American reacts to a BAKFIET for the first time

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[@Jefferson_starkid]

As a Belgian my jaw dropped when you said you commute 80 miles to your job... Like, I don't see my grandparents often because they live 40 km (about 25 miles) away lol

[@vomm]

yeah wtf

[@dennisengelen2517]

Landgenoot! I live in Tessenderlo (West Limburg) and my parents live in Maasmechelen (East Limburg) where I grew up. It's 55km but thanks to both places being fairly close to the highways E313-E314, it's 'just' a 35-40 min drive which we consider a large distance and only do every few or so weeks on our day off at Sunday because this distance is insane to do on a regular weekday '😂

[@Jefferson_starkid]

@@dennisengelen2517 antwerpenaar here! I get it 1000% lol

[@6226superhurricane]

i drove 35km each way to work in australia. no traffic though until i got a few km from work. some places in australia it's 500km to the next service station. it's nothing to drive for hundreds of km and not see a single person.

[@Jefferson_starkid]

@@6226superhurricane can’t relate 😅 I live in one of the most densely populated areas in europe. Let’s just say if there’s ever a zombie apocalypse we’re all fucked here, nowhere remote to go haha

[@Kompromist]

The good thing about american streets is, that they are big enough, that you could build an even bigger bike-lane on it, than in Europe.

[@Steiniheini]

The problem would remain: things are too far away from each other. As he said in the video he has a distance to work not feasible for cycling. And cycling along a highly driven road is no fun anyway.

[@Kompromist]

@@Steiniheini because he lives in the sticks.

[@mrjules1982]

@@Kompromist No, it's because 'the sticks' don't have a feasible cycling/public transport network to get him to his destination. This is a political choice, not a law of nature.

[@ericmarie2089]

@@Steiniheini You are right if you don't think you'll have no choice. Free energy is ending. In 20 years you'll have no choice, no planes no cars but few electric cars, trains and bikes. No choice. We'll keep oil for agriculture, health, military, education. Oil was an 100 years feast and it's the end. Too much distances ? you'll live closer. anyway. no choice there. But you 'll be able to buy very big houses far from everything for nothing. But who needs a big house when you'll not be able to warm it and when you won't have anything to put in it ? Just to clearify : We are in 21st century. 20th ended long time ago.

[@garywheble4534]

@@ericmarie2089 the other option is an old answer to this problem Trains improve your train network and have a dedicated baggage coach for bicycles

[@Attirbful]

European here. I know a number of people who will do a daily 25 mile (single route) commute by bike on a daily basis. I guess, we Europeans are just wired differently….

[@michalandrejmolnar3715]

With electric assist it's not even exercise...

[@SchnuffiJames]

I am a Canadian living in Germany, it has a lot to do with the price of the gas and way more bike paths.

[@RamsiAyrani]

@@michalandrejmolnar3715 There are more than enough people here who do that without electric assist

[@Rope257]

To the people above. This has been happening before electrical bikes were a thing and before gas prices spiked.

[@SchnuffiJames]

@@RamsiAyrani Depends where I live it is very hilly.

[@Carol_65]

When my husband takes the bike to work, he always comes home in a good mood. If he drives, it’s hit and miss. Riding his bike allows him to get all of the stress/anger/aggression he may be feeling out of his system. You’d think he’d be tired and sweaty, but he is happy and refreshed when he arrives home (and sweaty😂).

[@FinnishLapphund]

The advantage of transporting kids in front of you: They're usually cooperative wanting to get on the bike. They're less likely to squabble straight in front of you. You're more likely to detect things which could lead to a squabble. They often have too much to look at to start a squabble anyway. The closeness makes it easier to talk to each other.

[@Justabitnosey]

Yes the trailer one's I wasn't keen on. My kids have autism though. I wouldn't have forgiven myself if something happened to them. Both we little Houdini's when they were little. They needed to be in sight at all times while out the house.

[@elinesiers2645]

Watching the shock of the footage of the Netherlands, was kinda hilarious. Being a Dutchie myself it seems so normal to me, I step outside my house and bikes are everywhere. I see a bakfiets atleast multiple times a day and I live in a medium sized town. I was fun watching you react, just a bit disappointed you didn't get to see someone transport a couch on a bakfiets. Seen that happen myself multiple times in Amsterdam., quite something to observe. Edit: The bike garages are usually located underneath or next to a trainstation. It is a way to leave your bike, get on the public transport to school/work etc and in the evening grab your bike again and cycle home. It is very common in the Netherlands and used extensively.

[@kingspeechless1607]

Cargo bikes are increasing rapidly in Britain now and parking facilities for stations are improving. Some towns and cities are way ahead of others who are lagging; they need to get their finger out and do some catching up.

