tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post1667575960656229367..comments2024-02-24T06:21:30.987+01:00Comments on A view from the cycle path: Anatomy of a reliable, everyday bicycleDavid Hembrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-12583031846317686642016-09-29T06:38:52.848+02:002016-09-29T06:38:52.848+02:00So many newer cyclists don't even know what it...So many newer cyclists don't even know what it feels like to ride a steel frame or even what it feels like to take a city bike for a spin to the market. Riding some of my older bikes brings back memories of the first days of riding bikes during the summer break with nothing better to do. It is always a pleasure to see such diversity in the bikes everyone rides. It just demonstrates how each Andy Beelinehttps://www.beelinebikes.com/mechanics/andyfreynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-82346312454993980332015-10-27T04:05:20.302+01:002015-10-27T04:05:20.302+01:00omafiets frame step trough is so elegant. all kind...omafiets frame step trough is so elegant. all kinds of people mounting and dismounting so fluidly. kinda steping trough the horse paradigm :-]<br />guabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10311016150663086281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-76790481982642872732012-07-04T18:55:16.453+02:002012-07-04T18:55:16.453+02:00Loved your blog. In India too people moved childre...Loved your blog. In India too people moved children and groceries and friends using bikes with the features described. Moving to the US, I was surprised to see absolutely no mudguards, enclosed chains and other features that you say are standard in Netherlands. Wish they were in the US as well.MonaViewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02513212036468593552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-30260837636708383942012-06-10T23:54:14.059+02:002012-06-10T23:54:14.059+02:00These bikes are slowly growing more popular in a s...These bikes are slowly growing more popular in a select few cities in the US. I'm certain many more people would commute around on bikes if they were so maintenance-free. Most people just aren't interested in doing the maintenance themselves, and with the derailleur-type American bikes, you'd have to do a heck of a lot if you don't keep it sheltered and out of the elements. <brTallycyclistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-38531734103080347982011-04-23T18:40:38.845+02:002011-04-23T18:40:38.845+02:00Great article. Never heard of Azor but it appears ...Great article. Never heard of Azor but it appears to be typical of the 'Dutch Bike' so beloved by mainland Europeans and often given quizzical looks by the Brits. Both my wife and I own dutch bikes - Batavus Lentos - purchased last year from the Dutch Bike shop in Littlehampton (UK). We absolutely love them and compliment our already burgeoning cycling stable. As has already been Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-65730000034951494942011-04-23T08:57:59.461+02:002011-04-23T08:57:59.461+02:00Thanks for the great post and blog. I lived in Ams...Thanks for the great post and blog. I lived in Amsterdam for a number of years and 99% of the bikes were like this, albeit the "Oma fiets" style with no gears.<br /><br />It was hilarious seeing what some of the Dutch managed to carry on their bikes. Large pieces of flat pack furniture from IKEA, or large crates of beer from the supermarket would not pose a problem.<br /><br />SometimesWurznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-17136123360633284192011-01-08T09:50:00.984+01:002011-01-08T09:50:00.984+01:00A plug for the Dutch Bike Company in Littlehampton...A plug for the Dutch Bike Company in Littlehampton where I bought my 'Batavus' - the best bike I have ever owned!!<br /><br />It will take a great shift in UK thinking to ever get around to the modern european idea that urban and commuting cycling is an integral part of life........ not an addition to it. <br /><br />The rubbish machines that are promoted in this country as urban/Prawskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07606100294278362059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-78761063351748264202010-10-17T07:03:17.168+02:002010-10-17T07:03:17.168+02:00My wife wanted a step through when we were in Euro...My wife wanted a step through when we were in Europe years ago. I bought her a Calvin made in Germany from the lbs for about 230 euros 10 years ago. It's still a great ride. The cams on the quick release for the seat and bars are easy and very very strong. You can fit this bike in seconds if you are 4' or 6'6". The back rack has a steel basket that clips in and out so you can Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05448360948207996674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-91265812391881198402010-07-13T18:56:01.925+02:002010-07-13T18:56:01.925+02:00Anonymous: You've several misconceptions about...Anonymous: You've several misconceptions about what is going on with this bike.<br /><br />1. I've been building wheels for around 20 years and I am quite aware that breakages are almost always at the bend, particularly if the spoke is not adequately bent so that it can bend back and forth as you ride. However, if the metal at the bend if thicker, as it is with these heavier gauge spokes,David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-15044558743062916892010-07-13T16:58:15.632+02:002010-07-13T16:58:15.632+02:00Well, nice article, I agree with most of the parts...Well, nice article, I agree with most of the parts in terms of "Anatomy".<br />Just three things, I think about different:<br /><br />- "Thicker spokes for stronger wheel":<br />Common mistake. The weakest point of the spokes is the BENT at the hub. Butted spokes (thinner in the middle) are able to elastically flex and therefore save that bent from destroying forces.<br />- &Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-5792674916820722532010-05-30T12:14:22.984+02:002010-05-30T12:14:22.984+02:00Rick: You clearly don't follow this blog. Ther...Rick: You clearly don't follow this blog. There are many different types of bikes, and I use many different types myself. What's more, very many Dutch people do race or go on club rides, and many have more than one bike for this reason.<br /><br />My own commute is a (just short of) forty mile round trip, and I use <a href="http://hembrow.blogspot.com/search/label/sinner%20mango" rel="David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-74966094486955230792010-05-29T20:09:24.966+02:002010-05-29T20:09:24.966+02:00These bikes are okay in some fairly closely circum...These bikes are okay in some fairly closely circumscribed situations--I have tested several of them for Bicycle Fixation. However, my everyday riding involves round trips of fifteen to forty miles, and these bikes are emphatically <i>not</i> suitable for that.