15 January 2008

Pink Push


Pink Push, originally uploaded by [Zakkaliciousness].

Another capture of that magical moment when the bike is propelled forward.

Not a helmet fan myself, but that is a good example of the next generation of helmets on the market over here. Stylish, fashionable, modern. None of that racing gear look.

Wouldn't dream of telling anyone to wear a helmet. It's a personal choice and hearing pro-helmet advocates yapping on about it is like listening to right-wing fundamentalists yapping on about whatever it is they yap on about.

Wear one or don't. It's your choice. Nobody should have an opinion about what you do.

But if your helmet is lovely, I'll tell you so.

29 comments:

  1. i agree. it's a great blog, and a good point is made about having stylish helmet options for head safety. i was using a skateboarding helmet for a long time, because it didn't look as silly as a bicyling one. and it matched my bike.

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  2. we love that you love it. thanks for reading!

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  3. I will not ride without a helmet. I've had too many close calls not to. But I won't tell anyone else to wear one either. Except my 2 sons.

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  4. I won't ride without one either, but that's because drivers here are crazy.

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  5. Flowers again!!!I can notice that spring is in the air in Copenhague!!

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  6. Flowers on her head, and flowers on her skirt ... and a pink hood! What a cutie! I love this blog!

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  7. It's always a pleasure to read everyday this blog and Cycleliciousness. Thanks for that!
    I find myself for a long time divided in wearing an helmet or not. Same as 'the blue penny', i considered using a skateboard helmet, but decided to whait until i found something even less 'agressive'. Now that you pointed out that there might be other options in Denmark, could you please inform me of an on-line shop or brand where i can check them? Thank you.

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  8. thanks everyone.
    the most popular trendy helmets are Nutcase and Bell.
    This is a Danish bike shop - in Danish - but they have loads of helmets.
    I believe the girl in the photo is wearing a Nutcase - it's on the above link or look here: Nutcase USA or Nutcase EU

    They make skater and bmx helmets but they are very popular.

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  9. hey raymi.
    anything is possible, classy lady.

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  10. Do you ever take pictures of girls on stationary bikes?

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  11. indeed we do, st. butchie.
    it's a big blog.
    have a look around.
    :-)

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  12. I always like when is see a girl riding a bike with a basket and there's a loaf of french bread skicking out of the basket.

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  13. oh i LOVE your blog unfortnately we have to wear helmets down here in Australia which is a major drawback in bicycle style..... but you guys are certainly encouraging!! xx

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  14. I think this is a great site but it's more than just a tad creepy that the photos are all taken from behind without the subjects looking and we rarely see their faces and eyes.

    I want to urge you to start trying to do some of your great photography in view of your subjects. Let's see them looking at you too. Let them know they're being photo'd. Maybe even print up a business card with your web site's address so if they stop and ask what you're doing you can hand it to them and say you're taking photos for this web site. If you don't like the results, email me and take it down.

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  15. So...I'm guessing insurance coverage is a bit better in Copenhagen than in the US. Too many people in the US don't have insurance. Many of those are children who ride bikes without helmets. If they crash and become a drooling moron, they become a tax burden for many years.

    A helmet is much cheaper than a CT scan.

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  16. "Drooling moron" is the guy who always brings up insurance and taxes here in the USA. If you Danes will please excuse us....
    Looks like you got it goin' jes fine without us.

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  17. I just have to agree with everybody else here... This blog is really good! It made me ride for my work here in Sao Paulo (Brazil).

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  18. @Big dave

    We have free medical insurance in denmark. But we pay for it over our taxes.

    But its not that many that become drooling moron's in the DK.

    Those new helmets a cool i only wear one my self when im traing on my mountianbike or road bike.

    ~Michael

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  19. http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/search/label/Bicycles

    This guy has some neat photo's up of both men and women stylishly riding around NY and the world.

    Great pics here as usual!

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  20. I adore this blog.

    That, and I too am fed up with the helmet Nazis. Read the Wikipedia entry on bicycle helmets. It's usefulness is not so obvious.

