Classic Dutch bikes v Hybrid Bikes - some thoughts
We have noticed that one of the most commonly ‘Googled’ questions is related to the difference between the layout and benefits of a Dutch bike and a Hybrid bike. Well, we are not really techy professionals and that means we cannot bore you with dimensions and angles, but here is what we think:
Hybrid bikes are generally lighter, faster and have more gears. Whilst they do not force you into a racing crouch, neither do they generate the ’sit up and beg’ position that you might be looking for. They have fairly large diameter, thin walled wheels and around 21 gears, ideal for just about anything, except heavy offroading. The reason i emphasise the ‘heavy’ is because i once rode a Dawes Discovery 301 hybrid bike across the Himalayas from the Gobi Desert to Nepal and i kept up with, and in fact had an easier time, than my three friends on mountain bikes.
They are no good for deep sand or mud, but other than that they are great bikes. Good for city commuting and trips over 10 miles.
So what about the Dutch bikes? You don’t buy a Dutch bike if you are planning a fast commute or a sweaty journey. The moment you straddle a Dutch Bike, you rise above it all. You are above the traffic, away from the fumes and somehow, from somewhere, a mysterious smile will inevitably wend its way onto your face. While you are confined to the fact that you are not going to be going anywhere fast, there is something addictively enjoyable about riding a classic Dutch bike. You are comfortable as if riding an arm chair. The wheels are SO large that just one revolution of the pedals feels like enough to get you from Putney to Hyde Park. Our Dutch Style bikes (£165) have three Sturmey Archer gears, not a lot you might think but let me tell you - they are more than enough. I am used to 21 gears but here I only use 2 of the 3 i am given. Even though the bikes are heavier than the hybrids, something about them makes them SO easy to ride. Perhaps its because you know you’re not going to be going anywhere fast and therefore don’t use the energy. Saying that, my girlfriend and i cycled from Wandsworth to Hyde Park two week ends ago and the journey only took about 50 minutes.
Classic Dutch bikes are about pleasure, head turning beauty, rising above smells and sounds and riding for the simple sake of riding something beautiful and eye catching. Their purpose is of course to get you from A-B, but it is not about speed or efficiency, it is about looks and love.
Hybrid bikes serve a very different, but equally important purpose. They are about efficiency, speed, comfort and convenience.
The saying ‘horses for courses’ would come out here, but i fear that might make people think they should only one style or the other. But this is not true. Just like you may own a good, solid everyday car, you may also have a vintage Austin sitting under a dust sheet, for those spectacular sunny days when it is about the journey, not the destination. To have both is not an extravagence; it is merely a privilege - a privilege which we make affordable.