The leader didn't even look back
-
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final result : Traffic Cones 1 - Cyclist 0
- Thread starter rambo22
- Start date
Fall down, get up. Afterall he fell into the safe zone barricaded by cones. Cyclists are not weaklings like Sinkies’ army boys.
Not weak, then why did he fall? Weak lah.
Weak = getting crushed in a tankNot weak, then why did he fall? Weak lah.
When riding in a group it is impossible to see what is on the road ahead unless the object is visible above the heads of the riders in front.
That is why those in front have to be depended upon to indicate obstacles and hazards to those behind them.
The fault lies not with one particular cyclist but with the whole group for not riding in a cohesive and cooperative manner.
The problem with sinkies is that whether they are voting or riding in a group they think only of themselves and to hell with everyone else.
Cone is for his safety. He garang ride into other side I think he crash into worker, not cone. These fellas really a menace to society, antisocial and arrogance! Out!
Cone is for his safety. He garang ride into other side I think he crash into worker, not cone. These fellas really a menace to society, antisocial and arrogance! Out!
I admire cyclists because they are engaging in an environmentally friendly and healthy activity that is beneficial to society as a whole.
Cyclists are like cancer. Everyone hates them, but they still exist.
We were all cyclists once upon a time. Those that hate cyclists are those that have forgotten the feeling of freedom and relaxation that cycling brings.
Cyclists have a right to the roads too and the vast majority of road cyclists are also car owners. Many of them own multiple cars so the argument that they pay no road tax does not apply to most. In fact they probably pay more road taxes than the average sinkie. Those that ride $5,000 to $18,000 dollar bikes usually own equally impressive vehicles.
The "hatred" that motorists have for cyclists is a result of their belief that they have a right to use the roads whereas cyclists have none. However if the cyclist wasn't out on his bike he'd be driving his car and adding to the congestion and pollution.
Hatred is not good for soul. I have no problem with cyclists. If they hold me up for a couple of minutes it is not going to change my life. I overtake them when it is safe they invariably catch up and pass me at the next traffic light.
Life is too short for hatred. The next time you pass a group of cyclists give them a friendly wave and a thumbs up and thank them for contributing to the greening of Singapore. If you behave aggressively and scare the off the road they might stop riding and get back into their cars to compete with you for parking space.
I just overtake them and give them ample space as though I'm overtaking another car.
These fellas really a menace to society, antisocial and arrogance! Out!
Natural selection will take care of everything, why burst a vessel over the silly things other nincompoops do?
95% of them are drivers too so they already passed their highway code.
However when cycling it is not practical to follow the highway code to the letter. For example cyclists usually get going a second or two before the light turns green because they want to get ahead of the cars that can accelerate a lot quicker.
What Singapore should introduce is the Idaho stop whereby cyclists are allowed to treat stop signs as give way signs and red lights as stop signs. This benefits both the cyclist and the motorist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_stop
Idaho stop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
A red light...
...is treated like a stop sign.
The Idaho stop is the common name for a law that allows cyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign, and a red light as a stop sign.[1] It first became law in Idaho in 1982, but was not adopted elsewhere until Delaware adopted a limited stop-as-yield law in 2017.[2] In 2018, Colorado passed a law standardizing the language municipalities or counties would use for a local Idaho Stop or Stop as Yield law, with certain statewide limits.[3] "Stop as Yield", a version that deals only with stop signs, has also expanded to parts of Colorado and been considered in several other states. Advocates argue that current law criminalizes normal cycling behavior, and that the Idaho stop makes cycling easier and safer and places the focus where it should be: on yielding the right-of-way.[4]
Contents
History[edit]
The original Idaho yield law was introduced as Idaho HB 541 during a comprehensive revision of Idaho Traffic laws in 1982. At that time, minor traffic offenses were criminal offenses and there was a desire to downgrade many of these to "civil public offenses" to free up docket time.
Carl Bianchi, then the Administrative Director of the Courts in Idaho, saw an opportunity to attach a modernization of the bicycle law onto the larger revision of the traffic code. He drafted a new bicycle code that would more closely conform with the Uniform Vehicle Code, and included new provisions allowing cyclists to take the lane, or to merge left, when appropriate. Addressing the concerns of the state's magistrates, who were concerned that "technical violations" of traffic control device laws by cyclists were cluttering the court, the draft also contained a provision that allowed cyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign—the so-called "rolling stop law." The new bicycle law passed in 1982, despite objections among some cyclists and law enforcement officers.
