Journalism and cycling

Pinch Flat

Disclaimer - I've zero medical knowledge or training, but typing "Ireland's obesity crisis" into google may lead yield some interesting reading material.

Actually did this for the craic. Jesus wept.

https://www.google.ie/search?ei=QPhLXa61LY-e1fAPquK8qAQ&q=%22ireland%27s+obesity+crisis%22&oq=%22ireland%27s+obesity+crisis%22&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i30.10049.10049..10279...0.0..0.100.100.0j1......0....1..gws-wiz.mGacwLEgBfc&ved=&uact=5

droidus

The Enbalmer wrote: »

What are the "all sorts of ways" you speak of? People can die in collisions with cars,yes..what are the others?

Astounding that this needs to be pointed out, but apart from the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, there's air pollution which is devastating to children's health.

Vehicle Pollution Causes 4 Million New Child Asthma Cases Every Year

https://e360.yale.edu/digest/vehicle-pollution-causes-4-million-new-child-asthma-cases-every-year

Air pollution more harmful to children in cars than outside, warns top scientist
This article is more than 2 years old

Exclusive: Walking or cycling to school is better for children’s health as cars are ‘boxes collecting toxic gases’

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/12/children-risk-air-pollution-cars-former-uk-chief-scientist-warns

Children ‘at greater risk’ from roadside pollutants

Research published to coincide with the national Clean Air Day today (21 June) has suggested that primary and nursery school children are exposed to 30% more particulate pollution than adults when walking along busy roads.

https://airqualitynews.com/2018/06/21/children-at-greater-risk-from-roadside-pollutants/

Billions of air pollution particles found in hearts of city dwellers

Exclusive: Study shows associated damage to critical pumping muscles, even in children

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/12/billions-of-air-pollution-particles-found-in-hearts-of-city-dwellers

So, we have collisions and accidents, heart disease and obesity, severe damage and death from air pollution, and then of course there's climate which is on track to kill hundreds of millions and possibly end human civilization.

In that context it's fair to say that cars are killing us in all sorts of ways, and this should be obvious to anyone with even the most cursory awareness of reality.

The Enbalmer

droidus wrote: »

Astounding that this needs to be pointed out, but apart from the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, there's air pollution which is devastating to children's health.

Vehicle Pollution Causes 4 Million New Child Asthma Cases Every Year

https://e360.yale.edu/digest/vehicle-pollution-causes-4-million-new-child-asthma-cases-every-year

Air pollution more harmful to children in cars than outside, warns top scientist
This article is more than 2 years old

Exclusive: Walking or cycling to school is better for children’s health as cars are ‘boxes collecting toxic gases’

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/12/children-risk-air-pollution-cars-former-uk-chief-scientist-warns

Children ‘at greater risk’ from roadside pollutants

Research published to coincide with the national Clean Air Day today (21 June) has suggested that primary and nursery school children are exposed to 30% more particulate pollution than adults when walking along busy roads.

https://airqualitynews.com/2018/06/21/children-at-greater-risk-from-roadside-pollutants/

Billions of air pollution particles found in hearts of city dwellers

Exclusive: Study shows associated damage to critical pumping muscles, even in children

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/12/billions-of-air-pollution-particles-found-in-hearts-of-city-dwellers

So, we have collisions and accidents, heart disease and obesity, severe damage and death from air pollution, and then of course there's climate which is on track to kill hundreds of millions and possibly end human civilization.

In that context it's fair to say that cars are killing us in all sorts of ways, and this should be obvious to anyone with even the most cursory awareness of reality.

There you go again..car use DOES NOT cause heart disease OR obesity and then you bring in nonsense psuedoscience like climate change which will "end civilizatation".


You use a bicycle (so do I)..at least keep your reasons for cycling believable and stop trying to conflate motorcar usage with the end of the world..it makes you sound childish and not a little mad!

Pinch Flat

The Enbalmer wrote: »

There you go again..car use DOES NOT cause heart disease OR obesity and then you bring in nonsense psuedoscience like climate change which will "end civilizatation".


You use a bicycle (so do I)..at least keep your reasons for cycling believable and stop trying to conflate motorcar usage with the end of the world..it makes you sound childish and not a little mad!

The Enbalmer

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Disclaimer - I've zero medical knowledge or training, but typing "Ireland's obesity crisis" into google may lead yield some interesting reading material.

Actually did this cor the craic. Jesus wept.

https://www.google.ie/search?ei=QPhLXa61LY-e1fAPquK8qAQ&q=%22ireland%27s+obesity+crisis%22&oq=%22ireland%27s+obesity+crisis%22&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i30.10049.10049..10279...0.0..0.100.100.0j1......0....1..gws-wiz.mGacwLEgBfc&ved=&uact=5

But you are absolutely convinced that because you see somebody driving somewhere that they are taking NO other excercise and as such are contributing to the obesity crisis?


