Originally Posted by
Stadjer
Let me dignify that question with a serious answer. I can think of many wrong Dutch reflexes when it comes to the national football team, but the question should of course be why such a small population knows so much success in important international sports that people wonder where they are when they didn't qualify. One of the reasons is that Dutch kids don't need 'soccer moms' to play football or another sport. The bicycle makes them independent, they can go anywhere to play or train by themselves.
I guess cycling is just one of those things people get very good at when they do it daily from a very young age to well into their teens, also the people who are clumsy in many other things. They don't fall off because of bumps in the road or something and if they fall off, because of texting on icy streets while drunk for example, they don't hit their head. It becomes second nature like walking.
I know it sounds lame, kids are often used as an argument against things adults to want to see. But the kids have to start young and I have no kids myself but I am in traffic with 4 and 5 year olds. If that environment isn't safe enough for experienced adults without helmets, it's not safe enough for those kids, with or without a helmet. Those kids got to be there, otherwise traffic will be a mess in 10 and 20 years.
Here’s an article that discusses the issue of Dutch helmet use. No mention of catlike reflexes.
https://www.treehugger.com/bikes/why...r-helmets.html