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Cycling is dangerous



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 14th 03, 05:38 PM
Garry Jones
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Default Cycling is dangerous

How do you meet that remark in a constructive manner?

I am trying to answer an fairly active recreational cyclist who has made
this claim in the Swedish cycling newsgroup.

I don't think he is correct and I would like some facts and data that
back up my thoughts about this. The cyclist who posted this says he
always wears his helmet, even when cycling to the local store for some
bananas. He is an active sky diver, but does not wear his helmet then
because he has time to protect his head with his hands if necessary when
landing.

There are other posters than I am discussing things with who are in
favour of the proposed mandatory helmet law in Sweden.

Personly I think that cycling (with or without a helmet) is a safer long
term activity than playing computer games or watching TV, but now I want
some feedback from others.

I also feel that a mandatory helmet law would be a dangerous thing
because people would stop cycling.

Garry Jones
English Cyclist ResIDING in Sweden.
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  #2  
Old October 14th 03, 06:05 PM
external usenet poster
 
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Default Cycling is dangerous

In article ,
Garry Jones wrote:
How do you meet that remark in a constructive manner?


Life is dangerous. People gets killed in auto crashes, etc.
Is your friend advocating avoiding autos because of the danger?

Cycling is great exercise. If you don't exercise, you could die
from heart disease, etc.
  #3  
Old October 14th 03, 06:24 PM
Bob M
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Default Cycling is dangerous

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 17:05:02 +0000 (UTC), wrote:

In article ,
Garry Jones wrote:
How do you meet that remark in a constructive manner?


Life is dangerous. People gets killed in auto crashes, etc.
Is your friend advocating avoiding autos because of the danger?

Cycling is great exercise. If you don't exercise, you could die
from heart disease, etc.


Even if you exercise, you could die of heart disease. Exercise simply
lowers the risk, but many athletes have died of heart disease (a la Jim
Fixx; see: http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0109183.html).

--
Bob M in CT
Remove 'x.' to reply
  #4  
Old October 14th 03, 06:24 PM
Robert Chambers
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Default Cycling is dangerous

A couple off things:

I am a very dedicated rider ... to the tune of 10,000 to 13,000 miles per
year. I could race if I had the inclination. I train with plenty of folks
who race at pretty high levels. Mostly I like to do fast centuries. I
don't have the wreckless abondon I see most good racers exhibit.

The point is I've spent many, many hours on the road in a suburban to rural
environment. Five years ago I was riding in a paceline when the lead rider
fell going over some RR tracks. To avoid the pileup I had to make an
evasive move that caused me to hit the tracks at a very bad angle. I went
down, my knee and head went into the pavement. My kneecap was shattered
into many little pieces. My head was fine thanks to my helmet. We could
debate all day if this could have been forseen or avoided. It happened.

A year ago this very day I was finishing up a 50 mile ride. At 2:30 in the
afternoon on a nice, bright afternoon I was coming down a little hill
through an intersection with a new traffic light. I had a green light. A
van passed me (going my direction) just as I was reaching the intersection.
An oncoming car driven by a teenager talking on a cell phone decided to make
a left turn -- immediately after the van passed. She hit me head on. I
went off her windshield and, according to witnesses, went about 20 feet
straight up and landed squarely on my head. Witnesses thought sure I was
dead. I sustained a broken hip, broken pelvis, broken ankle, compression
fracture of the spine and a major laceration of the lower leg. My helmet
was shattered. My head was fine. I recovered and had personal best rides
throughout most of this season (at age 47).

In my opinion, anyone who says cycling isn't potentially dangerous is in
serious denial. 4,000 pound hunks of metal are hurtling down the road next
to you in the control of inattentive idiots. If you aren't mindful of the
potential dangers, you're asking for trouble. Also, I think anyone who does
anything to discourage another rider from wearing a helmet ought to be
locked up.

