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I feel like I have to join any online discussion about bikes and helmets. But I live in the Netherlands and see about a million kids a day on bikes themselves or towed by their parents. Helmet ratio is probably a couple percentage points tops. And it’s almost always neurotic American expats. Is it really worth ruining the whole experience and habit of biking over a minuscule safety improvement? (Assuming you aren’t cycling through infrastructure unsafe for biking)
I'm American but I feel the same way... it's much less fun if I have to wear a helmet, since that makes my head sweat like crazy, and then once I'm done I have to carry the helmet around with me everywhere. But that's just me as an adult, riding on very easy bike routes, I might feel differently about small kids
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On the flipside, though, I will say that the Netherland's helmet culture is a bit of a chicken or the egg situation.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but people are generally riding heavy bikes very slowly in highly protected lanes.
If we're road riding in America, there's a significant cohort of negligent drivers. There's even a small group of drivers who want to actively hurt and kill cyclists. Helmets on public roads for riders - even to my risk-pooh-poohing self - are necessary. Not to mention the sort of downhill mountainbiking I do every once in a while.
Even our greenway, while at least an order of magnitude safer, isn't without hazards. Other cyclists are moving at a huge variety of speeds, myself included, from a drowsy beach cruiser to someone chasing a KOM on a segment. Pedestrians weave back and forth with abandon, huge groups take up the whole path, and dogs on leashes dart in front of cyclists at will.
I can minimize these greatly by being verbal and passing slowly. When I'm towing the trailer, the risk of me having to emergency stop or swerve is extremely low.
People do wear helmets when mountain biking or cycling on racing bikes as a hobby (probably the most popular hobby around) though
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It’s true most bikes are pretty heavy. But no people definitely don’t ride them slowly. And highly protected lanes depends very much on where you are. Suburbs or newly built cities yes. On more historical cities not at all. Also virtually nobody wears helmets with e-bikes either. Scooters going in the bike lane have to use helmets since last year though.
This is my average everyday cycle in Amsterdam city center to be honest.. but it’s not very safe and with kids in tow definitely understandable to be cautious. Don’t you think something like a “bakfiets” would be safer against rolling than a tow?
They do sell these. I've considered getting some sort of variant of this or a longtail cargo bike for sure.
Truthfully, I'm out of room in the garage for another huge bike (for a total of 3). The price for a new one is $2,500+, wheras this trailer was $100 used. I do have some grocery and playgrounds in pedal distance and it's not out of the question, though.
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I tried to keep my tone neutral to get genuine feedback but for what it's worth, my default opinion is very close to yours.
I think this is insane. I'm taking my kids to the park in what's essentially a stroller with a roll cage and a five point harness and I'm still having this disagreement with my wife//the reddit hivemind suggests I would be a piece of shit.
Riding with my toddler on that Shotgun saddle (wearing a helmet! totally necessary!) has been one of my favorite parenting experiences and he went nuts for it. Now I feel like they're miserable.
I skimmed the reddit threads and most people seemed to say that they wouldn't put helmets on the passengers.
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Ruining?
I love that I can use a bike as almost an extension of me. No planning, extra equipment or hassle needed, just leave the house unlock and go. It’s just fun and increases my mobility greatly. Carrying a helmet would make this much less smooth and fun.
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