<br /><br />I don't mean recreational rides either, but workaday stuff, going to meetings, visiting friends, etc.<br /><br />It's Rick @ Bicycle Fixationhttp://www.bicyclefixation.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-18399453057853479192009-11-29T15:46:02.380+01:002009-11-29T15:46:02.380+01:00Anonymous: It's true, but it's a simplific...Anonymous: It's true, but it's a simplification. We're talking about utility bikes here, used everyday, and perhaps kept outdoors. I'd not choose a hub gear for a racing bike, but I have one on my town bike.<br /><br />A well maintained derailleur gear system is very efficient. However, it is very difficult to fully enclose the chain with a derailleur. So difficult that no David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-69715755267459422812009-11-29T14:07:54.684+01:002009-11-29T14:07:54.684+01:00According to the Wikipidia article on bicycle gear...According to the Wikipidia article on bicycle gearing systems, hub gears are less efficient than derailleurs; they're also heavier. Is this not true?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-73180028196732139812009-06-24T21:34:35.588+02:002009-06-24T21:34:35.588+02:00Neil: These types of lights are available here too...Neil: These types of lights are available here too. Both the originals and identical looking but cheaper chain store branded copies. They don't seem very popular at all.<br /><br />They've been tested by magazines and generally found to be lacking in both robustness and brightness. They also have the problem that being attached to the rear axle means that they disappear underneath David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-84778069143035809622009-06-24T21:23:29.894+02:002009-06-24T21:23:29.894+02:00Interesting with dynamo. Here in Denmark, everyone...Interesting with dynamo. Here in Denmark, everyone but everyone is now using Reelights: http://www.reelight.com/Default.aspx?ID=56 - a magnet attached to the spokes, the light itself bolted to the axle, all done in 5 minutes and voila you have permanently on, no drag, no batteries lights. <br /><br />Great invention!<br /><br />NeilAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-57201760378589669812009-01-27T17:54:00.000+01:002009-01-27T17:54:00.000+01:00Anonymous:No, the "sidewall generator" doesn't wea...Anonymous:<BR/><BR/>No, the "sidewall generator" doesn't wear down the tyre. I wouldn't run one on a skinwall tyre, but there are plenty of tyres available with a special track for it to run on.<BR/><BR/>Also, it creates very little drag, perhaps around 5% of your energy goes into this, reducing your speed by much less than 5% (aerodynamic effects dominate and are a cube law).<BR/><BR/>If you David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-87283616794533212562009-01-27T17:22:00.000+01:002009-01-27T17:22:00.000+01:00Doesn't the sidewall generator (a) wear down the t...Doesn't the sidewall generator (a) wear down the tire and (b) create a lot of drag, slowing the rider down?<BR/><BR/>Also, while a singlespeed or three speeds may be OK for a flat-as-a-pancake country like the Netherlands, some of us live in hilly or even mountainous regions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-21077957406141210172009-01-26T22:33:00.000+01:002009-01-26T22:33:00.000+01:00Here, here! Great post. I love this style of bike....Here, here! Great post. I love this style of bike. It is gaining popularity again after more than a decade of the mountain bike being used for city travel (I admit, I had a Mtn Bike for college life when one of these "reliable" bikes would have been better). I have a bakfiets now and have not looked back. Great blog post, great blog. I found your blog through a Clever Cycles tweet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-4007453851990456232009-01-26T06:47:00.000+01:002009-01-26T06:47:00.000+01:00Thanks for this extensive article. I can't help b...Thanks for this extensive article. I can't help but laugh at audacity of the Dutch. They'll put anything on a bike, as long as it's something they need. It shows what innovation happens in cycling, when cars aren't the ideal. Thanks for raising the bar.spiderleggreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07306905473637646256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-40348566082991913852009-01-26T05:21:00.000+01:002009-01-26T05:21:00.000+01:00Cool to see an older Azor. I've had mine for abou...Cool to see an older Azor. I've had mine for about 4 months and it was very difficult for me to track one down in the States. I love her baskets!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-31195958305073106232009-01-24T18:04:00.000+01:002009-01-24T18:04:00.000+01:00When I moved here, my Cloggie fiance was convinced...When I moved here, my Cloggie fiance was convinced I would barely use my bike and we opted to get one of the cheapest ones we could find at Halfords. I ride it very often and now that I am getting faster and a bit more fit I am now aiming to cycle to the station each morning on my way to work. I really wish I had bought a better bike now. A lot of people I know here have second hand bikes and Ellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08007624957081951750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-2516491558727847812009-01-23T20:35:00.000+01:002009-01-23T20:35:00.000+01:00You won't get any argument from me on the qual...You won't get any argument from me on the quality and the advances of the newer bikes, especially ones like the Azor's or Gazelles.<BR/><BR/>People sometimes forget that the old Raleighs (and other all steel British marques) are indicative of technology that is nearly 100 years old! But it is a technology that remains usable even to this day.<BR/><BR/>I really do appreciate my AXA 2whls3spdshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16954543886269776858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-71747543980590155172009-01-22T07:53:00.000+01:002009-01-22T07:53:00.000+01:00@Einar: This is the website of the closest bike sh...@Einar: <A HREF="http://www.jenafietsen.nl" REL="nofollow">This</A> is the website of the closest bike shop to our home. Click on Assortiment and you'll see the bikes available. "Stads fietsen" are town bikes, "Moeder fietsen" are the ones which come with child seats etc.<BR/><BR/>I'm going to do a future blog post on the difference between a moeder fiets and a stadfiets with child seats bolted David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-84098079164450582712009-01-21T23:54:00.000+01:002009-01-21T23:54:00.000+01:00Hi David!Can you give any prices in euros for this...Hi David!<BR/><BR/>Can you give any prices in euros for this kind of bikes? Also for the children seats etcejghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02173589861726426581noreply@blogger.com