>>1273383You've seen that right. People don't really care about fancy bikes here because they aren't convenient to own. Most people use their bikes a LOT (several times a day) and mostly for short distances. People rely on them to get where they want while nobody is really careful with bikes in a busy city (force them into an already full bike rack, throw them against 6 other bikes in a subway car, pull them out of a canal after some idiot wasn't careful when pulling loose the bike that was parked behind yours on the bridge). The last thing you want is an expensive bike with gears that can break. What you need is a simple, plain bike that is absolutely unbreakable and preferably looks old because especially in Amsterdam the entire hobo community lives of selling stolen bikes. Very popular right now is the omafiets (“grandma bike”), see pic related. No gears, solid design, low frame for easy access.
This doesn't mean people only ever buy simple bikes. Many people own a second, fancier bike for touring. Often a 40 years old Gazelle that used to belong to their dad, or a mid-range racing bike. People who live on the country side and have to cycle 20-30 kilometers commuting every day often have a fancier bike as their main bike, but many do that on an old wreck as well.
For example: I, an average dude living in Amsterdam, own 3 operational bikes:
>an old 3-gear Batavus I use to get around the city and fall off when drunk>a 1500 euro Koga touring bike I use for long trips and vacations>a rusty grandma bike with one pedal missing I use to get to the metro station and back (got stolen and replaced multiple times) 