Cycling to the gym is a "stroke of genius"

Tom Crispin said:

http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/news

Congratulations!

Maybe, just maybe some of the adult gym goers will pick up on this and
follow suit!

peter

On Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:34:46 +0100, Tom Crispin
<[email hidden]> said in
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/news

"Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who are now stuck
in traffic on their way to a health club to ride a stationary
bicycle." - Congressman Earl Blumenauer

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

you know? said:

On Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:34:46 +0100, Tom Crispin
<[email hidden]> said in
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/news

"Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who are now stuck
in traffic on their way to a health club to ride a stationary
bicycle." - Congressman Earl Blumenauer

Indeed.

When asked what inspired me to start cycling pupils to their swimming
lessons I replied, "The thousands of heroic Londoners who day after
day spend hours in their cars on the way to the gym to ride a
stationary bicycle."

That reply was inspired by the good congressman.

Here I am collecting the award from Jenny Jones, the Green Party
Representative on the London Assembly.
http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/photos/awards/cca-41

"Tom Crispin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/news

Did they ride their bikes back home or were the bikes nicked outside the
gym??

Mine was... ;o)

Lee..

Tom Crispin said:

http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/news

I've clean up the scan for the sake
of people's eyes

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f234/bugbear33/photo_tech/news.jpg

BugBear

Tom Crispin said the following on 09/06/2008 19:34:

Quoted message said:

http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/news

It's nice to see something positive about children cycling, but it's a
shame that the idea of cycling to a gym is seen as something so out of
the ordinary in this country.

It would take a brave person to design the layout for a new gym with car
parking only for the disabled.

BTW, you might want to look at the fit of Yetunde's helmet ;-)

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

On Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:38:33 +0100, bugbear

bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim said:

Tom Crispin said:

http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/news

I've clean up the scan for the sake
of people's eyes

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f234/bugbear33/photo_tech/news.jpg

Thanks.

There is also this:
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/green/greenguardian2007/display.var.2307524.0.school_rewarded_for_its_cycling_stroke_of_genius.php

But the photo is rubbish.

So there's this:
www.johnballcycling.org.uk/photos/award/IMG_0253

Paul Boyd said:

BTW, you might want to look at the fit of Yetunde's helmet ;-)

Yetti's helmet is a nightmare to fit. She has her hair in tight
braids across her head.

Tom Crispin said:

On Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:38:33 +0100, bugbear

bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim said:

Tom Crispin said:

http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/news

Quoted message said:

But the photo is rubbish.

So there's this:
www.johnballcycling.org.uk/photos/award/IMG_0253

Which is far better than the one used in the paper. The one they used
makes them all look like sullen yoofs being forced to ride IMO.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Phil Cook said:

Tom Crispin said:

On Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:38:33 +0100, bugbear

bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim said:

Tom Crispin wrote:
> http://www.johnballcycling.org.uk/news

Quoted message said:

But the photo is rubbish.

So there's this:
www.johnballcycling.org.uk/photos/award/IMG_0253

Which is far better than the one used in the paper. The one they used
makes them all look like sullen yoofs being forced to ride IMO.

Here's the full set.
They were taken by TfL's press office.
www.johnballcycling.org.uk/photos/TfLpressofficephotos/

"Tom Crispin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paul Boyd said:

BTW, you might want to look at the fit of Yetunde's helmet ;-)

Yetti's helmet is a nightmare to fit. She has her hair in tight
braids across her head.

But just why are they wearing flotation aids on their heads when they cycle?

burtthebike said:

"Tom Crispin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paul Boyd said:

BTW, you might want to look at the fit of Yetunde's helmet ;-)

Yetti's helmet is a nightmare to fit. She has her hair in tight
braids across her head.

But just why are they wearing flotation aids on their heads when they cycle?

In case they try to barge their way to the front of the line to be at
the front on the return trip towards the camera.
www.johnballcycling.org.uk/photos/TfLpressofficephotos/IMG_0247

On 10/06/2008 18:30, burtthebike said,

Quoted message said:

But just why are they wearing flotation aids on their heads when they
cycle?

Think about it for just a second. Clues? Children, school, insurers,
blame culture.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

On Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:36:31 +0100, Paul Boyd <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On 10/06/2008 18:30, burtthebike said,

Quoted message said:

But just why are they wearing flotation aids on their heads when they
cycle?

Think about it for just a second. Clues? Children, school, insurers,
blame culture.

