Refurbing the dutch bike :-/

Not looking forward to this.

Sometime in the next few weeks I'm going to have to:
1) struggle to get my heavy as fuck dutch bike up my narrow steep stairs.
2) Stop the rattling
3) Replace the chain (it's coaster brake only, I'd just wait till it snaps otherwise)
4) Remove the stand (I never use it)
5) Maybe fit one of those plastic crates at the front
6) Do something about all the rust.
7) Put it all back together (this I'm dreading)
8) Get it back down the stairs

Any experience here in maintaining this type of bike?

Any tips for treating surface rust? I was thinking a sand down with wet&dry and re-patching the bare bits. (I don't care what it looks like)

Linseed/flaxseed oil over surface rust, if you really don't care what it looks like. It dries to a hard gummy finish and won't rub off all over your clothes, and you can re-apply it as necessary (about once every three months or so). Cheaper, easier and more effective than sanding/repainting (which, unless done very thoroughly and properly, just results in the steel rusting underneath the paint, causing the paint to flake off again). Just make sure you plop the oily rag into a bucket of water afterwards, else it might spontaneously combust.

Fitting a front brake is always advisable, if your frame can take one. However, being slow and with all the weight over the rear wheel means that rear-skids stop the bike pretty quickly (if I remember my time in Amsterdam correctly, which I almost certainly don't).

Personally I'd keep the stand, because they're both useful (when loading the proposed front basket) and cool (it'll make you stand out).

Got any photos?

Thinks for the linseed oil tip. I'll give it a go.

Hmm, I know what you're saying about the front brake but I've been riding this bike for two years now and just ride within the limitations of the back pedal brake - sub 15mph. Plus the rims have no braking surface.

As for the stand, I'll probably just replace it with a kick stand. I find the rack stand clumsy to use.

I'll dig up a photo in a bit.

I'd keep the rack stand they are awkward to use but are more stable than kick stands particularly if you have stuff in the panniers.

I agree with lae get a front brake what are the rims Westwoods?

Ah, rack stand, I see - I don't like them either.

Pletscher do a folding double kickstand which you might be interested in.

what are the rims Westwoods?

They're unbranded generic rims that came new with the bike.

Westwood is a style of rim rather than a manufacturer:

Rod/stirrup brakes work on Westwood rims, but your frame mightn't be able to accommodate them. An alternative is a front drum brake (some people say this will over-stress the fork, others say it won't... all the Dutch bikes I've seen have been so massively over-engineered that I'd say a front drum brake is fine (especially with a long torque-arm very securely bolted to the fork several times)).

I see. Yes it is a westwood rim.