City bicycle

Heavy-duty variant of Dutch city bike

A European city bike is a heavy roadster bicycle designed for frequent short, moderately paced rides through relatively flat urban areas. It is a form of utility bicycle commonly seen around the world, built to facilitate everyday riding in normal clothes in a variety of weather conditions.

Design and operation

Year-round, multi-purpose use

The European city bike or heavy roadster is designed for everyday utility cycling with a range of loads, clothing, and road and weather conditions. The result is a bicycle optimized for daily personal short-distance transportation over relatively flat terrain. A traditional European city bike provides hop-on-and-go ability, with no "gearing-up" process.

"Stadsfiets" as a defining term

The Dutch city bike, or Stadsfiets, is a useful starting point for defining the nature of the design, as it has the full set of features commonly incorporated into a European city bike (the Dutch words fiets and stadsfiets mean bicycle and city bicycle, respectively). Stadsfiets is considered to be a fully-outfitted European city bike, distinguished by the following typical features: upright or 'sit-up-and-beg' riding position, fully-enclosed chaincase, skirtguard, O-lock, hub gearing, dynamo hub, and built-in lights. German and Danish versions of the European city bike are similar, though there are differences.

The heavy English roadster or African roadster is very similar in design, appearance, and intended use. The primary differences are that the European city bike tends to have a more upright riding posture with a higher handlebar position, and it does not employ rod-operated (stirrup) brakes. Because of Great Britain's role in distributing British-designed utility bicycles through some of its former colonies, the heavy roadster can still be seen in local production and use throughout the world.

Traditional vs. contemporary design

Traditional features in a European city bike include a heavy frame made of low-carbon high-tensile steel, black paint with chromed accessories, an opaque skirtguard, bottle dynamo, simple dynamo-powered lights, and either a single-speed or 3-speed internally geared hub.

Contemporary city bikes are increasingly found in many European cities, including Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Dutch and Danish-made city bikes often include such features as a clear skirt guard, bright colors, aluminum alloy frame, front suspension fork, suspension seatpost, Hub dynamo, dynamo lighting with motion/darkness detection, a 7- or 8-speed hub (or NuVinci hub), adjustable kickstand, child seats, and a headlight integrated into the front fork. Newer German models, on the other hand, tend to incorporate a 'less is more' philosophy, emphasizing engineering and function over form.

Examples of European city bikes

The following bicycles provide all the features that a customer in Holland or Denmark would expect for in a stadsfiets (European city bike):

• Batavus, Crescendo model
• Gazelle, Orange model line
• Sparta, "Atlas Trendy N7" model
• Kildemoes, "Classic" model
• Taarnby, "City Shopper" model
• Trek, L200 model and other "City/Leisure" models.

While differing in many details, some American bicycle manufacturers have incorporated some features of traditional European city bikes in models such as the Electra Royal 8, Breezer Uptown 8, Biria Trekking Superlight 8, and the Trek Gary Fisher Simple City 8.

Differences from hybrid city or commuter bikes

Traditional European city bikes are optimized for short-distance, frequent transportation over relatively flat terrain in urban settings. A fully outfitted European city bike or heavy utility roadster typically weighs 35-50 pounds, compared with 14-22 pounds for the average road racing bike and 22-29 pounds for the typical modern mountain bike, touring bike, or hybrid city bike, commuter, or cross bike. While durable, its considerable weight makes the European city bike difficult to pedal against any type of elevated terrain. Cumbersome to hand-carry and store, they are not the best choice for commuters needing to transport their bicycles on public transportation nor cyclists living or working in upper floor residences. Instead, most European city bikes are locked and stored outside businesses or residences, even during inclement weather.

In countries where metropolitan areas and suburbs are often located on or near hills, the all-weather European city bike, at least in its traditional form, is virtually unknown. In the United States, for example, Americans living in cities or suburbs with many days of sunshine per year have traditionally used road racing bicycles, sport/touring bicycles, or mountain bikes for general commuting or utility purposes. For all-weather use, U.S. buyers still tend to purchase substantially lighter machines than the traditional Stadsfiets or utility roadster, instead choosing lighter hybrid city bikes or commuter bikes derived from road or mountain designs. The latter frequently employ lightweight frames and wide gear ranges for use on higher-speed roadways as well as steep terrain. To save weight, some hybrid city or commuter bikes do not usually possess many accessories, adding only fenders, a rack, and perhaps a partial chainguard, as well as front and rear lights. Their smaller bulk and lighter weight often permits them to be portaged into offices and residences, an advantage in countries with extremely high rates of bicycle vandalism and theft (even of older or obsolete models with little monetary value).

