LEC (Low Effort Cycling) Konzept: learn me about dutch bike/omafiets/commuter bike geometry and specs

General Discussion
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The idea of making a commuter bike has been percolating in my small mind for a while now… a nice commuter bike… a comfortable commuter bike. I have some idea of what this means to me, but I want to see what it means to others.

This is a bike I could ride high as a kite, or a few beers deep, with no hands, and while making an important call. A bike that I can lock up in any part of my city, no matter the socioeconomic status. A bike that takes me where I need to go in the city, not where I want to go.

A robust bike. a sturdy bike. A bike I don’t have to care about (but I secretly do). I wanna ride it slowly and put it away wet… outside… while it’s still raining.

This, I will herein refer to this idea-of-a-bike as “Low Effort Cycling (LEC) konzept”.

Frame forum, I have two general questions that I would like to open this discussion with:

1) What does LEC mean to you? e.g. how much luggage? how light? how sturdy? how pretty? tyre width? etc.

2) Does anybody have sort of general guidelines for LEC konzept bikes in the Dutch style?* I’m quite enamoured with the Dutch… style of city bike.

Regarding the latter question, I have looked into the first company that sprang to mind when I thought about LEC, “Gazelle”, and it seems that they no longer make non-electric bikes. This fills my heart with heavy material, possibly sadness or lead or maybe even depleted uranium. Does anyone here have any recommendations or ideas as to the general guiding principles of such bikes, e.g. BB-HT/grip lengths.
For examples, have heard the super slack seat tube angles allow one frame size to fit a large range of riders (size wise). This is LEC konzept.

P.S. I’m not an e-bike hater (in fact I think they are quite neat!) but I personally feel that for a non-cargo bike, the mechanical and philosophical elegance of the traditional bicycle (no external power other than burgers and dessert) reigns supreme.

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Just adding to conversation here. But my low effort bike is the one I can spend the least effort maintaining.

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I see two options: Dutch Bike or Schindelhauer

Both would overlap here:

  • 700x38 tires
  • internal 8-speed hub w/belt drive
  • v-brakes
  • integrated front + rear racks
  • u-lock integration
  • anti-theft options for stem, hbar, wheels, seatpost
  • sandblasted and then allowed to patina with only a coat of paste wax

Geometry, handle bars and saddle would be determined by blood alcohol level, commute length and/or who I’m riding with.

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A '90s mountain bike with a rear rack and some clip-on fenders and some strap-on lights is what comes to mind. Those things are super beefy and can be found for cheap. If it gets stolen, it’s not the end of the world.

You could model your frame after one of those with maybe a longer head tube for more comfort. Rattle can paint it. Then scrounge up some cheap components from your local bike co-op.

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It would have to be made from relatively thick wall plain gauge “plumbing” tubing so it doesn’t ding too easily when you lean it on a light pole

I have a personal LEC which has a few features I particularly like:

  • Low profile, not fancy looking. Matte black paint job, nothing flashy. But it is a good quality bike with decent parts
  • Permanent fenders. Those clip on things never work properly…
  • Permanent lights with hub dynamo
  • 8sp hub gears but no belt. Beefy 1spd nickel plated chain instead
  • Cheap Shimano disc brakes. They just work, haven’t had to service them once in 15.000km apart from swapping pads
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I have recently moved from Brazil to Belgium, in the ‘dutch’ part of the country. They like their bikes as much as the Dutch do here.

What I learned from the locals is: get the cheapest bike possible that works to leave at the train station and have a better bike at home for other rides. There is no standard LEC bike here, but it’s a real mix of old bikes. My solution was a 20 euro old 3 speed Peugeot I got in France, which has cheaper bikes than here usually. Only thing new it needed was tires and because it’s in a stupid 650 french standard, both tires cost me like 40 euros… It has full on steel fenders which are great. It had a dynamo and front and rear light that still works, but the front light fell off. Rear rack and cord but a front rack would really make it better.

If I was to build/buy a new bike, I’d like:

Standard 700 tires. Or any tire were you can get cheap replacements.
7 to 8 gears is good enough. Even a single could be enough.
Belt drive would be nice but it’s definitely a luxury. You can ride a full year everywhere with a 7/8sp chain and a new one is very cheap. I’ve seen belt drives worn out by 5000km (happens if belt tension is not good, something you don’t want to check every now and then).
Dynamo and lights that are more tucked in and won’t break easily.
Front porteur rack and a rear rack
Full fenders

A low step frame is good but with a normal top tube you can also carry some extra stuff in a bag on it when return from the supermarket.

Oh, and gazelle still has a normal bike. Check it out, it’s the esprit and it’s quite nice, but I find it too expensive to lock it up anywhere.

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Dutchie here, I often thought about building a commuter. But it just doesn’t makes sense.
There are so many bicycles rotating around, that prices are relatively cheap for a commuter. You need a good lock and some air in your tires. I by loose lights that wrap around the head tube and seattube.
I guess you want a hufter proof bike.

A few yrs ago I took my boy (7 at the time) on a camping trip. All our gear and the both of us. 40 km ride one way.

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