In Holland, we also have “child in front” tandems – then said infant could “puddle”… I wish I’d bought a bakfiets when our daughter was small, then my wife would have no excuse now for driving to the supermarket!
“I wanna puddle”? What is this Family Circus? I guess the mom does look a little like Thel. And what’s with the in panel captioning? IS this Dick Tracy?
some of you commenters are real liberty haters–especially apropos on today–the fourth of july.
i rather ENJOY that this strip doesn’t impose the morality of others upon its readers.
i NEVER wear a helmet, except when racing, and it’s only been in the past few years that you folks who lack both bike handling skills and social graces have grown so terribly bothersome to those of us who choose to not wear and ride.
lighten up, and enjoy this fine strip.
carry on.
Well, I’m just going to say that once I start riding again(probly in the next few weeks, moneys been tight on the bike budget) I will always where a helmet.
The main reason for this is I have had too many close shaves as a kid where if I hadn’t had a helmet I’d either be dead or a vegetable.
For example, when I was around 810 yrs old my family lived in a neighborhood where one corner always had standing water about 3 ft by 4 ft due to a large oak tree that that resident had. This caused a large amount of algea to grow and, as a kid with nothing to do, my friends and I would often skid our bikes through it. One day I happened to be just a little off and BAM!! the bike fell out from under me and I hit my head square on the corner of the curb. Thankfully, because of my helmet, I only suffered a headache for the next few days. The helmet was completely broken. I was also lucky because where the helmet hit the curb I only had about an inch of clearance to the base of my skull. So yes, without that helmet you would not be seeing this comment now.
Experiences like that one, plus the fact that I will be adding a Cyclone Electric kit to my bike for the hilly commute to work and CA requires helmets for E-Bikes, I will always where my helmet.
I don’t bash people that don’t where helmets, it’s your decision. Much like wearing a seat belt in your car. Just remember that the mortality rate of bicyclist goes up quite a bit if they don’t have a helmet. So, good luck and good riding.
Yo Rev
you don’t want to wear a helmet and you know what that’s fine but don’t go laying the “lack of skills and social graces” on those who do. is being hit by a car a lack of skill?
I see your point Harry, so my analogy wasn’t the best one. Perhaps I should have referred to the times I’ve been hit by cars…
Yeah, US isn’t the safest place for cyclists, teens with cell phones and SUV’s don’t make our roads any safer.
An inch of polystyrene is not going to protect you if hit by a car. Look up the American “Snell” standard for helmets (a higher standard than the European one, as it happens). This rates the protection offered by a helmet at the equivalent to falling off a stationary bicycle only; a tonne of moving metal is so far outside of the design parameters as to make helmets pointless in an crash involving a car. Can we now get back to enjoying a great cartoon that celebrates all the types of cycling? (Especially Yehuda’s utility cycling! – I can really identify with that)
i concur whole heartedly with colin that most folks who wear a helmet not only wrap their heads in polystyrene, they also wrap themselves [perhaps "enshroud" would be more appropriate] in the false sense of security that they are safer from the massive internal injuries cars can inflict.
i think it is MUCH safer to grow up learning to be a more alert and more aggressively defensive bike rider.
those who feel the need to inflict their opinions on safety upon me as they ride by or worse are lacking in social graces. those who talk about how they were saved by a helmet more often than not were nearly killed by their poor bike handling skills.
end of sermon. say amen, and then go ride your bikes. leave your 10% at the door.
Sure the dutch have trailers. But really if you’re going to look at the Dutch and what this lady wants to do with her bike there’s an EXACT analogy staring you in the face every day when you’re out on the road. First, completely put the “recreation” part of cycling out of your head. This lady want it for transportation and that’s why millions of Dutch folks ride. Has zero to do with recreation. Unless you just happen to ride your bike to a park or sporting event or just for a ride – like taking your car out for a drive in the country.
So the analogy? A pickup truck vs. a car with a trailer. With a pickup you don’t have to plan in advance, you don’t have to worry about it being a PITA to park, or lousy on a rough road or in tight spaces or whatever. You just drive it like any other car, and throw crap in the bed as needed. That’s the Bakfiets. You ride it just like any (admittedly heavy) bike. It’s easy to park, easy (relatively) to take up stairs, etc. Then if and when you need to you throw crap in the box you do!
As far as helmets go, now that I’m a Dad I wear one as an example to my little ones. Both of them freak out if we can’t find their helmet and they want to ride. Which is a good thing. But the things I survived riding a bike without a helmet as a kid are absolutely nothing compared to the crazy crap I survived in a car as a teenager – let alone on a Motorcycle WITH a helmet.
