Comments on: Fietsen http://clevercycles.com/blog/2006/01/26/fietsen/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fietsen Fri, 11 May 2012 19:57:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Val http://clevercycles.com/blog/2006/01/26/fietsen/comment-page-1/#comment-71663 Val Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:51:47 +0000 http://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=85#comment-71663 Wow, Bruce, it sure must be spectacular to watch you ride, based on the dire occurrences that you assume to be normal. I can only asssume that your daily rides involve all manner of hair raising experiences, such as overbalancing, colliding and flying off to Points Unknown (is that in South Dakota?). How have you survived so long? Do you have any video of yourself? (apologies to Todd for the troll-baiting; couldn't help myself) Wow, Bruce, it sure must be spectacular to watch you ride, based on the dire occurrences that you assume to be normal. I can only asssume that your daily rides involve all manner of hair raising experiences, such as overbalancing, colliding and flying off to Points Unknown (is that in South Dakota?). How have you survived so long? Do you have any video of yourself? (apologies to Todd for the troll-baiting; couldn’t help myself)

]]> By: Bruce A. Wilson http://clevercycles.com/blog/2006/01/26/fietsen/comment-page-1/#comment-71653 Bruce A. Wilson Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:39:04 +0000 http://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=85#comment-71653 "Why is the pet carrier cruel? Just because he is carrying it in one hand rather than stapping it to the bike ?!?" I can imagine the poor cat or dog inside being thrown about as the carrier swung to and fro. The creature would be terrified. And what if rider overbalanced, or hit a slick, or became involved in a collision? How would he keep the carrier from flying off to Points Unknown with a living being trapped inside it without even the chance to escape? I'd certainly never put my kitty in such danger. We have hashed my opinion about helmets out thoroughly here, and I will not go into it again except to say that I prefer not to have my skull bouncing on the pavement without some protection. YMMV, of course. “Why is the pet carrier cruel? Just because he is carrying it in one hand rather than stapping it to the bike ?!?”

I can imagine the poor cat or dog inside being thrown about as the carrier swung to and fro. The creature would be terrified. And what if rider overbalanced, or hit a slick, or became involved in a collision? How would he keep the carrier from flying off to Points Unknown with a living being trapped inside it without even the chance to escape? I’d certainly never put my kitty in such danger.

We have hashed my opinion about helmets out thoroughly here, and I will not go into it again except to say that I prefer not to have my skull bouncing on the pavement without some protection.

YMMV, of course.

]]> By: . http://clevercycles.com/blog/2006/01/26/fietsen/comment-page-1/#comment-71627 . Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:38:09 +0000 http://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=85#comment-71627 Helmets are not safety. Why is the pet carrier cruel? Just because he is carrying it in one hand rather than stapping it to the bike ?!? One helmet page 13 and it's a lycra wearing, pretend race bike rider :) Helmets are not safety.

Why is the pet carrier cruel? Just because he is carrying it in one hand rather than stapping it to the bike ?!?

One helmet page 13 and it’s a lycra wearing, pretend race bike rider :)

]]> By: Laura Domela http://clevercycles.com/blog/2006/01/26/fietsen/comment-page-1/#comment-71588 Laura Domela Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:59:54 +0000 http://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=85#comment-71588 Hi Bruce, the guy with the pet carrier was talking to it quite animatedly, so I have to assume the carrier had an occupant. The rider was very steady though. --Laura Hi Bruce, the guy with the pet carrier was talking to it quite animatedly, so I have to assume the carrier had an occupant. The rider was very steady though. –Laura

]]> By: Erik Sandblom http://clevercycles.com/blog/2006/01/26/fietsen/comment-page-1/#comment-70864 Erik Sandblom Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:02:13 +0000 http://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=85#comment-70864 Bruce, the safety issue is a little counter-intuitive. Denmark and the Netherlands are world leaders in terms of cycle safety. Per mile cycled, these countries have the fewest accidents. See eg www.cyclehelmets.org. A study called "safety in numbers" concluded that it's because cyclists are so common on the the streets that people know what to expect and act accordingly. I assume it's also a matter of these people having grown up on bikes, so they know enough to take it easy when carrying the things you see in the pictures. It's like slowing down in icy conditions. If you just don't ride beyond your ability, and if you draw from your experience, you can be prudent while still having just one hand on the handlebar. Safety is as much about attitude as it is about skill. Bruce, the safety issue is a little counter-intuitive. Denmark and the Netherlands are world leaders in terms of cycle safety. Per mile cycled, these countries have the fewest accidents. See eg http://www.cyclehelmets.org. A study called “safety in numbers” concluded that it’s because cyclists are so common on the the streets that people know what to expect and act accordingly.

