In the case of bicycle helmets, you’ve received Australia, the place they’re obligatory for everyone and donning one is patriotic act:
You then’ve received the Netherlands, the place folks simply journey round pregnant whereas juggling a bunch of shit and would sooner assume to placed on a hen go well with than a helmet:
So what accounts for this stark cultural distinction? Is it merely a perform of the completely different physics within the southern hemisphere, the place summer time is winter, bogs flush backwards, and the solar rises not within the east however within the crotch?
Or is there one thing about anglophones usually that compels them to put on helmets no matter the place they stay in relation to the equator? In any case, London does have the best price of helmet use in all of Europe:
Regardless of the cause, 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? Nicely, for a similar cause every thing’s going to shit in all places, which is e-bikes:
So mainly by placing motors on bikes we’ve made them extra harmful and costlier, all whereas making the bike infrastructure suckier for individuals who journey common bikes and inflicting no measurable discount in motorized vehicle visitors or possession.
However apart from that they’re incredible.
In the meantime, right here in New York Metropolis issues are getting so dangerous that even the vehicles are sporting helmets:
So I spent this previous weekend using away from it on old style pedal bicycles:
The re-Rolfed LeMond has a spring in its step as soon as once more:
I don’t know if that’s because of the total 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 cause I’m not even going to take a position till the chickens end analyzing the info:
I’m fairly certain they’ve received a wind tunnel in that analysis hutch.
Talking of efficiency beneficial properties, the Tour de France is getting quicker, so how a lot of that’s because of the gear?
Having totally skimmed the article, it sounds to me prefer it’s largely higher diet, extra refined coaching strategies, and shorter total distances. Certain, the aerodynamic enhancements additionally assist:
However it wouldn’t shock me if these are offset by the helmets:
Then once more the aerodynamic advantages of Pantani’s bald head have been in all probability offset by his ears, so all of it balances out the top.
By the way in which, the bike Pantani is using in that photograph bought in 2020 for 66,000 European Celebration 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 all the way 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 your complete bike:
That’s what you name an funding alternative.
