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81
Biking and other Non-Skiing Activities / bike Helmet article
« Last post by gandalf on June 21, 2013, 10:19:29 am »
After reading the web article at the end of this post, I did some "googling" and then bought new Scott Lin helmets for Lynn and I.   I have had one fall when I first started riding that knocked me unconscious, Lynn feels she had a slight concussion from her fall in Montreal when she broke her pelvis; seems like $100 for an improved technology bike helmet is a reasonable expenditure.  As a bonus, we both feel that they fit better than our previous helmets. 

*** A Teaser from the Article, the full Bicycle magazine article link is at the end.  *********************************
Woodpeckers And Helmets

Woodpeckers don't swing their heads when they peck.  They thrust their beaks forward on a perfectly straight plane.  If they swung their heads it would impart rotational force and scramble their brains.  The CPSC helmet test used to approve all bicycle helmets uses a linear force, the same one the woodpecker uses, by dropping a weighted helmet six feet onto an anvil.

The problem is that when we crash we whiplash our heads imparting great amounts of rotational force.

This article from Bicycling magazine goes into the details.  In brief, helmet tests were designed to prevent catastrophic injury but were not designed to prevent less serious concussions.  Current laws hamstring the CPSC from modifications and unless helmet safety requirements are modified,  there is little incentive for helmet makers to modify their designs.

Statistics don't tell the whole story, but they're a good place to start.

Stat #1: More people are riding. Between 1995 and 2009, the annual number of bike trips in the United States grew by 30 percent, and the number of daily bike commuters grew by 60 percent.

Stat #2: Despite that growth, until recently bicycle-traffic deaths were declining.  From 1995 to 1997, an average of 804 cyclists in the United States died every year in motor-vehicle crashes. During an equivalent three-year period from 2008 to 2010, that average fell to 655. The number went up in 2011, but there's evidence that cycling is becoming safer. That's partly a result of more bike lanes and other infrastructure, and partly because more riders make roads safer for cyclists. But at least some of the decline can be attributed to helmet use. By 1999 half of all riders were wearing them, up from just 18 percent eight years earlier, and that figure almost certainly increased as many cities passed mandatory helmet laws. (No reliable survey on helmet use has been published since 1999.)  Here's the trouble.

Stat #3: As more people buckled on helmets, brain injuries also increased. Between 1997 and 2011 the number of bike-related concussions suffered annually by American riders increased by 67 percent, from 9,327 to 15,546, according to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a yearly sampling of hospital emergency rooms conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

********************************************************************************

http://www.bicycling.com/senseless

http://www.mipshelmet.com

Also, just type "mips bike helmets" into a Google search, you'll probably be surprised (I was).
82
I started a similar thread last year and received useful feedback from this forum members but the thread has disappeared. This has been an ongoing project aimed at coming up with an off season training device. We have short skiing seasons in Australia which was my main motivation for embarking on this quest.

I have made some improvements to the device that I presented last year and gave it to a freestyle ski coach Mitch Smith. He tried it for about 15 minutes and then went for a ride down the 1km main resort road at Falls Creek. He really loved the experience and workout that it provides. We didn't have the time for more and Mitch, who is a Red Bull consultant is now in the US but when he comes back will send me more (and better shot) videos. The device works by responding to rolling knees which causes the wheels to turn in a synchronized way i.e. if the leading wheel turns right the trailing one turns left which simulates the side cut of a carving ski. It is about 3 foot long, equipped with ski bindings and used with ski boots. The wheels are 6" pneumatics and this prototype has enough clearance to work on short grass which I am going to try as soon as I have another pair made (Mitch was so hooked to it that I decided to leave mine with him for more riding). The device is also equipped with simple brakes that work by planting ski poles near outer edges but since the turning radius can be as short as 5 foot, which controls speed quite well, the brakes are there for emergencies. This gear is completely different than Harb carvers and offers pretty good fore/aft support and handling even on rougher surface.

This video shows the device in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HiyhcMHz24

I am trying to get feedback from as many skiers as possible to see if it is something that they would like to try. I'd also appreciate yours.


83
Gear Garage / Re: Krypton Pro boots
« Last post by Svend on April 29, 2013, 06:05:51 pm »
Hi Liam,

Sorry for the late reply.  I've been...well...skiin g actually.  In Banff, last week.  Brilliant conditions.  Combined it with some business in Calgary, and added a few days on the slopes with my wife, who flew out when the work was done.  But, sadly, our season is now done.  Time to get the bikes tuned up.

As for the Kryptons, thanks for the great feedback.  It happens that I tried the Fusion in a Calgary shop last week, and found it to be a near perfect fit.  Snug almost everywhere -- forefoot, instep, shin, calf, ankle.  A really good fit all around, except in the heel pocket.  In this area there was a fair bit of room, which could be a deal breaker unless there is a widget that takes up that space.

Otherwise the boot looked and felt really good.  Forward flex was more solid than I expected, and would be better yet with a stiffer tongue.  For a 120 flex, it felt about as stiff as what I would expect it to be -- much more solid than some of the 130 boots that I tried that day (Atomic Tracker, Tecnica Bodacious), but slightly softer than other 130's (Lange RX).  The medial side below the ankle and midfoot seemed especially strong, with a thick wall of plastic there.  Nice, and something which promises good edge control.

Forward flex pattern seemed very even and smooth.  None of the "hitting a wall" feeling like on some 2-piece boots.  This is the characteristic that I really like about the Kryptons -- the flex pattern is so smooth and even.  Only a couple of 2-piece boots that I have tried come close (sp. Head Raptor, Tecnica Inferno, Lange RX).