Lightweight variants

Much like the English sports roadster, a lighter-weight variant of the contemporary European city bike adheres to the same general approach to bike design and use, but saves weight and increases efficiency by using:

• Caliper brakes instead of hub brakes
• Derailleurs rather than hub gearing
• A battery-based lighting system rather than a hub dynamo system
• Lighter frame built of chromoly steel or aluminum
• Lighter spoked aluminum rims and hubs
• Light plastic or webbing skirt guard, or no skirtguard

The lightweight European city bike is exemplified in Batavus's Jakima X-Light model, which is otherwise similar to the fully outfitted typical European city bike. This is sometimes marketed as a "sports" variant of the latter.

Availability in the United States

Most American bike shops do not carry european city bikes, nor their accessories (O-locks, skirtguards, full chain case, hub dynamo, built-in lights, tires with reflective sidewall stripe, or hub gears) that are commonly found in Holland, Denmark, Germany, and other European countries.

Typical features

Hub gearing

While heavy and complex, a hub gear provides a variety of gear ratios combined with safety, a single shifting mechanism, and ease of use. With most designs, gearing may be scaled up or down as needed. It is extremely durable, low-maintenance, and provides a constant degree of efficiency. However, when a geared hub does fail, service can be expensive, as most shops simply replace the entire unit rather than attempt repairs.

A high-end European city bike or roadster typically has 3, 5, 7, or 8 speeds. Batavus makes around 5 variants of the prototypical full-featured city bike that have a NuVinci hub with continuously variable drive ratio. The NuVinci has nearly the same range as an 8-speed hub, selectable at any ratio within the range. In a very few high-end models, a Rohloff 14-speed geared hub is available.

A geared hub allows easy gear shifting with one hand while negotiating traffic and intersections, enabling the cyclist to focus on steering rather than mechanics of switching gears. The geared hub also permits shifting gears while stopped, and avoids the problem of stopping uphill in too high a gear. Hub gearing also permits the use of a fully enclosed chaincase, resulting in low maintenance. A clean hub gear and drive train, protected by full chaincase, is about as efficient as a dirty and worn chain-and-derailleur system.

Hub dynamo and automatic lights

A hub dynamo enables a built-in lighting system without the loud noise and high drag of a bottle (sidewall) dynamo, and without the unreliability and maintenance-overhead of batteries. The hub dynamo powers LED or halogen front and rear lights. The lights have a built-in reflector. The taillight is mounted cleanly on the rear rack or fender. A built-in reflector in the headlight and taillight surrounds or is adjacent to the LED or light bulb.

The latest systems include a capacitor-powered standlight, powered for a few minutes by a capacitor. This prevents the lights from going out as soon as the bike speed drops to less than a few miles per hour; this evens out the amount of light at various speeds, sustaining the light at lower speeds.

The latest systems include automatic switching based on darkness+motion detection. This prevents having to reach to physically position a bottle dynamo or consume set-up time; this enables ready, guaranteed lighting regardless of the daylight conditions. A 3-position switch has positions for Off, On, and Auto. A hub dynamo prevents the usage-overhead and preparation time of attaching the headlight and taillight to the bike prior to using the bike, and prevents having to remove the headlight and taillight and carry them while the bicycle is parked in public. A built-in light system avoids a failing battery lamp and prevents getting a ticket and fine from having no lights at night.

Front suspension with built-in headlight

A front suspension fork is common. Traditionally, the heavy roadster's front suspension, with its limited travel and adjustability, tends to be quite a bit cruder than the plush coil/oil or air/oil suspension forks with adjustable compression and rebound found on modern mountain bikes. Integrating the headlight into the front fork and fender assembly tends to discourage vandalism, protects the wiring, and reduces the number of external wires and cables.

O-lock

A built-in O-lock (ring lock or wheel lock) is a type of bicycle lock that prevents ride-off theft, establishes ownership, secures the back wheel to the frame, and provides a lock and slot for a cable. In cities not subject to predation by determined bicycle thieves, the O-lock facilitates outdoor parking, by reducing the risk that someone can steal the bike by quickly riding off on it.

The O-lock also serves as a deterrent to ownership disputes, as the person who has the O-lock key is proven to be the owner of the bike. More recent O-locks have a slot to attach an armored cable, allowing a cyclist to lock the frame, wheels, and seat.

Skirt guard (coat guard)

A skirt guard (or coatguard) allows using the bike with normal clothes. It helps enable riding in cold and rain because it allows easy use of a coat, dress, skirt, scarf, or luggage; riding a bike in cold weather becomes possible in conjunction with wearing more clothing and using a skirtguard and chaincase. It also enables transporting various materials on the rack without getting caught in the spokes.

A skirtguard prevents winter or flowing spring clothing from getting caught in the area where many features converge: the back brake, O-lock, and spokes. The skirtguard and O-lock form an integrated system. The O-lock catches clothing, so the skirtguard is needed to compensate. The O-lock passes through a hole in the skirt guard. The traditional, old-fashioned city bike has a solid (opaque) fabric skirt guard, while the contemporary European city bike has a clear plastic guard.

