The Dutch Bike

Quintessentially Dutch, internationally fashionable

Part 3 of the Premsela Design Stories series.
From the classic Gazelle to the newest Van Moof

This book traces the favourite, ubiquitous, Plain Jane workhorse of the Netherlands from turn-of-the-century Amsterdam to the fashion pages of trendy American magazines and newspapers – including The New York Times: The Dutch Bike.
Universally accessible to young and old as well as the poorest and the most wealthy (including the Dutch royal family) the Dutch bike is as quintessentially Dutch as tulips and windmills, but it has also found a place in the urban scenes of major cities throughout the world. And the bicycle is changing. Professional racers and conceptual creators are putting avant-garde Dutch bike concepts to the test. Such designers are pushing the notion of a bike as an indispensible extension of the user’s style. They are also preparing for a time when bicycles will outnumber cars, experimenting fearlessly with new materials and new sustainable, ecologically sound forms, and devising manufacturing techniques close to home to truly liberate the Dutch bike.
Zahid Sardar is a writer who lives and works in San Francisco. His articles on design are published in major design publications.