hey guys welcome back to foreign reacts man uh today we're gonna be checking out why
dutch bikes are better and why you should want one so most of y'all if y'all watch my dutch
uh reaction videos to uh netherlands um y'all probably know i've never um
you know had a bike before i've never owned one before so never used one but when i moved to
europe god's willing i'm definitely going to add a bike to my uh uh cat what what add it to my um
i don't know add it to something add it i'm gonna own a bike but the point is guys we're
gonna be doing this reaction video today i don't even know um how am i even gonna use a bike but
we will see but um guys thank you for watching i i appreciate all the love and support man
uh let's check out this video welcome to foreign reacts if you're new uh please do subscribe and uh
we do foreign reactions here everything down here has to be people into the reactor and
that's who i am so without further ado guys let's get right into this video
this is our dutch bicycle it's an alma feats literally grandma bicycle there is really nothing
special about it at least here in the netherlands but in canada the us or many other countries this
bike would be very unique indeed and bicycles like this one really surprised me the first time
i visited the netherlands oh so you're not you're not done there's a good reason for this uniqueness
in the netherlands bicycles are seen as a tool for everyday transportation a way to get from point a
to point b quickly and efficiently in most other countries bicycles are used primarily for sport
and exercise right right this one difference explains nearly everything special about a bike
like this now it's not like this is the only kind of bicycle you'll see in the netherlands of course
there are many others including e-bikes cargo bikes hand cycles and you'll definitely see
road bikes used for sport too especially on weekends but for everyday urban transportation
this style of bicycle is by far the most common so what makes this bicycle so different from
what you might be used to well the primary difference is that this is an upright bicycle
it's built to ride in an upright sitting position okay this is an inefficient position that will not
transmit maximum power into the crank during a pedal stroke plus it's totally not arrow but who
cares what the upright position does provide is comfort the handlebars on this bicycle are high up
and swept back making it extremely comfortable to ride oh so you don't have to on this kind
of bicycle you almost pull up and back on the handlebars rather than putting any weight on them
this is just a more comfortable way to sit on a bicycle and the design is
very similar to the original safety bicycle developed in the uk in the late 19th century
sitting upright also makes it easier to see what's going on around you
which can be safer when cycling in busy urban environments with lots of other people around
riding this way lets you wear any type of clothing you'd like because it's no different than sitting
in a chair which is why you see most people in the netherlands dressed for the destination and
not the ride makes sense this bicycle has a step through frame meaning that you can get
on and off it very easily without having to swing your leg around like you do on a bike like this
these frames are fine and you'll definitely see them here but i
find them particularly annoying if you have a kid's seat because if you swing
your leg up to get off you might kick them over you kick your kid in the head
fatal fatal fatal you just commit murder bro i don't understand why we
still call these men's bikes when it's the only kind you can hit your nuts on
because step through frames are more comfortable to use they're increasingly popular for both men
and women this is another thing that contributes to people wearing normal clothes when cycling
and why you'll even see women wearing dresses and skirts speaking of skirts
this thing is called a skirt guard or coat guard and it's quite common on dutch bicycles
it prevents long articles of clothing from getting stuck in the spokes as you ride
it also helps prevent a child sitting on the back from getting their foot stuck
another thing to protect your clothing is the chain guard a plastic or metal cover over the
bicycle chain it also helps to protect the chain from the elements making it last longer
this thing here is called a frame log and almost every bicycle in the netherlands has one
these are incredibly convenient for so many reasons but i've almost never seen them outside
of the netherlands denmark and japan they are an easy way to lock the back wheel of your bicycle
for quick stops which makes it really really easy to pop into a shop when riding somewhere
bro i just can't imagine going to the netherlands and actually seeing all these bikes
i've never seen that many bikes before i'd be so amazed bro i just have to
most people be telling me bro you have to travel you need to travel you need to go go
go go go go i need to bro just imagine that experience where you're like
one two ten too many bikes right here what that's a lot of bikes i actually am excited to actually
have an experience like that pro just to see that unlike some people who are um weirded out by
differences i love differences i love it i love learning about people's differences and um
what makes that country and that person unique it's it's it's a blessing bro don't hate it's your
key inside as you ride you can actually buy frame locks that don't do this but i really like the key
retaining feature this is a small detail but it ensures that your bike keys are always with you
that being said i have been known to accidentally hit the key with my leg and bend it like this
also while there's a lot of space for the locking mechanism in the wheel
i seem to hit the spoke far more often than you'd think i should have gone into neutrino research
