Fatbikes are electric bicycles with noticeably thick tires, originally designed for rough terrain such as beaches or snow, but increasingly used in urban areas.
The House of Representatives has approved a proposal for a helmet requirement for fatbike users and a ban on the use of these popular electric bikes with thick tires for children under the age of 14. The motion, submitted by the VVD and the NSC, received a large majority of votes. The House sees the need for stricter rules due to the increasing number of accidents involving fatbikes, especially among young users.
The current rules state that a driver's license is not required and that wearing a helmet is optional. Furthermore, anyone, regardless of age, is allowed to ride a fatbike. The House now wants to intervene and proposes to introduce a minimum age of 14 for the use of fatbikes, together with a mandatory helmet for all users. According to the submitters of the motion, 14 years is a logical limit, because at that age the obligation to show identification also applies, which would facilitate enforcement.
fat tires
NSC MP Van Dijk thinks that the distinction can indeed be made, for example by using the thick tires of fatbikes as a criterion. He emphasized that Minister Madlener “must get to work quickly” on developing the plans. Madlener has promised to study the proposals and wants to come up with an elaboration before the end of the year.
The proposal comes at a time of growing concerns about the safety of fat bikes. Figures from VeiligheidNL show that 115 fat bike riders ended up in hospital between April and June of this year. What is striking is that almost half of the victims were between 12 and 15 years old. However, these figures are just the tip of the iceberg, as they are based on data from only 14 of the 83 emergency departments in the Netherlands.
However, Transport Minister Madlener warned that it may be legally difficult to distinguish fat bikes from other electric bikes. He pointed out that if rules are introduced for fat bikes, they may also have to apply to all electric bikes. This would mean that children under the age of 14 who have to travel long distances to school on a regular e-bike would also be subject to the same rules, something that the House is against.
One of the biggest problems with fat bikes is that they are often stepped up, allowing them to reach speeds of 45 to 50 kilometers per hour, while the legal limit is 25 kilometers per hour. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate announced earlier this month that they had seized 16.500 illegal fat bikes from China. These bikes are easy to tune and pose a major safety risk.
ouders
Pending any new regulations, Minister Madlener has called on parents to stop buying fatbikes for children under the age of 14. NSC MP Van Dijk joined in and called on parents to be “sensible”. Van Dijk stressed that the safety of children must come first and that it is important that the rules are clarified quickly so that enforcement is possible.
skinny bike
The stricter regulations for fat bikes that are currently being discussed by the House of Representatives do not only affect users and parents, but also the manufacturers of these popular electric bikes. Some manufacturers are feeling the pressure and are already working on adjustments to their models to circumvent the proposed legislation. A new model that will soon be on the market is the so-called “skinny bike,” which, as the name suggests, is equipped with thinner tires instead of the characteristic wide ones of the fat bike.
With this new model, the manufacturers hope to fall outside the rules that the House of Representatives wants to introduce. While the focus of the new regulations is on the thickness of the tires, manufacturers believe that they can still legally offer their products on the market by making minimal adjustments. “We looked at what the new rules require and came to the conclusion that small changes can be sufficient to comply with the law, without completely losing the concept of the electric bike,” said a spokesperson for a large fat bike manufacturer.
One of the adjustments already mentioned is the replacement of the wide tires with narrower ones. In this way, the skinny bike would technically no longer fall under the fat bike category. The manufacturers are cleverly playing into the not yet fully developed regulations, which are mainly focused on the safety of fat bikes by limiting the use of thick tires.
bypass
In addition to the thinner tires, there are other ways in which manufacturers try to circumvent the legislation. For example, they look at adjustable saddles and variations in tire size. These adjustments should ensure that the bike falls just outside the new rules, but at the same time retains the same appeal for young users. For many, the fat tires and the tough appearance of the fat bike are an important reason to choose these bikes, and the manufacturers want to maintain that image, despite the changing regulations.
