Go to the
Archive indexThe history of the cyclemotor in the Netherlands is slightly different to that in Great Britain. When the first machines(mostly VéloSoleX) were introduced in 1948 it took about five years before the Dutch government incorporated this category of vehicles into a legal construction. At first riders had to register their machines, but soon several local and regional councils began to regard cyclemotors merely as bicycles, allowing them to ride on the already existing 'Bike-paths'. People riding cyclemotors became massive law-breakers when the Department of Public Works refused to register cyclemotors any longer.
The differing views of councils, policemen and judges caused a great deal of insecurity among the early riders. There is a case of a man being sent from the bicycle path to the main road by the police, and sent back to the path about a mile further along by another policeman. Riding back along the path, he was fined by the first policeman but he was not convicted because the judge stated that the man was just carrying an engine on his bike!
By a law of 1953 cyclemotors were banned to the bicycle paths for good, at least on roads where these were provided. The speed on these paths was limited to 20km/h, but as there was no speed limit on the main roads owners began to use heavier machines as soon as they could afford it. Most of these geared machines were in fact light motorbikes and their maximum speed of 50mph or more gave considerable nuisance to the cyclists with whom they had to share the small paths.
By a law of 1958 cyclemotors were forbidden to be able to go faster than 40km/h (about 25mph), but the devices that were fitted to enforce this limitation could be removed very easily by the owner. The finishing stroke for the light ungeared cyclemotors came from a law of 1973, when the wearing of helmets was made obligatory.
First published - 1991