Top 5 - Cycling Debates That Just Won't Die
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ค. 2024
- There are certain arguments in the world of cycling that refuse to go away. Here are five issues we just can’t seem to agree on.
Thumbnail image courtesy: www.mattgrayson.co.uk/ - กีฬา
What really grinds my gears is when my derailer won't shift
Your know what really grinds my gears?? Shifting on the load... it really grinds them and sounds awful
Fernando Roman い
how could you miss the wheel size debate!!!!!!
Well, because it's over*...
*until the next one, that is.
BikeRadar - Over? Don't follow DH racing, then?
650b vs. 29er is but a limited single-discipline skirmish, compared with the 2013 total war of 650b vs. 26".
Justin Rees everyone is on the big wheel bandwagon. that debate got shut down as soon as pros started using them
You mean, as soon as you could no longer buy a 26" tyre at your LBS? Because let's face it, it may be the manufacturers and the pros that pushed it, but it is the cyclists that perpetuate it.
Wearing a rapha jersey on an s-works venge and NOT waving.
The thing with a helmet is that as Chris Boardman has said we shouldn't actually need them, especially in cities, if the infrastructure is there. He gives the example of the Netherlands as a whole where nobody wears a helmet as the roads are very very safe and geared towards cyclists rather than motorvehicles. In Britain it makes more sense as there is little to no regard for cyclists safety on the road but we should aim for a world/country where helmets can be forgotten (mainly for commuters not racers) because the roads are so damn safe.
alex fulton you're right I'm from the Netherlands and I would say that 90% of the roads have a bikelane, most of the time they are even separate.
alex fulton there are still rider errors and poor weather which can lead to falling off and hitting your head though. It was years ago, but I lost the front on a gravelly corner and slid for a good few metres on my front, with only my helmet peak stopping the floor from cheese-grating my face off. No fault but my own and absolutely zero traffic, but still needed the helmet.
SmevMev yes but for 99% of commuters that wont occur as the bike lanes are kept clean and they're usually going much slower so won't slide out like that, especially in a city where roads are very gradual. it would be rare to hear of a commuter falling because of cornering on gravel, their bikes are often heavier and more capable of handling gravel with wider tires etc.
alex fulton Yeah, last winter I had a guy fall in front of me in an icy corner. Was his own fault just came in with too much speed and lost his rear wheel, luckily he was okay.
I guess you implied it, but to be sure, road cyclists DO wear helmets in the Netherlands, all the time (bar some idiots). Commuters don't, they play with their phones.
Peak up vs peak down, wheel size, discs on the road, electronics on bikes and sock length?!
Disc on road -> only acceptable when you live in siberia
those that jump every red light they can find
I really thought that disc vs. rim breaks on road bikes is, along with e-bikes, the most controversial topic of discussion among cycling community!?
To be honest I've never heard any argument over wearing a helmet (or not), or greting other fellow riders.
From my experience casual riders rarely wear helmet and never great other riders, while cyclist (either road or mtb) do both.
Cheers :)
The brake argument is settled...discs are better
+mayalman This is correct.
BikeRadar i agree but what about the wheel size debate? #1 mtb question i answer at answer at work what wheel size is best for me. i work at a bike shop
I suspect you are being sarcastic, but I gotta say this, wearing no helmets was also lighter and good enough for the TDF at one point. Not sure when cycling became about the pursuit of absolute lightness to the detriment of all other aspects of the sport.
Nope, but they are uglier however. :D
Notification squad?
ASSEMBLE!
I used to be really against helmets when I first started riding. They looked weird, didn't fit well and made my head hot. After a few run ins with cars, my opinion softened a little on them, but I still had my reservations. Once I learned about how wearing one can contribute to better aerodynamic performance and found helmets with good vents, I was more keen on wearing them. Now that I've been riding for a few years with a helmet, I've gotta say I love mine and wouldn't feel comfortable going without one in most cases.
Your choice. Why do you want the state to dictate with force what OTHER people choose??? Carry on.
Cecil Henry >found the libertarian
You do realize that when you don't wear a helmet, you're giving a lot of faith and trust to total strangers in cars and other cyclists to make the right decision in a crash scenario?
