If a helmet is to do its job, it has to fit properly

What a week for cycling in Jersey, helmet legislation and possibly licence plates on bikes again. I wonder how far forward any sustainable transport plan will go, given the approach of our politicians at the moment.

Still there are plenty of opinions floating around out there, and I promised myself when I started this blog that I’d do my best not to be contentious. Though I’m not in favour of a compulsory helmet law, I do wear one myself whenever I ride my bike, I wasn’t overly concerned about the bill that did get passed. This is for a number of reasons:  firstly, I know from experience that  nearly all kids have a helmet and that in most cases their parents get them to wear it; and secondly it’s going to be very hard to police.

A quick phone call to my ex-colleagues in the local cycle trade endorsed this. They too thought that children’s cycle helmets were already a mainstay of their business, parents bought them without prompting, and if the child took part in any organised cycling activities they were normally a mandatory requirement.

They also felt that the numbers of children cycling wouldn’t fall, because so many kids normally wore a helmet. However when quizzed on the effects a helmet law would have on adult cyclists, it was a different story.  Each of the dealers that I spoke to thought that it would reduce the number of casual cyclists. Although some did think that the status quo would return given time.

Finally, one fundamental thing that is never addressed in all these emotive outpourings, and it’s essential if a helmet is to work, is how the helmet fits.  It’s very rare to see a child wearing a helmet correctly, and adults are quite often just as bad, perhaps now that there’s such a focus on this issue, it might give campaigners and dealers alike the opportunity to rectify this.

Braking News

Gifts for Government

Adrian Fenty, Mayor of Washinton DC and a keen cyclist, became trapped in a matter of protocol earlier this year, when he was given the gift of a $12,000 Colnago EPS in recognition of his help in bringing the start of the 2012 Giro D’Italia to Washington. The problem for Mayor Fenty was the rule that stops public officials accepting gifts of more than $10 from individuals looking to do business with the city. Luckily for Mayor Fenty, it seems that it can be accepted under a ‘gifts for government’ ruling, though there has been no confirmation of this.

Two further cyclists killed by trucks in London

The total number of cyclists killed, so far this year on London streets, has tripled this week, with the news of two tragic incidents. On Tuesday a King’s College medical student was killed instantly in an accident near London Bridge. On the following day, a young woman was crushed, when a lorry turned left, sandwiching her between it and railings.

It would appear that most of these accidents occur when the cyclist is unsighted by the driver, because they are between the truck and the kerb, within a blind spot. A number of truck operators are fitting extra mirrors in an effort to combat this, but popular opinion suggests that cyclists should avoid overtaking on the nearside, and should stop in the middle of the lane of traffic to prevent drivers pulling up alongside.

A Wizard of Oz moment for pro cyclist Steegmans

RadioShack team member, Gert Steegmans went for an unexpected ride during the prologue time trial of last week’s Paris -Nice, he was picked up by a whirlwind which threw him across the road.

At the time Steegmans was descending a hill at almost 50MPH. He suffered a broken collarbone and extensive grazing, and it’s hoped that he’ll return to training within a month.

The race was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador.

Sprint Bonuses

• Sustrans put on a test ride day at Parc Bryn Bach at Tredegar recently,so that disabled cyclists could try out a range of specially adapted bicycles. These included tricycles, a wheelchair tandem and a hand bike.
• Californian cyclists are waiting for April, which is when a bill proposing fines for cyclists using mobile phones comes to committee.
• Dutch bike manufacturer Batavus have just won the IF Gold Award 2010 for their Batavus BUB city bike. A spokesperson for Batavus said “As other major brands like Apple, Dell and Volkswagen have won this award, we are very proud with this recognition. For us this is like winning an Olympic title. The golden IF Design Award 2010 proves that our ideas for an innovative, personal and trendy urban bike are on the right track.”
• Google Maps brought out a ‘Cycling’ application this week. At the moment it only displays American cities.
• One show stopper at the North America Handmade Bicycle Show was a pedal-powered lawn mower. Designed and built by father and son team; Ted and Cody Wojcik, the idea originated from Jim Langley, former technical editor of Bicycle Magazine.
• See Ted Wojcik talk about the project at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlX5y7L96Zc

And Finally,

If you’re one of those riders who hate people drafting you, this American bike builder might have the answer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcKm8WNGRAc

Arthur Lamy is a Blue Badge qualified tourist guide specializing in cycling and walking tours.

More information can be found on his website: www.arthurlamy.com