I didn't really make note of the support or rebound.  The shop guy said that a Booster strap would work well with this boot, so something to keep in mind if you're missing the rebound / return to center that a solid 2-piece gives.  Might be worth an experiment.

Thanks for the feedback.  Glad you're liking your Kryptons.  I could sure see how they would be ideal for a patroller.  So comfortable, no hot spots or weird fit areas. 

Cheers,
Svend
84
Gear Garage / Re: Krypton Pro boots
« Last post by Liam on April 22, 2013, 10:08:39 am »
Hey Svend,

Yeah, I'm sold on this boot.   It did require some adjustments (fairly similar to stuff Josh said), You can't 'hang' on the front of the boot and expect it to hold you up, you definitely, at first, find your calve/ ankle/ shin balancing muscles and joints feeling a little more taxed from supporting your throughout a turn, but as they get stronger and your balance improves, this goes away and the boot feels great.  Some thoughts:

1. Is it 'softer' well the flex is rated to a 120 as I have it set up but there is definitely a more dynamic amount of flex than the Dalbello Scorpion 110 a spent some time in, though the foot fit is very similar.  For me the flex is great, and you can easily (as in a 1 minute switch) pop in another stiffer tongue (they make two that are progressively stiffer) if the stock tongue isn't enough.   But I find with all the rear plugs in, and the wrap around intuition liner, the boot is plenty stiff for my skiing. 

2.  The big difference is how it flexes and where:  The pivot is much lower on these boots and so more ankle flex and absorption is possible than in a standard 4 buckle.  It is different--better or worse is up to the user, but it is different-I like it, especially in chunky or challenging snow conditions.

3. Downsides:  Biggest one is more of a nettlesome attribute:  The Middle Buckle is the who key to the design....it is a real **** to lever it down, the cam spring has a lot of resistance and you can't easily close the buckle on the lift or just reaching down, it take real effort to clamp it down at the useful level of tension.  A bit of a bother.

4.  Easy as hell to put on or take of and real easy to remove or insert the liners (I take them out now after every ski day).

I like it--especially for someone who has to hike and work in his boots, they're money.    I could see why a hard core racer type might not want them however, but that ain't me.

85
The Neutral Zone -- Open Discussion on anything / Re: Last Days of 2013 ski video-Liam
« Last post by Liam on April 21, 2013, 07:31:10 pm »
LP they belong to a friend and they have a look demo binding.  Since early march I probably put 15-17days on them and still have them in my garage.   I am going to order ones with the new graphics in the early fall and mount them with a marker griffon I have.   
86
Liam,

The unasked question...."How did you happen to come across a pair of 161 Shaman's, and, what made you mount them up for you?".
87
Biking and other Non-Skiing Activities / Blessing of the Bikes
« Last post by jim-ratliff on April 20, 2013, 11:59:47 am »
A couple of pictures from the annual "Blessing of the Bikes" at the "Cathedral of St. John the Divine".  A bit more touching than  you would imagine, since as part of the ceremony they remembered the 18 NYC bike riders that were killed last year, and the 3 that have died already this year.


As you transition to biking this year, be defensive and be safe.
88
The Neutral Zone -- Open Discussion on anything / Re: Last Days of 2013 ski video-Liam
« Last post by Liam on April 20, 2013, 07:29:30 am »
Yeah, Gary...quivers rule!  Like a lot of folks here I have some fetishism about skis.

LP, Shaman 161cm : it's the ideal all mountain east coast ski.  The videos I posted in another thread from Saddleback and the one above, I think, show it's versatility even for a strong intermediate like myself.  It's way more versatile than the Head rock n Roll for east coast all mountain (of which tight deep moguls and tighter glades are endemic).   The key to it's versatility comes from a few things

1. The Unflappable yet user friendly tip!  Seriously, in frozen crud, groomers, pow, mank, etc-the tip just instantly engages, never gets bucked around and allows for smooth as silk turns everywhere...and in spite of it's unshakeability, it never kicks back like you'd expect from a stiff front end.   And there is no other ski like it

2. 12m turn radius...it matters.

3. Easy maneuverable twinned tail...fun to spin, easy to drift, etc.

4.  Stout and tough, even in such a short length-the short length is part of it's success---you do give back some top end speed...I think, no, i'm sure, if I skied at a big western hill like Jbotti or Max, I'd go with a longer length in this ski.  But, with the tighter confines, and pitches that rarely exceed 1500ft vert in one shot, the 161cm is perfect.


89
Current Reviews (this and last season) / Re: Head Rev 85 review
« Last post by LivingProof on April 19, 2013, 08:52:26 am »
G,

It's the 178 cm.

Phil called the other day and told me that he can move the bindings w/o a plate (via using the helix hole inserts), so, no plate.

It was a long, strange trip to get them straightened out. It's very easy, looking back, to realize how small differences in binding location make a big difference in how a ski performs. Do you know if our friend from the NY trip (forget his first name) have his new Rev 85's mounted at center, which is where I like them? It's also a little strange that you find the 105's 2+ cm forward to be best, while I did not like that position at all on the 85's. I'm thinking some of that difference is attributed to boot size as you ski on a much shorter boot. My foot's "love pad" would be more to the front of a boot than yours.
90
The Neutral Zone -- Open Discussion on anything / Re: Last Days of 2013 ski video-Liam
« Last post by Gary on April 19, 2013, 08:34:51 am »
Nice skiing Liam....fun seeing you and fam are squeezing out the last few days of what looks like great conditions.

Thanks for sharing!

Ah yes....another man with a stable of skis!!!! 

Have a great one, Best, G
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