I'm extremely prone to migraines, and live in a country where it's compulsory.
Certainly agree it's more sensible to wear one than not, but in summer I get headaches so bad they're literally blinding - far less safe than not wearing one.
You do realise that when you wear a helmet you're putting a lot of faith in a bit of polystreme foam that is proven NOT to prevent brain injuries nor death? Only idiots wear helmets and think they'll do anything more than prevent minor brusing or abrasions which is all they're designed for. in a crash scenario over a very small speed/force a cycle helmet is next to useless and cannot absorb barely any of the forces involved. We know this from testing and real world experience, otherwise why weren't there millions of deaths/serious head injuries of people riding bikes before helmets became a thing? Why do people not wear helmets for walking, an activity proven to be more dangerous than cycling regarding head injuries/head injury deaths? What about when getting in a car, a helmet might prevent some of the massive numbers of head injuries suffered despite airbags and seatbelts (currently 48% of all head injuries are from motorists, about 1% for people on bikes)
Wide vs narrow tyres
Since the debate just won't die I will fuel it a bit more :p (me: road cyclist, mountain biker and commuter):
1 - Headphones: don't use headphones. Ever. Not even in your commute. Every sense counts when trying to avoid an accident. Hearing bikes approaching or a bike bell gently asking you for room to overtake with headphones is virtually impossible.
2 - Waving: c'mon man, just wave back. At least a couple of fingers. Or a nod. Unless you are descending.
3 - Groupsets: do you have all the gears you want? Does it shift exactly when you want without fault? If the answer is yes to both then it is good enough. Even Sora.
4 - E-bikes: let people ride whatever they want. Just stay away from Strava! xD
5 - Helmets: cycling IS inherently dangerous. I don't see a single good reason not to wear it when road cycling and mountain biking. Having said this, it definitely should not be compulsory for commuters inside the cities or towns. And if anyone that is not your friend does not want to wear it just keep you mouth shut.
1. Always have worn headphones, always will! However I don't ride xc or singletrack stuff so zero chance of running into pedestrians, mainly jumps or downhill stuff. Wear them when I'm skiing or snowboarding too. The occasional road ride I do I'll only have the none road side in (left for uk) and at a lower volume, pretty rural though so wouldn't expect to see more than a handful of cars in a 40 min loop.
4. The problem with (some) e-bikes is that they can cause excessive trail wear, more than your average mtb and so you're basically ruining the trails/putting excessive strain on trail builders/networks. For commuters though why wouldn't you have one if you've got the money!
5. Part of me things it's personal choice but then again not really different to not wearing a seatbelt which is illegal in the UK I believe?
My two cents at least
Fernando CF - I guess you missed, or didn't understand the Bone Conduction headphone mention. I wear them when I do solo century rides. I will always do so because I can hear my surroundings very clearly. It is perfectly safe. And if I do go down I can press the call button right on my ear.
Both parents use bone conducting headphones when running/cycling, they're awesome! Really good sound without blocking anything else out. Can't use them personally as I get through a pair of headphones in a month, usually through crashes or just overuse, can't really afford to shell out £60 quid a month for headphones haha! Perfect for people who look after their electronics (and ears) though!
I think we should wear a mouthguard when riding. Because I actually lost a tooth and chipped the one next to it do to falling off my bike.
4. E-bikers can log their rides on Strava no problem there is a category "E-Bike Ride" and it excluded from the segments. I'm doing it when I'm riding my wife's ebike sometimes. :)
If wildlife doesn't want it be heard and is stalking you, even without headphones you won't hear them.
Damn vending machine...
This narrator was particularly savage in this video.
Those commuters that don't wear a helmet in the city, don't use hand signals, don't look over their shoulder when changing lanes, don't turn on their lights when it starts to get darker(especially in the winter) and ride on the goddman left side of the bike path. Srly, last week a young lady on a citybike simpyl refused to cycle on her right side of the 3,5m wide path. I shouted"Achtung!" several times and she simply went on and said "please just move to the left, thank you" with a voice that makes me want to slap her. Okay, there was a lil bit of dirt and some really small packs of leaves, but no puddle and nothing that could get her dirty or in danger. To make it evne worse, my girlfriednd was on my left side and we were chatting a bit, so telling her to move to the left side to avoid a crash didn't feel too nice
Congratulations on a very measured, respectful contribution to the helmet debate.