In 2006, the law was modified to specify that cyclists must stop on red lights and yield before proceeding straight through the intersection, and before turning left at an intersection. This had been the original intent, but Idaho law enforcement officials wanted it specified.[5] The law originally passed with an education provision, but that was removed in 1988 because "youthful riders quickly adapted to the new system and had more respect for a law that legalized actual riding behavior."[6]
In 2001, Joel Fajans, a physics professor at the University of California at Berkeley, and Melanie Curry, a magazine editor, published an essay entitled "Why Bicyclists Hate Stop Signs" on why rolling stops were better for cyclists and it provided greater interest in the Idaho law.[7]
The first effort to enact the law outside of Idaho was started in Oregon in 2003, when the Idaho law still only applied to stop signs.[8] While it overwhelmingly passed in the House, it never made it out of the Senate Rules Committee.[9] The Oregon effort in turn inspired an investigation of the law by the San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission in 2008.[10] That investigation failed to spawn legislation, but it did garner national attention, which led to similar efforts nationwide.
The term "Idaho Stop" came into use as a result of the California effort in 2008. Prior to that, it was called "Idaho Style" or "Roll-and-go." "Idaho Stop" was first used by the bicycle blogger Richard Masoner in June 2008 coverage of the San Francisco proposal, but in reference to the "Idaho Stop Law."[11] In August of the same year, the term - now in quotes - first showed up in print in a Christian Science Monitor article by Ben Arnoldy who referred to the "so-called 'Idaho stop' rule."[12] Soon after, the term "Idaho stop" was commonly being used as a noun, not a modifier.
Positions[edit]
Advocates for Idaho stop laws argue that they improve safety. Two studies of the Idaho stop show that it is measurably safer. One study showed that it resulted in 14% fewer crashes and another indicated that Idaho has less severe crashes.[13][14] Similarly, tests of a modified form of the Idaho Stop in Paris "found that allowing the cyclists to move more freely cut down the chances of collisions with cars, including accidents involving the car's blind spot."[15] And, less definitively, a study of rolling stops in Seattle determined that "these results support the theoretical assertion that bicyclists are capable of making safe decisions regarding rolling stop,"[16] while a 2013 survey of stop as yield in Colorado localities where it is legal reported no increase in crashes.[17] Another study done in Chicago showed that compliance with stop signs and stop lights by cyclists was low when cross-traffic was not present, but that most were still performing an Idaho Stop; and therefore "enforcing existing rules at these intersections would seem arbitrary and capacious(sic)."[18] Some supporters maintain that changing the legal duties of cyclists provides direction to law enforcement to focus attention where it belongs—on unsafe cyclists (and motorists).[19] Additionally, some claim that, because bicycle laws should be designed to allow cyclists to travel swiftly and easily, the Idaho stop provision allows for the conservation of energy.[20]
Opponents of the law maintain that a uniform, unambiguous set of laws that apply to all road users is easier for children to understand[21] and allowing cyclists to behave by a separate set of rules than drivers makes them less predictable and thus, less safe.[21] Jack Gillette, former president of the Boise Bicycle Commuters Association, argued that bicyclists should not have greater freedoms than drivers. "Bicyclists want the same rights as drivers, and maybe they should have the same duties," he said.[22] San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee argued that the law "directly endangers pedestrians and cyclists" in his veto of a similar law in his city.[23]
Examples and legislative history[edit]
Idaho is both the largest and longest practitioner of the stop-as-yield, and the only practitioner of the red-as-stop. Mark McNeese, Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator for the Idaho Transportation Department says that "Idaho bicycle-collision statistics confirm that the Idaho law has resulted in no discernible increase in injuries or fatalities to bicyclists."