It’s a total miracle I survived my teen years driving like a mad man, riding dirt (moto) bikes WAY to fast both on single-track and dirt roads (plus out at night with some beers in me in town!), exploring abandoned mines (three sheets to the wind, no less) wiyth an old t-shirt wrapped around a stick and dipped in kerosene, rock climbing in Air Jordans with no rope, jumping off cliffs into tiny little pools in mountain streams, etc. etc. etc. It’s not a miracle I survived riding my bike around town without a helmet.
Yeah, the kid should probably wear a helmet, but compared to the rest of the crazy crap he’s liable to do in his youth, it’s pretty minor.
Come on guys, can we stop the self-righteous commentary? Americans are afraid of life, and want to legislate their fears into the law of the land – can we at least keep this BS out of a nice comic strip?
Helmets are mandatory if you go fast, whether you’re racing or not, if you’re inexperienced, or prone to riding to (and beyond) your skill envelope, or young (again, inexperienced) and have underdeveloped motor skills. Also, if drivers are impatient and inexperienced with cyclists, helmets are mandatory. sure, you are more likely to die of massive internal injuries if you get hit by a car, but suppose you manage to escape with some major bruises, even broken bones, but smack your head pretty good on something. When I was younger, I was riding with a kid who got hit by a pickup (because we didn’t see the stop sign at the bottom of the hill because we were going too fast) His head hit both the hood of the truck, and the pavement when he came back down. We’ll never know, but he might be around if he’d had a helmet on. Still, if I’m just toodling around the neighbourhood, I stay super-wary of cars, and go slow.
I still have NEVER hit my head on anything in any fall/crash situation, but I’ve also never ragdolled. I wear a helmet on mtn bike rides, and while commuting.
Could one of the helmet advocates answer one question for me? And please be honest with yourself.
Why do those who wear helmets feel that they must FORCE others to wear one?
I know you consider it safer. That’s not the question. The question is why make a law and tell the police to use their gun to FORCE others to do what you are doing?
Why?
I can understand promoting helmet use. I just can’t understand why people shouldn’t be allowed to choose for themselves.
Blue, I agree that it’s sad that some feel they have to impose their opinion on everybody. That said, I agree 100% with any law like in CA where you have to where a helmet to a certain age(i believe it’s 16 or 18..)
I say this because we have way too many idiotic parents that don’t want to “parent” their children. Thats why we have to have these laws. You have no idea how many times as a child I saw kids down at the local vacant lot building dirt ramps and such, then jumping and hitting a hight of over 5 feet, all without a helmet. It’s irresponsible to let a child who isn’t old enough to understand and have the experience to know what safety is to determine what safety measures they should take.
But yes, for adults, I believe it should be a choice.
I’m with BillC on this one, and I’m starting to wonder if Susan’s original comment wasn’t a plant to start just this kind of “I’m right and on the side of righteousness”, “No, I’m right and on the side of freedom” debate!
My personal thinking is that . . .
. . . nope – ’nuff said. Let’s just save this debate for somewhere where there isn’t a great cartoon to enjoy.
I wasn’t going to comment again, but no Karl, my comment was not a plant to start a flame war on the issue of helmets. I said it “bothered me” that they did not have helmets on. I never stated that helmets were mandatory or made a comment on the right to wear a helmet or not. Common sense might say that if you are learning a new skill, you might take some protective measures. Most parents would protect your children. Is this just a comic, yes, but it also makes plenty of political statements.
But I stand with you on the issue of the debate – let’s enjoy the cartoon .
Laws that are made “because some parents don’t parent,” miss the mark entirely because they allow those parents to abdicate their responsibilities and turn them over to the Nanny State. Parents should have the full rights and responsibilities over their children. The government should not be involved with imposing such things as helmet laws, child seat laws, or manditory vaccinations and compulsory education. A parent should be educated enough to make choices and take risks at their own discretion regarding their children. A parent will not be a better parent if the government does it all for them. Instead, another generation will rise up thinking that the government can, should, and will make all their decisions for them.
I understand those that don’t want to debate. I do have a few points for them to consider however.
1: Rick makes social commentary in his cartoon, including helmets. (See 311 and 312)
2: Most of us find ourselves as advocates for bicycling among co-workers, friends, relatives and other associates. Which may involve both debate and Yehuda Moon (He has found a prominent location at my place of work).
3: Discussion and debate are an important part of the American way of life and no positive change can happen without pursuading others through the presentation of facts and discussion of possibilities.
