. The huge wheels simply glide over any surface imperfection and the springs under the saddles make the ride even smoother. Posture is as comfortable as it can get and gearing is usually moderate, giving you both smooth acceleration and around 20kph of cruising speed. 

 Dutch bikes are often equipped with chain cases and dress guards that clip onto the rear fenders. All of my jeans had chain grease stains on the inner ankle area from the chains of my fixie, road and hybrid. With the Dutch bike, your pants will never touch the chain. Even if you’re wearing a long coat, you don’t have to worry about it being ravaged by the rear wheels thanks to the dress guards. Dutch bikes also come with front and rear lights fixed on top of the headset and rear rack so you don’t have to remember to carry lights around separately.

 Although some bikes are equipped with gears and rollerbrakes that are operated by hand, basic Dutch bikes have single geared coaster hubs, eliminating the need for any cabling. Without the cables, there’s one less thing to worry about getting caught on handle bars of other bikes when parking on crowded racks. It goes without saying that these bikes are built to last. With a simple coaster hub trap brake, there isn’t that much to break and the frames are built to withstand the ever rainy Dutch weather as well as pannier bags that hold 20kg of groceries or more.

 While all of this means that Dutch bikes weigh a lot, I learned that weight is not necessarily a terrible thing. Of course, climbing is an awful experience, but with more weight, you are less susceptible to headwind and downhills can be a blast. Instead of carving through wind, it feels more like bashing through wind and the weight helps you push through air resistance like a swinging hammer.