Ryan, if you consider the health advantages of cleaner air, enchanted little children, bonding, fun, and still burning off calories—thereby keeping the population fit and, again, happier. If they’re hurt, healthcare is free. Besides, they’re very cool.
We are used to use buses – from a town to big city, its usualy about an hour of riding by bus. So u can work or study in the city and live in town nearby 🙂
I notice that many Americans think it is a bike or car. But why not both, the vehicle for long commutes and the bike for local commutes. But then the only thing local to you are other people's houses.
Most people outside Europe don’t understand that some ancient European cities were the houses have been built 400-600 years ago do not have streets wide enough to fit cars because those cities are literally “cities” therefore they have sidewalks only being built in times when people travelled on the back of a donkey or a horse or on foot. So if the Europeans want to preserve those ancient cities and villages they better not smoke them with exhaust smog too much and not shake them with the weight of continuous traffic of motors driving by and shaking their fragile foundations and in the narrow streets there’s no way you can drive a car. Take Venice or Amsterdam for example, there are all those canals with sidewalks on the sides, there’s no way you can drive there you have to ride a bicycle it’s the only way and they have those walk-on bridges which have not been made for cars really…
In my City in Switzerland many people have cargo/Bakfiets bikes. Especially when they have children. I just have a normal bicycle and I can‘t imagine a life without one!
In the Netherlands its normal to drive with your bike for 15minutes to a train station, park your bike free and take the train to you're work. When you arive you take a bike to drive for max 15 minutes to your work. Its easy and much faster and cheaper then use your car 😉
European Urban Arrow rider here. I can confirm that it makes your car completely redundant. Riding is a lot more fun than driving, the kids love it and I can haul anything with it.
I live in Indianapolis, the Midwest, “racing Capitol of the world” and I commute with my e-assist bakfiets. Yes I had to be selective about where I lived to make it possible, but I was able to be a first time homeowner with a modest income in a walkable and bikable neighborhood; we are a 1 car household for seeing family out of town but can bike to work, dentist, doctor, grocery, pharmacy, lots of bars and restaurants, etc, on trails, decent bike lanes, or just quiet neighborhood streets. just have to be thoughtful about what amenities are available and pick accordingly. As for anything transportation, it’s much better to keep your origins and destinations closer together no matter what mode of travel, but short distances are vastly easier by bike. It also helps to live in a grid street system, typical to pre-WWII era neighborhoods in America. In a grid, Even if you don’t have a trail, there’s usually 5 quiet streets for every busy one, so you just pick the quiet ones to ride on and no problem.
I had a regular bike till a couple of years ago. Now I enjoy going places on my ebike because one can go longer diistances without tiring, even as health/stamina declines with age. It has a box that clips on over the back wheel that I can carry 2.5 cubic feet of whatever and a basket for the front . Usually the box is enough to carry the weekly shop. Its great for trips, I can pack a blanket, a picnic , spare jacket, books and knitting and just go off for an afternoon in the countyside. Stopping at local farm shop on the way home. Ive never learned to drive a car , Ive always managed without one. Moving from the UK to Germany 10 years ago meant a much better environment for cycling. There are many cycle paths that arent next to a road which means a very pleasant ride without the stress of adjacent cars , noise and smells. So in my place I rarely have to ride next to a road unless I want to go into the city centre .
You have to drive 80 miles to go to your job?! Daily?! That's 128 km! By Greek standards it's sounds like you change city! To compare with US it's like moving from one state to another 😂 In Greece the most far distances for a job is like 30-40 km. And this is the most extreme cases. The usual is something like 5-6 km.
A bakfiets is not meant to commute 80 Km or miles… or certainly not everyday. It's suitable for shorter distances. Then it's a great alternative to the car, at least if weather is fine and if the road infrastructure is bike-friendly.
I'm European but I don't believe it when he says that these are going to replace cars. No way. He's thinking about relatively young people who are healthy, but not all of us are.
I've never owned a car but I wouldn't buy this thing either. I use public transportation. If I buy something big, the store usually offers home delivery. Or then I buy it online and pay the post office to deliver it to my home. They charge only 11 euros, no matter how big it is. Still cheaper than buying either this thing or a car.
