Thoughts on a Dutch bike?

[slowmotion]

It's not like there are mountains in London and most of the time, you coast down anything you ride up.

Isn't that rather like saying "Climbing K2 is easy......you just hang-glide from the summit"?

 

[mjr]

Isn't that rather like saying "Climbing K2 is easy......you just hang-glide from the summit"?

I was aiming for "you won't find K2 up a turning off Balham High Road".

 

[slowmotion]

I was aiming for "you won't find K2 up a turning off Balham High Road".

Her flat's at the top of Brixton Hill actually, and she works in the City. Why suffer every day lugging useless kilograms around, fighting gravity?

 

[mjr]

Her flat's at the top of Brixton Hill actually, and she works in the City. Why suffer every day lugging useless kilograms around, fighting gravity?

It's not fighting gravity. It's storing potential energy for the next trip out!

Also, what's the real weight of a 13kg hybrid when it's in the desired size and got rack, guards and other fittings on?

 

[slowmotion]

It's not fighting gravity. It's storing potential energy for the next trip out!

Also, what's the real weight of a 13kg hybrid when it's in the desired size and got rack, guards and other fittings on?

It's whatever weight you choose. Feel free to add a couple of 20kg bags of cement if it makes you happy.

 

[MarkF]

Her flat's at the top of Brixton Hill actually, and she works in the City. Why suffer every day lugging useless kilograms around, fighting gravity?

Style in my daughters case, she wouldn't be seen dead on a hybrid or MTB, both her bikes are Dutch style ones, 3 speed and a lot of metal. 1 in flat Hull but the other in hilly Leeds.

 

[matticus]

You definitely can do long rides on a Dutch type bike.

View attachment 531591

This is my 1951 Rudge 3 speed, probably weighs ~50lb and I've done hilly half centuries on it and I love it. It won't be fast in the hills and you may have walk from time to time but what is the rush if you're out for the day? With a 22 tooth sprocket fitted, I can climb most things on it anyway and I've done loaded touring in coastal areas on a 3 speed Bromptom which isn't much different in theory.

Nice bike, nice pic!

For even longer rides - done on a Pashley - talk to this guy (PBP and LEL rider): https://twitter.com/sirwobbly?lang=en

 

[matticus]

Style in my daughters case, she wouldn't be seen dead on a hybrid or MTB,

I'm liking her already :P

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Then I saw the light and started looking at old Raleighs, after a fair few months I collected this Superbe today, it's pretty much mint, 125 miles from new. I paid £160 which might just get me a very manky Batavus.

View attachment 543967

That's worth a double like, but the forum doesn't allow it! Pretty much identical to my one, but in much nicer condition. Mind you, mine only cost the price of one of it's replacement Marathon tyres. but even with my ultra-frugal approach to cycling, I would have happily paid that price for such a nice example. Look after it well, it has already long since outlived the factory that made it. The Raleigh 3-speed represents the high water mark in practical utility cycling and those of us who own one should keep it going as long as possible.

I'd accept the weight for the comfort and reliability of hub brakes, hub gears and dynamo. It's not like there are mountains in London and most of the time, you coast down anything you ride up.

I don't understand the UK obsession with weight that results in so many purchases of harsh-riding road-MTB hybrids with fragile derailleurs often listed with the weight of a XS frame without rack, mudguards, pedals and sometimes not even a saddle!

London may not have mountains, but it still has some pretty nasty hills. I would draw the line at attempting to ride my rod-braked 3-speed in certain parts of Hampstead, Highgate, Muswell Hill, Barnet, or Northwood to name some that come easily to mind. For example I can count the number of riders I've ever observed climbing the length of Barnet Hill up past the underground station, on the fingers of one hand - and they were all on derailleur bikes with granny rings. Not one SS/Fixie or 3-speed seen.

 

[mjr]

For example I can count the number of riders I've ever observed climbing the length of Barnet Hill up past the underground station, on the fingers of one hand - and they were all on derailleur bikes with granny rings. Not one SS/Fixie or 3-speed seen.

Isn't Barnet Hill one that's fairly easy to go up on quieter side roads that are less steep? So you're basically saying dafter riders ride derailleur in town?

 

[Paulus]

Isn't Barnet Hill one that's fairly easy to go up on quieter side roads that are less steep? So you're basically saying dafter riders ride derailleur in town?

Barnet hill is not hard to ride up as it is a man made embankment, built in the early 1800's. The horses struggled to pull the carts and coaches up the original road. The side roads are much steeper on both sides.

Muswell Hill, Highgate west hill and Swains lane are very steep indeed, although you can get up them with low enough gearing.

 

[Moon bunny]

This thread has got me hankering for my old Pashley again. I miss being able to just get on and go without having to change shorts and shoes. Perhaps a new mixte is in order.

Two days later and a Pashley Aurora is on order. I must be getting slow in my old age.

 

[DCBassman]

Lovely! I'm going to thoroughly enjoy renovating and riding my Revell. I do wish we Brits wouldn't call mixtes ladies' bikes - they're unisex town bikes.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Barnet hill is not hard to ride up as it is a man made embankment, built in the early 1800's. The horses struggled to pull the carts and coaches up the original road. The side roads are much steeper on both sides.

That's interesting to learn about the man-made bit. I have always wondered why it is so straight! No, it's not super steep, but it's a long drag and you've got the traffic lights to get caught by at the top end. Another bit of road I wouldn't be keen cycling on without really low gearing in your manor is the northbound A111 out of Cockfosters up to the M25 junction.

 

[Paulus]

That's interesting to learn about the man-made bit. I have always wondered why it is so straight! No, it's not super steep, but it's a long drag and you've got the traffic lights to get caught by at the top end. Another bit of road I wouldn't be keen cycling on without really low gearing in your manor is the northbound A111 out of Cockfosters up to the M25 junction.

Barnet hill was built by Thomas Telford and Robert McAdam. If you stand at the bottom of the hill and look up it is quite clearly an embankment. As the main road is a little bit back towards Whetstone. Prickers Hill is the same. The original level of the land on either side of the road is much lower.
Stag Hill is the climb from Cockfosters up to the M25 junction. Only short but quite steep.