Specialized Bicycles – The Bucket Bike or Bakfiet

Specialized Bicycles – With A Purpose!

One thing I really noticed on a Rail Europe trip throughout western Europe was how many people ride bicycles in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Actually, The Netherlands has one of the highest usage rates of bicycles in the world. When you walk around Amsterdam, it’s hard not to notice the number of bicycles that are chained up against fences, or locked up in enormous bicycle parks. Amsterdam also has a number of Specialized Bicycles which upon first look, seem unusual, but when you dig a little deeper, they make complete sense.

An example of this is the Bucket Bike, or Bakfiet (in Dutch), which is shown below. Yes, this bizarre Specialized Bicycle contraption literally looks like someone has attached a box on the front of a bike!

But these Bucket Bikes do serve a purpose! Firstly, because Amsterdam is pretty restricted in terms of car parking spaces, it’s actually easier to ride your bike around then spend hours circling around waiting for a carpark to appear. Secondly, with the Bakfiet, you can pile a heap of groceries (and beer!) when you do your weekly shopping. And thirdly, some Bakfiets, like the one pictured above, have two small seat belts so you can carry your children around on a joy ride!

I think these Specialized Bicycles are pretty cool, even though they do look a tad unusual on first viewing. Not only that, I didn’t see too many fat people in Amsterdam (even despite of Febo!), plus riding around is an easy and practical way to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of your country!

Hopefully, the Bucket Bike craze takes off outside of the Netherlands!

More Specialized Bicycle Stuff

Maybe we all need to learn from the Dutch and read On Bicycles: 50 Ways the New Bike Culture Can Change Your Life.