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Yes and no Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:24:50
In Reply to: Bicycles are too dangerous....., Mike Lynch  [Profile/Gallery]
, Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:34:00
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The drawback to bicycles is we go for really thin tires at high pressure for low rolling resistance. With a total tire patch of about 2 square inches, there isn't a lot of room for error. A motorcycle will run on the order of 10 times that patch with about a 4-5 times increase in weight. From a braking and stability standpoint, a motorcycle is safer. It's less likely to be upset by a small road joint or grate.
That said, motorcycles spend a lot more time at high speed than a bicycle. A really good rider will hit 25 mph only occasionally, and rarely sees more than 40 mph, except on downhills. And that's scary. A usual rider is going to average about 13 mph. Most motorcycles are going to be spending most of their time going much faster than a bicycle. So when something goes wrong on a motocycle, the fact that energy is a function of velocity squared goes straight to the surgeon's point.
Overall safety is a function of the probability of an accident, and the distribution of time you spend at more damaging vs. less damaging speeds. And the possibility of accidents increase with speed due to reduced reaction times and longer stopping distances.
A bike going downhill at 45 mph is exhilarating, a bit scary, and not common. A motorcycle going 45 mph downhill gets passed by guys in old Volvos.
That's the physics, and that's the average. Assuming that, we'd all stay home in bed. I've got two godchildren (and a godchild-in-law?) that ride motorcycles. They love them, and more power to them. Two (godchild and husband) are well-trained, well-equipped, and safety aware. Would I prefer they live in a bunker somewhere? No. They have waaaay too much fun going on bike trips to mountains in Utah or up to Vermont. Life is risk, and hamburgers kill, too.
The other godchild is a 22 year old male. I'm actually glad he had an accident recently. It was the typical 'first 6 months of ownership' combined with testosterone. Relatively low speed, misjudged a corner - bent front fork, minor road rash, sprained wrist. Budget constraints will keep him off the bike until he comes up with the cash to fix it. It was a teaching moment accident.
posted by 192.249....
, Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:07:54, Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:52:18, Thu, 15 Nov 2007 08:52:12, Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:44:39, Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:34:00
, Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:59:05, Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:24:50 <-- Viewing This Message, Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:07:11, Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:30:56
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