In 2012, a decree in Paris allowed cyclists in that city to turn right or, if there is no street to the right, proceed straight ahead on red, under the condition that they "exercise caution" and yield to pedestrians, after road safety experts deemed the measure would reduce collisions.[24] During the summer of 2015, Paris law was modified to allow cyclists to treat certain stop lights as yield signs as allowed by signage. The change only applied to right turns or going straight at a T-junction.[25]
In parts of Colorado, the stop-as-yield law is in place. In 2011, the cities of Dillon and Breckenridge, Colorado, passed stop-as-yield laws,[26] in 2012 Summit County passed a similar law for its unincorporated areas,[27] and in 2014, the City of Aspen passed one as well.[28] Fort Collins considered the same law in 2013, but declined.[29] In 2018, the state passed a law standardizing the language municipalities or counties could use to pass an Idaho Stop or Stop-as-yield ordinance and preventing it from appling to any state highway system. The act requires the cyclist to go through the intersection at a reasonable speed and sets the reasonable speed limit at 15 mph, but a municipality or county could reduce it to 10 mph or raise it to 20 mph at any individual intersection.[30] The city of Thornton became the first city to legalize the "Safety Stop," following the change of law, when they did so in 2019.[31]
In 2017, 35 years after Idaho, Delaware became only the second U.S. state to pass an Idaho Stop law.[32]. Delaware's law - known as the "Delaware Yield" - makes stop-as-yield legal, but it only applies on roads with one or two travel lanes. Cyclists must come to a complete stop at stop sign-controlled intersections with multi-lane roads.
Many states have laws allowing cyclists (and motorcyclists) to stop at and then proceed through a red light if the light doesn't change due to the inability of the embedded sensors in the ground to detect them. Such laws often require that the cyclist stop, confirm that there is no oncoming traffic, and proceed after waiting a certain amount of time or cycles of the light. These are known as "Dead Red" laws.[33]
Since 2003, Idaho stop style bills, or resolutions asking the state to pass one, have been introduced in Oregon,[9] San Francisco,[34] Minnesota,[35] Arizona,[36]Montana,[37] Utah,[38] Washington DC,[39] New York City,[40] Santa Fe,[41] Oklahoma,[42] Edmonton,[43] Colorado,[44] California[45] and Arkansas[46] with varying degrees of legislative progress.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
A red light...
...is treated like a stop sign.
The Idaho stop is the common name for a law that allows cyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign, and a red light as a stop sign.[1] It first became law in Idaho in 1982, but was not adopted elsewhere until Delaware adopted a limited stop-as-yield law in 2017.[2] In 2018, Colorado passed a law standardizing the language municipalities or counties would use for a local Idaho Stop or Stop as Yield law, with certain statewide limits.[3] "Stop as Yield", a version that deals only with stop signs, has also expanded to parts of Colorado and been considered in several other states. Advocates argue that current law criminalizes normal cycling behavior, and that the Idaho stop makes cycling easier and safer and places the focus where it should be: on yielding the right-of-way.[4]
Contents
History[edit]
The original Idaho yield law was introduced as Idaho HB 541 during a comprehensive revision of Idaho Traffic laws in 1982. At that time, minor traffic offenses were criminal offenses and there was a desire to downgrade many of these to "civil public offenses" to free up docket time.
Carl Bianchi, then the Administrative Director of the Courts in Idaho, saw an opportunity to attach a modernization of the bicycle law onto the larger revision of the traffic code. He drafted a new bicycle code that would more closely conform with the Uniform Vehicle Code, and included new provisions allowing cyclists to take the lane, or to merge left, when appropriate. Addressing the concerns of the state's magistrates, who were concerned that "technical violations" of traffic control device laws by cyclists were cluttering the court, the draft also contained a provision that allowed cyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign—the so-called "rolling stop law." The new bicycle law passed in 1982, despite objections among some cyclists and law enforcement officers.
In 2006, the law was modified to specify that cyclists must stop on red lights and yield before proceeding straight through the intersection, and before turning left at an intersection. This had been the original intent, but Idaho law enforcement officials wanted it specified.[5] The law originally passed with an education provision, but that was removed in 1988 because "youthful riders quickly adapted to the new system and had more respect for a law that legalized actual riding behavior."[6]
In 2001, Joel Fajans, a physics professor at the University of California at Berkeley, and Melanie Curry, a magazine editor, published an essay entitled "Why Bicyclists Hate Stop Signs" on why rolling stops were better for cyclists and it provided greater interest in the Idaho law.[7]
The first effort to enact the law outside of Idaho was started in Oregon in 2003, when the Idaho law still only applied to stop signs.[8] While it overwhelmingly passed in the House, it never made it out of the Senate Rules Committee.[9] The Oregon effort in turn inspired an investigation of the law by the San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission in 2008.[10] That investigation failed to spawn legislation, but it did garner national attention, which led to similar efforts nationwide.
