Batavus Runner 3 speed
 

Hi, So I got this bicycle today. I think it's beautiful! But I know very little about it. Sorry the pic quality is not great, I took it in my hallway at night, but I wonder if anyone can tell me about it? Thanks!

[IMG]http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...0/CIMG2121.jpg[/IMG]

I don't know if it qualifies as 'vintage' but I searched and seems like most of the Batavus threads are in here.

Take another look. I don't think there is any argument that it is not vintage.

So, you mean it's not? I really have no idea. I just want to learn about the bike. I dont mind if this gets moved to wherever.

No, no, that was obtuse. It is clearly vintage. Someone else here can be more precise.

Oh, sorry, thank you for clarifying. I am really not knowledgeable about bicycles. Was surprised I can't find anything online about this specific bike.

I'm pretty sure it's Dutch-made.

Yes sorry I should mention it has Dutch writing on it. And I believe those panniers are original - they are very dirty though.

Dirty? I guess you better get rid of the bike in that case. ;)

Haha yeah, I'll put it in the garbage bin tomorrow. It must be beyond hope.

What type of rear hub does it have? That'll tell a lot.

The rear hub is Sturmy Archer.

Good, it should have a date on it then. Look for numbers like 73 3 which would mean March, 1973. The hub date is the easiest clue as to the bike's age.

So, would this kind of be the Dutch equivalent of the Raleigh 3 speeds and the like?

How heavy is it compared to the Old Dutch etc? It doesn't feel that heavy, but can I assume it's as sturdy? I would like to mount a rear child seat on it.

Are they easy for me to learn to fix and/or will most bicycle mechanics be fine with working on it? I don't have a shop in my city that sells the Dutch bikes.

Okay, I will check, thank you!

I'll bet it weighs 35-40 lb.

I kept hearing how heavy the Dutch bikes are but this one seems downright fine to me. Probably because I have a giant Xtracycle to compare it to!

These kind of bikes are very common here. Very sturdy. hey put out hundreds of thousands of them each year. Don't hesitate to put a child seat on it, it's made for that. Concerning quality it's a solid mid range bike.

It may be lighter than the typical Dutch bike.

The Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub is one of the best pieces of cycling equipment in history.

I've worked on a ton of English 3-speed bikes, which yours resembles. They are some of the most durable and reliable bikes around. I like working on them. Everything is made of high quality materials. I know all the quirks and problems and their solutions. It may be hard to find a 3-speed bike expert, but you probably won't need to, either. They're not hard to learn about.

There's an English 3-speed in the bike shop where I work, waiting for repair. I hope I get a chance to do the repairs.

I live on a typical dutch canal, which somehow ends up full of bikes. Mainly bikes like this. I regularly see bikes getting dredged all caked in the dreadful sludge, and amazingly, they still run! If you keep the chaincase closed they practically last forever. The bike I ride when I'm over at my parent's place was bought new by my granddad in the sixties and still runs without a creak, the only thing that was replaced are the tires.

Thank you so much for the info, you guys, very reassuring! I am in love with the bike. Going to try to get my hands on a Bobike Maxi child seat for it...

no problem :) the countless miles I spent in one of those... Just a note of warning though, I once tried to climb in the seat when my mom wasn't near the bike and it was resting on it's kickstand. That ended in tears.

Get a scale, its plenty heavy. Pretty much all the vintage 3 speeds are heavy (at least, every single one I have had has been heavy, and I have had quite a few of them). I have a 1961 Gazelle 3 speed, that is well over 50 pounds.

You got a nice one!

You can also connect a child seat to the bars.

I liked the front seat a lot more! seeing the road was a lot more fun than my mom's coat :). But unfortunately I got to big and had to move over. Plus my sister needed a place to sit :).

Beautiful bike!

The vintage Batavus bikes are so much nicer looking that the current offerings I think. Maybe that is because they look so much like Raleighs ;)