In relation to bicycle helmets, you’ve acquired Australia, the place they’re obligatory for everyone and donning one is patriotic act:
Then you definately’ve acquired the Netherlands, the place individuals simply experience round pregnant whereas juggling a bunch of shit and would sooner suppose to placed on a rooster swimsuit than a helmet:
So what accounts for this stark cultural distinction? Is it merely a operate of the totally different physics within the southern hemisphere, the place summer time is winter, bathrooms flush backwards, and the solar rises not within the east however within the crotch?
Or is there one thing about anglophones typically that compels them to put on helmets no matter the place they reside in relation to the equator? In spite of everything, London does have the very best fee of helmet use in all of Europe:
Regardless of the motive, the Netherlands’s days because the world’s most helmetless (or least helmeted, relying on whether or not you’re a glass-half-empty or glass-half-full sort) society on Earth could also be numbered:
Why? Effectively, for a similar motive all the pieces’s going to shit in all places, which is e-bikes:
So principally by placing motors on bikes we’ve made them extra harmful and dearer, all whereas making the bike infrastructure suckier for individuals who experience common bikes and inflicting no measurable discount in motorized vehicle site visitors or possession.
However aside from that they’re implausible.
In the meantime, right here in New York Metropolis issues are getting so unhealthy that even the automobiles are sporting helmets:
So I spent this previous weekend driving away from it on old school pedal bicycles:
The re-Rolfed LeMond has a spring in its step as soon as once more:
I don’t know if that’s as a result of general low weight of the wheels, no matter aero advantages might come from having fewer spokes, or just the truth that these are nicer tires than what I had on the opposite wheels, however regardless of the motive I’m not even going to invest till the chickens end analyzing the information:
I’m fairly certain they’ve acquired a wind tunnel in that analysis hutch.
Talking of efficiency good points, the Tour de France is getting sooner, so how a lot of that’s as a result of gear?
Having completely skimmed the article, it sounds to me prefer it’s principally higher diet, extra subtle coaching methods, and shorter general distances. Certain, the aerodynamic enhancements additionally assist:
Nevertheless it wouldn’t shock me if these are offset by the helmets:
Then once more the aerodynamic advantages of Pantani’s bald head had been in all probability offset by his ears, so all of it balances out the tip.
By the best way, the bike Pantani is driving in that photograph bought in 2020 for 66,000 European Social gathering Coupons. That’s somewhat excessive for me, however this one’s within the ballpark:
It’s tempting for the elements alone, as a result of the bike is a rolling classic element repository, proper right down to the headset bearing protector. And what element has extra retro-Fred cred than a Mavic derailleur?
Ebay sellers ask extra for these than this vendor is asking for all the bike:
That’s what you name an funding alternative.
