Classic & Vintage - Dutch Bikes

I have come across a Tors Aud Holland 1886 single speed/coaster brake bike with rack, fenders, lights and 20 pound kick stand. It has some charisma, along with very nice paint, enclosed chain guard and big 28" tires on it. I did an internet search, found out they were made around 1976, the company went bankrupt in 1977.
It also has some strange air valve that I have never seen before and don't know how to operate. It looks like a cross between a Schrader and a Presta, but doesn't work with either. Is this some special kind of Dutch air valve? My thought is to buy some normal 28 x 1.5 Schrader tubes and install them, even though the tubes on it are probably ok, I just can't put air in them! Anybody know anything about these valves???

Hi Neighbour (I live down the street in Thorold)

I grew up in England in the 70's and had bikes with the type of valve you're referring to. I don't think you can buy them here, and it would probably be hard to find a pump for them (although if you're really interested, I could dig around in my parent's garage and might find something).

Your best best is to replace with Presta tubes. As I recall the hole in the rim is fairly close in size.

Interestingly, I've spent some time in Holland and the type of bike you're describing is still the most common form of transportation there. You use them for commuting, shopping, dating (girlfriend goes on the rack), etc.

Ian

Thanks, Ian, I'll see if I can scrounge up a couple of tubes. Might be a little hard to find 28" presta tubes. If I can't find prestas I might drill the rims out to fit schraders.
The bike is actually a free one diverted from the landfill site. I don't know why, but it has some strange attraction to it. I guess it kind of reminds me of my 28" wheeled CCM I had when I was a kid. I might try a few commutes on it when I get some air in the tires!
It just has a tire rubbing generator, when I saw the lights I was hoping it would have a hub dynamo, but no such luck.
I don't think my wife would think too highly of girlfriends on the rack, I don't think she'd be conducive to a ride on the rack, either!

I have never seen before and don't know how to operate. It looks like a cross between a Schrader and a Presta, but doesn't work with either. Is this some special kind of Dutch air valve? My thought is to buy some normal 28 x 1.5 Schrader tubes and install them, even though the tubes on it are probably ok, I just can't put air in them! Anybody know anything about these valves???

The bike sounds like a cool cafe cruiser.

Those valves are probably Woods valves. I've never come across them myself, but Sheldon Brown says they can be inflated with a Presta pump. I think they are still available in Europe and Japan.

Here's a link to Sheldon's description.

Click here (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_w.html#woods)

Another link with information about Woods valve. Click here. (http://www.flying-scot.co.uk/components/woods.html)

OK. Here's a U.S. retail source for 28" Vittoria tubes with Woods (aka Dunlop) valves.

www.bicycletires.com (http://www.bicycletires.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&grp=39)

Sorry, I haven't found a Canadian outlet. Apparently Nokian also makes Dunlop valve tubes.

Might be a little hard to find 28" presta tubes.

I don't think it will be very hard to find 700mm tubes with Presta valves. I've got several bikes thusly equipped.

OK. Here's a U.S. retail source for 28" Vittoria tubes with Woods (aka Dunlop) valves.

www.bicycletires.com (http://www.bicycletires.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&grp=39)

Sorry, I haven't found a Canadian outlet. Apparently Nokian also makes Dunlop valve tubes.

Thanks for the links, Reg! Yes they are Woods valves, I'll try my Presta pump on it tomorrow, hopefully it'll work. I have the bike at work, and didn't have a Presta pump with me when I was working on it, but it sure didn't look like a Presta pump would fit it. I have a Blackburn pump that does both, I'll try it tomorrow.
I never thought of trying Sheldon's site, I've probably read that part of it before, but wasn't expecting to run across some Woods valves when I read it a year or 2 ago. Thanks again for the help!

I'll try my LBS for tubes, they are Nokian dealers as well and they're pretty good at finding sources for stuff. I'll order from the American site as a last resort, sometimes our customs people are asleep at the wheel and don't zing us for the extra taxes when we mail order. Thanks again!

I know this post is a little off-topic, but I just gotta say it:

I think that it's a shame that a fine machine like this Dutch bike - in working order no less - was headed for the landfill; thankfully, it was diverted. I find this symptom of our throwaway society very wasteful and disturbing. Just because the original owner didn't want it anymore, doesn't mean that it's trash.

