Seeing The Light – Bike Snob NYC

In the case of bicycle helmets, you’ve obtained Australia, the place they’re necessary for everyone and donning one is patriotic act:

Then you definitely’ve obtained the Netherlands, the place individuals 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 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 generally that compels them to put on helmets no matter the place they dwell in relation to the equator? In spite of everything, London does have the best price 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? Properly, for a similar motive the whole lot’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 dearer, all whereas making the bike infrastructure suckier for individuals who journey common bikes and inflicting no measurable discount in motorized vehicle site visitors or possession.

However apart from that they’re unbelievable.

In the meantime, right here in New York Metropolis issues are getting so unhealthy that even the vehicles are carrying 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 because of the total low weight of the wheels, no matter aero advantages could 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 obtained a wind tunnel in that analysis hutch.

Talking of efficiency features, the Tour de France is getting quicker, so how a lot of that’s because of the tools?

Having totally skimmed the article, it sounds to me prefer it’s principally higher vitamin, extra refined coaching strategies, and shorter total distances. Positive, 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 picture bought in 2020 for 66,000 European Get together Coupons. That’s a little bit 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 all the bike:

That’s what you name an funding alternative.