“Banning Fatbikes Is a Ridiculous Measure”
Interview With Flemish Cycling Professor Meredith Glaser
Originally published on NEMO Kennislink by Juliska Wijsman
Thick tires, throttle controls, no helmet, and speeding off. But are fatbikes really that unsafe? According to Meredith Glaser, Professor of Cycling, responsibility does not lie solely with the cyclist.
When you think of the Netherlands, you think of a “cycling country.” There are more bicycles than people here—about 24.1 million, according to the latest 2023 count. But this vast fleet of two-wheelers also brings risks. For six consecutive years, cyclists have made up the largest group of traffic fatalities. In 2025, 281 cyclists were killed in the Netherlands, accounting for 37% of all traffic victims. Forty-one percent of them were riding e-bikes, including fatbikes. And lately, this rugged-looking e-bike with thick tires has frequently made the headlines.
The stigma surrounding fatbikes is persistent: young people ride them too fast and recklessly, causing many crashes and near misses. Statistics seem to confirm that image: during one week of bicycle accident monitoring in 2024, nearly one hundred fatbike riders ended up in emergency rooms. Almost half of those injured were between 12 and 15 years old. So is the fatbike such a good idea? How can you stay safe while riding one?
That, according to Professor of Cycling (UGhent), Meredith Glaser, is exactly the wrong question to ask. Glaser is Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Amsterdam, Professor of Cycling at Ghent University, and CEO of the Urban Cycling Institute.
Q: Fatbikes often go far too fast. Isn’t it simply a dangerous type of bicycle?
No, there is no such thing as “the safest kind of bicycle.” We also don’t ask pedestrians whether they are wearing the safest kind of shoes. A fatbike is simply an electric bicycle with thicker tires, and tire width has absolutely no influence on whether a bicycle is safe or dangerous. As far as I’m concerned, banning fatbikes from certain cities is therefore a ridiculous measure.
Yes, modified fatbikes are problematic. They go too fast and therefore do become dangerous. But that is mainly an enforcement issue: we need to ensure illegal bicycles are not on the roads just as we must ensure there are no illegal cars on the road and that every motor vehicle complies with safety regulations.
Q: There is also discussion about introducing a minimum age. Would that help prevent fatbike accidents?
If there were to be an age restriction, it would have to apply to all electric bicycles—but I am absolutely against that. First, it is discriminatory to exclude an entire age group in that way. Especially because that age group, teenagers and children, is not actually involved in these policy decisions; they are given no opportunity to participate in the discussion. Besides, the media talks a great deal about fatbikes and ‘young people on fatbikes,’ while in reality less than 25 percent of fatbike riders are youths. It is policymaking based on prejudice.
Q: What about a helmet requirement? Wouldn’t that make a difference?
Less than 5 percent of cyclists’ injuries are head injuries. And that is the only thing a helmet protects against. Cyclists (in the Netherlands) generally sit upright, so for a head injury to occur you would have to flip completely over... Moreover, a bicycle helmet is not going to save you in a collision with a large car, such as the increasingly popular SUVs.
That fixation on bicycle helmets and tire width—I see it as a convenient political distraction. The reality is that it is safer to be inside a car and increasingly dangerous to be outside one. We know that the size of motor vehicles is now the deadliest factor in traffic, yet we choose to wag our fingers at the equipment of a traffic victim instead of at the mass or speed of the car.
Various studies also conclude that in every country where a helmet mandate has been introduced, the number of cyclists declines. If the Netherlands wants to remain a cycling country, it should not make bicycle helmets mandatory.
Q: So how do you stay safe on a fatbike?
I actually disagree with that question as well. Responsibility for staying safe on a bicycle cannot and should not be placed entirely on the person riding a bicycle. Look at young cyclists on the road: how can we expect children to independently ensure their own safety? So ‘how do I stay safe on a bicycle’ is the wrong question, especially considering that cyclist fatalities are mainly the result of collisions with motor vehicles. We never ask car drivers: how do you ensure cyclists can safely participate in traffic? Or what is the safest car for cyclists?
Q: Alright—without placing the responsibility solely on the cyclist—what advice would you give someone who is now hesitant to ride a fatbike?
Haha, well honestly: you do you. The way you travel is individual and personal. I often play little games in traffic myself; on my way to work—by bike, because I do not own a car—I count how many people I can make eye contact with. I think that creates a certain connection. For some people, eye contact causes more stress, so it is very personal. But one thing is certain: traffic is cooperation. It is negotiation in public space we all use. Together, we share responsibility for safety. And that applies just as much to all cyclists as it does to all car drivers.
This article was originally published in Dutch on NEMO Kennislink by Juliska Wijsman, on 4 May 2026. It was translated into English by the Urban Cycling Institute team. For more insights on current debates around cycling, subscribe to our Substack!
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I love the responses. I will say that solving the conflict between emerging, personal-travel technologies is different in a bicycle culture than it is in an automobile culture. The solutions the Netherlands come up with will be different from the solutions Canada comes up with. Also, if speed is the dangerous element in relation to cars, it certainly is also the issue with E-bikes, ( but maybe not e-bikes ). It is certainly a much more complex landscape to navigate for cities who have not yet fully embraced multimodal transportation.