I watched one of my neighbors not that long ago load his entire parent's estate into a dumpster for disposal. Box after box of usable housewares, that I know other people could have used. I once rescued a like-new '76 Schwinn Varsity from another dumpster, which I ended up donating to the local Community Cycling Center...

I agree, Randy. I work for a municipality that has a landfill site and have just started a project where we rescue bikes from the landfill stream, sort and reuse what we can and send the good stuff to charitable organizations. Depending on how many fellow volunteers come out, we'll be fixing up some of the bikes that need work instead of just scrapping them.
In about 2 weeks of the landfill guys gathering bikes I've picked up 15, most of which need very little work to be usable again. This is in late winter, with 2 feet of snow on the ground and no thoughts of spring cleaning (until this week when the snow is melting quickly).
The problem is a lot of them are bikes nobody wants, old 10 speeds and 5 speeds - still good bikes, but what do we do with them??? I am networking with similar organizations in the area, we may end up with a container to send to third world countries.
The problem is our throwaway society. You can buy a new Xmart bike for $120, why fix an old one?

The problem is a lot of them are bikes nobody wants, old 10 speeds and 5 speeds - still good bikes, but what do we do with them??? I am networking with similar organizations in the area, we may end up with a container to send to third world countries. The problem is our throwaway society. You can buy a new Xmart bike for $120, why fix an old one?

An old one-speed balloon-tire American cruiser, 3-speed English racer, 5-speed Schwinn, or 10-speed European or Japanese bike might need some upgrades (like aluminum rims or new tires), but the quality of the frame and components on these bikes is usually far superior to any Chinese Xmart bike. Not only that, but less speeds (think fixee) are in, and vintage bikes like one-speed cruisers and 3- and 5-speed American and English bikes are also in with hip younger cyclists here in Portland. The local resale shops routinely get $100 +/- for bikes like these in as-is condition. '60s and '70s European and Japanese 10-speed frames often can be reused as a fixee frame. Even unwanted kids bikes are being reclaimed from the goodwill 'bins' by the mini bike crowd here in Portland.

Other than direct resale, I think there are several ways to recycle bikes like this:

1. Fix them up and give them to underprivledged kids and adults in your community.

2. Container them overseas, as you have already suggested.

3. Start a 'yellow bike' program - free bikes placed around town for people to use as needed.

All of these things have been tried with varying degrees of success in Portland. Probably the most successful has been the Community Cycling Center, which not only sells affordable used bikes and gives bikes away, they also train bike recipients in good riding skills and in bike repair, with their Create-A-Commuter program. I think the CCC is a great asset to the community here and a model for starting similar programs in other communities. See: http://www.communitycyclingcenter.org/

Good luck and keep on reusing and recycling!

One more option for reusing and recycling old bikes, in this case even bikes that aren't necessarily in good working order: give them to your local bike chopper club / art bike confederation to turn into choppers, tall bikes, wierd bikes and other works of art! In Portland that would be Chunk 666. Chunk even provides technical documentation for building your own lo-tech choppers on their web site at: http://dclxvi.org/chunk/tech/index.html

Links to more similar web pages of clubs throughout North America:
http://dmoz.org/Sports/Cycling/Choppers/

I picked up a 1954 Dutch 3 spd "Hartog" from my LBS.
Anybody know anything about it?
google didn't help me too much

Here is a link to a some info I found on web while searching on the Tors Oud Holland. The same company made Hartog as well. It's a sad story of a good company that went belly up basically because the owner got sick. De Wilde history (http://www.rijwiel.net/dewildee.htm)

Thanks for posting the De Wilde history article. I like stuff like that!

Here's a pic of the charismatic Tors Aude Holland 1886:

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Very nice! Looks like it would fit me... :)

From the picture, it doesn't quite look like the dynamo is set up and working. Have you tried it yet?

Yes it works Randy (the headlight anyways, I didn't try riding and looking back and down at the taillight). The bracket is a little loose, just needs a bolt tightened. I guess it got tossed in the trash because the rear tube has a leak and the bike was a little dirty and the front axle nuts were missing. That's all I could find wrong with it.

Sounds like you came across an old set of Woods type valves, they were more common on older English bikes.
See Sheldon Brown's site for a picture comparison:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#valves