I will note that I wear a helmet now and encourage my children to do the same. On most occasions, my wife WILL NOT wear a helmet. I note this because I was one of the kids that jumped off dirt mounds, fell down ravines under my MTB and stupidly rode my road bike out into traffic (RIP Peugeot), all without a helmet, even though my parents had provided me with more than one. People learn and they change. I have my reasons for wearing a helmet. 1. A guy can only be lucky so many times. 2. I have five kids who need a dad. 3. for some stupid reason, drivers take a helmeted rider more seriously.
I do not wear the skull bucket when on the bak heading into town or running errands. I do wear a helmet when I’m out ‘recreating’ and on long distance, self supported rides. I used to wear one when I could bounce off of rocks and trees in the woods.
Look at some of the helmet study data and lets remember that this should be a personal choice. A helmet is good in certain circumstances – and in others due to the lever effect it can actually accelerate the head and cause further injury.
To each his own – but please – lets not force helmets on each other – if people continue the need to ‘gear up’ to ride a bike – buying armor, helmets, specialized clothing – it will never become a practical alternative (here in the US) as it is most everywhere else. It seems that in locales where bikes play a high mode share of everyday transit – the helmet is hard to find…
WHEN someone can provide me with solid research data that helmets work and that they are tested to a proper standard I will reverse my position that it is a personal choice and nothing more or less.
I think that we find out that they drive a blue car
Personally I think she’s gone mad myself
There are certain towns you just wouldn’t want to ride these in. At my old apartment I’d be afraid of getting shot on that thing.
I do agree that they work for some people though.
In Holland, we also have “child in front” tandems – then said infant could “puddle”… I wish I’d bought a bakfiets when our daughter was small, then my wife would have no excuse now for driving to the supermarket!
the lack of a helmet on either rider really bothers me – at the very least, the little one should have one.
It’s a cartoon, guys…
Susan – and have you seen that irresponsible guy, Yehuda? He never wears a helmet. Maybe if Fred had worn one, he’d still be around today.
Little guy wants to puddle? Maybe we’ll see a long tail with a trail a bike next.
I rode one of these at a cycle show in Nottingham Racecourse…. I thought it’d be quite wobbly, but it was very stable.
“I wanna puddle”? What is this Family Circus? I guess the mom does look a little like Thel. And what’s with the in panel captioning? IS this Dick Tracy?
America is not Holland.
Well spotted.
Wow, people are so critical. I’m really surprised.
If I rode one of these around my town, I would have instant “star” status. But my town really appreciates bikes.
I love the bakfiets, personally.
@Susan
Dutch bikes do not require helmets.
Even in America!
some of you commenters are real liberty haters–especially apropos on today–the fourth of july.
i rather ENJOY that this strip doesn’t impose the morality of others upon its readers.
i NEVER wear a helmet, except when racing, and it’s only been in the past few years that you folks who lack both bike handling skills and social graces have grown so terribly bothersome to those of us who choose to not wear and ride.
lighten up, and enjoy this fine strip.
carry on.
Well, I’m just going to say that once I start riding again(probly in the next few weeks, moneys been tight on the bike budget) I will always where a helmet.
The main reason for this is I have had too many close shaves as a kid where if I hadn’t had a helmet I’d either be dead or a vegetable.
For example, when I was around 810 yrs old my family lived in a neighborhood where one corner always had standing water about 3 ft by 4 ft due to a large oak tree that that resident had. This caused a large amount of algea to grow and, as a kid with nothing to do, my friends and I would often skid our bikes through it. One day I happened to be just a little off and BAM!! the bike fell out from under me and I hit my head square on the corner of the curb. Thankfully, because of my helmet, I only suffered a headache for the next few days. The helmet was completely broken. I was also lucky because where the helmet hit the curb I only had about an inch of clearance to the base of my skull. So yes, without that helmet you would not be seeing this comment now.
Experiences like that one, plus the fact that I will be adding a Cyclone Electric kit to my bike for the hilly commute to work and CA requires helmets for E-Bikes, I will always where my helmet.
I don’t bash people that don’t where helmets, it’s your decision. Much like wearing a seat belt in your car. Just remember that the mortality rate of bicyclist goes up quite a bit if they don’t have a helmet. So, good luck and good riding.
Skidding tricks as a kid and racing are perfectly appropriate times to use helmets.
Yo Rev
you don’t want to wear a helmet and you know what that’s fine but don’t go laying the “lack of skills and social graces” on those who do. is being hit by a car a lack of skill?
I see your point Harry, so my analogy wasn’t the best one. Perhaps I should have referred to the times I’ve been hit by cars…
Yeah, US isn’t the safest place for cyclists, teens with cell phones and SUV’s don’t make our roads any safer.