Fully-enclosed chain guard (chaincase)

A fully-enclosed chain guard or chaincase enables using the bike with normal clothes and no preparation activity, such as wearing trouser clips or rolling up one's pant leg. A full guard prevents oil stains on clothes, and keeps pant legs from getting caught in the chain or front chainring. While newer designs may use a partial chain guard, the latter still permits the chain to occasionally catch and stain loose pant legs if not secured.

While heavy, a full chain guard also keeps the drive train (chain and external gears) clean and efficient by preventing water, mud, and grit from splashing onto the chain and front chainring, increasing wear and reducing drivetrain efficiency. However, a fully enclosed guard must be partially disassembled to remove the back wheel in order to repair a flat tire.

Stable geometry

A curved fork and angled vertical tubing provides stable, non-twitchy steering. Although some accessories can be added to to an American speed-oriented bike, that doesn't result in the frame geometry characteristic of a European city bike. A stable European city bike enables securely travelling along in a position that is as upright as walking, while carrying a load; it feels stable and relaxed, like walking very fast. This stable geometry enables riding with one hand while signalling a turn or a stop. A city bike needs be capable of turning around in a small space without falling over, and needs to be capable of moving reliably with shopping bags hanging from the handlebars, even if riding with one hand.

Swept-back handlebars

The handlebars, similar to the American North Road style handlebars, have a moderate rise and are swept back toward the body, enabling a fully upright posture similar to a person walking. This increases the rider's visibility in traffic, as well as improving his or her ability to observe traffic and approaching intersections or potential hazards. While not advisable, the bar's shape allows shopping bags, locks, and other items to be hung from the bars without the danger of slipping off.

Full fenders with mudguard flaps

The fenders are aluminum or plastic, sometimes with a taillight affixed to the bottom of the back fender. The fairly low bottom of the back fender reduces road grime splashing up to a cyclist who is following behind. Integrated fenders designed into the bike provide a clean, safe attachment, and match the bike frame.

Hub brakes or roller brakes

Hub brakes, drum brakes, or roller brakes rather than rim brakes are used on most European city bikes. Hub brakes are heavier than rim brakes.

In wet weather, hub brakes provide more stopping power and reliability than rim brakes. In dry weather, hub brakes, particularly Roller Brakes, provide less stopping power than rim brakes. A hub gear bike is thus optimized for stopping in wet weather, sacrificing some dry-weather stopping power.

Rack with strap

A Dutch convention is to carry a passenger on the back rack, the passenger balancing side-saddle. The sturdy rack supports passenger weight, to carry a passenger and sustain a launch without collapsing. A standard strap assembly attaches cleanly to the rack, providing useful transport capability. There are standard notches for a strap assembly with 3 or 4 elastic straps. The rack is integrated into the bike design; the taillight is usually mounted on the back of the rack..

Dual or adjustable kickstand

A kickstand is present, and is often dual-leg or a center-stand for stability while the bike is carrying children or a load. Alternately, an adjustable-length kickstand enables parking regardless of the slope and load.

Tires and wheels

The tires are puncture-resistant to help enable travelling without carrying a pump and tools to fix a flat tire on each trip. They are normally of medium width (1.5 inches or 38 mm), providing a balance of speed with durability and cushioning. These are semi-slick road tires with shallow tread, such as Shwalbe Marathon tires. Such tires are faster and quieter than mountain-bike tires, and more durable and reliable than road-race tires. The tires have reflective bands on the sidewalls to make the bike wheels visible as wheels, not just as small reflectors. This makes the bike more visible from side at night by cars. This approach prevents having to wear reflective clothing and take extra lights.

Large, 700c or 28" wheels are typical, providing a smoother ride than 26" wheels. The front and back wheels are non quick-release wheels, with axle bolts to discourage theft. European city bikes are used in bike-friendly areas for short distances with sturdy tires. These factors combine to enable riding without tools on a bike without quick-release wheels.

Non-slip platform pedals

The platform pedals allow use with normal shoes, and are often non-slip pedals to prevent normal shoes from slipping in the rain.

Saddle

The saddle is typically moderately broad, cushy, and springy, and is often suspended. A non quick-release seat prevents having to lock or remove the seat for safekeeping.

Other Features

A bell is standard equipment for bikes in Europe, and is required by law in some European countries, such as Denmark and Germany. Additional features are available, such as child seats and a windshield; for example, the Amazone model from the Sparta brand..

References

• Hurst, Robert, and Streb, Marla, The Art of Urban Cycling

External links

• Momentum Website
• Velovision website
• Amsterdam Bicycles
• Copenhagenize Blog
• Dutch Wikipedia Article
• Portland, OR European City Bike importer
• Canada ECB importer

See also

• Roadster (bicycle)