> I'm with Shane on the immediate negative reaction to people not  
> wearing bike helmets.  As Shane said, the safest thing you can do  
> for bicycle safety is to get more people riding bikes.  And the best  
> way to do that is to actually build a comprehensive system of  
> separate facilities (like Alder near campus) that allows all kinds  
> of people to ride without exceeding their own personal stress  
> thresholds (per Peter Furth's lecture the other night).

> If you haven't seen this video by Ted Sweeney (from UO) of what it  
> is like to ride around an entire city on a cycle track, please do: http://vimeo.com/29081858

> You'll notice that no one has a helmet.  Because lots of people bike  
> and the facilities are actually built for people on bikes, the area  
> in the video has the lowest bicycle injury rate in the world.

> I do wear my helmet in Eugene, but not in Denmark or the  
> Netherlands.  The difference is an infrastructure designed for all  
> kinds of people to ride their bike.

> - Marc

> On Fri, May 4, 2012 at 5:59 PM, Emily Swenson  
> <emilyjswen...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi, folks:

> Thanks, Richard, for sharing the article with the GEARs listserve.  
> I was really flattered that the R-G contacted me and thought that  
> Chris did a lovely job on the story.  Collin's photos were excellent  
> as well.

> Yes, I do wear a helmet while riding.  There is, indeed, a picture  
> of me riding with a helmet in the story.  Apparently, someone wrote  
> a letter to the editor asking a question similar to yours, David.  I  
> respect your interest in safety and in parents modeling behaviors  
> they expect of their children.  I was thinking of blogging some  
> photos of myself wearing my bike helmet in funny places while just  
> THINKING about bicycling (cooking dinner, getting out of the shower,  
> etc.) in response to that letter to the editor, just for fun.  I'm  
> really busy with work right now and don't have much time for  
> blogging, though.  I think that the helmet issue can be a divisive  
> one, and I find it less interesting than issues like safe and fair  
> bike/ped infrastructure.  But again, I respect your question.

> Also, did any of you see the article about Monica Adkins in MOM  
> Magazine?  Monica is one of the most charming, intellingent, and  
> beautiful women I know.  Plus she is an awesome bike mom, with four  
> kids and a busy life.  You should read it.  Talking with Monica and  
> Paul, and Shane and Missy absolutely helped me make the decision to  
> sell our family's second car and start riding my bike around town  
> with the kids.

> http://www.mommag.com/local/eugene-springfield/2012/4/2/aprmay-2012-i...

> While I'm taking a moment to write this, let me just clear the air  
> about a couple of little inaccuracies in the story that I fear may  
> hurt my bicycling street cred, or just confuse people.

> My bike is from Clever Cycles in Portland, not Costco (my first  
> graders all asked me this one).  Also, I have done plenty of long-
> ish rides to the Costco neighborhood with heavy cargo and kids, but  
> the cargo in question was many gallons of raw, organic milk, not  
> frozen entrees.  I use my Costco card for purchasing contact lenses,  
> mostly.

> I absolutely, 100% of the time, haul my own dog food.  And straw  
> bales, bulk food orders, giant plastic tubs of books, etc.  Why else  
> own a cargo bike?  When I was first getting started on a mountain  
> bike with a front child seat and tandem/tagalong attachment, I  
> ordered dog food to be delivered from a local fella who also  
> delivers dog food to my neighbors (longtime bicyclists who  
> recommended the service).  I wasn't able to attach a Burley to the  
> type of tagalong we purchased.  I think that mom and pop delivery  
> services are a sign of a thriving active transportation culture.

> I've never ridden with Critical Mass.  I was trying to plug Kidical  
> Mass!

> I wish that the Lane Area Commission on Transportation was "a county  
> advisory body that helps ensure the inclusion of bicyclists'  
> interests".  It's an organization that prioritizes funding for state  
> highway projects.  Hopefully I'll be able to help make sure that  
> these projects also consider the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians.

> And nobody but me probably cares about this, but I've lost around 12  
> pounds by riding my bike.

> Okay, air is cleared!

> Hopefully it won't seem like news someday that a mom in Eugene rides  
> her bike, takes the bus, or catches the train most of the time.  I  
> know so many moms who are doing this, some of whom inspired me to  
> get started.

> Emily

> On Fri, May 4, 2012 at 3:14 PM, Hugh Prichard <prichar...@gmail.com>  
> wrote:
> Right, Shane.   I don't generally put on my PFD 'til I'm getting in  
> my kayak....

> On May 4, 2012, at 2:50 PM, Shane MacRhodes wrote:

>> Did you look inside? The one of her riding she was wearing her  
>> helmet.
>> Do you always wear your helmet standing next to your bike posing  
>> for pictures?
>> The helmet is a red herring. Yes, it's important in a crash but  
>> should not be the main thing to focus on here in an inspiring story  
>> about biking! If your always checking for helmets in photos your  
>> missing the big picture. This is a story about a mom discovering  
>> cycling and changing her life because of it.

>> Sorry- just a pet peeve: the hang up on helmets as the main focus  
>> for safety. Its an easy knee jerk response and band-aid to throw.  
>> It's a level of protection (the last one) and we should advocate  
>> for it's use akin with much more.  More cyclists on the road will  
>> make us safe too...plus education and better infrastructure. People  
>> pictured with helmets or not- this kind of coverage of everyday  
>> kind of cyclists is great and should be praised and encouraged in  
>> my opinion.

>> Shane

>> On May 4, 2012, at 1:10 PM, David Gizara <davidgiz...@epud.net>  
>> wrote:

>>> I notice these feature articles often feature people without  
>>> helmets. Does Emily truly bike with her kids without a helmet?
>>> David Gizara
>>> On May 4, 2012, at 8:54 AM, Richard Hughes wrote:

>>>> Just in case you missed the RG-Dash,(click HERE ) it features  
>>>> GEARs member Emily Swenson, her family and her main mode of  
>>>> transportation for her and two children on a Dutch-made  
>>>> Workcycle. If you shop at Costco and believe you need a car to  
>>>> bring back your provisions, you may want to check out this  
>>>> inspiring story.

>>>>  The next monthly Kidical Mass (click HERE) is on May 19. GEARs  
>>>> does not have Critical Mass rides.
>>>> --
>>>> Richard Hughes
>>>> President
>>>> Greater Eugene Area Riders Cycling Club(GEARs)
>>>> http://eugenegears.org/
>>>> PO Box 5506
>>>> Eugene, OR 97405
>>>> 541-933-5542

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> Marc Schlossberg