The Chainlink

Dutch Bike Chicago is out of business

The shop in Bucktown/Wicker Park that used to house Dutch Bike Chicago is empty. Ran into Vince the manager briefly there, and apparently the Seattle bosses pulled the plug and all the stock was shipped back there. Vince and Chris are looking for work. Any more info?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on September 30, 2011 at 3:19pm
Bummer, they had some cool bikes. Maybe a little ahead of it's time for Chicago.
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 30, 2011 at 3:35pm
They had just moved from Armitage in Lincoln Park to Bucktown, right?
Permalink Reply by Allen Wrench on September 30, 2011 at 3:41pm
yup - kind of underneath the blue line station at Damen.
Permalink Reply by Vondo on September 30, 2011 at 4:13pm
I don't get the whole dutch bike thing. To me its more of a luxury item/status symbol, like driving a bentley. I don't have anything against them, if you have the disposable income and you want one, go for it. Having said that, it isn't surprising to me that people aren't lining up for $2k+ bicycles that don't really do anything "better" than a regular commuter. I hate to see anyone lose their job though.
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 30, 2011 at 4:25pm

I haven't rode one yet,  but it seems like those who have them love them.

 

We do have JC Lind and Copenhagen Cyclery that both specialize in "Dutch Style" if you are looking for that type of bike.

 

Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on September 30, 2011 at 4:38pm

A big part of the reason why people probably like them, is because of their upright position. It's basically like driving a car. That's a relatively easy and cheap upgrade using a road or mountain bike, which can be accomplished with a longer stem and/or upright-style handlebars.

 

The largest part of their appeal in the US was best summarized by Vando. They are pretty/stylish looking bikes. Who knows, it might be a nostalgic thing for somebody who's travelled and/or lived in Holland. And like Jeff said, the high-end commuting subculture is quite small in our car-centered society. For example, in the Netherlands, you are very likely to see a "business-man", or somebody in a high rank position riding such bike with a suit and tie (chainguards and fenders are important here, but those are  cheap upgrades too).  In the US, how often does that occur? In the states, the equivalent ranks are more likely to drive/valet or ride a taxi to their respective jobs.

 


Julie Hochstadter said:

I haven't rode one yet,  but it seems like those who have them love them.

 

We do have JC Lind and Copenhagen Cyclery that both specialize in "Dutch Style" if you are looking for that type of bike.

 

Permalink Reply by Allen Wrench on September 30, 2011 at 4:52pm

Well, I think you are missing some of the appeal of these bikes. Yeah, there are expensive ones that aren't that great, but there are crummy fixies and rotten road bikes and bad mountain bikes too, and a lot of those are no cheaper. The new ones Dutch Bike sold were very costly, it's true, but they had $300 multispeed internal hubs, all stainless steel parts (including chromed stainless rims on some) and high end accessories like fenders, full chainguards, lights, hub brakes, and leather saddles on many. These bikes, as with nearly all bikes in this category, can stay outdoors all winter for 10 years without getting oiled and they'll still ride fine. They're the steel toed work boot of commuting bicycles - built better than most people need, but some people can use the extra features.  There are other Dutch-like style bikes that don't have all these features, and those might be the style-based rides you're thinking of. They tend to be cheaper though too.

 

I agree with the upright handlebar fix - did it on my 1990 Specialized StumpJumper - but the real Dutch bikes are more durable in the long run.

 

Also agree with the market analysis by Mr Schneider.

Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on September 30, 2011 at 4:59pm

LOL, good one.

 

 

"These bikes, as with nearly all bikes in this category, can stay outdoors all winter for 10 years without getting oiled and they'll still ride fine"

Permalink Reply by Seemore Psycle Werks on September 30, 2011 at 6:46pm

I guarantee that they, Dutch bikes, don't cost 2k(USD) or equivalent Euro in Holland.  I hate too see any bike shop fail, but I think they priced themselves to fail.  Look at the demographics of the neighborhood.  I'm thinking you put a high end fixed gear bike shop in that same location catering to the tragically hip with the same price point and they would do just fine, I think.  This would have been a better idea for a shop in that location.

 

Maybe they should have put a shop in one of the suburbs, somewhere closer to their target market with the disposable income, and closer to one of those fancy forest preserve trails.  Just a thought.  Words of the day "market research".

 

 

Permalink Reply by Jared on September 30, 2011 at 7:32pm
I would have to imagine the ever present reality of bike theft puts  a damper on sales.  Personally I have no intention of spending that kind of money on something that could be stolen so easily.
Permalink Reply by David on September 30, 2011 at 9:33pm

They opened on Armitage in Lincoln Park a few years ago, which I'd say is pretty much in the center of their target market, much more than any suburb would have been (it's really hard for me to imagine the Dutch Bike market taking off in the suburbs).

 

Like a lot of those boutiques on Armitage, they had the bad luck of arriving just as the economy fell apart.  For Dutch Bike it was even worse I think, since that corresponded with Daley completing dropping any bike plans.  Think back to 2005-2006:  the economy's booming, the cycle center had just opened to national acclaim, and Daley is talking constantly about making Chicago the bike commuting capital of the US. It's easy to assume the high-end commuter bike market in Lincoln Park is about to explode, as everyone takes  advantage of all the great new bike infrastructure.

 

Fast forward a few years and the economy is a mess, nobody has disposable income, and the only change for bikes in Chicago is that we lost all our parking in the meter deal.   Trying to build a new high-end bike shop in that environment is really tough.  And it hasn't really gotten better since.  The move to Wicker Park seemed like a last-gasp effort to stay alive, but I'm not surprised the parent company finally pulled the plug.


Seemore Psycle Werks said:

I guarantee that they, Dutch bikes, don't cost 2k(USD) or equivalent Euro in Holland.  I hate too see any bike shop fail, but I think they priced themselves to fail.  Look at the demographics of the neighborhood.  I'm thinking you put a high end fixed gear bike shop in that same location catering to the tragically hip with the same price point and they would do just fine, I think.  This would have been a better idea for a shop in that location.

 

Maybe they should have put a shop in one of the suburbs, somewhere closer to their target market with the disposable income, and closer to one of those fancy forest preserve trails.  Just a thought.  Words of the day "market research".

 

 

Permalink Reply by Ash L. on September 30, 2011 at 10:44pm
What I don't understand though is why the Seattle location would sooner have all stock and all bicycles shipped back to the west coast at an exorbitant cost than to try to sell them here at a deep discount. At least stay open until some of the bikes move and give Vince a chance to find work. It seems like a dick move on the owner's part to tell him to just pack up the store and then find himself a new place to hang his hat in a week.
I would have snapped that beat up bakfiets out front for a cool 80 bucks too.

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