Dutch style bike recommendations - but lightweight?

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summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
My eldest has seen the Beauty and the Bike films, and would like a Dutch style bike. If it would get her riding more I would consider it, however it would need to be fairly light weight so that we can put it on our tow-bar rack. So far when I have seen the weight quoted, they seem quite heavy.

Has anyone any suggestions, dutch style or at least feminine styling, with gears and light weight. She is taller than me, probably 5'7 ish (think she has stopped growing), but shorter legs - when she borrows one of my bikes I have to lower the saddle loads.
 
Lightweight. Roadster. See how those two words didn't fit into the same sentence?

Summer Bikes make a lightish, roadsterish bike.

I managed to reduce the weight of my Africabike to a reasonable level but it involved removing or replacing almost all of the components....
 

gouldina

New Member
Location
London
Why do some people like these bikes so much? They're rubbish and ugly.
That said, I feel the same about VW campers. We used to have one when I was a kid and I can honestly say it was the worst of the 4 my parents owned. Everyone seems to love them though.
 
Why do people like modern road bikes of BMX's? Many of them are overpriced, ugly and uncomfortable.

Plenty of manufacturers are now doing nice Dutch style bikes that are no heavier than the average mountain bike.
 
OP
OP
summerdays

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
I know that's my dilemma - or whether she continues to borrow my old one when we put the bikes on the back of the car.

There isn't any weights given on that site - why isn't weight one of the things given in technical spec's!!!!
 

gouldina

New Member
Location
London
Hilldodger said:
Why do people like modern road bikes of BMX's? Many of them are overpriced, ugly and uncomfortable.

Plenty of manufacturers are now doing nice Dutch style bikes that are no heavier than the average mountain bike.

It's not just weight though is it? It's the whole shebang - brakes, handlebars, gears etc etc. It's a taste thing I know but the bike is far too compromised by the old fashioned styling I feel. It's like driving a Model-T Ford around.
 
Sorry, but you're talking rubbish. There's no reason why that type of bike can't have just the same spec as a road bike and the quality of the bike is not compromised by the frame design.

Some people use their bikes for every day use and for them the loop frame is just perfect.
 

gouldina

New Member
Location
London
Hilldodger said:
Sorry, but you're talking rubbish. There's no reason why that type of bike can't have just the same spec as a road bike and the quality of the bike is not compromised by the frame design.

Some people use their bikes for every day use and for them the loop frame is just perfect.

Strange that they don't race them then eh? :biggrin:
I use my bike for everyday use too. As I say I know it's a taste thing but I loathe them and seeing people every day slowly wobbling about on them like they're fundamentally unstable or something on the canal towpath doesn't help.
 
OP
OP
summerdays

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
I guess for my daughter its wanting to buy into that statement - looking elegant on the bike - not geeky and how I might look sometimes on a bike. I often offer to lend her one of my cycling jackets:evil:, knowing full well what her reaction will be:biggrin:.
 

gouldina

New Member
Location
London
summerdays said:
I guess for my daughter its wanting to buy into that statement - looking elegant on the bike - not geeky and how I might look sometimes on a bike. I often offer to lend her one of my cycling jackets:evil:, knowing full well what her reaction will be:biggrin:.

Could you persuade her into a classy fixey with retro elements? I'm loving the look of the Trek District - although it ain't cheap.
 
gouldina said:
Strange that they don't race them then eh? :sad:
I use my bike for everyday use too. As I say I know it's a taste thing but I loathe them and seeing people every day slowly wobbling about on them like they're fundamentally unstable or something on the canal towpath doesn't help.


And I hate seeing fashion victims wearing bright lycra wobbling about on overpriced road bikes thinking they're Lance Armstong.:biggrin:
 
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