The term "Idaho Stop" came into use as a result of the California effort in 2008. Prior to that, it was called "Idaho Style" or "Roll-and-go." "Idaho Stop" was first used by the bicycle blogger Richard Masoner in June 2008 coverage of the San Francisco proposal, but in reference to the "Idaho Stop Law."[11] In August of the same year, the term - now in quotes - first showed up in print in a Christian Science Monitor article by Ben Arnoldy who referred to the "so-called 'Idaho stop' rule."[12] Soon after, the term "Idaho stop" was commonly being used as a noun, not a modifier.
Positions[edit]
Advocates for Idaho stop laws argue that they improve safety. Two studies of the Idaho stop show that it is measurably safer. One study showed that it resulted in 14% fewer crashes and another indicated that Idaho has less severe crashes.[13][14] Similarly, tests of a modified form of the Idaho Stop in Paris "found that allowing the cyclists to move more freely cut down the chances of collisions with cars, including accidents involving the car's blind spot."[15] And, less definitively, a study of rolling stops in Seattle determined that "these results support the theoretical assertion that bicyclists are capable of making safe decisions regarding rolling stop,"[16] while a 2013 survey of stop as yield in Colorado localities where it is legal reported no increase in crashes.[17] Another study done in Chicago showed that compliance with stop signs and stop lights by cyclists was low when cross-traffic was not present, but that most were still performing an Idaho Stop; and therefore "enforcing existing rules at these intersections would seem arbitrary and capacious(sic)."[18] Some supporters maintain that changing the legal duties of cyclists provides direction to law enforcement to focus attention where it belongs—on unsafe cyclists (and motorists).[19] Additionally, some claim that, because bicycle laws should be designed to allow cyclists to travel swiftly and easily, the Idaho stop provision allows for the conservation of energy.[20]
Opponents of the law maintain that a uniform, unambiguous set of laws that apply to all road users is easier for children to understand[21] and allowing cyclists to behave by a separate set of rules than drivers makes them less predictable and thus, less safe.[21] Jack Gillette, former president of the Boise Bicycle Commuters Association, argued that bicyclists should not have greater freedoms than drivers. "Bicyclists want the same rights as drivers, and maybe they should have the same duties," he said.[22] San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee argued that the law "directly endangers pedestrians and cyclists" in his veto of a similar law in his city.[23]
Examples and legislative history[edit]
Idaho is both the largest and longest practitioner of the stop-as-yield, and the only practitioner of the red-as-stop. Mark McNeese, Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator for the Idaho Transportation Department says that "Idaho bicycle-collision statistics confirm that the Idaho law has resulted in no discernible increase in injuries or fatalities to bicyclists."
In 2012, a decree in Paris allowed cyclists in that city to turn right or, if there is no street to the right, proceed straight ahead on red, under the condition that they "exercise caution" and yield to pedestrians, after road safety experts deemed the measure would reduce collisions.[24] During the summer of 2015, Paris law was modified to allow cyclists to treat certain stop lights as yield signs as allowed by signage. The change only applied to right turns or going straight at a T-junction.[25]
In parts of Colorado, the stop-as-yield law is in place. In 2011, the cities of Dillon and Breckenridge, Colorado, passed stop-as-yield laws,[26] in 2012 Summit County passed a similar law for its unincorporated areas,[27] and in 2014, the City of Aspen passed one as well.[28] Fort Collins considered the same law in 2013, but declined.[29] In 2018, the state passed a law standardizing the language municipalities or counties could use to pass an Idaho Stop or Stop-as-yield ordinance and preventing it from appling to any state highway system. The act requires the cyclist to go through the intersection at a reasonable speed and sets the reasonable speed limit at 15 mph, but a municipality or county could reduce it to 10 mph or raise it to 20 mph at any individual intersection.[30] The city of Thornton became the first city to legalize the "Safety Stop," following the change of law, when they did so in 2019.[31]
In 2017, 35 years after Idaho, Delaware became only the second U.S. state to pass an Idaho Stop law.[32]. Delaware's law - known as the "Delaware Yield" - makes stop-as-yield legal, but it only applies on roads with one or two travel lanes. Cyclists must come to a complete stop at stop sign-controlled intersections with multi-lane roads.
Many states have laws allowing cyclists (and motorcyclists) to stop at and then proceed through a red light if the light doesn't change due to the inability of the embedded sensors in the ground to detect them. Such laws often require that the cyclist stop, confirm that there is no oncoming traffic, and proceed after waiting a certain amount of time or cycles of the light. These are known as "Dead Red" laws.[33]
Since 2003, Idaho stop style bills, or resolutions asking the state to pass one, have been introduced in Oregon,[9] San Francisco,[34] Minnesota,[35] Arizona,[36]Montana,[37] Utah,[38] Washington DC,[39] New York City,[40] Santa Fe,[41] Oklahoma,[42] Edmonton,[43] Colorado,[44] California[45] and Arkansas[46] with varying degrees of legislative progress.
