Dutch style bike recommendations - but lightweight?

[Chrisc]

Littlehampton dutch bikes.
Have a butchers.
Got my Batavus from them, very nice chaps.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2572/3844489001_0e00570819.jpg

 

[tyred]

I've taken great pleasure recently from pootling around on my 3 speed roadster, all 42lbs of it. With the gearing lowered, it's not difficult to ride and although I have no speedo, it seems to have a decent turn of speed although the rod brakes teach you to anticipate things more. On a bike like this with huge 28" wheels, springy saddle and laid back angles, bumps on the road don't exist. I definitely can see the appeal. It's like driving an old Mercedes, it seems slow and sluggish to begin with but you soon realise it isn't actually that slow and you learn to appreciate the quality of the product. A road bike is faster without a doubt, but, if you're really in that much of a hurry, you may as well take the car.

 

[psmiffy]

The modern dutch bikes are beautifully equipped - either derailler or more commonly wide range hub gears and hub dynamos - wheels are modern light aluminium often with hub brakes - comfy saddles suitable for the upright riding position - they cannot be that heavy - or perhaps the dutch have been genetically engineered to ride them - as they zip about with seemingly little effort

I have seen a proccesion of these bicycles with a couple of panniers each coming down from the Brenner Pass into Italy and beyond

If we had more of these in our shops and fewer BSOs perhaps more people would cycle

 

[Chrisc]

The modern dutch bikes are beautifully equipped - either derailler or more commonly wide range hub gears and hub dynamos - wheels are modern light aluminium often with hub gears - comfy saddles suitable for the upright riding position - they cannot be that heavy - or perhaps the dutch have been genetically engineered to ride them - as they zip about with seemingly little effort

I have seen a proccesion of these bicycles with a couple of panniers each coming down from the Brenner Pass into Italy and beyond

If we had more of these in our shops and fewer BSOs perhaps more people would cycle

My Batavus above is fully kitted out and weighs in at 22kg. That said you don't really notice it cos you're not trying to go quickly on it and it's so damn comfy!

 

[psmiffy]

My Batavus above is fully kitted out and weighs in at 22kg. That said you don't really notice it cos you're not trying to go quickly on it and it's so damn comfy!

Looking at the picture of the Bratavus it seems quite chunky compared to many of the new Dutch bikes I have seen -

 

[summerdays]

I need it to be lighter than 22 kg ... its to go on a 4 bike tow bar - I can't remember what the limit is (or how much the other bikes weigh - but more like 13/15 Kg). I think I'm asking for the impossible.

 

[mickle]

Nowt wrong wi' this.

 

[summerdays]

Did I say she was picky ... I don't think the green would do ... possibly the black though (purple would be the colour of preference!!). But no weight given - do you think it might be close to 15 kg she says hopefully?

 

[Chrisc]

Looking at the picture of the Bratavus it seems quite chunky compared to many of the new Dutch bikes I have seen -

It is chunky, but the weight makes it very stable and irons out bumps. Lovely bike.

 

[psmiffy]

I just had a quick google for dutch bikes - most of the UK shops sell very traditional dutch bikes - the ones I have seen a lot of the Dutch riding look like traditional dutch bikes but are thoroughbreds in comparisom

 

[summerdays]

I'm wondering whether I should just look for a nice step through frame and then change the handlebars to those ones where they sweep backwards ... do you think I could sell that to her - with a basket if she wants?

 

[SavageHoutkop]

http://www.capitalcycles.co.uk/bikes-and-accessories/bicycles/dutch-lightweight/ ...?

(doesn't seem to work well in Firefox but displays OK in IE)

Here are a vast selection but no weights quoted, might be worth asking the shop though:
http://www.thecycleshop.uk.com/dutch_bicycles/dutch_cycles.html

 

[HelenD123]

I like the look of this one . Yes, I know it's from Halfords. 16kg so lighter than some.

 

[gouldina]

I'm wondering whether I should just look for a nice step through frame and then change the handlebars to those ones where they sweep backwards ... do you think I could sell that to her - with a basket if she wants?

Not a bad plan. My 15 year old step-daughter has done just this. She sprayed the bike gold first for some reason but there we are...

 

[summerdays]

I've seen a girl on a hand sprayed gold bike here in Bristol - they had even sprayed the wheels and chain (not that sucessfully).