I'm not sure if I've seen these type of bicycles here in Finland anyways. Mail carriers sometimes use a three-wheeled bicycle but those are more like an exception. What I see here much more are the sort of detachable carts that you say people use in America. That seems a lot more practical to me because I don't see that anyone would need to lug around large amounts of stuff every time they ride their bike.
I have a cargo bike (a heavy duty bike designed for city transport) with a cargo rack on the front to carry loads such as crates and take-out and grocery bags.
I wanted a cargo bike specifically so i can keep my eye on my gym bag when riding to the dojo. On my normal bike this was not done, because my gym bag would always hang over my tail light which is really dangerous, especially during autumn and winter when it gets dark early and cars can't see your tail light.
TIP: Always carry a carabiner on you, so you can secure bag handles to the cargo rack 👌🏻
I think you should watch and comment all the videos from NotJustBikes. Especially the one discussing cycling in winter in Canada vs Finland. A good way to end with the idea that cyclist are only on bikes when it is nice and sunny.
I live in the UK. 12 feet from my door is the corner of my street, if I turn and walk for 2 min… there's a corner shop that sells "EVERYTHING", a butcher, a great pub and a pizza house. Another minute and there is a school and a church. Five minutes bike ride I have a small town where I can get anything else. Growing up I lived in a small village, but it was the same basic situation. The same is true of most of the UK and Europe. It is the strange planning laws of the United States that prevents residential and commercial establishments coexisting and benefitting one another, so Americans have to jump in there cars for just about everything.
Although this video was posted quite some tije agao I'd like to state this.
The Netherlands as a country is 300kmx200km, or roughly calculated 200miles by 135miles from north to south and west to east. To drive 80 miles means actually driving 135km, that's roughly halfway through our country. So you are probably driving 80miles 10 times a week. 800 miles. that's from the mid part of The Netherlands to the French Mediterranian coast (the French Riviera) Each week. That's 100 liters of fuel each week or 200 euro's worth, so that's 220 dollars worth of fuel in Europe.
Most commutes in the Netherlands are 25-50km or 15-30 miles, While most households with both adults having a job choose to live at one job location and have the other person travel. This saves a car, which can be replaced by public transport or a bike. There are roughly 3 speeds of bike in the netherlands, 1 is pedal powered, roughly 18kmh or 12mph, electric roughkly 25kmh or 15mph, or speedpedelacs 45kmh/30mph. There are actually incentives to have people move if they live further away then 50km (35miles) or 80km (50miles). This is done cause the employer wants to reduce on travel fees and be able to state they actively work to save the planet, Having you move to 10km from your job (or 6 miles) would save 1250 km or 750 miles of cost and pollution, and you could go by bike, eliminating fuel benefits and making you eligable for a Bike plan, to subsidize your bike, making you healthier because youactively cycle 45 minutes a day. Which saves you a trip to the gym as well.
Bakfietsen are electric so 25kmh or 15mph in the Netherlands, which is a maximum stated by law. Else it would fall under the nomer bakbrommer, and you would need a moped licence and helmet, and it would be 45km/h outside urban areas and 35km/h in cities, unless you would be in a a 30km/h zone. A bakbrommer used to be a 1970s-1980s thing in some larger cities.
A bakfiets generally is very useful and can transport (the civilian versions) up to 500 pnds. including the rider and passengers. Commercial ones can transport up to 500 or 800 pnds of cargo , and generally have a more potent battery and more sturdy frame. having 2 wheels they are allowed everywhere with bike only entrance. making them very useful for innercity delivery. The motor assist means hills are no problem, nor headwind.
