The rise of fat bikes in the Netherlands: rules and challenges.

The popularity of the fat bike is growing in the Netherlands. The police in the Netherlands recently announced that they will issue fines to fat bike riders who do not have the proper approvals.

What are fat bikes?

Fat bikes are e-bikes with thicker tires and pedal assistance. These bikes with extra fat tires are designed for riding on soft surfaces, such as sand or snow.

But these electric bicycles are not always approved for use on public roads. This includes, among other things, the lack of a number plate, the correct lighting and a speed of more than 25 km/h. It is important that fat bike riders are aware of the rules and regulations regarding the use of these bikes in order to ride safely and legally.

Different types of fat bikes

First of all, you have fat bikes that have an electric drive and fat bikes that do not have pedal assistance. The fat bikes with electric drive are especially popular. This is partly because you can cover longer distances without much effort. You can also cycle a lot faster than with a normal bicycle. You also have many different brands of fat bikes. The most famous at the moment are the Phatfour, Doppio and Knaap. Which fat bike suits you depends entirely on your height and which cycling style you have.

Are fat bikes, e-bikes or mopeds?

It is perhaps still a bit unclear what the classification of the fat bike is. Are they e-bikes or mopeds? The Dutch police recently announced that they will issue fines to fat bike riders who do not meet the proper approvals.

Some fat bikes have electric propulsion, while others rely entirely on human power. This has led to confusion over fat bike classification. And whether they should therefore be seen as e-bikes or regarded as mopeds.

According to current Dutch legislation, e-bikes are considered bicycles if they meet certain specifications. For example, they must have a maximum speed of 25 km/h and a motor with a maximum power of 250 watts. E-bikes that do not comply are considered mopeds and must be approved for use on public roads.

Many young people are not fully aware of the rules. Fatbikes with an electric drive that go faster than 25 km/h fall under the name moped. This means that a driver’s license, helmet, license plate and liability insurance are mandatory. Now that the police have announced stricter enforcement, they hope that the number of illegal fat bikes will decrease.

From illegal to legal

It is not allowed to convert an illegal fat bike into a legal fat bike yourself. It is important that fat bikes meet the legal requirements and that you buy them from an authorized dealer. Converting an illegal fat bike to a legal one can be dangerous and increase the risk of accidents. That is why it is wise to purchase a legal fat bike from an authorized dealer.

Companies can also be fined up to thousands of euros. This can happen if companies do not comply with the rules and requirements. It is therefore important that companies are also aware of the rules and make fat bikes that meet the legal requirements.