Perhaps you can explain the number of grossly overweight cyclists one sees about the place? Particularly the lycra-clad middle aged men with red faces?


Something screams "the zeal of the convert" about all this!

droidus

The Enbalmer wrote: »

...in nonsense psuedoscience like climate change which will "end civilizatation".

...it makes you sound childish and not a little mad!

Quite... ...I think that's all we need to know.

CramCycle

The Enbalmer wrote: »

There you go again..car use DOES NOT cause heart disease OR obesity and then you bring in nonsense psuedoscience like climate change which will "end civilizatation".


You use a bicycle (so do I)..at least keep your reasons for cycling believable and stop trying to conflate motorcar usage with the end of the world..it makes you sound childish and not a little mad!

You seem to be purposefully not listening or misunderstanding the point being made. A sedate lifestyle does lead to heart disease and obesity (and much more). Sitting in a car when you could be exercising could and can be a contributory factor. No one is saying it causes one or the other but doing exercise instead of it will actively reduce the risk, here is a large cohort study to impress upon you the differences:

https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1456?ijkey=b375149af1e9b501e67e540b6d787434b3a31c20&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

rubadub

The Enbalmer wrote: »

Are children driving cars now?

Yes they are. It could be a good 10 years ago when I first heard that more schoolgirls in Ireland drove themselves to school than cycled.

I come across very few kids cycling to school, it has actually switched and I see primary school kids cycling to school, usually with parents and very few secondary schoolkids.

I am not sure if the hours have changed in a school in foxrock but I see extremely few walking now.

In my day the vast majority cycled, lads would be slagged if mammy drove them to school! Only 1 guy in a school of ~500 had a car.

I see lads on escooters and electric monowheels going to school now (illegally on roads, cycletrakcs & footpaths)

^ Similar where I am. 5 year olds school has 2 racks both full most days. You go 500 meters up the road to the secondary school and you might be lucky to see 5 or 6 bikes in a school of over 800 students.

cdaly_

Deleted User wrote: »

^ Similar where I am. 5 year olds school has 2 racks both full most days. You go 500 meters up the road to the secondary school and you might be lucky to see 5 or 6 bikes in a school of over 800 students.

Shouldn't that be: "You drive 500 meters up the road to the secondary school"?

jjpep

Sounds like someone's been a bit defensive about their ****ty lifestyle choices that they're pushing onto their kids. It's just puppy fat yeah? They'll grow out of it, right? I mean actually getting on your own probably fat hole and doing something with them is just a step too far, right?

silverharp

for not a huge cost, this looks like it gives a lot of confidence to riders

https://twitter.com/IrishCycle/status/1159531921753477120

Seth Brundle

...but think of the poor residents who will lose their parking spot

silverharp

Seth Brundle wrote: »

...but think of the poor residents who will lose their parking spot

they will be out putting ribbons on them :pac:

Pinch Flat

silverharp wrote: »

for not a huge cost, this looks like it gives a lot of confidence to riders

Got to laugh at the clowns in the Twitter comments calling for helmets on the dad. They’re missing the point - quality cycling infrastructure negates the need for helmets. As we see in Amsterdam and Copenhagen

Duckjob

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Got to laugh at the clowns in the Twitter comments calling for helmets on the dad. They’re missing the point - quality cycling infrastructure negates the need for helmets. As we see in Amsterdam and Copenhagen

Agree.

I would generally wear a helmet when out on my own on the bike since I could be doing 35-40kph, but don't when out toddling around with my kids.

During years of a helmetless bike riding childhood, I, along with virtually the entire population of NL, managed not to suffer anything remotely near a head injury.

AndrewJRenko

The Enbalmer wrote: »

What are your credentials to be posting this sort of thing?


Are you a medical professional or have you published peer-reviewed findings?


What are the "all sorts of ways" you speak of? People can die in collisions with cars,yes..what are the others?

The 1500 premature deaths each year due to poor air quality would be a good place to start.

Lumen

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Got to laugh at the clowns in the Twitter comments calling for helmets on the dad. They’re missing the point - quality cycling infrastructure negates the need for helmets. As we see in Amsterdam and Copenhagen

Perhaps it would be more correct to say "desire". People in those places don't wear helmets because they don't want to.

mr spuckler

Lumen wrote: »

Perhaps it would be more correct to say "desire". People in those places don't wear helmets because they don't want to.

And society / media / vested interests don't push helmets as a necessary piece of safety kit as we do here.

There's huge pressure on cyclists here to wear a helmet.

Duckjob

What makes me laugh with the helmet hysteria comments on articles like that is the lack of perspective.