[@hobbyrob313]

niet voor het een of ander maar dit filmpje lijkt wel HEEL erg veel op een promo of reclame filmpje zeg! Hier omgeving Rotterdam erg veel fietsen maar Bakfietsen val hier erg tegen hoor, niet raar ook met zulke prijzen! En nogmaals ja ben HEEL erg voor DE fiets maar dit lijkt niet anders dan reclame! ( die King sprakeloos lijkt mij van het zelfde Team! ) reclame en co? Vriendelijke en Gezonde Groeten! Rob

[@wanneske1969]

@@hobbyrob313 Elektrische bakfietsen zijn ms wel duur maar ze zijn een alternatief voor een auto, niet voor een gewone fiets

[@renskevanderhaagen5813]

​@@hobbyrob313ik heb vaker filmpjes van not just bikes gezien, deze mensen zijn gewoon heel erg dol op Nederland en de fietscultuur en in combinatie met Amerikaans enthousiasme lijkt het inderdaad wel een beetje reclame 😊

[@liavanson8687]

Same here :)

[@FFM0594]

I am a reasonably fit cyclist who pedals hard and used to be the fastest thing on two wheels, until recently when I was overtaken by a 70 year old on an electrically assisted bike. He wasn't even breaking a sweat. Those things are definitely an alternative for anyone who commutes, say, 20 miles each way.

[@Ugramosch]

Same here. Every day cycilst who rarely got overtaken, until E-bikes got popular. Now every senior passes me on my 10 km way home uphill. But i´m still clinging to my ol´ wiredonky to keep me fit.

[@vomm]

Maybe he didn't sweat because he doesn't have sweat glands or had them lasered away, that exists

[@FFM0594]

@@CalmoOmlac I was going up a big hill, smart-ass. You do know what a hill is?

[@FFM0594]

@@vomm No, he wasn't stressed a bit.

[@tomverheijden712]

​​@@CalmoOmlac they go much faster then 25km/h. I was doing 31km/h on my mountainbike and was overtaken with ease by an elder dude on an electric bike. I think he went something around 35km/h or maybe 1 or 2 km/h more then that even. Going uphill (or what we call a hill in our flat country 😅). Though you're right that laws state that e-bikes can only assist until reaching 25km/h.

[@june4976]

My husband has a 22km (13,75 miles) commute and did it often on his e-bike. It was usually about 45-60 minutes, and that was sometimes even faster than taking the car, especially when he came in on the late morning and had to search for a parking spot almost for half an hour regularly. What you need: an e-bike, weather adaptive clothing, and the ability to endure a bit of inconvenience if it's raining...

[@photoo848]

A good rain poncho and a helmet with a rain shield reduce the inconvenience of rain by over 85% Plus in temperate climates rain will seem worse in the car (due to higher speeds your car is catching more rain drops) whereas on bike it really isn't the downpour your car tricked you into thinking it is

[@Carol_65]

My husband did it for years, as well, even if it snowed. He didn’t have an e-bike at the time, but he was only going about 6 miles one way.

[@weertangel7231]

As someone who has never had a car(i'm 42) i can agree that is can be rough, but it saves u SO much money, a (E)bike that is.

[@reinhard8053]

I just started again to go by E-bike to work (at least sometimes). For me it's 21min vs. 10-15min depending on traffic (8km by bike and mostly not on roads with much traffic, more with the car). So not a huge difference.

[@vHindenburg]

About 15km is my pain threshold for a regular commute on a bicycle. 8km for getting the bike instead of walking. Currently I am using tram because downtown traffic in Düsseldorf is a hell hole for a cyclist.

[@nicobirkhofer5570]

These bikes are quite common here in Germany as well, especially in urban areas. We call them "Lastenrad" which literally means "load bike".

[@HrLBolle]

If I had the place (garage or Carport) I'd be using one on the daily.

[@vomm]

I would never buy a bike for 4500 euros in Germany, because theft of bikes is not investigated and officialy tolerated by the police in Germany. You can be sure that the bike is stolen or destroyed by vandalism at the latest one week after purchase. However, cargo bikes are often available for rent in cities, which is good at least for larger purchases. And for children, you don't need a cargo bike in Germany anyway, since the public transport system is good and children can get around on their own.

[@Miristzuheiss]

I bought a used big Baboo three years ago for 500 Euro. Here at Düsseldorf. Its so sinnfull. The best of my ideas

[@smileyhelps]

@@vomm In this case, bicycle insurance will help.

[@Luziemagick]

​​@@smileyhelps yepp or a tracking device(saw that in a video about Davidwache where someone act. got his biker stolen and this dipshit who stole the bike got caught within 5 min(. ..okay he didn't even bother to leave the area)

[@MrImmers]

Dutch guy, 45 years old. Never owned my own car. But I own 4 bikes... 1 all terrain bike, for fun and exercise. 1 old fashioned 50's bike for groceries And 2 folding bikes for daily commute (I can take it for free in the train). The second is a spare if I need it to be fixed at the shop. When I needed a car, I always could borrow a car from the company I work(ed) for, or from friends. I think I just rented a car once for personal use. So just try a cargo e-bike. I think you will like it.

[@donder91]

Distances in the US are often too far. When we throw a random stick in the air, 25% chance that it hits the window of a supermarket. In the US that is not the case.

[@Kari.F.]

They don't have a train/subway station to commute to in 90% of the US. And bikes are also forbidden on motorways. But for people who live in areas where biking (at least a part of the way) is an option, it truly is a no-brainer. I live in a very rural area of Norway, where the car is an absolute necessity. But I grew up in Oslo for the first 35 years of my life, and had easy access to excellent public transportation. I didn't even have a driver's license until I moved out to where I live now. I'm never moving back to a big city, but I will move to a small town not too far away from here in a couple of years. I won't need to use my car much at all after that. (No ride share option there, though, so I'll still need my car from time to time.)

