The Cyclist Is a Lonely Rider
Cyclists have a reputation for
being individualists—loners. We
enjoy the freedom that comes
from being self-sufficient, from
not participating in polluting
forms of transportation, and
from feeling the wind on our
faces and the smell of the coun
tryside in our nostrils.
Cycling alone can be fun, but
it can be lonely. There are op
tions available. Within the Eu
gene/Springfield community
two touring clubs and one racing
club offers cyclists a variety of
group riding possibilities. The
two touring clubs are McKenzie
Riders and Spoke Folk.
McKenzie Riders is a group of
about 50 members whose skills
levels run the full range—from
very experienced to novice.
Their rides average 35-45 miles,
and they publish a schedule of
rides which is available in any
bike shop. Monthly potlucks, in
cluded on the schedule, are often
times the highlight of the month.
Contact Toni Toomey of 345
7836 or Susan Baxter at 345
7159 for info.
Spoke Folk meets monthly
also. Their meetings are held at
the Bavarian Restaurant. Rides
for Spoke Folk are not planned
ahead of schedule, so you should
contact their organizer Richard
Moffitt at 746-5130 for details.
Riding with a group has the
same advantages of riding alone
and some additional ones.
Someone else is always around
to help with that flat tire, to
share a wonderful view, and to
coach you up that last hill before
lunch.
For the more athletically in
clined cyclist, the Eugene Cycle
Club offers the training and
companionship of the racing
world. Rides are fast and strenu
ous. So be sure to contact
Woody Campbell at 343-7086
before attempting a training
ride. These are good folks, but
the approach to riding is much
different than the tourist’s or the
commuter’s.
The summer months are a
good time to contact cycling
clubs and begin a new way of
pedalling away the miles. Enjoy
the companionship of a group
on your next ride.
—Susan Baxter
Susan Baxter owns The Polished
Word, an editing and writing ser
vice, and is a LA W instructor-in
Training.
663 E. Thirteenth
_ a W ilazrtte. _
OVSWorks
a - - ■ . WEugene. Oregon 97401
SSERAAI
Eugene. Oregon 97401 - 343-7086
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Bike Helmet Study
Some popular brands of bicycle helmets may not protect
the rider from serious head injury, the major cause of
bicycle-related deaths in the United States, according to a t
wo-year study by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association
(WABA) and the Snell Memorial Foundation of Sacramento,
California.
The study, published in the March issue of Bicycling
Magazine, has already caused controversy in the growing $10
million-a-year bicycle helmet industry, and has provoked
vigorous protests by the manufacturer of one large selling
helmet which received a poor rating.
Information from the WABA/Snell study may also prompt
the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to speed
up issuing safety guidelines for the manufacture of bicycle
helmets similar to existing motorcycle helmet standards.
The study found that many bicycle helmets on the market
today are both comfortable and safe enough to pass a 3’3”
laboratory impact test. The helmets that passed include the
Fury, Bell (3 models), Bailen, MSR, HannaPro, Supergo, and
Cooper SK2000. However, only the Fury, Bell and Bailen
helmets passed a 6’ impact test.
The Fury, a light motorcycle helmet, was clearly the most
protective, but was judged marginal for comfort testing.
On the other hand, 14 other bicycle helmet models, in
cluding some widely advertised and popular brands, failed
the 3’ impact test. The traditional leather strip headgear
worn by bicycle racers was found to be practically useless in
* preventing head injury.
Tests for the study were conducted by the Snell Memorial
Foundation, an independent non-profit organization which is
often given credit for the high safety standards of racing car
driver and motorcycle helmets.
The Snell tests for the study are the first scientific
evaluation of the protection offered by a wide sample of dif
ferent brands of bicycle helmets. The tests were conducted by
placing the helmets on an instrumental headform and drop
ping them onto a steel anvil from various heights. This
simulated the shock a bicyclist’s head could receive by hitting
the pavement or another vehicle in an accident.
The study was written by Tom Balderston and Randy
Swart of WABA, a non-profit organization of Washington,
D.C. area bicyclists dedicated to research and educational
activities leading to better and safe cycling.
Balderston and Swart also conducted comfort tests of
leading bicycle helmets. Surprisingly, they found that some
heavier helmets with solid shells and airflow underneath
were just as cool and comfortable as lighter helmets with
ventilation holes in them.
But Balderston and Swart agree that the impact test of the
helmets far outweighs the comfort test in importance. “Up to
now, consumers could not compare impact protection in
selecting a bicycle helmet. There simply wasn’t any way to
tell which helmets would protect you and which ones would
n’t,” said Swart. “But now they can find out from our study.
And from now on, safety will have to be the major criterion
in bicycle helmet design and manufacture,” he said.
Industry sources estimate that 235,000 bicycle helmets were
sold in the United States in 1982. The average suggested
retail price of a bicycle helmet is $40-$45.
CONTACT: For more information on the WABA study,
contact Tom Balderston or Michael Gessel, WABA, 1332 I
Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. The results of the
study can be found in the March issue of Bicycling Magazine.
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Service
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992 Willamette (on the Main
9-6 weekdays 10-6 Saturday
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open 7 days
860 East 13th Ave
344*7894
TEETH
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and they will
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Teeth Cleaning, Exam
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$25
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Thomas R. Huhn, D.D.S.
Sarah Hollander, D.M.D.
call for appointment
746-6517
528 Mill St.