Dutch bike
As a Dutch bike (or Holland bicycle ) refers Tourenräder Dutch type, which are characterized in particular by an upright seating position of the driver and have a reputation, particularly robust and to be of high quality. Full chain protection and rear wheel side panels are characteristic .
Typing
Dutch bicycles are a stable and comfortable type of bicycle that is also very popular outside the Netherlands, in Germany especially in the cities and towns of the north-west and on the Frisian Islands . In contrast to conventional touring bikes, the design is based heavily on that of historical touring bikes. Some design details from the past of bicycle construction, such as straight slotted fork ends made of frame tube instead of the usual dropouts , are only found on Dutch bikes these days. The seating position and posture is different from that of a modern touring or city bike. The reasons for this are the large overrun of the Dutch bike, which z. Sometimes the saddle has an elaborate suspension and the handlebars are positioned close to the body.
history
At the beginning of the history of the bicycle in the Netherlands stood the import of bicycles from the large European countries such as France, England and Germany, which with their developments dictated the way of the bicycle. Our own Dutch bicycle production did not begin until 1869 with the workshop of Henricus Burgers from Deventer , but other manufacturers emerged in quick succession in the 1880s. The bikes produced were based closely on the English model - the original Dutch bike was initially a copy of the English bike.
The title Nederlandsch Fabrikaat only came up in the 1920s, after specific Dutch characteristics began to emerge in the bicycle shape . It was characterized by the rather conservative attitude of the Dutch manufacturers, who focused less on innovation than on quality and durability. This development was favored by the Dutch geography with its flat landscape and the close-knit, well-developed road network. Another important factor was the great acceptance of the bicycle in Dutch society as an everyday means of transport, not only for people in the form of city bikes (Dutch Stadsfiets or Omafiets ) - forerunners of today's city bikes - but also for goods in the form of transport bikes ( Dutch Bakfiets ).
particularities
The typical Dutch bike with its demand for stability, low maintenance and high comfort has some technical features that have been preserved to this day:
- The frame of the ladies bike often has the shape of the so-called Holland bow (colloquially also called "Oma-Frame" (Dutch Omafiets )), which is characterized by a straight down tube and a simply curved, raised top tube. The men's bike uses the typical diamond frame . The shape of the women's bicycle frame is also known as the "gooseneck".
- What women and men have in common is the relatively flat steering head angle of around 65 °, which results in excellent straight-line stability. The handlebars themselves are relatively close to the body, which results in an only slightly inclined, comfortable sitting position that relieves the arms and hands. In addition, there is usually a leather saddle with strong springs.
- In the flat Netherlands, it took a while until gears found their way into the bikes. Essentially, hub gears were then installed, initially Fichtel-und-Sachs or Sturmey-Archer three-speed gears. In the Netherlands, many bikes are still sold with an input hub and coaster brake without an additional handbrake, as is mandatory in Germany. The classic three-speed gearshift from Sturmey-Archer, now known as Sun-Race, which can be dismantled without special tools and has been manufactured practically unchanged since 1922, is still relevant; however, the three-, five- and seven-speed hub gears from the manufacturer Shimano are on the rise today . In the Netherlands, hub gears have a freewheel hub.
- In the Netherlands, drum brakes are mainly used on the front and rear wheel hubs, some of which are operated by a rod instead of a cable. However, Dutch bikes intended for export to Germany are usually equipped with a coaster brake by the manufacturers . An optimal combination of front drum brake and coaster brake is only occasionally offered as an export model, but you can easily retrofit it yourself. When you import your own bikes with rod brakes, there can be problems, as in Germany the front and rear brakes must be operated separately.
- The tire and rim size of most Dutch bikes is 28 "(28 inch ), which can mean two different sizes:
- 622 mm rim diameter (… –622 ETRTO ), the widespread 28 "standard size
- 635 mm rim diameter (37… 42–635 ETRTO), a typical Dutch size, usually referred to as 28 ", but also as 28½, 27½ or 27". There is only a limited selection of tires and rims in this size.
- On many Dutch bikes, the dynamo is only used to power the headlight, while the rear light is powered by batteries. In recent years, this variant has increasingly been found in models that are sold in Germany. A simple conversion to a dynamo-operated rear light is also not possible here, as these Dutch bikes have hub dynamos with 2.4 watts of power instead of 3 watts. A conversion in accordance with the StVZO would also make it necessary to replace the front wheel, although the 2.4 watts are comfortably sufficient when using modern LED lights.
