Originally Posted by Jaywalk3r

I didn't say anything about getting a dutch bike for mountain biking. If one wants to go mountain biking, a mountain bike is certainly a better choice. If one wants to ride centuries, a road bike is a better choice. For using a bike as a transportation tool, as opposed to a recreational tool, a dutch city bike is a very practical choice.
You said you climb and I didn’t say anything about a MTB. I said climb like in mountain road. Heck a good sized over pass would be a challenge on what you are describing. So maybe I should ask what you consider a climb?

I'm car free and commute by bike, and have been that way for 2 1/2 years now. My bike is a steel singlespeed 29er mountain bike. Last I checked, it weighed in the neighborhood of 27 pounds. I routinely carry a backpack that weighs anywhere from 20 to 40 pounds. I'm not intimidated by a heavy bike.

The bike and what you already carry is like putting an extra person on your bike. If you are living where it is flat and you don’t go far no big deal. If you want to ride any distance it is a big deal.

The thing is, practical bikes aren't easy to find in the US. Bike manufacturers would like us to believe that this is because people don't want to buy them. I think that one of the reasons cycling participation in the US is so low is because bike manufacturers don't sell the kinds of bikes that the average person (i.e., not a bike enthusiast) wants to ride. Part of the reason is that practical bikes today are pretty similar to practical bikes from years past. There's not a lot of money to be made on upgrades on bike that are designed to be used regularly and last for decades.

Trek, Giant, Specialized all make bike like you describe and have for a very long time. They are not hard to find people just aren’t that interested in them because they can get a lighter Hybrid or touring bike. But just go to the Trek sight and look at Cocoa, Pure and Calypso. They are being made there just isn’t any rush by the populace to scoop them up. The bikes are there and they are advertised and still they don’t sell all that well.


The people who would be interested in riding practical bike aren't concerned with the latest technology being used on the bikes in the TdF. They aren't going to replace their wheels so they can shave 500 grams off their bike. Their bike is just a tool that allows them to get on with their life. These are people who might be inclined to cycle, but would be largely not inclined to have cycling as a hobby. That's not the ideal consumer for bike manufacturers with a business model that relies on constant "improvements" and frequent upgrades and replacements.