The bicycle.

[JackRiddler]

The European Cyclists’ Federation says that bicyclists in its domain have the same risk of serious injury as pedestrians per mile traveled.

To be fair this is the same fallacious measure used to support the idea that plane travel is the safest of all transport modes. We don't live in miles, we live in time. Your odds of injury in any given hour of bike riding are much higher than your odds of injury during an hour of walking or sitting.

[82_28]

Jackson Roos' death was caused by helmet strap

By ANDY NYSTROM
Redmond Reporter Editor
September 28, 2012 · Updated 7:48 PM

King County Sheriff's detectives said Friday that 12-year-old Jackson Roos died Wednesday as a result of being strangled by his own helmet strap while zip lining in the family's backyard in the 8800 block of 255th Avenue Northeast near Redmond.

Detectives said a safety line attached to the cable caught on the back of his helmet, pulling it up, causing the helmet strap to tighten around his neck and cut off his air supply.

Detectives said the incident was a tragic accident that could not have been predicted. A press release issued by the King County Sheriff's office stated, "the case is considered closed."

People share their thoughts, memories on Facebook memorial page

Roos is described as an "amazing young man, a happy, active, loving boy."

Those words come from the 12-year-old boy's Facebook memorial page the day after his death.

Roos' mother discovered him at about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. The Evergreen Middle School student was pronounced dead at the scene after medics attempted to resuscitate him.

The zip line was 20 feet above the ground and ran 100 feet across the yard, according to Sgt. Cindi West, King County Sheriff's Office public information officer.

Detectives noted that the zip line appeared to be commercially made and installed; it was removed from the home for the investigation.

Kathryn Reith, Lake Washington School District director of communications, was at Evergreen Middle School on Thursday morning and noted that staff members informed students of Roos' death when school began and counselors were on hand to speak to kids.

"It's all about the kids. We want to make sure that they feel OK and counselors are there if they need to express what's on their minds," Reith said.

At lunchtime on Thursday, students wrote messages to Roos and his family.

On the Facebook page — which had 1,000-plus likes at post time — Erin Brooks Bell wrote: "Very sad day at Evergreen Middle School. Our hearts and prayers are with the Roos family."

Jeanne Tueller Krumperman added: "I keep thinking about how a few years ago, Jackson did me a big favor and sang in the children's Christmas choir. He was so good-natured and positive about doing it, and I am grateful I had that chance to get to know him better. Your family is in our hearts and prayers."

Roos' father, Bryan, owns Roos Orthodontics in Redmond; the business was closed on Thursday.

http://www.redmond-reporter.com/news/171424721.html

Television news reported the helmet as a bike helmet. Obviously ziplines aren't bicycles, however the "irony" here is this was just on the news and it underscores the inherent danger in anything, anything at all. Had he not been wearing a helmet like the days of old, this child would still be alive. Since he did wear one he is now dead.

[coffin_dodger]

not sure if this has been posted here:

http://road.cc/content/news/68126-italy-bikes-outsell-cars-2011-first-time-world-war-ii

"Sales of bicycles in Italy last year surpassed those of cars for the first time since World War II, it has been revealed. The news comes ahead of a conference on cycling and sustainable transport in Reggio Emilia this weekend that Italy's head of state hopes will lead to improvement in the lives of those living in Italy's major cities..."

[Gnomad]

82_28 - Just as an aside - wearing riding kit made specifically for cycling does not automatically mean wearing yellow lycra. I rarely ride without chamois bibs or underpants with padding, since all the saddles I have are good ones, ie. hard, since a hard seat is the only comfortable seat when on the saddle for any extended time. And padded pants offer the extra comfort of no seams chafing your ass when you pedal for hours.

Reference:

Rule #61 // Like your guns, saddles should be smooth and hard.
Under no circumstances may your saddle have more than 3mm of padding. Special allowances will be made for stage racing when physical pain caused by subcutaneous cysts and the like (“saddle sores”) are present. Under those conditions, up to 5mm of padding will be allowed – it should be noted that this exception is only temporary until the condition has passed or been excised. A hardman would not change their saddle at all but instead cut a hole in it to relieve pressure on the delicate area. It is noted that if Rule #48 and/or Rule #5 is observed then any “padding” is superfluous.7

(guns=calves)
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

Most of my riding gear is black, though, except for my jackets, bags and backpacks - they tend to be bright blue, red, yellow, white or reflective, so one is visible in the traffic. Most are form-fitting though so they don't flap in the wind and sweat wicks away faster when the fabrics are skin tight. Riding clothes are a matter of practicality, roadie team issue fashion is just part of it. And roadies mostly wear the colourful kit for the same reasons a baseball fan would wear a baseball cap, or a hoodie, etc... To show hes a fan of the sport and of a certain team.

When on a casual ride, you might wear just the padded underpants, and regular clothes otherwise. And one bike has a softer seat, so that gets used on all those times that call for strictly casual clothing.

