[Ep. 1114] A brand-new cycling underpass has opened in Zaltbommel, removing the last bottleneck on that side of the F2 continuous cycle route between ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Zaltbommel in the Netherlands.
The underpass replaces a signalised crossing of the busy N322 provincial road, creating a faster, safer and more comfortable route for everyday cycling. At 30 metres long and 4 metres wide, it features a separate footway, good lighting and an open design that helps people feel safe.
The official opening included a group ride through the new tunnel, speeches by representatives of the Province of Gelderland and the Municipality of Zaltbommel, and one unexpected detail: why was only one official wearing a bright pink cycle helmet? The answer says something about current helmet policy in the Netherlands.
Only one piece of the F2 remains to be built: a new cycling overpass in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Once that is finished, the entire 15-kilometre continuous cycle route will run uninterrupted from end to end.
Filmed (mostly) on 19 June 2026.
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15 Comments
I do think campaigns for cycle helmets are a good thing. I live in Belgium and I go to work every day by bike and I always wear a cycle helmet. Do I wear it for accidents with cars? No, it probably won't help much against those kinds of accidents.
But helmets are very useful for "stupid" accidents. For example, this winter where I slid with my bike on a spot of black ice. In this case I didn't hit my head, but I easily could have, and that's the kind of accident a cycle helmet can really make a big difference. Is it somewhat annoying to carry around? I guess so. But I just hang it on my purse when I don't have it on my head, so it's not too much of a bother to be honest.
I don't think we should make helmets obligatory, but I do think normalizing helmets definitely helps.
I won't wear a helmet ever, not for just commuting….
she looks good in a helmet. speaking for myself, a helmet saved me from a concussion in an accident a few years ago.
The helmet matching made it great, how unfortunate the province can dictate but not participate
Wearing a helmet gives the impression that cycling is unsafe; if that drives car use, it's totally counter productive.
lol: so now everybody knows how to stand out in the Netherlands: wear a helmet 🙂
I recently cycled across the Royal Welsh bridge and noticed the cycle path going under it, which I had not seen before. So on the way back I decided to take it, to see exactly where it would take me. And I must say, even without the cycle bridge for the F59 being there, it was quite the nice shortcut from one side of the city to the other. What really always had felt somewhat disconnected from each other now felt really close.
I did think that the way the connections were set up felt a bit odd (especially knowing what the cycle path towards the Royal Welsh bridge used to look like). But now seeing your drawing on where the new bridge is supposed to connect it makes complete sense.
Someone there with a helmet on his handlebars. It seems dangerous to me when people do this; and also when they wear helmets without fastening them.
2:24 Oh no! She forgot to wear the helmet for the presentation! Look how rough the ground is! Such a trip hazard 😱🤣
There's a huge variation in the risk that is involved that depends on the type of cycling one is doing. Rolling at speeds less than 20km/hr in an urban environment, sitting upright on a Dutch bike, surrounded by people who are doing the same, is nowhere near the same risk as descending down a mountain pass in the the Tour de France, at 100 km/hr. Each context requires a different level of caution and safety equipment. In between the slow urban cycling and the professional bike racing, there is enthusiast road biking which is done by many, many cyclists, who can use this type of tunner and biking infrastructure. For that type of riding, a helmet makes sense. Just as there should be no mandatory helmet requirement for ordinary biking in an urban environment, there should be no campaign to discourage helmet wearing. It is a valid public policy to raise awareness about how a helmet could be protective, as it doesn't interfere with anyone's right not to wear one.
Do not promote helmet use. Its terrible for cycling.
Pink helmet? Where is that mythical pink helmet? I've not seen one in this video. I see only one helmet, which – depending on lighting – looks to be somewhere between white, gray, and maybe blue. Mostly white. Definitely not pink. What is going on?
She was the only one wearing a helmet 😂
Oh, the irony of a woman in a position of authority over traffic planning being told to represent someone else's misguided safety theatre, going against her own wishes and professional expertise, while the man responsible is exempt from that safety tax!
Constantly improving cycle infrastructure, and at the same time promoting wearing a helmet (what practically no Dutch person will do.) is just plain stupid.