When is Bike Radar going to learn not to place GoPro cameras between cyclists legs when filming. Not only is it unflattering, but the wide angle so close up makes them look like they have either huge testicles, or other ailments causing them to cycle in an awkward way. Just saying.
The thing that gets me is people who think it's a good idea to ride at night with no lights and a black hoodie. You basically can't see them!
Always use a HELMETS! That cannot be a discussion! And always wave to people.
No
What grinds my gears are ill conceived Top 5 lists.
Wearing Earphones and waving to your fellow road user are surely not Top 5 cycling debates, what about:
-TUE's?
-Waiting for the Grand Tour Leader if he has a mechanical but not if he needs to have an extended nature break?
-The astromical Team Sky budget which allows them to buy out some GC contenders?
-Should pro cyclists create a Union which can hold race organisers accountable for rider safety?
These are surely higher up on the list than whether to wave or not?
Sock length and disc brakes are two more regularly debated topics I thought should've been included in this video!
"Too pro to say hello."
"It's not your business if other cyclists chose to not wear helmets" this is true, until you are the one responsible for looking after them if/when they hit the deck and are concussed.
What grinds my gears? Being on a two lane bike path and riders trying to stay three-four wide - instead of going two-by-two, thus forcing on-coming riders to virtually ride "in the ditch" to get around them. That's ass-hat behavior.
Only idiots don't wear helmets... I'm sorry, but the only reason I'm able to type these keys and send this message is that I was smart enough to be wearing a helmet both times I was crushed by a car, both time of no fault of my own. True, they don't protect you with a body-wide forcefield, but without your brain, the rest of your body does you no good. Find a cool looking helmet and protect yourself the best you can. I think it's ignorant that a bike journal would promote such idiocy. Helmets save lives... Period... I'm living proof of that fact...
Only idiots wear helmets and ignore all the world statistics that prove that helmets are worse than useless. only idiots wear cycle helmets and ignore that they're more likely to have a head injury walking than whilst riding a bike, only idiots who wear helmets cycling ignore that 48% of all head injuries are from motorvehicle occupants despite airbags, seatbelts etc. Wearing a helmet puts you at more risk and cannot prevent death nor reduce the forces invlved to prevent TBI, these are facts. Being crushed by a car your helmet wouldn't have being physically capable of preventing a serious injury, go ask a materials expert. Your anecdote is simply that, if you beleive a helmet saved your life, good for you, the reality is it didn't and physics proves it as well as the numbers.
I don't know you, but I have been riding for more than thirty years. While helmets don't always save people they have saved many and I've known several people who if they had had a helmet would still be alive today. As several other responders have posted, I would probably be dead or at least brain dead if I had not been wearing a helmet in two car crashes. Peace... as safe riding to all...
My ear was cut in two and the side of my head smacked on the roof the car that hit me. My helmet left a helmet shaped dent on the roof between the A pillars. I don't think my bare head would have survived that impact if it were not for the helmet I was wearing. Believe what you want and what statistics tell you, but how many of the head injuries would have been head deaths if not for the airbags?
So if you weren't wearing a helmet you firstly might not have being in that situation, second, physics tells us that a cycle helmet cannot reduce the forces in a head strike enough to reduce major tbi as I stated above. this comes from a materials expert who gave evidence in court in the UK. I think both he and others know what they're talking about. I've been cycling on road seriously since 1985 when I was 16 and done about 200,000 miles in all forms of cycling, I'll never wear a helmet and I don't need to, the risk is so small and LESS chance of getting a serious head injury than being a pedestrian. People who wear helmets take more risk, are involved in far more crashes/incidents and still end up dying. Anecdote never equals data and doesn't trump physics. We know from world data that helmets are a disaster both in terms of not protecting people on bikes, in fact they cause more injuries than they resolve hence the data showing such. We also know helmets remove freedom of choice, put the blame and onus onto the vulnerable and direct away from those causing the harm. Wear one if you will but putting yourself at risk of greater harm with little in the way of actual protection which is a proven fact is patently dumb.
