Cycling is dangerous

Ian wrote:




Example: 25 years of car driving, approx: 750,000 miles driven, one
fender-bender, no scratches, no anything. Bicycling, 25 years, 75,000 miles,
approx: 15 mishaps, amounting in numerous road rash incidents, a broken
nose, leg, arm, twisted ankles, stuff like that. That's a 150:1 that the
cyclist will suffer a form of injury versus driving a car.



I don't mean to trash your riding style, I have covered similar mileage's as
you have, including racing, off road and central London. I have only ever had
one accident, which I freely admit was my fault. I was riding like an idiot and
I knew it. Do I need a helmet? I think it's what's on the inside of your head
that keeps you safe, not what's on the outside.


Regards, Nick

In article ,
Nick writes:
I saw this on a website,

This phrase is so often a precursor to spam.

http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcbeware/rf800.html, it
seems to offer a greater level of protection than a normal cycling helmet. I
would venture to say that if you neglect to wear it you are recklessly risking
your life! Potentially wasting tax dollars taking care of you if your injured!

I like Willie Nelson's take. He figures the best way to go,
is owing the gov't $1 000 000. Just think of all the hospital
food that would buy for injured soldiers in Iraq.

Think about your children,

Yes! Think of the children! Won't somebody puh-leez think of
the children!

how will they feel knowing you are riding around on
the road wearing little protection, except for 10 ounces of styrofoam?

If I have any kids, they don't know I exist. And vice versa.
Maybe one of 'em will kill me some day.

If you
say one word that discourages others to wear this helmet you should be locked
up....... Think I need a sit down now.

Me too.

A serious question now, what do you think about the theory of risk
compensation?

Those who inflict the risks should provide the compensation.

And for real, why don't you wear a motorcycle helmet?

'Cuz I just ride a goddamn bicycle. Fer the luv o' Pete!
Why don't you wear a kevlar bulletproof vest? Or do you?

It does
offer a greater level of protection.

So does being locked up in a rubber rumpus room.

We should make THEM mandatory,

You work for The Government, doncha?

it has
worked for motorcyclists, if it saves one life, surely it must be worth it?

sigh

Robert Chambers wrote:

I'm gonna be out on my bike on God's green Earth with a helmet on. It's
saved my life twice. All your little statistics are cute. How many people
wear trousers, eat vegetables, sit in armchairs, etc. etc. compared to the
number that ride bicycles?

Bob C.

Robert, FWIW I'll be riding with a helmet tomorrow as well. I don't
know if a skid lid has ever saved my life, but after 2 hard falls in
the last 2 years (one at over 30 kph) I am absolutely sure my helmet has
saved me from some heavy bruises and also some serious road rash on the
side of my head.
Motorists wear seat belts and sit inside armoured cages, I'll sit on a
frame of pipes with only a pair of gloves and a foam helmet as
protection. To each his own.
Best regards, Bernie
PS: Claire, I love those stats! ;-}

Steve Knight wrote:

g

It would best to teach people how to ride safely instead of telling them to wear
a helmet then turning them loose to ride any which ol' way.


of course no one will argue with this. but how would we go about it? encourage
places that sell bikes to give free lessons?

Sounds like it could be a course offered at school or night school. I'd
sure like to see "Transportational Cycling" or something like that
offered to the public. There's way too many cyclists out there who ride
only on sidewalks or MUP's, with no idea how to approach a real city
street or country road.
Keep Crankin'! Bernie

Tom Keats wrote:

I like Willie Nelson's take. He figures the best way to go,
is owing the gov't $1 000 000. Just think of all the hospital
food that would buy for injured soldiers in Iraq.

If you owe enough, the bank will go to great lengths to help/keep you
from going bankrupt. Debt is good.

If I have any kids, they don't know I exist. And vice versa.
Maybe one of 'em will kill me some day.

You wouldn't have this worry if you'd worn proper protection in the
first place!


'Cuz I just ride a goddamn bicycle. Fer the luv o' Pete!
Why don't you wear a kevlar bulletproof vest? Or do you?

