A bike for pootling / utility

[tompb19]

Greetings all,

I'm currently thinking about getting a new bike for general pootling / shopping etc - ideally I would like a Dutch style bike (I'm a bit of a Europhile). I do not live in Holland though, I live near Halifax - so I'm concerned about hills though most of my destinations are in the valley bottom.

I currently have a Revolution Cross 14 - like the one here: http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/blog/revolution-launch/but with canti brakes rather than disc brakes. I have put mudguards and a rack on it and it currently serves me as a jack of all trades (and master of none). Ultimately I think I would get rid of the mudguards and rack of this and 'pimp my ride' and use it for cycling for cycling's sake and blasting my ten mile commute. What I don't like about this bike for utility / town cycling is the riding position - I'm after a more 'sit up and beg' type bike.

I have registered with the Bike and Go http://www.bikeandgo.co.uk/bike/ - so I'm gonna ride around on one of these from the local station and see how it gets on some hills I would have to ride up (it has a 7 speed Shimano Nexus gear system) .

I have looked online at Dutchie, Gazelle and Vanmoof bikes - and I'm looking to spend about 4-500 quid. I will also look at some of the second hand bike shops around here.

Does anyone have recommendations that would fit my needs and any comments on internal gears / drum brakes vs the hills of this part of West Yorkshire?

 

[Mrs M]

Hello
My general pootling/fun bike is a Pashley Tube Rider.
5 speed hub gears and brakes, low maintenance
A wee bit heavy but you get used to that and great fun to ride.
A bit colourful but the Pashley Parabike is very similar and the blue one is very smart
£575 well spent.
Happy hunting!

 

[Hitchington]

Don't know if this will meet your needs but I remember a member (think it was@User ?) recommending these bikes:

http://elephantbike.co.uk/

Proper utility (refurbished postie bike), only 250 squid and for every bike they sell, they donate another to a community in Africa!

 

[Pale Rider]

Greetings all,

I'm currently thinking about getting a new bike for general pootling / shopping etc - ideally I would like a Dutch style bike (I'm a bit of a Europhile). I do not live in Holland though, I live near Halifax - so I'm concerned about hills though most of my destinations are in the valley bottom.

I currently have a Revolution Cross 14 - like the one here: http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/blog/revolution-launch/but with canti brakes rather than disc brakes. I have put mudguards and a rack on it and it currently serves me as a jack of all trades (and master of none). Ultimately I think I would get rid of the mudguards and rack of this and 'pimp my ride' and use it for cycling for cycling's sake and blasting my ten mile commute. What I don't like about this bike for utility / town cycling is the riding position - I'm after a more 'sit up and beg' type bike.

I have registered with the Bike and Go http://www.bikeandgo.co.uk/bike/ - so I'm gonna ride around on one of these from the local station and see how it gets on some hills I would have to ride up (it has a 7 speed Shimano Nexus gear system) .

I have looked online at Dutchie, Gazelle and Vanmoof bikes - and I'm looking to spend about 4-500 quid. I will also look at some of the second hand bike shops around here.

Does anyone have recommendations that would fit my needs and any comments on internal gears / drum brakes vs the hills of this part of West Yorkshire?

I've always liked Gazelles, they are nicely made and if you want a Dutch-style bike, you may as well have, er, a Dutch bike.

Cycle Heaven in York sell lots of Gazelles, but the town and vale of York is flat.

West Yorkshire is hilly, a heavy hub gear bike could be a struggle, although as you commute 10 miles you are presumably a fairly strong cyclist.

The hub gear would do the job, provided it has enough gear range for you.

 

[Cycleops]

The choice of a Dutch style bike is rather a odds with your location, bit like someone in Amsterdam buying something with 27 gears. Why don't you go for an old mountain bike with rigid suspension? Gumtree and fleaBay are overflowing with them at low low prices. All the gears you need plus the sit up and beg, but without the funny accent.

 

[Jamieyorky]

My Gazelle is for sale

 

[steveindenmark]

It's nice to have the style you want, but I think function trumps style. Especially were hills are involved.

 

[Pale Rider]

View attachment 135854

My Gazelle is for sale

Has it got a twist bell?

It's not a proper Gazelle without one of those.

 

[Jamieyorky]

Has it got a twist bell?

It's not a proper Gazelle without one of those.

Oh yes it does!

 

[shouldbeinbed]

@tompb19 Revolution Heritage? My Mrs supposedly has one but I ride it more than she does. Well TBH I ride it.

7 derailleur gears including a megarange granny ring which is fine for me in and around the other side of the Halifax hills in Oldham and commuting to/from Manchester. It rolls along nicely, has a rack and mudguards & you know EBC quality with your Cross so no surprises there.

 

[tompb19]

Thanks for all the comments, a lot to think about. I think I will go have a day out looking at bikes - there's a shop that sells Gazelle bikes in Crossgates in Leeds apparently, then all the other bike shops of Leeds and also there's a few places selling recycled bikes near me. I will also have a go on the 'bike and go' bikes. I'm not in a rush to buy one, so if I see one and it looks and feels right (and the price is right), I'll take it!

Did see one today, a proper retro Raleigh bike (tourist I think) - I was thrown by the '70s brown colour and the frame looked a bit too big for me - but I'm kinda wanting to go back again for a closer look now!