Flutterby™! : Bike helmets 2012-10-08 17:02:57.886457+00

Bike helmets

2012-10-08 17:02:57.886457+00 by Dan Lyke 2 comments

New York Times: To Encourage Biking, Cities Lose the Helmets:

On the other hand, many researchers say, if you force or pressure people to wear helmets, you discourage them from riding bicycles. That means more obesity, heart disease and diabetes. And — Catch-22 — a result is fewer ordinary cyclists on the road, which makes it harder to develop a safe bicycling network. The safest biking cities are places like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, where middle-aged commuters are mainstay riders and the fraction of adults in helmets is minuscule.

Via JWZ and via Dave Alden

One of the thing I have liked about my big 'bent, is the couple of "wrecks" I have had have resulted in scuffed legs and hands and I fell. Over. Sideways.

On the 'bent I wear gloves and a baseball hat and feel safe. If a car hits me, a $20 styrofoam cup with straps won't help much on any bike.

Simple "diamond frame" wrecks have caused me to go flying through the air and break bones, twist wrists, and sprain things. My last one ( a couple of years ago) cost me two ribs where the handlebar hit my rib cage. I took the remains of the bike back to Suck Creek Cycle where I hope it's donor parts saved someone else some serious money.

Went on a the Monday Night River Rocks ride tonight. Although I took a helmet, I was suprised they were not required. Chattanooga Bicycle Club rides require them.

The ride was a bust. It was 45-50 degrees (or less) and a little drizzle, but still about 20 people showed up for a quick ride through and around downtown. What was going to be 7 miles was about 2 as it got darker and cooler quicker than normal.

Issues: The leader and sweeps spread out over 2 lanes in some places, causing some ire from car drivers. The route went through a lot of stop lights and the pack broke up multiple times.