Proper girly Dutch bike

[Markymark]

My good lady wife is after the above. Key for her is a comfortable riding upright position and she's quite tall. Speed not a priority but don't want anything heavy or crappy geared making progress hard work.

Lbs showed us this which she thinks is great. Anyone with any experience or any alternatives we should look at?

As always, thanks in advance.

 

[L14M]

They'll all weigh a ton but halfords do a load :P
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...1_catalogId_10151_categoryId_231005_langId_-1

 

[Tin Pot]

Bing images "Proper girly Dutch bike" gave me this suggestion:

I'm a bit disappointed really.

 

[annedonnelly]

I've no idea what they're like to ride but Bobbin do some very pretty bikes.

 

[DCLane]

SWMBO has one of these: a Specialized Globe Daily 3 step-through

Her's is the '2' model in silver but it's got hub gears = no derailleur issues.

Fast? No. Slow? Definately. Dutch-style, sedate, etc.? Absolutely.

There's a review here; http://bikestylespokane.com/2012/11/12/my-mary-poppins-bike-review-of-the-specialized-globe-daily-2/

 

[srw]

Pashley is the classic British brand - or why not go to Holland or Germany (where they're just called "bikes") for the weekend?

 

[Dan B]

I've no idea what they're like to ride but Bobbin do some very pretty bikes.

My wife has the Brownie. Looks nice, not as heavy as a real Pashley, cheaper, but important components are made of cheese or might as well be. Specifically, the brake blocks don't brake, the chainring has warped, and the paint job is not at all tough.

 

[slowmotion]

Look at the Batavus website in Dutch and press the "stadsfietsen" button. There are some lovely bikes there.
As srw suggested, go to Holland and buy it. Fly to Schipol, spend a weekend in Amsterdam, ride the bike back to The Hook down the LF1, and take the night ferry back home to Harwich.

The Batavus website:
http://www.batavus.nl/stadsfietsen?labels=117,112

 

[sreten]

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/elops-5-women-city-bike-id_8202827.html

Hi, all in all for such a thing, at £250, great value, loads of kit, L/XL size I presume, rgds, sreten.

Lightweight is not something that comes with the territory with this sort of bike.
3 gears may, or may not be enough, but loads better than one.
A very girly rubber sprung saddle, which looks the part.
(Though it needs tilting up a tad in the above graphic IMO.)

 

[Markymark]

Ok, we went to a large decathlon in Surrey Quays and all the dutch bikes they had were sub £180 which seemed too cheap to me. Don't want to spend unnecessary money but want a decent bike - probably the £350 - £500 mark. We're looking at the weekend at the Dawes Duchess and Pashley.

 

[sreten]

Hi,

Well YMMV, comparing price, value and quality.
IMO you can pay a load more for something
not really much better than the Elops5.

Dutch bikes are not meant to be expensive,
and the French do know a thing or two
about bikes, a discerning market.

Read reviews of the B-Twin Triban 3 road bike.

rgds, sreten.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

My wife has an Edinburgh Bikes Revolution Heritage

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/browse?keywordFilter=revolution heritage&bGOmainKeyword=Search

Fits the bill perfectly, and is a good comfy decent stable ride, I use it myself on occasions and think it is great, not too heavy, looks stylish, 7 derailleur gears well arranged to get up some quite sharp hills and roll along decently on the flat and in traffic.

My daughter has the Elops 5 below and loves it too. Solid, comfy, very relaxed riding style and as ever with decathlon specced superbly well for the money, it looks lovely too, just that bit different but not garish. I'm not sure the 3 gears make it a go anywhere bike but saying that I go everywhere on a 3 speed Brompton so may be doing it down unfairly there.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/elops-5-women-city-bike-id_8202827.html

Hi, all in all for such a thing, at £250, great value, loads of kit, L/XL size I presume, rgds, sreten.

Lightweight is not something that comes with the territory with this sort of bike.
3 gears may, or may not be enough, but loads better than one.
A very girly rubber sprung saddle, which looks the part.
(Though it needs tilting up a tad in the above graphic IMO.)

 

[Pale Rider]

A request for a proper girly Dutch bike calls for a bike from a proper Dutch maker - a Gazelle.

The more expensive ones are among the best made and finished bikes I've seen.

There are a few in your budget which will be almost as good.

http://www.cycle-heaven.co.uk/bikes/brands/gazelle/

 

[ufkacbln]

You may want to revise the link as it shows this:

Neither girly or Dutch!