A Study of Dutch Top Tubes

I’m enjoying being in a world where everyone gets around by bicycle. Here in the Netherlands there is bikes absolutely everywhere and under every kind of person. Good safe bike roads are all around too. Surprisingly to me I don’t recognize any of the bikes people are on. With 100s of bikes locked up on every street I’d expect at least some of them to be from the big brands I know from the USA like Specialized or Trek but never a one. It’s all brands I barely recognize or have never heard of. Of course I’d love to see Fairdale bikes (who I do some design work for) around too.

Yesterday I set out for a walk towards downtown and instead ended up miles in the other direction and with a phone full of photos of bikes. I wandered from bike rack to bike rack looking for some commonality amongst all the pedal powered machines. You could maybe call this market research as I wondered what makes a bike sell in the Netherlands. After a day’s worth of study I think I’ve solved it: the Dutch don’t like top tubes. At least not traditional ones.

The top tube is normally the tube that goes from the head tube to the seat tube. American’s would be familiar with this configuration as most bikes have them.

Not exactly classic colors, but this is the classic Dutch bike with its low slung top tube. Easy to step on and off of but not exactly engineered for strength. However the bike paths are smooth here, there’s no hills to stress the bike out and even dropping off a sidewalk is half the height of a curb drop in the USA.

A modern take on the Dutch bike with a smoothly arced top tube that goes right into some cute little extra chain stays.

This one pretty much does away with the top tube entirely, but I guess you could say it has a little baby top tube.

Reverse curves on this one and a good place to have a tiny little custom frame bag.

Deep curve here and a level little top tube with a big number plate welded in.

I think these two bikes can probably mate with one another.

Kind of a double down tube design with a tiny little top tube thrown in just for the heck of it.

Not really any top tube here, but I guess the chain stays kind of make a little one. It’s possible they used the top tube material as the extended nose that is welded off the front of the bike.

The pinnacle of Dutch design, not even a hint of top tube remains.

Aesthetically I like this straight-to-the-rear-axle twin top tube design, though the step over height is much higher then a lot of the designs above.

I don’t know what is going on here but someone made investment cast lugs for this frame so it must be on purpose. And since it is not a normal top tube it is well loved.

This one looked terrible at first glance until I realized the low slung double top tube is extended out front into a front rack. Kind of like the tines of a tiny little fork lift.

I also found this extended cargo version of the fork lift design and it actually looks rather graceful.

Of course there are some bikes with top tubes… sort of. These two bikes come with extra ones. It’s either no top tube or double!

I saw a lot of these bikes with the ol’ Menstrual Cycle bikes front end [stole this image from BMX Museum]. I suppose it is another way to keep top tubes from looking ordinary.

These Vanmoof bikes are popular and I think they look sorta’ cool. They are into the level top tube look at all costs but certainly not a normal looking one.

A rare find of a bike with a “normal” top tube, but here the down tube has gone haywire.

The low and level top tube is not the interesting part of this bike. This is a rear steering tandem with a battery and a double decker rear rack.

So, I think I’ve cracked the Dutch market. I have already started working on some designs for Fairdale. Just keep the top tube tiny or weird and we should be golden.

The Fairdale VanWeekender MX (level top tube and basket).

Posted

September 5, 2023

Bikes, Fairdale, Travel

Taj

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Comments

4 responses to “A Study of Dutch Top Tubes”

Sandra

September 5, 2023

Hello Taj,
What a pleasure to read this post and it is very refreshing to read your view on these bikes!
Love the designs btw.
I’ll share some dusty info on Dutch bikes, even though your thoughts are more amusing.
When a top tube is missing you are dealing with a lady’s bike.
This design takes into account women did not wear pants in the ol’days but big skirts and dresses. This way she could elegantly mount the bike without having to swing her leg over the top tube exposing the ‘seafruit’, so to speak.
When the lower tube is extra low the bike is more suitable for (elderly) people who lack flexibility or balance to give their leg a swing.

The ‘van Moof’ bikes were indeed very popular high class e-bikes who recently got bankrupt and faced a lot of problems with their batteries. It was quite a scandal in bycicle world especially since they are rather expensive brand.

Specialized and Trek do exist but are mainly used for MTB/cycling instead of daily use and will be kept indoors. You won’t find them stored outside.

All the best!

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1. Taj
  
  September 5, 2023
  
  Thank you Sandra. Wild to hear the Van Moof bikes went under as I see them everywhere!
  
  I love seeing all the bikes in all the crazy configurations and I think the step-thru bikes are very inviting as a bike you might simply ride to a destination. Something about the design removes my urge to demand some kind of performance from it.
  
  I’m glad you are following along!
  
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Linda

September 5, 2023

How interesting and what a pleasure to read. Your designs for the top tube made me laugh, thanks

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1. Taj
  
  September 5, 2023
  
  Be careful… If you start laughing at my sense of humor you’re going to start making fart jokes next!
  
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