Dutch bicycles. Love them. The design of the basic step-through model is classic, elegant, and timeless. Dutch bikes bring to mind one of my favorite Dutch words: Gezellig. There’s no direct translation for Gezellig, but basically it implies a relaxed, cozy, tranquil time with friends. (Think of a candlelight dinner with good friends). I think that’s a great image to have as pedaling for transportation continues to push back into the mainstream. Not all the bicycles pictured here are actually Dutch-but they all accomplish the same thing: upright and relaxed pedaling. It’s nice to slow down and savor your commute in NYC- it’s still faster than walking and guaranteed to make your journey more enjoyable.
I picked up an Oma bike last month for a song, but am a little underwhelmed. It’s a single speed with coaster brakes, so it feels much less safe than rim brakes and it is tough to get up hills. The upright riding position is overrated, IMO.
It does look sweet, however, and I love the wheel lock on the rear wheel.
Jonathan- Not all Dutch-style bikes are the same. I’ve test rode several (not all) and there are definitely two that I prefer- the WorkCycles Omafiets and the Achielle (Belgian). For NYC, I prefer to have a few gears and wouldn’t want a single speed. But that’s just my preference, and doesn’t necessarily apply for everyone. I also prefer hand brakes over pedal brakes- but that’s probably just because that’s what I’m used to. You can have hand brakes installed. Yes, it takes more effort to get a heavy bike up and over hills and I know you have some onerous hills up in your neighborhood.
As for the upright riding position-last time I was in Paris, I used the V’elib bikes to get around. At first, the riding position felt odd to me, since I was used to riding less upright (bike share bicycles are somewhat based on the Dutch step-thru model). But after spending a week using the V’elib, it felt equally odd riding less upright on the well used & loved Trek hybrid I owned at the time.
These are good points you make. There’s no such thing as a best bike, just the one that makes you want to ride the most.
For those that have a coaster brake on bikes, you MIGHT want to look into two- or more-speed rear hubs. Makes hills a LOT easier.