Finally, there's a guy here in the states who had a well-known website
dedicated to promoting the relative safety of cycling. If you search,
you'll probably not have any real trouble finding it. I believe Sheldon
Brown is keeping it up now. The guy who built and maintained the site was
run over and killed a few weeks back.

I love cycling and I'm willing to assume some of the risks. I'm not stupid
enough to deny they're there. I take precautions to try to insure that I'm
seen and that I'm reasonably protected if something were to happen. In both
my major crashes, I might have been far more seriously hurt ... or even
killed ... were it not for my helmet.

Bob C.

"Garry Jones" wrote in message
...
How do you meet that remark in a constructive manner?

I am trying to answer an fairly active recreational cyclist who has made
this claim in the Swedish cycling newsgroup.

I don't think he is correct and I would like some facts and data that
back up my thoughts about this. The cyclist who posted this says he
always wears his helmet, even when cycling to the local store for some
bananas. He is an active sky diver, but does not wear his helmet then
because he has time to protect his head with his hands if necessary when
landing.

There are other posters than I am discussing things with who are in
favour of the proposed mandatory helmet law in Sweden.

Personly I think that cycling (with or without a helmet) is a safer long
term activity than playing computer games or watching TV, but now I want
some feedback from others.

I also feel that a mandatory helmet law would be a dangerous thing
because people would stop cycling.

Garry Jones
English Cyclist ResIDING in Sweden.



  #6  
Old October 14th 03, 07:11 PM
Buck
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Posts: n/a
Default Cycling is dangerous

The first step is to look up the statistics. Start he

http://wonder.cdc.gov/

You will find links to health statistics and death statistics. From there
you can show the relative risk of a sedentary lifestyle. You can also find
the relative risk of getting killed while cycling. You are going to find
that being sedentary is a risky business and that driving a car is the thing
that is most likely to get you killed. Cycling is relatively safe.

-Buck




"Garry Jones" wrote in message
...
How do you meet that remark in a constructive manner?

I am trying to answer an fairly active recreational cyclist who has made
this claim in the Swedish cycling newsgroup.

I don't think he is correct and I would like some facts and data that
back up my thoughts about this. The cyclist who posted this says he
always wears his helmet, even when cycling to the local store for some
bananas. He is an active sky diver, but does not wear his helmet then
because he has time to protect his head with his hands if necessary when
landing.

There are other posters than I am discussing things with who are in
favour of the proposed mandatory helmet law in Sweden.

Personly I think that cycling (with or without a helmet) is a safer long
term activity than playing computer games or watching TV, but now I want
some feedback from others.

I also feel that a mandatory helmet law would be a dangerous thing
because people would stop cycling.

Garry Jones
English Cyclist ResIDING in Sweden.



  #7  
Old October 14th 03, 11:58 PM
Doug Purdy
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Posts: n/a
Default Cycling is dangerous

"Robert Chambers" wrote in message
...
potential dangers, you're asking for trouble. Also, I think anyone who

does
anything to discourage another rider from wearing a helmet ought to be
locked up.


It's this kind of hyperbole (and mandatory helmet laws in other
jurisdictions) that make me wear my helmet less than I would otherwise.
Around here you can rarely mention the word "bike" without someone getting
fanatical that anyone on a bike must wear a helmet.

They never say anything about lights or blowing stoplights and other
illegal, dangerous, manoeuvers. They are astounded when I say I wear my
helmet offroad where it's dangerous. If I raced I would wear a helmet then
too.

Why do the majority of riders ignoring stoplights wear helmets? Even riders
crossing busy 4 lane major arterials against the lights, they must be safe,
they're wearing helmets.

Brown is keeping it up now. The guy who built and maintained the site was
run over and killed a few weeks back.


IIRC the car crossed the street to hit him head on. This is more an argument
to stay away from all roads no matter what vehicle you use.