These people are apparently hypersensitive to the micro-danger of a grown adult falling off a bike at walking speed and somehow sustaining a life-changing brain injury from it, yet ...

the same people are blissfully oblivous to the very real and present danger of nonchalent, distracted and in some cases psychopathic drivers driving 2 tonnes of metal close to, and in the case of the psychopaths, *at* unprotected people on the road.

Chips Lovell

I think there's a widespread misunderstanding/overestimation of just what a helmet can protect you from and the likelihood of that happening.

Tombo2001

Duckjob wrote: »

Agree.

I would generally wear a helmet when out on my own on the bike since I could be doing 35-40kph, but don't when out toddling around with my kids.

During years of a helmetless bike riding childhood, I, along with virtually the entire population of NL, managed not to suffer anything remotely near a head injury.

Was an interesting article in the Guardian yesterday about how professional cycling has become more dangerous, more deaths through accident.

Despite the fact that helmets have become mandatory.

A major part of the reason apparently is that roads are simply less suitable for cycling than in the past.

More clutter, more traffic islands, more roundabouts, more slippy painted lines etc etc etc.

Pinch Flat

Chips Lovell wrote: »

I think there's a widespread misunderstanding/overestimation of just what a helmet can protect you from and the likelihood of that happening.

The problem is though it's the group think in the motoring fraternity (who seem to get most excited about helmets - isn't it nice they're looking out for us?) that seem to think a helmet will protect cyclists in all situations, including getting hit at 80kph plus by 2 tonne plus vehicle.

Chips Lovell

There's plenty of cyclists who fetishise helmets too in fairness.

eeeee

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Was an interesting article in the Guardian yesterday about how professional cycling has become more dangerous, more deaths through accident.

Despite the fact that helmets have become mandatory.

A major part of the reason apparently is that roads are simply less suitable for cycling than in the past.

More clutter, more traffic islands, more roundabouts, more slippy painted lines etc etc etc.

Do you have a link for that? Interesting.

eeeee

eeeee wrote: »

Do you have a link for that? Interesting.

I'm pretty sure this is the same piece on the Irish times site. Was just reading it.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/bjorg-lambrecht-s-death-throws-up-the-dangers-of-open-road-racing-again-1.3980494?mode=amp

tomasrojo

Chips Lovell wrote: »

There's plenty of cyclists who fetishise helmets too in fairness.

I think bikesnobnyc once called them the "Fredly Do-Rights".

Melodeon

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Was an interesting article in the Guardian yesterday about how professional cycling has become more dangerous, more deaths through accident.

Despite the fact that helmets have become mandatory.

A major part of the reason apparently is that roads are simply less suitable for cycling than in the past.

More clutter, more traffic islands, more roundabouts, more slippy painted lines etc etc etc.

I seem to remember Sean Kelly mentioning this during race commentary a few times over the last year or so.
A vast amount of 'traffic management' infrastructure has been installed since his heyday in the '70s-'80s and early '90s: roundabouts and traffic islands, sleeping policemen, pinch points, central dividers, roadside high kerbs, bollards and armco barriers, deliberately misaligned junctions, and an ocean of white paint.
The wide open free-flowing routes through towns and villages of his day are gone.
I'm sure the elder lemons at that time were bemoaning the changes since the '50s and '60s and before too.

Tombo2001

Melodeon wrote: »

I seem to remember Sean Kelly mentioning this during race commentary a few times over the last year or so.
A vast amount of 'traffic management' infrastructure has been installed since his heyday in the '70s-'80s and early '90s: roundabouts and traffic islands, sleeping policemen, pinch points, central dividers, roadside high kerbs, bollards and armco barriers, deliberately misaligned junctions, and an ocean of white paint.
The wide open free-flowing routes through towns and villages of his day are gone.
I'm sure the elder lemons at that time were bemoaning the changes since the '50s and '60s and before too.

Ah no = I would think surfaces improved a lot in that time.

The road furniture piece is really in the last thirty years.

Its become a bit of an industry - I would think there are whole teams in the council dedicated to it - where can they add in bits of this and bits of that.

Lower Drumcondra is a classic example - the footpath is 20 feet wide but you would struggle to walk down it with all the bits and pieces of everything that have been put in place....sign posts, bins, bus stops, flower pots, restaurant seating, lamp posts, shop signs, (and bike racks!), ......you've have to see it to believe it.

QueensGael

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Its become a bit of an industry - I would think there are whole teams in the council dedicated to it - where can they add in bits of this and bits of that.

Shockingly sh** example on the N21 coming into Newcastlewest from the Abbeyfeale side - there's a nice wide hard shoulder, and then stupid lumps of concrete and pillars appear every 200m as you head into the town. It has little effect in slowing down the motorised traffic, and only serves to spit the cyclists out into the path of said traffic. Does my nut in, chapeau Limerick CoCo :rolleyes: