Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
G has just gone down in my admiration.
GT and the BBC on helmet requirements.
- Thread starter stoatsngroats
- Start date
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@Milkfloat is right he is now the voice of cycling even if he's not wishing to be. He will have to learn quickly how the media work's and what they are really after. TeamSky must have media team all over him they must have given him some training in how to handle his new found fame and how everyone now will want a bit of him. In the end what ever he or anyone talking to press say's it will always me moderated by the press in the every growing want to control what and how society think's and work. Often backed up by populist political thinking and actions.
Slick
Guru
I'm sure someone somewhere will soon come to realise that what a world class professional rider and the likes of me cycling to work will have different requirements and expectations when it comes to commuting.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I can recall many years ago 'Revvin' Kevin Schwantz waded into a debate about protective footwear for motorcyclists. Some professor or other with decades of expertise in protective gear shot him down beautifully, point out that falling off a motorbike a lot did not make him an expert.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Geraint always wares a helmet, does he?
Liar.
Liar.
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
I agree that it does tend to undo a lot of the good work done by Chris Boardman.
Geraint Thomas is an elite sportsman, not the person who might pop on a bike to go to the shops. The majority of his riding these days is done abroad. The fact he's never ridden the streets of London apart from closed roads events merely shows his disconnect from everyday cyclists. And it is those sorts of people on bikes that we should be encouraging, not forcing them to wear a helmet if they don't want to.
I've organised well over a hundred led rides for Sustrans, specifically aimed at encouraging people who don't usually cycle to get onto a bike and do a few miles, to hopefully get them using a bike more often. The 2 most common questions I get asked by far are "Will I get left behind on the ride?" and "Do I have to wear a helmet?" When told the answer is No to both of those questions, those people are extremely relieved.
Leaving aside the clear evidence from other countries that compulsion reduces rates of cycling and the reductions to health that then results, if we are to have any hope of increasing the dismal 2% share of journeys made by bike, then there shouldn't be any barriers to stopping someone going from A to B by a bike. And forcing someone to buy and then wear a helmet is a barrier to a large proportion of everyday people wanting to go about normal tasks. After all, you can't securely lock a helmet to a bike, so you're forced to carry it around with you. Some might see that as a small price to pay. Others wouldn't. And that's at the heart of the problem.
Geraint Thomas is an elite sportsman, not the person who might pop on a bike to go to the shops. The majority of his riding these days is done abroad. The fact he's never ridden the streets of London apart from closed roads events merely shows his disconnect from everyday cyclists. And it is those sorts of people on bikes that we should be encouraging, not forcing them to wear a helmet if they don't want to.
I've organised well over a hundred led rides for Sustrans, specifically aimed at encouraging people who don't usually cycle to get onto a bike and do a few miles, to hopefully get them using a bike more often. The 2 most common questions I get asked by far are "Will I get left behind on the ride?" and "Do I have to wear a helmet?" When told the answer is No to both of those questions, those people are extremely relieved.
Leaving aside the clear evidence from other countries that compulsion reduces rates of cycling and the reductions to health that then results, if we are to have any hope of increasing the dismal 2% share of journeys made by bike, then there shouldn't be any barriers to stopping someone going from A to B by a bike. And forcing someone to buy and then wear a helmet is a barrier to a large proportion of everyday people wanting to go about normal tasks. After all, you can't securely lock a helmet to a bike, so you're forced to carry it around with you. Some might see that as a small price to pay. Others wouldn't. And that's at the heart of the problem.
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
Not being a follower of cycle sport, I googled his name in order to discover his credentials for making such a statement. I'm sure Wiggins made a similar statement when he shot to fame a few years ago.
Just another example of the glaring gulf between utility cycling and cycle sport and the failure of many to recognise it.
Thomas just walked into the trap set by the media to stir up controversy. He should have been warned by his management of the damage that would be caused by making statements which can only diminish his cycling celeb. status in many eyes, and more importantly have a negative effect on growth of utility cycling.
Just another example of the glaring gulf between utility cycling and cycle sport and the failure of many to recognise it.
Thomas just walked into the trap set by the media to stir up controversy. He should have been warned by his management of the damage that would be caused by making statements which can only diminish his cycling celeb. status in many eyes, and more importantly have a negative effect on growth of utility cycling.
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
I'm sure no one has a problem with it, it's when an individual uses the platform of his celebrity status to voice these opinions that problems arise.
cd365
Guru
- Location
- Coventry, uk
That was my thoughts exactly, safety requirements for a helmet had not changed for years.
Shut Up Legs
Down Under Member
[QUOTE 5362148, member: 9609"]apparently he also wants
'The 32-year-old also said cyclists and drivers should "share the road", rather than seeing each other as "enemies".'
so when he gets that we can consider if helmets are necessary[/QUOTE]
Well, that gives us plenty of time, then.
'The 32-year-old also said cyclists and drivers should "share the road", rather than seeing each other as "enemies".'
so when he gets that we can consider if helmets are necessary[/QUOTE]
Well, that gives us plenty of time, then.
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
Thomas is a lot younger than me and has grown up with helmets (and he'll always have raced with one; the BCF as-was made them compulsory around 1990, I think). He probably doesn't realise that it's possible to cycle for an entire lifetime without one, and live. I was cycling for years before the stupid things were invented.
