Journalism and cycling

tomasrojo

I find constant penumbra of death and impairment around the subject of cycling in the media both misleading and incredibly tiresome.

tomasrojo

xckjoo wrote: »

Has anyone tried the Hovding airbag? It's the only thing I can see as having any potential benefit.

I saw one a few weeks ago. The only one I've ever seen in the wild.

magicbastarder

Bike to School scheme needed in Ireland

Families who want to send their children to school on bikes should receive the same support that employees get under the Bike to Work scheme, according to Cork Labour Representative Peter Horgan.
https://www.eveningecho.ie/corknews/Bike-to-School-scheme-needed-in-Ireland-e400544c-526e-420a-9790-efe0fb718e0c-ds?fbclid=IwAR2_GgtQsvYTPupGze4Z4QFnViaDmzQjwdmv5b5HhlOisS8snacsryNl944#.W-SiPCTY93k.twitter

tomasrojo

Labour seem a bit more positive on cycling than they were. Possibly seeing a chance to be a bloc with the Greens in the future? It helps that the more cycling-hostile ones (from what I recall) are in the Social Democrats now.

They still have councillors opposing important cycling routes though.

magicbastarder

tomasrojo wrote: »

Possibly seeing a chance to be a bloc with the Greens in the future?

well, howlin did recently suggest that labour voters give second preferences to the greens and socdems.

jjpep

tomasrojo wrote: »

Labour seem a bit more positive on cycling than they were. Possibly seeing a chance to be a bloc with the Greens in the future? It helps that the more cycling-hostile ones (from what I recall) are in the Social Democrats now.

They still have councillors opposing important cycling routes though.

I've seen the social Democrats rep (niall o something) at cycling events in galway. Seemed to be there as a punter with his family rather than as a politician showing his face at something.

tomasrojo

Yeah, "cycling-hostile" is probably excessive. Roisín Shortall had a bit of a funny attitude until recently, but she said something quite positive recently.

magicbastarder

she's one of my local TDs. have been meaning to ask her about her stance on cycling if she ever calls to the door, but she hasn't in the 6 years o've been living here.
not that i'm endorsing the idea of my local TDs calling to the door, as one is a convicted terrorist. happy to just have councillors calling to the door, really.

buffalo

tomasrojo wrote: »

I find constant penumbra of death and impairment around the subject of cycling in the media both misleading and incredibly tiresome.

https://twitter.com/CafeRothar/status/1060539045363752961

Mickiemcfist

Duckjob wrote: »

That sort of phrasing "to keep you safe" really grates on my nerves. Like it's all down to you as a cyclist. Like any of that stuff will matter if you get mown out of it at 80kph by some angry neanderthal in a taxi/self-important alpha-male /distracted airhead checking her FB likes etc.

I know wider subject of cycle safety is not what the article is about, just dont like the implication

That's being pretty precious. Car drivers wear seatbelts to keep themselves safe and could equally be hit by airhead checking fb likes.

rubadub

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

Car drivers wear seatbelts to keep themselves safe and could equally be hit by airhead checking fb likes.

You won't be getting a job in Paddy Powers anytime soon!

Mickiemcfist

rubadub wrote: »

You won't be getting a job in Paddy Powers anytime soon!

Nor you as a proofreader, I didn't say equally likely.

rubadub

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

Nor you as a proofreader, I didn't say equally likely.

I read your ridiculous shite just fine.

Mickiemcfist

rubadub wrote: »

I read your ridiculous shite just fine.

Meow!

CramCycle

MOD VOICE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPIsTKpAoE4

zell12

Senator Ivana Bacik just on Newstalk.
Apparently she's an "all-weather cyclist" in Dublin

circler

tomasrojo wrote: »

I saw one a few weeks ago. The only one I've ever seen in the wild.

I know someone who had one. Hit a very abrupt speed bump in London, flew over bars. Airbag worked. He got away with a broken collarbone.

droidus

magicbastarder wrote: »

she's one of my local TDs. have been meaning to ask her about her stance on cycling if she ever calls to the door, but she hasn't in the 6 years o've been living here.
not that i'm endorsing the idea of my local TDs calling to the door, as one is a convicted terrorist. happy to just have councillors calling to the door, really.

We live in the same constituency. Never seen Ellis in the flesh, but told his minions that I cant vote SF whilst he's my only option.

AndrewJRenko

zell12 wrote: »

Senator Ivana Bacik just on Newstalk.
Apparently she's an "all-weather cyclist" in Dublin

She is. I've seen her twice this week walking her bike and child.

Seth Brundle

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

zell12 wrote: »

Senator Ivana Bacik just on Newstalk.
Apparently she's an "all-weather cyclist" in Dublin

She is. I've seen her twice this week walking her bike and child.

