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Going Dutch -- a bicycle for me?
Sep. 13th, 2009 06:32 pmRead in Boston magazine today about Dutch Bicycle Company here in Somerville:
Unlike most bikes made and sold in the United States -- built for racing, with exposed gears, no fenders, and an aggressive riding position -- the store's imported Dutch bikes are designed for the "non-enthusiast, non-cyclist": sturdy, with an upright riding position, and equipped with chain covers, bag racks, and dynamo-driven headlamps.
If I were to get a bike, it would match that description. Although I'm urban and eco-conscious and health-conscious and don't have a car, even though it would expand my range of transportation to easily encompass some places I would like to go, even though my life sometimes looks like it's missing a bicycle, I've put off getting a bike for a long time and it's largely because of the exact things addressed above. I don't like or need the hair-trigger steering of a racing bike, which is what most "road bikes" really are. I hate curly handlebars. I'd adore the lower maintenance and lower clothes-eating potential of a covered chain, and I'd even more appreciate being able to ride while sitting up. (Seats have gotten narrower, harder and more labia-crushing than when I was a kid.) I would just like to ride a bike to get somewhere occasionally.
Here's a model I like at first sight, which they're phasing out. Maybe I need to go shopping in person... I don't think their selection can be limited to what's on their website. This bike, the Gazelle Toer Populair, is supposed to be their bestseller.
So, it looks like another puzzle in my life (cross-reference: comfy, professional shoes) is about to be solved by going European. I still have to decide if I really want to add a bike to my life (another large object, and then I'd need a helmet and a lock, grrrrr!) but if I could get an awesome one that would last for years and years, the final answer is probably yes.
Unlike most bikes made and sold in the United States -- built for racing, with exposed gears, no fenders, and an aggressive riding position -- the store's imported Dutch bikes are designed for the "non-enthusiast, non-cyclist": sturdy, with an upright riding position, and equipped with chain covers, bag racks, and dynamo-driven headlamps.
If I were to get a bike, it would match that description. Although I'm urban and eco-conscious and health-conscious and don't have a car, even though it would expand my range of transportation to easily encompass some places I would like to go, even though my life sometimes looks like it's missing a bicycle, I've put off getting a bike for a long time and it's largely because of the exact things addressed above. I don't like or need the hair-trigger steering of a racing bike, which is what most "road bikes" really are. I hate curly handlebars. I'd adore the lower maintenance and lower clothes-eating potential of a covered chain, and I'd even more appreciate being able to ride while sitting up. (Seats have gotten narrower, harder and more labia-crushing than when I was a kid.) I would just like to ride a bike to get somewhere occasionally.
Here's a model I like at first sight, which they're phasing out. Maybe I need to go shopping in person... I don't think their selection can be limited to what's on their website. This bike, the Gazelle Toer Populair, is supposed to be their bestseller.
So, it looks like another puzzle in my life (cross-reference: comfy, professional shoes) is about to be solved by going European. I still have to decide if I really want to add a bike to my life (another large object, and then I'd need a helmet and a lock, grrrrr!) but if I could get an awesome one that would last for years and years, the final answer is probably yes.