Re: Helmet use (Daves blog is a really nice one otherwise too, hes an old frame builder):
http://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com/bl ... lmets.html

According to these figures, in the decade that was the 1950s, 8 pro riders were killed while racing. In the ten years that followed, the 1960s, 4 lost their lives; another 4 during the 1970s, and 5 in the 1980s. 3 died in pro races in the 1990s.

However, in the first decade of the New Millennium, the 2000s, 10 professional cyclists died during completion. Two have died already in this decade when we are only half way through the second year. What happened? Helmets were made mandatory in 2003 to protect riders.

Two of the riders, Brett Malin (2003) and Bob Breedlove (2005) died while riding in the Race Across America (RAAM) and were struck by motor vehicles, not by a fall usually associated with racing. But eliminating these two from the list still leaves 8, double the number that died each decade in the preceding 40 years.

I never really considered Professional Cycle Racing to be a particularly dangerous sport, but close to one death a year is not acceptable. Isn’t it about time the UCI and the professional cyclists themselves started to look into the effectiveness of helmets?

The UCI is quick to enact regulation for every other aspect of the sport, why not do something really useful and set some safety standards for bicycle helmets that would benefit us all.

It seems to me that there is too much emphasis on the part of manufacturers in designing something that looks cool rather than do what it is supposed to do, and that is protect a rider in the event he or she should hit their head.

I see two main problems; the outer shell is weak so it splits open on impact, and the polystyrene foam is too dense, it doesn’t absorb the impact. After all it is the helmet that is supposed to get crushed in a crash, not the rider’s skull.

(some mountain biking helmets are way stronger than what is used on the road, though...with internal reinforcements made from aramid or kevlar so they stay together on impact, and with tougher shell materials and thoroughly laminated structure - and the more aggressive off road riding, the more body armour people tend to wear - from simple knee and shin guards to full on upper body armor with neck braces and fullface helmets that do far more than just protect your head)

http://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com/bl ... stics.html

The thing that makes something funny is when a statement contains a modicum of truth, and the point here is that some of us are skeptical of certain statistics. Whether we buy into them depends on our opinions to begin with.

Here is one I see all the time:

“Wearing a bike helmet is estimated to reduce head injury risk by 85 percent.”

I’m not sure where this one started, but it has been around for twenty years or more and I’m assuming that originally it had some other statistics and solid data to back up that figure.

It has been repeated over and over, and over again so many times, that it is now stated as fact without reference to the original study. When you analyze the 85% all it does is reinforce a person’s view that bike helmets are a good idea, only if that person held that view to begin with.

Without the original study and the data to back it up, 85% is as meaningless a number as the ones I made up at the start of this piece. Still it is big enough that it sounds good, but not so big that it is still believable if you don't give it too much thought. I think this is what has given this particular statistic its longevity.

I don’t even know anymore if wearing a helmet is supposed to reduce injury by 85% or does it reduce death by 85%? People have accidents with and without helmets, some are injured and some die, but can anyone prove to me that it is even close to 85% survivor and 15% casualty rate.

A few years ago I had a serious accident; I was doing about 25 mph with a strong tail wind, when a person in an SUV turned left in front of me. I was wearing a helmet, but unfortunately went face first into the side of the vehicle.

Maybe if I had the presence of mind to stick my head down, my injuries would have been less, but I was too busy looking for a way around this large object that had suddenly appeared in front of me.

My helmet split at the front, and failed to prevent my eyeglasses from being pushed into my eye, causing permanent eye nerve damage. I also came away with a skull fracture.

So which side of the 85% statistic do I belong? I didn’t die, but I did still end up with a pretty serious injuries. I could join the ranks of those who have a story on how their helmet saved their life. But I won’t, because I am not convinced.

It can be both very difficult to kill someone, and at the same time very easy; it all depends on how and where you are hit. Had I stuck my head down and let the helmet take the full impact, I could have been less seriously injured. On the other hand I may have broken my neck.

I did have some serious abrasions on my scalp that were caused by the inside of the helmet. Never-the-less I was glad I had worn one; for the following reason. Later when my attorney was negotiating a settlement with the insurance company, he was able to say that this cyclist took every precaution to protect himself. He wore a helmet.

I just read an article by an injury lawyer stating that jurors in civil cases have a bias against cyclists. They view cycling on the public highways as a highly dangerous practice, and when people are perceived to engage in dangerous activities, juries tend to place some of the blame on the participant. This has a direct effect on the amount of compensation they award.

By voluntarily wearing a helmet you at least appear to a jury or an insurance adjuster to be someone who takes responsibility for their safety. They cannot award you less with the argument that you didn’t wear a helmet; therefore you contributed to your own injuries.

Unfortunately the 85% helmet statistic gives legislators fuel to press for mandatory helmet use for cyclists. While many more people die each year from a simple trip or slip and fall than from cycling related accidents.

That’s because almost all of us walk on two feet, but only a select few ride a bicycle. Maybe upon waking each morning we should place a helmet on our head before we even put slippers on our feet; not removing it until we return to bed that evening. Viewed in this light does it not make the whole issue somewhat ludicrous?

Making helmets mandatory only re-enforces the general public’s view that cycling is dangerous. I still maintain that wearing a helmet should be a personal choice; making them mandatory stops some from taking up cycling in the first place.