I have epilepsy, I'm not allowed by law to drive a car in the Netherlands. And that's a wise law. But I hate cars. I hate the feeling people cause when they are trying to persuade me I need a car. I have 1 car in my household. but it's used 2, maybe 3, times a week, one commute on average, as my wife generally takes public transport, one for my daughters swimming training (my daughter is 12 and she trains 3 hours on saturdays and having her cycle back in the dark is not okay), and one time for an outing with the family to visit family or go somewhere. simply because for 4 ppl a car outweights the train cost wise. We own 7 bicycles as a family of 4. 3 city bikes, a kids bike, a special tandem (my youngest has a disablility preventing long drives solo) a folding bike and a sportsbike ( that's a hybrid) I myself own 2 citybikes. We have considered a bakfiets. I can see the use, even though my kids would not be the main cargo anymore. It would suffice for weekly groceries, We could take the dog, pick up our kid if she went to play somewhere, but it would be too long to cycle back (though I'd probably default to the tandem). I used to have trailers for my kids. Bike-trailers S*CK, you cannot see how wide they are, they do not have brakes. so if the road is slippery you are basically f*cked, a bakfiets has sturdy frame and hard sides. a trailer is mostly cloth. I have cycled these things and while the first 30 seconds feels weird: if you can cycle you are sold.
Commuting 80 miles to work sounds absolutely insane to me. I also never owned a car and never really needed it. Everything is so easy to get to on foot or by public transport.
I'm french and my father bought a bakfiets more than a decade ago now He used to bring us to school with it before going to work, now he mostly uses it to transport all the groceries from the shop to our home It was not electric when he bought it, but he had a motor added onto it That shows how useful the bakfiets is in Europe, along with the substantial rise in popularity we have seen around this kind of vehicle since we have one.
36 Comments
0:27 When i heard that announce, i couldn't stop laughing the whole evening….. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Nice, a Not Just Bikes video. I can recommend all of them, they are so interesting. Good job on finding them.
Ryan, if you consider the health advantages of cleaner air, enchanted little children, bonding, fun, and still burning off calories—thereby keeping the population fit and, again, happier. If they’re hurt, healthcare is free. Besides, they’re very cool.
BAKFIETS, very helpful when you have 4 little kids. To bring them too schoolz no schoolbussen
Amsterdam central station has a parking garage for 7000 bikes.
Utrecht central station 12000.
Cargo bikes are very common here in the netherlands.
17:35 Some Dutch cities have double the population with atmost 1/4 the car travic problems.
E bikes
We are used to use buses – from a town to big city, its usualy about an hour of riding by bus. So u can work or study in the city and live in town nearby 🙂
80 miles unless youre exclusively driving on the highway is like a two hour commute,
I notice that many Americans think it is a bike or car. But why not both, the vehicle for long commutes and the bike for local commutes. But then the only thing local to you are other people's houses.
Most people outside Europe don’t understand that some ancient European cities were the houses have been built 400-600 years ago do not have streets wide enough to fit cars because those cities are literally “cities” therefore they have sidewalks only being built in times when people travelled on the back of a donkey or a horse or on foot.
So if the Europeans want to preserve those ancient cities and villages they better not smoke them with exhaust smog too much and not shake them with the weight of continuous traffic of motors driving by and shaking their fragile foundations and in the narrow streets there’s no way you can drive a car.
Take Venice or Amsterdam for example, there are all those canals with sidewalks on the sides, there’s no way you can drive there you have to ride a bicycle it’s the only way and they have those walk-on bridges which have not been made for cars really…
In my City in Switzerland many people have cargo/Bakfiets bikes. Especially when they have children. I just have a normal bicycle and I can‘t imagine a life without one!
Problem with the bikes is their price. You can literally buy a used car for the price of a "good" bike. Prices are way to high
In the Netherlands its normal to drive with your bike for 15minutes to a train station, park your bike free and take the train to you're work.
When you arive you take a bike to drive for max 15 minutes to your work. Its easy and much faster and cheaper then use your car 😉
European Urban Arrow rider here. I can confirm that it makes your car completely redundant. Riding is a lot more fun than driving, the kids love it and I can haul anything with it.
Its " bakfiets "" in dutch .
Link to original video is missing in the description. That space is blank.
Netherlands don't have mountains or hills
the 2nd century or the year 200 or 200 ad is before the middel ages not related the de 20th century
and not related to bikes or any indrustalization!
just wanna put it out there so you do not subconsciously believe it 😁😅
As my Belgian colleague told me, bakfiets is an SUV of bikes.
