Cycling Forums - View Single Post

11-04-2003, 05:01 AM

I'm still scouring the market for a bicycle that has all the comfort and
safety features I want.

Two Saturdays ago I visited a dealer in the 16th Arrondissment who
specializes in Dutch bikes. He had several Giant bikes of the kind I'm
interested in: Nexus 7 or 8 speed shifters or SRAM DualDrives or Rohloff
shifters, Roller brakes or roller-V-brake combinations, hub dynamo
lights, full chain-guards, skirt guards, luggage racks, front baskets,
very low step-through, as light as possible under the circumstances.
Interestingly, these models of Giant were not on either of the two
catalogues 2003 or 2004 that I had taken home from previous research.

The dealer told me this was because this kind of model is not sold in
France. People who live in Paris intramuros want city-bikes, but don't
want to spend more than a couple hundred because the bikes are too
easily stolen if they have to be parked in the street. Consequently the
upmarket city-bike has a poor sales performance here. It requires a
garage with a private box, a suburban configuration, but suburbanites
seem to prefer VTTs, especially in hilly Essonne.

However, he told me he could procure me a "real" Dutch bike and showed
me some catalogues, which I have since followed up on the Internet.
There are 4 main producers:
www.union.nl
www.sparta.nl
www.gazelle.nl
www.batavus.nl

I fell in love with a bike by Union called the Oase. (Fortunately, it
turns out bike specs in Dutch are quite easy to understand.) According
to this dealer, these true Dutch bikes are much better quality than
their mass-market equivalents by Giant or similar. He said the finishing
was far better and that they were more aesthetic and durable. He had no
financial interest in maintaining this since the cost of the bikes was
very equivalent to the Giants he stocked and there would have to be a
special order.

Just wondering if anyone had experiences or comments to pass on these
makes. I remember a thread about marketing Batavus in the USA and how
many posters opined that there wouldn't be much of a market there
either. Are there no Dutch in the forum?

Elisa Francesca Roselli
Ile de France

11-04-2003, 05:01 AM	#1 (permalink)
Elisa Francesca Roselli Guest Posts: n/a	Dutch Bikes, Literally I'm still scouring the market for a bicycle that has all the comfort and safety features I want. Two Saturdays ago I visited a dealer in the 16th Arrondissment who specializes in Dutch bikes. He had several Giant bikes of the kind I'm interested in: Nexus 7 or 8 speed shifters or SRAM DualDrives or Rohloff shifters, Roller brakes or roller-V-brake combinations, hub dynamo lights, full chain-guards, skirt guards, luggage racks, front baskets, very low step-through, as light as possible under the circumstances. Interestingly, these models of Giant were not on either of the two catalogues 2003 or 2004 that I had taken home from previous research. The dealer told me this was because this kind of model is not sold in France. People who live in Paris intramuros want city-bikes, but don't want to spend more than a couple hundred because the bikes are too easily stolen if they have to be parked in the street. Consequently the upmarket city-bike has a poor sales performance here. It requires a garage with a private box, a suburban configuration, but suburbanites seem to prefer VTTs, especially in hilly Essonne. However, he told me he could procure me a "real" Dutch bike and showed me some catalogues, which I have since followed up on the Internet. There are 4 main producers: www.union.nl www.sparta.nl www.gazelle.nl www.batavus.nl I fell in love with a bike by Union called the Oase. (Fortunately, it turns out bike specs in Dutch are quite easy to understand.) According to this dealer, these true Dutch bikes are much better quality than their mass-market equivalents by Giant or similar. He said the finishing was far better and that they were more aesthetic and durable. He had no financial interest in maintaining this since the cost of the bikes was very equivalent to the Giants he stocked and there would have to be a special order. Just wondering if anyone had experiences or comments to pass on these makes. I remember a thread about marketing Batavus in the USA and how many posters opined that there wouldn't be much of a market there either. Are there no Dutch in the forum? Elisa Francesca Roselli Ile de France