Friends and Family Fear
Comments
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TheShrew2000 wrote:When I get the chance I'll give endomondo a try. I played with it earlier but couldn't work out how the tracking functioned. Looking at the app reviews, it seems to be perfect for what I'm after.
Dave
The phone will start tracking automatically. Depending on your privacy settings.
When you open the app on your phone, choose your sport from the list, then click the play button or 10 second countdown button, then you should see the stopwatch start.
Your friends and family can register on the website for free and then type your name into the search box or add you as a friend.
I'm told there can be a slight time delay which updates about every 2 minutes. I suppose its understandable if its uploading data by mobile phone.
Funny enough, I do the opposite to markhewitt1978, I use my Garmin cycle computer, plug USB into my laptop and upload the resulting GPX from my Garmin into Endomondo. I find Endomondo more user friendly and simple than Garmin Connect.
I only use my smartphone for when out running, can listen to music at same time as you usually do and every km Endomondo will pause the music and over the headphones read out distance so far, total time so far and also time for the past km, then unpause the music again. I try to stick to around 4:15 per km and find this handy to see if my pace is slacking and I need to get a move on or I had a good km and may need to pace myself a bit."The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby0 -
I track from my iPhone using the Endomondo app, which I also use for walking etc then upload to Strava too.
I've tried tracking using Strava then uploading to Endomondo but it doesn't work properly that way around.0 -
markhewitt1978 wrote:
I've tried tracking using Strava then uploading to Endomondo but it doesn't work properly that way around.
Mark,
You need to plug your device into your computer using the USB lead.
Go onto the Endomondo website.
Then click on New Workout.
Then click import from Garmin.
Endomondo downloads straight from the Garmin device only the phone downloads live by voodoo magic."The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby0 -
Mile for mile, cycling is safer than walking in some parts of the country.0
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Seeing as simply being a human being comes with a 40% risk of developing cancer, I would think the bike ride has pretty good odds.0
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PoweredByIdris wrote:Hi Dave
It's not as bad as your family and friends think as all they see in the news is 'cyclist knocked off bike today', rather than '50,000 cyclists commuted to work without any problems at all'
There is danger, but it can be mitigated by being safety-concious at all times, making sure you're seen and assuming that everyone else on the road is about to do something stupid and therefore riding accordingly.
+1 - this good sound advice & very well put.0 -
TheShrew2000 wrote:Though I do take the advice from friends and family very seriously.....
What are they basing their advice on ? Are they cyclists ? No disrespect, but only take advice from people who know what they're talking about.
I've been cycling on the road for about 30years and have never (touch wood) had an accident. Obviously you can't take into account the occasional idiot on the road, but if you don't take stupid risks, obey the rules of the road and stay alert, you'll be fine.Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved0 -
ben@31 wrote:markhewitt1978 wrote:
I've tried tracking using Strava then uploading to Endomondo but it doesn't work properly that way around.
Mark,
You need to plug your device into your computer using the USB lead.
Go onto the Endomondo website.
Then click on New Workout.
Then click import from Garmin.
Endomondo downloads straight from the Garmin device only the phone downloads live by voodoo magic.
Umm. I don't own a Garmin.0 -
Really? Serious? Very little is safe?Stueys wrote:Cycling isn't safe, but then again very little is.
Personally I think cycling is a very safe activity and the stats support this view.You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.0 -
Perception of safety and danger as a social construct... Did some sturdy on this for my sociology degree. Can't fully remember what conclusions I came to though...
Pretty much the only situation I couldn't control as a cyclist is mr idiot lorry driver coming up behind while on his mobile. If that happens I'm gone. So pretty much safe.
And I don't have my government firing chemical missiles at me which is another bonus ...0 -
+1 - people need to get things in perspective!Mikey23 wrote:And I don't have my government firing chemical missiles at me which is another bonus ...
And it IS the case that not doing any exercise at all on a long-term basis, being overweight, smoking etc. is more dangerous than cycling. Are the friends / relatives who are saying that cycling is dangerous in good shape? If not, ask them how they would like it if you kept on at them every day about the dangers of an unhealthy lifestyle!0 -
Exactly. Cycling has a positive net effect on life expectancy - the benefits outweigh the risks. I did a risk calculator for a course a couple of months back which gives you an approximation of the effect using different modes of transport have on your life expectancy: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mw21q7nlx7ea2 ... ulator.xls0
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Here's a link to an article on causes of death in the US. http://lifehacker.com/here-are-your-odds-of-dying-from-the-most-popular-cause-912993910 I imagine those in the UK must be about the same (except for firearm deaths). According to this you are more likely to die from choking on your food than cycling. I don't have the stats to hand but am absolutely certain that the reduction in your risk of heart attack and stroke from taking up cycling will far, far outweigh the chance of getting killed whilst out cycling. Also for men under 21 cycling is statistically safer than driving according to The Times http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3621669.ece.0
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TheShrew2000 wrote:I know that being on the road comes with significant risks, especially for the newer rider, but is it really so bad? I went out with family and friends last night and they talked to me as if I had just signed my own death warrant. Do other people out there get the same problem? If so how do you deal with it? Is this fear ingrained within society and holding back cycling as a sport?