[@KeVIn-pm7pu]

The rule of enough bicycles: n+1

[@KeVIn-pm7pu]

​@@donder91true. However with electric bikes this seems to be less of a Problem now. The Not existing infastructure and therefore higher danger of a accident however in the USA...... Especially with all those suvs and pickups

[@peterkoller3761]

I would opt for a bike with a trailer: if you have cargo, you use the trailer, if you don´t, you just use the bike.

[@scarba]

I live in Germany and I literally drool when I go to a bike shop in the Netherlands with the most incredible choice of bikes you can imagine.

[@TheHikariLP]

I highly recommend the videos called "The Lively & Liveable Neighbourhoods that are Illegal in Most of North America", "Suburbia is Subsidized: Here's the Math [ST07]", "The Ugly, Dangerous, and Inefficient Stroads found all over the US & Canada" and "Why City Design is Important (and Why I Hate Houston)" from Not Just Bikes, it gives you a very good understanding of infrastructure differences between Europe and the USA

[@beerbeard]

I just come to comments sections to recommend to Ryan same videos and channel :))

[@newbris]

Ryan, I’m an Australian who lives in a similar car culture to you. Maybe not quite as bad. When travelling to northern Europe it really opens your eyes to how far behind we are. It is like coming how to a developing country. The infrastructure in northern Europe, and lifestyle it allows, is a joy to see.

[@user-pq9go2rr3w]

Joy of going sweat at work?)

[@newbris]

@@user-pq9go2rr3w it’s northern Europe so not much swearing going on usually. Here in Australia my work has 20! showers with towel service to help out.

[@whitecompany18]

I'm in the UK and have an electric assist cargo bike with a 40-50 mile range ,charged for free off solar and I've only used my car 3 times in the last year. 👌

[@carmenl163]

Aha, the BakFietsRevolution has now officially entered the UK!

[@domtomas1178]

@@carmenl163 I've seen bakfiets around London for quite a few years now. At least in the greener borough that are less dangerous. But in the centre I would not want to use a normal bike let alone a bakfiets. Unfortunately London is just too crowded to be a safe place for cyclists. Although once a year central London streets do shut to cars, and let families cycle around, it's a great way to explore the city.

[@bentels5340]

​@@domtomas1178 Well, the safety of London for cycling is a choice. Try googling autoluw.

[@LudvigLinus]

I live in Sweden and last summer I worked at the swedish postal service. There i delivered all the mail and packages using a three wheeled bike much like the ones in the video. Keep up the good work!

[@HrLBolle]

"Deutsche Post" is employing a mix of 2 and 3 wheeled Bikes, all with dual Akku electric assist. huge step forward from the old 3 speed Bikes they had till about 2010 -ish

[@sanderdeboer6034]

One more advantage financially is that the bakfiets keeps it value much better, so you can see it as an asset. Plus bikes like these can with proper maintenance be used for decades. I currently have three bikes, and one is over 40 years old and still going strong. And it still has a resale value.

[@infj4w511]

I heard very different stories. Do the batteries of bakfietsen really last that long

[@RekaCath]

@@infj4w511 Batteries of course are replacable, while the battery itself will probably only last around 5-10 years, (I wouldn't know, I don't ride electrical) the frame will still work, and batteries aren't ~that~ expensive

[@SilverScroll]

I'm so happy you're reacting to more Not Just Bikes stuff ^^

[@ron_nor_]

My commute by car is 7km. The safest route by bike is 10km and it's even much faster, than the 7k by car. And if the weather is fine, I usually extend my commute to 25km in each direction, because it's fun and calming to bike through a car-less park and see birds, squirrels and other wildlife basically within a big city. At the end of the day, I do not need to do any cardio in a stinky gym :) When we lived closer to the city center, we ditched our car and just used our bikes, subway and every now and then a share car. Saved us a lot of money and nerves. I mean the hunt for a parking spot often lasts longer, then my whole bike commute.

[@black4pienus]

My brother and his girlfriend have a bakfiets. And yes, their kids loved it when they were little. The bakfiets you see in the video is the modern version. Oldschool bakfietsen had a way bigger 'bak' on the front and was often used for jobs like town gardeners, milkmen, etc. Smart Dutchies buy their bakfiets secondhand. Because many people only use them when they have small kids. So there are enough secondhand bakfietsen available, because kids get older (no shit) and get their own bicycle.

[@bencaspar]

I think children still shit when they get older but I'm not a parent, so I could be wrong

[@OP-1000]

@@bencaspar No shit n the bakfiets though.

[@black4pienus]

@@bencaspar You learn something everyday!

[@Brauiz90]

I'm living in Salzburg, Austria and here the last few months the Bakfiets became more and more popular by students of the local university. There's even a bike rental with at least 20% Bakfiets

[@FacelessJanus]

Ryan, in English -s equals plural, not so in Dutch there it is -en as indicative of a plural. So if you don't mind changing the title to bakfiets (the s at the end is part of the word for bicycle). :D

[@MarkNieuwenhuizen]

In the more expensive neighborhoods in Amsterdam and bigger cities you have a crowd of bakfietsmoeders, mummies that ride their kids to school in bakfiets and on their way back all meet up at coffee places. It’s not uncommon to see a few dozen bakfiets parked at Starbucks or Coffee Corner.

