Huuummm he didnt have a Van in is last name right?

its stuffwhitepeoplelike, a very unfunny blog.

Which is why I wear tweed.

I don't like that the Jorg and Olif, and the Electra only have a rear coaster brake. That may not be enough stopping power for a North American urban environment. There's no front brake, which is the most effective brake. Of course some fixed gear riders may disagree.

The Novara and the Kronan have handbrakes which I would prefer if it was me.

My only suggestion, not having any of the bikes listed on your post.... keep an open mind to modern bikes of similar design. There are bikes that use frictionless dynamo hubs, rather than the old tire side-wall running generators. There are new 7 or 8 speed hubs which provide a great deal of range in speed and ease.

I had my heart set on a Pashley, made in England. But after looking for any sort of retail company in the United States... I gave up. Their bikes have generator hubs, drum brakes, classic hand-built design.... and I found it nearly impossible to purchase one without traveling to England.

I kept up internet searches, bike shop visits and finally found a Specialized City 6 IG8 bike that suited my needs and budget. This particular model is retailed in Europe, but there are two higher level bikes by the same company that are not sold in the U.S. Cannondale, a U.S. bike maker, has commuter bikes that are not retailed in the United States. (Seems a little unfair... but it's the market).

Some of the other posters have very good ideas for bikes, brands and features. Take your time and really find something that meets your needs and budget... it takes a while, but it happens. Also, please consider availability of servicing the brand. It's something to consider with a working bike.

Unfortunately, there are some bike makers that put style over quality. Guessing that their customers will not really ride it regularly. They skimp on frame quality, components and practicality in favor of something that is eye-candy. It sounds like you are doing lots of research... keep it up. It will pay off in the end.

Best of luck to you.... 3bikes-Los Angeles

Look at the bikes at http://www.swobo.com/bikes/collection/

That couldn't have been it then, because this one was indeed funny.

I was thinking tweed would better complement the old Raleighs. And a scarf. Always a scarf.

Not really.

hahaha those stupid libs using vehicles to live out their fantasies. honey, where did you put the keys to the hemi, I need to go to Best Buy to get the new GTA.
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http://www.zweg.com/ico/joshua.gif

That's not true. The Amsterdam line was expanded considerably this year, to include multiple models with hand brakes.

Screw the bike, I'd kill for a cheese shop

Glad to hear it.

Yeah, but what looks!

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j6...pe2008_189.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j6...pe2008_188.jpg

you gotta love color matched fenders. more importantly though, where does this bike live that they can get away with a simple cable lock?

Especially a cable lock that isn't even looped around the frame, but just the rear rack. :wtf:

My wife has a kronan (Well, she has about 8 bikes, one of which is a Kronan). Single speed. Coaster brake. Cast iron fenders and chain guard. Okay they are not really cast iron, but the bike IS very heavy. Perhaps 50 lbs. It has huge racks on both front and back. It's really made for carrying stuff. Long wheelbase! It has a lot of squeaks and noise. This would probably improve if someone lubricated everything and tightened all the nuts.

She uses it mostly for riding to the gym or grocery store. ~2 miles, with a small rise.

I think 6 miles would be pretty far to commute daily on one of these beasts of burdon.

I note that this morning, Marcia took the San Jose to the gym. (Single speed, steel Bianchi). The San Jose can easily be set up for commuting, with a rack and fenders, and is IMHO a more suitable choice for a flat 6 mile commute than the Beast from the Low Countries.

I'm fairly sure there are some guys are importing Batavus bikes now into the States.
I have one from the 50's and its pretty much awesome for getting around the city. Big 700c wheels, coasterbrake/3spd and a step through frame. The new bikes are a bit more expensive than my old bike but they're extremely well built.

They're a good brand. Gazelle and Batavus are pretty much staple dutch bikes. Check them out

http://usa.batavus.com/

Brussels.

Actually, there is quite a lot of bicycle theft in Brussels, and Amsterdam, and London, and almost all the major European cities. As here, cable locks don't stand a chance.

But one can park a bike unlocked in Tokyo without problems. If you drop your loaded wallet there, the person walking behind you will tap you on the shoulder and return it to you.

Seems crazy to me, too, but Brussels is where it was parked.

Dat's weird. I used a cable lock for 10 years in German Cities (Heidelberg, Frankfurt, Mannheim and Zweibrucken) and never had any problem.

You can get Pashleys (and Batavus Dutch bikes) through Curbside Cycle in Toronto. They do a brisk business in importing city bikes and they're very helpful over the phone. Curbside will ship to your local bike shop for assembly.

(I have the marvelous Pashley Princess Sovereign. :))

Beefy chains predominate in Amsterdam, but yeah, I never saw anything in Brussels, Antwerp or Bruges (or anywhere else in the Lowlands) other than the slenderest of cable locks. Difficult to believe people are putting up with rampant bike theft and not changing their strategies ...

Nope and it is for sure not of an "alien" mentality either - as evident with the "American" attitude towards driving BIG cars and eating fatty convenience foods from gas stations. Just because it isn't "American" that does NOT mean that other approaches (European or otherwise) are nonsense.. What a pious attitude, eh??

Cheap Chinese bicycles made who knows where and "assembled/made in the USA) and sold for high prices to gullible Americans isn't necessarily the way to go either. As my Chinese students used to say when I taught them in North America (in engrish): "Crap is crap".

It may be worthwhile for the OP to find some Eurpoeans and ask them - or find a European website/discussion newsgroup to get some non-USA replies.

I can not help with the 4 bikes the OP asked about, but I'll just say that "new design does NOT mean better". I live in a place where a lot of people use Indian made Atlas and Hero steel framed single speed bicycles with steel rimmed 28" wheels. They are used to haul stuff and for local transportation. They refuse to buy the flashy Chinese bikes with deraillers. There are hills here and if the load gets too heavy (ie the fit-in-the-wall air conditioner) they just push the bike and load until they can pedal again.

I'm with everyone else on this.. None of the above. If I were starting out absolutely cold I'd go with a Breezer the terrain and finances would dictate what model. Based on my own location which is Houston Texas and is relatively flat, at the very least I probably could get away with a Citizen. I'm usually in a midrange gear and only move up or down a gear occasionally so a three speed would be just fine. If you live in hillier terrain the Villager or the Uptown 8 would be the way to go. One thing I happen to like about the Breezers is they are already set with generator driven lights so you're not battery dependent.