Champs, Quick aside as we work through the site’s issue — what happened after you saved your comment? Took a long time and then what? Did you hit refresh? Submit again? We got a double comment and trying to figure out what’s happening on the client side. Thanks,... Read more »
I disagree that riders don’t care about their equipment. Say you’re a famous Grand Tour winner with a personal sponsorship deal from some bike company in California, and you’ve gotten everything dialed in on a particular bike, then the UCI comes in midseason to say it’s illegal. Not that it... Read more »
I disagree that riders don’t care about their equipment. Say you’re a famous Grand Tour winner with a personal sponsorship deal from some bike company in California, and you’ve gotten everything dialed in on a particular bike, then the UCI comes in midseason to say it’s illegal. Not that it... Read more »
@svrdesign and the source of much driver/cyclist confusion. we avoid those when riding in Maui.
— Jan 10 9:43 PM
We don’t realize how much the notion of creation has changed for people under the age of 25, Lessig regarding Girl Talk: http://goo.gl/RDtoo
— Jan 10 9:28 PM
dude, you’re mixing up your UK riders. you’re thinking of Obree rather than Boardman, who was the poster boy for the British Cycling Federation as the guy who re-established the “official hour record” on a traditional bike with reguklar dropbars. Obree, God save his soul, is the Scot who ate... Read more »
Good tip, but we’ve reached our limit of the amount of content we want someone else to monetize or own. Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr are our channels. We’ve got a good handle on what’s going on, just need to get the fixes in.... Read more »
Robert, I think that you can link a law to increased obesity rates. There are many studies in Australia which show that cycling rates dropped by between 31-40% (depending on which study you believe) after the introduction of the MHL’s. There is also plenty of evidence to link active transport... Read more »
I understand rebelling against “the man,” but to the detriment of your own health. I think I’d make a paper-mache hat and paint it up like a helmet at that point. Or a skid-lid at least.... Read more »
Gary, Thanks for your comments about mandatory helmet laws. I don’t think anyone here is arguing in favor of forcing people to wear helmets. I feel it’s a cyclist’s choice whether or not to wear a helmet. What I am taking issue with is the attitudes and misinformation being propagated... Read more »
Byron, the Police in Queensland are very strict on the enforcement of MHL’s. You would be very lucky to be let off with a warning. Usually it is a $100 fine & you are told to walk the bike home. If you refuse to pay the fine it turns to... Read more »
@Geargals ride here through the gray season, you'd understand better. As noted, it's not a joke. Gallows humor does apply here though.
— Jan 09 5:40 PM
@Geargals The name of a ride, not a punchline. Follows the Green River in the dreep of gray drizzle. There's a Kurt Cobain sprint here too.
— Jan 09 5:33 PM
Any cyclist who has ever had the misfortune of having their unprotected skull come into contact with pavement knows that this is a stupid argument. If you want to take a risk because you don’t think a helmet looks cool, that is your prerogative, but to suggest that is safer... Read more »
While we’re not helmet law proponents, how does that work? So the law is so oppressive you won’t ride? Are their helmet patrols? Detain you? We have helmet laws here and when I don’t wear one, have not been stopped.... Read more »
Green River Killer ride. 4.5 hours, including this line: you can't sprint sprint a city limit sign while I'm putting my gloves on! Do over!
— Jan 09 3:07 PM
I love to cycle. Rode my entire life, including 5 yrs commuting in London. I did all of this without a helmet. When I was 30 I moved to Australia & had to wear a helmet. This took away my enjoyment to the point where I gave up cycling for... Read more »
This came up on the ride yesterday, hey @rapha_n_america what color is "in" this year? Still pink or are we wearing Purple in the peloton?
— Jan 09 8:14 AM
My previous comments on this are clear, I’ve held people’s heads after a crash and I know without any doubt in my mind and nobody’s TEDX presentations or studies will convince me otherwise that a helmet did not save that person’s life, if not just their brain. That being said,... Read more »
The Rocket Ride (a local Pro shop's hammerheads) came by us and with the bang of a shift, fast spin up to speed, it was a Rocket Race.
