French bike safety ad

[John P]

The headline says "Cycling: a helmet or nothing!" (Which doesn't quite match the concept). And down at the bottom, it says "Protect what's important. Wear a helmet." and at the bottom right, "Move smart: stop sports accidents".

[jbeegoode]

Her bike is wearing fender skirts, she isn't wearing any skirts. His bike is naked.

I don't wear a helmet, but I stay off of the busy streets and not ride like I'm driving a vehicle. It is more fun. What's the point of wide tires on the street anyway? I think back on all of the times that I've wiped out on a bicycle, mostly as a kid, and never came close to bumping my head. 

I like that the people are cast nude and non-offensive, non-sexual, just a bit unusual.
Jbee

[jmf]

It's not from France but from Swizerland

[John P]

Sorry. It's in French, but it's not French.

[Natureboy1776]

I've done a fair amount of nude cycling (but wearing a helmet). WNBRs in Montpelier VT and Boston MA for many years. Always a good time! The helmet debate is a tricky one. If you go simply with the statistics, we should all be wearing helmets while walking too. Helmets are most applicable for young children and competitive cyclists. Relaxed riding is far less dangerous than walking.
That said I almost always wear a helmet when riding, out of habit from when I was competitive.

[Greenbare Woods]

Somehow I managed to survive growing up without a helmet.   They say similar "safety" things about shoes, and about wearing pants.   

[jbeegoode]

Motorcycles have crashes with cars, they move fast and get thrown, bumping a head, breaking a neck, crushing a spine. Bicycles, if you are off the main streets and not being stupid, instead being cautious, if you learn to throw down your bike, etc....I was taught and learned to ride safely, not wear safety.

It is kind of like wearing nothing. You are naturally more aware, more thoughtful, more cautious, careful, mindful. You don't need pants.

I have been bruised, cut, road rash, on a bicycle, but banging a head is difficult. Going head over handlebars is difficult. You have to be doing extremes.

There is law here requiring kids to wear helmets, but not adults. It is incremental. If they grow up wearing them, they'll continue as adults. Kind of like the uniform training for school.

Give me the wind in my hair.
Jbee

[JOhnGw]

I agree that banging your head is difficult - I have come of bicycles and motorcycles without touching my head or helmet.
I have also gone over bicycle handlebars twice - once when the front mudguard came loose and locked the front wheel and once when I found out about the French "priorité á droit" rule the hard way. In neither case was my head injured in any way.

I seem to remember that "risk compensation" was deemed responsible for an increase in accidents to Volvos when  they were the acknowledged only cars with a safety cage.

[jmf]

I'm wearing a helmet when mountain biking, not when cycling in town. It's two different ways to practice cycling.
http://www.randonnues.fr/?tag=vtt

[BlueTrain]

In theory, with all the additional safety features cars have these days, there would be even more accidents because people would believe they can't possibly be injured in a collision. But the question is, were there fewer injuries before all the safety features were included in automobile design? Not fewer accidents, fewer injuries. There are always a lot of exaggerated claims on both sides and it's difficult to separate the truth from the propaganda, if truth is important. But an acquaintance of mine years ago, who happened to sell motorbikes, said that if your handlebars aren't bent, it means you haven't had any fun. There are people who do extreme biking, too.

I have my own idea of risk. I mentioned somewhere about my nude hiking and risks associated with hiking in general (being nude makes little difference). There is very little risk from wild animals, snakes and the like but some think there is. In my opinion, the greater risk is simply falling down, which I think a lot of people ignore.

[eyesup]

Considering some of the things we did on bicycles when we were kids, I would have been a poster boy for safety gear for bikes.

Ahh, the things we do when we are young and indestructible.

Duane

[BlueTrain]

There is some truth is the expression 'young and indestructible.' You find that as you get older, if you live that long, some people become a little more fragile. There is also the matter of your becoming heavier, and I don't mean overweight, which makes a fall more serious. And that's why I keep saying that the most serious risk when out for a walk in the woods is falling. But that's only based on my own experiences, narrow though they may be. Mountain lions may be more of a bother where you live, for all I know.

Anybody know what a Nittany is?

[Peter S]

It appears to be something Pennsylvanian. Wikipedia says:

"The Nittany Lion is the mascot of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, USA and its athletic teams. There is a song played during sporting events on campus entitled "The Nittany Lion"."

... and ...

"Mount Nittany is the common name for Nittany Mountain, a prominent geographic feature in Centre County, Pennsylvania, USA. The mountain is part of a ridge that separates Nittany Valley from Penns Valley, with the enclosed Sugar Valley between them."

Then there's:  "A Nittany Lion is the male alternative to a "Cougar," an older male that seeks sexual company from a younger man or boy, a term supposedly was made popular by Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State football coach and alleged sexual predator."

But I guess you're really asking where the "nittany" bit comes from. Supposedly it's derived from the Algonquian word Nit-A-Nee meaning "single mountain". According to the Penn State folklore, Nit-A-Nee is also the name of a Native American maiden whose actions caused Mount Nittany to be formed.

But as all this came from the internet I don't know if any of it is true ... 

[BlueTrain]

My own mention of mountain lions made me think of the Nittany Lions. I graduated from West Virginia University in 1971. Penn State was and probably still is the main athletic rival to WVU. WVU only lost one football game that season and it was to Penn State. It was even the homecoming game.

[jbeegoode]

....According to the Penn State folklore, Nit-A-Nee is also the name of a Native American maiden whose actions caused Mount Nittany to be formed.

But as all this came from the internet I don't know if any of it is true ... 

Why would you doubt that a Native American maiden cause the mountains to rise? My experience of mountains in Pennsylvania is that they believe that those hills are bigger than they think. Probably like the rise the maiden caused.
Jbee