I’ve looked for years for a true, authentic Dutch-style bike to buy in North America, but they aren’t easy to come by. But now, after visiting a unique project in Winnipeg, Canada, my wish has come true. And after riding the bike for a little while, here are my thoughts.
Big thanks to Anders Swanson and Leigh Anne Parry and of Plain Bicycle (and do Dan Reihl who helped me choose my bike).
Want to buy one of their new or used Dutch bikes? https://plainbicycle.org/
The Plain Bicycle Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/plain-bicycle/id1510268605
0:00 What is a Dutch bike?
1:20 The origins of the Plain Bicycle Project
4:55 Getting my hands on a Dutch bike
5:53 My first-ever ride
6:35 Why people think this bike is weird
6:55 Uprightness
7:51 Swept-back handlebars
8:22 Chain guard
8:47 Internal gears
9:23 Wheel lock
10:22 Sturdy back rack
10:48 Pedal brakes
11:28 Dynamo lights
12:07 Durability
13:43 Why these bikes are built for life
Thanks to StreetFilms and NorCal Cycling for the footage used under Creative Commons. And to Plain Bicycle for the footage from the Netherlands.
#cycling #bike #commuting
My bag, backpack and pannier sponsor is Two Wheel Gear — the best bags I’ve used for urban cycling and bike commuting: https://bit.ly/3MRtdfA
Buy my book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: https://rmbooks.com/book/frostbike/
I don’t really do proper product reviews, but here are some products that I’ve tried on this channel that I like. (Of course you don’t need anything fancy to ride a bike, other than a bike, but these are Amazon affiliate links, and I get paid a small commission if you buy them 😉)
• Here’s the winter bike I’m riding these days: https://bit.ly/2PhqUqF
• Cliq Smart Bike Light (nice rear brake light): https://amzn.to/39lfqwo
• RedShift Acrlight Smart LED Pedals (clever lights for your pedals): https://amzn.to/3NL1Npg
• Aftershokz Titanium bone-conducting headphones (if you want to listen while you ride): https://amzn.to/3e9Tofa
• JBL CLip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker (for your party-pace group rides): https://amzn.to/3pcMLPm
• Crane Bicycle Bell (the ding is sublime): https://amzn.to/3OwfZCu
• Ibex Merino Wool clothing (good for summer and winter): https://bit.ly/3xXkbEd
• Bicycle Cargo Net (why did it take so long for me to buy one of these?): https://amzn.to/31s1Ovu
• Vaude Cover II Rain Poncho (for higher-end, try Cleverhood or People’s Poncho): https://amzn.to/3jLkift
• Kryptonite U-Lock (your bike is going to get stolen eventually, sigh, but at least make it hard): https://amzn.to/3tPWcGi
• Peak Design phone case (the one I use, paired with the Peak Design phone mount): https://amzn.to/3HGM0FU
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36 Comments
As a Dutchy the only weird thing about that bike is the price and that it is over there
Proud of the 6 bikes and2 cars I own as Dutchy. 1 of the bike is electric and that’s my fav. I live in a partje of Netherlands that has tough hills and curved landscape. Cycling is the greatest
I have to give you a fair warning about those breaks. The power is transfered through the chain to the back wheel, so make sure your chain is well maintained. If your chain is a bit loose and you hit some bumps it can fall off and there goes your only way of braking.
Wait, you found a bike with gears AND a back pedal break? I've NEVER been able to find one of those. I live in the Netherlands, that is all I wanted for my entire youth. A geared bike so I could keep up with my friends, but with backpedals because handbrakes feel counterintuitive for me. Also I hate the way they brake your bike, forcing you over your steering weel in an emergency stop.
You honestly opened my eyes, I just thought that they didn't exist. Now I need to find me one of those.
The real dutch bike experience is it getting stolen by someone not from dutch descent.
As a Dutchy, it's so weird to see that there are places that just don't use the bike as normally as we do. Fun video tho 😀
As a Dutchie Nothing is better than getting shitfaced at the bar and then getting on your bike and riding 45 minutes home. That alone makes a bike priceless
In the video you're riding "no hands" quite often. Is that because the head tube is raked so far backwards? I really mean, could you really do that on a normal bike?
The thumbnail bike has no spokes. Um yeah it is weird indeed
Just found your channel. I like your content.
Have you thought about testing that other Dutch invention yet: a velomobile?
They protect you from poor weather.
I ordered a Quest two months ago and picked it up a week ago. I find it more capable of maintaining constant speed, and are more confidence inspiring for carrying more/clumsy luggage and for steep uphills. Yes, you significantly lose speed uphill, but with three wheels it's more stable. I can now ride hils that on my normal bike I have to step off and walk, because I lose so much speed.
I'm not used to it yet, but I think over time, this should be a better long distance bike than my regular bicycle.
