How not to become an advert against cycling?

Philip Davis · June 2007

I've never been one to harangue people about the virtues of cycling as a way of getting around a city, but I've always hoped that at least I was giving some sort of positive example. However....

...without going into the grim details, a few months ago I had a nasty accident when commuting on the bike, which has left me with visible scars. The accident was a complete 'freak' - it had nothing to do with traffic, it was just rotten luck, it could just as easily have happened if I'd been jogging.

But since then, I seem to have become a walking anti-cycling advert. Last night in the pub, I was the centre of yet another 'oh, you are so lucky to survive! I would never cycle now in the city, its too dangerous, I really don't want my kids to do it... blah blah blah' type of conversation.

This particularly annoys me, as I worked with two people who suffered much worse injuries than me in separate car accidents when driving home from work, but it never provoked the 'oh, driving is so dangerous, i should take a bus instead' type of reaction.

Any suggestions for how I can address this sort of comment so I give any more people excuses not to cycle, or worse still, stop their kids from doing it?

I hate to advocate drugs, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.' Hunter S. Thompson

rothbook · June 2007

Tell em mile for mile travelled cycling is safer than walking, and the BMA conclude the health BENEFITS outweigh the RISKS by a factor of eight to one.

Tell em you are more likely to suffer a head injury in a pub than on a bike.

The Endorser · June 2007

Yeah, but you make your own 'luck' on the roads. Helmets, lights, florries all potentially weigh the odds in your favour - ride around at night with no lights and you're asking to get squashed.

if they can't see this, then s0d 'em mate. Just njoy the fact that you're alive and carry on enjoying you riding life.

Eating baby elephants since 1969

Archcp · June 2007

Assuming you usually tell them just what you've told us (freak accident, people badly hurt in cars etc) and that it's not put you off, you'll find that some people just won't listen I'm afraid. If you've tried reasoning, and it's the same people, you might try changing tack - getting a bit more forceful - "Oh, for goodness sake, do you people realise how stupid/wimpy/illogical you sound?" Of course, unless you know them well, you might end up injured again... But sometimes, it takes a slightly more forceful tone to make people actually listen to what you're saying, rather than it go in one ear and out the other.

Rothbrook's point is also good - although of course when people see you, they can only think of the risk, and the benefit is a wishywashy future concept...

And there's also the statistic about how many people a year are injured by teacosies or whatever it is. If you want to avoid all risk, the only thing to do is wrap yourself in cotton wool and stay in bed, and then you get DVT.... Point that out to them...

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Unknown · June 2007

It's a bit of an uphill task convincing someone of the safety of cycling while wearing ripped lycra and covered in blood and scars.

CometGirl · June 2007

What you say in your OP is a pretty succinct explanation! Go with that...

ChrisLS · June 2007

...I had an a serious life threatening accident with no other traffic involved-a real freak accident-and I had the same reaction, "I bet you won't be cycling anymore" and similar commments. My reply went along the lines of if you have a car accident do you give up driving?

Cretin · June 2007

Tell them that when they're 80, they'll be in a nursing home having their arse wiped by a fat man, but you'll still be cycling through the hills enjoying the fruits of life.

CometGirl · June 2007

Live long or die trying!

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by CometGirl

Live long or die trying!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Judging by their time sheets, some London lawyers are well over a 100.

Philip Davis · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Patrick Stevens

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by CometGirl

Live long or die trying!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Judging by their time sheets, some London lawyers are well over a 100.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Gosh, i hope the lawyer I've hired to deal with my compensation claim isn't like that.... i must ask her how old she is!

I hate to advocate drugs, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.' Hunter S. Thompson

dondare · June 2007

Tell 'em you were injured in a car accident.

"da sapienti et addetur ei sapientia doce iustum et festinabit accipere."

Flying_Monkey · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by The Endorser

Yeah, but you make your own 'luck' on the roads. Helmets, lights, florries all potentially weigh the odds in your favour - ride around at night with no lights and you're asking to get squashed.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

In general I'd agree, but without wishing to raise the 'helmet' question, recent research shows that helmets can encourage drivers to pass closer to you than they otherwise would - not just this though - being or at least looking stereotypically female also means you get more room!

