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My aunt has an adult tricycle and loves it. But bad joints can prohibit some from bikes. I need a new knee (well, really two, but one is worse than the other) and a new hip. I can't remember the last time I was able to do a recumbent bicycle (which is suppose to be the easiest on the joints).
Until I can return to my normal activities, the doc has restricted me to swimming, weight training, yoga, and pilates. :\
To the OP, I used to walk and bike several miles per day, 5-6 days per week. I miss that.
With the savings from having to buy expensive gas......I'm asking you all to make a donation tomorrow to help those affected by the tornado's. Just think if each one of us donated $5.00 to $10.00 tomorrow??? Please look at Liberty, KY they have a 360 degree pictures of before and after of their city......it's devastating. You all have such great ideas....please let's do this together to help those in need. Thank you.
First, what I posted was not anecdotal. It is based on 17 years of reading, experience and communication with many others in the medical field.
Some of the 'stats' you post, such as:
"More than one-quarter (28%) of all traffic accidents occur when people talk on cellphones or send text messages while driving." relevant, because someone mentioned how it is dangerous to commute by bicycle due to people texting while driving, etc. Isn't it at least a bit interesting that we could eliminate nearly 1/4 of traffic accidents if people stopped talking on the cell phones and/or texting while driving? Imagine how much safer it could be for cyclists AND other drivers.
are not relevant to this thread. You end up just as dead while the person in the car is doing that or not, if you are on a bike and you get hit. How about we add 'juggling chain saws', or 'playing with a loaded handgun while drunk' to your list. Utterly irrelevant.
Also you stated:
"From 1995 to 2003, the number of bicycle trips in Copenhagen made by adults 40 and older rose from 25% to 38%, yet there was a 60% decline in serious injuries."
Well, of course, if everyone rode bicycles, (and there were no cars or trucks) then the serious injuries would plummet dramatically.
This is the U.S., and that isn't going to ever happen. This country is big, large quantities of goods need to be moved daily, and people aren't going to give up their cars or trucks, because they are a necessity and convenient. goods can be transferred by truck regardless of whether or not a majority of people started commuting by bicycle. how is your response relevant? you're just continueing the moving target of your argument
Maybe as people get older, they become more risk-adverse (or some never learn). I like to pick and choose my risks (the ones I have control over).
By the way, for using statistics, I have relied on them to make good decisions my entire career. But when I see a statistic, I will only accept it if I see how it was derived, the sample size, the method of measurement, repeatability, and the reliablity of the sources.
and...i posted links to my sources, which shows the studies. but it really doesn't matter what anyone says to you, you don't believe that we're capable of changing, probably because you are one of those that are unwilling to modify behavior even slightly, to help bring that change.
I think as we become more of an urban lifestyle country, we will move towards more and more bicycling and walking around. It's certainly not impossible.
and...i posted links to my sources, which shows the studies. but it really doesn't matter what anyone says to you, you don't believe that we're capable of changing, probably because you are one of those that are unwilling to modify behavior even slightly, to help bring that change.
I am sure we are capable of change. Just don't hold your breath. The average population density of the US is around 87 people per square mile.
I am unwilling to modify my behavior, because the risk vastly outweighs the reward. I will keep my 2-ton+ vehicle over a 20lb (or whatever they weigh) bike. Darwinism.
I think as we become more of an urban lifestyle country, we will move towards more and more bicycling and walking around. It's certainly not impossible.
This is a really big country. The pecking order starts out as Russia, Antarctica (ok, not really a country), Canada, China, USA..... (China is barely bigger than the US). It is not impossible to move towards bicycling and walking around, but until it is demonstrated to be practically feasible to me, with little risk and time constraints taken into account, it isn't going to happen on this end. (Actually, will never happen on this end, even if gas is $20/gallon, unless cars are made illegal).
OK - i see your responses, but the risks presented to commuter cyclists are simply not as great as folks are making them out to be. Are their risks? Absolutely! But the numbers being given aren't exclusive to commuters, who are typically the safest of the groups on 2 wheels.
And...yes, it's a really big country, with concentrated areas of population. I lived in a city of 45,000 people in 1 square mile, right outside of NYC, for 6 years. The number of people who owned vehicles in this city was amazing, given how easy it is to get around.
Certain parts of the country are certainly not situated in a way that would be ideal for bicycle commute, but many large population centers are.
I remember reading 2 things a few years ago in Bicycling Magazine...but I'm not going to get them exactly right. The first was that if everyone biked to work 1 day per week (on average, obviously not everyone has a bikeable commute), we'd eliminate our need for Middle Eastern Oil. The second one was the number of people per hour that could cross through the lincoln tunnel via bike vs via vehicle. it was an astronomical difference.
I personally tend to lean towards rural areas as far as living and working is concerned.
Distance and terrain does little to faze me when it comes to riding a bicycle through those areas.
However, aggressive and trouble-maker drivers out to start a fight are usually my concern.
Where I live in CA, the desert areas seem to be filled with either people too self-centered to want to safely go around, or want to stop in front and have a 6-vs-1 fight.
But then again, they've got the same attitude towards slower driving cars and trucks.
If anything, I got to get myself out of this place and to smaller towns out in UT, AZ and NM.
At least out there, it seems as though rural drivers have more pressing issues to worry about than harassing some random person on two wheels.
i am,cuz i have no moey to buy a car and i cant drive
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