europe is an organ harvast field

Actually China is.

not enough genetic viarity for most donors

Actually you're mistaken. China is the number black market donor in the world, they use prisoners organs to sell, some of the prisoners are completely harvested and thus killed of course, others just partial organs and live afterwards. Adults and children have been kidnapped in China and either died from an illegal organ donor or found alive missing certain things. China until 2007 was the number one importer and exporter of black market organs, there is evidence they may still be the number 1 despite agreeing to international pressure to stop the practice because in that agreement no time frame was ever set forth to stop the practice.

I'm intrigued by the 20% who sometimes wear a helmet. Do those who picked that response extend the same logic to car seatbelts?

I do. 1951 Pontiac, 1927 model T, city bus - No Seatbelt. Car that's equipped with seatbelts - Yes seatbelt. Race car - 5 pt harness.

Somewhat similarly, while riding bikes.

Easy cruise on dry pavement at 12mph or less average speed - no helmet needed. Spirited ride, racing, group rides, riding on snow or ice - typical bicycle helmet. Riding DH, DJ or Enduro - Full Face Helmet!!!

Personal Protective Equipment for cycling is a spectrum. It starts at zero protection needed then goes on up to full face helmet and full leathers with body armor. It doesn't start and end at bicycle helmet.

I wore a bicycle helmet for practically every bicycle ride I did between 1988 and 1998. But I've mellowed a bit in my old age, some bike riding endeavors I partake in are about as dangerous to my head as jogging and I never wear a helmet for jogging, even trail running.

Not really, though I don't bother with seatbelts when moving my car in the driveway, or pulling into the warehouse. Likewise with the bike, I wear a helmet for mtn biking because there are more surprises, (and I'm a lousy mtn biker), but not for general road riding. I used to wear hear protection (before modern helmets) when racing, and probably would today if riding in a peloton or close formation drafting, but rather than the helmet I risk manage by not riding in ways or with people that are more likely to cause crashes.

Helmets are a risk management tool, but they're only a part of an overall risk management strategy.

how does that create enough genetic diversity?


and it happens all over the world, not just in china...

Hmmm, was I not talking about illegal organ "donation" and not genetic diversity? And did I not say that China was the number 1, meaning of course there are other countries that do that? Are you missing something?

I know this is a personal fight, but since it was asked, ------- I'm sort of missing the connection to helmets.

He's right. There isn't much diversity in China. They sneer at immigrant wannabees. Besides that, there is a big chunk of the population related to the Kublai Khan clan.

And I've always sneered at the imaginary dangers professed by noggin toppers. Maybe they make sense in pelotons. Seat belts have been mandatory for like 35 years. but I wear them only the 1% of the time I see cops near me. Never got a ticket. I have used them most of the time on highways in the dangerous USA. ha . I have been in 6 fender benders, 0% with a seatbelt and basically zero movement, so zero injury. I have seen about 16 accidents and heard 9.

On the bikes, I have slid out a dozen times. Zero times my head hit anything. My baseball cap has saved me a bunch of times from sign poles when parking the bike. doh

My friends' old dad, with 2 ladies, fell asleep driving on the highway. The car rolled down the nice grassy knoll. Seat belts saved them from all but sprained wrists and bruises. They should have worn a helmet .....

And that's what makes this so funny!!

Well, the helmet-hypers tend to believe that bare-headed cyclists are an important, if not the most important source of donated organs.

Are Chinese people into cycling helmets, btw?

Only when absolutely necessary.

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/chine...t-16439380.jpg

http://www.thejakartapost.com/files/...eels_copy3.jpg

http://www.womenofchina.cn/res/women...1306050027.jpg

Hot models riding MTBs in a city square should always wear helmets, of course.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/20...-111005-a2.jpg

Dust mask can be nice on some days...

http://modeoflife.files.wordpress.co...ists.jpg?w=487

OMG, 2009 group ride sans helmets. Imagine that happening in the USofA

http://images.china.cn/attachement/j...0acab4d757.jpg

Hrm, they did a good job to cancel out the dork, factor I have to admit. Not that the dork factor of helmets mean much to me, but still.

Fair question, since I've wondered if the always-wear one folks extend that logic to driving in cars.

I do always wear a seatbelt on public roads. It's the law, and I also don't want to give them an excuse to stop me because they think I'm suspicious with long hair, or don't like my car, or whatever their reasons are. I have a perfect driving record for about 15 years - it's nice, it would be senseless to jeopardize that for a seat belt.

I've driven to/from trailheads with a helmet on my head. When gathering up gear for an MTB ride it's so much easier to put the helmet on my head so hands are free to tote the bike out to the car. That way I only have to make one trip out the the car instead of traipsing back and forth. Then afterwards I totally pull a rydabent and forget I even have the helmet on! :)

WOW, look at that no helmets...and not a car in sight...imagine that happening in the USA. Of course it happens in the USA, I see flocks of people riding without helmets in parks all the time, but lets not talk about that lets just be moronic in our examples instead.

Huh? Getting a ticket for not having a seatbelt on does nothing to your insurance rates, it just shows up on the MV report as an equipment violation and for such there is no points either.

My point is this was an organized group ride, called the "First Ride", a first ride of the year type of deal and participants were not required to wear helmets. Helmets are required on a vast majority of organized group rides here, even the ones on closed courses. There are only a couple of organized rides I know of around here that don't require helmets and they're fringe kinda rides.

Maybe I should've bolded "group ride" in my caption so you could see past your whatever it is that's getting in the way of you seeing my point.

your point was very vague, but now that you said what you said I apologize for jumping you. However I too have seen group rides here where no helmets were worn, but group rides usually sponsored by an LBS will require helmets, those rides sponsored by some sort of city awareness mumble jumble don't, or if they do no one cares.

I live in a city with all ages MHL so you can bet that city mumble jumble rides in my city require helmets.