[@PolarisMidnightSoldierLux]

Definitely react to more of his videos! Not Just Bikes opened my eyes to sustainable, safe public infrastructure.

[@RustyITNerd]

My commute is ~85 miles and I travel by train. To be precise: Tram to train station (5 minutes), long distance train connection (~1h15m), local train (15 minutes), walk to the office (10 minutes). By car the commute would at least take 75 minutes in the best of circumstances and the cost of living is less where I live. Contrary to the general perception and experience in Germany, my connection seems to be more reliable and is mostly on time which is definitely a plus - and commuting in first class is cheaper than having a car!

[@stepomuk9783]

Die sind in Deutschland auch seit Jahren nicht mehr weg zu denken. Und es gibt ganz viele verschiedene!😎👍

[@gregor2436]

Ja, leider sind die Straßen nicht wirklich drauf ausgelegt.

[@McGhinch]

@@gregor2436 Kommt noch -- wenn ich sehe, wie wenige in beispielsweise Hamburg noch die Führerscheinprüfung bestehen oder überhaupt versuchen, einen Führerschein zu machen, dann werden die vieles künftig mit dem Fahrrad machen (müssen).

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

My Vancouver grandsons (aged 12 and 10) cycle 6km each way to/ from school each day, plus cycling with friends at weekends. So North America is not entirely devoid of cycle-friendly cities. One of the boys has even joined his neighbourhood cycling club and competes regularly in road races. Btw, their school only allows parents to drop off kids by car if he/she is under nine or it is snowing!!

[@Lilygirl283]

It's still nowhere the same as in the netherlands...

[@vomm]

How is the school supposed to prevent parents from dropping their children off 1 foot from the school property?

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

@@vomm The school is on a pedestrianised street, at the end of which is a no-stopping zone. The closest a car can stop to the school without entering via the rear, private school loading area, is about 300m away. The school has rules. If one wants one's kids to attend the school, parents must agree to abide by them.

[@sirius010]

First saw a Bakfiet when I was in Copenahgen, the owner had their German Shepherd in the front who appeared to be loving being chauffeured round the city 😂

[@DerToooooo]

It's also here in Germany. I'm 31 years old, don't own a car, never owned one, and I rent a cargo bike every two weeks or so to go grocery shopping. Luckily, my city does have a lot of these bikes all around the city that I can easily rent via an App.

[@beaucerongirlsjunaundgia563]

Wir leben auf dem Land, und Fahrrad fahren ist für die Freizeit. Zur Arbeit ist es zu weit und zu bergig fürs Fahrrad. By car is the best way you can move!!!!

[@TheTespin]

@@beaucerongirlsjunaundgia563 mitm ebike sind die paar hügel kein problem. Jetzt noch öpnv aufm land und gratis für alle, dann wird deine karre verschrottet

[@Fabii2000]

@@beaucerongirlsjunaundgia563 … okay?!?

[@beaucerongirlsjunaundgia563]

@@Fabii2000 selbstverständlich okay, richtig okay!!!

[@crazy-4-cooking]

In Germany, new fancy kinds of e-bikes, with convertible parts for passengers, child-safe, closed cabins for kids, heavy, load, and what not, is A REAL THING. More and more variety showing up and its amazing. They are like tiny mini vans now.

[@lauremarie1787]

As an American living in Europe, I love taking my kids out on the cargo bike around the city. It's faster than a car and no need to find (or pay for) parking. Our car is used only for long trips.

[@mr.d8383]

They don't haave all electric assist.When i was in Amsterdam back in 2012,most of them didn't have any and the pedals were pretty hard.But i used to see lots of Dutch women caring their children on them! I remember i was thinking that if i ever get kicked by a Dutch woman i'm dead!😂

[@winwinmilieudefensie7757]

Hallo Ryan, Welcome to the not just bikes rabbit 🐰 hole !! 🎉 been waiting for this moment for a while now 😊😊 greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱 ❤

[@photoo848]

Regarding your 80mile commute (04:55) kudos on stomaching that travel distance twice a workday. I literally can't imagine how much time is lost daily sitting in traffic. My gut reaction to this (obviously without knowing your personal situation) is "Hang on, there's not a single job as interesting or better than your current one closer by?" or vice verse ''There's not a single housing solution just as good or better closer to your work?". With your commute you almost cover the whole of West Virginia. If it were me (which, again, it isn't and "I don't know your personal situation"-caveat applies here) I'd be looking for a job closer by home. There's gotta be one.

[@martaespinosa6784]

In Spain, the train is completely free, so many people take their bicycles on the train to travel to their faraway destinations. The cost is €0 and by car you have to pay for gas and many times there are only paid parking lots. You can also read, watch videos etc during part of the trip...

[@Biokamikaetzchen]

German here. The city I live in actually subsidised transport bicycles in the last 3 years with up to 1000 Euro. Their budget was 600000 Euro, that meant a lot of cargo bikes. From this year on they want to invest in cargo bike sharing, apparently.

[@TheKwiji]

I live in Munich and we have bikes like that, that you can rent for free in our building. It's part of the "mobilitätskonzept" and it enables planners to having to provide less parking. It's great only about 20% of the parking spaces are in use anyway because every shop and the tram is right next to our building anyway

[@melaniealberts1825]

I even saw (I don't remember if it was on TV or KZbin) a technician of the ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club, a club that is there for lobbying for car drivers) with an e-cargo bike. He was from the ADAC breakdown service. He had tools and what else they have otherwise in their repair cars. He even had a battery for starting cars with empty batteries. Obviously he only responds to breakdowns in the city he was in. He said, the people that called were always surprised and that he could be there much faster than with a regular car.