Congrats on your first commute of many
As you are finding out it is not that bad. I find cycling more imtimidating than dangerous.
The bit that has been missed out on this thread is you cycling to work will have affected the conscious of all those talking you out of it. They will now see a cyclist and think it could be you and are likely to treat that cyclist with more respect than they would have before. This is the positive of more people getting on bikes and changing attitudes.
And yes for anyone that does not cycle (and for some that do) this fear is ingrained in society and holding cycling back as a mode of transport. The thing that the naysayers don't realise is that it is the motor vehicles that give that perception of danger not cycling as mode of transport.0 -
Life is all about balancing risks. Urban cycling is slightly more dangerous than driving a car but not significantly.
Sitting on your fat arse all day (I'm not suggesting you have one) and getting no exercise is definitely dangerous. The difference is that one trip on the bike may kill you but one evening lounging around like a lazy slob won't kill you.
In the long run though, the health benefits of being fitter as a result of cycling completely outweigh the slightly increased risk of dying in an accident. I have seen respectable statistics to back this up so I'll try to find them and post a link.
[Edit]
Here is one study that demonstrates what I was saying http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920084/. This isn't the one I previously read but there are plenty more where this came from.
If anyone tells you cycling is dangerous, there is plenty of evidence to show the contrary. Not cycling is dangerous.0 -
The thing I never understand about this is that cyclists aren't dangerous. Drivers are dangerous. More drivers = more danger. More cyclists = less danger. So rather than making choices that reduce the overall danger these people are suggesting that you should make choices that increase the overall level of danger on our roads by driving instead of cycling.0
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Coincidentally, in the pub last night a friend of mine was telling me about a colleague of his, who was cycling to work last week. He stopped at a set of traffic lights that were on red and was promptly rear ended at speed by a local cycle courier. This resulted in a broken wrist and elbow and a suspected fracture on the other wrist.lotus49 wrote:
You can't have spent much time in London if you think this.Graeme_S wrote:The thing I never understand about this is that cyclists aren't dangerous.0 -
Graeme_S wrote:
Coincidentally, in the pub last night a friend of mine was telling me about a colleague of his, who was cycling to work last week. He stopped at a set of traffic lights that were on red and was promptly rear ended at speed by a local cycle courier. This resulted in a broken wrist and elbow and a suspected fracture on the other wrist.lotus49 wrote:
You can't have spent much time in London if you think this.Graeme_S wrote:The thing I never understand about this is that cyclists aren't dangerous.
Yeah, some riders in London are breathtakingly reckless. I had something similar happen to me on the south end of Hammersmith Bridge, but fortunately I was on my big tourer with two panniers full of shopping so inertia was on my side. He did execute a spectacular tumble along the road beside me though.- - - - - - - - - -
On Strava.{/url}0 -
The story I heard happened in Coventry, not even in London.0
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Graeme_S wrote:The story I heard happened in Coventry, not even in London.
Yowch. I don't suppose the courier was insured?- - - - - - - - - -
On Strava.{/url}0 -
He rides for a (the) local courier company - I would imagine they have public liability insurance for their employees. Don't actually know any details as the story was relayed to me 3rd hand.DesWeller wrote:Graeme_S wrote:The story I heard happened in Coventry, not even in London.
Yowch. I don't suppose the courier was insured?
Theory is the courier was looking ahead intending to run the lights and didn't even notice the stationary cyclist immediately in his path.0 -
With the recent spate of appalling accidents and deaths on the streets of London I wanted to ask (as a new road rider about to purchase my first bike) if riding on the roads IS becoming more dangerous.
Many of the posts above make valid points regarding risk versus living your life but attitudes of motorists (especially after viewing the many YouTube videos on the subject) appear to be getting worse.
I have ridden MTB's for over 10 years and the only accidents I have had (which are many I might add) have been my fault alone.
