Trying & Reviewing a Dutch Omafiets in Amsterdam

One more thing - they are comfortable!

Great video. Upright, no helmet. Great, great. We Dutch often have bicycle bags for groceries. The distances we ride vary. Kids often drive for 10 or 15 km to get to school. Draging their books with them. For groceries the bicycle bags are the best. It all has it's reason. Which gear you use is personal. My son always uses 1st gear. My daughter always 3th gear. and I use 2nd gear normaly, and 1st and 3th when needed. You are doing well. The rain gave the extra Dutch cyling experience. 🤣

This is really the kind of bike you should be using to authentically experience Dutch cycling infrastructure.

You forgot two things: - reflection in the pedals, on the back rack, on the tires, all for visibility in the dark even if your lights are out - umbrella or rain jacket should be in the front basket (we cycle with umbrellas, not gopros...)

I love the summer, the most beautiful day of the year in Holland

Hi good video. What you forget to mention when explaining what this bicycle has is that in the Netherlands it is mandatory to have reflective tires so that you are also visible from the side in the dark.

'Probably won't get stolen' and 'Amsterdam' don't go well together. I never lost as may bikes to theft as I did in Amsterdam. One of them was even nicked right in front of the Courthouse! 😁

Coats or long skirts can be caught in the rear wheel of a bike while you ride. This can simply make a mess but it can also damage your clothes. Fully equipped Dutch utility bikes come with mudguards (fenders), chainguards and coat protectors.

A real Dutch bike review in real Dutch weather. Respect for what you have to do for views! Imagine how you would be wet allover without the fenders.

I usually only use the 2nd and 3rd gear. My cadence is the deciding factor. Usually it's a bit above 80. 1st gear I only use in very heavy cycling traffic with a slow general speed.

Don't forget the small hook under the saddle next to the lock, you can attach a pump there.

Interesting to hear your gripe about the gearing, this is very similar to the bike I ride in Birmingham England, and I find first gear a bit too low for going uphill. I’m usually in first to start, second when cruising slow or going uphill, and third on flats or downhill. My previous bike was an 18 speed mountain bike, and I much prefer this. One other feature of internal gears, you can change while stopped.

Can't believe you picked a spot 500 meter from the spot where NJB did his "Dutch bike" video.

Had nobody seen the rear stand at the back? It is in the upright position under the back rack. The stand in the middle is extra and not necessary but is a bit more stable in windy conditions

I liked this video. The almost standard Dutch bike for every day. It's also why many Dutch people have more than one bike. It's mandatory to have the reflective materials, permanent and not only in the dark, on the sides of the tires, on the front and back of the pedals and on the backside, most on the bike rack. There is often also a white reflective ring in the headlight. About the gears. The middle gear is like on the bikes with only one gear, lets call it standard. The first gear is for head wind and bridges etc. The third gear is for tailwind. You compared the roller brakes with drum brakes. I see them more as hand operated coaster brakes because they brake with the same principle.

Don't worry about the rain, you're not made of sugar. You won't melt. Every Dutch kid grows up hearing that. The gearing is on purpose, for the true single speeds. It works both for short and long distance. I grew up riding an omafiets everywhere and you learn how fast to go for distance and in town. The take-off is bad but you get used to pushing off the curb, a lamp post or just stand up on the pedal. Once you're up to speed, it is fine. If the seat is set up right, it is a quite efficient way of pedalling, although it isn't ideal to have the seat behind the pedals. Much more comfortable, as you sit on your butt, like you would on a chair. With the pedals below the seat, you are tilted forward more and that can be uncomfortable. The flex in the frame is one of the main benefits of the oma fiets. You don't need suspension as it is built into the frame. I now own a much more rigid bike, upright riding still, and cobblestone, brick or other uneven roads are a lot worse to ride on with that bike. Despite the front suspension. The omafiets frame and the steel rims help it survive rougher roads, jumping the curb, potholes and such. Less likely to warp, twist or crack. The Dutch use their bike in a very different way to most people. It is just a means of getting somewhere and this does most of the jobs best, and lasts. The fewer things on it, the fewer things that can go wrong. The majority are easy to ride without hands but yours seems to be quite crooked. This happens to some of them. Usually the headstock twists and the front wheel wanders. Could be the front axle bearings or the headstock bearings. They're usually toast if the bike lives outside.

nice idea but for most of Canada they do not make one for hills and if you want one with gears they are more expensive than allot of e bikes

The instability is caused by the front basket. You can also see this by how far the handlebars are turned when parked. If you take it off it is super easy to ride these bikes without holding the handlebars.

For better stability lose the handle bar basket.

lol the "advanced" rim dynamo is standard in the Netherlands since decades (yes even when lightbulbs were the norm). love your video though.