How I bought a bicycle in the Netherlands - is the Dutch Bike Worth the Hype??
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- Опубликовано: 28 янв 2024
- Today I finally decided to get a bicycle. A Dutch bicycle for that matter! You may be wondering why I made this video on buying a simple thing such as a bicycle! Well, go find out about biking in Netherlands then you will understand why cycling here is such a huge thing. So, that aside, I will take you with me to get my first bike. It will be fun, I promise. So, let's dive in! One more thing... Please don't forget to like the video and subscribe. #kenyanyoutuber #kenyansindiaspora
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Also check out these videos I made here in the Netherlands:
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Watch more content on this channel: / @doreennekesaofficial
You can also watch my Kenyan vlogs here:
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Learn Luhya Language and culture: / @luhyalanguageandculture 
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I am glad you're here😊. If you want more vlogs, check out here - youtube.com/@insidelifevlogs?si=fDUtAis7SuNC4_KZ
Just make sure you have a good (extra) lock and lock it every time!
Bike theft is rampant in the Netherlands.
Best to have a chain lock. But a nice Batavus bike.
Thank you for this tip. I will be keen to lock it all the time.
I also live in the Netherlands and had a second hand mountain bike refurbished a few years ago. I had parked it next to the hospital and locked it with a U block lock, but when I came back the bike was gone and only the U block lock was sawn through on the ground. hence the chain lock.
@@doreennekesaofficial
The hind brake (terugtraprem in Dutch) is something one either learns to like or hate. Hand brakes for me always.
That name for hind breaks just couldn't stick for me. I see people riding with such breaks and they make it seem so easy to use. I'm glad it's not weird to prefer the hand breaks
Netherlands is the leading bicycle riding country in the world they have special lanes for bicycles,they have a wonderful bicycle riding lifestyle that i admire,how i wish we could replicate the same here in Kenya,happy riding to you.😅
Hi Doreen! A Dutch bike, upright, easy to get on and off, excellent, excellent! :) Butteh, your setup at around 14 minutes, ummm, still needs some work. Dutch directness from me here :): Maybe you have already changed it.
1) The seat has to be angled approximately horizontally (zero degrees). Right now, your nose points about 20 degrees up. Even 1 degree can make a big difference in comfort! Not all seat posts ('zadelpen') can be adjusted to 1 degree though, 4 degree steps are also common.
2) The seat height: it is ok if you can stretch you leg completely with your heel on the pedal, and then move it down (not up sorry, edit) just a bit, maybe 2 cm. Right now it seems low to me ...
3) .... especially with the height of the handlebars. The difference between seat and handlebar height is very very big. They can be at the same height on a city bike, (though that is probably not right for you). It looks like you can drop the 'quil type' handlebar stem ('stuurpen') still about 5 cm though (not saying that it is necessary, just that it looks possible).
There is a LOT of information available on the internet about bike setup, and even bike repair and maintenance! There are good websites, very good RUclips channels (Parkside youtube may be the best one to learn, even for mechanics), forums, Discord servers.
I'd consider getting some tools yourself, maybe a wrench set and an allen key set, ringsteeksleutelset and inbussleutelset in Dutch (a total of 11 euro in the Action store).
It can be some trying out to get comfortable, and even more if you start riding longer distances.
I had to read all this while looking at the bike and sure thing, you make complete sense. All these adjustments need to be made. Thank you for your directness :) This one didn’t hurt😊 because I also got very good reviews and recommendations l. I will come back to this comment again and again. Especially as Im visiting and Action store to check out those stuff
@@doreennekesaofficial I retract my remark about the difference between the height of the handlebars and seat, this may still be ok.
Here is a YT video about seat height, timestamped ruclips.net/video/b_Zpj9m6lf8/видео.html .
Happy birthday dear 🎉❤
Loving your content
Thanks, dear💕. I'm glad you're here. Asante for the love and support
Have fun with your new bike!