When you're lying in a hospital bed after a stroke or heart attack you might be wishing that you had taken up cycling instead of hurling abuse at them from the comfort of your car.
*******************
Cycling - health benefits
Tags:
Summary
On this page:
To be fit and healthy you need to be physically active. Regular physical activity can help protect you from serious diseases such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, diabetes and arthritis. Riding your bicycle regularly is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of health problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Cycling is a healthy, low-impact exercise that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from young children to older adults. It is also fun, cheap and good for the environment.
Riding to work or the shops is one of the most time-efficient ways to combine regular exercise with your everyday routine. An estimated one billion people ride bicycles every day – for transport, recreation and sport.
Cycling for health and fitness
It only takes two to four hours a week to achieve a general improvement to your health. Cycling is:
Health benefits of regular cycling
Cycling is mainly an aerobic activity, which means that your heart, blood vessels and lungs all get a workout. You will breathe deeper, perspire and experience increased body temperature, which will improve your overall fitness level.
The health benefits of regular cycling include:
Cycling and specific health issues
Cycling can improve both physical and mental health, and can reduce the chances of experiencing many health problems.
Obesity and weight control
Cycling is a good way to control or reduce weight, as it raises your metabolic rate, builds muscle and burns body fat. If you’re trying to lose weight, cycling must be combined with a healthy eating plan. Cycling is a comfortable form of exercise and you can change the time and intensity – it can be built up slowly and varied to suit you.
Research suggests you should be burning at least 8,400 kilojoules (about 2,000 calories) a week through exercise. Steady cycling burns about 1,200 kilojoules (about 300 calories) per hour.
If you cycle twice a day, the kilojoules burnt soon add up. British research shows that a half-hour bike ride every day will burn nearly five kilograms of fat over a year.
Cardiovascular disease and cycling
Cardiovascular diseases include stroke, high blood pressure and heart attack. Regular cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs and circulation, reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Cycling strengthens your heart muscles, lowers resting pulse and reduces blood fat levels. Research also shows that people who cycle to work have two to three times less exposure to pollution than car commuters, so their lung function is improved. A Danish study conducted over 14 years with 30,000 people aged 20 to 93 years found that regular cycling protected people from heart disease.
Cancer and cycling
Many researchers have studied the relationship between exercise and cancer, especially colon and breast cancer. Research has shown that if you cycle, the chance of bowel cancer is reduced. Some evidence suggests that regular cycling reduces the risk of breast cancer.
Diabetes and cycling
The rate of type 2 diabetes is increasing and is a serious public health concern. Lack of physical activity is thought to be a major reason why people develop this condition. Large-scale research in Finland found that people who cycled for more than 30 minutes per day had a 40 per cent lower risk of developing diabetes.
Bone injuries, arthritis and cycling
Cycling improves strength, balance and coordination. It may also help to prevent falls and fractures. Riding a bike is an ideal form of exercise if you have osteoarthritis, because it is a low-impact exercise that places little stress on joints.
Cycling does not specifically help osteoporosis (bone-thinning disease) because it is not a weight-bearing exercise.
Mental illness and cycling
Mental health conditions such as depression, stress and anxiety can be reduced by regular bike riding. This is due to the effects of the exercise itself and because of the enjoyment that riding a bike can bring.
Back to top
Hand cycling and health
Hand cycles are similar to recumbent tricycles, but they are powered with hand instead of foot pedals. Velcro straps can be used to secure the hands to the pedals if necessary.
This style of tricycle allows amputees, people with spinal injuries and those recovering from certain conditions such as stroke to cycle as a form of exercise and recreation. Hand cyclists get cardiovascular and aerobic benefits similar to those of other cyclists.
B
*******************
Cycling - health benefits
Tags:
Summary
- Cycling can help to protect you from serious diseases such as stroke, heart attack, some cancers, depression, diabetes, obesity and arthritis.
- Riding a bike is healthy, fun and a low-impact form of exercise for all ages.
- Cycling is easy to fit into your daily routine by riding to the shops, park, school or work.
