Wonderful short film

[PaulCumbria]

I don't see why this backwater of the forum shouldn't include lovely stuff, as well as the hardnosed debate-y stuff that is its staple fare.

So have a look at this beautiful short film, folks!

http://amsterdamize.tumblr.com/post/72442729513/beautifully-shot-edited-film-by-thomas

[Si]

You've missed the obvious point to this......the vast majority of people filmed, happily riding their bikes in normal clothes and no helmets, were young people with hardly any older people on view. Obviously means very few are surviving into old age....such are the dangers of this style of riding.

[Geriatrix]

Reminds me of that misleading Dutch cycle statistic. The majority of Dutch cycle fatalities are pensioners. That's a reflection of the fact that when mortality is a human certainty, death is a probability in any activity done by pensioners. That that it shows up in cycling is a reflection of the health of their society - pensioners are cycling in numbers.

[PaulCumbria]

You've missed the obvious point to this......the vast majority of people filmed, happily riding their bikes in normal clothes and no helmets, were young people with hardly any older people on view. Obviously means very few are surviving into old age....such are the dangers of this style of riding.

I think you should get your coat - and (magic) hat...

[simonineaston]

Aaah, the Dutch, like the Japanese, are so nearly English...

[Mick F]

Si has hit the nail on the head.

The film was a film showing young bright beautiful people.
There were no working class, no oldlies, no uglies, no-one having a problem, no down-and-outs ............. nobody at all really, just nice lovely bright young things.

Nice film though, and showed that it could be possible to be normal on a bike.

[bovlomov]

... just nice lovely bright young things.

Nice? Lovely? Bright? Young? Must be why I fit right in with these types. I'm sure you would too, Mick!

[PaulB]

Lovely film - just how cycling should be. Although the majority of riders shown are "bright young things" what they are doing is normal in Amsterdam. Having spent a few days in the city I was amazed at how many people cycle there - and not just the young ones. The film does highlight our UK culture though. How many young people do you see riding "sensible" bikes as part of a normal, everyday activity. When I was in Zurich I was pleasantly surprised at how many young women were using bikes to get around. There were no safety helmets or high viz clothing. Some young women looked as though they were going out dressed up for a date - how often do you see that over here? It just would not be "cool" to be seen on a sit-up-and-beg bike and people would shout at you to wear a helmet!

Take a close look at where they are riding in the film - how the streets are suitable for bikes with an absence of HGVs etc. It's a culture thing and here in the Uk we just don't get it. The car is king and intends to remain so.