What made the last big bike boom? The next?

Bernie wrote:

Bicycles are powerful tools, a true extension of the human operator.

If you don't mind I am going to steal that quote.

--

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Tim Jones wrote:
Of course education and instruction will always have more impact
than just wearing a helmet.

'tis far better to prevent a crash than to try to reduce it's effects.
I just can't figure out why Good Housekeeping magazine thinks the
children of safety conscious parents will somehow become more
safe if they move to a state which mandates helmets when the
parents can already mandate the things wherever they live.
Parenting begins in the home, not the legislature.
Mitch

In article , says...
David Kerber wrote:
I require my kids to wear a helmet any time they're on human-
powered wheels in the road, whether it's on a bike, scooter or roller
blades.

That may be fine for you, but how many parents believe the scare-mongering
sales tactics and decide the safest thing for their kids is to not get
them a bike?
Mitch.

What do you mean by "scare-mongering sales tactics"? I haven't seen
anything like that around here, though the fact that helmets are
required for kids may be part of the reason. What have you seen in
your area?



--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

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(Pete Cresswell) wrote:
What the guy actually said was "You are sooooo full of ****! Have you *ever*
tried living where you always have to go everywhere by bicycle or bus?"

Like Amsterdam? Copenhagen? Zurich? Any one of a number of other
marvellous Continental cities, all of which are so much nicer than
American cities it's not even funny?

Yes, please!
--
David Damerell Distortion Field!

Rick Onanian wrote:
Wait, if you don't drive, and only ride a bike, you
are pro-culture in two ways:
1. You need to live in a dense city to survive

Bunk. I live in a medium-sized town.
--
David Damerell Distortion Field!

Donald Gillies wrote:
Ergo, the next bike boom will appear 20 years after world-war III.

With all those legs, the roaches are going to need tandem-style
drivetrains, poor things.
--
David Damerell Distortion Field!

"Mitch Haley" wrote in message
...
Tim Jones wrote:
Of course education and instruction will always have more impact
than just wearing a helmet.

'tis far better to prevent a crash than to try to reduce it's effects.
I just can't figure out why Good Housekeeping magazine thinks the
children of safety conscious parents will somehow become more
safe if they move to a state which mandates helmets when the
parents can already mandate the things wherever they live.
Parenting begins in the home, not the legislature.
Mitch

While it is true that parenting begins in the home, how likely is a 12 year
old kid going to be to wear a helmet when he goes riding with his buddies
that don't wear helmets. They still may not do it if mandated, but at least
there is a good chance that kids will do what their parents tell them to in
this case.

Tim

"David Damerell" wrote in message
...
(Pete Cresswell) wrote:
What the guy actually said was "You are sooooo full of ****! Have you
*ever*
tried living where you always have to go everywhere by bicycle or bus?"

Like Amsterdam? Copenhagen? Zurich? Any one of a number of other
marvellous Continental cities, all of which are so much nicer than
American cities it's not even funny?

Yes, please!

It's all about perception. They are the "have-nots" and want the freedom and
mobility offered by automobiles. Being able to travel great distances in
relative comfort without having to share the space with other people (and in
many cases, livestock too) is a sign of success. I can't say that I blame
them for wanting what they perceive as a major advantage.

They either don't realize the negative aspects or think that the advantages
outweigh the disadvantages.

And I can agree with them somewhat. I personally hate living in the city.
Being stacked on top of one-another, having to listen to the neighbors
arguing or playing the stereo too loud, having to be extra conscientious
about the noise I am producing, having to deal with other people every time
I step outside of my door, not being able to grow my own flowers and
vegetables, not being able to look out my window and watch the squirrels run
along the fence or the birds flying between the trees, not being able to
watch the trees sway in the wind or the leaves change colors in the fall,
having miles and miles of roads that are pleasant to ride on because they
are lined with trees (think shade) and have low speed limits.... There is a
lot to be said about the advantages of suburbia over the city. Too often we
focus on the problems of suburbia and forget why people want to live there
in the first place.

-Buck

"Bernie" wrote in message
...

I rode as a kid, and I hear you loud and clear. Young adults and kids today
are
in the majority not into bicycling like kids were 40 or 50 years ago.

....or even 25 years ago. We all rode bikes when I was a kid, and I'm not *that*
old.

At least in the town where I'm from, the death knell came some time in the
mid-80s. At some point, kids decided riding to school just wasn't "cool," and
they didn't want to be seen doing it anymore.

Matt O.

"Mitch Haley" wrote in message
...

Tim Jones wrote:

Of course education and instruction will always have more impact
than just wearing a helmet.

'tis far better to prevent a crash than to try to reduce it's effects.
I just can't figure out why Good Housekeeping magazine thinks the
children of safety conscious parents will somehow become more
safe if they move to a state which mandates helmets when the
parents can already mandate the things wherever they live.
Parenting begins in the home, not the legislature.

Good Housekeeping ought to look at which states implement bike safety programs
schools, like we used to have.

I've never seen a study on this, but I bet it helps make these kids better
drivers too.

Matt O.