RIH Sport Amsterdam

Inside the RIH Sport shop on the Westerstraat

Inside the RIH Sport shop on the Westerstraat

I was just paging through the Jordaan neighborhood newsletter and came across a little article by local bike racer Henny Marinus, who became Dutch champion in 1959 for the first time (and probably quite a few times after). Marinus rode a bike from our neighbors at RIH Sport on the Westerstraat, number 150.

RIH has been building racing bikes since 1921, first in a workshop nearby and then within a couple years in their present spot in the Westerstraat. They’re something of a legend in the Dutch cycling scene. No less than 63 world championships and olympic gold medals have been won on bikes built in the little RIH shop. The founders Joop and Willem Bustraan passed the business onto their son Willem Junior whose partner Wim continues to build bikes there. I’m guessing Wim is either semi-retired or uses much of the week to build in the workshop behind the showroom, since his opening hours are quite limited.

As you might imagine RIH bikes are traditional in style. They’re timeless, cleanly made, all lugged steel and I’ve never noticed any oversized tubes in their bikes. A couple times I’ve stopped by to do something our shops don’t have tools for (Italian thread BB taps for example) and Wim has been very kind, asking only a token sum for his time.

More info about the history of RIH
RIH Sport Website

8 Responses to “RIH Sport Amsterdam”

  1. Marton Says:

    Can anyone give me the shop’s e-mail adress?
    I have a RIH frame, and i want to know more about this!
    Please!

  2. henry Says:

    Marton,
    Rih is at Westerstraat 150
    1015 MP Amsterdam
    Tel: 020 6242303

    They’re only open a few days a week, I believe from Wednesday through Saturday and maybe only afternoons some days.

  3. Marton Says:

    Thanks but I have this adress from their website. I’m writing from Hungary, I can’t reach them on phone, thats why I need an e-mail contact to them!
    Thanks again!:)

  4. henry Says:

    Marton,
    I’m fairly sure Rih doesn’t do email and it’s quite possible he doesn’t have time to answer the phone either. It’s just two older men working there.

  5. Marton Says:

    In 2011 anybody has e-mail adress who doing any business I think…:)
    Somewhere I read they make two frames per week. If they had so many order, they must communicate not with just phone…
    Or am I think it wrong?

  6. henry Says:

    Marton,
    Even in 2011 it is still possible to have a 75 year old man running a small company without email. Rij has been in business since 1921 and known by every sporting cyclist in Amsterdam so they have enough customers right in the neighborhood to speak with people only face to face.

  7. Marton Says:

    Yes, you can right…:)
    But I’m living in Hungary, so it’s not possible to speak with them.
    Are you live in this region where the shop is?

  8. henry Says:

    Sure it’s possible. You just have to write an actual letter on paper, put it in a suitably stamped envelope and send it to Amsterdam.

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