I live in Indianapolis, the Midwest, “racing Capitol of the world” and I commute with my e-assist bakfiets. Yes I had to be selective about where I lived to make it possible, but I was able to be a first time homeowner with a modest income in a walkable and bikable neighborhood; we are a 1 car household for seeing family out of town but can bike to work, dentist, doctor, grocery, pharmacy, lots of bars and restaurants, etc, on trails, decent bike lanes, or just quiet neighborhood streets. just have to be thoughtful about what amenities are available and pick accordingly. As for anything transportation, it’s much better to keep your origins and destinations closer together no matter what mode of travel, but short distances are vastly easier by bike. It also helps to live in a grid street system, typical to pre-WWII era neighborhoods in America. In a grid, Even if you don’t have a trail, there’s usually 5 quiet streets for every busy one, so you just pick the quiet ones to ride on and no problem.
I had a regular bike till a couple of years ago. Now I enjoy going places on my ebike because one can go longer diistances without tiring, even as health/stamina declines with age. It has a box that clips on over the back wheel that I can carry 2.5 cubic feet of whatever and a basket for the front . Usually the box is enough to carry the weekly shop. Its great for trips, I can pack a blanket, a picnic , spare jacket, books and knitting and just go off for an afternoon in the countyside. Stopping at local farm shop on the way home.
Ive never learned to drive a car , Ive always managed without one.
Moving from the UK to Germany 10 years ago meant a much better environment for cycling. There are many cycle paths that arent next to a road which means a very pleasant ride without the stress of adjacent cars , noise and smells. So in my place I rarely have to ride next to a road unless I want to go into the city centre .
Get orange-pilled!
You have to drive 80 miles to go to your job?! Daily?! That's 128 km! By Greek standards it's sounds like you change city! To compare with US it's like moving from one state to another 😂 In Greece the most far distances for a job is like 30-40 km. And this is the most extreme cases. The usual is something like 5-6 km.
A bakfiets is not meant to commute 80 Km or miles… or certainly not everyday. It's suitable for shorter distances. Then it's a great alternative to the car, at least if weather is fine and if the road infrastructure is bike-friendly.
80 miles to and from work, yeah… But you're definitely not impermeable to the Orange Pill huh.
*laments an 80 mile commute to work on this bike*
*forgets that an 80 mile commute to work is no way to live*
I'm European but I don't believe it when he says that these are going to replace cars. No way. He's thinking about relatively young people who are healthy, but not all of us are.
I've never owned a car but I wouldn't buy this thing either. I use public transportation. If I buy something big, the store usually offers home delivery. Or then I buy it online and pay the post office to deliver it to my home. They charge only 11 euros, no matter how big it is. Still cheaper than buying either this thing or a car.
I'm not sure if I've seen these type of bicycles here in Finland anyways. Mail carriers sometimes use a three-wheeled bicycle but those are more like an exception. What I see here much more are the sort of detachable carts that you say people use in America. That seems a lot more practical to me because I don't see that anyone would need to lug around large amounts of stuff every time they ride their bike.
I have a cargo bike (a heavy duty bike designed for city transport) with a cargo rack on the front to carry loads such as crates and take-out and grocery bags.
I wanted a cargo bike specifically so i can keep my eye on my gym bag when riding to the dojo.
On my normal bike this was not done, because my gym bag would always hang over my tail light which is really dangerous, especially during autumn and winter when it gets dark early and cars can't see your tail light.
TIP:
Always carry a carabiner on you, so you can secure bag handles to the cargo rack 👌🏻
I think you should watch and comment all the videos from NotJustBikes. Especially the one discussing cycling in winter in Canada vs Finland. A good way to end with the idea that cyclist are only on bikes when it is nice and sunny.
I live in the UK. 12 feet from my door is the corner of my street, if I turn and walk for 2 min… there's a corner shop that sells "EVERYTHING", a butcher, a great pub and a pizza house. Another minute and there is a school and a church. Five minutes bike ride I have a small town where I can get anything else. Growing up I lived in a small village, but it was the same basic situation. The same is true of most of the UK and Europe. It is the strange planning laws of the United States that prevents residential and commercial establishments coexisting and benefitting one another, so Americans have to jump in there cars for just about everything.