Tom, at this point I'm going to ask you to just breathe into the bag for
a minute, ok? It'll be all right.
Best regards, Bernie

Kevan Smith wrote:

On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 23:54:06 -0400, "Robert Chambers" from
Info Avenue Internet Services, LLC wrote:

Yep ... I'm a real despicable character out here trying to encourage people
to take a measure of caution and wear a helmet. How evil of me.


It would be more effective to tell people to learn how to cycle properly in
traffic. That is far better at preventing accidents in the first place than
helmets are in preventing fatalities.



--
real e-mail addy: kevansmith23 at yahoo dot com
a rat basically ash under white play

You've got to look at helmets for crash protection like Chicken soup as
a cure for the common cold: "It couldn't hoit".
Get over it. They're a bit too hot, most of em dont fit, they ALL make
you look like a dork (even Fabs) . If you don't want to wear one, then
don't wear one. I feel it is better to encourage people to protect
themselves while "going for it" than not.
Best regards, Bernie

Tom Keats wrote:

In article ,
Stephen Harding writes:

Poisoning??!!!

No refrigeration after the winter snows melt in August? Eating wild
mushrooms? Draino cocktails? A little arsenic by a not so loving wife?

What's going on up there in the Great White North?


Accidentally making methanol instead of potable ethanol, botulism,
salmonella, bugs in the drinking water, kids huffing gasoline,
down-'n-outers huffing lysol, family restaurants, television, bad
E at raves, red tide oysters, and barbecuing indoors with no
ventilation. An obsessive-compulsive dentist who got his kicks by
boiling mercury on the kitchen stove in his apartment, and one guy
who thought it would be a good idea to do that helium-voice party
trick by inhaling straight from a helium tank instead of from a
little party balloon. Kids getting into household cleansers under
the kitchen sink, visually impaired people getting their pills
mixed up, insecticides, pesticides and herbicides. Rattlesnakes,
black widows, and brown recluse spiders.

And auto emissions.


cheers,
Tom

Don't forget leftover sushi!

Tom Keats wrote:

In article ,
Steve Knight writes:

Ok lets do a test. I bet we will all pitch in for a helmet. go out and buy a
bicycle helmet. fit it properly. out it on the right way. now go run head first
at a good tilt into a brick wall.


Now, that's just plain ill-considered. Especially if you think
the hat is going to protect the wearer. Extra-especially
considering the "collision within the collision" effect --
helmet hits wall, brain hits skull. Somehow I'm reminded of the
old TV adverts for the In-The-Eggshell-Egg-Scrambler.

IOW, foam hats are not an impunitous defence against stationary
brick walls. Less so with oncoming brick walls (or cars.)

Umbrella-parachutes are just as effective.


cheers,
Tom

Did you say "impunitous" ? Good word! Foam lids ARE better protection
than umbrella parachutes, no?
(on bicycles, I mean) I have no sky diving experience, thank God.
Bernie

In article , Kevan@mouse-
potato.com says...
On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 07:46:13 -0400, David Kerber from
Warren Rogers Associates wrote:


You may not believe that they give protection, but most people do,
including me. Perhaps not as much as some advocates claim, but more
than none. ISTM to be irresponsible to actively discourage people
from wearing a helmet.

It would best to teach people how to ride safely instead of telling them to wear
a helmet then turning them loose to ride any which ol' way.

Agreed, but which is easier to do?

--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

"Kevan Smith" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 16:04:49 GMT, Steve Knight

from Knight-toolworks wrote:

You got lucky. A helmet is only designed to protect a head-shaped form
weighing
under 14 pounds froma a fall of about six feet. The forces of crashes in
the
real world are usually much greater. However, since no one measured the
forces
on your head or that absorbed by your helmet, your statement and the
others that
it "saved your life" is pure speculation.

I guess he would have been fine landing on his head without a helmet.
makes
sense to me. I take it you have never hit your head hard? a helmet is far
preferable to direct ground/object contact. this is as obvious as the
nose on
your face. but if you don't wish to see it that's your choice. Myself I
think
your foolish but your free to be so.

I have never hit my head hard due to a cycling accident. I know how to
fall.
Thank you.


What a stupid post. You're kidding, right? Do you know how to get
blindsided by a car?

Bob C.