"New" commuting bike, Dutch/dutch style vs cruiser
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msurads06
Posts: 66 Member
I currently commute on a Trek 7100 hybrid but I am looking to re-equip that for off-road riding and possibly leave at my parents house near the nearest off-road trail (about an hour from home) to make things easier as far as not having to remember to load the bike when I make my weekly trip to the town where they live. But if I do this I will need to buy a new commuter, which is something I have recently begun to consider anyway.
My current bike doesn't have fenders which I have recently decided I need if im going to get the most possible use out of it, there are roads that will hold good sized puddles for 3 days to a week after a rain so I end up spending a lot of time cleaning off mud. I also would like something with a chain guard to I don't always have to remember to cuff my pants. A step-through model is a must. I have trouble mounting/dismounting when I have a large (bulky not heavy) load strapped to the rear rack. I also would like something simpler/lower maintenance
Most trips are less than 1 mile (yes I could walk but this time of year that means walking home in the dark and I feel safer on my bike) and the longest trip I would make on the bike would be aprox 5 miles round trip. In the last two weeks I have logged 25 (very flat) "transportation" miles (separate from "exercise" miles on my felt road bike). So maybe a total 50 miles or less most months?
My budget is $200 MAX, hopefully less.Toward that end I am looking at two different options, the first would be a cruiser style bike I could pick up from Craigslist for $30-100 depending on several factors including brand (huffy/Schwinn vs Trek/giant), age of bike and whether single or 3 speed and type of braking system.
I have a rear rack, and trunk bag as well as lights that I could transfer to the new bike.
The second option would be a Dutch style bike, I have seen sevral on craigslist and recently one was posted in my price range, they are asking $200 for the bike which comes with enough extras to make up the difference between it and the cruiser.
I am back and forth between a less expensive bike that will "pay for itself" more quickly and that I wont mind if it gets stolen/vandalized or a more expensive bike that will "stand out" (iv seen several cruisers in town, the dutch bike would defintately be one of a kind but would most likely last longer, have more "bells and whistles."
Looking for advice. Does anyone have experience with dutch style bikes? I had not heard of them until I started looking on craigslist for a cheap cruiser. I know either bike would be heavy but my hybrid isn't exactly light and with the short trips I make I never get up to speed anyway. It seems like they sit a little higher than a crusier (which seem really small to me) so maybe visibility to traffic would be better?
Thanks for your advice.
My current bike doesn't have fenders which I have recently decided I need if im going to get the most possible use out of it, there are roads that will hold good sized puddles for 3 days to a week after a rain so I end up spending a lot of time cleaning off mud. I also would like something with a chain guard to I don't always have to remember to cuff my pants. A step-through model is a must. I have trouble mounting/dismounting when I have a large (bulky not heavy) load strapped to the rear rack. I also would like something simpler/lower maintenance
Most trips are less than 1 mile (yes I could walk but this time of year that means walking home in the dark and I feel safer on my bike) and the longest trip I would make on the bike would be aprox 5 miles round trip. In the last two weeks I have logged 25 (very flat) "transportation" miles (separate from "exercise" miles on my felt road bike). So maybe a total 50 miles or less most months?
My budget is $200 MAX, hopefully less.Toward that end I am looking at two different options, the first would be a cruiser style bike I could pick up from Craigslist for $30-100 depending on several factors including brand (huffy/Schwinn vs Trek/giant), age of bike and whether single or 3 speed and type of braking system.
I have a rear rack, and trunk bag as well as lights that I could transfer to the new bike.
The second option would be a Dutch style bike, I have seen sevral on craigslist and recently one was posted in my price range, they are asking $200 for the bike which comes with enough extras to make up the difference between it and the cruiser.
I am back and forth between a less expensive bike that will "pay for itself" more quickly and that I wont mind if it gets stolen/vandalized or a more expensive bike that will "stand out" (iv seen several cruisers in town, the dutch bike would defintately be one of a kind but would most likely last longer, have more "bells and whistles."
Looking for advice. Does anyone have experience with dutch style bikes? I had not heard of them until I started looking on craigslist for a cheap cruiser. I know either bike would be heavy but my hybrid isn't exactly light and with the short trips I make I never get up to speed anyway. It seems like they sit a little higher than a crusier (which seem really small to me) so maybe visibility to traffic would be better?
Thanks for your advice.
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I personally would go with the dutch bikes. I haven't ridden a dutch bike, but My first commute bike was a Boda Boda which has some of the qualities of a Dutch style bike. Sits very upright, and yes being high makes visibility so much better and takes all the pressure off your hands making signaling easier. Also being heavier and very stable is great in windy weather and storms. You'll never go as fast as a hybrid, but easily as fast as a cruiser with similar gearing.0
