Smitten With: Dutch Bicycles

I was born in the wrong decade. And the wrong country. Now, I usually hate on people who say "I liked such-and-such way before it became popular", but the fact is, I really did like old fashioned bikes long before every hipster in Brooklyn bought one. Ten years ago, I rode around on the raddest vintage Schwinn bike when all of my friends had beach cruisers and mountain bikes. Old bikes are a pain in the ass to repair and keep rust free though, especially if you live near the ocean or a high humidity region, and that's that.

I'm in the market for a new ride so I've been looking at the different makes and models available. I'm telling you, I have all sorts of corn ball plans for the bike I buy. There are so many options as far as outfitting Dutch bikes that I plan to spend more on the accessories than the bike itself!

Here are a few bikes that have me unfreezing my credit card:


The Flying Pigeon is a Chinese phenomenon. The most popular bike in the world, and as far as the Dutch style goes, the least expensive I could find ($350 range). The charms of the bike include the leather seat and the rear utility rack (perfect to bungee down some beer on). Check out Flying Pigeon NYC blog for gorgeous photos of the bikes from around the. City and more information.


Love the style and frame of the Sheppshult Ladies Nature bike. Made in Sweden, Sheppshult is also a popular maker of fold up bikes and known for their sturdiness and sleek designs. Fit to the nines with all of the accessories that make Dutch bikes so appealing (especially the pedal generated headlamp), my only qualm is for the price ($1895), did they really need to strap a Staples waste basket to the front of it? I think not.


The Pashley Princess Sovereign. If I had unlimited dispensable income, this would be the bike for me without question. Available in Regency Green or Buckingham Black (I'm a die hard for black transportation, but this green has me a thinkin'), it comes with all of the perks including a proper wicker basket and standard kickstand. It retails in the States for $1295 and I swear I think I'll forgo eating the next few weeks just to get my hands on one of these. Of course, I'll need to move to a Cotswold village and stock up on some vintage shirt dresses and hair scarfs, but that will all work itself out just as soon as I get the bike!


The Bobbin Bonnie is made by the popular bicycle shop in London of the same name (Bobbin Bicycles, that is). I've featured their shop several times because, well, they're awesome. They've managed to encompass everything that riding a Dutch bike is and should be. As of today, the pound to dollar conversion is $520 plus shipping for the Bonnie. From what I can gather though, this is a bike for the vertically challenged (17" frame only) which means at 5'9", I'm out. Cute as a dimple none the less.