The omafiets got me into riding bikes again. The step through frame, the upright sitting position and the ease of single speed was just amazing for me living in a city. I rode that bike 100kms a week for my work commute and treated it like crap but it lasted a surprisingly long time! If you live in Canada there are a few businesses that hold omafiets for as low as 250 CAD. Well worth the money

I loved my Dutch bike when I lived in Holland, as you say, nice n relaxed, can handle riding on compacted snow and ice, even when totally hammered after a night out,,,, so a friend told me 😬😬😬

I've had to spend time in Beriln of late and was taken aback slightly at this style bike being the most displayed option in the city center Decathlon store. You can actually find every style of bike under the sun in the city itself, particularly retro road bikes just like I had back in the 80s! That said, sturdy Dutch style bikes are common and command pretty high prices at secondhand bike shops. I actually live in Madrid where bikes in the city are a relatively new addition but it's more hilly and the delivery boys go to bikes are 29er MTBs with retro added rear hub motors. I think hills do have an effect on bike model choice.

The Netherlands doesn't have many hills, but it does have lots of wind (as I've read others say many times; I've never actually been). And wind makes riding a lot more difficult, especially on an upright bicycle. My daily commute (1km 4x per day) has only a very mild slope for a hundred metres or so, but there are often strong winds that seem to switch direction every few days. With a tail wind, I can go twice as fast as with a headwind, using the same effort.

Most Dutch bikes have roller brakes. They also have internal hub gears. They have completely covered chains. All this adds up to very little maintenance. An important thing about Dutch bikes is the quality. The quality is really good as they are designed to be left outside for all of their lives and get beat up in public bike parking racks. I have an Azor Jersey and it is three times the quality of an expensive bike that you would buy in the UK. Dutch bikes are designed to last forever and are seen as an appliance rather than something to treat preciously.

Timely video. I spent some time in Germany recently, and was able to ride both an electric and a regular type Omafiet. I spent some time riding around Berlin and thought quite a bit about urban bike culture and the ubiquity of heavy steel step through granny bikes. My $0.02: 1. Lots of bike traffic and traffic controls. No benefit to riding much faster than 12 mph (19 kph if you're reading this in colour). In the city, you're likely making better time than most cars. 2. As mentioned, F L A T. Bike needn't be optimized for climbing. 3. Again, as mentioned, zero maintenance and sturdy. Hop on and ride. 4. Bike theft is rampant. A fancy bike stands out and says "take me!" Often, just crimes of inebriated opportunity, but nice bikes get noticed. 5. Tires seem to be wretched, thick, puncture-proof hard rubber. Watch out for the edges of metal plates etc. 6. I did a little market research, and you can get an Omafiet for a few hundred Euro. Or you can buy a lovely, nicely painted bike, from a boutique brand, with nicer bits for a thousand or more. See comment on theft. I also rode 40km on a riverside bike path on the eBike, and it topped out at 25kph, which is about my typical pace at home on my (non-e) bikes. It was super nice to have the motor in a blasting headwind, tho. The eBike was more comfortable than the bike I rented from my hotel in Berlin, but neither fit me properly. I couldn't get the seats quite high enough, and the bars are waaaay too upright for my liking. Even my klunker is far more comfortable than the bikes I rode. I saw a LOT of riders with seats too low for proper extension, but they probably weren't riding far or long. I didn't care for the step through frame either. It was awkward to mount, and the seat, at its highest, made me strain to reach the ground with my foot when stopped.. The eBike was impossible to ride with "no hands" - quickly developing a dangerous death wobble at the front wheel. The headset seemed fine, but the step-thru frame didn't have enough tortional rigidity.

When Dutch (or Danish) bikes are discussed the upright position, sturdy construction, heavy racks 😉, chain guards, hub brakes and gears are focused on, but something that doesn't often get mentioned is the geometry. The classic Omafiets has the seatpost and forks at a large angle from the vertical (ie they're NOT vertical), which makes them very stable and comfortable to ride. The forks are also very curved which reduces the high frequency vibration to your hands and also increases the wheelbase of the bike, further increasing stability. Also the handle bars are far more ergonomic than any other design that i can think of (apart from possibly the Moustache bars). These don't cause joint or nerve problems, particularly if angled slightly downwards. They're probably even better than old swept Raleigh bars. Old bikes from 100 years ago were all like this and it only changed when bicycle racing was televised in the 70s I guess. Racing has a lot to answer for. 😠 I love the Omafiets, apart from the boring black paint. Why no Royal Blue, Racing Green or sublime Maroon. Sometimes the Dutch can be a bit too practical. 🇳🇱❤️ All the best. 🇬🇧

