Two articles of interest

[pll]

Here are links to two recent articles related to cycling, one about tensions between cycling activists, pedestrians and police in New York (which I found very interesting), the second one reporting the results of a medical study. I though some of you might find them interesting -- I just got around reading them this morning.

• The New Yorker, November 13, 2006: "HOLY ROLLERS. The city’s bicycle zealots." <http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/061113fa_fact>

• New York Times, December 5, 2006: "The Claim: Bicycle Seats Can Cause Impotence in Women." <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/05/health/05real.html?ref=health>

[velogirl]

Hmmmm.....I guess someone should tell the winner of yesterday's cyclocross that she could be impotent from cycling. Standing at the line at last week's race, she was breast-feeding her baby.

[pll]

Hi velogirl... The article about the study leaves me with the same "hmm, sounds like an urban myth" (besides some high dose of skepticism about proper research methods in medical studies). I'd like to take a peek at how the study was designed. The actual abstract is posted in <http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2006.00317.x>, but it does not mention how the sample was selected or how long the subjects were followed. One could think that people self-select into an activity like cycling based on individual characteristics, not that the activity causes the characteristics as the study implies. If that is the case, comparing self identified cyclists to non cyclists is the wrong comparison.

I would be curious to hear comments from anyone on this forum that might be familiar with the New York activists mentioned in the New Yorker article.

[NJBikeGal]

I have always found discussions like this to be funny. Certainly, seats CAN cause problems...but, have you ever noticed how many riders are standing on podiums at the end of a race complete with child in tow....and these are guys that are on the bike 6 hours a day, 6-7 days a week, 10 months out of the year. Something tells me that we'll be ok!

[mimitabby]

there are degrees of impotence. I dont quite know how to say this, but
you can still get pregnant or impregnate without a really good erection involved.

so the fecundity of bicyclists does not equal the you know, you get it?

[mimitabby]

that new yorker article was fascinating! thanks!