Comments on: Name the Campaign

By: Kevin Love

Kevin Love — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:49:51 +0000

I’ll add that when I was in The Netherlands, child’s bikes were not toys, but serious transportation appliances to get them to school and wherever else they were going.

Here’s an example of a girl’s bike from Batavus at:

http://uk.batavus.com/collection/Kids+bikes/Gabana+/Gabana+20%3d22.aspx

Note the dynamo powered front light, rear light and LEDs in the pedals for safe cycling at night. Also the full fenders, chaincase, rear rack with pink straps, bell, rear wheel lock and coaster brakes with extra handbrakes.

This is a serious commuter bicycle designed for an 8-year-old girl. When I was in NL, the bike parking lots in front of elementary schools were filled with bicycles just like this.

By: Kevin Love

Kevin Love — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:38:34 +0000

Here’s a wonderful PSA from Rotterdam, promoting their status as the city of Le Grand Départ for the Tour de France this year.

My favorite is the little girl learning to ride a bike, complete with teddy bear in her front basket. That part of the video starts at 1:12. What I find most interesting is that the child’s first bike has full fenders, complete chaincase, rear rack with integral pink straps, light mounted on top of the front fender and a front basket.

In short, the child’s bicycle is not a toy but a serious transportation appliance to get her to school with all her school supplies and keep her clean when the roads are wet.

Take a look at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Z2JrwX7qU&feature=player_embedded

By: Kevin Love

Kevin Love — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:21:15 +0000

In many cities in Japan, virtually all children arrive at school by bicycle, because cars are banned. For kindergarden/day care children, the “Mamachari” style of bicycle is very popular. This features one child in front, one child in back and the parent in the middle.

Here is a video of what “Mamachari bicycle rush hour” traffic looks like in one Japanese city. I strongly recommend skipping over the first 1:18 of the video which features a guy yapping about what we are about to see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iaz_T89wJ2o&feature=player_embedded

By: Kevin Love

Kevin Love — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:00:55 +0000

Meanwhile, in places with decent infrastructure that allows for safe and pleasant cycling, virtually all children cycle to school. The exceptions are those that walk. None arrive by car, because cars are banned.

Take a look at this video. Does your neighbourhood school look like this? If not, why not?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=NL&hl=nl&v=2n_znwWroGM&feature=channel

By: Steve A

Steve A — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:31:26 +0000

So, why do people allow their children to swim? What’s more, they even consider learning instead of perpetual water wings to be a good thing. Maybe cycling needs to be treated more like that and that needs to be the focus of the PSAs…

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:26:20 +0000

“because here the primary issue is fear of collisions with cars.”

Even when all engineering measures have been taken, parents will still not allow their children to cross the street with the light in a marked crosswalk.

They complain that they want those expensive things, then when they are provided, it is still not “safe enough.” Impossible to satisfy them.

By: Mighk

Mighk — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:34:23 +0000

I think such campaigns work better in Europe than here, because here the primary issue is fear of collisions with cars. The average American responds: “All those nice things are fine, but they don’t do you any good if you’re dead.”

When economic forces make cycling more of a necessity, we will see more people out on bikes, but most will ride incorrectly because they have no training.

We have millions of people who want to bike, but they are waiting for government to “make it safe.”