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Lorenzo Concepcion’s Batavus Pro (Late 1970s?)
Chuck Jone’s 1984 model Professional in the Batavus team colors.
This bike was the Dutch Team Champion in 1983-84. Full Campy Super Record.
Excerpted from “The Multi geometries bicycle” Design & Development
June 2001 by Casper Drenth, Mechanical Engineering undergraduate, Hogeschool Zeeland
Thursday, 15 September 1904. Andries Gaastra opens his shop selling clocks and sowing machines. Two years later he expands his assortment with bicycles of (back then) well-known, German brand Presto. Quickly this brand is superseded by Gaastra’s own brand, Batavus.
Batavus takes over a bicycle factory and keeps growing. The 1930’s crisis stops the growth. But because of their inventive minds Batavus also starts producing carrier tricycles, motorcycles and ice skates. In this matter Batavus keeps growing and by 1940 employs – including Andries Gaastra’s sons Gerrit and Hans – 120 people.
During the war Batavus shuts down. But as soon as peace is signed, the demand for bicycles grows explosively. Batavus invests in a completely new machine park with assembly lines. With this purchase Batavus has become one of the worlds most modern bicycle manufactures.
Batavus is one of the nations first manufacturers that developed and produced their own Moped.
The high demand for mopeds forces Batavus to expand. They decide to build a new factory in Heerenveen-Zuid. In 1956 the 6.000 square meter complex is opened. The 300 employees open a new flourishing era.
The sales of bicycles keep rising, he factory grows to 25.000 square meters. With the take over of Magneet, Fongers, Phoenix and Germaan, Batavus pushes to the top of the Dutch bicycle industry. While the production of bicycles keeps growing, the demand for mopeds keeps dropping. Early 1980’s the last Batavus moped is made.
Batavus makes a brake-through in the athletic area. The Batavus Cycling team makes waves in the Dutch armature cycling world, with a.o. Piet Hoekstra and Egbert Koersen. In 1986 Batavus becomes part of the Atag group, after which a period of steady growth is started.
Batavus is the official material supplier of the Dutch cycling Union (KNWU). World titles and Olympic medals are being won on Batavus bicycles by Monique Knol, Leontien van Moorsel and Erik Dekker.
Batavus urges their Research and Development department to perfect the bicycle. This resulted in several diffent innovations that won price after price. The Safety handlebar, the Quick Service chain guard, the Safety Stander and the Ergo System stem won the award: “Good Industrial Design”.
In 1989 and 1991 Batavus wins the title: “supplier of the Year “, due to the high quality assortment, the perfect sales network and the outstanding service.
The Batavus Allure, a new sportive lightweight, is elected: “Bicycle of the Year”.
The Atag group is expanded with several new bicycle producers and becomes a major player on the European market. In 1990 the English Dawes joins the group, in 1991 the French Mercier France-Loire, in 1992 Hadee (Loekie) and Koga-Miyata, in 1993 the French Cycles Lapierre and in 1995 the large German bicycles Hercules.
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