I found this bike in the garbage in 2000 or so, when I lived in the West Village.
It had been hit by a car or something. The frame was quite bent and the steerer tube of the fork was cracked. It was rideable, though, and Kevin and I actually rode it for a while before doing any repairs! I remember the mechanic at Bikes By George (when it was still on East 12th St.) asking Kevin if he liked the hospital, and Kevin replying that he had insurance.
Bike Works eventually found me a replacement fork with a steerer long enough to go through that head tube. They also rebuilt the coaster brake.
That was the other thing.
The one brake on this bike was so ineffective that, at any speed, it would take about half a block to come to a complete stop. One had to resort to not going too fast, paying close attention to what was unfolding on the road ahead, and taking evasive action.
People liked this bike. I got a few stupid comments, but also a lot of good ones. I remember one guy going "that's a big bike!", and another woman who said she also had an oma fiets (she was the first person from whom I heard that phrase, meaning grandma bike in Dutch).
This was a VERY comfortable bike to ride for short distances. The frame, as you'd imagine, really flexed. One day I was riding somewhere on Park Place by City Hall when something felt a little off. It was feeling even squirmier than usual. I got off and noticed that the set tube had cracked where the curved top tube joined it.
I brought it to Bike Works and gave it to them.
About six months later I was walking by and I noticed the oma fiets locked outside. It had been MIG-welded back together. The owner of the place sold it back to me for $20!! Man, that was a great moment.
I eventually gave it to Hlynur, who rode it around a bit more. He said it was stolen, but I never got the details.
I'd love to still have it - to measure the geometry and angles. A reproduction in lighter steel, with lighter components, would be great. That would be the best.
Left-hand view of Oma Fiets Franklin St., NYC 2004