[@Cl0ckcl0ck]

That must be a double whammy on those drivers in need. Their car being broken and a bicycle rescuing them.

[@SuperDyzack]

I'm dutch and yes I use my "fiets" to go to work everyday 35km (21,7 miles) oneway. Its just faster then going by car. By car its 40 km one way and there is always a traffic jam. But using the bike doesn't meen you give up your car. Its just that you don't use your car for every trip you make. Going to the city center you take the bike. Easy parking and get some fresh air.

[@MarkGelderland]

A motorbike would be even faster, a lot faster because you can bypass the traffic jam, and it's legal to do so (not everybody knows that).

[@danielpaurat1783]

Motorized cargo bikes have become pretty popular in Germany as well. I find it quite convenient and use it for a good amount of my trips. That is shopping, bringing kids to school/daycare, visiting friends and going to work. To be fair, all of those trips are below 10 Km and I live in a city that is actively changing its infrastructure to support more bike traffic. Those two points are what makes travelling by e-bike fun and convenient =)

[@dorisschneider-coutandin9965]

Cargo-Bikes (Bakfiets) become increasingly common here in Central Europe. You can do your shopping quite comfortably, or get your children (or dog!) around easily with it. It is a frequent sight in the mornings when Kita (Kindergarten/Daycare) starts and parents bring their little ones in that front compartment of the bike there, and later in the afternoon for picking them up again.

[@Steffe]

Very popular in Sweden these days.

[@trentr9762]

14:02 I used to drive in that "not a bycicle" here in the UK for a delivery company. Its called an EAV And runs on electric pedal assist. Absolutely loved it, kept me outta the rain, had indicators and a big old horn and was small enough to go anywhere The amount I could put the bag was redicroulous too I could easily ait down and relax in there if it was raining during lunch break

[@MrJankert64]

i am from the Netherlands and i also have a bakfiets. can not live without one, i transport all kind of things. including my dog, who has 3 legs. so she can have fun outside to. everyone needs a bakfiets........................

[@maaiker2977]

And the average bakfietsmam is in better physical shape than the average carpool mam. Cause the dutch mam is combining childcare, grocery shopping with a couple of hours of light cardio workout on a daily basis. 💪Saves time, money and just makes you (and the kids) happier. Whats not to love.

[@annedunne4526]

I spend a bit of time in the Netherlands every year and everyone uses all kinds of bikes. They're used to transport your family to do shopping and they are so fast. Everywhere you go there are dedicated buslanes and children learn to ride bikes, the rules etc from 5 years old. It's lovely. People also drive cars and more and more of them are electric.

[@jameslewis2635]

I wouldn't say that bakfiet are hugely popular in the UK (I have only seen a few of them around) but you certainly can get them. While I wouldn't use a bicycle for an 80 mile commute, most people in the UK and Europe wouldn't take a job that far away from where they live (or they would move closer to the work location). Americans make fun of people in the UK for thinking 100 miles is a long way, but that is 100 miles of town and suburban roads to us, not just a straight highway.

[@mariadebake5483]

It's "bakfiets" in singular, "bakfietsen" in plural

[@horizoon]

I live in Munich and these are everywhere. Because European cities are so densely populated cars are absurdly unpractical. I'm not about to be in busy traffic at walking speed and then look for a parking spot for 44 minutes just so I can use a car.

[@annehoog]

We bought ours 16 years ago for 1700 Euro. No electrical assist though since that's what's making them more expensive (plus shipping and customs for buyers overseas) We used a kids trailer when biking on the Greek island Corfu. It was fun, but heavier to handle than the bakfiets (towing dead weight is hard) and I didn't like it in busy towns and more traffic it behind you and you have to be more mindfull because of that. Kids like the bakfiets better because of the view and movement (they are relatively close to the ground and get een airplane sensation when making turns) and for babies because they sit in it backwards facing you.

[@AnagramGinger]

The best thing about “cycle culture” is that you can sub your commute with a bike and skip the gym. Otherwise you’d have to commute to and from the gym as well. This is why the Dutch stay slim while most of Europe is slowly getting bigger.

[@veritaspk]

I thought it was a toy from the west, but spring has come and I see a lot of such vehicles on the streets of Warsaw. I'm a cycling enthusiast myself, so I'm all for it.

[@JEVPRO]

I live in Lyon (France) and sold my car when I moved into this city where I use my electric bike on a daily basis. I'm gladly surprise to see how much bakfiets have been taking by storm this city in the last few years. I love your channel!

[@hofkapellmeister6676]

You might also find this topic entertaining: "Bike Camper" or "camping trailer for bicycles". I've already seen some of them on the streets in Germany and I kind of like the concept.

[@hofkapellmeister6676]

Here is a video on the subject in English.: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnfSc36coriMjck

[@tor_sgith]

In the UK. Our car died and we decided to try not getting a new one for a year. That was 12 years ago and still no car. We've had an Urban Arrow bakfiets for coming up for 9 years. We had a kid bike trailer before that. The kids cycle the 5 miles to school on their own bikes now but we kept the Urban Arrow for larger shopping trips, moving tools or furniture. It is still going strong (it has had some replacement parts over that 9 years but has cost a lot less than 9 years worth of car use and maintenance). It is so much fun to cycle day-to-day. And if we need a car or van, then we hire the kind we need.

