Buying a bike in Holland, then riding home

[grldtnr]

In this post Brexit balls up, what's the situation, thinking of going to Netherlands to buy a Dutch bike, then riding home.
I am sure it won't be as simple as it was, I intend to go across on the ferry, look for what I want,have a ride about ,then ride to the ferry and home.
What problems should I expect, will it be duty except seeing as we Brits are non Euro, will I have to pay VAT then claim it back, what might happen when I come off the ferry with it, should I go through goods to declare?
I have ordered parts from Europe, which were duty except at purchase, which then delivered by courier, to have import /duty charges to be collected when invoiced by the courier, something I am loathe to do again , hence the cunning plan ,plus I get a break as well.

 

[Gillstay]

You may have to cycle a piece of junk over there and then cycle something good back so it looks like you have returned on the same bike. Hence no duty.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Seriously?

I guarantee noone will give a crap. If you're really paranoid, ride it through some puddles or give it a quick dunk in a canal to apply a patina of age.

 

[TheDoctor]

I'd be tempted to just ride it back. Don't try and claim back the Dutch VAT / pay the UK VAT, as there's no point in drawing attention to yourself. and the VAT rates are probably much the same. As long as the bike looks used you'll be fine. IANAL.

 

[Cycleops]

Never mind the VAT and duty, I'm just wondering why you want to buy a Dutch bike?

 

[TheDoctor]

Who wouldn't want a Dutch bike?

 

[TheDoctor]

I firmly believe that the Netherlands is flat purely because of Dutch bikes.
They have flattened out the rideable hills, and any remaining hills have been pulled flat by the gravitational field of Dutch bikes.
Down near Maastricht, in the Limberger Dutch province, the locals can get hold of lighter German bikes.
And they've got the Vaalserberg - the highest Dutch mountain at 322m.
Coincidence? I think not.
Disclaimer - the ironing-landscapes-flat-with-heavy-bikes theory has yet to be widely accepted, it's fair to say.

 

[Brooks]

You can buy a Dutch bike in England, that way you can at least give your custom to a home based bike shop.

 

[oolactive]

why did you want to buy a Dutch bike? As far as I know, there are quite a few good bike shops in the local.

 

[grldtnr]

I firmly believe that the Netherlands is flat purely because of Dutch bikes.
They have flattened out the rideable hills, and any remaining hills have been pulled flat by the gravitational field of Dutch bikes.
Down near Maastricht, in the Limberger Dutch province, the locals can get hold of lighter German bikes.
And they've got the Vaalserberg - the highest Dutch mountain at 322m.
Coincidence? I think not.
Disclaimer - the ironing-landscapes-flat-with-heavy-bikes theory has yet to be widely accepted, it's fair to say.

An interesting theory,but full of cheesy holes! Are you possiting the theory Dutch bikes are heavier than 40 tonne trucks?

Never mind the VAT and duty, I'm just wondering why you want to buy a Dutch bike?

Dutch bikes are excellent town bikes,and come fully equipped, and probably tow a Russian tank, if you got the strength of a Dutch granny!

You can buy a Dutch bike in England, that way you can at least give your custom to a home based bike shop.

I could,but it's far easier to buy a dutch bike ,fully equipped in a dutch bike shop.

You may have to cycle a piece of junk over there and then cycle something good back so it looks like you have returned on the same bike. Hence no duty.

I live locally to the Harwich ferry so can walk on and off, them probably find a bike shop locally in the Hoek van Holland or the Hague, it's just a fun thing to do

 

[steveindenmark]

Never mind the VAT and duty, I'm just wondering why you want to buy a Dutch bike?

Does he mean a Dutch style bike or a bike made in Holland? Two totally different things. Im researching Kogas electric World Traveller at the moment. I have the non electric version and it is excellent. Riding the electric version from Holland to Denmark would be a good tester ride.

 

[grldtnr]

I mean to be able to make a choice from a good selection of Dutch market bikes, not necessarily a Koga, that would be expensive, but something that is well built& specced,and able to carry heavy loads, something most Dutch bikes do very well.
Yes I could go to a UK dealer, but I have to find one, go to NL in any town, bike shops are plenty,the Dutch biker is very discerning, and shop owners know that, I want to shop in that environment, I will spend over the odds, but I will get what I am after and not be fobbed off.

 

[All uphill]

I've just returned from the Netherlands on my bike. The only people who showed the slightest interest in it were other cyclists. The officer at the Hoek asked where I'd been, and why, and that was it.

I guess if your passport showed you'd only been in NL for 24 or 48 hours and you didn't have a believable reason for your trip that might trigger interest in your shiny new bike.

Sounds like a great excuse for a 7 day tour before returning!

 

[TheDoctor]

An interesting theory,but full of cheesy holes! Are you possiting the theory Dutch bikes are heavier than 40 tonne trucks?

Yes.
Yes I am. I've ridden Dutch bikes a few times, and I'm convinced that they're the densest material known to humanity.
I like them immensely, but they do have a certain momentum-enhancing heaviness to them.

 

[Cycleops]

I guess if your passport showed you'd only been in NL for 24 or 48 hours and you didn't have a believable reason for your trip that might trigger interest in your shiny new bike.

Or maybe a search for white powdery stuff which be of rather more interest than a bike.
I understand Holland is a hub for the drugs trade.