Cycle mag, CTC finally caved in re helmets & sold us out?

[Tonyf33]

Cycle mag arrived on the doorstep and lo and behold there's a young lady riding a leisure cum utility bike with basket, 3/4 length trousers, pumps, sleeveless blouse with a hint of busom I might add, all very 'sexy', she's riding on a cobbled 'street' away from the madding crowd and yet she's wearing a helmet (but no gloves )

So, it finally looks like the CTC have caved in regarding helmets then, if ever there was a situation and type of cycling that never did require helmets this was it, congratulations CTC you just sold us down the river.

[motty]

It will be the charity way.
He who pays the piper picks the tune. Unfortunately the CTC is no longer at the beck and call of the "members"

[beardy]

The policy is freedom of choice, that cuts both ways.

When you have taken in the helmet (and the bosom), look at her chinstrap.

[Tonyf33]

The policy is freedom of choice, that cuts both ways.

It does, but this rather promotes the need for a helmet in pretty much any occasion given how this is as far from dangerous as you're likely to encounter when on a bike.

When you have taken in the helmet (and the bosom), look at her chinstrap.

I was looking at her tats first and foremost

[TonyR]

If its a photo taken of someone cycling I'm not bothered - that's what freedom of choice is about. If it were a staged photo then I would be much more concerned.

[bovlomov]

If its a photo taken of someone cycling I'm not bothered - that's what freedom of choice is about. If it were a staged photo then I would be much more concerned.

If it's not staged, then the photographer was exceedingly fortunate. How long would he have to wait in such a location, to find such a woman, in such clothes, on such a bike? It's usually only money that makes people appear so delighted to be alive (with a photographer/stalker lying in the way). And she gave permission for the photo to be used. What luck!

[pjclinch]

Oh ***...

I have (quite justifiably) been accused of over-sensitivity to helmeted portrayals, but complaining about this is preposterous. It's a single rider so it's not going to show a mix of helmeted and helmetless riders, is it?

And if you can really say, hand on heart, that there are no people on Sensible Bikes in the UK who also choose to wear helmets then you've had a pretty sheltered experience. If you want to see lots of Sensible People on Sensible Bikes in Safe Places wearing helmets make your way to the Dutch coast when the Germans are on holiday. There is no shortage of people who choose to do this, and it's not really any more contentious showing one of them than it is showing someone using a rucksack instead of frame-mounted luggage.

If you really want to make people think you're a bunch of tossers with some lunatic libertarian agenda then go on complaining about isolated images like these. By all means complain if CTC start systematically weeding out all shots of helmetless riders, but you need some sort of a sample base for that and n=1 does not qualify.

Pete.

[Tonyf33]

Oh ***...

I have (quite justifiably) been accused of over-sensitivity to helmeted portrayals, but complaining about this is preposterous. It's a single rider so it's not going to show a mix of helmeted and helmetless riders, is it?

And if you can really say, hand on heart, that there are no people on Sensible Bikes in the UK who also choose to wear helmets then you've had a pretty sheltered experience. If you want to see lots of Sensible People on Sensible Bikes in Safe Places wearing helmets make your way to the Dutch coast when the Germans are on holiday. There is no shortage of people who choose to do this, and it's not really any more contentious showing one of them than it is showing someone using a rucksack instead of frame-mounted luggage.

If you really want to make people think you're a bunch of tossers with some lunatic libertarian agenda then go on complaining about isolated images like these. By all means complain if CTC start systematically weeding out all shots of helmetless riders, but you need some sort of a sample base for that and n=1 does not qualify.

Pete.

Why is it preposterous to complain, the promotion of helmets to be worn at every single avenue whilst cycling (as this actually does) just makes the likelihood of restrictions if you're not wearing a helmet come into force more than it already is. If you can't understand why this type of thing can and will have a detrimental effect on my freedom to ride without a helmet then there's little point in discussing it further tbh.

[Tonyf33]

If its a photo taken of someone cycling I'm not bothered - that's what freedom of choice is about. If it were a staged photo then I would be much more concerned.

So you honestly don't think this is a staged photo shoot for a magazine front page?

[TonyR]

If its a photo taken of someone cycling I'm not bothered - that's what freedom of choice is about. If it were a staged photo then I would be much more concerned.

So you honestly don't think this is a staged photo shoot for a magazine front page?

I'm open as to whether its staged or not. But I've seen enough instances of people being asked if they would mind posing for a photo to know that its perfectly possible that someone was asked to pose for the shot and that's just what they happened to be wearing at the time rather than being led away to be kitted up for the photo.

[DanJoyce]

It's not a staged photo for Cycle's front page. It's from a shoot that the photographer did for Ridgeback, hence the reference to 'modelling a Ridgeback Avenida' on the contents page. Ridgeback were kind enough to let us re-use the picture, which I found in the photographer's portfolio.

I'd have preferred it if the rider didn't have a helmet, because unhelmeted transport and touring cyclists redress the balance of (overwhelmingly) helmeted road cyclists and mountain bikers. But being neutral on helmets means just that, and a good picture won't be passed over solely because the rider is wearing a helmet. Rest assured that Cycle will continue to show pictures of unhelmeted and helmeted cyclists on the cover.

[bovlomov]

If it's free pictures you need, I can send you a selection - of cyclists going past my house. Some wear helmets and some don't, but they're all uglier than your frontpage model, and none smile (even before I step out in front of them to take the snapshot as they struggle up the hill).

[Tonyf33]

It's not a staged photo for Cycle's front page. It's from a shoot that the photographer did for Ridgeback, hence the reference to 'modelling a Ridgeback Avenida' on the contents page. Ridgeback were kind enough to let us re-use the picture, which I found in the photographer's portfolio.

I'd have preferred it if the rider didn't have a helmet, because unhelmeted transport and touring cyclists redress the balance of (overwhelmingly) helmeted road cyclists and mountain bikers. But being neutral on helmets means just that, and a good picture won't be passed over solely because the rider is wearing a helmet. Rest assured that Cycle will continue to show pictures of unhelmeted and helmeted cyclists on the cover.

So it IS a staged photo then? And if you preferred not to use it compared to a helmetless cyclist why use it at all especially on the front page, I could have gotten you a pic of a 'sexy' lady on a bike laughing sans helmet for nowt...

[DanJoyce]

I didn't say it was a free picture, only that we asked Ridgeback if we could re-use it because it was originally shot for them.

If you've got, or can take, a great photo of utility cycling, please send it through to me at editor@ctc.org.uk and I'll consider it next time I'm looking for such an image. In fact, that's a standing invitation for any photos you've taken that you think would work well in Cycle, or on its cover.

In the meantime, I'll keep an eye on this discussion (but will probably not contribute further).

[stewartpratt]

ALL ABOARDS TEH OUTRAGE BUS DING DING
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