Commute 80 miles to your work, and 80 miles back ?!!
Om my god, that is far! My work is 5 miles away, 30 min drive.
Bakfiets*
Although this video was posted quite some tije agao I'd like to state this.
The Netherlands as a country is 300kmx200km, or roughly calculated 200miles by 135miles from north to south and west to east. To drive 80 miles means actually driving 135km, that's roughly halfway through our country. So you are probably driving 80miles 10 times a week. 800 miles. that's from the mid part of The Netherlands to the French Mediterranian coast (the French Riviera) Each week. That's 100 liters of fuel each week or 200 euro's worth, so that's 220 dollars worth of fuel in Europe.
Most commutes in the Netherlands are 25-50km or 15-30 miles, While most households with both adults having a job choose to live at one job location and have the other person travel. This saves a car, which can be replaced by public transport or a bike. There are roughly 3 speeds of bike in the netherlands, 1 is pedal powered, roughly 18kmh or 12mph, electric roughkly 25kmh or 15mph, or speedpedelacs 45kmh/30mph. There are actually incentives to have people move if they live further away then 50km (35miles) or 80km (50miles). This is done cause the employer wants to reduce on travel fees and be able to state they actively work to save the planet, Having you move to 10km from your job (or 6 miles) would save 1250 km or 750 miles of cost and pollution, and you could go by bike, eliminating fuel benefits and making you eligable for a Bike plan, to subsidize your bike, making you healthier because youactively cycle 45 minutes a day. Which saves you a trip to the gym as well.
Bakfietsen are electric so 25kmh or 15mph in the Netherlands, which is a maximum stated by law. Else it would fall under the nomer bakbrommer, and you would need a moped licence and helmet, and it would be 45km/h outside urban areas and 35km/h in cities, unless you would be in a a 30km/h zone. A bakbrommer used to be a 1970s-1980s thing in some larger cities.
A bakfiets generally is very useful and can transport (the civilian versions) up to 500 pnds. including the rider and passengers. Commercial ones can transport up to 500 or 800 pnds of cargo , and generally have a more potent battery and more sturdy frame. having 2 wheels they are allowed everywhere with bike only entrance. making them very useful for innercity delivery. The motor assist means hills are no problem, nor headwind.
I have epilepsy, I'm not allowed by law to drive a car in the Netherlands. And that's a wise law. But I hate cars. I hate the feeling people cause when they are trying to persuade me I need a car. I have 1 car in my household. but it's used 2, maybe 3, times a week, one commute on average, as my wife generally takes public transport, one for my daughters swimming training (my daughter is 12 and she trains 3 hours on saturdays and having her cycle back in the dark is not okay), and one time for an outing with the family to visit family or go somewhere. simply because for 4 ppl a car outweights the train cost wise. We own 7 bicycles as a family of 4. 3 city bikes, a kids bike, a special tandem (my youngest has a disablility preventing long drives solo) a folding bike and a sportsbike ( that's a hybrid) I myself own 2 citybikes. We have considered a bakfiets. I can see the use, even though my kids would not be the main cargo anymore. It would suffice for weekly groceries, We could take the dog, pick up our kid if she went to play somewhere, but it would be too long to cycle back (though I'd probably default to the tandem). I used to have trailers for my kids. Bike-trailers S*CK, you cannot see how wide they are, they do not have brakes. so if the road is slippery you are basically f*cked, a bakfiets has sturdy frame and hard sides. a trailer is mostly cloth. I have cycled these things and while the first 30 seconds feels weird: if you can cycle you are sold.
Commuting 80 miles to work sounds absolutely insane to me. I also never owned a car and never really needed it. Everything is so easy to get to on foot or by public transport.
I'm french and my father bought a bakfiets more than a decade ago now
He used to bring us to school with it before going to work, now he mostly uses it to transport all the groceries from the shop to our home
It was not electric when he bought it, but he had a motor added onto it
That shows how useful the bakfiets is in Europe, along with the substantial rise in popularity we have seen around this kind of vehicle since we have one.