Very interesting points you make... However, I am living proof and have photographic evidence to back what I say... If my bare head struck the car where my helmeted head hit the head injury I sustained would have been dramatically worse. Ask any of the EMS and emergency folks who were at the accident scene and they will confirm. If you see the helmet shaped dent in the roof of the car and think that a bare head would have survived that blow with less consequence, I think you'd be full of yourself... The piece of steel between the A-pillars in high-strength boron steel fabricated to support the car in case of a rollover. My helmet took a direct hit to that part of the car. Did the helmet allow me to walk away, no, but I'm writing this comment today because a helmet gave me some protection? By the way, we are not required to wear helmets in New York state. It is purely my choice. But because roads are regulated public spaces, I believe helmets should be required, just as seatbelts are. While I'm a big waver, I'm not sure there should be laws requiring we are all congenial.
The other users of the track who simply don't respect the rest of users, and here I don't blame one group or the other as I've seen (and unfortunately experienced in my own skin) dangerous situations with all possible combinations:
- cars to bikes
- bikes to cars
- bikes to bikes
- pedestrians to bikes
- bikes to pedestrians
I must say, I try my best to follow the rules, and yes, I'm not perfect, but when you try your best to respect and then you see someone who can only see his own nose tip, and just goes and does whatever pleases endangering others integrity...
The worst? The ones who can't recognize their own mistake, or simply just start to blame you for your small mistake that didn't even cause a risk at all. Respect and forgive!
'false perception that cycling is inherently dangerous' i get that with inline skating all the fucking time, it drives me insane.
someone PLEASE tell me the name of that cyclocross/adventure bike at 2:12!!!!! i really really really want a bike like thay
What grinds my gears is lack of trail manners. Example, Riders passing you without announcing their approach.
My dad had a low speed crash in a turn where his front tire de-beaded due to a puncture. He fell sideways at maybe ~10mph, was wearing a high dollar laser helmet, and yet he STILL got a concussion. Undoubtedly, it would had been much worse had he not been wearing a helmet.... speed isn't necessary to hurt yourself. Wear a helmet all the time
What grinds my gears are people who say cycling isn't hard or isn't a sport
If you don't great other cyclist, that's fine. But at least wave back if someone greats you. If your are meshing like crazy or it's dangerous to do so, you are excused ofc.
Once this woman came towards me on a ride. She looked like she was new to cycling and had a hard time on a small climb. I gave her a little wave have and she immediately had a huge smile on her face. That was a really cool moment.
I run shimano 105 and it's still good. I haven't had one reason to change it. when it comes to headphones, I put them on when I get on a trail. If it's a crowded trail, I put one in and keep one out. my rule of thumb is if I'm riding as same or higher speed then fastest thing on the tarmac, I can have things in my ear. e-bikes keep away from strava and no one will care. helmet is a must unless you're communicating at slow speeds.
When people are not wearing socks or wearing socks that is under the angel or wearing compression socks while cycling wearing cycling shoes. That i what really grind my gears.
I live in the US and I agree with you on helmets. They should never be required
not wearing a helmet is like deciding not to vote: you dont get to complain if youre not happy with the result.
What the hell was that Vending machine death? That had me rolling around on the floor!
freakonomics.com/2011/09/08/how-are-sharks-less-dangerous-than-vending-machines-an-exercise-in-conditional-risk/
Earbuds can't block all the sound. They just lower it. That's why its easier to filter out the important sounds. You should wear them even once to find out
I remember when downhill riders stopped wearing peak on full-face helmets OOOFT the controversy. Lycra Vs Motocross look, HOLD THE FRONT PAGE & flat pedals on road bikes god forbid.
I do not know if it is actual in western world but do you now one of the main dispute in Russia? To lube or to parafine (boil) chain. Love it :) PS I lube btw.
While I agree that wearing a helmet shouldn't be legally required for adults, your an idiot if you don't, will it stop you from getting road rash or broken bones in a crash, no, could it stop you from becoming a vegetable from a crash you could have otherwise walked away from yes.
do you wear a helmet for walking or getting in the car, if not, why not?
