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Be happy Bike to work.

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Re: Be happy Bike to work.

#91

Post by gst »

donretag wrote: post #55

Regarding the helmet: they truly are a no-brainer. Even the cheap 30 buck ones the OP talks about must meet the minimum federal guidelines for safety (in the US). No need for a more expensive helmet, which mainly provide less weight (avoid neck strain over long rides) and better ventilation. Helmets save lives and do not have to look dorky. But you do get a bad case of hat hair.

I don't want to discuss if helmets actually have any safety advantage (there are studies claiming both things).

But I don't think that biking is a particularly dangerous activity. I don't wear a helmet while walking on the street or while driving a car, so why should I wear a helmet when biking?

Re: Be happy Bike to work.

#92

Post by maxerickson »

reinout wrote: post #74
ikailan wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's the benefit of not wearing a helmet when biking?

The benefit? You're not sending out the message that biking is dangerous. Would you send your kid out cycling if everyone is wearing helmets? When cyclists are called "road warriors"? A helmet is necessary when road racing where there is a distinct risk of dropping over your handlebar: remember, a helmet only protects against hits directly on the top of your head. Normal commuting? In the city? Biggest risk is gettin…

A modern helmet protects more than 'directly on the top of your head', it absorbs energy any time it hits the ground before your skull.

Re: Be happy Bike to work.

#93

Post by ImprovedSilence »

nicholassmith wrote: post #9

Please anyone reading this don't wear headphones, you've removed one of the most useful senses for knowing where there's a potential problem. I'd love to cycle to work, the only problem is it's a 160 mile round trip, so it's not too sustainable. I've thought about cycling the journey from my house to the train station but then I've got the additional problem of dealing with a bike on a busy train (two trains really),…

Let people do what they want. If someone wants to enjoy music on their bike, fine. This coming from someone who doesn't ride with headphones in, but only because I was never one of those people that had headphones in 24/7. I always felt music distracted me from the joy of riding a bike (or the pain of riding a bike, when it comes to training.) or that bike riding distracted me from the joys of listening to music. But irregardless, other people can do what they want.

Re: Be happy Bike to work.

#94

Post by tres »

nicholassmith wrote: post #9

Please anyone reading this don't wear headphones, you've removed one of the most useful senses for knowing where there's a potential problem. I'd love to cycle to work, the only problem is it's a 160 mile round trip, so it's not too sustainable. I've thought about cycling the journey from my house to the train station but then I've got the additional problem of dealing with a bike on a busy train (two trains really),…

I commute through downtown Seattle every day & wear headphones. It's not very evident when you're in a car, but the wind in your ears is very loud. Loud enough that you can't use your ears to hear the cars behind as they approach. I've found a mirror to be a much more effective way to be aware of approaching traffic from behind.

The headphones I wear are not just some ear-buds -- they are seated in my ear & block out most ambient noise. I wear them to preserve my hearing.

Personally, I enjoy my rides more not having the sound of thundering traffic rolling past over the roar of wind rushing past my ears. I'm quite aware of the traffic around; I can still hear them as much as I would if I didn't have the headphones in. But it's much less intimidating (not to mention the music makes things even more enjoyable).

Re: Be happy Bike to work.

#95

Post by 001sky »

Please don't ride with headphones in both ears. You cannot hear other cylists, for one, who may be passing you. In urban environments, this is particulalry problematic. Why? Because their is (1) already very limited space (crosswalks, jawalkers, doors opening, busses, etc); and (2) there is a huge range in speeds of cyclists (lycra-guys, delivery-men, hipsters, commuters). One ear is plenty (look at pro-cyclists).

In CA it is also ILLEGAL, apparently.

The Law: Riding with Tunes

Only five states regulate the use of headphones by cyclists, and generally the limitations are directed at all vehicle operators. Two of those states–Florida and Rhode Island–prohibit any use of headsets. The intent is to ensure that vehicle operators won’t inhibit their ability to hear sirens and vehicle horns.

The other three states that regulate the use of headsets–California, Delaware and Maryland–prohibit their use in both ears; in these states, one ear must be left uncovered. Maryland makes an exception to this law for riders on bike paths.

http://www.bicyclelaw.com/road-rights/a.cfm/road-rights-list...

Re: Be happy Bike to work.

#96

Post by pav3l »

My work is about 4 miles from where I live and I usually run back home and it takes exactly the same amount of time as public transportation. I would jog to work as well but we don't have showers at work. I might just start experimenting with wet naps/towels, etc soon. I think that running truly is the greatest and safest way of commuting if the distances are reasonable.

Re: Be happy Bike to work.

#97

Post by andreasvc »

ikailan wrote: post #30
jorma75 wrote: post #21

You should really wear a helmet 24/7!! Also body armor. Listening to music on a bike is clearly suicide. Please do not take ANY risks. At all, ever. Also, become an entrepreneur. Take the plunge. Live your dream.

What's the benefit of not wearing a helmet when biking?

Wearing a helmet is attacking the symptom and not the cause. The cause is that you're biking in a bike-unfriendly environment where the odds are against you. A better solution would be to educate drivers better and assign them more responsibility if something goes wrong, and introduce bike lanes etc.

Re: Be happy Bike to work.

#98

Post by ImprovedSilence »

eli wrote: post #85

I know this is an uncool thing to say, but I hated biking to work in downtown DC. DC has done a great job adding bike lanes, but they aren't everywhere. I found it to be quite the opposite of meditative and I arrived at work sweaty and uncomfortable.

Yeah, DC is a SWAMP in the summertime too, I have a hard enough time walking from my front door to my car without breaking into a sweat in that town.

Re: Be happy Bike to work.

#99

Post by Kluny »

ikailan wrote: post #30
jorma75 wrote: post #21

You should really wear a helmet 24/7!! Also body armor. Listening to music on a bike is clearly suicide. Please do not take ANY risks. At all, ever. Also, become an entrepreneur. Take the plunge. Live your dream.

What's the benefit of not wearing a helmet when biking?

It's one less thing you have to do before you can get on with riding. If you want to drive, you put your key in the ignition and go. If you're cycling, you need special shorts, a water bottle, a lock, check your tire pressure, pull it down from the rack in your garage, get your helmet... the list can go on.

Or, have a beater sitting outside with 60psi, forget the helmet, wear your jeans and just get on with it. The longer distance you ride, the more extraneous stuff become necessary, but it's still nice to avoid it if you can.

Re: Be happy Bike to work.

#100

Post by snowwrestler »

tres wrote: post #94
nicholassmith wrote: post #9

Please anyone reading this don't wear headphones, you've removed one of the most useful senses for knowing where there's a potential problem. I'd love to cycle to work, the only problem is it's a 160 mile round trip, so it's not too sustainable. I've thought about cycling the journey from my house to the train station but then I've got the additional problem of dealing with a bike on a busy train (two trains really),…

I commute through downtown Seattle every day & wear headphones. It's not very evident when you're in a car, but the wind in your ears is very loud. Loud enough that you can't use your ears to hear the cars behind as they approach. I've found a mirror to be a much more effective way to be aware of approaching traffic from behind. The headphones I wear are not just some ear-buds -- they are seated in my ear & block out…

My experience is the opposite...hearing is so useful that I typically don't run the radio in my car and I like to drive with the windows cracked. I can often tell if another car is in my blind spot just by hearing it. I find this actually gets easier the faster I'm going.

I think it depends on personal experience. I had a car without a radio for years (stolen, too expensive to replace), so I got used to hearing the traffic around me. For the short period of time I bike commuted this translated really well. But if you're not used to using your hearing that way I can see how it would seem useless.

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