“Les Bicyclettes de Belsize” - Engelbert Humperdinck
Calvin needs a “bicycle built for two”. Then Hobbes can ride in tandem with Calvin and show him how it’s done.
Hey - he looks like a little Chinese kid between October and May (Chinese parents think if their kid is wearing fewer than 4 layers in the late fall/winter/early spring the kid is going to fall over dead).
My first thought about learning to ride a bicycle was why do the put a bar on the boys bike and not on the girls. That bar hurts when you run into something and leave the seat.
When I first learned to ride a bike my mom told me the next morning that she checked in on me in the middle of the night and my legs were pedaling in my sleep.
jrbj,
Your comment about the boy’s bike is ‘without exception; indisputable’, bar none.
Most girls used to wear dresses or skirts. The bar would/could hinder their pedaling.
Sadly, most American kids already look like Calvin in the last panel WITHOUT the additional padding. At least Calvin’s trying to actually ride a real bike rather than pretending to be Tony Hawk on his Playstation while shoveling Cheetoes into his pie hole.
My mind went to the movie “A Christmas Story” where the brother was so bundled he couldn’t walk and fell on his back where he got stuck like a turtle. What a great movie. “You’ll shoot yer eye out kid.”
He looks like the guy on “Regis and Kelly” a couple weeks ago trying to set a world record for wearing the most T-shirts at the same time. Except he almost died in the attempt…
BC13,
Yes, some of the comics do have crossovers from time to time. Calvin might have to be concerned with copyright infringement unless he could ‘crosscut’ over, surreptitiously.
“Crossover (fiction), a storyline shared between two fictional universes, or involving characters from multiple universes” - Wickipedia That would be right up Calvin’s imaginary alley.
The use of safety equipment including helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads for sports other than hockey and football wasn’t used back then. Wearing alot of layers like that and wearing a football helmet was all you had. These were much different times in which no one wore seat belts in cars either. Everybody stuffed the seat belts down in the seat because they hurt if you sat on one!
I do remember getting smart like Calvin one day and stuffing the back of my pants before heading out again to learn to ice skate. As for bike riding I decided to teach myself to learn to ride in the backyard for a much softer landing!
BC 13, Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love the comic strip “Zits” but have never been able to find a way to read it daily. The only problem is that I keep looking for astute comments, but none to be found :-(
imaginarypet about 15 years ago
How about comments from us, Calvin?
margueritem about 15 years ago
Oh no, the evil bicycle?
Yukoner about 15 years ago
If you fall off and try again, are you recycling?
rayannina about 15 years ago
If he falls off, he’ll just roll the rest of the way himself.
vibjyor about 15 years ago
Calvin, you forgot knee pads. Didn’t you know that is the most important thing when you are learning to ride a bicycle ?
EarlWash about 15 years ago
…and elbo pads, and head pads, and…
sjoujke about 15 years ago
Eveything but a helmet….mind you, Calvin’s pretty hard headed.
ladywolf17 about 15 years ago
I thought that Calvin was cold.
Puddleglum2 about 15 years ago
“Les Bicyclettes de Belsize” - Engelbert Humperdinck Calvin needs a “bicycle built for two”. Then Hobbes can ride in tandem with Calvin and show him how it’s done.
rentier about 15 years ago
So many sheets of clothes are a good pretext of getting fat!
Ronshua about 15 years ago
Pumping or plumping your ride Calvin ?
watcha about 15 years ago
Well at least he should not be top heavy anymore - I pity anybody with such a big head trying to ride a bike.
ejcapulet about 15 years ago
Hey - he looks like a little Chinese kid between October and May (Chinese parents think if their kid is wearing fewer than 4 layers in the late fall/winter/early spring the kid is going to fall over dead).
Nebulous Premium Member about 15 years ago
He forgot gloves. Scraped my palms up something awful, once upon a time.
Herocoder about 15 years ago
someone is very touchy ..
unemandarine about 15 years ago
Padding… Good thinking… A helmet would be necessary, I don’t think he’s got such a hard head…
Allison Nunn Premium Member about 15 years ago
Definitely the helmet! But all he really needs is hockey gear!
jelzap about 15 years ago
Comments sometimes does that to people….
alan.gurka about 15 years ago
If Calvin falls off, he’ll just bounce back.
COWBOY7 about 15 years ago
Keep giving him shots, Hobbes. He blames you all the time anyhow!
jrbj about 15 years ago
My first thought about learning to ride a bicycle was why do the put a bar on the boys bike and not on the girls. That bar hurts when you run into something and leave the seat.
alondra about 15 years ago
So much protection takes all the fun out of it.
DarkHicks about 15 years ago
he is going to bounce when he falls
cleokaya about 15 years ago
When I first learned to ride a bike my mom told me the next morning that she checked in on me in the middle of the night and my legs were pedaling in my sleep.
