Light weight dutch bike?

[Swandrake]

I'm bike shopping and hopelessly in love with the look of a dutch bike but everyone has warned me against buying one. I live in a very hilly region plus I'm a unfit cyclist, everyone is pointing me towards a hybrid but they look so plainsand utilitarian, they just don't spark joy. And the dutch bikes well they are just a thing of beauty. Anyone know of any clever people who design light weight Dutch bikes?
PS intend on using the bike for family cycles with DC 8 and 7 so I need something lightweight and easy to manoeuvre so I can keep pace with my two. Thanks!

They need to be heavy to be stable . Just get one with a motor!

I couldn't get on with a commuter hybrid bike (neck ache)!! I switched to a Dutch-style frame and haven't looked back. I have a Bobbin bike that I love - my style the Bramble was quite lightweight but I know it's not on sale any more. Check out their other models perhaps? Have you got any bike shops near you for a test ride? It's really helpful to have one if they're still permitted during COVID. I wouldn't want to buy a bike without riding it first.

Honestly don’t get one. They are fab in Holland but not here. I was wooed by the aesthetic too and despite everyone warning me against I got one a few years ago. It was so heavy and not at all fun to ride. It just felt like a slog and definitely didn’t spark joy just sweat. I now have a less aesthetically pleasing hybrid which is brilliant. There are loads of beautiful looking hybrids about. The Dutch bike sold for what I bought it though.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

A lot of votes against against.
@ **Getitdonesharpish any nice looking hybrids you would reccomend?

As much as it's important the bike looks nice the intention is to spend quality time with the DC so funtion over form will have to rule in this one.

What kind of price range?

@TooSadToSay

I couldn't get on with a commuter hybrid bike (neck ache)!! I switched to a Dutch-style frame and haven't looked back. I have a Bobbin bike that I love - my style the Bramble was quite lightweight but I know it's not on sale any more. Check out their other models perhaps? Have you got any bike shops near you for a test ride? It's really helpful to have one if they're still permitted during COVID. I wouldn't want to buy a bike without riding it first.

I have never got on with my mountain and remember riding someone's else's shopper as a teenager and being much happier in the upright position. What bike do you have?

Doh just realised you actually said!

500 to 700 ish

Dutch bikes are great in Holland where it’s flat, but you need gears and lightweight if you live somewhere hilly.

I have a Dutch bike that I love. But my god, it’s heavy (14kgs?) plus I take my daughter on the back who is 14kg. Hills are very difficult. But, I like the positioning and find it far more comfortable plus I’m worried with the high bar that it’ll smash my vag. It’s been though enough giving birth!

This hybrid might suit you better @Swandrake. Not Dutch styling, but not too sporty either.

How heavy is lightweight? I don’t think mine was much heavier than a hybrid. I’ll have a look.

Aha it was 16kg. Is that heavy?

Oh mine has gears.

For comparison, my road bike is about 9 kg and my mtb about 12 kg.

Would you consider an ebike? I love my Pendleton eSomerby.

I've just bought this mean machine, believe me it sparks joy! www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/content/products/2021-sirrus-2-0_17050.jpg

Seriously I spent a lot of time looking at hybrids, I did look for step through but they are few and far between and then it was lockdown so I just bought the bike I had reserved before they all sold out. I can ride up hills on it that had me stopping and pushing my mountain bike.

@GreyishDays

Aha it was 16kg. Is that heavy?

A quick check of the Dawes website suggests their commuter bike comes in at just over 12kg, so 75% of the weight of the Dutch bike style one. (Interestingly, Dawes seem to have stopped making road bikes... shame. My old one is coming up for 30 years old and is really reaching the end of its life, so I guess I'll have to look for a different make.)

But the frame geometry is always going to work against you with the classic Dutch bike. Triangles (your basic racing bike shape) are the basis of naturally strong structures, so you can make the tubing thinner and hence lighter weight. Replace this with what's effectively a very shallow rhombus (two parallel tubes, with short connections above the forks and on the base of the seat post) and you're going to have to use much, much heavier weight tubing and much more substantial welds to get the rigidity you need.

It's probably worth shopping around and trying quite a lot.

This for e.g. is pricy, but in my experience Specialized make quite light bikes (I can't find a weight anywhere in the specs though, which is a bit disappointing).
www.specialized.com/us/en/crossroads-3-0-step-through/p/184469?color=301182-184469&searchText=92121-7302

This firm in Bristol specialise in making lightweight hand-built bikes, and this one looks quite good (though again pricey).
www.templecycles.co.uk/products/step-through-lightweight
It comes in at somewhere between 10 and 11 kg. Not quite your Dutch bike aesthetic, but the classic "ladies" step-through frame of the sort my mum used to ride back in the 70s.

I test rode the Trex FX disc, Liv Alight and a pinnacle. They were all good TBH. I like the look of Bristolbicycles too.

Yes- Temple too. Achingly cool.

they are soooo comfortable to ride.
being upride like this and the ergonomic handles are great for posture.
the traditional dutch bikes don't have brakes (you brake by paddling 'backwards') and no gears.

btw heavy bike doesn't necessarily mean heavy to ride!

decathlon make a decent city bike that might work for you.
www.decathlon.nl/p/stadsfiets-dames-elops-520-laag-frame-blauw/_/R-p-X8575682?mc=8575682&c=GRIJS_BLAUW

I've had three Dutch bikes all gazelles. The first was a standard fairly heavy one which was great in the flat but not good on hills. I then got a lightweight aluminium one after moving somewhere more hilly but even with that I struggled on the hills. I now have an electric one which I love. It goes up hills no problem and is really comfortable to ride. My commute to work is an hour if I cycle and I really enjoy it (when we're not stuck working at home). It was expensive but well worth it

It's true a bike can be "heavy going" even if it's not physically heavy.

Have you looked at the Pinnacle Californium bikes? They claim to be a light Dutch style bike. Pinnacle is Evans own brand.

I think the terms Dutch bike and lightweight are mutually exclusive unfortunately. As others have said, not necessarily a problem in flat areas. In fact it could even be an advantage as heavy bikes are often quite comfortable. The whole reason why there are so many different styles of bikes is that there are some many styles of cycling. You can get bikes specifically for hill climb racing that weigh under 5kg but I they would be rubbish for going shopping on!
But if you live in a hilly area I am afraid weight does matter, as does gearing. No matter how much you like the looks, you won't have fun if you end up pushing more than pedalling and in all likelihood you will stop using it fairly quickly. I think your two options are to opt for a hybrid with nice low gearing (or if the hills are really steep, a mountain bike but swap the tyres for something more road friendly) or an ebike. There is no shame in an ebike whatsoever - it gets you out, then great. Its hard to suggest particular models though as it depends on so many factors, not least, budget. I would suggest you seek advice from a good local bike shop in the first instance.
I understand the aesthetic thing as I like beautiful bikes (I don't think you would share my opinion on what constitutes bike beauty though!) but honestly, don't let your heart rule your head on this. You could learn to love a bike that you enjoy riding even if its looks don't win you over at first, but I can almost guarantee you would come to hate a Dutch bike in a hilly area, no matter how stylish you think it is.

Look at Bobbin. They do a 21 gear, 11 kg Dutch style bike (by comparison Pashleys are usually circa 17kg with much more limited gear options).