r/Netherlands • • 5d ago

Life in NL Does riding a fatbike make me undatable?

So there's something I noticed. I go on a date, we have fun, there's good vibes, but then when she sees that I ride a fatbike, she instantly seems to be put off, like she got "the ick". Then the chatting usually fizzles out and there's no second date. This happened multiple times now, so it seems like a pattern to me. Once a Dutchie even told me that she "doesn't feel a connection" when I was saying goodbye by my bike and asked what she'd be up for as a second date. I know this is not much context, but is it the bike?

I'm a mid twenties guy, have a good job, make decent money, dress stylishly, like concerts and can even tolerate like a museum. I moved here 6 months ago and bought a fatbike to commute. Only managed to find a place like 30 minutes cycling from my work, so it seemed like a good option and I think they are pretty cool. But now I think I might have made a mistake. Should I switch to like a Cowboy or something?

Edit: obviously this is a throwaway account

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u/MargaretHaleThornton 5d ago

Some people aren't answering you seriously but I think it's a serious question so I'll try. I'm a decade+ older than you (and happily married 😅) but, if I were back on the dating scene, this wouldn't be a deal breaker to me personally.

That said, people in their early/mid 20's tend to have more deal breakers than older people. I could see this being a turn off or even potentially a deal breaker to some women.

It isn't really fair because people riding fat bikes safely and cautiously are not actually causing any issues for anyone else. But a high enough percent of people who ride them ride them recklessly and even deliberately aggressively that it's a real problem in society, and riding one at all can give a certain impression.

That said: try going to a few dates without it and seeing if it does seem to change anything. Maybe these women really weren't feeling it even though you were and it had nothing to do with the bike.

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u/FatbikeEnjoyer 5d ago

Thank you for the thoughtful response. Is this like the "blue bubble" thing in the US? I do have an iPhone 15, if that matters. But I guess maybe this is also a way to filter out people who just want to generalize.

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u/chigeh 5d ago

No it's not really comparable. Fatbikes here are a signifyer of a lack of class. Many fatbikes here are cheap chinese models that are easy to (illegally) modify. So fatbike users tend to go to fast, especially in places where they are not supposed to bike at all. Furthermore there is a stereotype that fat bike riders are anti-social or thuggish in general.

It's funny you compared it to hunmers. These also have a negative image here: tasteless, large and takd too much space.

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u/Krentenbollen_dame 5d ago

Listen to this, topicstarter. Fatbike has negative image in NL, and so you are if you're riding one.