I took a class of children to Wales last week.

In the mountain centre where we stay, near Cadair Idris, the children
have always washed up after meals.

Imagine my surprise when told that children were no longer allowed to
wash up. Apparantly it's a health a safety matter. The precious
dears may get a fork prong under their fingernail or something!

Anyway - helmet use is nothing to do with insurers. The liklihood of
a low speed fall directly onto a flat surface or kerb is greater with
children cycling in convoy, pairs or groups as collisions between
cyclists are more likely. I set a good example by not wearing one:
the feeling of the wind in the hair is something they can aspire to...

Tom Crispin said the following on 10/06/2008 22:04:

Quoted message said:

Imagine my surprise when told that children were no longer allowed to
wash up. Apparantly it's a health a safety matter. The precious
dears may get a fork prong under their fingernail or something!

FFS!!

Quoted message said:

Anyway - helmet use is nothing to do with insurers.

Frankly, I'm amazed!

Quoted message said:

The liklihood of
a low speed fall directly onto a flat surface or kerb is greater with
children cycling in convoy, pairs or groups as collisions between
cyclists are more likely.

This is the other point that seems to have escaped burtthebike's notice,
but I didn't feel inclined to point it out ;-) It's exactly the sort of
reason why MTB'ers nearly always wear helmets.

Quoted message said:

I set a good example by not wearing one:
the feeling of the wind in the hair is something they can aspire to...

I know. Hair blowing in the wind, but you're too proud to run after it ;-)

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Tom Crispin said:

Anyway - helmet use is nothing to do with insurers. The liklihood of
a low speed fall directly onto a flat surface or kerb is greater with
children cycling in convoy, pairs or groups as collisions between
cyclists are more likely.

Well, /yes/, but OTOH the chance of a low (or even medium) speed fall
directly onto a flat surface is greater if kids are running playing tag
in the playground rather than playing marbles or sitting having a
blether, so is it worthwhile to wear special protective clothing while
running playing tag? I've never seen it happen, so apparently not.

"More likely" doesn't indicate the actual degree of risk, which is still
low.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Paul Boyd said:

This is the other point that seems to have escaped burtthebike's notice,
but I didn't feel inclined to point it out ;-) It's exactly the sort of
reason why MTB'ers nearly always wear helmets.

MTBers are typically trying to do difficult things on awkward terrain.
Riding in a group on a road or track is not actually that hard. If I go
MTBing it's entirely likely I'll fall off. If I go out on a group road
ride it's entirely likely that I won't.

"More likely" is not a very good measure, if it's still not very likely.

Actually used to go "mountain biking" in the woods on our Raleigh racers
when I was a kid. We didn't use helmets, they hadn't been invented.
The bikes were [censored] for the job. I don't recall anyone getting a head
injury.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

Paul Boyd said:

This is the other point that seems to have escaped burtthebike's notice,
but I didn't feel inclined to point it out ;-) It's exactly the sort of
reason why MTB'ers nearly always wear helmets.

MTBers are typically trying to do difficult things on awkward terrain.
Riding in a group on a road or track is not actually that hard. If I go
MTBing it's entirely likely I'll fall off. If I go out on a group road
ride it's entirely likely that I won't.

"More likely" is not a very good measure, if it's still not very likely.

Yes it is. I had a group of 10 eight year olds out today on a 25 Km
bike ride. I reckon there were six collisions - all trivial, and not
involving anyone falling off their bike. However many times you say
to children to pay attention to what's ahead and not to chat, excitied
boys and girls are still going to want to be sharing their experiences
with their friends and see what their friends behind them are doing,
and you can be sure that that will be the moment the leading
instructor had decided to stop... Bang!

Peter Clinch said:

Tom Crispin said:

Anyway - helmet use is nothing to do with insurers. The liklihood of
a low speed fall directly onto a flat surface or kerb is greater with
children cycling in convoy, pairs or groups as collisions between
cyclists are more likely.

Well, /yes/, but OTOH the chance of a low (or even medium) speed fall
directly onto a flat surface is greater if kids are running playing tag
in the playground rather than playing marbles or sitting having a
blether, so is it worthwhile to wear special protective clothing while
running playing tag? I've never seen it happen, so apparently not.

"More likely" doesn't indicate the actual degree of risk, which is still
low.

The risk of suffering a serious head injury while washing up is lower
still. But that's banned!