Learn the rules🤪
@@liesbethboesjes3307 Yes indeed, the rules. I surely need to learn. It's very important 😊
Dear Doreen, happy late birthday and I'm jealous of your bike! Enjoy your adventures!
Thank you 😊for the birthday wishes. Please don't be jealous of my bike🤣. I am cycling it like a child here
Happy birthday and good health to you ,your husband and children 😅
Beautiful woman from warm Kenia in cold cold Holland riding a bike, that is good content already. But the clip was made with love and care, and nice to watch, thanks!
Dankjewel! About cold Holand. You got it right😊. I am so glad you watched, because sure thing, I enjoyed making it.
you look good, her son has already taken control of the bike ride, but we are giving her some space to have fun on the bike!!😁
Indeed😆. Thank you!
Leuk Doreen! Ik hoop dat uw zoon ook spoedig kan fietsen. 😀
Bedankt! 😊. Mijn zoon zelfs beter dan ik. He cycled on Dutch Street even before me. Actually, check him out here- ruclips.net/video/KFMGu5NiO2U/видео.htmlsi=wjn0RIyTyXbSF8rF
I wish you all the best on your life, journey.
Thank you
Nice bike great colour
Thank you, Daphne
That's funny! Batavus were the only bikes our family would buy because in those days they were just the best bikes you could get! Not cheap but they last you a lifetime and longer than ever, your children and grandchildren will be able to use them. It's good to see that Batavus still exists.
I'm elated to know that it's an old model and still celebrated. This is a very sincere and exemplified review. Thank you
In my youth most bikes only had a brake on the back wheel and nothing happened by this fact! Today I have a bike with oversize, double caliber hydraulic brakes and not much has changed! I'm still able to do my braking.
I would very much love to learn and use those brakes at the back seemlessly.
@@doreennekesaofficial Actually you just stopped the pedaling, and reversed the pedal motion, for the braking: And the brakes lasted a lifetime by that!
Nice content ❤, Elon is very happy 😊 unaezafikiria ni yake haha
Nakwambia 🤣🤣. Elon carried the day. Ungeona vile anapeana orders hapa ungecheka aki😀. We should catch up by the way akuambie hii story ya baiskeli
Nice bike, good brand. I hope it will not be stolen.
Thank you. I hope it doesn't get stolen, too. How can one protect their bike from theft?
Happy birthday mwanawefu😅more years of riding bicycles😂
Uko na mchezo aki😆🤣🤣. Mbu many more years of what. Oscar should read this😆
It will now be very convenient for you to go on those errands, collecting your son,grocery shopping,or just sightseeing,lovely,iam sure you will enjoy yourself.😅
I am surely enjoying myself already. Although I'm still struggling to learn how to carry my son. We keep falling 🤣. And he's not even heavy
@@doreennekesaofficial pole sana , keep going on you will soon be an expert rider, just balance
On a well fitted bike you can sit very relaxed, without any muscle tension. Because, you will be riding it for many kilometers.
I hope this one is one of those, so I don't get muscle tension.
Yaani buying a bike is like buying a car...its a serious business😄😄...hadi toddlers seat😁😁
Nakwambia hakuna mchezo😆😆. Imagine hadi toddlers seat. It's as serious as this. I was surprised too🤣
❤ Belated but nonetheless Happy 33 Birthday. What a gorgeous bike. Very good brand. ❤😘
Thanks for the birthday wish. I am learning to stretch out my arm to indicate direction 😀
@@doreennekesaofficialthat is vital to stay safe. Great move.😂. Plus it may sound strange hearing it from a local, but when on doubt about who has the right to go first at intersections and so on "Just give it to the cars". You are going to loose in a accident 😢.
Happy Birthday Doreen.
I hope you enjoy your bike.
How much did the bike cost?
Here in the UK I doubt you would get the attention from shop owner that you did.
You see too many women riding bicycles that are the wrong size for them and their positions are awkward too.