The biggest one will always be Clips vs. Flats at least for MTB. Walk into a group of guys sporting both at the local trailhead and ask them which is better and the debate will never end, lol. It always goes something like this:
-Clips user: Well I like pedaling effeciency...
-Flats user: I like to be able to bail at a moments notice...
-Clips user: Well if you didn't crash you wouldn't need to bail...
-Flats user: If your not crashing your not riding fast and hard enough...
-Clips user: If you were more skilled you could ride fast and hard and not crash...
-Flats user: Where is the fun at if you don't lose control every once and a while?...
-Clips user: You should always be in control of your bike!
...and so on...and so on...
That is a debate nobody really wants to listen to anymore...
I like how nonchalantly she says "sick beats"
Awesome visuals for reasons not to wave haha! I always try to wave.
as long as the ebike crowd doesnt drive up the downhill trails or block the grippy lines for climbing (yes ppl on regular mtbs actually need to think which line they can climb) im fine with them
I like some of the arguments of point 5.
If helmets became compulsory it would be the end of bike hire schemes. More vehicles would then return to our roads and cities.
just let them not wear helmets so natural selection can do its job
New Zealand also have the helmet rule and it came into law when I was at school so to me it's just normal to wear one and has saved me at least 4 times and I have no problem if you don't wear one but just don't expect free medical when your brain turns to mush.
Shit, I live in China and I don't wear a helmet for my usual 5k commute. If I crash, it's because someone drove into me, and I'll probably be dead because they'll drive over me several times to make sure I'm dead.
If that happens I'd rather be knocked out than awake.
What was that bike at 2:20 ?
Like to hear you talk all that helmet no helmet mess when the summer camp leader takes a dozen primary school kids to the city park for a group ride...
Shimano - Knows how to make great road but nothing else. There is a lot of non shimano stuff made by manufactures to get shimano stuff to work well. People want to use 1x CX and mountain, 2x is dead/ near-dead in those formats. People want a clutch on their rear mech on their bodged 1x cx system. Something is being terribly thought out if people are restoring to using XTR di2, satellite buttons, and 3rd party brake systems to get it to work. There should be no reason why di2 mountain and road can't talk to each other, make it so. SRAM - Made a great function electronic groupset but not versatile or wide availability for the masses. Etap can't be used for fat tires, there are collision issues with the batteries. Etap isn't available on force so shimano is making sram their bitch with di2 ultegra on the mass consumer market. They get 1x, but they neglect 2x.Campy - For euro snobs, to go with their Italian made bike, and ralpha kit.
I often use a cheap bluetooth single earpiece in my right ear so I have music, but can still hear the traffic on my left. Probably not the greatest idea for races though
What percentage of accidents would have been prevented by being able to hear?
27.5 v 29er
The helmet issue isn't a debate at least in road cycling. Most roadies will literally crucify you if you aren't wearing a helmet. 99% of people wearing lycra on road bikes have helmets. I find the fixed gear messenger crowd a lot less judgemental. Most wear helmets during alleycat races, but they won't judge you if you don't.
Fully agree to your point about helmets.
I know it's a bit of tongue & check but the helmet part is a bit out of order , it's proven to save life's
Helmets : brilliantly put chapeau
People cycling with a phone in their hands, or without lights at night, or having headphones on. Or all of the above together! >:(
Not wearing a helmet is like not wearing a seat belt, sure you're probably not going to need it, but if you do it will save your life
Encouraging riders to wear helmets only when they're in traffic of riding fast presumes that accidents only happen at such times. I've been riding for years, many of my friends and I have had serious accidents, and all but one of them occurred away from all traffic and happened at moderate speed. The things that will kill you (RR tracks for instance) don't care how fast you're going.
A head nod is better than a wave. You shouldn't make people take their hand off the handlebars.
I thought this would be more technical than trivial
I’m currently doping and it’s brilliant just jumped my fpt from 280 to 369 gonna try go pro winning all sorts of races latley
I only wave to cyclists with helmets
I only wear helmets as long as people wave to me
Top comment this!!! :D
... And riding legally on the road or cycle path.... I am known to ignore bike users when they are riding on a pavement unnecessarily.
