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][/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