Author: dutchbikeco

Dutch Bike Spins More Than Wheels

Our amazing mechanic’s all have a ton of talent.  These guys don’t just work on bikes, they spend their free time randonneuring  100 + miles on a weekend bicycle rides.   Some play fiddle in raucous drinking bands.  Some just love spending time with Octopuses at the Aquarium…No names here, just know they all have talents well beyond their love of bikes.  Clemone just started working with us and host’s a radio show every Tuesday 1p.m – 2:30 PST.

 

Blast off to Spaced City for the best in dance, modern, avant-garde and

experimental music. 

Tune in at ksubseattle.org 

Tuesdays 1-3 p.m, groove on your post lunch break!

 

Dutch Bike Co’s New Shop

We’re happy to announce we’re moving the bike shop just around the corner onto Leary Ave.  We got one of the coolest spaces with plenty of room and southern exposure to help warm the shop during the Seattle winter.   Close enough so we can all walk down to the cafe’ for a coffee or a glass of  wine.  We’ll be expanding the cafe’ a bit as well so look forward to Julie’s ovens cranking out the baked goods on site.  The new shop is going to have a  beer garden soon as well.  I find 1/2 block too far to go for a beer!  It’s the original Bardahl Oil building and has a crane inside so we can hoist up anyone needing a wedgie.  We’ll be painting next week and moving in soon after.  BBQ coming soon, stay tuned and spread the word.

We’ve Discovered Electricity

We’ve been pretty stubborn over the years about electric bikes, not so much with the practicality of power assist but mostly with the horrid aesthetics of many of them.  The batteries are the main culprit, big bulky things that diminish the sleek silhouette of a bike frame, some brands have done a good job hiding them in rear racks etc. but those lack any serious power to go long distances.  Now before anyone points out that we don’t know *#@* about what we’re talking about, let me just say we know we DON’T.  That’s why we’re partnering up with our good friend and neighbor Dave Hawkins around the corner at Electric Bikes N.W. to experiment putting his E-Bike Kits on some of the bikes in our stable.  So far we’ve electrified the Civia Halstead and I can say it’s made a pretty useful mini Cargo Bike into a undaunted errand machine. The Halstead has the cantilevered front rack over the front 20″ wheel which by itself makes pushing cargo much easier than a fork mounted rack set up.  The E-Bike Kit front hub is built in a 20″ wheel and is the power house using a 36 Volt 15 Ah Li-Ion battery, it weighs about 7 pounds and has a range of 20 plus miles.

I rode it a few weeks back full throttle down to a Mariners game and then home from downtown up and over Fremont Ave (very steep) and beyond, the power dwindled by the time I rolled into the driveway but I was impressed by the juice it gave going up some serious hills.

The one thing I can say about electric assist and the growth in them on the road is that it takes the ” I don’t know if I feel like riding” out of the equation.  After a long day at work or late at night out keeping up with the likes of above pictured Travis,  it’s comforting to be able to put the thumb down and get your butt where you’re going- home to bed!

Stop by and take the Halstead out for a spin, we can set most of our bikes up with the same kit or a cheaper one in the $500 range. This deluxe kit runs around $1,150.00, so it’s an investment but well worth it if it makes your hum drum commute more appealing.

Bannana Bread

There is something so appealing about a big, full bowl of fruit;  so much so, that I often find myself buying obscene amounts of limes or lemons just because they look so beautiful resting in my grandmother’s antique bowl.  Or maybe I just want to be like Martha Stewart.  Whatever the case, I handle these items with the “more is more” philosophy.

I love balancing the bunches of yellow sweetness in tall piles in our counter bowl along with Mr. Banana Man below.

We sell a lot of bananas in the café, but there is always a number of very ripe ones that end up in my baking pile to be made into banana bread or banana muffins.  And in my constant search for ways to upgrade basic baked items I make and sell in the café, I often add extra delicious things to the bread.  But first, I think I have found the perfect banana bread recipe, it uses sour cream to moisten and add texture to the bread, lots of those ripe bananas and not too sweet;  then, I add raspberries or blueberries to the mix and a ribbon of cream cheese filling.  It bakes up moist, beautiful and with a crunchy top thanks to the raw sugar I sprinkle the breads with before baking.

This cake freezes well and stays fresh at room temperature for at least two days, though I doubt it will last that long on your counter.

 

Banana Bread Loaf

12 Tbls unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 c sugar

3 very ripe bananas

½ cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 2/3 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp Kosher salt

Fresh or frozen raspberries

Cream cheese filling

1 package cream cheese, room temp

1/3 c sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg yolk

Dutch Bike Assembly

Dutch Bike Co. Assembling a Dutch Bike:

We did this video several years ago in our old shop on the 14th St. Boat ramp a few blocks from our current shop.  Whether it’s a WorkCycle/ Azor or any number of other bikes we sell the assembly is critical for the bike to work properly and avoid unnecessary repairs.  This is why bicycles shipped from factories to the customer need to be checked out by a good mechanic. Sometimes the factory doesn’t apply adequate lube to critical areas or tension the spokes correctly, the key is to methodically take the steps to ensure it’s done right.  We do our best to make sure the bikes leave our care ready to roll for years.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Yesterday yielded some new baked goods out of our kitchen, Julie whipped up some very seasonal Pumpkin Cranberry Bread with roasted Pepitas on top.  The pictures below are for larger batches so don’t be fooled by the volume.  This recipe makes one loaf which is 8-10 servings.  You’ll need one non-stick bread pan.

  • Dry Ingredients, whisk together in a large bowl
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder  
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
  • 14 teaspoon all spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt    
  • Wet Ingredients, whisk together in another bowl.
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup Buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 Cup Pumpkin puree, steal one off your neighbors porch
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Aside but ready for action
  • 1 cup chopped cranberries, use a Cuisinart if you have one
  • 1/2 cup pepitas ( pumpkin seeds)
  • Raw Sugar, this will be for sprinkling on top before baking

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until   combined. Stir in the Cranberries.