N_C

On Jan. 14 the annual state wide RAGBRAI & RIDE RIGHT meeting will be held in Des Moines. It is for the RAGBRAI/RIDE RIDE Coordinators/Ambassadors from across the state. One of the questiosn we have to answer at the round table discussions the RIDE RIGHT Ambassadors have to answer is how can RAGBRAI be made safer? This year one of the answers will be do something about the riders that ride & talk on their cell phone at the same time.

This past year I had never seen more people on bikes & talking on a cell phone at the same time in my life. In fact I had never seen before this year on RAGBRAI. None of them could control their bike while doing this stupid stunt.

There seems to have been a shift from a lot of people not wearing a helmet to more wearing one but talking on a cell phone while riding. I wonder if they think that with wearing a helmet they can now do stupid **** like talk on a cell phone. Hate to break it to them but despite wearing a helmet you still need to practice good & safe riding skills. That includes NOT talking on a damn cell phone while riding.

This is one of the reasons a majority of the accidents on RAGBRAI are rider to rider.

Please tell me there is no one here that thinks talking on a cell phone while riding a bike is a good idea or that it is safe to do so. You can't be that ****ing stupid!?

Roody

God the things you find to worry about. It doesn't seem like talking and biking would be dangerous, unless you were in a tight group or heavy traffic, or maybe a BMX race. I don't think you have any of those conditions at the Ride, do you?

So, of the thousands of people talking on their cell phones at Ragbrai, how many were involved in accidents? That figure would give some idea if this is a real concern, or just the safety nannies getting their knickers knotted. So supply the data if you can--and no fair making up a number.

CrosseyedCrickt

I have used my phone while riding before. Why is it "****ing stupid"? For me it's no more dangerous than reaching for my water bottle or trying to dig a gel out of a pocket.

Not everyone has to fight traffic all the time, some of us have lots of wide open space in which to cycle.

AndrewP

If you want to yack for hours you can tuck the cell phone into your helmet strap, then it becomes a hands free. This may be useful for talking to another rider who is not imediately next to you. It would be worth warning riders to watch for riders with only one hand on the bars as they are probably riding with less than 50% attention.

CherryBomb

Wow, I just dont know what to say...ummm...can you hear me now?

straightedge

I usually stop if I have to talk on the phone, too much wind noise. I can however read my e-mail, news and all of that other good stuff, god bless cell phones. Believe it or not, many of us can actually do more than one thing at once. I don't like talking when I drive, and I'm not messing with my phone while riding in traffic, but when I'm on long stretches of trail, it really isn't a problem. I also take a lot of pictures and video while riding with my camera, even in large critical mass rides, with people inches around on all sides for a couple of hours. It's not really all of that hard.

I'm sure glad I don't live in boring, super flat, Iowa......

cat4ever

You EAT and DRINK on a bike?! Isn't that dangerous?

I-Like-To-Bike

Simultaneously chewing gum and cycling seems too difficult for some of the safety nannies.

N_C

I never eat while riding, don't need to. If I need to eat I stop. The only thing I drink on a bike is water, I use a Camel Bak for that. One hand to put the bite valve in my mouth, I drink what I need & let the valve drop out of my mouth onto my chest. Keep in mind I ride a 'bent.

I have seen others eat while riding, they easily maintain control while doing so. But those that talk on the phone while riding have very little control. I think the reason is the way a phone is held to their ear. With the arm & hand that high it changes the center of gravity, plus the angle it puts your body. More upright with only one hand on the flat part of the handle bars. This raises the center of gravity & causes a shift in the balance with only one hand on the bars. Not nearly as easy to control a bike when riding this way.

Not to mention the distraction & lack of attention because a person is focusing on thier conversation on the phone rather then what is in front of, behind or next to them on the roadway.

Again a stupid & unsafe thing to do. Especially with thousands of other cyclists on the roadway with you, or motor vehicle traffic.

Roody

Some riders pee while riding their bikes, but probably not in Iowa. Or on Iowa. At least not when N_C is on the bike patrol!