On this page:
- Cycling for health and fitness
- Health benefits of regular cycling
- Cycling and specific health issues
- Hand cycling and health
- Where to get help
- Things to remember
To be fit and healthy you need to be physically active. Regular physical activity can help protect you from serious diseases such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, diabetes and arthritis. Riding your bicycle regularly is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of health problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Cycling is a healthy, low-impact exercise that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from young children to older adults. It is also fun, cheap and good for the environment.
Riding to work or the shops is one of the most time-efficient ways to combine regular exercise with your everyday routine. An estimated one billion people ride bicycles every day – for transport, recreation and sport.
Cycling for health and fitness
It only takes two to four hours a week to achieve a general improvement to your health. Cycling is:
- Low impact – it causes less strain and injuries than most other forms of exercise.
- A good muscle workout – cycling uses all of the major muscle groups as you pedal.
- Easy – unlike some other sports, cycling does not require high levels of physical skill. Most people know how to ride a bike and, once you learn, you don’t forget.
- Good for strength and stamina – cycling increases stamina, strength and aerobic fitness.
- As intense as you want – cycling can be done at very low intensity to begin with, if recovering from injury or illness, but can be built up to a demanding physical workout.
- A fun way to get fit – the adventure and buzz you get from coasting down hills and being outdoors means you are more likely to continue to cycle regularly, compared to other physical activities that keep you indoors or require special times or places.
- Time-efficient – as a mode of transport, cycling replaces sedentary (sitting) time spent driving motor vehicles or using trams, trains or buses with healthy exercise.
Health benefits of regular cycling
Cycling is mainly an aerobic activity, which means that your heart, blood vessels and lungs all get a workout. You will breathe deeper, perspire and experience increased body temperature, which will improve your overall fitness level.
The health benefits of regular cycling include:
- increased cardiovascular fitness
- increased muscle strength and flexibility
- improved joint mobility
- decreased stress levels
- improved posture and coordination
- strengthened bones
- decreased body fat levels
- prevention or management of disease
- reduced anxiety and depression.
Cycling and specific health issues
Cycling can improve both physical and mental health, and can reduce the chances of experiencing many health problems.
Obesity and weight control
Cycling is a good way to control or reduce weight, as it raises your metabolic rate, builds muscle and burns body fat. If you’re trying to lose weight, cycling must be combined with a healthy eating plan. Cycling is a comfortable form of exercise and you can change the time and intensity – it can be built up slowly and varied to suit you.
Research suggests you should be burning at least 8,400 kilojoules (about 2,000 calories) a week through exercise. Steady cycling burns about 1,200 kilojoules (about 300 calories) per hour.
If you cycle twice a day, the kilojoules burnt soon add up. British research shows that a half-hour bike ride every day will burn nearly five kilograms of fat over a year.
Cardiovascular disease and cycling
Cardiovascular diseases include stroke, high blood pressure and heart attack. Regular cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs and circulation, reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Cycling strengthens your heart muscles, lowers resting pulse and reduces blood fat levels. Research also shows that people who cycle to work have two to three times less exposure to pollution than car commuters, so their lung function is improved. A Danish study conducted over 14 years with 30,000 people aged 20 to 93 years found that regular cycling protected people from heart disease.
Cancer and cycling
Many researchers have studied the relationship between exercise and cancer, especially colon and breast cancer. Research has shown that if you cycle, the chance of bowel cancer is reduced. Some evidence suggests that regular cycling reduces the risk of breast cancer.
Diabetes and cycling
The rate of type 2 diabetes is increasing and is a serious public health concern. Lack of physical activity is thought to be a major reason why people develop this condition. Large-scale research in Finland found that people who cycled for more than 30 minutes per day had a 40 per cent lower risk of developing diabetes.
Bone injuries, arthritis and cycling
Cycling improves strength, balance and coordination. It may also help to prevent falls and fractures. Riding a bike is an ideal form of exercise if you have osteoarthritis, because it is a low-impact exercise that places little stress on joints.
Cycling does not specifically help osteoporosis (bone-thinning disease) because it is not a weight-bearing exercise.
Mental illness and cycling
Mental health conditions such as depression, stress and anxiety can be reduced by regular bike riding. This is due to the effects of the exercise itself and because of the enjoyment that riding a bike can bring.
Back to top
Hand cycling and health
Hand cycles are similar to recumbent tricycles, but they are powered with hand instead of foot pedals. Velcro straps can be used to secure the hands to the pedals if necessary.