— Jan 08 11:48 AM
Didn’t I recently read an article about an older gentleman that was riding home in some small town, sans helmet, who hit a curb and died? I’ve known of three cyclists that have either crashed on their own or had a mild tangle with a car, and the two that... Read more »
All: Thanks for the comments, both for and against. I think nearly everyone understands that there are many issues on both sides of this equation. The sheer number of variables in gathering scientific data on injuries related to bicycling is mind-boggling. And the controversy that ensues is to be expected,... Read more »
Embracing Robert’s hug-it-out sentiment, PLEASE WEAR A HELMET. We don’t have a risk/benefit analysis here: there is no cost to wearing a helmet and a potentially devastating cost of not doing so. I don’t care if the reasons are only anecdotal or if you’re more likely to win the lottery... Read more »
All, our commenting system sucks. We know it, live with it, and apologize. We’re working on a change and rolling it out soon. If your comment double posts — I’ll remove it. Sorry for the hassle and taking time to comment here. It’s appreciated.... Read more »
We didn’t bait this for some traffic play and I normally don’t engage this debate, but with this Eurocentric view arriving in the States, it was time to speak up. I don’t get the “study this” and “study that” and to what end? Marketing helmets with fear? Really? This is... Read more »
I always wear a helmet when I ride, just like I always buckle my seatbelt when I drive/ride in a car. I’ve had 4 crashes in the 21+ years I’ve been cycling as an adult. I was wearing a helmet all 4 times. In one crash, my head didn’t contact... Read more »
Aaahh…a helmet debate. They are like the Sirens of the bicycling blogosphere: try to resist commenting, but they’ll draw you in and dash you on the rocks in the end anyway. Let me know when you get it all sorted out. Snark aside…I have a few cents to throw in,... Read more »
expect @vscycling is creating awesome animal-print motion graphics for the upcoming LeopardTrek informercial ran nonstop during the Tour.
— Jan 07 8:13 AM
@GlobeBent Once said, "ok, let's do this, you ride into a brickwall with your helmet-less head and I'll do it too." See who wins.
— Jan 07 8:11 AM
@Velocentric @iamspecialized Epic Allez with aluminum lugs and carbon tubes was the OG of noodles and still on the road today.
— Jan 07 8:08 AM
I wear a helmet most of the time. However if I’m grinding up some steep, car-free dirt road or tooling along on a car-free bike path then yeah, I sometimes take my helmet off. It’s a calculated risk but then again I suspect the odds of being injured doing this... Read more »
@erik3815 @buttermilk1 we've avoided and shut down the debate for the past 4 years, iback because of @bogusky and @copenhagenize TedTalk.
— Jan 07 7:02 AM
All, we're not baiting this, our response to anti-helmet publicity from @copenhagenize we hope to discuss it in more than 140 characters.
— Jan 07 6:47 AM
@copenhagenize No war but if you're on a anti-helmet campaign, that's not going to go without an opposing voice, especially to @bogusky.
— Jan 07 6:45 AM
@amscityblog tweet of endearment, dude is tough as nails to survive NYC riding with no helmet and we've ridden together, multiple times.
— Jan 07 6:43 AM
"Cyclists wearing helmets die in cycling accidents, ergo, they provide no protection against fatal accidents." A helmet saved my head.
— Jan 07 6:40 AM
@copenhagenize we're just saying, I've seen people hit curbs with their heads and helmets saved them, ridden in the blood of head injuries.
— Jan 07 6:35 AM
While I value the conversations Colville-Andersen brings to the cycling community (and the excellent photography), most of the time the only message that sinks in is “U.S., you’re doing it all wrong and there’s no hope for you.” Needless to say, I’m tired of that…help us out, man, instead of... Read more »
I get opposition to helmet laws, personal freedoms and all, but nowhere in the States where I’ve ridden is there adequate urban infrastructure for cyclists to feel safe. They have good reason to fear. In the past, I’ve not engaged or shut down helmet debates on Bike Hugger because they... Read more »
There must've been some heated meetings in Luxembourg where egos were all out on the table and someone snapped, "I like Leopards damn it!"
— Jan 06 12:23 PM
@halvorson Content strategy is like a plan for a plan and meetings about meeting. A self-affirming bureaucratic layer in your organization.
— Jan 06 7:25 AM
@bryanrhoads a bit disappointed that when joining the biodiesel community there isn't a welcome wagon with a gift basket or something.
— Jan 05 12:28 PM
Got two bikes. One Alu one Carbon. Winter and bad weather I take the aluminium crosser. Better conditions are for carbon racer. So I’m faster on the Carbon RedBull but wouldn’t wanna come to the conclusion that it is the frame material that makes it faster rather than the circumstances... Read more »
The reason I love my Ti bike is that on rough road, big hits, I float and continue to apply pressure to the pedals. On Carbon, shutter and big hits. That’s the test to do is compare ti to Carbon, with Ti getting close on weight and carbon at it’s... Read more »
Touche Raiyn! In general my race bikes always have good stuff on them. My Rain Bike is running ‘07 Rival, and my single speed cross/fixed is a $300 On One Pompino frameset with Tektro Oryx brakes and a Surly huh/Alex rim wheelset that I built. Seriously though - the SRAM... Read more »
@dylanw same reason strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre sounds like "Pizza Lari."
— Jan 04 1:15 PM
Looking for Gerry Rafferty, found Al Stewart's lyric: "You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre" thought that was "Pizza Lari."
— Jan 04 1:14 PM
Yeah, still not buying it. “For the first time in ~8 years my components will not be the ‘top end’.” Call me when you start running Apex on something like a Vaya.... Read more »
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