I probably could not have picked a worse time of year to begin my road bike adventure. I plan to ride for fitness and the odd commute day and mainly in the dark!.0 -
I've seen comments on other forums about commuter cyclists other halves saying they should go back to taking the tube in London, such has the fear risen recently. The key to getting people out on bikes is subjective safety, at the moment we have the exact opposite.0
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Basically, no. There are more people cycling now than there used to be, so there are more serious accidents and deaths, but statistically (as far as I am aware) you are less likely to get killed if you ride a bike on the roads now than you would have been 20 years ago. That said, I read that the statistics for the last year or two seemed to show a slightly greater rise in deaths than would have been expected given the rise in numbers cycling, but that was possibly just a blip caused by the impact of weather fluctuations, and in any case the numbers killed each year (usually a bit over 100) are probably too small for variations over a 1 or 2 year period to be statistically significant.SilvioD wrote:With the recent spate of appalling accidents and deaths on the streets of London I wanted to ask (as a new road rider about to purchase my first bike) if riding on the roads IS becoming more dangerous.
What is perhaps more scary is that your chances of having a serious accident are probably greatly affected by your skills and behavior, and it takes time to learn - HGVs turning or not seeing you if you are too close are a big hazard, for example, but once you know and understand the risk you can largely avoid it.0 -
I agree that a large part of it is down to cyclist behaviour. And I'm not saying that those who have been injured or killed had it coming - far from it.
There's two sides to it. Firstly, the way you cycle (whether you check over your shoulder for who's behind you for instance), the fact you should obey red lights, etc.
Secondly, alongside the way you ride, there's the way you react to other road users. Accept the fact that some drivers won't see you (it's cr*p but it's the way it is). When I see a car waiting to turn out of a side road I cover my brakes, I go out slightly wide if there's no-one behind me, and I watch them until I'm past. I try and make eye contact if I can so I know they've seen me. I also never cycle up the inside of a long vehicle because of the blind spot issue.
I do see some cyclists who think they own the road, pull out badly into roads straight in front of cars, jump red lights etc. My rule is, if you wouldn't do it in your car, don't do it on your bike! And in a fight between you on your bike and a vehicle, you're always going to come off worse, so don't get too close (where possible). Just have a healthy respect for those big metal boxes hurtling along beside/behind you. Even if you have none of some of the tw*ts driving them.
It'll never be completely safe. You could be wiped off your bike by a bad driver, but then you could be smashed into in your car by a bad driver.0 -
pinkteapot wrote:I do see some cyclists who think they own the road, pull out badly into roads straight in front of cars, jump red lights etc. My rule is, if you wouldn't do it in your car, don't do it on your bike! And in a fight between you on your bike and a vehicle, you're always going to come off worse, so don't get too close (where possible). Just have a healthy respect for those big metal boxes hurtling along beside/behind you. Even if you have none of some of the tw*ts driving them.
Although no doubt controversial I am beginning to believe that the only way that motorists are going to respect the place and right of a bicycle to be on the road is if they perceive the person on the bike to be as regulated as they are. I think a lot of motorists are quite literally jealous of the freedom and convenience a cyclist enjoys. A cycling Psychologist might also suggest that motorists sub consciously resent cyclists because they see someone who has more than a passing interest in their own physical health which reminds them they can't be arsed to get out of their cars and armchairs to improve their own! Some people hate the idea that others are getting something they are not. This usually means a financial penalty. With that in mind
I personally would have no problem with taking a standardised test to prove my elementary skills on a bicycle to include an accompanied road ride similar to the motorcycle test.
Cyclists ( and pragmatically I believe this to be inevitable in the over regulated, money grabbing world we live in!) would need to have 3rd party insurance. This is for the cyclists financial protection also.
Some kind of compulsory bike register ( although how this would be regulated given the second hand market is anybodies guess…I don't have all the answers! :roll: )
Non cycling folk like to bang on about us not having 'road tax' which we all know does not exist only VED. As Bikes have no emissions (except from me on an early Sunday morning climb up a trail!) then perhaps a small increase in the cost of bicycles to allow for a (small) bike road tax because lets face it we are still going to buy those gleaming shiny steeds regardless. This money would go into safety education for motorists and improving the cycle infrastructure.
I am not saying all of the above but something to make the motorist believe that cyclists are in a similar situation to them
For the motorist I would like to see the car, HGV and PSV tests have much more emphasis on bicycle awareness and safety.
Much stiffer penalties for motorists who abuse (verbally or physically) a cyclist and a new specific offence of endangering a cyclist whilst in control of a motor vehicle. (this may even already exist) if it does it needs enforcing better.
None of this is new I know, and it may just be me spouting BS on an extended lunch hour but people should not be dying on British roads in the numbers we are seeing over the past few years.
Feel free to abuse at will! 0 -
The problem is that even if there was a "showroom tax" on bicycles, I would imagine most drivers would discount this and still bang on about the "road tax" thing.0