An inch of polystyrene is not going to protect you if hit by a car. Look up the American “Snell” standard for helmets (a higher standard than the European one, as it happens). This rates the protection offered by a helmet at the equivalent to falling off a stationary bicycle only; a tonne of moving metal is so far outside of the design parameters as to make helmets pointless in an crash involving a car. Can we now get back to enjoying a great cartoon that celebrates all the types of cycling? (Especially Yehuda’s utility cycling! – I can really identify with that)
Don’t the Dutch make trailers?
i concur whole heartedly with colin that most folks who wear a helmet not only wrap their heads in polystyrene, they also wrap themselves [perhaps "enshroud" would be more appropriate] in the false sense of security that they are safer from the massive internal injuries cars can inflict.
i think it is MUCH safer to grow up learning to be a more alert and more aggressively defensive bike rider.
those who feel the need to inflict their opinions on safety upon me as they ride by or worse are lacking in social graces. those who talk about how they were saved by a helmet more often than not were nearly killed by their poor bike handling skills.
end of sermon. say amen, and then go ride your bikes. leave your 10% at the door.
Sure the dutch have trailers. But really if you’re going to look at the Dutch and what this lady wants to do with her bike there’s an EXACT analogy staring you in the face every day when you’re out on the road. First, completely put the “recreation” part of cycling out of your head. This lady want it for transportation and that’s why millions of Dutch folks ride. Has zero to do with recreation. Unless you just happen to ride your bike to a park or sporting event or just for a ride – like taking your car out for a drive in the country.
So the analogy? A pickup truck vs. a car with a trailer. With a pickup you don’t have to plan in advance, you don’t have to worry about it being a PITA to park, or lousy on a rough road or in tight spaces or whatever. You just drive it like any other car, and throw crap in the bed as needed. That’s the Bakfiets. You ride it just like any (admittedly heavy) bike. It’s easy to park, easy (relatively) to take up stairs, etc. Then if and when you need to you throw crap in the box you do!
As far as helmets go, now that I’m a Dad I wear one as an example to my little ones. Both of them freak out if we can’t find their helmet and they want to ride. Which is a good thing. But the things I survived riding a bike without a helmet as a kid are absolutely nothing compared to the crazy crap I survived in a car as a teenager – let alone on a Motorcycle WITH a helmet.
It’s a total miracle I survived my teen years driving like a mad man, riding dirt (moto) bikes WAY to fast both on single-track and dirt roads (plus out at night with some beers in me in town!), exploring abandoned mines (three sheets to the wind, no less) wiyth an old t-shirt wrapped around a stick and dipped in kerosene, rock climbing in Air Jordans with no rope, jumping off cliffs into tiny little pools in mountain streams, etc. etc. etc. It’s not a miracle I survived riding my bike around town without a helmet.
Yeah, the kid should probably wear a helmet, but compared to the rest of the crazy crap he’s liable to do in his youth, it’s pretty minor.
C
Does everything have to have a social commentary now days? Good grief. Like someone said earlier it’s just a comic strip.
You want to use a helmet use it, if you don’t that’s fine to. In this case I don’t. Now ride and enjoy.
been hit twice now and i am here because of a helmet but i whole heartily agree this is suppose to be a comic strip
Come on guys, can we stop the self-righteous commentary? Americans are afraid of life, and want to legislate their fears into the law of the land – can we at least keep this BS out of a nice comic strip?
larschmo, I like where you’re going with this.
If that is indeed the way this plays out, I’m anxious to see how Joe and Yehuda take it.
A guy with a Bakfiets joined our parade today – big fun!
Well Holland is not America either. Believe it or not, America is not its own planet.
Damn! She’s married.
Helmets are mandatory if you go fast, whether you’re racing or not, if you’re inexperienced, or prone to riding to (and beyond) your skill envelope, or young (again, inexperienced) and have underdeveloped motor skills. Also, if drivers are impatient and inexperienced with cyclists, helmets are mandatory. sure, you are more likely to die of massive internal injuries if you get hit by a car, but suppose you manage to escape with some major bruises, even broken bones, but smack your head pretty good on something. When I was younger, I was riding with a kid who got hit by a pickup (because we didn’t see the stop sign at the bottom of the hill because we were going too fast) His head hit both the hood of the truck, and the pavement when he came back down. We’ll never know, but he might be around if he’d had a helmet on. Still, if I’m just toodling around the neighbourhood, I stay super-wary of cars, and go slow.