That makes her a pedestrian not a cyclist

tomasrojo

circler wrote: »

I know someone who had one. Hit a very abrupt speed bump in London, flew over bars. Airbag worked. He got away with a broken collarbone.

I remember reports of them doing better in the standard anvil-drop tests than polystyrene helmets, but I don't know any real details.

I'll avoid any in-depth discussion in case this starts to encroach on the Helmet Megathread.

Duckjob

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

That's being pretty precious. Car drivers wear seatbelts to keep themselves safe and could equally be hit by airhead checking fb likes.

As has been discussed over on the hi-vis thread, the more attention goes on cyclist to "keep themselves safe", the less drivers are held to account for their actions in driving 2 tonne metal boxes, and the more risk there is to mine and other vulnerable road users lives.

So, yeah, I guess i am pretty precious about my life....

AndrewJRenko

Seth Brundle wrote: »

That makes her a pedestrian not a cyclist

I'm assuming that she hops on the bike once she drops off the child, though I don't think I've see that happen myself. She's part of the Oireachtas cycling group too iirc.

tomasrojo

She was cycling past me once and stopped to let me know a blanket had come off the stroller I was pushing.

I see her and Eamon Ryan on their bikes a fair bit. I think I saw Ruairi Quinn on a Dublin Bike a few years back. I'm sure I've seen others, but ER and IB I definitely have seen the most IRL.

I passed her in the street the morning after the Repeal of the Eighth referendum. She was being greeted left, right and centre by passing motorists, cyclists, pedestrians.

Seth Brundle

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

I'm assuming that she hops on the bike once she drops off the child, though I don't think I've see that happen myself. She's part of the Oireachtas cycling group too iirc.

I was just being a smart alec!

tomasrojo wrote: »

She was cycling past me once and stopped to let me know a blanket had come off the stroller I was pushing.

I see her and Eamon Ryan on their bikes a fair bit. I think I saw Ruairi Quinn on a Dublin Bike a few years back. I'm sure I've seen others, but ER and IB I definitely have seen the most IRL.

I passed her in the street the morning after the Repeal of the Eighth referendum. She was being greeted left, right and centre by passing motorists, cyclists, pedestrians.

Eamon is big into bikes. His bio on the Green Party site says he "was founding chairman of the Dublin Cycling Campaign, and before entering politics ran two successful business, Irish Cycling Safaris and Belfield Bike Shop."
https://www.greenparty.ie/people/eamon-ryan/

Muahahaha

Not sure if it was posted at the time of reporting but last years stats for cyclists suffering injuries

More than 350 cyclists were discharged from Irish hospitals after being treated for head injuries following road traffic incidents last year, HSE figures show.

Of the 351 people who suffered head injuries, 49 were involved in a collision with a car, pick-up truck or van, while 216 were injured in a “non-collision transport accident”.

Statistics released under the Freedom Information Act, collated by the HSE’s Healthcare Pricing Office, show 345 cyclists were treated for injuries to the elbow and forearm; 184 for injuries to the shoulder and upper arm; 119 for injuries to the knee and lower leg and 93 for injuries to the abdomen, lower back, lumbar spine and pelvis.

Significant number of cyclists were also treated for injuries to the wrist, hand, hip, thigh and thorax.

Figures were not available for the number of people who suffered injuries to the neck, ankle and foot while 55 cyclists were discharged after being treated for injuries classified as “other”.

Information was not available on injuries suffered by outpatients who attended emergency departments.

Fifteen people died in cycling accidents on the State’s roads last year, up 50 per cent on the previous year.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/over-350-cyclists-treated-for-head-injuries-in-irish-hospitals-last-year-1.3615589

216 cyclists falling off their bikes (with no collision) and suffering head injuries seems high to me. I wonder what it is that causes these accidents?

Eamonnator

Muahahaha wrote: »

Not sure if it was posted at the time of reporting but last years stats for cyclists suffering injuries


https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/over-350-cyclists-treated-for-head-injuries-in-irish-hospitals-last-year-1.3615589

216 cyclists falling off their bikes (with no collision) and suffering head injuries seems high to me. I wonder what it is that causes these accidents?

I'm sure mountain biking accounts for quite a few of these.

Grassey

Muahahaha wrote:

216 cyclists falling off their bikes (with no collision) and suffering head injuries seems high to me. I wonder what it is that causes these accidents?

(didn't result in head injuries but...) I've a friend who has managed to break collar bone in one incident, and ribs in another 10 months apart this year in non collision accidents. Both have involved cars pulling out in front of her while going downhill and her hitting the brakes.

Fian

Not even a suspended sentence for bus driver who killed cyclist by cutting corner.

https://www.thejournal.ie/bus-driver-cyclist-death-4335560-Nov2018/

Piece on an Irish man and his partner injured while cycling in France http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/cyclist-crash-france-mike-curran/