Today, we consider the Electra Amsterdam Classic 3.

What’s Good

• Totally enclosed drive train – One need never worry about greasy breeches, and the need for tiresome maintenance is greatly reduced
• Includes rack, fenders, and dynamo lights – The well-appointed Amsterdam Classic comes complete with nearly all the accessories a commuter could desire.
• Style – These are the sorts of bicycles found between the legs of the most fashionable ladies in Denmark. What more enviable position could one aspire to?
• 700×40 tires – Neither pothole nor cobblestone street will jar your bones with plump tires such as these

What’s bad

• Geometry – The layout of the Amsterdam’s frame is optimised for comfort and dignified cycling, not for maximum speed or efficiency.

Although the Amsterdam comes with a rack, you would not go far wrong to put a basket on the handlebars to transport your lunch and sundries to your place of employment. Electra offers several, the least expensive being $25

For a bike like the Amsterdam, a rain cape is a good option for protection from the elements. It’s not unlike a tent that keeps the rain off of you from above and is open for ample ventilation from beneath.

A nice yellow cape can be had for $46 from J&G Cyclewear. I have had dealings with J&G in the past, and have found them to be most honorable people with products that are excellent in every imaginable way.

Brain injuries are only humorous when they happen to some other fellow.

For $50, the Bell Citi helmet may assist your skull in the containment of brains, lest they spill across the pavement; a most untidy state of affairs in the best of circumstances.

One never can be sure where brigands and thieves may lurk in the shadows, and it would, therefore, be best to secure your bicycle to a sturdy object with a lock.

The entry level Kryptionite U-lock can be had for a mere $18.

It bears mentioning that Kryptonite locks are not actually manufactured from real Kryptonite, and any efforts to use one to subdue Superman will likely end in failure.

Right, so, let’s tally up the figures.

Bike $550
Basket $25
Rain Cape $46
Helmet $50
Lock $18

Total: $689

A touch more expensive than yesterday’s example, but the extra money is well spent for the dynamo-powered lights and the style and panache the Amsterdam has to offer.

Electra bicycles can be purchased at your local Electra dealership.

Update: More discussion of the Electra Amsterdam can be found on the Bikes for the Rest of Us blog.