Comments on: Video: Winter biking in Copenhagen http://www.gcpvd.org/2010/01/13/video-winter-biking-in-copenhagen/ Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:42:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jarrett at HumanTransit.org http://www.gcpvd.org/2010/01/13/video-winter-biking-in-copenhagen/comment-page-1/#comment-140140 Jarrett at HumanTransit.org Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:47:42 +0000 http://www.gcpvd.org/?p=6238#comment-140140 The lack of helmets is easy to understand once you know that cheap European bikes don't have brakes, either. ;-) Seriously, most western european bike paths are between the parking strip and the sidewalk. Interactions with cars are rare, while interactions with peds are constant. That means cycling is just slower, all the time. The Dutch say that their "design" cyclist -- the one they have in mind when they design infrastructure -- is a 60 year old woman with two bags of groceries. She doesn't wear a helmet either, but nor does she go more than 15 mph. The lack of helmets is easy to understand once you know that cheap European bikes don’t have brakes, either. ;-)

Seriously, most western european bike paths are between the parking strip and the sidewalk. Interactions with cars are rare, while interactions with peds are constant. That means cycling is just slower, all the time.

The Dutch say that their “design” cyclist — the one they have in mind when they design infrastructure — is a 60 year old woman with two bags of groceries. She doesn’t wear a helmet either, but nor does she go more than 15 mph.

]]> By: Tony P http://www.gcpvd.org/2010/01/13/video-winter-biking-in-copenhagen/comment-page-1/#comment-140108 Tony P Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:15:54 +0000 http://www.gcpvd.org/?p=6238#comment-140108 Yes, and those plows can serve double duty and do sidewalks too. Imagine that! Yes, and those plows can serve double duty and do sidewalks too. Imagine that!

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