I assume it’s also a matter of these people having grown up on bikes, so they know enough to take it easy when carrying the things you see in the pictures. It’s like slowing down in icy conditions. If you just don’t ride beyond your ability, and if you draw from your experience, you can be prudent while still having just one hand on the handlebar.

Safety is as much about attitude as it is about skill.

]]> By: Bruce Alan Wilson http://clevercycles.com/blog/2006/01/26/fietsen/comment-page-1/#comment-70848 Bruce Alan Wilson Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:15:38 +0000 http://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=85#comment-70848 It looks as though a lot of those people are cycling in a highly unsafe manner. Not just a matter of the lack of helmets--you all know my opinion on that--but one can't be in full control of the machine without both hands on the handlebars. And I certainly hope that in the case of the man with the pet carrier that it was empty--if there was a live animal in there I would say that it would be cruel to the poor thing. It looks as though a lot of those people are cycling in a highly unsafe manner. Not just a matter of the lack of helmets–you all know my opinion on that–but one can’t be in full control of the machine without both hands on the handlebars. And I certainly hope that in the case of the man with the pet carrier that it was empty–if there was a live animal in there I would say that it would be cruel to the poor thing.

]]> By: Erik Sandblom http://clevercycles.com/blog/2006/01/26/fietsen/comment-page-1/#comment-70804 Erik Sandblom Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:09:14 +0000 http://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=85#comment-70804 I just bought the book! Nice pix but it seems boring to live in a city where everybody rides the exact same bikes. In Sweden ladies ride ladies bikes like in Amsterdam, while men ride hybrids. There's a considerable number of seventies bikes coming out of hibernation as well as the odd small-wheeler. Hardly any cargo bikes though. Theft is not a big problem, apparently less than one bike stolen per week at Göteborg central station, a city of half a million people. People don't leave expensive bikes outside, but still. I think bikes need to be useful AND fun for a bike culture to thrive. There needs to be diversity beyond the colour of the spots on your bike. I just bought the book! Nice pix but it seems boring to live in a city where everybody rides the exact same bikes. In Sweden ladies ride ladies bikes like in Amsterdam, while men ride hybrids. There’s a considerable number of seventies bikes coming out of hibernation as well as the odd small-wheeler. Hardly any cargo bikes though. Theft is not a big problem, apparently less than one bike stolen per week at Göteborg central station, a city of half a million people. People don’t leave expensive bikes outside, but still.

I think bikes need to be useful AND fun for a bike culture to thrive. There needs to be diversity beyond the colour of the spots on your bike.

]]> By: Cleverchimp blog » Blog Archive » Same revolution, different day http://clevercycles.com/blog/2006/01/26/fietsen/comment-page-1/#comment-11242 Cleverchimp blog » Blog Archive » Same revolution, different day Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:24:56 +0000 http://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=85#comment-11242 <p>[...] Electra is a smart company. This is big. This is emphatically a bicycle for riding in plain clothes, around cities, in the course of normal life, in style, rain or shine, day and night. It has only incidental recreational value. It’s not a toy for youth or a way to keep seniors moving (though it can serve those functions too). Bikes like it have always been at the heart of the most functional cycling cultures (as opposed to subcultures). And for a long time, you couldn’t get similar in North America without importing at considerable expense, and you’d be on your own when it came to maintenance, accessorization, etc. [...]</p> [...] Electra is a smart company. This is big. This is emphatically a bicycle for riding in plain clothes, around cities, in the course of normal life, in style, rain or shine, day and night. It has only incidental recreational value. It’s not a toy for youth or a way to keep seniors moving (though it can serve those functions too). Bikes like it have always been at the heart of the most functional cycling cultures (as opposed to subcultures). And for a long time, you couldn’t get similar in North America without importing at considerable expense, and you’d be on your own when it came to maintenance, accessorization, etc. [...]

]]> By: Chalo http://clevercycles.com/blog/2006/01/26/fietsen/comment-page-1/#comment-572 Chalo Thu, 26 Jan 2006 23:52:22 +0000 http://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=85#comment-572 <p>Ah, that would be a /poseur/.</p> Ah, that would be a /poseur/.

]]>