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  21. Someone anonymous said:
    I think this is a great site but it's more than just a tad creepy that the photos are all taken from behind without the subjects looking and we rarely see their faces and eyes.
    Yes, something I've aways thought, and commented on, in the past. I like the "Sartorialist" blog's approach. Appears much less "devious" and more open and friendly. But, again, the pictures on this site appear to be taken from a bike that's being ridden, so they can be said to be a rider's eye view. Difficult (and dangerous) to photograph over one's shoulder whilst riding a bike! Next development is a carrier mounted rear facing remote control camera...

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  22. Head injuries are not so chic! And neither are those silly pyjamas that hospitals make you wear in case your unprotected head happens to hit the pavement. My vote is for more stylish helmets!

    This blog is, by the way, incredibly inspirational.

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  23. Alright! I hate to have to do this in this fun relaxed Blog but the "YOU MUST wear a bike helmet Nazis" from my supposed "Free Country" we call the United States of America are starting to piss me off. So I will make the point Zak might have made if he weren't on vacation.

    Okay. Bicycling at casual speeds (less than 12mph or 20kph) is NOT inherently dangerous. Studies show that by itself cycling at these limited speeds, as pictured in this Blog, is no more dangerous than walking. It is the conflict with the car, particularly prevalent in the US (and most English speaking countries), that makes riding a bike at even slow speeds dangerous. Again, it is the car that is dangerous to slow speed cyclists, not the act of casual cycling itself.

    In Denmark, years of good planning that favors cycling over the automobile and that also protects cyclists from cars, has GREATLY lowered the rate of crashes, injuries and deaths per 100,000km of bicycle travel. In fact, there is also a great deal of evidence that bicycle helmet laws actually make cycling MORE dangerous by limiting the appeal of cycling to casual riders which thereby lowers the total numbers of cyclists on the roads. When the numbers of cyclists on the roads are reduced, so is the "safety in numbers" phenomenon that makes cycling safer. When there are large numbers of cyclists on the roads, car drivers are accustomed and even expect cyclists to be on every road and at every intersection and will then look out for them.

    A general analogy that I like to use regarding helmet use goes like this (and I will use a car example as a reference). If I drive my car casually, I am not expected to wear a helmet but if I want to drive my car very fast on a race track and therefor push the limits of my skill and safety, a helmet is obviously required.

    The same can be said about cycling. If I'm just casually riding down to the corner bakery I will often not wear my helmet. However if I take either my high-performance mountain of road bikes out for a spirited ride where I will push the limits of speed and my riding skill, it only makes sense for me to wear a helmet because the risk of an accident and therefor injury is much greater.

    Unfortunately, I do not live in such a "Bicycling Enlightened" country as Denmark (or Holland or Germany) so the risk of being clobbered by a car while riding slowly is still very great and therefor I still wear a helmet most of the times when I ride my bike casually. I view the fact that I must wear a helmet to protect myself for even the most casual riding as another way that the American Car Culture continues to impose on my life and my freedom.

    The fact that I can not go out and ride my beautiful classic English 3-Speed around my neighborhood, in proper dapper attire, including my wool cycling cap and no helmet, without fear the my skull will be bashed because of a damned car is very sad indeed!

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  24. Hear hear Andy B!
    Here in Melbourne Australia I normally go sans when just making a quick trip to Chapel Street to buy some greens, withdraw some $ or whatever. Then I use back streets and take it pretty slow.
    When I'm forced to ride on the more trafficked streets I grudgingly helmet up, to protect my tender skull from the hard bumpers of bogans and hoons.

    Bike lanes and (especially) separated bike paths are still a rarity here.
    In recent years the city authorities have taken to painting 'bike lanes' in the area between one or two lanes of traffic travelling at 50 or 60 km and a lane of parked cars. So idiots opening doors on you is a constant threat. After the third car door flying open in front of you within a space of minutes, one tends to get angry... but I try to be civil. Not always easy but probably wise: creating a war between bikers and motorists won't gain us any sympathy, especially when many more people drive cars than ride bikes.

    Over and out...

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  25. That's a multi sport helmet. American design. That's what all the kids around here ride with. Okay for winter, too hot for summer use but whatever floats your boat.

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  26. Does that make all the people who rant about not wearing helmets "non-helmet nazis?" Let's support all bicycling, helmet or no helmet! (That pink one is way cute, though!)

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  27. Amen kt. But I'd still say that it's the helmet nazis that truly are nazis. I still haven't heard no one that is ranting about not wearing helmets demanding prohobition of helmet wearing...

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