Glad assembly went well. Which did you get?

Typically between $100 and $200. More: City Bikes | LocalMile

Avoid Flying Pigeon unless you want it as a novelty item. The parts are non-standard, somewhat low quality and new bikes are often missing some things so getting a working bike can be a challenge and fixing anything that breaks a greater challenge. As a novelty item that you don't rely on to actually work I highly recommend them though.

My wife ended up with a Breezer Uptown, after a couple years of testing upright bikes, and she loves it. I would definitely give it a try if there's a dealer near you.

the Netherlands has better Health Care and better wages for their factory workers than China.

Do you believe that NL manufacturers' assembly labor costs vice Chinese are the major or significant reason for the "expensive" pricing of NL "type" bikes sold in North America?

What does Your Math of Costs of Manufacturing Overhead calculate To be?

It can be turned into a decent bike with some effort. Made mine into a nice a faux path racer for a fraction of the cost of a pashley govner. Its all standard size components so everything can be changed easily and inexpensively if one doesn't keep the rod brakes.

The biggest factor has been the exchange rate though this has changed dramatically in the past few months.

Second is that the better Dutch bikes like Azor and Workcycles are generally much higher quality than cruisers or english bikes. They are designed and made to be able to withstand the elements, bike racks, and other stuff for three or five decades and to need almost no maintenance. The frames are multi powder coated, many parts are stainless, and spokes, rims, and racks are quite heavy-duty. As well, Azor and Workcycles do things like drill out and taper the spoke holes in hubs so that spokes fit properly and tight. Better bikes also often include Schwalbe Marathon tires and better handgrips (and some include a Brooks leather saddle). Dutch bikes also include as standard many things that are after-market (and don't always fit or work so well) with other bikes like dynamo's, front & rear lights, fenders, racks, spats, full chaincase, etc.

My back of an envelope guesstimate indicates that the factory labor costs for assembly of a non-custom made bike by a major manufacture is a small if not insignificant portion of the final sales price for any $1000+ bike sold in the U.S. The Dutch labor cost "premium" is a smoke screen for charging what the relative tony US enthusiast traffic will bear.

What I don't have an estimate on is what percentage of a typical Dutch type bike sold in the U.S. was manufactured in NL or any Western country? The tires, the IGH or derailler assemblies, the chain, the tubes or what? Maybe the leather saddles, ya think?

When I got my Gazelle, I was also considering a Breezer Uptown 8. To upgrade the Breezer to match the Gazelles specifications it would have ended up costing just as much.

I already included labor overhead in my calculations. I calculate the total NL labor costs "premium" on the sales price of Dutch-type bikes sold in the U.S, (because "the Netherlands has better Health Care and better wages for their factory workers than China") to be a small fraction of the percentage attributed to U.S. distributor and retail markup.

Note that the better components (which may or may not be NL sourced) that may be found on some Dutch-type bikes are not necessarily any more labor intensive to assemble at the manufacturer than the lesser type components.

You are of course entitled to believe whatever suits your political agenda.

In the Netherlands, a good Opa/Omafiets bike is expensive but its also heavy, rugged and indestructible.

For people, its as valuable as a car since its considered a workhorse bicycle.

In the Low Countries, a bike takes the place of a car in every day life moreso because commuting distances tend to be short.

Even then would you have had Dutch geometry? Heavy-duty rims, spokes, rack, etc.? Stainless nuts & bolts? nearly indestructible paint?

BTW, what mods did you make to your Pigeon?

If money were no object, a Dutch bike would be my dream commuter bike. They were built to make the demands of every day life easier on people wanting a car-free existence.

Easier on Dutch people, maybe. Many other places have a thing called uphill.

So do I, it was an easy go even up a steep hill. Omaha is one of the most hilly cities in the U.S. It's a myth dutch bikes are hard on hills. Unless you have tried a real dutch bike you really can't comment.

The standard OPA frame bike. I wanted the Workcycles transport, but am too short for the frame. Apparently dutch people are rather tall as I am at to slightly above average height for a person of German ancestry.

Total for shipping was just under $400. Plus I had to pay $128 in tariffs. So the total was around $1600

Mostly because of shipping and tariffs. My bike cost under $1000, but shipping and tariffs boosted that to around $1600 (I bought a few extras as well). If not for the fees, I could have gotten a quality dutch bike for around $700.

The geometry is that of an English roadster with longer chain stays, rims, spokes, and rack are heavy duty, hardware is bad, paint is typical for inexpensive bikes.

Changed out the crank chainring and crank with a Raleigh to keep it cottered, but the bb is standard size and can take a contemporary crankset. Replaced all the hardware with stainless, new front wheel with SA dyno drum brake, replaced rear hub with SA 3 speed, alloy stem with Lutterwasser bars, vintage SA light set upgraded to LED, Wellgo pinned platform pedals, brooks B135 saddle, removed chaincase, fenders and rack. Weighs in at 31 lbs, and rides as smoothly as a fully suspended MTB. Its surprisingly quick and agile, and inspires confidence on gravel at speeds I wouldn't be comfortable with on any other bike.

I got my Gazelle for $1200 with shipping.

My Gazelle has a Shimano 8 speed with a low gear of 26 gear inches, I'm in a mountainous area and regularly ride hills up to 15%+ grades and its no more work than my road bike that has a low gear of 31 gear inches.

That is a deal for a Gazelle. Only a 3 speed, but that's fine even for modest hills. My belleville originally had a 3 speed and it was fine. Only problem was some times I wanted to be between gears.

If you don't mind the step through frame you can't do much better for a quality city bike.

I think their CF bikes are a little more than that.

Great bike.

I'll comment if I want to, since the tone of your parting shot seems to fit with others' comments about these bikes selling mostly because they're fashionable right now. What supposed magic of design is helping a normal average person get up a hill easier with 15lb more bike and higher gearing and potentially a hundred pounds of kids/groceries/payload?

Not easier, just no different than any other bike that doesn't prioritize speed and light weight. My dutch bike is 20+ lbs heavier than my road bike, but I'll be danged if I can tell the difference in effort it takes to get up that mile long,15% grade on my commute home. Its work no matter what bike I'm riding.
If I'm doing a long ride I actually prefer the dutch bike because at the end of the day, the extra comfort more than offsets the additional effort and is ultimately less fatiguing.

Retro bikes may be in fashion with certain urban cliques, but that doesn't change a dutch bikes value for practical utility.

I put Gazelles switch stem on my bike. For normal, and less challenging conditions I have the bars up in the traditional position. If I want a little more power or speed, with a flip of a lever I can drop the bars and move them forward enough to make a noticeable difference.

Fashionable? These bikes haven't changed much for decades and have remained the predominant transportation bicycle for decades.

No magic is needed. The average person who is not trying to put 3 seconds in to a competitor climbing the Alps will not much notice the difference in speed or power required. What they will notice is much greater comfort and better handling when carrying stuff.

Fine, but it's an uninformed comment.

If you think they are selling because they are fashionable, you just don't know dutch bikes and should not comment.

Note, I can tell no difference in climbing a hill on this over my light, but uncomfortable hybrid bike that can't carry a thing other than me.

Again, if you have not ridden one you can not comment. Just as I can't comment on sporty bikes. If you don't understand that I can not help you.