"Blackblade" wrote in message ...

About 71 in the last century. But the risk of serious injury
is much higher than for mountain biking ... which is only 1.54 per 1,000
exposures (http://emj.bmj.com/content/early/201...6991.abstract).

Edward Dolan wrote:

Rugby players know the extent of the danger they are exposing
themselves to. Mountain bikers do not have a clue about the danger they are
exposing themselves to. They are all stupid enough to think it is
safe.

It is relatively safe. 1.54 injuries per thousand exposures for Mountainbiking vs between 10.6 and 19.8 for rugby. You are 10 times (on average) more likely to be injured playing rugby than mountainbiking.

Who knows what is being counted as “exposures”. Your statistic aside, it is NOT safe. That is the bottom line, especially in view of my many reports which show just how stupid most of the accidents are. In fact, it is almost impossible to bike on a hiking trail and not have an accident. Your statistic is irrelevant to what is being discussed here.
[...]

The reports you have deigned to provide are nowhere near the level of being significant ... there are 50 million mountainbikers in the US alone and the trail network is vast.

Who knows what the vast majority of those mountain bikers are doing. Most of them are riding very sedate bike paths and streets no doubt.

Fears over dangers of mountain biking

Just read the bloody thing before you post ... there has been a
massive rise in mountainbiking so, unsurprisingly, there is a rise in
incidents. Duh !

But why should there be any incidents at all if, as you claim,
it is safe. Hikers do not have a similar incident count regardless of the number
of hikers.

Why do you think injury rates are quoted relative to amount of activity ... as in Injuries per 1,000 exposures ? Nothing in this world is 'safe' as in ... there is no risk.

As I mentioned before, thousands die in their bathrooms and falling down stairs ... not because it is "unsafe" to take a shower or walk down the stairs but because billions of people do it every day.

But it is only a few bikers who are riding hiking trails and their injuries and deaths are out of all proportion to what anyone else is ever doing (except maybe those rugby players). The fact remains that hikers do not have many injuries at all whereas bikers have numerous injuries. There is no comparison.

Mountain bikers are barbarians and have no right to be on any trail used by hikers – unless they want to get off their god damn ****ing bikes and walk like everyone else. When they crash and injure themselves, I rejoice! If and when they manage to kill themselves, I say good riddance to bad rubbish! Death to mountain bikers!

“Tread softly! All the earth is holy ground.”
~ Christina Rossetti (Psalm 24),
from "A Later Life: A Double Sonnet of Sonnets"

Mountain bikes have wheels. Wheels are for roads.

Trails are for walking. What’s the matter? Can’t walk?

Ed Dolan the Great
aka
Saint Edward the Great