Big Bike revival ... yet more helmet normalising!

[661-Pete]

Got a flyer for our annual local charity ride pushed through our letterbox. We've gone on it in the past, though we've missed the last few years due to holidays.

To my dismay, one of the partners prominently listed on the flyer was Headway. This organisation, as we all know, does invaluable work in rehabilitating those unfortunates who have suffered brain injury. It also campaigns for helmet compulsion.

So I went to the ride's official web site, and sure enough, helmets are now compulsory on the ride. They didn't use to be - certainly not when I last took part.

Is it worth bringing up the argument about the deterrent effects of helmet compulsion, outweighing the benefits, in terms of general health?

Oh well - there are other ways of keeping up cycling.

[mjr]

Is it worth bringing up the argument about the deterrent effects of helmet compulsion, outweighing the benefits, in terms of general health?

Briefly, yes, along the lines of "I'd love to, but I don't use a helmet and don't agree with you forcing people to use them because [...]" but if the ride has been infected by Headway, then there's a low probability of success.

If only we had some public health or cycling charities willing to take an equally hard line in the opposite direction...

[661-Pete]

I checked last year's entry forum, and it merely says "all cyclists should wear a suitable helmet". Nothing about "compulsory". That word has crept in for the first time this year. I suppose that's Headway's influence.

Are Headway an appropriate partner/sponsor for a charity bike ride? Drawing attention to the fact that occasionally cyclists crash and suffer injury? Do, say, airlines publicise their service by pointing out that sometimes their planes crash?

[Wanlock Dod]

Edinburgh cycling must be in an even worse state than I realised!

It is estimated that 3% of journeys in Edinburgh are made by bike in the 2017 Annual Cycling Monitoring Report, and it has the highest level of cycling in the whole of Scotland. In the grand scheme of things cycling there really isn’t great, but it is noticeably less bad than most (if not all) other parts of Scotland.

[Cyril Haearn]

I checked last year's entry forum, and it merely says "all cyclists should wear a suitable helmet". Nothing about "compulsory". That word has crept in for the first time this year. I suppose that's Headway's influence.

Are Headway an appropriate partner/sponsor for a charity bike ride? Drawing attention to the fact that occasionally cyclists crash and suffer injury? Do, say, airlines publicise their service by pointing out that sometimes their planes crash?

Maybe one could check in wearing a h*****t, then take it off soon after the start

[Lance Dopestrong]

Are Headway an appropriate partner/sponsor for a charity bike ride? Drawing attention to the fact that occasionally cyclists crash and suffer injury? Do, say, airlines publicise their service by pointing out that sometimes their planes crash?

Ah, I like your thinking. If all riders were a black box flight recorder they'd be immune from injury!

[mattheus]

I checked last year's entry forum, and it merely says "all cyclists should wear a suitable helmet". Nothing about "compulsory". That word has crept in for the first time this year. I suppose that's Headway's influence.

Are Headway an appropriate partner/sponsor for a charity bike ride?

No - definetly not!

Now ask me a hard one.

[atoz]

I get the impression that for many people helmets are considered "normal". Certainly the local member group has noone left not wearing them.

Personally I prefer to make decisions about my safety on the bike on the basis of evidence, not on so-called "common sense" - given that the evidence of their effectiveness is the subject of a lot of dispute. However, I seem to be in the minority.

Cycling UK are not exactly helping (again) when they release a video on their Youtube page where most people on it seem to be wearing helmets- even when not on public roads. See my post https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=130043 where I made the comment that he who pays the piper calls the tune- so it would seem in this case also. And yet again the dreaded flo green hi viz made it's appearance- despite official evidence that would dispute it's use- see https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2013/jan/10/cycling-high-visibility-safe-fluorescent Based on this rather weak evidence base, you'd be just as well off with a pink Castelli Perfetto top- at least you'd be stylish, or in Italian cycle speak "bella in sella"- lol.

[charliepolecat]

There is no question that a lot of these anti helmet comments are silly. If you don't want to wear a helmet and the organiser says you should, don't ride it.

[pjclinch]

There is no question that a lot of these anti helmet comments are silly. If you don't want to wear a helmet and the organiser says you should, don't ride it.

The problem then becomes by just going with the flow we end up with few to no organised rides anyone can go on.
And then if "the organiser" becomes the government and its attitude to letting people ride bikes on its patch, as is the case in NZ and much of Oz, then we end up with a massive own-goal for public health and the marginalisation of cycling as a reasonable means of mass transport.
That's not "silly", that's stupid to the power of ten.

Pete.

[Mike Sales]

There is no question that a lot of these anti helmet comments are silly. If you don't want to wear a helmet and the organiser says you should, don't ride it.

The problem then becomes by just going with the flow we end up with few to no organised rides anyone can go on.
And then if "the organiser" becomes the government and its attitude to letting people ride bikes on its patch, as is the case in NZ and much of Oz, then we end up with a massive own-goal for public health and the marginalisation of cycling as a reasonable means of mass transport.
That's not "silly", that's stupid to the power of ten.

Pete.

I completey agree, but would add that as wearing becomes more and more the norm, and accepted as a necessity, cycling is more and more an activity for the intrepid and those prepared to take accept an enhanced risk, not a normal way of getting to school or work.
Contrast those countries where cycling is still ordinary transport, and those where it is unusual.

[mattheus]

well said Mike & Pete.

[PaulaT]

well said Mike & Pete.

And a big +1 from me

[gaz]

Cycling UK looking for video uploads from their volunteers.

To help spread the word about how rewarding volunteering with Cycling UK can be, we'd like our volunteers to create a quick 90-second, or less, video of themselves talking about 'What volunteering means to you'.

So if you are a volunteer and you want Cycling UK to have a choice of videos that don't feature people in plastic hats ...

https://www.cyclinguk.org/webform/volun ... g-mean-you

[Lance Dopestrong]

Well, Cycling UK's membership department don't answer the phone and don't return answerphone messages. This being the case I'm rather disinclined to do anything to help them at the moment.

I phone IPMBA in America (having checked they're actually awake) and the phone answers in 2 rings. Ditto MIAS, get an email response in under 5 minutes during office hours. I'm more than happy to do stuff for these outfits unpaid, because communicating with them isn't like swimming through treacle while wearing handcuffs.

Sort it CUK. If it's this hard to get you to take my money I'm definitely not keen to find out how hard it is to give my time to you for free.