Benefits of cycling

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Benefits of cycling
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cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 8:43 am Post subject:

Helmets, for children, are definitely a good idea. When your skull still isn't as hard as it's going to get, you need a helmet.

When it comes to adults things are more complex. There's a lot of evidence that most of the brain damage suffered by adults in cycle collisions is caused by jerking the base of the skull, which can be made worse in a collision if you're wearing a helmet. There's also the claim that cyclists in helmets have more accidents because they feel safer.

Personally, I suspect that you're more likely to suffer a very serious injury in a helmet, but that the minor head wounds you might otherwise get are made far less likely by wearing a helmet.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 8:56 am Post subject:

Oh, and I cycle pretty much everywhere. Work, shopping, allotment, friends places, and just for fun. I do between 40 and 150 miles per week, normally something around 60 miles. On the flat I 'cruise' at around 16-18mph, although if I've got a quiet, flat road with good visibility I'll push 30 on a good day. I'm not a serious cyclist, not a competetive one, but I've been cycling for donkeys years in places far hillier than this, so I'm no slouch either.

I'm an unusual road user in that I'm a stickler for the rules. Unfortunately, I live in a ciuty blighted by 'cycle provision', such as cycle lanes that are too narrow to fit into or, in extreme cases, so full of street furniture you can't physically use them without breaking the law, two way cycle lanes that are more narrow than two bicycles, foolish cycle lanes around the outside of roundabouts,

I haven't been assaulted or threatened in over a month now. But I've been pushed off the road by someone who got out of a van because I'd foolishly asserted my right of way, I've been chased by a car driver who got out and threatened me (till I stood up to him) because I wouldn't cycle within inches of parked cars on my side of the road to give him space to pull out and drive right at me, threatened by several bus drivers on one really nasty stretch of road in the city centre where the phrase 'give way to oncoming traffic' couldn't be more clearly labelled, had a woman get out of her car and try to start a fight after first reffing her engine at me, screaming and opening and slamming her door in a rage because I'd turned around and looked as she pulled into the same cycle stop box as I was already in, I've been flicked off my bike by being caught by a wing mirror, on at least two occasions taxi drivers not wanting to stop at the amber/red light but forced to do so because they're behind me have actually hit me with their taxis on purpose... I could go on.

Many of these were reported to the police, with witnesses. Only once has any action been taken, and that was an informal warning.

I've had so many of these because unlike nearly everyone else I've known who has been a cyclist, I haven't given up.

Cycling is clearly the way forward. That would be more obvious if we were to start policing some of these kind of incidents. Assault someone on the road and you lose your right to use the road; it should be that simple. Inspector Knacker of the Yard doesn't agree; cycling will therefore remain a minority passtime in the UK till petrol prices REALLY rise.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 9:32 am Post subject:
I admire you for continuing, but I just can't bring myself to start cycling anywhere much. Things are either walking distance for me - and we do walk a lot - or driving, in which case we do make sure to fit several things in to one journey. I'm not happy about it- nor proud - but I think I'd have given up at the first of all those hurdles you've come through.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 9:59 am Post subject:

Bugs, I've managed to reduce the REALLY dangerous incidents to nearly zero, all I'm left with is the ones where either someone is irrational, intentionally nasty or just anti-cyclist.

I ride in a good road position, by which I mean not in the gutter. Not right on the outside of the lane either. A metre or a little more out. That means that if someone has to overtake me, they actually have to overtake me. I take roundabouts at road speed wherever I can (keeping pace with the traffic) in the lane I should be in.

As a result of all that, I'm VISIBLE. That means that people in cars see me coming; less of them pull out in front of me, less of them make as if to kill me at roundabouts (awful things designed to tell cyclists and pedestrians to get the hell off the road, it belongs to motorists), so it's only the extremely stupid and the malicious I have to worry about. Unfortunately, the malicious are really quite malicious, and the extremely stupid are not that rare; I'd say that I have to be very alert and that I still have to pull HARD emergency stops far, far too often.