[@polymniaskate]

I understand what you mean by saying that cars’ prevalence in America is ingrained but….have you seen the Netherlands in the 1970s? If you compare the car-infested cities of that time to what it is now, it’s pretty mind-boggling that it was achieved in a mere few decades….

[@DaGuys470]

Here's the thing. In central Europe your commute isn't like 15 miles, it's rather 1-5 miles

[@richardrijnvos722]

The word is "bakfiets", not "bakfiet". "Fiets" is the Dutch for bicycle and it is singular. The plural is "bakfietsen". Please do all the Dutch here a favour and correct the title of your video (which you can do in retrospect, in case you didn't know). 🙂🙂🙂

[@mathewdunstan4142]

I used to have a colleague who lived about 12 miles from his job he used to run to work each day work a machine in a factory and run home again in the evening almost running a marathon each day

[@JenMaxon]

There's a bloke round here who has one of these in which he carries around his enormous brown hound. It amuses me no-end to see them go past with the dog gazing morosely out the front (he's a nice doggy in reality). I want one too

[@DenUitvreter]

Don't forget that Amsterdam has a million people but can be crossed by bike in less than 45 minutes. Most possible trips are under half an hour cycling at 10-12 mph. Cars cause urban sprawl because of all the parking spaces and road space needed, urban sprawl makes cars necessery. If it goes on like that at one point you will need a bike to get from the parking lot to the real destination. The point of cities historically has always been short travel times to go places and see people, by foot, horse, carriage or bike. Amsterdam has kept that and has to because there is no space for sprawl anyway. People there simply can get more done in a day because they get places quickly, regular bike or E-bakfiets. A top E-bakfiets in the Netherlands will still be under 5000 euro I believe, It will last 20 years or more with little maintenance and maybe a new battery once. It's not expensive at all.

[@MichaEl-rh1kv]

Bakfiets is Dutch for cargo bike. That one in 2:05 is a Babboe, one of the older brands specialized in cargo bikes. The model is of the type "Long John" (not a tricycle, but the cargo space before the driver). If the cargo is behind the driver, it is called a "Long Tail". 2:58 A Long John made by Urban Arrow. 3:40 A Babboe tricycle. Newer tricycles have often front suspension and tilting systems to provide better stability and allowing for narrower bends at higher speed. More of that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGbTqqeEmreGbck or here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5-sf36Ol7Foarc (German channel, but sometimes with edited English subtitles like this one) 14:02 Is that a Mubea? (kzbin.info/www/bejne/laiZiKeCd9qogJY / www.mubea-umobility.com/ Similar model: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zp6QlKumq6Z6r8U Large cargo trailer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5zXlpl3p8uBgZY More models including the GoCab bicycle children taxi for daycare: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qInXiZlpaLB2mJY

[@TheIAmThat]

We don’t have a car but an assortment of bikes including a 2 and a 3 wheeled bakfiets and an electric bike and trailer. The main thing for the bakfiets was to have your kids safe (e.g. I had a car drive over the back of my Tandem because he did not notice it without anybody sitting there, luckily it was no trailer. The trailer we have is our handcart to drag along rather than wasting space in the front-box. I love driving our bakfiets as you can instantly do a huge shopping when you feel for it. For the town you live in it’s a car except that you are exercising and out in the fresh air all the time :)

[@gedeuchnixan3830]

You would wonder what I all had driven with a bakfiets without motor: a corner closet 2x1m over 8km, two big Ikea Expedia over 12km and up a steep spiral to get on the bridge, a treatment chair and a complete bed (iron frame, slatted frame, mattress); all worked out well and easy. I could pretty much move within or to close by cities using a bakfiets, might take several more tours to get my stuff over but I wouldn´t mind.

[@Pauel3312]

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.

[@gastonkawitzke3272]

In germany, daily Mail is still delivered by a Postman with a bike. Not a Cargo bike but also with electric assist and certainly yellow.

[@Korschtal]

Excellent that you've discovered Bakfietsen. Our family bought one instead of a car about fifteen years ago and found loads of advantages. It cost us 2000€ but it's still going very well, still looks good and has probably cost about 200€ for maintenance and parts ever since. I don't use it to commute; everyone in the family has their own bike, but a commuting bike and a Bakfiets is still far cheaper to run than a car.

[@Steppenkater]

Fun story: my brother found a used deep freezer at the junkyard which looked promising. It didn't fit into my car but it did easily fit on his cargo bike. We just had to dismount the sidewalls so we could put it crosswise onto the bike. The transportation was so much easier with his bike (btw it was mostly along curvy and hilly and therefore slow driven country lanes, not in the city or such).

[@andrayellowpenguin]

😂 Yes, these are pretty common in France too. Some people only use them from may to october, but a lot of people use them year round. Also getting to work is usually quicker by bike than by car because the bike lanes go through areas where the cars don't and also the speed limit within the suburbs is 30km/h so at any rate they don't really go faster than bikes. Only probablem is when it's raining or in winter, it's less comfortable, but then I'd just take the bus.

