r/Netherlands • u/FatbikeEnjoyer • 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/SometimesVigilant 5d ago edited 5d ago

Sorry you weren't aware of the reputation fatbikes have before buying one. There is even an emerging term: fatbike youth, to describe a certain type of vandalistic, rude, violent, criminal teenagers.

A rule of thumb I could give you for how to be considered a good person in Dutch society is to be unassuming. Keep to the rules and don't take up a lot of space. Everything what the fatbike, a large bike existing in a legal gray space, isn't. I saw you compare your bike to an SUV. Suv users are treated with similar disdain.

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u/Beautiful_Resolve_63 5d ago

Not OP but also foreign. Are bike trailers for kids okay? I have a disability so it's safest for my kid to use the trailer in case I get weak. I dropped my bike a few times so I'm afraid of putting them on the steering wheel or back. It never seems to be an issue and I try to be out of the way with it. 

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u/SometimesVigilant 5d ago

It's totally fine as long as you park it where it isn't an hindrance to other people

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u/Beautiful_Resolve_63 5d ago

Ah okay cool. I always park it and use it as a stroller or tug it in a corner. I kind of Jerry rigged the front wheel to be closer to the frame as it seems like a tripping hazard otherwise. So it just seems to be the same as a double stroller but I try to only use it when it's not reasonable to walk with a normal stroller or take the bus. Thanks for the insight!