101–108 of 108 posts
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Maybe, but pedestrians have a higher rate of actual accidents. ;)
Yes, that seems odd. Maybe because of the speed difference - per-mile stats weight pedestrian trips more, because they take longer/are exposed to environmental hazards longer (e.g. getting hit by a car).
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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?
http://blog.ycombinator.com/new-hacker-news-guideline
Just to reiterate this: if you suggest a piece of styrofoam is a useful protection in a discussion where the overwhelming risk factor is being crashed into by a 4 ton metal hunk, you're trivializing the issue and distracting away from meaningful actions.
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20 feet. Seriously. Which would mean you were racing, not just cycling. And on a bike line "in the middle of a college campus" no less. So basically you were just being irresponsible, not just for yourself but also towards others. Oh, of course, there was "no one around", which makes it alright. No wonder cycling has a bad name in the US.
Going like 30 km/h on a clear bike path is not "racing". It's just normal traffic, gonig from place A to B. Still, a helmet can help this casual cyclist. My experience is from a bike path, no one in sight. A ball bounces onto the the path from a bush. That would have been the time to hit brakes immediately, but I just didn't think right. Next comes the 4-year-old kid who runs from behind a bush. Now I hit the brakes,…
I rest my case.
In the Netherlands there is some discussion to implement a 25 km/h speed limit on cycling paths because of douchebags with electric bikes going 30 km/h and up causing accidents.
Apparently we have different values of "normal". Which would be fine if it wasn't for one side keeping up this narrative of "cycling is dangerous and you should always wear a helmet" when millions are perfectly fine without by cycling in a way that is no more dangerous than walking.
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"declipping" In other words, you're one of those who races in traffic. I rest my case. Personally, I've been on a bicycle almost every day since I was a kid. In busy traffic. Without a helmet. You wear a helmet because you ride dangerously and/or in dangerous situations. The helmet isn't about cycling. It's about you , and your behaviour.
Thank you for assuming things that are, in this case, entirely untrue. Presumably you have seen an abundance of poor actors which has primed your perspective, but I would ask that you not be so quick to judge someone who you don't even know. I have never raced in traffic and abhor reckless riding behavior, running redlights/stoplights, and the like. I only ride straps or flats in the city. I use clip-ins in the hills…
I'm not assuming shit, you're telling me.
Apparently you're the one assuming that everyone riding a bicycle does it the way you do, and therefor should be wearing a helmet. We don't.
But according to you millions of us are "ridiculous" (your words) for not wearing one. Yeah, but I'm the one who's quick to judge. Sure.
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Thank you for assuming things that are, in this case, entirely untrue. Presumably you have seen an abundance of poor actors which has primed your perspective, but I would ask that you not be so quick to judge someone who you don't even know. I have never raced in traffic and abhor reckless riding behavior, running redlights/stoplights, and the like. I only ride straps or flats in the city. I use clip-ins in the hills…
You just keep going there. You've clearly demonstrated and confirmed that your cycle for sports in an environment that is aggressively pro-car and anti-bicycle. I'm not assuming shit, you're telling me. Apparently you're the one assuming that everyone riding a bicycle does it the way you do, and therefor should be wearing a helmet. We don't. But according to you millions of us are "ridiculous" (your words) for not we…
But your aggressive tone is earning you downvotes.
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Going like 30 km/h on a clear bike path is not "racing". It's just normal traffic, gonig from place A to B. Still, a helmet can help this casual cyclist. My experience is from a bike path, no one in sight. A ball bounces onto the the path from a bush. That would have been the time to hit brakes immediately, but I just didn't think right. Next comes the 4-year-old kid who runs from behind a bush. Now I hit the brakes,…
> Going like 30 km/h on a clear bike path is not "racing". I rest my case. In the Netherlands there is some discussion to implement a 25 km/h speed limit on cycling paths because of douchebags with electric bikes going 30 km/h and up causing accidents. Apparently we have different values of "normal". Which would be fine if it wasn't for one side keeping up this narrative of "cycling is dangerous and you should always…
There is nothing extreme about doing 30 km/h on a free bike path. Fatal accidents may however happen at lower speeds, or even when completely stationary, and a bike helmet reduces the risk by a wide margin - even if the risk is not that huge to begin with.
I've made the switch 4 years ago and never looked back. I thought it'd be struggle to take the bike when (good) public transport is available (Berlin, Germany) but I've found that it doesn't require any willpower: I prefer the independence and that I get to see the city, and not just the subway walls. Anything within a 10km radius is absolutely no problem. During the day I'm faster than a car, and at night it's just…
How does your commute look like, if you don't mind asking? I commute north-south, alongside S1 train. I noticed it recently got a lot harder though. It seems like there's construction work everywhere (even on the riverbanks and channels). I need to to add extra kilometres just to cut through Mitte. Also my route is very "hilly", both ways (northern Mitte to Schöneberg). I guess going east-west may be a lot easier. I…
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> 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.