Free-wheeling Amsterdam cracks down on electric 'fatbikes'

Amsterdam's Crackdown on Electric Fatbikes

By Toby Sterling

AMSTERDAM, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Amsterdam, one of Europe's biggest cycling cities, is planning to ban super-sized electric "fatbikes" from its main park after a rise in high-speed crashes and injuries blamed on reckless riders.

The ban on the bikes - which authorities say can travel up to 60 kph (40 mph) down Amsterdam's narrow streets and paths - pleased safety campaigners but annoyed some cyclists who said it clashed with the city's laissez-faire image.

Safety Concerns and Community Reactions

Alderwoman Melanie van der Horst, who first proposed the move, said she had been deluged with complaints from pedestrians in the Vondelpark. 

Elderly people have said they are worried about being hit and some women had reported being slapped by passing riders.

Statistics on Fatbike Accidents

“We see a lot of fatbikes going more than 50 or 60 kilometres an hour. Well, they are only supposed to go 25, so it's very dangerous,” Van der Horst said.

The fatbikes - which stand out from regular electric bicycles with their thick tires, large batteries and heavy frames - are particularly popular among young riders and delivery drivers.     

Fatbike owner Sjoerd Jonkers said the outright prohibition was an overreaction, and that authorities should concentrate on banning illegal, imported models, and bikes that had been modified to go too fast.

"I love driving it, my girlfriend's on the back, my son on the front, the three of us on one bicycle. So I ditched my car," he told Reuters.

Alex Manuputty, riding a flashy orange fatbike made by Stoer in the park, said there was always resistance to new things.

Proposed Regulations and Future Steps

"There need to be rules and then all cultures - all people - can actually get along," Manuputty said.

More than half the 800,000-strong population use some form of bicycle every day in Amsterdam, a city famed for its cycling lanes.

Batteries are overtaking pedal-power. Out of all the bicycles sold in the Netherlands in 2024, 48% were electric, and another 13% were fatbikes, according to vehicle association RAI.

In October, Dutch hospitals found that people injured on fatbikes were 70% more likely to need extra medical treatment than people hurt on conventional bicycles.

About half of fatbike accidents involved children aged 12-15, according to the findings.

Dr. Barbara Swarthout-ten Kate, a family doctor in Amsterdam, said her practice has seen a spike in concussions and arm fractures. Helmets should be compulsory and under-16s should be banned from riding fatbikes, she added.

"The helmet will make it safer, but also less cool," she said.

The city council has not set a date for the ban to go into effect.

(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Andrew Heavens)