Now I guess I'll have to tell 'em
That I got no cerebellum
Gonna get my Ph.D.
I'm a teenage lobotomy

Mosschops2 · June 2007

I to an extent agree with the point about kids. I wouldn't recommend someone less than 15 yrs old cycled on the main roads around here - three lanes in the same direction - you need to have some nerve and strength to hold your position - I think that your average 10 year old is maybe more likely to be intimidated?? That's not to say that kids much younger couldn't cycle on other non-A road routes, and use ped crossings (on foot!) rather than tackling fairly large roundabouts.....

- Make me a bicycle, clown!
- All right, I'm going to make you a bicycle. But I don't want to make you a bicycle.

Jeremy Parker · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Philip Davis

[snip]

...without going into the grim details, a few months ago I had a nasty accident when commuting on the bike, which has left me with visible scars. The accident was a complete 'freak' - it had nothing to do with traffic, it was just rotten luck, it could just as easily have happened if I'd been jogging.

[snip]

Any suggestions for how I can address this sort of comment so I give any more people excuses not to cycle, or worse still, stop their kids from doing it?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Well, give us, if not the grim deails, at least the sanitized details, which will, presumably, show us how freakish it was. They say experience is the best teacher, and better yours than ours

Jeremy Parker

Philip Davis · June 2007

Well Jeremy, if you really want to know....

its kinda hard to explain, but i was cycling at night on a new cyclepath built along some working docks (now undergoing gentrification). The cycleway was blocked by some roadworks, so i went to go through the gap - to find a pedestrian also going in the same direction. I went a bit wider, looking carefully at a white band, marking the quay edge (not having a strong desire to go swimming on a late February evening). What I didn't see was the remains of an old signpost - the cross beam that held the sign was still in place (the quay lighting was out of order). I hit it face first, completely poleaxing me, leaving me with fractured mandible, cheekbones, nose etc and severe whiplash. BTW, i was wearing a helmet, but it was no help!

I hate to advocate drugs, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.' Hunter S. Thompson

The Endorser · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Philip Davis i was wearing a helmet, but it was no help!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I doubt it would, unles you were wearing it over your face, in which case you'd no doubt have come a cropper much sooner.

Where there's blame, there's a claim.....?

Eating baby elephants since 1969

Philip Davis · June 2007

Yeah, arguably the helmet made it worse (making it harder to duck at the last second), but that didn't stop everyone saying 'oh, i hope you wore a helmet).

And yes, its in the hands of my lawyer...

I hate to advocate drugs, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.' Hunter S. Thompson

Archcp · June 2007

There's your answer to the woe-mongers, but you have to be prepared to put yourself down a bit[;)]: "I wasn't even on the road, you tits, there was no other traffic involved, I rode into a lampost. All you have to do to avoid my sort of accident, is not to ride into a lampost! On the other hand, if you don't think you can manage that simple task, maybe you better just stay at home in bed... "

Nasty though.[B)] I'd be pretty cagey about riding alongside docks too... Hope you are fully recovered...[:)]

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Philip Davis · June 2007

Gosh yes, thats a good argument 'Cycling is fine and safe, the vast majority of people aren't as stooopid as me'.

I can see my family agreeing with that!

I hate to advocate drugs, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.' Hunter S. Thompson

psychiatricblues · July 2007

Mosschops2 wrote:

I wouldn't recommend someone less than 15 yrs old cycled on the main roads around here - three lanes in the same direction - you need to have some nerve and strength to hold your position - I think that your average 10 year old is maybe more likely to be intimidated??

Cor, I don't know where you live, but the kids round by me aren't intimidated by traffic. I've seen groups of kids on bikes intimidating single cars. It takes a certain kind of bravery/stupidity to ride a bike into the path of an on-coming car and stop, challenging it to run you over, and then sarcastically say "Thanks, c**t", before riding off with your mates, but it happens all the time round by me.

Jeremy Parker · July 2007

Philip Davis wrote:

Well Jeremy, if you really want to know....

[gory details of accident snipped]

Sorry to hear that, and my apologies for my delay in replying. I'm still rather confused by this new board.

Jeremy Parker

How not to become an advert against cycling?

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