Puddleglum2 about 15 years ago
jrbj, Your comment about the boy’s bike is ‘without exception; indisputable’, bar none. Most girls used to wear dresses or skirts. The bar would/could hinder their pedaling.
Puddleglum2 about 15 years ago
Have you (anyone) seen ZITS today? “Who(m) do we know with a couch saw?” We saw Calvin with a saw a while back.
JanCinVV (and grazer), please see my late post from yesterday, if you haven’t already done so.
GROG Premium Member about 15 years ago
Yeah, I saw Zits. Too bad Calvin can’t cross over to actually do the sawing himself.
I think he’s got so much stuff on it’s going to be rather hard to pedal. Even walking looks like a problem for him.
Stede_Bonnet about 15 years ago
Sadly, most American kids already look like Calvin in the last panel WITHOUT the additional padding. At least Calvin’s trying to actually ride a real bike rather than pretending to be Tony Hawk on his Playstation while shoveling Cheetoes into his pie hole.
Ivy0730Lcsq about 15 years ago
I thought winters come!
bald about 15 years ago
if calvin is using all those layers what is it going to be like in the winter when you need layers to keep warm in the winter ?
NoBrandName about 15 years ago
Harumph, and here I was thinking that the last panel might be where Matt & Trey got the idea for Eric Cartman.
TapiocaHead about 15 years ago
… think that Calvin was ahead of his time ..that’s how kids dresses nowadays, underwear …sweat shorts … jeans …. layers …
tonytiger29 about 15 years ago
My mind went to the movie “A Christmas Story” where the brother was so bundled he couldn’t walk and fell on his back where he got stuck like a turtle. What a great movie. “You’ll shoot yer eye out kid.”
carmy about 15 years ago
He doesn’t need a bicycle to roll around on, he can roll on his own.
Destiny23 about 15 years ago
He looks like the guy on “Regis and Kelly” a couple weeks ago trying to set a world record for wearing the most T-shirts at the same time. Except he almost died in the attempt…
bmonk about 15 years ago
@tonytiger29, I thought of Randy Parker in A Christmas Story also! LOL!
TenneyWiley about 15 years ago
Calvin and his bike, as me and my life; we run, we hide, we keep on trying… go for it little guy…
Puddleglum2 about 15 years ago
BC13, Yes, some of the comics do have crossovers from time to time. Calvin might have to be concerned with copyright infringement unless he could ‘crosscut’ over, surreptitiously. “Crossover (fiction), a storyline shared between two fictional universes, or involving characters from multiple universes” - Wickipedia That would be right up Calvin’s imaginary alley.
comicsnoob about 15 years ago
Zits are not here!
GROG Premium Member about 15 years ago
No they are here: http://www.seattlepi.com/fun/zits.asp
lazygrazer about 15 years ago
I do hope he remembered to go to the bathroom first.
treBsdrawkcaB about 15 years ago
Calvin doesn’t need more padding; he needs a tricycle. He should haul the possessed bicycle to the scrap metal dealer.
Dino-1 about 15 years ago
The use of safety equipment including helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads for sports other than hockey and football wasn’t used back then. Wearing alot of layers like that and wearing a football helmet was all you had. These were much different times in which no one wore seat belts in cars either. Everybody stuffed the seat belts down in the seat because they hurt if you sat on one! I do remember getting smart like Calvin one day and stuffing the back of my pants before heading out again to learn to ice skate. As for bike riding I decided to teach myself to learn to ride in the backyard for a much softer landing!
ratlum about 15 years ago
Hobbes opinions should be listened to
Vonnegut about 15 years ago
If childhood is so awfully dangerous, how come so many idiots survive to become adults?
linsonl about 15 years ago
I think the helmet would be to protect the concrete from Calvin’s head,
Reenster about 15 years ago
BC 13, Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love the comic strip “Zits” but have never been able to find a way to read it daily. The only problem is that I keep looking for astute comments, but none to be found :-(
Calvinhobbes24 about 15 years ago
Good thinking Calvin, not wearing a helmet… your head’s so hard if you actually used it your hard head would break it on impact.
Calvinhobbes24 about 15 years ago
Good thinking not wearing a helmet…… your head’s so hard it would probably break the helmet on impact. I mean, it’s made of PLASTIC, for pete’s sake!!
dohloco about 15 years ago
calvin looks like he ate alot
Bittermelon of Truth about 15 years ago
sjoujke is correct, Calvin doesn’t necessarily need a helmet. He rides his wagon down Death Gulch, hits several trees, and lives to tell about it…
Jacobrocks1997 about 15 years ago
the bicycle will crush his pair of clothes
bstby911 about 15 years ago
if you roll down the hill you wont need a bike will you?
bellewater almost 14 years ago
I remember padding up like that
herpderp about 13 years ago
I did exactly what Calvin did in this strip, just out of curiosity. It took me like almost an hour to try and get out of the layers of clothing HAHA