This style of tricycle allows amputees, people with spinal injuries and those recovering from certain conditions such as stroke to cycle as a form of exercise and recreation. Hand cyclists get cardiovascular and aerobic benefits similar to those of other cyclists.
B
The mental health benefits of cycling
By
Christina Neal
-
18th June 2018
203
0
We all know that regular cardiovascular exercise like cycling is good for our physical health, but it’s also highly beneficial for our brain health too. Christina Neal speaks to Richard Howeson from Britain’s biggest language company, uTalk, about how cycling helps him keep mind and body active…
When describing his love of cycling, Dementia Help’s Peter Berry, who has early Alzheimer’s, says: ‘Cycling is a chance for me to leave my dementia at home. It helps me to become the person I used to be, just for a while. When I’m cycling, I’ve left my dementia behind.’
Later this month, with the support of his friends Jan Dodd and Jon Bray, Peter will cycle 330 miles across the country from Wales to Suffolk. Peter is on a mission to raise money for the charity, YoungDementia UK, which provides support to the 42,000 people in Britain under the age of 65 living with dementia.
Peter has been a keen cyclist for several years and began training for the Cycle Challenge earlier this year. As the rides have got longer, his mood has improved and he feels healthier and happier. While he enjoys the physical health benefits and credits cycling with improving his balance (which can be affected in a person with dementia), he also enjoys the mental health benefits. ‘I feel so much better when I’ve been out for a ride,’ he says. ‘It helps me sleep and encourages me to eat healthier foods.’
Cycling is a cost-effective, inexpensive way to get fit and is also a low impact form of cardiovascular exercise. So, while it’s good for the heart, it won’t put any pressure on your joints. Cycling has been known to reduce stress and anxiety, resulting in calmer thinking, as it releases endorphins, also known as ‘feel good’ hormones which lead to a feeling a mild euphoria and wellbeing. It can also ease symptoms of mild to moderate depression. From a health perspective, there’s numerous benefits – according to the website, cyclinguk.org, cycling to work is linked to a 45 per cent lower risk of developing cancer and a 46 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease when compared to commuting to work by car or public transport.
There’s also evidence to say that exercise like cycling can help to reduce a person’s risk of developing dementia. Alzheimer’s Society has been looking at several studies on middle-aged people and the effects of physical exercise, like running, on their thinking and memory in later life. Combining the results of 11 studies shows that regular exercise can significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia by about 30 per cent. The risk of Alzheimer’s disease (the most common type of dementia) was reduced by 45 per cent.
Richard Howeson, owner and co-founder of uTalk (https://utalk.com/en), Britain’s biggest language learning company – also sponsors of the Dementia Help Cycle Challenge – is a keen cyclist and regularly and competitively plays bike polo. He also represented England in the 2016 World Bike Polo Championships in Rajasthan, India. The sport helps him keep fit and alert. ‘I can completely relate to Peter Berry’s exercise choice,’ he says. ‘I find cycling enjoyable. I usually cycle to work, which sets me up for the day.’
Bike polo, which is like normal polo, except with horses replaced by bikes, usually takes place on a hard surface like a netball court, on grass or on astro-turf.
A sport like bike polo requires a lot of concentration as you’re using your motor skills – which means using your balance, coordination and reaction skills. Richard believes in keeping his mind active and enjoys the level of concentration required when playing bike polo. ‘All the time during the game you’re thinking about where you’re going next and how to manoeuvre around the pitch,’ he says. ‘There’s lots of twisting and turning, it takes a great deal of concentration and mental focus and a lot of skill.’
Richard, aged 67, enjoys the variety of the game. ‘It’s really exciting and very good for the brain as you’re concentrating so hard. It’s a very mentally engaging activity,’ he says. ‘I do think it’s important to be physically and mentally active, especially when you’re older,’ adds Richard. ‘Peter is a great example of someone who won’t let his illness stop him from doing things. I’m very impressed with Peter’s commitment to the Cycle Challenge and I’m sure he’ll do a great job of raising money for charity.’
More information
uTalk is Britain’s biggest language company and two-time winner of the prestigious Queen’s Award for Export Achievement and Innovation. uTalk has been used by 30 million people in 100 countries. You can download the uTalk app at utalk.com/app or visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/uTalk/
By
Christina Neal
-
18th June 2018
203
0
We all know that regular cardiovascular exercise like cycling is good for our physical health, but it’s also highly beneficial for our brain health too. Christina Neal speaks to Richard Howeson from Britain’s biggest language company, uTalk, about how cycling helps him keep mind and body active…
When describing his love of cycling, Dementia Help’s Peter Berry, who has early Alzheimer’s, says: ‘Cycling is a chance for me to leave my dementia at home. It helps me to become the person I used to be, just for a while. When I’m cycling, I’ve left my dementia behind.’
