One: Bikes here are more modest. Lots of three-speeds and one-speeds. And they look as if they spend a lot of their time out in the wind and the rain--which is to say, pretty much like the people.
Two: they've all got those little old fashioned ding-ding bells. Makes perfect sense in the environment. Palookaville bikes are mostly whirling along the open road where they compete with cars, and what car would ever hear a ding-ding bell? But the Amsterdam bikes have to power their way through crowds of the pedestrians. The bell is a courtesy: you better step aside or I willl mow you down.
Three: no helmets. I should think a head injury would be just as calamitous here as at home; maybe the pace and the shape of the crowd is such that you're just not going to fall on your head.
Update--Dutch: Run the entry above through Google Translate from Dutch, and you come up with: I come from there so Country Bicycle Should not be anything new about a community That Moves on Two Wheels, but it Seems That there are styles and styles of the velocipedic life, and Amsterdam is not Palookaville. One: Bikes here are more modest. Lots of three-speeds and one-speeds. And They Look As If They spend a lot of Their Time Out in the wind and the rain - which is to say, pretty much like the people. Two: They've all got Those little old fashioned ding-ding bells. Makes perfect sense in the environment. Palookaville bikes are mostly along the open road where whirling They compete with cars, and what car would ever hear a bell ding-ding? But the Amsterdam bikes have power to Their way through crowds of the Pedestrians. The bell is a courtesy you better step aside or I willl mow you down. Three: no helmets. Should I think a head injury would be just as calamitous as here at home, maybe the pace and the shape of the crowd That you're just not Such is going to fall on your head.
1 comment:
People who use bikes primarily for transportation tend not to wear helmets for two main reasons:
1) As you noted, head injuries are much less likely when you're not riding in traffic or racing. Doesn't mean you won't fall off the bike, but an adult falling at 5-8 MPH or less isn't going to do any more damage than fainting and hitting your head on the ground. (Kids are different--skulls not finalized--and should (and generally do) wear helmets all the time.
2) Helmets take up a lot of space. If you're going for a ride, the helmet will, at most, be carried into a shop where you're grabbing a snack or a drink. If you're using a bike for commuting, errands, etc., it's difficult to manage.
And, no, I never ride without a helmet, even when in a city where the bikes are fully integrated into the traffic flow (e.g., Montreal). But the slow-riding-on-a-heavy-bike smokers with panniers carrying groceries and briefcases with them--yeah, one gradually understands why they don't wear helmets.
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