Originally Posted by
JayButros
I love the Dutch and their uber-casual lifestyle.
These bikes wouldn't work in Richmond though, it's has too many long climbs.
Unless I'm missing something about these cycles?
Isn't The Netherlands basically flat?
I don't remember any hills in Amsterdam for some reason.
Dutch bikes are beautiful but ultimately impractical in many cases. Seattle has a LBS that sells Dutch bikes, and when I went shopping for a new bike, I checked one out. I found it to be very cool, but too heavy even by my standards, too difficult to ride up hills, too slow, and far too expensive for such a poorly performing bike. A good touring bike costs less, performs the same function, and provides a better riding experience in much more varied terrain.
Apparently, a lot of other people have reached the same conclusion. The Dutch bike shop is still there, but they've converted over half of their space into a coffee bar, and that's the only part that seems to be doing any business.