Batavus Flying D

Jan 01, 2008  ·  12:10 PM  ·  permalink

Starting the new year out right, with a sunny winter day, I test rode the Batavus Flying D — D could stand for Dutchman, but definitely not dainty!

This bike is big, sturdy, heavy (not in a bad heavy way, but good), and rolls — just like you’d expect a Dutch bike to do. At one point, I just rode right over speed bumps and let the big wheels, tires, and sprung seat take the abuse.

I was riding in style, upright and certain the bike would get me to where I was going. The bike rides like a urban cruiser, with wide, 26” rims and big, durable tires. It’s a curious, setback, relaxed, and upright ride and that’s in the rake of the fork. That’s hard to describe, but ride one and you’ll get what I’m saying …

A Sachs (now SRAM) 7 speed internal hub with coaster brake drives the bike with simple shifting and braking control. A coaster brake is like the brake you had on your bikes as a kid, you kick back your heel to slow the rear.

The bike is the beefier and bigger brother of the Lightning I reviewed earlier and also really dug. These bikes are heirloom bikes. Meaning, you’ll have it for the rest of your life and hand it down for generations.

The Flying D ships with

• Brooks B67 leather saddle and matching leather grips
• Wheel lock
• Auto-on/off lights
• Fenders

and the MSRP is $1,049.99. I rode the men’s version and I was remarkably able to climb up the steep hill back to Hugga HQ. The women’s version drops the tob tube.

Check with your local Independent Bike Dealer for a test ride. On the next ride with the Flying D, I’ll commute to downtown Seattle and back.

Notes

Roller brake corrected to coaster brake.