I expected sock length and color to be the top 2
how is nobody talking about the vending machine death in the waving argument??
Some groups of riders dominate the road, giving motorists a good reason to distain cyclists. Share the road works both ways.
Headphones on the bike are supposed to be banned here in France. That does not mean that this law is enforced anyway ...
i like to ride with no jersey on my Las Vegas, NV morning ride...i don't care if others don't like it...(5'9" @ 130 lbs)
I'm surprised disc brakes weren't on this list haha
How about helmet pricing ? I bought a cool Schwinn Help met at target on clearance for $12 .sorry folks there just an ice chest with plastic wrap to round them why are they so darn expensive
there is no "G" in Campagnolo, the G is silent!!! the G is silent!!!!! LOL but I forgive you puny mortals
Wearing a helmet shouldn't be a debate, safety isn't an option, even the basic one.
My Helmet saved my live already once
Don't minimize wearing a helmet, protect your melon.I've had 3 big crashes in my years and not one was with a car.in one of them my helmet was cracked in half. Last year my buddy lost concentration for a moment and touched my rear wheel and crashed hard, helmet saved his life and was cracked in 5 places.Crashes happen every single day and it doesn't have to be your fault
What grinds my gears is grit
Here in Italy it's not even legal to ride a bike with headphones.
Is this the case off road also Enrico?
Martin McCue I guess it technically depends if you are riding on a path considered public road, or not, but honestly no one will ever fine you for that off-road!
MTB vs Road!
Another one: Cycling cap up or down?
How about Giant bikes with Campag groupset and wheels being weird?
Whats grinds my gears is cycling snobbery. Just ride your bike do what makes you happy and have fun. Who cares if you wear team kit or wear white socks with black shoes, life is too short.
What really grinds my gears is when my favorite cycling TH-cam channel condones not wearing a helmet.
We absolutely do not condone it, and none of us ever ride without one - with Joe's Hill Climb races being one exception. We encourage every rider to choose to wear a helmet, but we do think it has to be a choice.
Thanks for saying we're your favourites though, that means a lot to us.
This is why GCN exists. Wearing a helmet should be the law, even if you're just going to the shop falling over can give you brain damage, ridiculous thing to cover in the video.
Yep, I know someone who fell over while walking to the shops and died from a head injury. Ridiculous they weren't wearing a helmet.
You like to control people don't you?? You want force used to dictate people's personal choices. Contemptible. Take the risks, be responsible.
ALSO DISK VRS RIM
not wearing a helmet pisses me off. I used to be that idiot without a helmet and surprisingly survived a heavy crash without head impact. If you're just casually and SLOWLY commuting or using bikes provided by the city without a helmet, okay, that's your choice. If you're on a road bike.... riding at faster speeds without a helmet, you're an idiot. helmets can be $40 or if you think they look stupid invest more and you will look fine. If you get ran over without a helmet, it's certainly not your fault. But if you crash on your own, it is. common sense. we just want everyone on a bike to be safe. that's why some people hate when you're not wearing a helmet.
Usually sand grinds my gears... literally :D
Sock Debate. how high should socks be worn?
Aww, yes. They neglected this one.
I'm a roadie & think 4-5 inches is just right. You?
spin or grind??
no disc and rim brakes, aight
While it might not be my business if someone does not wear a helmet, I certainly think they are stupid for not doing so. And cycling IS a quite dangerous sport!
Are there any countries where it is legal to wear headphones while cycling?
Even if i had the choice i would never ever do it. Just do dangerous, especially on a narrow mountain road with idiots driving their cars fast and furious style...
E-Bikes should only be used in three instances:
1. You have an actual handicap that keeps you from pedaling a regular bike.
2. You are over the age of 60.
3. You are commuting to work, and only using the bike for that.
People who walk their dog while riding their bike
Roadies and mtb'ers being snobby with each other. Ride both!
I still find there is a stigma that MTB is not a real grown up sport compared to road cycling!
Is this masterchef UK? were Greg and slaphead?
wheel size ?
I won't ride with another person unless they wear a helmet. And I hate it when parents make kids wear helmets on a family ride but don't wear them as a good example. And women who believe helmets are just not acceptable because it messes up their hair is just beyond!