when this lock is engaged you can't ride the bicycle but you can of course just pick it up and
walk away with it so if you want to ensure that your bike is still there when you return it's best
to bring a chain lock with you as well and most people do if you see bikes locked only like this
it's probably because the owner considers their bike too crappy to steal
a slight variation on this is a frame lock with a chain lock integrated giving you two
locks with one key interestingly u-locks by far the most common locks in north america
are not seen very often in the netherlands probably because it's difficult to get
close enough to something to lock to with so many other bicycles around
another feature you'll see on almost every bicycle in the netherlands is both front and rear fenders
this makes sense in a country where it rains all the time fenders are not considered an
optional add-on here right what's also included is a kickstand almost every bike comes with one
over the fender you'll usually find a rear rack though some bikes have a rack on the front
ultimately these bicycles are meant to be useful so having panniers at the back
or a box on the front allows people to carry a surprisingly large amount of stuff no suv required
rear racks in the netherlands are also built strong enough to carry another person which
you see quite regularly really but then everything on a dutch bicycle is heavy duty
these aren't aluminium or carbon fiber frames they're made of solid steel these bikes are
not built for speed they're built to last oh and comfort maybe in general dutch bicycles are built
to be low maintenance so when a bicycle has gears they're often internal hub gears like this one
in-hub gearing is great because they almost never need maintenance
this is very different from derailleurs which i find are constantly going out of
alignment of course many bicycles including this one of ours don't have any gears at all
you might also notice that this particular bike doesn't have any hand brakes either a lot of bikes
here do have hand brakes but this one uses coaster brakes that you engage by cycling backwards
this was fascinating to me because in canada you will never see brakes like this
except on children's bikes they take some getting used to but i really prefer cycling like this as
it feels so natural to pedal forward to speed up and pedal backwards to brake that's cool by
not having any hand brakes or gears it keeps the bike simple and maintenance free it also avoids
any cables that might accidentally get stuck on other bicycles when parking in tight places
all of this is done to keep the bicycle in good working condition which is important when it's
your primary mode of transportation the only problem we've ever had with this bicycle is the
occasional flat tire and speaking of tires did you know they use a different tire valve here
in the us and canada there are only ever two tire valves presta found on road bikes
and schrader found on everything else here in the netherlands they use a blitz valve
these valves have little ball that prevents air from getting out they're really easy to work with
in case you're curious you can just use a regular presta pump to fill these just
pump it up to a high enough pressure and the valve will open automatically
another thing you'll sometimes see on bicycles here is a dynamo
these go in the wheel hub or on the wheel and generate enough electricity to power led lights
these are pretty nice as you never need to worry about recharging batteries or
forgetting your lights just another small thing that makes these bicycles simple for everyday use
and lastly the bell on this bike makes a pleasant
sound you hardly ever need to use your bell here so it doesn't really matter
when we were still living in canada we knew about upright dutch style bikes and tried for years to
buy one but they were almost impossible to find this photo sums up the situation in canada a
selection of bicycles supposedly for commuting with nothing but sporty hybrids and road bikes
they don't even come with a rack fenders or kickstand
maybe there are more bike shops with upright bicycles today but when we lived in toronto
there was only one shop that sold them and the next closest was over 50 kilometers away
here in amsterdam i can't swing a pair of clogs without hitting a dozen bicycle shops that sell
functional practical bicycles right bicycles that are designed for transportation not sport
one group in winnipeg canada got so frustrated trying to find practical urban bicycles that they
started importing new and used bicycles from the netherlands they call themselves the plane bicycle
project and they're regularly receiving shipping containers full of bicycles from the netherlands
so to my dutch viewers when you're finished with your bike please consider donating it
to needy families in canada it's so great for bicycles that aren't for sport bicycles whose
primary function is to be there when you need it to carry your shopping or your friend and
to be used with as little effort as possible no special gear or costume changes required
this is a point that's often overlooked because while it's
obviously important to have safe streets and cycling infrastructure
it also makes a difference to have easy access to practical low-maintenance bicycles like this one
living in amsterdam i know that when i need to go somewhere taking a bicycle will usually
be the fastest and most convenient way to get there but it's also important to know that i
won't have any problems either because of our old clunky rusty beat up comfortable reliable
y'all ain't gotta worry about no gas prices y'all ain't gotta worry about nothing homa feats
i'd like to thank my supporters on patreon who nah good night that hey
that's really beautiful either ways guys i'm out of here man i'll do next time peace