[@justsomeone5658]

those babboe bikes are everywhere in Lübeck (Germany) 😅 since i live here i bike a lot (16 km commute every day) it's just normal here

[@petersymonds4975]

Hello Ryan. I spent 4 years working in Amsterdam. It would be wrong to say every Dutch person has a bike. There are the few that don’t. The vast majority have two, one they use foe leisure and the other probably parked at the station. Loads of Dutch people will ride their bike to the station, get the train or Metro to the station near work, then take their second bike to the office. Amsterdam built a 3 storey bike park over a canal because there was no room to park! There are other underground bike parks around the city. You see loads of Cargo Bikes and it’s not unusual to see an adult with 5 or 6 toddlers on board. Everything in Amsterdam can be delivered by bike. The Netherlands is very flat, I recall only one hill in the city and that was only about 50 foot high. To ski the Dutch will get a Friday night sleeper train to the Swiss Alps for the weekend. However skating is very popular especially if the miles and miles of canals freeze over!

[@Warpwaffel]

2:56 That would be the Budweiser from Czechia, not the American stuff you are thinking of.

[@bertkassing8541]

The only real Budweiser! :-)

[@I_No-one_I]

The original that they copied. There have been 100+ lawsuits about this, which is why the copycat American Budweiser has to be sold in Europe under the name "Bud", our Czech one has to be sold in the US under the name "Czechvar".

[@Lisa-xn9xc]

I live in a rural area and I don't know when I should use a bike - even if the streets were safe. Everything is either too far away to take the bike or close enough that I can walk. But I still would appreciate more bike lanes or combined lanes for bikes, pedestrians and other slow vehicles. We have enough space next to the streets and it would make things easier for a car driver as well.

[@DanT10]

When I went to Beijing, China and Hanoi , Vietnam it was not uncommon to see a family of four on a scooter. Or someone hauling a double matress on a bicycle. It was incredible. In North America it is much more difficult to have a bike as a primary source of transport. But I built an e-bike and using it more and more.

[@Kompromist]

Imagine the costs of fuel... Bikes are cheaper. And oil is to important for other things... so burning it in cars is stupid.

[@JulesStoop]

11:17 We (living in a dutch city) had one of these bike trailers as well when our daughter was smaller. Some of the disadvantages compared to a two wheeled bakfiets: 1. less stable ride; 2. bumpier ride for the kid (because of lower mass of trailer); 3. way less capacity for carrying anything but a child; 4 the combination is longer than even a large bakfiets and hence won’t allow safe passage of many bicycle crossings in the Netherlands. Worst is: the problem is behind you and you might not notice your rear is blocking the passage of other traffic.

[@tomislavprpic2569]

When I was living in Netherland I saw a lady riding a bike with like 10 or more children,like the whole kindergarden group. It seemed so fun for the kids,super nice.

[@Habitarse]

I have friends here in Germany, that they opt out from their second car for this cargo bike. The only car is possible for them to travel and sleep in, and take the bikes with them.

[@sanderdeboer6034]

4500 Canadian dollars = 3300 US dollars. Plus here in the Netherlands second hand you can get them a lot cheaper. Still an investment, but doable. And you don’t have to pay road tax, insurance (except maybe insurance for theft), and hardly any maintenance. Also the cost of parking is a lot lower. Now I know this is not really an issue in the USA, but in the centre of Amsterdam you pay 7.50 euro an hour. (8 dollars) Bike parking is free on the street and in bike parking garages usually the first 24 hours is free, after which you pay 1-2 euros a day. And it is much healthier, for both the biker and everyone else. I even forgot to mention you don’t need any petrol.

[@carldenig2500]

Ryan, the word really is B A K F I E T S with an S at the end! Thank your for taking notice!

[@nelerhabarber5602]

I am from Austria and we have this bakfiets since over 20 years.

[@StephFru]

The cart that is used in the US behind the bicycle is also used in the Netherlands. But more often for transporting dogs than children. I think we are just really a cycling country, since we even take dogs with us on bicycles😂 Plus, gas, taxes and insurance are very expensive here

[@greamepenney5947]

One thing to consider is some modern cities they are becoming pedestrian only access and cars are not allowed so people have reverted back to cycles as a form of transport. And parking and traffic is major cities is almost impossible. Take my city London, it would take longer to drive into central get through the traffic find somewhere to park ,pay the high parking charges and still have to walk to your destination as parking is nowhere near where you need to get to. So cycles and rentAbike is getting very popular as it's still quicker than walking. And not forgetting to drive into some cities like London you have to pay a toll called the congregation charge just to drive into the city and it's a daily charge..

[@t.o.m.6114]

Oh!! Not Just Bikes! Fabulous. You should watch all of his videos, as he is often comparing American vs Netherlands suburban diffrencies.

[@joseanker2059]

It’s a « bakfiets « « Bak » is a container, a fiets is a bicycle. It’s a typical dutch thing, I’m 79 and I remember being carted around in it.

