is cycling without a helmet illegal in NY?

XYZ

i bought a bike yesterday and i wonder if i should wear helmet or not. i am 19 yrs old alrdy.

Answer
1) Want to live to be 20 years old & beyond? Wear a helmet. #2) You didn't state what part of N.Y. In the city - the state - where? #3) All you need to do is Google "bicycle helmet laws" and New York to get the possible answer. #4) Ask LOCALLY! Where I live (St. Louis) some municipalities (smaller cities surrounding St. Louis) state that only kids 12 & under must wear a helmet. Some state anyone 16 and under. One city (Florissant, MO.) states EVERYONE must wear a helmet - regardless of age.

are carbon fiber helmets safe for everyday use?

Packman52

compared to a regular helmet? and what is the safest helmet for road biking?

Answer
Only Wal-Mart has $30 helmets now and... vented? Really John? Shopped helmets lately? I think you are talking about the $70 price point now days.

I agree all helmets must pass the same testing -- they are all the safest. Don't use one that has a manufacture date of more than 5 years old.

A carbon fiber helmet therefore is safe as any helmet for everyday use. Just a lot more expensive. If you are looking in that $200 price point (where carbon fiber helmets hang out) you might consider a Catlike. A little different looking with the round vent holes but once you try one you really want it. Very cool in the heat.

I have a Giro Monza I found on sale at Performance for $79.00. Huge difference in cooling over the past 3 more economical helmets I have owned. In the hot humid weather it cured the sweat drips that used to get on my glasses -- yes that much cooler.

Helmets don't protect from concussions, rather only from skull fractures. READ: http://www.bicycling.com/senseless/ Not peculiar to bicycle helmets as even football helmets as heavy and padded as they are can't protect from concussions. So if you do hit your head while riding --even with a helmet-- go to a doctor and be checked for concussion symptoms.

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How can you legally travel on a 50cc scooter with a toddler?

jeff_rulz_

It is legal in Missouri to drive without a license or helmet on a 50cc scooter and I would like to purchase one to cruise around town. However, I am concerned about how much I would use it. I would use it more frequently if I could legally carry my 3 year old with me. Just curious if it's legal and what I should get to protect him (other than a bicycle helmet).

Thanks!

Answer
A bicycle helmet will do NO good.
3 years simply isn't big enough.

I'm all for kids riding, my son sat behind me at 6. There are minimum requirements, even if not written into law (they are law elsewhere): Dedicated seat for passenger, dedicated footrest for passenger (which they must be able to use), handhold(s) for passenger. Helmet - and a styrofoam cooler is for beer, not pavement.
The passenger must be large enough (and understand enough) to be able to hold on. The helmet must fit properly - good luck finding a hat for the little melon.

I added an extra set of pegs for Jr. The law said he must reach, did not specify must be in original location.

What do you think of a parent who tows a 2-seat bike trailer ( 2 yr + 3 yr kids in it) on a busy road?

honesty_co

I know of a gentleman who regularly drives his bike on a busy 4-lane road, a road that during most of the times is packed with heavy trucks and 18-wheelers whizzing by at 50 to 60 miles per hour. He says that roads are build for bicycles also and that a bicycle has every right to be on the road, as much as the cars and trucks also. Problem is, it is an old road, and when two transports are side-by-side they are so close they almost touch each other !

Not only that, but he pulls behind him a 2-seater bike trailer, one where his 2 year old son and 3 year old daughter sit, side-by-side. that trailer must be about 4 feet wide, and because of the potholes, he often has to drive not very close to the curb, all the while pedaling at about 5 to 10 miles per hour (crawling, in other words).

My question is this: Do you feel he is risking the life of himself and his kids by riding on such a road? How long do you think he will last?
What is left of a child carrying bike trailer when a 60 ton transport hits the child-trailer at 60 miles per hour?

And what do you think of such a parent who does this?

--

(personally: I own a folding bike, and I ride on the sidewalks (rather slowly also), and when I am within about 30 feet of a pedestrian on the sidewalk, I either stop completely and get off my bike to walk past them, or I simply get totally off the sidewalk to go around him, either on the grass, or onto the road when it is safe to do so (no cars). Sidewalks are for people, so I always get the heck off of them when there are people nearby. However, I'm usually doing only about 5 mph, and sometimes even joggers on the sidewalk pass me by, that is how slow i am on the sidewalks. )

I drive on the sidewalks because I have a relative that died 12 years ago while riding on the road. He had reflectors, helmet, tail light, headlight, bell, everything. He was riding within 24 inches of the curb when he was hit from behind by a car doing 110 in a 50 zone. He was dead before his body even hit the ground, and his body was in multiple pieces when it did hit the ground. Since then, I drive on the sidewalks only, slowly too, so as not to be dangerous to any pedestrians. The roads scare me to death.