Thank you for the wishes. I was surprised too, by how keen the Dutch are with getting the correct bike size
It is a brand new 7 gear bike -£800
Nice bike. I just hope nobody will take her saddle. Easily adjustable is also easily removable.
It's my biggest worry with these adjustable saddles. How can I keep it intact? Is there a way to keep it safe?
@@doreennekesaofficial Not that I know of. I once had a bike of which I had the ring with a lever replaced by one which you have to tighten with an imbus tool, just to be sure.
Hi Doreen. Straight up, off the bat, reaction based on the title of the video: the Dutch bike is not a hype. It's a legitimate, decades old, normal mode of transportation. It's here to stay and is woven into and for the Dutch lifestyle. Foreigners may make it a big deal. The Dutchies don't.
I love your sincerity❤. And yes, the Dutch bike is a legitimate bike I totally agree. Especially now that I have the experience riding.
Make sure you know the road rules so that you don't get hurt.
Thank you. I am mastering the rules gradually. I guess the one that is still give a hard time is letting go off the bike with one hand and indicating your direction with a arm. I used to find it hilarious until it was my turn to use one arm and I'm like, I'll fall😆
@@doreennekesaofficial yeah i know gravity is a pain in the...some times 😁.
Nice video, but...
Bikes are not a hype whatsoever but simply a manner of common use and transportation. Only abroad it is unknown or a hype.
Why these exaggerated YT wordings like "hype", "secret" or "unknown"?
I don't get all this "fitting". It sounds like a sales pitch. Every bike has an adjustable saddle and steering. It is pretty simple, a woman gets one without and a man with a crossbar, or anyway you like it. There are no rules. When you are below 6", you get 26" rims and when you are above 6', you get 28" rims (when you are around 5', you get 24" rims). When it comes to options, it is all personal preference but nothing to do with sizes.
I am all for supporting the small shops but when have to wait 2-3 weeks for a bike, I would go to a big shop where I can walk out with one and/or have it delivered.
Important to tell, and most people make this mistake (or are unaware), is that the saddle needs to be set at a height that your leg is nearly fully stretched at the knee (flat foot, not your toes) to be able to generate maximum hp when you cycle. When you stop or have to wait, you tippytoe or get down from your saddle. The paddle brakes are very common and we grow up with it. It is nothing spectacular, you just have to get a mindset not to squeeze your hands but do the opposite with your legs, which, in a way, makes a lot more common sense. When you want to go forward, you paddle forwards. When you want to stop, you paddle backwards. Logically, having hand brakes is the thing one needs to learn because that one is not intuitive.
Batavus, Union and Gazelle are the top Dutch brands. You made a good choice.
Tip when you transport a bike in a car, you put it in back first in the booth and let the front wheel stick out at an angle which you tie down and/or put some cloth around the wheel.
Personally, I only buy second hand bikes. Old model, preferably not looking too good (i even spray paint it mat black sometimes whern it looks too run down) as long as it is technically good. The nicer the bike, the faster it disappears. That's why there are more bikes in The Netherlands than people. Some have one for daily use and 1 for (weekend) trips. The bell, get a better one. Not the one that goes "ting ting" but "ding dong". They are bigger in size and made out of metal. Dutch people cycle next to each other and when you want to pass, we use the bell to warn we are coming. Unlike many other countries where people get irritated or even angry, in The Netherlands that is appreciated.
Always get 2 locks. 1 standard at the back wheel and 1 with a chain. With a new bike, make sure you get insurance. Always lock it to lamp pole or rings the government put at certain places or the public bicycle stands or guarded bike parkings you find in most cities.
Thank you, Alex, for this much information about bikes. I had no idea how to transport a bike via cars. Now I know better.
About the sizes, it may seem that simple because to you, it's straightforward. To us, it's not. The inches you mentioned above aren't that simple to me. I have to literally fit.
Otherwise. I appreciate your honest feedback. Now I know what to do next time I need a bike.
