The many advantages of Dutch bikes for urban riding

If you step into a bike shop that sells Specialized or Trek then you’re not going to find real commuter bikes. Just like you’re not going to find utility vans in a BMW dealership.

I can’t speak for the situation in the UK but I would guess that in “lower end” bike shops that have brands like Granville, or even in active outdoor shops (AS adventure, Decathlon, etc) you’re going to find more utility bikes that are suited for day to day getting around town.

https://www.bikester.co.uk/bikes/city-bikes/mens-city-bikes....

I think there is a larger point that is true: typical UK commuting bikes are overly sporty. There is an ouroboros of demand and marketing in which people want to put on their lycra and get on their drop-bar bike and feel that they're being athletic as they travel around. Apparently the Dutch don't have that. Good for them. It would be a step forward for cycling in the UK if there was more emphasis on ease and practicality.

But i think the author shows their hand with "I grew up cycling in London and generally went along with everyone else; buying and using the sort of stuff that was sold in the bike shops". There have always been more practical options in the UK, you just have to seek them out. I ride a bike with flat bars, rack, decent weatherproofing, a bolted-on saddle, etc. So does my mother, who has done that since the 1950s. I have waterproofs, and never change my clothes after cycling somewhere. It's not a Dutch bike - it's a rigid mountain bike, with the widest possible cassette and chainrings, and some accessories. It's far lighter than a Dutch bike, has a far wider range of gears, and only needs cheap and easily available parts for its occasional maintenance.

I definitely agree that wheel locks, kickstands, dynamo lights, and racks and mudguards by default are good features of Dutch bikes. It's wild that anyone owns a utility bike that doesn't have a rack.

But:

Bolted-on wheels and saddle are not a meaningful deterrent to theft.

All you need to do to stop a chain rusting is oil it every now and then. Exposed drivetrains are certainly not "preposterous".

Hub gears are indeed a lot more reliable, but to get a decent range they are incredibly expensive. Maybe a narrow range is fine in the Netherlands, which is flat as a pancake, but it is not in the UK, which is not. Even London within zone 2 has enough hills that a narrow hub gear would make cycling a serious pain. FWIW, my setup has extremes of 48/11 and 24/34, for a range of 618%, twice that of the cheaper hubs. The author reports that a Nexus 8 is adequate for them in Edinburgh, which is great, but we should be clear that this would not be adequate for most people. I suspect the author feels about hub gears the way many Linux users feel about their sound support.

The author claims that cycling in the rain without needing a change of clothes is "frankly unheard", which is just utter rubbish. I do it, and so do many people i know.

Suggesting that people ride with an umbrella is just silly. I like having both my hands available, thank you very much.

Hub brakes are better protected from the elements, yes, but they also don't work very well. A mechanical disc brake will work superbly in the rain.

Lastly, what the author omits is discussion of weight. These Dutch bikes are incredibly heavy. There was a time when they were very fashionable with elegant young women in London (and may still be, but i no longer know any elegant young women), i think part of a bigger vogue for mid-century retro. There were hills where my friends would have to get off and push, because they weren't strong enough to pedal up them. This just didn't happen with normal bikes.