We think of Amsterdam as the city where every second citizen happily rides a bike to his work and back home on common bases. We can not imagine Amsterdam without bicycles. They became a national emblem of the city.
But Amsterdam wasn’t always like that. Like every other city in the middle of the 20th century, it was planned for cars, paved parking lots, and planned urban freeways.
Over the last 50 years, Amsterdam has by trial and error created a city where bikes became the central figure in transportation planning. In 1990, 38% of all trips were made by cars, and today this is down to just 24%.
The first attempt of the city to have bikes as an alternative transport wasn’t successful. The famous “White Bicycle plan” was introduced by Provo (a Dutch counterculture movement) with the idea of closing central Amsterdam to all motorized traffic, motorbikes included, with the intent to improve public transport frequency by more than 40%. Taxis, electrically powered only, were accepted as semi-public transport. The Provos planned to buy 20,000 white bikes per year, which would be public property and free for everybody to use. But the city authorities rejected the plan.
Then the oil crisis of the 1970s forced the authorities to implement a nationwide “Car-Free Sunday”. For one day each week, cars were not allowed on roads. The positive impact of this every week activity made the residents think of permanent changes.
It’s how Amsterdam began to change its streets and to design them for people who not only drive cars but ride bikes, take transit and walk. By the way here you can see how the city changed after refusing to follow a car-centric development, there are photos before and after, and it’s an excellent example of how an existing for decades urban order can be entirely transformed.
As the streets, initially, were made for car traffic only, they are very narrow. It’s the reason that the most popular bike model in Amsterdam has curved handlebars and wide high hand grips, and that is why our model is named after this city.
The Amsterdam model makes your position for cruising around town in an upright comfortable posture. We designed this bike for a city which is mostly flat (like Amsterdam); you don’t need power in your legs to push the pedals.
Here are 3 points more to fell in love with this model:
- It gives you an easy step-down, which is crucial when you are on high heels, for example.
- Wide upper hand grips make you safe. People can hit you by the side, and you won’t lose your balance.
- With around 14 kg weight, this bike is light and comfortable to carry up a few steps.
And don’t forget that it’s an e-bike: the motor assistance gives you an ability to ride the whole day tirelessly without breaking a sweat.
The Amsterdam model is classical, stable and functional, like the city of Amsterdam itself. If you feel that you are more “an Amsterdam type of person”, don’t hesitate to visit our website and to read more about this model.
