We get asked this question in the shop and over the phone quite often. Shoppers examine all the extra features and ask, "what's that for... why's this special... how does this work... ?"
Before I present my litany of features, I'd like to make clear that "Dutch Bike" in many contexts is really a generic term being used to describe a style of bike, typically a two-wheeled, utilitarian bicycle, with fenders, a rack, relaxed frame geometry, an upright seating position and generally an "old-timey" look harking back to the turn of the 20th century. It is a style of bike you find all over northern Europe, from Amsterdam, to Hamburg, to Copenhagen, to Trondheim. They can be manufactured in Holland, many are not. As reported in the Seattle Times today:
nine in 10 bikes bought by Americans are made in China. Europeans also suffer from a high consumption of Chinese goods. Our Azor bikes are built in Holland from frames made in Belgium, Holland and China (this is particular to the Oma, which is in such high demand, Dutch production cannot keep up). Regardless the frame origin our warrantee (10 years frame / 1 year parts) reamains the same for all our Azor bikes.
So what does a Dutch bike get you? Here's a list of features, standard to our line of Azor Dutch bikes:
- fenders, mud flap, skirt guards — keeps your suit, skirt or kilt clean on the way to work in all weather conditions
- sealed chain case — keeps you clean and keeps chain clean, reduces long-term maintenance
- sealed 8-speed rear hub — provides effortless shifting, reduces long-term maintenance
- sealed "roller" drum style brakes — eliminates brakes and attendant dust on rim, consistent stopping in dry or wet conditions, long lasting performance
- dynamo front hub — generates electricity for...
- halogen headlamp — continuous beam, bright for all night time antics and safety
- LED tail lamp — stores electricity from dyno-hub to stay lit at stops (no flashing, no batteries required - ever)
- bell — gets pedestrians out of the way (mostly only works in Europe) and makes cute-happy-friendly sound (this works in USA) before you run into unaware pedestrians
- heavy-duty rear rack — carry cargo and friends (colloquially known as "girlfriend rack")
- center stand — allows stable loading and independent parking
- steering return/centering spring — centers front wheel so bike stays upright when parked with a loaded front basket
- integrated lock — legally required (in Holland) and convenient for cafe hopping or errands (not for overnight use)
- integrated bungee straps — convenient for securing anything unruly to the rack
- relaxed frame geometry — makes for a smoother ride
- big 1.75" wide x 28" Schwalbe Marathon tires — smooths ride and highly puncture resistant
- long stem and swept-back handlebars — allows you to sit completely upright with a straight spine and little or no pressure on your hands
- stainless steel fasteners, stem and handlebars — makes your bike highly rust resistant
- powder-coated frame — a thick baked-on finish, highly rust and scratch resistant and more environmentally friendly than paint
Though any of these features when weighed alone are not that special, when integrated into a complete bike they make for a very special and functional machine, high on comfort, safety and utility, as well as good looks. Many other Dutch and Dutch-styled bikes may come with all or some of the above. The list is a fine starting point for comparison.
We also need to make it clear that adding all these features also adds weight to the bike. So, if you imagine you want to race, carry them around or load your bike onto a rooftop carrier, you have the wrong bike. These bikes are appliances, not sporting goods. In general they will be 5-10 lbs heavier than similarly kitted sport bikes.
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