114 mile review of my Linus Dutchi 3

It blows my mind that I've already gone over a hundred miles with Silvia, my new Linus Dutchi 3. Time is passing so fast and I figured now was a good time to right up a short term review. All the pictures were taken with my phone, it's just easier that way and I always have it with me. I do plan to do some beauty shots with her when it's not so windy outside.
Sylvia is the second brand new bike I've ever gotten and this was the first time I actually researched and tested multiple bikes before deciding on one. She was also the first bike I tried when the search started in January. I am super lucky that Transit Cycles opened in January!


First her pedals. I can't find out who makes them, but I fell in love with the grippy rubber on them. The pedals on Lucy had screw in spikes to hold your feet in place and they would cut you when they hit. These pedals hold my feet just as securely without the blood.
On the downside, the rubber is already wearing away and the metal is really slick. I've ordered a set of old style rubber block pedals to replace these.
The kickstand that came on her was junk. It was to short and had no stability to it. This one is the one I had on Lucy, it's an old cast alloy one that could take out a vampire. Simple and effective.

I love the rubber!
                              

The paint paint is a shiny apple red and I love how some places are darker than others. It's most noticeable on the fenders and in the joints.
I was originally looking for a blue bike, but I chose her because they didn't come in red. A few days after I put the down payment on I got the email that they were now available in blue. It was too late though, I was already in love with her. Besides red bikes go faster.
I like how the welds have character too.

Bad close up of the pretty paint.

The brakes had very little stopping power at first, and since together we are pretty heavy, (she's 43 lbs) I was a bit worried.  A little love with an emery board and small knife gave them some grip. Now she stops like a champ.  

The original seat was not the most comfortable for me. It was too squishy and it pinched me on bumps. The frame on the sides wore a bit of skin off from friction, plus I got my first saddle sore ever. I tried other seats and have now settled on a Brooks B67 S. I'm glad Duncan could get it in so fast. It took barely a week after I ordered it. This seat went with Lucy and Dana likes it so far.                             

Pretty but pinchy. The bumper sticker says "Come to the darkside...we have cookies"

                            

The grips are normally leather, but during the test rides I hated how plasticky they felt. I was very glad that Duncan from Transit Cycles traded them out for these cork ones from Velo Orange. I love these grips, they are firm with the right bit of softness. With these grips I don't have to wear gloves because my hands don't go numb. It's another get on and go feature I really appreciate!

These are the best grips I've ever used!

                          

I love the chain guard and fenders that she came stock with. The first weekend I got her we had a storm so I had to try the fenders out. I splashed through every puddle I could find, many of them more than once. The fenders kept me dry and they don't rattle at all. 

The chain guard keeps my pants clean, although the very first time I test rode her my pants got stuck under it, it took me and Duncan a bit of work to get them free. I still haven't figured out how I did that.

I love the reflective strip on the tires, it really shines when any light hits it. It also makes it hard to take pictures with a flash. The tires roll well and are pretty cushy. They also grip the road and let me take fairly tight turns with ease. They are also the narrowest tire I've ever ridden on. 26" x 1.25". I run them at the highest pressure of 80 psi and they still smooth out the bumps in the road. If I line up the bumps right it's almost like what I remember riding a horse was like when I was a child. I got to go to camp.                            

Shiny!

So far I'm really happy with my choice. She's not fast, but then neither am I; we'll get faster together. I love the upright position and the internal gears, I'm really bad about remembering to shift before I stop. I love that I can just get on and go with no care for my clothes. I really love the easy on and off of the step through frame that doesn't aggravate my knee and lets me stop without a curb nearby.
She's a wonderfully solid ride and her weight gives her a stability I've never had on a bike before. It's enough to put crazy ideas in my head...

Eager to get going on one of our first adventures together.