Most start riding a bike without a helmet, a few will become serious and eventually buy a better bike and all the equipment that goes with it, which will probably include a helmet.

To sum up I wear a helmet because it offers some protection; I don’t believe it is even close to 85%, but wearing one can’t hurt. I may hit a pot hole and fall on my head, in which case my helmet may save me from serious injury. But a crash involving a motor vehicle? The best way to avoid injury there is to circumvent the collision altogether.

http://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com/bl ... esult.html

[JackRiddler]

That's the kind of fat-assed seat I had before some bastards stole it, except with more padding.

You're talking about hours on hills, I'm talking about an hour fast-strolling happily and safely around a busy city as a super-pedestrian. In the upright position.

[Gnomad]

Of course. (it was a comment to 82 on the middle aged men in lycras )
Most city bikes we sell have seats like you pictured

[Allegro]

It's just cute , you know.


^ Manquer | A Bicycle Love Story

^ YOUTUBE NOTES. This is a short film that we made in 2 days for a festival in Seattle [in 2006]. It ended up winning Best Film, Best Editing, Best Costume, and Best VO.

[Project Willow]

^ Also filmed in Seattle, much of it in my neighborhood.

[Allegro]

^ Also filmed in Seattle, much of it in my neighborhood.

You know, I thought Seattle, but wasn't for sure, unless there had been a sign, This Is Seattle! or Lynn lives here!

Couldn't help but notice in the living room the piano and the framed art above it. That scene at mark 3.32 was a pleasant surprise.

[Project Willow]

At 3:42, behind him, that's the view from the Saloon windows, up Western Ave. with 619 Western artist building on the left, and the old steam plant on the right.

[Allegro]

At 3:42, behind him, that’s the view from the Saloon windows, up Western Ave. with 619 Western artist building on the left, and the old steam plant on the right.

I remembered your post with this photo…

---

The one time I visited Seattle, I unexpectedly ate a ton of lettuce in about three days. That much is true. I had lettuce markings on my face for about a week . Didn’t find Hedda Lettuce, so this’ll have to do.

[JackRiddler]

The one time I visited Seattle, I unexpectedly ate a ton of lettuce in about three days. That much is true. I had lettuce markings on my face for about a week . Didn’t find Hedda Lettuce, so this’ll have to do.

Okay, I'm confused. Is this literally true? (If so, okay whatever.) Otherwise, what is lettuce?

[MacCruiskeen]

How can I convey the perfection of my comfort on the bicycle, the completeness of my union with her, the sweet responses she gave me at every particle of her frame? I felt that I had known her for many years and that she had known me and that we understood each other utterly…

I passed my hand with unintended tenderness – sensuously indeed – across the saddle… It was a gentle saddle yet calm and courageous… How desirable her seat was, how charming the invitation of her slim encircling handlebars, how unaccountably competent and reassuring her pump resting warmly against her rear thigh.

The gross and net result of it is that people who spent most of their natural lives riding iron bicycles over the rocky roadsteads of this parish get their personalities mixed up with the personalities of their bicycle as a result of the interchanging of the atoms of each of them and you would be surprised at the number of people in these parts who nearly are half people and half bicycles.

Is it about a bicycle?

[Belligerent Savant]

.

Haven't read this entire thread, but been a bike rider since I was given my first bike with training wheels -- complete with long swooping U-shaped handledbars and a large oval-shaped purple banana seat.

Later in my teens I'd bike ride over the Williamsburg and Queensboro bridges to Central Park and back...among other jaunts around the city area and elsewhere.

Broke my collarbone riding as well -- 18 yrs old, sped down an intersection with faulty brakes and slammed right into a car that cut right in front of me [if he just kept going I likely would have narrowly avoided collision]. My left shoulder generated quite a nasty dent on the rear fender of the car. I recall being so upset at the sight of my bent fork/wheels that I hoisted the bike and tossed it in anger/frustration, unaware to that point that my collarbone was broken [the initial adrenaline rush goes a long way towards numbing pain --- temporarily]. Good 'ol days of youth.

Now I have a road bike and go on bike tours/rides whenever schedule allows. Recently completed a morning tour around and along NY/NJ and Hudson River; great views. Next up is GW Bridge to the Catskills... or as far as my legs decide to take me.

[Allegro]

The one time I visited Seattle, I unexpectedly ate a ton of lettuce in about three days. That much is true. I had lettuce markings on my face for about a week . Didn’t find Hedda Lettuce, so this’ll have to do.

Okay, I'm confused. Is this literally true? (If so, okay whatever.) Otherwise, what is lettuce?

Well, the first part of my post IS true, because when in Seattle on business in probably the late 70s, I consumed enough lettuce salads to feed an orchestra. I loved Seattle’s lettuce! Frankly, I didn’t know why, and still don’t except my body was likely craving whatever nutrition was in the green stuff. So, nope, no lettuce markings were noticed on my face! That post went clownish on me when seeing a photo of Hedda Hopper while looking for lettuce heads.
Then there was poetry, of a sort.

It all makes perfect sense to me.