Why Dutch bikes are better

[Longjohn ★]

 

[ChrisL]

I really need to restore my Gazelle racefiets.  I have ridden around in Holland on bikes like that. Good times! 

[Longjohn ★]

I was thinking about you when I posted this.

[Mr. Beanz]

Why Dutch bikes are better? Because they have a kickstand, fenders, and upright position? Somebody bet me a rope! 

I can actually do that to my bikes if I wanted.  The kick your kid in the head thing, try mounting and dismounting a tandem. There are other ways to dismount (if I had to) without kicking Gina in the teeth. 

The upright position? No thanks. I have tried to ride cruiser bikes with upright and they are very uncomfortable imo. Mainly my quads are so far bent back trying to pedal those things. 

I do have my steer tube uncut, and stack of shims so my ride is actually pretty upright and comfortable. 

I get the idea but won't work for me.  

[ChrisL]

11 minutes ago, Mr Beanz said:

Why Dutch bikes are better? Because they have a kickstand, fenders, and upright position? Somebody bet me a rope! 

I can actually do that to my bikes if I wanted.  The kick your kid in the head thing, try mounting and dismounting a tandem. There are other ways to dismount (if I had to) without kicking Gina in the teeth. 

The upright position? No thanks. I have tried to ride cruiser bikes with upright and they are very uncomfortable imo. Mainly my quads are so far bent back trying to pedal those things. 

I do have my steer tube uncut, and stack of shims so my ride is actually pretty upright and comfortable. 

I get the idea but won't work for me.  

While in Holland I thought it odd that the child seats were on the top tube whereas we mount them off the back of the bike.  But now we have the kid seats on the top tube like they have done for ages.  No kicking your kid in the teeth that way.

Dutch bikes are just purpose built for their needs.  Not necessarily better but better for them. 

[Mr. Beanz]

3 hours ago, ChrisL said:

Dutch bikes are just purpose built for their needs.  Not necessarily better but better for them. 

I can see that but the title says why Dutch bikes are better and why YOU should want one. 

I don't want one! 

[Razors Edge ★]

There have been a couple of funny screw-ups down in Australia, where advertising companies used Dutch stock photos of people riding bikes in a city. NO ONE there wears a helmet. You identify tourists on bikes by whether they wear a helmet or not

Anyway, Australia, helmets are MANDATORY. Period.  And fines into the hundreds of $$$.  Apparently, running ads with folks not wearing helmets is breaking some rules/laws too, so one firm had to pay fines for their ads, and a few years later, another firm Photoshopped helmets onto the stock photo.