Recreational & Family - My Dutch bike, is it illegal?

Hi everyone
This is my first post on here, so I hope I've got the right forum.

I recently had a holiday in Holland, where I fell in love with the Dutch style of bike and the 'upright' riding style. As a birthday present my husband bought me a lovely bright pink Dutch 'omafiets' bike. We brought it back with us from Holland. It has no gears, and only a back-pedal brake. Thankfully the town we live in is very flat although I have managed small hills and railway bridges despite lack of gears.

I have searched the internet and these forums and have alarmingly found information which leads me to believe my bike is illegal in the UK, due to having only one braking system.

I'm not technically minded at all, but would it be difficult to fit a front brake system to my bike?

I absolutely love the bike, and the back-pedal braking comes naturally to me, but I don't like thinking that I'm 'illegal'! I get a lot of attention on the bike thankfully all good so far!

Many thanks for reading this, any information on fitting a front brake to this type of bike gratefully received

Lou
P.s. I live in the UK

I not the best source for legal information in the UK, let alone the USA, but I did have a British barrister on holiday here in the USA renting a beach cruiser from me. All of my crusiers have a coaster brake, just like you described. The barrister told me this bike would be illegal in the UK since it had only one brake on the rear wheel.

An inexpensive caliper brake could be installed on the fork if you are required to do so by local autorities. The part shouldn't run more then US$20 (£10) with a half hour of labor charged. I'm guessing on the price based on what I can get one here in the USA. It's not like you have to use it.

If enforcement of similar codes in the UK is as lacking as it is here in the USA, I wouldn't worry too much.

We need pics too.

A brake shouldn't be too hard to put on - even if it's just for show :D

...thread is useless without pics...:)

Something like this?
This one does have a front hand brake, by the way.

"oma" = grandmother
"fiets" = bicycle.

http://www.workcycles.com/workbike/bicycles/workcycles-azor/workcycles-azor-dutch-granny-bicycle-lux.html

Thank you for your replies, sorry for not including a pic - how stupid of me

Yes, its very simliar to the picture that has been posted, minus the tray thing at the front.

Here is a photo of my bike.



I'm not sure if anyone would ever stop me or even notice but if its not a difficult job it might be an idea if I get one fitted

Thank you again

Love your bike. :)

UK bikes need 2 braking systems. You can find some legal advice (http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4073)from the CTC. The upshot is that you need to fix a front brake to your bike.
You need a caliper brake with a very long drop that bolts to the fork. These are usually quite low grade items found on cheap bikes and are most easily sourced from skips. Check that your front rim is compatable with brakes and has a braking surface on the side. If not, send up a closeup pic for further advice.

Thank you!! Well that link confims it, I'd best get a front brake fitted. Whether or not I can do it myself is another matter so I ought to find someone who can.

I'm not advocating breaking the law, but would the British authorities really pull over a mom on a big pink bike for not having a front brake? Especially when there are so many brakeless, fixed gear hooligans mashing about city. Legal or not, your bicycle commands saftey and responsibilty.

Well, I know what you mean, and until I found this out I have been riding my bike happily around our town and along our newly constructed cycle paths. However, if it were black, or some sort of normal colour I'd probably think I'm not likely to be noticed, but the fact its bright pink makes me wonder if I stand out a bit more!

Here is what you do (or what I would do), IF you do get stopped for not having a front brake, tell the police officer that he had better find a crime a bit more important to solve, and them point him in the direction of the nearest donut shop.
Ride your bike, and don't worry.

Its more to protect yourself from scumbag lawyers because if some driver knocks you down, their insurance company WILL threaten to reduce the compensation due to contributory negligence.
Contributory negligence has been used because a cyclist didnt use bright clothing or helmet despite neither being a legal requirement.

The chances of me getting stopped by the police are pretty slim I agree, but I read on a local cycling website that *alledgedly* the local police are stopping cyclists for things like missing pedal reflectors etc, although my pedal reflectors are obviously okay, if they're being that scruitnous I could get 'caught'.

I emailed a localish bike shop today, I'm hoping the cost will be small!

Thank you again for all your helpful replies :) Never before have I enjoyed cycling so much, although I own a mountain bike for the hills I much prefer cycling round our town on my Dutch bike. I was worried I'd get the mickey taken for it being pink but I've had some great comments from people!

legal or not, I notice you have a baby carrier on the back. You should have two brakes to be safe.

Those are pretty much "bombproof" bikes. They are starting to be imported to the States/Canada. Not sure if the single and 3-speed models will make it over, but the below article mentions 8-speed Nexus hubs being fitted to the bikes:
http://www.bta4bikes.org/btablog/2006/08/22/boulevards-and-dutch-bikes-a-perfect-fit/

In an emergency, a front brake is about 2 times as effective as a back brake, which is not very effective at all.

You need 2 brakes for your and other's safety.

Sounds like an American 3 speed Raleigh!

A very important thing to note, that I'm surprised no-one else has done already, is that if the chain comes off, you have no brakes! The braking force is transmitted through the chain, so if the chain should leave either sprocket during use, you'd need to find a way to stop without it (could be easy or lethal depending on the situation).

Aside from that, back-pedal braking is crappy and ineffective anyway... :/

The law is the law, so you need to add a front brake.

As a practical matter, a front brake is silly for your sort of bike. I expect it weighs about fifty pounds, you are using it for slow cruises around the neighborhood at 10 mph or so. I have a beach cruiser of similar weight with a rear coaster brake. At the 10 mph or 15 mph speeds the bike is designed for, the coaster brake works very well, even when riding in the rain...very fast, very smooth stops.

In comparison, my road bikes, with two sets of "high quality" caliper brakes, stop poorly in the rain. I'm forced to ride very slowly, because caliper brakes require dry rims to be effective.

The folks who express a lack of confidence in coaster brakes may have never ridden a bike that has first rate coaster brakes, such as the one made by Bendix in 1968, and the ones made by Shimano in 2008. They work VERY well.

It is impossible for the chain to come off a bike that uses a coaster brake if the bike is correctly assembled. In contrast, caliper brakes depend on tiny, fragile cables that DO come loose from their mounting cables and DO break. And, sadly, on bikes in the $50 to $200 price range sold at discount stores, calipers brakes are seldom correctly assembled or installed.

Any parent who allows their kids to ride a cheapo bike that has NO coaster brakes is risking the life of their child with the Chino-cr@p caliper brakes such bikes use.

A GOOD law: mandatory coaster brakes on any bike designed for riders under age 12 AND mandatory minimum quality standards for caliper brakes on ALL bikes, in every price range.

When you do get a front brake, remember not to squeeze it too hard. Especially on slippery surfaces like gravel, wet roads or ice.

You could retrofit the bike with drum brakes. That should give adequate stopping power on hills. Most Dutch bikes have a coaster brake since the Netherlands is a flat country and there's rarely a need for more braking power than by pedaling the bike back to a stop. If you do most of your riding in a flat area, you can get by on a coaster brake like the Dutch do. If you like to climb hills, then by all means upgrade your bike! Roadsters like the oma and opa are heavier than light roadster three speed bikes and for the Dutch their weight is seldom an issue but it might be on hilly terrain in America.