IMHO helmets are the last thing that needs to be made mandatory. Kids need
them when they are learning to ride on the sidewalk (a very dangerous place
to ride). People should wear them offroad and racing (other dangerous
places). A mandatory helmet law would address none of those high risk
occasions. It would continue to encourage this ubiquitous focus on helmets
to the exclusion of riskier behaviour.

Doug
Toronto


  #8  
Old October 15th 03, 01:41 AM
Pete
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Default Cycling is dangerous


"Garry Jones" wrote in message
...
How do you meet that remark in a constructive manner?


"Dangerous in relation to what?"

Proceed from there.

Pete


  #9  
Old October 15th 03, 02:21 AM
Robert Chambers
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Posts: n/a
Default Cycling is dangerous

"Doug Purdy" wrote in message
ble.rogers.com...
"Robert Chambers" wrote in message
...
potential dangers, you're asking for trouble. Also, I think anyone who

does
anything to discourage another rider from wearing a helmet ought to be
locked up.


It's this kind of hyperbole (and mandatory helmet laws in other
jurisdictions) that make me wear my helmet less than I would otherwise.
Around here you can rarely mention the word "bike" without someone getting
fanatical that anyone on a bike must wear a helmet.

They never say anything about lights or blowing stoplights and other
illegal, dangerous, manoeuvers. They are astounded when I say I wear my
helmet offroad where it's dangerous. If I raced I would wear a helmet then
too.

Why do the majority of riders ignoring stoplights wear helmets? Even

riders
crossing busy 4 lane major arterials against the lights, they must be

safe,
they're wearing helmets.

Brown is keeping it up now. The guy who built and maintained the site

was
run over and killed a few weeks back.


IIRC the car crossed the street to hit him head on. This is more an

argument
to stay away from all roads no matter what vehicle you use.

IMHO helmets are the last thing that needs to be made mandatory. Kids need
them when they are learning to ride on the sidewalk (a very dangerous

place
to ride). People should wear them offroad and racing (other dangerous
places). A mandatory helmet law would address none of those high risk
occasions. It would continue to encourage this ubiquitous focus on helmets
to the exclusion of riskier behaviour.

Doug
Toronto


Geez, talk about hyperbole!

I don't blow stop signs or stop lights. In low light situations, I ALWAYS
use lights -- both front and rear. I wear the loudest, most visible colors
I can find. I never said one word about making helmet use mandatory. I DID
say that I thought anyone who would discourage others from wearing helmets
when they ride should be locked up. Make a choice for yourself. Don't try
to inflict your ignorance on others. If you ride and you haven't had the
experience of hitting your head, it doesn't mean it can't happen or won't
happen. I'm the voice of experience saying it CAN happen and it DOES
happen. Why would you discourage anyone from 10 ounces of prevention?
There's no logical reason. There simply isn't.

Bob C.


  #10  
Old October 15th 03, 03:04 AM
Fred
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Posts: n/a
Default Cycling is dangerous


"Garry Jones" wrote in message
...
How do you meet that remark in a constructive manner?

I am trying to answer an fairly active recreational cyclist who has made
this claim in the Swedish cycling newsgroup.

I don't think he is correct and I would like some facts and data that
back up my thoughts about this. The cyclist who posted this says he
always wears his helmet, even when cycling to the local store for some
bananas. He is an active sky diver, but does not wear his helmet then
because he has time to protect his head with his hands if necessary when
landing.

There are other posters than I am discussing things with who are in
favour of the proposed mandatory helmet law in Sweden.

Personly I think that cycling (with or without a helmet) is a safer long
term activity than playing computer games or watching TV, but now I want
some feedback from others.

I also feel that a mandatory helmet law would be a dangerous thing
because people would stop cycling.

Garry Jones
English Cyclist ResIDING in Sweden.


I think laws should be designed to protect people from other people not from
themselves. I'm against helmet laws philosophically. I'm not against
helmets, though, and wear one whenever I ride.

Fred


 




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