The trick is not to be put off by bad experiences on the road, but to learn from them and make sure that you're in a better position to avoid them next time. Too many cyclists get more timid as they continue cycling, till they eventually get chased off the roads.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 10:30 am Post subject:

I'm the annoying cyclist who doesn't stop for anything, jumps pavements, crosses at lights etc, just to keep going.

I can reconcile it that the majority of car users are inconsiderate clowns who barely acknowledge my existence, But my experiences as a cyclist and biker mean I have more respect for both when I see them on the road.

Plus, it's amazing what you can get in a rucksack, I got 4 carrier bags worth in once.

The last accident I had involved an 8 year old on a bike who crossed right in front of me, I managed to stop before I hit him but came off as I had only one hand free (book in the other hand

)

I actually used the phrase 'If I were a car you'd be dead'

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 10:36 am Post subject:
Jonnyboy, just remember that even if the crash is the drivers fault-you will come off worst,so the apportioning of blame will not make you feel any better

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 10:41 am Post subject:

Bernie66 wrote:

Jonnyboy, just remember that even if the crash is the drivers fault-you will come off worst,so the apportioning of blame will not make you feel any better

I don't think I'm increasing my risk, just taking any advantage open to me.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 10:55 am Post subject:

Bernie66 wrote:

Jonnyboy, just remember that even if the crash is the drivers fault-you will come off worst,so the apportioning of blame will not make you feel any better

That's often said. Of course if we lived our lives that way we wouldn't cycle anywhere.

All you can do is cycle in such a way as to reduce the likelyhood of having an accident; unfortunately, badly designed and ill thought out cycle routes, and outright aggression from many motorists, have made too may cyclists wrongly believe that they're safer in the gutter. It's become the case that safe cycling is counter-intuitive to many cyclists.

The number of motorists who will genuinely try to hurt you is very small. The proportion who will pass too close and cause an accident or come out in front because you're not visibly in the road is shockingly large. Remeber that and cycle accordingly, and you're much safer.

gavin

Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 93
Location: Leeds, W Yorks

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 12:05 pm Post subject:

ButteryHOLsomeness wrote:

also, has anyone used those little bike trailers that have seats in them for the children and a bit of storage space? we would love to have one but they are so expensive so i'd like to have a personal recomendation...

I used a bike trailer for a couple of years - but the one for slightly older kids, with a saddle and pedals. Great fun, very practical, and good for littl'un learning a bit of road sense - although she used to pedal hard downhill, and never quite got the hang of pedalling up-hill

.

I've also used those seats that attach to the the bike itself - a trailer is far preferrable, imho. Much easier to balance, the frame doesn't "go squishy" on you (and some seats are downright dangerous - I've twice taken one back because of the effect on the stability of my bike frame).

And you do stand out just a bit more! It's a little bit worrying at first when other vehicles pass you - they're so busy staring at you rather than the road about them

; but at least they've noticed you

(Hard to miss with all the flags and reflectors sticking out).

Manoeuvrability? Well, it's a bit like driving an artic, I suppose; you only cut a corner once! And they're not great for off-road cycling

All best - Gavin

Milo

Joined: 16 May 2005
Posts: 342
Location: Oop North-ish.

Posted: Tue May 17, 05 5:57 pm Post subject:

Buttery,

"practically effort free form of exercise" ????

No disrespect, but I'm finding it hard to agree with you there. Surely making the effort provides the exercise? When your legs ache on day one and ache more on day two but ache less on day three etc., that's when you know you're making some progress.

In terms of comfort I'd suggest a gel-filled saddle designed to suit your gender, but also, very importantly, make sure that the bike is set up so that the saddle height is absolutely perfect for the particular footwear you'll use when cycling.

Get the height even a couple of millimetres wrong either way and you'll develop very avoidable aches. Forget that stuff about being able to sit on the saddle and place both feet fully onto the ground - such a saddle height will guarantee firey thighs within just a mile or two.

gavin

Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 93
Location: Leeds, W Yorks

Posted: Wed May 18, 05 8:26 am Post subject:

Milo wrote:

but also, very importantly, make sure that the bike is set up so that the saddle height is absolutely perfect for the particular footwear you'll use when cycling.