And I am already learning where the switches are, over time enabling me to switch on the lights without having to stop and reach down for them, making it much more interesting to just switch them on shortly in dark places (tunnel, wooded area) and be seen much sooner.
Only stupid people don’t wear helmets
Dutchie here, it’s so nice to see you enjoying (and finding some things weird) an object we (I) use every day. I never looked at bikes this way and how useful they actually are. Also, the fact there’s no bar in the frame doesn’t make it a girls bike anymore, I know a lot of men/boys who don’t have a bar on their bikes anymore. Yes, a lot of men’ bikes still have this bar, but the border of it being a girls bike or men’s bike seems to disappear.
What brand is that?? 😂😂😂 A real Dutch bike?? Hahaha, what a laugh! A brandless Chinese, hahaha!! 🤣🤣🤣Bought a Gazelle or Batavus sucker, and bye 👋with your klickbait video, and good luck with your Chinese fake! Bye and greetings from the Netherlands!
as iam dutch ( live in a town called Eindhoven ) dutch bike brands are : Gazelle , Batavus , Union , Sparta. to name a few. That oma fiets of you yall can buy arround 100 euros over here for a nice one.
Omafiets!
I love my Dutchie 🙂 it's a Spartan workbike… comes with it's own front and rear (battery-powered) lights, a front rack, and a rotary damper on the stem for heavy front loads. I still needed to upgrade the lights, and for big o'l Texan legs — I had to change out the handlebars to keep from hitting them on my thighs. I kinda with I had one more gear, but otherwise I love it!
Saturday morning watching this video… You made it very interesting to watch for such a common item for us😅 Would love to see more videos of this bike in the USA🤗
Bike brands are definitely a thing here. Usually the beat up bikes are the second bike that stays at the station.
Mine is a old one, idk how old since i bought it 2nd hand. Probaly had more owners to it but idk that. When you see it, u think how is it still alive? The brakes are connected with ductape, no mudguards, gears dont work. But it wont die on me, the greatest things that has ever been invented is the oma fiets
Put dutch in the titel and you get 100k more views 😂
As a Dutchy myself, grab the bold with both hands and lean your arms on the steering weel. Now you are really riding the bike correctly 😋
Ik feels so strange to me that there are no other bikes on the streets in your shots😂 Lovely to see others getting introduced into Dutch culture, keep it up! 🫡
It's so bizarre to see things you've lived with all your live deconstructed like this haha
And actually, it explains (inversely) some of the unsafe/unstable feelings I have on a more sporty bike.
Glad you're enjoying your omafiets!
In the Netherlands, one of the reasons why there are more bicycles than people is that people often own more than one bicycle and will switch between which one to ride. So, they may have an old, rusty, beaten-up oma bicycle that no one will try to steal when going to the city centre for clubbing or to the cinema on the weekend. But when they go shopping, they hop on a different bicycle that has more gears and can handle a heavy load, etc. For every activity, there is a different bicycle. Oma bicycles aren't suitable for long commutes; they're called Oma's for a reason. 😆
Careful the shoulder strap of your bag doesn't get caught in the spokes 😉
680 bucks for that bike!?
These bikes are clumsy , flimsy and the seating position is way to upright for a comfortable ride.
I'm Dutch and have been riding bicycles for 50 years now , road one 'omafiets' for about 30 seconds and was convinced of the above.
Don't buy one they're sh#t , sorry for the language.
Cool, man, cycling really should make a differance in most of North American cities, I guess.
really nice!, This bike is a female bike, its for womans. When they have a skirt ist aesy to step up. A male bike is different, i think you have seen it in the Netherlands
I like that oldschool dynamo on the front wheel. It used to slip during wet weather, so the light flickered.
"This one is all black and hasn't got a brand on it. This is a used bike"
STOLEN….. 😉
https://youtu.be/3Adc2NTxQUs🤣 Wat een fijne olde fietse…
it's called a low-entry bicycle nowadays. (lage instapfiets)
Not for me with hills and no gears. I do like the sit up straight posture, the mudguards and the chainguards.
I hope you'll read this: Your bicycle is a slightly older model Pointer Glorie (the non-Deluxe model), minus some aftermarket swaps such as the bell and seat, and the headlight was swapped for a generic chrome unit (a common occurrence as people are often too lazy to fix their headlight after something happens to it.)
The taillight is an odd one as it comes from a newer Pointer Glorie (R3 model), but that could just be a transitional thing between production years.
You are missing the rear wheel spoke guards that originally come with it but those don't really add much value to the bikes anyway.
Not very useful info, but info I thought you might want to know about your bicycle! 🙂
I want a 3 speed Omafeits, exactly like yours, but getting it to Hawaii is impossible. That is the position I want to be riding in.
Where did the wheel reflectors go on that bike?
I'm also surprised to see you buy a woman's model of bike (the male version has a straight horizontal bar between the saddle and handle bars). They were designed for women wearing skirts.