Oma oma bo-boma bo-nana-fana-fo-foma, fee fie fo-moma, Oma!

[darkemeralds]

Well, boys and girls, I am now the proud owner of a Dutch Workcycles Omafiets. (Oma=Grandma, fiets=bicycle. It's a granny bike!)

When I bought Clyde, my Specialized Globe "Carmel" cruiser, back in August, people said things like, "When you upgrade..." and "Oh, I can't wait to see what kind of bike you decide on next!" and I said, "I ain't buyin' no more bikes! Clyde is my bike 4-evah!"

Ha ha ha ha.

Actually, I knew I'd upgrade eventually. I just thought I'd wait a whole year. So, why buy a new bike? And why now?

• Clyde was built for the buy-it-and-put-it-in-the-garage consumer*, so daily commuting has aged him about five years in six months.


• Clyde is not truly up to my weight--if I carry heavy groceries, his poor spokes are taxed.


• I really wanted better gearing. Clyde is pretty clunky that way.


• A step-through (aka "girl's") configuration in a 61 cm (big-tall-Dutchman) size? How could I not?**



• My commute several months of the year is in the dark, and I wanted the hub-dynamo lights that run off pedal power*** instead of having to change out batteries all the time.


• The more I've ridden, the more I've wanted to differentiate myself absolutely from more sportif riders. This was pretty obvious visually, but the Omafiets really seals the deal.


• I love the completely enclosed, low-maintenance chain. I was tired of the grease.


• I wanted a bike that's not a fix-it-yourselfer. I'm a take-it-to-the-shop type of person.

*This, apparently, is the fate of 80% of all bikes sold in the US. I was astonished. Don't ask me why.

**Assumptions about men, women and size are apparently different in the Netherlands than here

***The Clever Cycles guy said that with the lights on, the generator hub requires the same excess pedal power as if gaining six feet over a mile, or something like that. Not nothing, but no big deal if you're not hurrying.



I went and got her from Clever Cycles at lunchtime today, and rode her home tonight. She feels very civilized and dignified. I might have to name her Eleanor.

(Cross-posted to my personal DW and LJ.)

Comments

[sara]

She's gorgeous -- and looks like just the thing for day-in, day-out commuting on a flat.

Oh, and tell me how you like the Brooks saddle...in about two weeks. *grin* (I think I have to buy another one -- I put the crap foam saddle back on the tandem last weekend because I've been tired of changing the good one back and forth, and my back went out for two days. Urgh.)

[darkemeralds]

They told me at the shop that a Brooks saddle will take some breaking-in and getting used to. I can tell you that from only about five miles riding today, I'm a bit saddle sore! Why do you change yours out?

She's not too bad on my up-from-the-river incline. I mean, definitely not a bike for hills, but I powered up the switchback that gets a person from the water level to the Rose Quarter arena, and the next incline to my neighborhood, with only slightly more effort than I'm used to on a bike of half the weight. Good gearing.

[juliet]

For me, Brooks saddles just Do Not Work (I need a saddle with a hole in), but I know many many riders (some of whom do seriously long distance) who swear by them. The breaking-in is a factor, though :)

(I use a Selle An-Atomica, which I love dearly, although it is *expensive*. But it's sufficiently perfect for me that I dropped another £140 on getting one for my fixie as well as for the tourer, when my old fixie saddle finally wore out.)

Your new bike looks lovely! I hope you get on well with her :)

[darkemeralds]

Wow, that Selle-An-Atomica test video is...I don't know! Strangely fascinating. Looks like a heck of a saddle, especially for touring.

My eight miles a day aren't quite demanding enough for a $300 saddle, but I can see where you'd want something that carefully engineered for longer rides (or with less built-in padding than I've got).

[juliet]

I don't do *so* many miles on the fixie, but it was kind of an investment (& I have real trouble finding saddles that aren't agonisingly painful -- it was worth dropping the money to avoid the customary 6 months of repeatedly trying different saddles that don't *quite* work & then having to sell them on Ebay...)

For the tourer/audax bike it was definitely worth it, no question.

[sara]

Because I haven't been able to afford two! *snerk*

I put the Brooks on last summer, and it is noticeably much better for me than the alternatives. I did the Alpine Century short course on it with a short break-in (I had a head cold and couldn't ride for a week or so) and felt much better after that, despite the course being harder, than I had doing a flatter 50 three weeks earlier.

Yeah, gearing makes a difference! And I certainly felt the transition from an occasional-rides bike to a SRS BSNSS bike very strongly myself.

[vlion]

Keep us posted on how she ages and works.

[darkemeralds]

The aging will be an interesting thing. I expect this bike to be like a Mercedes--might cost a bit to take her in, but you hardly ever have to. I feel pretty confident that Clever Cycles will help me take good care of her.

[foxfirefey]

I am kinda jealous of that enclosed chain.

[darkemeralds]

I think it's going to be a real asset in the wet, rather messy climate where I live.

[copracat]

Oh, Eleanor is a lovely name and a lovely bike.

The more I've ridden, the more I've wanted to differentiate myself absolutely from more sportif riders.

I love looking like an unhurried lady cyclist. Although at some points on the long slopes to and from work I'm sure I like like the red-faced lady cyclist.

[darkemeralds]

Heh. Yeah, me too, I'm sure--and the more so the warmer the weather gets. I remind myself that I'm an ambassador to other older women who might not have considered taking up a bike again. I'm a pedaling, breathing example of "If she can do it, I can do it."

[temve]

Heh - the Omafiets seems to do a fine job as the ambassador of the European way of cycling. Yep, here it's the grannies just as much as the kids who ride bikes all the time, and heavy-duty comfy commuter bikes like this one are still quite normal, especially for city folks like me who choose not to own a car (although yikes at the price they charged you for this one... though I guess once you factor in import charges and shipping, that's what you arrive at).

I've been riding a slightly more modern-looking version on a similar commute for almost three years now - and yes, these things last. Congrats!

[darkemeralds]

It was definitely import duties (on top of European labor rates) that drove the price up. There's no American-made bike of that style, and my other choice in that general configuration was a made-in-China one at half the price. It was significantly less sturdy, and the bike shop guy, whose profit margin was probably similar on both bikes, steered me towards the Omafiets. It was a good decision. I'm extremely happy with it.

[aedifica]

Oooh. Neat bike!

[darkemeralds]

Just about to set out on Day Two of commuting with Eleanor Odette. So far, she's making me feel very swanning-about.

[uhhuhlex]

Wowza - she looks visually stunning! I've never seen anyone on a bike like that round here.

She looks solid though. May she give you many, many miles.

(Ahem, what was the financial damage? Dare I ask?)

[darkemeralds]

(Ahem, what was the financial damage? Dare I ask?)

Like the bike itself, not light: $1500. That does include everything except the additional lock. The only real options I had to decide on were a front cargo rack (decided against) and rearview mirror (still need).

To option-up a "regular" bike with a dynamo hub and built in lights, fenders, mud guard, rear rack (complete with bungee!), heavy-duty tires, bell, clothing guard and Brooks saddle, would easily bring the price up to this level, and that's without the internal gear hub or the solid, all-steel build quality. And as far as I know, you can't GET the chain guard as an add-on, and most bike shops (around here, anyway) won't touch a clothing-guard. The rear-wheel lock is another feature that I don't think is available as an add-on, and it's a significant theft-deterrent on a bike this heavy (impossible to wheel or ride away, and very discouraging to lift!)

Viewed as a car-replacement, it seemed a reasonable price. So far, I'm delighted with it.