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Posted on 05/24/2026 8:12:04 AM PDT by Red Badger
In cycle-loving Amsterdam, authorities have barred so-called fatbikes from the busy Vondelpark after rising complaints over speeding youths and unsafe paths.
City officials have implemented an unprecedented ban on “fatbikes” in Amsterdam’s iconic Vondelpark to protect the crowds of locals and tourists who visit daily on foot, traditional hire bicycles, or roller skates.
The restriction follows growing public frustration over youths tearing through the city on the robust electric vehicles. Reports of “fatbike gangs” causing havoc recently culminated in a petition against aggressive riders that gathered 2,400 signatures, with organisers arguing
Pavements are racetracks. Public space no longer feels safe.
Named for their ultra-thick tyres, fatbikes are capable of hitting speeds up to 60km/h. Sharing space on Amsterdam’s famously crowded cycle paths, they have increasingly become a source of friction with traditional cyclists who view the heavy, fast vehicles as a menace.
Last year saw a rise in public concern about the number of asylum seekers in the Netherlands who appear to be using these typically expensive items as their main mode of transportation.
Fat Bikes at Dutch Asylum Centers Spark Debate
TEC News — September 15, 2025
Once seen as a luxury item, so-called fat bikes are now increasingly used by asylum seekers in the Netherlands.
Fat bikes are becoming a common sight among asylum seekers in the Netherlands, with long rows of them parked outside reception centers. The trend has sparked questions and political debate, as these bikes are usually expensive, often costing over €1,000. Critics have asked how asylum seekers can afford them.
Incidents such as a fat bike catching fire at a center in Baarn or groups of young riders causing disturbances in Dutch towns have drawn further attention to the machines and their new owners.
According to the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), the popularity of fat bikes has grown significantly in recent years. Many asylum seekers, however, buy cheaper Chinese-made models online or at markets like Beverwijk’s Bazaar for €250–€500. Some finance them with their weekly allowance, savings from odd jobs, or by using the bikes for delivery work. For residents of remote centers, fat bikes also provide practical transport over long distances.
The COA does not actively promote the purchase of fat bikes but has issued safety guidelines for charging and maintaining them, including warnings about battery risks. Observers note that while many assume asylum seekers are poor, many have already invested significant sums in their journeys before arriving, making such purchases less surprising.
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I spent some time in Amsterdam on business, years go.
Yes, bikes are everywhere. One time, I saw a woman riding a bike with one arm, carrying a baby under the other arm.
> Once seen as a luxury item, so-called fat bikes are now increasingly used by asylum seekers in the Netherlands. <
I must have incredible psychic powers. Because I predicted “asylum seekers” the instant I saw the article’s title.
Asylum seekers (aka illegals) like such fast bikes ‘cause it makes it easier to do a purse snatch.
How about being adult on the issue? Require any power assisted vehicle to be licensed and yah have to pass a driver’s test. The only exception would be a tiny car only a 3-year old can fit into.
𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 “𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘣𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴” 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘤 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺...
𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘶𝘹𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘮, 𝘴𝘰-𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘺𝘭𝘶𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴.
I wonder if there’s a correlation between the two?
🤔😆.............................
Are they talking about fatbikes or ebikes?
They’re two different things.
E-Bikes, apparently. Fatbikes is their generic term...........
"robust electric vehicles"
An excellent idea, including here at home. Enough of these yayhoos/spoiled brats racing around on sidewalks, etc.
We were in Amsterdam in 2019.
It was really easy to step off the curb at the wrong time and risk getting run over by a horde of bikers.
But a lot of them were blonde and wearing those cute short skirts, so it all worked out.
Here in America we'd probably call them Obamabikes.
Journalists and their editors aren’t the sharpest tools in the drawer............
𝘈𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘌𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘢𝘺𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴/𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘴, 𝘦𝘵𝘤.
It’s coming; I believe a couple of the blue states are looking into either licenses, fees, or both.
That’s a problem everywhere. E-bikes and scooters are motor vehicles and should be subject to motor vehicle laws.
If I started riding a Harley on the sidewalks, the cops would certainly have something to say. Other than the top speed difference, it’s still a motorized vehicle on the sidewalk, which is illegal.
Seems to me like law enforcement is missing out on an “opportunity” by not getting after these things.
I’ve also heard that E-bike/scooter riders are over-represented in emergency room visits, which is not surprising. I’ve had one almost hit me when making a right turn. I’m looking left for traffic, and here comes a bonehead on my right going 20mph on the sidewalk, expecting to zip right in front of me.
Some will see it just as a source of revenue— the reason, though, is public safety, a concept that seems to have escaped people these days. Back when I was a kid (!), we were admonished that if we road our bikes on the street, we had to obey driving laws. We kinda saw it as a ‘grown up’ thing to do, and most of the time took it seriously. Stayed with me all of my life, including years when my bike was my primary means of transportation.
The idea is simple: you can’t ride the things on sidewalks, for crying out loud, and if you ride in the street, you have so obey the laws that apply there.
I lived in a small village in the panhandle, Voerendaal and I observed that the Dutch love bikes and treat them like cars where as Americans usually treat bikes as a fitness thing. I’ve seen the Dutch riding bikes while holding umbrellas, and even smoking. lol. And yes they race bikes as well.
Teens. Gangs. Youths. People who annoy you.
Illegals........
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