Skinnybikes Are Already Getting Around the First Fatbike Bans
As Enschede and Amsterdam introduce local bans on fatbikes defined by tyre width, manufacturers and retailers have responded with a near-identical product that narrowly falls outside the definition. Sales are already taking off.
The first local fatbike bans in the Netherlands have barely taken effect, and a workaround is already on the shelves. The so-called skinnybike: an electric bicycle that looks and rides like a fatbike but with slightly narrower tyres, is selling rapidly, according to retailers who spoke to NU.nl. Critics argue the response was entirely predictable and shows that defining a ban by tyre width alone cannot solve the underlying safety problem.
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What is a skinnybike and why does it matter
Enschede and Amsterdam are the first Dutch cities to introduce a local fatbike ban. The bans apply to electric bicycles with tyres wider than 7 centimetres. Manufacturers responded by producing a near-identical bike with slightly thinner tyres. The skinnybike was born.
Fatbike retailer Armando Muis, owner of La Souris (a chain with thirty stores across the Netherlands and Belgium) is confident the skinnybike will see a sharp rise in sales this year. "The first two containers arrived in February. They could just as easily have been six. They sold out immediately," he told NU.nl.
The bans and their limitations
Enschede introduced its ban on 11 March 2026, applying it to electric bicycles with tyres wider than 7 centimetres during shopping hours in the city centre pedestrian zone. The fine for violations is €115, enforced by municipal enforcement officers (boa's). However, the Public Prosecution Service has indicated it will not pursue criminal cases, arguing the ban is legally vulnerable because fatbikes fall under the same category as other e-bikes in the Road Traffic Act.
Amsterdam follows suit from 11 May 2026, starting with the Vondelpark. The local ban also targets bikes with tyres wider than 7 centimetres. Standard electric bicycles are not covered.
Enschede's own response to the skinnybike
The municipality of Enschede acknowledges it has no control over the emergence of narrower-tyred alternatives. "We will assess new variants that come onto the market and make new rules where necessary," a municipal spokesperson said. Despite the availability of skinnybikes, fatbike sales in Enschede have also continued in recent months. Muis suggests it was partly because riders suspect the police will not enforce the ban anyway.
Industry voices: the problem is not the width of the tyre
Niels Willems, owner of fatbike manufacturer Brekr, said he recognises there is a real safety problem, but argued that targeting fatbikes specifically will not solve it. "We saw it first with the moped. A helmet requirement came in, and people switched en masse to the fatbike. Now they may move on to the skinnybike or a standard e-bike." His conclusion is that the only real solution is a minimum age requirement for all e-bikes. "Because all electric bikes can be modified and can be dangerous for children."
Traffic law expert Rembrandt Groenewegen had warned earlier that any fatbike-specific rule is a short-term fix. "A fatbike is legally no different from any other electric bike. The government now has to define the category very precisely, and then manufacturers will try to get around those rules again."
Muis has also suggested an alternative approach: a maximum speed of 20 km/h for all types of electric bicycle, rather than bans based on tyre dimensions. "Riding at 25 kilometres per hour on a normal electric bike is also dangerous," he said. "I think the number of accidents would fall with a lower maximum speed."
National legislation still pending
The Ministry of Infrastructure is working on legislation to be sent to parliament in autumn 2026. It focuses on a helmet requirement for under-18s. The ministry has concluded that a national fatbike ban is legally unworkable because manufacturers can easily sidestep any definition through minor product adjustments.
