This is great to see, however it is frustrating to not see a graph relative to population growth in NYC.
The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York
61–70 of 108 posts
Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
> No one uses bike helmets in Berlin, because Berlin is safe for bicycles That's not why people don't wear helmets there, and that's not a reason to not wear one. I would have been in a world of hurt if I didn't have a helmet on when I fell. No cars, people, or other moving object were anywhere near me. My tire hit a slippery patch as I was turning, and I went over sideways. I broke my shoulder and my hand, and my he…
> Wear a helmet. They not only save you from dangerous environmental situations, but they save you from yourself. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/do-bik... http://www.californiahealthline.org/insight/2015/bicycle-hel... http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/19036/feds-will-sto...
There isn't much question that helmets reduce injury. The larger question of "should they be mandatory" is still open (with a strong lean towards "no.")
From the first article.
"Even most opponents of mandatory helmet laws advocate helmet use, but they say that the negative consequences of helmet laws outweigh the benefits."
From the third.
"If you consider the entire body of research rather than just one study, and look at both head and neck injuries, helmets only reduce the risk of injury by about 15% to 45% ."
Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
> No one uses bike helmets in Berlin, because Berlin is safe for bicycles That's not why people don't wear helmets there, and that's not a reason to not wear one. I would have been in a world of hurt if I didn't have a helmet on when I fell. No cars, people, or other moving object were anywhere near me. My tire hit a slippery patch as I was turning, and I went over sideways. I broke my shoulder and my hand, and my he…
I'm sure this epiphany now has you wear a helmet in your car, where risk of life-threatening head-trauma is significantly higher than when riding a bicycle?
Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
> No one uses bike helmets in Berlin, because Berlin is safe for bicycles That's not why people don't wear helmets there, and that's not a reason to not wear one. I would have been in a world of hurt if I didn't have a helmet on when I fell. No cars, people, or other moving object were anywhere near me. My tire hit a slippery patch as I was turning, and I went over sideways. I broke my shoulder and my hand, and my he…
> Wear a helmet. They not only save you from dangerous environmental situations, but they save you from yourself. Given the CPSC test procedure for bicycle helmets, I seriously doubt it: http://www.helmets.org/cpscstd.htm >> 1203.15 Positional stability test Test that the helmet doesn't roll off when a 8.8 lb weight in a guided free fall from a distance of 2 feet strikes the helmet. >> 1203.16 Dynamic strength of ret…
I ride mountain bikes and sometimes use knee and elbow pads. In a potentially life threatening crash they are not going to save your life. But in the normal day to day bumps and scrapes they turn an inconvenient injury in to a non-event. I wear helmets on the road because I don't want an otherwise avoidable injury to ruin my day and cause inconvenience. Helmets have few downsides, and might help in a crash.
Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York
#65I bike to work in New York, and I've biked around Berlin, and I would say New York still has a way to go before it catches up with Berlin. The problem that New York faces is that it is embedded in USA society, so it has to face some issues that are not about bikes, but effect bikes. An example would be the reasons people use bike helmets. No one uses bike helmets in Berlin, because Berlin is safe for bicycles, and th…
> No one uses bike helmets in Berlin, because Berlin is safe for bicycles That's not why people don't wear helmets there, and that's not a reason to not wear one. I would have been in a world of hurt if I didn't have a helmet on when I fell. No cars, people, or other moving object were anywhere near me. My tire hit a slippery patch as I was turning, and I went over sideways. I broke my shoulder and my hand, and my he…
I had a similar experience. Slipped off my bike and broke an arm, leg, and various facial bones. My helmet was split in two and the ER doctor was quite blunt about the state I would have been in without a helmet. Wear a helmet.
Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York
#66I'd love to ride my bike to work but don't really have a place to put it during they day; ideally, the building would have a large, relatively secure space with bike racks in the basement or something (which it doesn't; nor do most buildings, as far as I can tell). I doubt my bike would make it more than a couple of weeks with seat and wheels intact if I locked it on the street.
This is one of the things that makes a city bike-friendly, making it easy to start riding.
San Francisco: My company has a bike parking room on our floor, and some train stations have five-cent-an-hour bike lockers. (All stations have bike racks, but that's gambling with your bike.)
Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Wear a helmet. They not only save you from dangerous environmental situations, but they save you from yourself. Given the CPSC test procedure for bicycle helmets, I seriously doubt it: http://www.helmets.org/cpscstd.htm >> 1203.15 Positional stability test Test that the helmet doesn't roll off when a 8.8 lb weight in a guided free fall from a distance of 2 feet strikes the helmet. >> 1203.16 Dynamic strength of ret…
> Regarding the last test procedure, that would be like testing the helmet on an adult male of average height, where, while standing, suddenly suffered a stroke and fell over With all due respect, do you ride a bike extensively? Because these exact sort of accidents happen all the time. I've fallen sideways from a stationary position several times over the last 5 years as an avid cyclist when I've had lapses in judgm…
This is the single best argument I've ever seen for not wearing clip pedals.
I always commute with flat pedals because it's easier and more convenient, but the safety issue has got to be huge.
Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York
#68I bike to work in New York, and I've biked around Berlin, and I would say New York still has a way to go before it catches up with Berlin. The problem that New York faces is that it is embedded in USA society, so it has to face some issues that are not about bikes, but effect bikes. An example would be the reasons people use bike helmets. No one uses bike helmets in Berlin, because Berlin is safe for bicycles, and th…
> No one uses bike helmets in Berlin, because Berlin is safe for bicycles, and that is partly due to the respect that cars and trucks show to bikers. Bicycle helmets are not even rated for traffic accidents. It says so in their accompanying literature! They are for falls. A couple of years ago, I went into a skid while making a turn on wet pavement and fell. I developed a huge black bruise on my right hip, and for th…
Of course, that covers a huge percentage of bicycle usage. I wear no helmet when commuting, but I'll wear a helmet in unusual conditions. Most cycling is done in fine weather in ordinary situations.
Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Wear a helmet. They not only save you from dangerous environmental situations, but they save you from yourself. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/do-bik... http://www.californiahealthline.org/insight/2015/bicycle-hel... http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/19036/feds-will-sto...
There isn't much question that helmets reduce injury. The larger question of "should they be mandatory" is still open (with a strong lean towards "no.") From the first article. "Even most opponents of mandatory helmet laws advocate helmet use, but they say that the negative consequences of helmet laws outweigh the benefits." From the third. "If you consider the entire body of research rather than just one study, and…
Wearing a helmet would also improve the safety of people driving or walking around. But strangely we don't hear all the nagging lectures for people to wear a helmet when they are driving or walking to a corner store, whether or not it's on a quiet street in fine weather.
Re: The Steady Rise of Bike Ridership in New York
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
There isn't much question that helmets reduce injury. The larger question of "should they be mandatory" is still open (with a strong lean towards "no.") From the first article. "Even most opponents of mandatory helmet laws advocate helmet use, but they say that the negative consequences of helmet laws outweigh the benefits." From the third. "If you consider the entire body of research rather than just one study, and…
Wearing a helmet would also improve the safety of people driving or walking around. But strangely we don't hear all the nagging lectures for people to wear a helmet when they are driving or walking to a corner store, whether or not it's on a quiet street in fine weather.
Negligible for walking. Its different to be hurtling along at 20mph on a contraption of pipes, gears and chains and hit a storm drain, launching headfirst into the back of a parked car, than to trip and skin your knee. One requires a helmet to survive.
And driving - there's airbags and the steel cage and belts and padding. Another storey altogether.