[@synkaan2167]

80 miles to go to work ? WTF lol for a French it would be pretty crazy. Once I had a job at 38km / 24 mi (with some circulation in the city) I was loosing between 1h and 2h30 every day on my car (depending on the circulation) that's a pure lost, it's like unpaid overtime and I don't even count the gasoline, the stress or fatigue in traffic jams... That's the last time I ever did this kind of shit lol. Since then I always managed to live near my work, 20-30 minutes of travel is really the maximum I could accept and most of my life I have been at 10-20 minutes from my work. Now I even sold my car and I'm only using an Electric Unicycle, so now, in addition to saving time I save a ton of money (no gasoline, almost no maintenance and assurance cost and I even rent out my parking space) and the bonus : the journey to work is fun lol. Would never go back...

[@macabrescafresca]

Simplicity of a bike it's an advantage really. You're paying pretty much only for the quality of materials, battery and there's much less to brake. About the three wheeler. Once you get used to leaning opposite way when turning you'll be fine. They're also three wheelers with two wheels at the front, which are more stable. Some of them got wheels that also lean to the side.

[@nommh]

Cycling is such a joy!

[@Roozje44]

I'm Dutch and cycle 8 mile every day to work and 8 mile back. I dont even have an electric bicycle, keeps you fit and sharp!

[@wkaemena]

If you live in a typical European city , your typical distances for daily life like work , shopping , medical , recreation would be in a distance of not more than 4 miles around your home easily doable by bike

[@pixelbartus]

I know, that the USA is not very bike friendly. But to see that cargo bikes are completly unknown for you is shocking. How do US Americans want to do something against climate crisis, when they don't even know simple things, that could be part of the solution?

[@carmenl163]

The US has no climate crisis 😄

[@janusx66]

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.

[@Eugensson]

As my Belgian colleague told me, bakfiets is an SUV of bikes.

[@tobiwan2741]

You are right that there are less parts on a cargo bike than on a car. However, bike parts are usually precise and lightweight. The smaller market, less automation and not made in Mexico / China does the rest. 4500 CAD seems like a lot for a bike, but if you can replace a car with it, you will save that in a short amount of time (think gas, repairs, maintenance, insurance)

[@bartvanderauwera6906]

So... when are we to expect the unboxing/first impressions video?😉

[@kingspeechless1607]

Bike trailers have disadvantages compared to bakfiets. They are less manoeuvrable, more affected by wind and can feel heavier. You can also monitor your kids or cargo more easily in a bakfiet. Trailers are cheaper of course.

[@stephkelly75]

I live in Cork Ireland 🇮🇪 and I see a good few of these being used for dropping kids to school and picking them up

[@fitzsi28]

Riding a bike on most of your errands in the US really isn't as crazy as it sounds. My husband and I have been getting by with 1 car +1 bike in central PA for 2 years now. We upgraded from the trailer to the Urban Arrow after the first year. We live 'in-town' in a pretty rural area overall but so do most of the people who live in rural areas. You don't have to live in a city to make the bakfiets work and you don't have to be particularly fit either.

[@gregself6203]

Australian cities are much like the US, much more spaced out than Europe. However our cities are actively encouraging alternative commuting by building dedicated veloways for bikes, electric scooters, etc that are separate from the roads. I live 12km from Brisbane city centre and at peak times, a bike or scooter takes about the same time or often less to get into the city and with plentiful bike parking, easy to find, free and close to the destination, you can actually get to work sooner.

[@helenredmond2742]

I too live an hours drive fm Brisbane on the Gold Coast near the NSW border..the coast is mainly all beaches along the way..most suburbs around me are only a few minutes from a beach...I see them everywhere ea day loaded up wt kids and beach gear for great day out...I'm near 80 and I think they are a great idea esp here where it's a beach lifestyle..wish I had one when my kids were little ...and quicker and cheaper by time you load the car then finding car park..wonderful for environment.. recently one night I passed a guy wt his dog and all fishing gear in front and sml trailer and tinny on the back !!!!! I THOUGHT how ingenious...we have great bike lanes here too...

[@luciebatt]

Melbourne is similar. I live in the outer suburbs and nowhere near the city but we have copious bike paths and many little community shops, post offices, cafes, etc all around that most people can get the basics within a few kms of their house. More people do drive everywhere, we live just over one km from my kid’s school, only 400m from their primary (elementary) school and they have always walked. Many in the neighbourhood are still driven, though. I never bothered as I would be parking outside my own house before I got a spot unless I got to the school an hour early 😂.

[@mark_mkii7930]

As a Dutch person, I want to quickly touch on the subject of having a car. I don't think many people in the Netherlands would willingly live without a car. A car is simply very useful for the 10-20% of trips that you can't make by bike/public transport. A car sharing service fixes this problem too, but these aren't yet widely used. Most dutch people have a car and a bike, not just a bike. That said, you definitely don't need to have 2 cars if you have bikes and public transport.

[@elkee2938]

Im from Holland and i had also a bakfiets. It was super for my twins and my older son sat at the back of the bike :) i had one without an accu. It was only driving 10 minutes to school

[@ebbhead20]

These bikes have been here for a looong time now. Denmark shows men riding them in the cities around 1910-1920. They're used in films from back then too. Back in the days of black and white we knew them as Long Johns. Saw them often in the 70s where some delivery guy would haul cases of beer around on them. Now we have the modern Christiania cykel that is used by moms bringing their kids to and from home. You could see about 100 of them in a day sometimes. Whatever weather you get, they're out there. And 30 minutes is considered a short ride for most people. I know people that do 1 hour in the rain twice in a day. We dont really complain too much about the weather..