- Another special feature of the Dutch bikes is the luggage rack. While other bicycles often have a metallic bracket, Dutch bicycles typically use three rubber bands that are stretched from the hub of the rear wheel over the luggage rack. The metallic brackets are also known as spring flaps, which are either permanently installed ex works or can also be retrofitted.
- The closed chain guard , which is traditionally made from moleskin , is also important for the low maintenance of Dutch bikes . For several years now, in addition to the classic Moleskin chain protectors, ABS plastic has also been used that can be dismantled without great effort or the use of tools. In parallel to the chain guard made of fabric, protective boxes made of sheet steel were previously installed, the dismantling and assembly of which were much easier to carry out. For cost reasons, especially since they were painted in the same color as the frame, sometimes even with decorative lines in white or gold, they have probably also been replaced by the standard Moleskin boxes. In addition, a loud rattling noise was generated when the chain tension was low, especially on poor roads. Their own weight was also significantly higher. Classic Moleskin coverings are made up of a combination of a steel wire mounted on the underside, which is passed through zip-like, alternating wire eyelets and fastened by several snap fasteners. The tension-mounted cladding produces a smooth surface when correctly installed. Due to the tension, however, the surface tears easily in the event of mechanical damage and allows the bicycle chain to become dirty . The top of the classic chain case is reinforced by a chrome-plated sheet metal part. Special moleskin protectors were installed on very old, upscale bikes. The fabric was significantly thicker, the push-button buttons were reinforced to enable dismantling without damaging the covering even after many years. The underside was not provided with the wire-metal ring design, there were two vulcanized hard rubber strips, which were mounted weatherproof by joining according to the tongue and groove principle . The upper end strip made of chromed sheet metal is identical to the ones still available today. As a new part, these versions are only available from old stocks. After dismantling the Moleskin jacket, a metallic frame can be seen that is firmly screwed to the bicycle frame through a bracket on the rear axle and a holding device on the frame behind the chainring . The fastening parts and the metal frame of the Moleskin covering are mostly galvanized in order to achieve years of corrosion protection . Defective Moleskin chain cases can also be replaced with ABS plastic ones. There are mounting kits with the necessary attachments in Dutch specialist shops. They often fit both 28-inch and 26-inch bikes. Behind the bottom bracket shell , on the right-hand side of the fork blade, either a bracket with screw thread is soldered in order to screw the chain case bracket firmly to the frame, or you can mount a universal bracket. A conversion to ABS protective boxes is often done in order to save time in the event of a defective bicycle tube on the rear wheel. The ABS box consists of two to three parts that are attached with only four self-tapping screws. The upper and lower halves of the box are carefully pulled apart and put over the bicycle chain from above or below. Then the two halves of the housing are plugged into one another. A galvanized T-shaped sheet metal insert is pushed onto the detached rear axle with the hollow bulge on the longer side . There are two holes drilled on the two shorter sides. The upper and lower housing halves are pushed over these drill holes and screwed together. Now the chain case is aligned by carefully moving it until the chain no longer rubs. Finally, the rear axle nut is tightened firmly. You can now paint the ABS chain cases in the same color as the frame yourself. To do this, the surface is degreased, e.g. B. with brake cleaner, and primed with clear plastic primer . Then a primer is applied and finally top-coated with a color of your choice. Special designs are completely flat on the outside in order to attractively place advertising text or an advertising logo.
Dutch bike manufacturer
The market leader and by far the largest Dutch bicycle manufacturer is the company Gazelle from Dieren, followed by Batavus . Other well-known manufacturers are Sparta and Union . More recently, innovative Dutch bike manufacturers have come onto the market who place particular value on the highest quality and also have custom-made bikes in their range according to customer requirements, such as B. Azor (Hoogeveen) and Workcycles (Amsterdam). There are also a number of small specialist manufacturers who make cargo bikes or factory bikes , e.g. B. Bakfiets.nl (produced by Azor) and Nijland (classic “Bakfiets” cargo bike with leaf springs).
Individual evidence
- ^ Christian Smolik : Dutch bike. smolik-velotech.de, accessed on February 13, 2011.
- ↑ http://www.fa-technik.adfc.de/Ratgeber/Sitzen/index.html
- ↑ Continental: Current bicycle tire dimensions , accessed on December 9, 2012
- ↑ Continental: Tourride tire size table , accessed on December 9, 2012
Web links
- History of the Dutch bike (in Dutch, German and English)
- National Fietsmuseum VELORAMA (in Dutch, English, German and Spanish)