@@doreennekesaofficial Weird thing is we use the metric system but whit bicycle wheels it is in inches and our clothing sizes are based on feet and inches as well.
Ah.... de terugtraprem... which is called coaster brakes and not back brakes... I hate those types of brakes!!!😅
They last for ages but you always have to think about the position of your feet/pedals before braking or it will feel totally awkward if they are in the wrong position!😂
That's why I use v-brakes.. front and back.
You can brake without thinking about the position of your pedals because they are not connected to each other.
But what I would like to see is if you finally feel comfortable riding a normal bicycle to try out an e-bike.
(even if you are not gonna buy it)
I have an e-bike since a few months and it's so much better than a normal bicycle!
I'm never going back to a normal bicycle!😊
I mean... I can barely ride 25km on my own.... on my e-bike I make 70 tot 80km bike rides because I barely have to use any energy.
But an e-bike is not for everyone... especially not for beginners like you.😅
Maybe a few months from now.
I'm 36 and I'm riding bicycles since I was 3 so I'm a bicycle veteran by now and I almost had an accident on my e-bike in the first week because I was getting used to the torque it has and on a roundabout with one hand on the handlebars because you have to point were you go an e-bike on power mode can have too much torque😅
But now 2 months later I feel comfortable on the e-bike.
But I like the brand of your new bicycle!
I was a bicycle repair guy and I know almost everything about bicycles and Batavus is a very good brand!!!
To be honest... my favorite brand!
Your story with ebikes is quite interesting 🤣. Now you have given me the urge to try out an ebike. It sounds so appealing. Too bad I'm not used to this regular bike yet. So going for an ebike won't make sense. Of course, I can't afford it even. Wait, can I rent an ebike?
The pointing part with your arm 👉 towards the direction you're going to still fascinates me. I don't know how you people do it so seemingly. I struggle to let go of one hand and point. Even more interesting is how I see young people cycle without holding the hand bars.
Of course, I have cycled from an early age but that was a completely different environment. And I can't even compare riding a bicycle in my village and commuting here. The two are worlds apart. But I'm glad my choice of bike is commendable.
@@doreennekesaofficial Well.... about the pointing thing.... I learned at age 3..... and at that age you just really don't care if you fall or not so you just do it.
At age 4 I learned to ride my bicycle with no hands at the handlebars at all!😂
I also had my first accident a week later.... at age 4😅
I was riding to school with no hands on the handlebars because I was peeling a banana.... I was also looking at the banana....🤦
So I drove right into a parked van!😂
And the worker stepped out.... he saw me crying.
But not for the reason he was thinking!
My banana was all dirty and smashed!!!😂
I didn't care about the pain or my bent front wheel!!😂
So he gave me his banana from his lunch box and that was all it took to make me stop crying!😂
But I'm already at the point on having no hands on the handlebars with my e-bike when I'm on a long straight bicycle path.
My hobby as a kid was mountainbiking and flatland bmx.... So I did tricks and jumps and stuff so my hands were of the handlebars a lot of times.
So for me bicycles are 2nd nature.
And it only takes me a short time to get used to a new type of bicycle.
And yes.... you can rent an e-bike.
But this is also very expensive depending on the type of e-bike and what company... it will cost between 3 and 15 euro's a day.
But I don't know what you call expensive.😅
My e-bike was only 1300 euro's.
Most normal bicycles cost more than that.
And I was lucky I got discount so I only had to pay 1100 euro's
Not a very good or wel known brand... just a budget e-bike.
A Villette Le Bonheur.
It's a bit noisy but the rear wheel hub motor is very powerful!
Going up a steep bridge at 25km per hour with headwind.... no problem!! The e-bike pushes you over the bridge!!😎
One thing you should know.... if it is a powerful motor you want on an e-bike.. only go for rear wheel hub motors... centre hub motors and front wheel hub motors are weak.
Riding an e-bike with rear wheel hub motor feels a bit like riding a moped.... the bike does all the work for you as long as you keep the pedals going round and round because of the crank sensor.