Later this month, with the support of his friends Jan Dodd and Jon Bray, Peter will cycle 330 miles across the country from Wales to Suffolk. Peter is on a mission to raise money for the charity, YoungDementia UK, which provides support to the 42,000 people in Britain under the age of 65 living with dementia.
Peter has been a keen cyclist for several years and began training for the Cycle Challenge earlier this year. As the rides have got longer, his mood has improved and he feels healthier and happier. While he enjoys the physical health benefits and credits cycling with improving his balance (which can be affected in a person with dementia), he also enjoys the mental health benefits. ‘I feel so much better when I’ve been out for a ride,’ he says. ‘It helps me sleep and encourages me to eat healthier foods.’
Cycling is a cost-effective, inexpensive way to get fit and is also a low impact form of cardiovascular exercise. So, while it’s good for the heart, it won’t put any pressure on your joints. Cycling has been known to reduce stress and anxiety, resulting in calmer thinking, as it releases endorphins, also known as ‘feel good’ hormones which lead to a feeling a mild euphoria and wellbeing. It can also ease symptoms of mild to moderate depression. From a health perspective, there’s numerous benefits – according to the website, cyclinguk.org, cycling to work is linked to a 45 per cent lower risk of developing cancer and a 46 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease when compared to commuting to work by car or public transport.
There’s also evidence to say that exercise like cycling can help to reduce a person’s risk of developing dementia. Alzheimer’s Society has been looking at several studies on middle-aged people and the effects of physical exercise, like running, on their thinking and memory in later life. Combining the results of 11 studies shows that regular exercise can significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia by about 30 per cent. The risk of Alzheimer’s disease (the most common type of dementia) was reduced by 45 per cent.
Richard Howeson, owner and co-founder of uTalk (https://utalk.com/en), Britain’s biggest language learning company – also sponsors of the Dementia Help Cycle Challenge – is a keen cyclist and regularly and competitively plays bike polo. He also represented England in the 2016 World Bike Polo Championships in Rajasthan, India. The sport helps him keep fit and alert. ‘I can completely relate to Peter Berry’s exercise choice,’ he says. ‘I find cycling enjoyable. I usually cycle to work, which sets me up for the day.’
Bike polo, which is like normal polo, except with horses replaced by bikes, usually takes place on a hard surface like a netball court, on grass or on astro-turf.
A sport like bike polo requires a lot of concentration as you’re using your motor skills – which means using your balance, coordination and reaction skills. Richard believes in keeping his mind active and enjoys the level of concentration required when playing bike polo. ‘All the time during the game you’re thinking about where you’re going next and how to manoeuvre around the pitch,’ he says. ‘There’s lots of twisting and turning, it takes a great deal of concentration and mental focus and a lot of skill.’
Richard, aged 67, enjoys the variety of the game. ‘It’s really exciting and very good for the brain as you’re concentrating so hard. It’s a very mentally engaging activity,’ he says. ‘I do think it’s important to be physically and mentally active, especially when you’re older,’ adds Richard. ‘Peter is a great example of someone who won’t let his illness stop him from doing things. I’m very impressed with Peter’s commitment to the Cycle Challenge and I’m sure he’ll do a great job of raising money for charity.’
More information
uTalk is Britain’s biggest language company and two-time winner of the prestigious Queen’s Award for Export Achievement and Innovation. uTalk has been used by 30 million people in 100 countries. You can download the uTalk app at utalk.com/app or visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/uTalk/
If cycling was a pill everyone would be taking them daily.
Cycling beats all the tonics, herbs, health supplements, TCM concoctions etc when it comes to improving both physical and mental health.
For the sake of your family and loved ones you cannot afford not to take up cycling as a sport or for recreation. Your children will thank you for it.
Cycling beats all the tonics, herbs, health supplements, TCM concoctions etc when it comes to improving both physical and mental health.
For the sake of your family and loved ones you cannot afford not to take up cycling as a sport or for recreation. Your children will thank you for it.
The trouble is majority of Sinkies after 50s weak like fark. Most probably can only use 4 wheels bicycle. Thus the hatre for bikers.
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