Source: Clara Glachant, LinkedIn Image source: Jasper Garratt, Unsplash

Het Parool recently interviewed a postdoctoral researcher from Maastricht Sustainability Institute about the fat bike ban which has been implemented in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark since May 11 2026. The move is shifting focus from the true issue, it is argued.

The city stated that it banned them from its Vondelpark to try and suppress a large surge in accidents, unnecessary speeding and anti social behaviour in the park.

It is believed that fat bikes were targeted in this clampdown due to their oversized tires and heavy frames, and because they have been reported to have been illegally modified frequently to reach higher speeds, which would put pedestrians in the park at risk.

Clara Glachant is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Maastricht Sustainability Institute, and member of its Just Mobilities initiative, which studies how urban transport transitions can decrease carbon emissions fairly without leaving out vulnerable or socio-spatially disadvantaged groups. She was interviewed by Dutch media Het Parool about her perspective on this ban, expressing that specifically targeting fat bikes is not the answer to the concerns at Vondelpark.

Glachant is of the opinion that fat bikes are scapegoats of the traffic debate, and outlined her perspective to Het Parool including:

• It is difficult to draw a clear line to distinguish fat bikes and other e-bikes, with technical limits being easy to circumvent, as shown with the “skinny bike”, and are difficult to enforce.
• Fat bikes are an affordable mobility mode for many people. Glachant notes that owners of more expensive e-bike or e-cargo bikes won’t notice the ban.
• Perception and policy influence and reinforce each other. A ban creates the suggestion that they are inherently dangerous.
• To help ensure correct usage and compliance, there should be education in schools, awareness campaigns for parents and enforcing laws against illegal modifications.

Glachant concludes that the focus should be on improving space for light electric vehicles in cities to encourage reduced car usage.