Welcome to J.C. Lind Bike Co. We import and sell Dutch bikes because we, like the Dutch, prefer getting around by bike. On our floor you will find genuine quality European city bikes, family cargo bikes, and eBikes from Workcycles, Pilen, Gazelle, Riese & Müller, Veloe Cycles, Brompton, Tern, and Urban Arrow.
You may have heard that people in the Netherlands use bicycles for 40% of all their trips. It's safe to say a big reason for that is cultural and historical, but one shouldn't overlook the importance of abundant utilitarian bikes in making that 40% number happen. It's for this reason that our focus (and unofficial slogan) is Genuine Dutch Transport--because we'd like to contribute to the abundance of those same useful bikes here in Chicago.
From our shop in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood, we've been bringing the Dutch bicycling lifestyle to the U.S. since 2008. For us, that means selling bikes that can withstand the demands of daily, practical use. For some of our customers that means year-round commuting, for others, weekend trips to the beach or grocery, and for plenty of others, ferrying kids around town.
These bikes have practical features like fenders (to keep riders more dry in the rain and snow), racks (for loading bags or crates up with goods), sturdy kickstands (for keeping bikes steady while loading), dynamo lights (running off a generator hub, they don't require batteries or charging), internal gearing and internal roller brakes (for all-weather capability and less maintenance), fully enclosed chain cases (keeping abrasive grit and the elements off the drivetrain), and upright, comfortable geometry for daily use. Not only that, but many of these bikes--commonplace in the Netherlands--are designed specifically for carrying 1, 2, 3, even 4 kids.
We think it's important to note that the bikes we sell come standard with these features. They aren't just after-market add-ons or afterthoughts that when imperfectly assembled together form a complete daily-use bike. The bikes we import and sell are built from the ground up to capably be what they are: heavy, durable, low-maintenance, comfortable city bikes.
In 10+ years, we've accumulated customers from within our own neighborhood to faraway regions of the city and suburbs, and even across the country. We affectionately refer to this broad community as the J.C. Lind family. When seeing pictures or hearing stories of our customers and their families getting tons of use out of their bikes, it always warms our hearts here, and reinvigorates us with energy to do what we do. If you're interested in our bikes, whether they're completely new to you, or you're all too familiar with the offerings and capabilities of Dutch bikes, come on in to the shop, or feast your eyes on our website and all the info therein. We're always accepting new J.C. Lind family members :)