I still have NEVER hit my head on anything in any fall/crash situation, but I’ve also never ragdolled. I wear a helmet on mtn bike rides, and while commuting.
Could one of the helmet advocates answer one question for me? And please be honest with yourself.
Why do those who wear helmets feel that they must FORCE others to wear one?
I know you consider it safer. That’s not the question. The question is why make a law and tell the police to use their gun to FORCE others to do what you are doing?
Why?
I can understand promoting helmet use. I just can’t understand why people shouldn’t be allowed to choose for themselves.
Blue, I agree that it’s sad that some feel they have to impose their opinion on everybody. That said, I agree 100% with any law like in CA where you have to where a helmet to a certain age(i believe it’s 16 or 18..)
I say this because we have way too many idiotic parents that don’t want to “parent” their children. Thats why we have to have these laws. You have no idea how many times as a child I saw kids down at the local vacant lot building dirt ramps and such, then jumping and hitting a hight of over 5 feet, all without a helmet. It’s irresponsible to let a child who isn’t old enough to understand and have the experience to know what safety is to determine what safety measures they should take.
But yes, for adults, I believe it should be a choice.
Ohhh… a helmet war. How original. Let’s debate abortion while we’re at it.
Purple Drazi vs Green Drazi!
I’m with BillC on this one, and I’m starting to wonder if Susan’s original comment wasn’t a plant to start just this kind of “I’m right and on the side of righteousness”, “No, I’m right and on the side of freedom” debate!
My personal thinking is that . . .
. . . nope – ’nuff said. Let’s just save this debate for somewhere where there isn’t a great cartoon to enjoy.
I wasn’t going to comment again, but no Karl, my comment was not a plant to start a flame war on the issue of helmets. I said it “bothered me” that they did not have helmets on. I never stated that helmets were mandatory or made a comment on the right to wear a helmet or not. Common sense might say that if you are learning a new skill, you might take some protective measures. Most parents would protect your children. Is this just a comic, yes, but it also makes plenty of political statements.
But I stand with you on the issue of the debate – let’s enjoy the cartoon .
Laws that are made “because some parents don’t parent,” miss the mark entirely because they allow those parents to abdicate their responsibilities and turn them over to the Nanny State. Parents should have the full rights and responsibilities over their children. The government should not be involved with imposing such things as helmet laws, child seat laws, or manditory vaccinations and compulsory education. A parent should be educated enough to make choices and take risks at their own discretion regarding their children. A parent will not be a better parent if the government does it all for them. Instead, another generation will rise up thinking that the government can, should, and will make all their decisions for them.
I understand those that don’t want to debate. I do have a few points for them to consider however.
1: Rick makes social commentary in his cartoon, including helmets. (See 311 and 312)
2: Most of us find ourselves as advocates for bicycling among co-workers, friends, relatives and other associates. Which may involve both debate and Yehuda Moon (He has found a prominent location at my place of work).
3: Discussion and debate are an important part of the American way of life and no positive change can happen without pursuading others through the presentation of facts and discussion of possibilities.
I will note that I wear a helmet now and encourage my children to do the same. On most occasions, my wife WILL NOT wear a helmet. I note this because I was one of the kids that jumped off dirt mounds, fell down ravines under my MTB and stupidly rode my road bike out into traffic (RIP Peugeot), all without a helmet, even though my parents had provided me with more than one. People learn and they change. I have my reasons for wearing a helmet. 1. A guy can only be lucky so many times. 2. I have five kids who need a dad. 3. for some stupid reason, drivers take a helmeted rider more seriously.
“3. for some stupid reason, drivers take a helmeted rider more seriously.”
Maybe, but according to this study we’d be safer in a wig:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/5334208.stm
I do not wear the skull bucket when on the bak heading into town or running errands. I do wear a helmet when I’m out ‘recreating’ and on long distance, self supported rides. I used to wear one when I could bounce off of rocks and trees in the woods.
Look at some of the helmet study data and lets remember that this should be a personal choice. A helmet is good in certain circumstances – and in others due to the lever effect it can actually accelerate the head and cause further injury.
To each his own – but please – lets not force helmets on each other – if people continue the need to ‘gear up’ to ride a bike – buying armor, helmets, specialized clothing – it will never become a practical alternative (here in the US) as it is most everywhere else. It seems that in locales where bikes play a high mode share of everyday transit – the helmet is hard to find…
http://littlecircles.blogspot.com/
WHEN someone can provide me with solid research data that helmets work and that they are tested to a proper standard I will reverse my position that it is a personal choice and nothing more or less.
Aaron
@ Andy
I think your Drazi comment just sent me into geek overload