Oh yes, I own two cars also, but I like to drive a bike for the exercise, to try to be more healthy, that's all.

Answer
Q. What do you think of a parent who tows a 2-seat bike trailer ?
A. Cool dad!

At least he follows the Law, not like you.

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Is it legal to ride an electric scooter in the bike lane?

bicycle helmet 3 year old image

TALLguy18

It is a schwinn S-1000 goes about 18 MPH.
Im 15.
Could you ride it correctly in the bike lane and not get a ticket?
I live in Oceanside CA.

I would like to know the rules of that from someone who is a cop and has delt with this before.

Answer
Yes it is, so long as you are at least 16. Since you are 15, you cannot legally operate it on a public road - including a bike lane.

CVC 406(b) "Motorized Bicycle" states:

A "motorized bicycle" is also a device that has fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power and has an electric motor that meets all of the following requirements:
(1) Has a power output of not more than 1,000 watts.
(2) Is incapable of propelling the device at a speed of more than 20 miles per hour on ground level.
(3) Is incapable of further increasing the speed of the device when human power is used to propel the motorized bicycle faster than 20 miles per hour.

CVC 24016 "Motorized Bicycle Electric Motor: Safety and Equipment Requirements" states:

(a) A motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406 shall meet the following criteria:
(1) Comply with the equipment and manufacturing requirements for bicycles adopted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (16 C.F.R. 1512.1, et seq.) or the requirements adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (49 C.F.R. 571.1, et seq.) in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1381, et seq.) for motor driven cycles.
(2) Operate in a manner so that the electric motor is disengaged or ceases to function when the brakes are applied, or operate in a manner such that the motor is engaged through a switch or mechanism that, when released, will cause the electric motor to disengage or cease to function.
(b) All of the following apply to a motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406:
(1) No person shall operate a motorized bicycle unless the person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the standards described in Section 21212.
(2) A person operating a motorized bicycle is subject to Sections 21200 and 21200.5.
(3) A person operating a motorized bicycle is not subject to the provisions of this code relating to financial responsibility, driver's licenses, registration, and license plate requirements, and a motorized bicycle is not a motor vehicle.
(4) A motorized bicycle shall only be operated by a person 16 years of age or older.
(5) Every manufacturer of a motorized bicycle shall certify that it complies with the equipment and manufacturing requirements for bicycles adopted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (16 C.F.R. 1512.1, et seq.).
(c) No person shall tamper with or modify a motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406 so as to increase the speed capability of the bicycle.

EDIT..... to "Doodlestuff"... NEVER advise people to ask cops about the law. Cops are a horrible source of legal advice. They believe more myths about the law than tax protestors, and even if they 'do' know the law on something, they are allowed to lie.

Richard

is there anything i should know before i buy my first pair of inline skates? know-all sales men intimidate me.

qwerty u

do hard wheels suit a tar road or should i go for soft wheels?

also, is it true that the bigger the wheels the better?

another thing, are inline-skates a one-size-fits-all thing? can a 20 year old, a 17 year old and a 13 year old all use the same pair?
we won't get much time to use them so there's really no point in getting 3 different pairs.

one final question - is a 70-80 USD budget fine?

Answer
You won't get a choice of wheels when you buy the skates. Most makers put wheels on that are suitable for outdoor use.

You say a "tar road". I hope that it means something different to you than to me. To me, that is a gravel road that has had light tar soaked into the surface and would not be very suitable to skating. I hope that you mean a road that has been made of asphalt, which can be really nice for skating.

Yes, bigger wheels roll smoother and easier. I generally don't recommend skates that cannot use 80mm or larger wheels because the smaller wheels are harder to find replacements for and tend to be of lower quality.

More than age is the size of the skate. Best is to have them fit snugly all around the foot (without crushing to toes). Obviously, this doesn't work well for multiple sizes. If the skates are more than a size off, the person with the smallest feet may find that the skates flop around on their feet instead of being stable. Obviously, they can't skate together if they are sharing skates.

$70-80 is on the lower end of good skates. The ones you find for $50 at Target or Walmart tend to be really low end.
For skates in your end look for the big box sporting goods stores like Dick's or Sports Authority. The Rollerblade and K2 brands are the major skate makers in the US. Bladerunner is a lower end brand made by Rollerblade (but they aparently don't want their name on them).

Rember to get at least helmets and wrist guards. A bicycle helmet is good. Some of the new ones are adjustable for head size with a knob at the back.

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