davehorne

I've lived here for eight years and the Dutch do not normally discount bikes. Every village has at least one bike store and the Dutch brands, Batavus and Gazelle, are the same price throughout the entire country. You pay the list price stated in the catologue. I've bought (for my wife and myself) at least six bikes in the last eight years ... some were second hand, but the new ones were always list price .... that's normal here.

I just found an online site where they offer a 25% discount. I have no idea if these folks are reputable, but I found a physical address at the site and they have a showroom. This seems legit.https://bikemotion-merkfiets.nl/

For those of you who live in Holland, this might be something to check out. I'm just passing this on ... don't shoot the messenger.

davehorne

I just called the store and got more info. The 25% discount (Batavus) is for the 'online' orders. If you buy direct from their store, the price is about 50 euros more than the online price.

This store is in the general neighborhood of Zaandam and would be more than an hour drive for me. I plan on visiting this store the next time I'm in that area. Maybe my wife and I will take the caravan and camp in that area ... it's about halfway between Alkmaar and Amsterdam.

The Dutch do discount after all! Had I known this, I would have bought a more expensive bike there and paid even less. I realize there's a trade off and we have to protect the small business man (my local store), but I wasn't raised to pay list price and I will shop there for my next bike (unless my current bike is stolen and I have to go back to my local store).

Dahon.Steve

Those are beautiful Dutch commuters and it's a shame they don't have a US distributor. Even with a 25% discount, the cycle would easily cost over 700 USD to import those fine machines here in America. I said it before that you never commute with a bicycle that costs over $700.00 USD since it would attract bike theives like flies to honey.

>>>>>>I've bought (for my wife and myself) at least six bikes in the last eight years ... some were second hand, but the new ones were always list price .... that's normal here.<<<<<

Why are you buying so many bikes? I thought the Batavus would last for years and years. The Batavus from what I understand is a well made cycle that does not need to be replaced after 12 months.

davehorne

Steve,

<<Why are you buying so many bikes? I thought the Batavus would last for years and years. The Batavus from what I understand is a well made cycle that does not need to be replaced after 12 months.>>

When I first moved here, I knew nothing about bikes and bought a tank. Instead of cables for the brakes, it used metal rods. It was a second hand Gazelle with three speeds, I believe.

I also bought a bike for my wife, but forgot what it was ... probably another tank. [1 & 2]

After a year or so, we traded them in for more gears and less weight. I also bought a Brompton (in Ireland on vacation) and bought a folding bike here in Holland for my wife. [3,4,5 & 6]

I traded in my regular bike for a new one [7] with a frame size more to my liking. That got stolen a few years later, bought another replacement [8], also stolen , and so I'm now on my latest bike [9].

I traded in her folding bike (which she didn't like and rarely used) when I bought her second new bike, so between the two of us, we own three bikes.

My newest bike is fully insured and locked with a cable in front of my house. I'm thinking about buying a proximity alarm ($60) and have it hand delivered when a friend visits from the US.

I've edited this a few times ... I can't count and my memory is failing ...

.... whew!

VegasCyclist

seems like this might belong in another forum perhaps? promotions comes to mind...

as for the bikes, interesting design but why would you pay that much for a new commuter, when you can buy a older used bike for 1/4 that and be just as well off?

davehorne

Well, up until two years ago, when the US economy (and my retirement investments) slowly went in the toilet, I wouldn't mind spending the extra bucks for a new bike even though buying a used one always made more sense, I agree.

They really do keep improving the design and I like new things. I've mentioned this elsewhere, but the dynamo for my front light is built into the front wheel roller brakes and offers no additional drag. My front light comes on automatically and there's no extra drag or noise. I think that's fantastic.

This is not a plug for the brand of bike I mentioned in this thread. In the Netherlands there are two national brands that keep improving their designs every year. The Netherlands is a big consumer of commuter bikes and we probably have more to choose from here than anywhere else. After a few years, I might trade in my current bike for another just for the hell of it. There are few pleasures in life and I plan on dying broke ... therefore I spend for those little things that make life more fun.