Get the height even a couple of millimetres wrong either way and you'll develop very avoidable aches. Forget that stuff about being able to sit on the saddle and place both feet fully onto the ground - such a saddle height will guarantee firey thighs within just a mile or two.

Yup, definitely; and summat worth checking on kids bikes almost as often as you would their brakes.

I grew up with the idea that "the height is right when toe-tip-of one foot, and ball of the other foot are on the ground" - t'ain't true any more with modern frame shapes

.

Well worth gradually raising your saddle, half an inch at a time; try the bike, and if it feels OK ride a couple of miles. Surprising how much lighter and faster a new position can be!

Keep raising it - until? Until it's too high (Duh!). You may find you're having to "rock" side to side to pedal, or stretch too far for the pedal bottom. Now lower it just a little.

4 kids = 5 bikes at any one time = lots of juggling with heights!

All best - Gavin

gavin

Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 93
Location: Leeds, W Yorks

Posted: Wed May 25, 05 6:45 pm Post subject:

Whoah - aren't we just a little staid in Britain?

Quote:

GLOBAL ACTION DAY

2cd CICLONUDISTA (WORLD NAKED BIKE DEMONSTRATION)

SATURDAY JUNE 11, 2005

¡NAKED BEFORE THE TRAFFIC! ¡JUSTICE ON THE STREETS!

Justice on the streets, this is what we claim with a strong conviction and
in earnest, but cheerfully as well, having a good time. Cars impose their
law and order on us: speed, high-handedness, fumes and violence. That is
why when we move day by day on our bikes we transform our mobility into an
everyday disobedience act. If, on top of that, we demonstrate naked on our
bikes we turn disobedience into an exemplary protest.

The Cyclenudist Group Committee (Coordinadora de Colectivos Ciclonudistas,
CCC) in Aragón (Spanish State) makes a call to organize Ciclonudista (Naked
Bike) demonstrations in the cities all over the world, on Saturday June 11,
2005, with an aim to extend to your home town those already held in
Zaragoza in last 4 years and in 30 cities all over the world on 2004.

We denounce that our streets have been kidnapped by privately used cars
which collapse cities and degenerate these into a hostile and dangerous
land. Cars kill and we are shocked at their impunity. If we question them,
so many transnational war interests in petrol and car industry are at
stake. We propose a model of a city where people get back their space,
where moving needs are reduced and where there is a commitment to
pedestrians (all of us are) and to less polluting and
more effective means of transport.

Why cycling? The bicycle is a reliable, healthy, ecological and amusing
means of transport. It is an icon, a symbol of freedom and a practical
instrument to transform society. It does not pay taxes, does not waste oil,
does neither cooperate with a destroying development nor with global war.

Why naked? Because we feel we are naked before the traffic owing to the
drivers' lack of respect and the apathy of our rulers. Thus we make it
visible that our bodywork is fragile. Moreover, we show our body naturally,
not feeling ashamed, toppling taboos regarding our physical appearance
which are imposed by fashion and the greediness of the textile
transnational industry. To sum up, we face urban traffic with our naked
body on our bikes as the best way of defending our
dignity and of living the social struggle.

Visit our website: www.ciclonudista.net
Contact us for more information.: info@ciclonudista.net
Visit: www.worldnakedbikeride.org
Coordinadora de Colectivos Ciclonudistas de Aragón (CCC)

ROFL - Gavin

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Wed May 25, 05 7:07 pm Post subject:
Well. Er. After you. Or, on second thoughts, I'm washing my hair that day.

selfsufficientish

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 364
Location: Bristol

Posted: Wed May 25, 05 8:00 pm Post subject:
Just looked up the UK events for the cycle naked day, one in London and one in Bath. Just a stones throw from my flat too, shall I be joining in? Can I wear my pants or is that cheating

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed May 25, 05 8:04 pm Post subject:
What kind of bike do you reccommed for road stuff? I don't want a racing bike, as the look unconfortable, and I'd want to able to put baskets and things on it, on the other hand, I've heard that moutnain bikes are hard work onthe road. If I get a job locally, I'll be cycling if I can (probably because the cars about to die! )

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