It's possible to test ride a Dutch Trek or a Breezer in Seattle or Portland-- the're not cheap however. Overall, I'd say they are a good value for the money, however.

What you can get in Europe and not in the USA is a $300 3 speed with fenders, rack and cheesey generator headlight. Bike shops in the USA play this little rip off scam of nailing you for over 25 bucks for a set of crappy Planet Bike fenders or no-name rack or anything else you might need to use a bike a practical way. Germans would never stand for this kind of crap-- they want the bike fully loaded to start with.

Of course some bike shop in Seattle could build it's own lower cost, fully loaded commuter bike I guess-- for $400-500 easy enough. I don't know if anyone would really buy it however.

Like this guy right here: http://www.broadwaybicycleschool.com....html#broadway

That's a fact about reasonably priced new quality bicycles available in Germany An extra $100 or so for a Brooks B66, mirror, and a couple of extra lights makes these bargains into outstanding bicycles for daily commuting in any weather. For anyone not so choosy about seats or lighting, less, or no extra outlay outlay is needed.

DM 400 ($220 or so in 1999) bought the Vaterland Sachs 3 speed/coaster brake steel rims as seen in the picture but not with a Brooks seat or the doo-dads and lights added to the basket and fender. Bought from the Opel dealer in my village who also was a bicycle dealer. 47 x 622 tires

DM 268 ($140 or so in 2000) bought the Ragazzi equipped with 7speed coaster hub with aluminum rims as seen in the picture but not with a Brooks seat or the doo-dads and lights added to the basket and fender. 47 x 622 tires. I also bough a girls step through twin for another DM 268 at the same time identically equipped. Bought at a K-mart equivaent called "Real" in the next town, 5km from my house

DM 550 ($300 or so in 1999) bought the upscale red Calvin 3 speed Sachs Coater brake model with Nokian Tires and aluminum rims but not the Brooks seat. 47 x 622 tires. Bought from the Opel dealer.

DM 700 ($350 in 2001) bought the Zero Seven with Sachs 7speed coaster brake from the Opel dealer as seen in picture. 26" x 2.125 tires.


All are in daily use in the US now. Almost no maintenance necessary except for normal replacing of worn out tires on the Vaterland and the Ragazzi.

Just a funny aside. I was out working on bikes today, making a bicycle for a VCU student. As usual on Sundays, the Vello Kombi was outside; I had ridden it to the corner store for a newspaper and a cola, and then just left it out in the event I had to run a neighborhood errand. Some kids came by, and they liked the Kombi quite a bit. They had to be dissuaded, however, of the strange notion the bike was fast. Or perhaps "fast" is now slang for "completly cool" or "seriously dorky", I dunno. These bikes are anything but, but for tooling down to the corner store, nothing beats 'em.