I got my 'omafiets' (Isinwheel U2!) a while back. I'm 5' 11" and 180 lbs...and, guess what? It's FANTASTIC! Over here (Toronto) we have a regulated top speed of 32 kmh - which it easily attains - in pedal assist OR in pure 'finger throttle' mode. The rear derailler is a low-end Shimano - but it works great. I just leave it in the fourth speed and if you pedal to start you can get it up to max speed quickly - or, it will start from 0 kmh with using JUST the finger throttle...The range seems to be around 45 km on throttle only - but with a bit of pedal assist, you can easily manage 60 - 70 km on a charge. The U2 is rated as 350 watts / 500 watts max...but, I think that's for regulatory purposes...it feels like a 500 watt e-bike, to me...As you mention - it has a steel frame - but it's NOT that heavy. I've ridden it as a 'non-e-bike' with the battery left at home on charge - and it is easily rideable just using the rear shifter. Brakes are smooth and powerful enough for mechanical disk brakes...The only strange feature seems to be that IF you insist on wildly pedalling through a turn - you have to watch that your toe-tips don't touch the rubber bottom of the front fender...but, hey...who pedals through turns like that, anyway? I've been in touch with their engineers and they are considering a 'longer wheelbase' upgrade model at some point...But, no worries - it's safe and easy to ride! For a price of $850 CDN - it's a steal. Get one, while you can. Amazon.ca is already running out of stock - although you can order direct from isinwheel. Thanks for your interesting take on 'Dutch-style bikes!''

‘I don’t think I’ve see a Dutch bike with a derailleur’ Top trolling Craig. But yes how comfy!.

2:03 The bicycle this lady is riding is certainly not a Grandma bicycle, but an average electric city bike. in the fragment 0:53 see 4 granny bikes passing by.

Have you seen the japanese version of these ebikes made for commuters? They are very similar to this one and very popular in Japan. They also ride on the wrong side of road like in the UK. Not to mention the plug for charging, the european is much better 🙂!

My 50s omafiets tyres are bigger than 700c they are 40-635 aka 28 inch by 1 1/2 also the only original parts are the frame and front mudguard 🙃 but i think they are popular here because of the low maintenance and step through frame (balls *cough*). Also the cheapest omafiets is like 250€ so its quite the affordable ride. And they are just sturdy af. I use mine for the weekly groceries:)

The music was pretty loud compared to your voice in this vid. If I lived somewhere without hills, I may consider something other than a mountain bike, or my current fat bike. 2020 Giant Yukon 2 with 27.5 x 4.5 tires. I'm converting a 1986 Miyata 710 from a road bike, to a more comfortable flat bar. Going from 3x7 with downtube shifters, to 1x9 indexed on the bar. I can't wait to get it going.

I want this electric bike😍

All I keep thinking is "crusty cruise NL" 😉🤔👍🏽🤞🏼

As an englishman living in the netherlands I can tell you you have a lot wrong in this video 😂 A proper "Oma fiets" is getting very rare! They were decent thick wall steel bikes with strong rims and spokes. Only a rear brake "Terug trap rem" back pedal brake. Do not need brakes here red lights are'nt for cyclists 😆 They mostly have strong sturdy racks at the rear and sometimes also on the front. The "replicas" you see most now are cheap chinese rip offs with no where near the same robustness and quality. For the majority of the Dutch a bicycle is nothing other then a means of transport when they have to much tipple or have to get a train🤣🤣🤣

I wish actual, mechanical Dutch bikes were available in the U.S. and I'm always on the lookout for that elusive step through frame that has similar geometry. Looking forward to your step through build. These bikes are , sensible in the extreme. Let's say you've had hip/knee surgery. Would you want to throw a leg over a rack full of parcels and a seat to mount your bike, or step through?

I'd love one, but it'd be nicked within 2 seconds where i live.

Let’s ride when you visit Rotterdam! Borrow a bike from my quiver.

As a Dutchman watching this video I am wondering… why the **** is she wearing a helmet when she’s just commuting??? Literally nobody in the Netherlands does that.

Your first statement is not true; not every dutch person (only) rides a dutch bike. Also, an e-bike never will be a dutch bike in its core. You’ve kind of offended the dutch cycling culture at 20 seconds in.

You should have done better research about the features of an original omafiets…the shown ebike has nothing in common with an original dutch one! See you with less confusing videos next time…