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.

Do you really need a Dutch Bicycle? $1800. is lot for an overweight bike and overpriced bike. Bike Direct could save you upwards of 30% or more. Save up to 60% off Road Bikes, Free Ship 48, Schwinn, GT, Kestrel, Fuji, Motobecane and more Road bikes. Authorized dealer for Schwinn, GT, Kestrel, Fuji, Motobecane, Mercier, Gravity, Dawes road bikes. Shimano Carbon Road Bikes, Titanium Road Bikes, I've bought my commuter from then and couldn't be happier.

If one wants a bicycle to do what they do, the way they do it, then yes. The price is commensurate for other bikes equally equipped with similar quality name brand components. The weight is a reflection of its intended use and lifespan.
Bike direct bikes are fine and a good value, but they offer nothing comparable. My wifes bike is from bikes direct, its a decent bike for a decent price, but there's no way it would survive daily, year round, all weather use, with little attention, for decades the way dutch bikes do, so its a pointless comparison.

Just keep in mind a stock Flying Pigeon is a single speed, will need a bit of tinkering and better hardware to be serviceable, and just throw away the pedals that come with it, they won't survive the first hill.

I've used a Linus Roadster 8 as a commuter for four years in a big city. It goes like stink. I leave it locked up outside at work, aside from chipped up areas around where I u-lock it, itks brand new after a wipe-down. After four years the only thing I had to fix were the usual maintenance things and one bottom bracket. I use all 8 gears constantly and the hub hasn't seen a single service so far.

For $850 and change I don't think you can find a more fun and reliable machine.

No, its a cheap copy of a Raleigh DL-1 tourist, a long wheelbase 28" roadster.

(This is my very first post so please forgive me if this is not the best thread for this question.)

I live in the Florida panhandle, and I am trying to find someone who owns an Achielle Craighton Oma that I can sit on and perhaps ride. The closest dealers seem to be in CA and New England, and that is too far for me to travel to see if the bike feels right to me. How do others here try out hard-to-find bikes before they buy them? Anyone have an Achielle Oma? I would be happy to drive 3 or 4 hours just to try one out. I'm 6'2" with neck issues, so I need to be sure the posture is right for me. Any thoughts or advice?

In the summer, I switch up on what I ride for commuting, the difference between my road bikes and roadsters is most apparent when I switch back to a road bike.