"Blackblade" wrote in message ...

Edward Dolan wrote:
[...]

You need to compare the number of hiker fatalities with the
number of mountain biker fatalities. The causes of what led to the deaths would
be of interest too.

Ah, are you finally suggesting we actually look at data about the actual number of incidents and fatalities ... rather than simply relying on Ed Dolan magical numbers ? Hallelujah.

Reports from the media are more than sufficient for this purpose.
[...]

Fatalities are of course rare for both, but not as rare for
mountain bikers. However, accidents not resulting in fatalities are not rare.
And mountain biker accidents tend to be far more serious than hiker accidents.

No argument from me there ... so what ? Your premise is that hiking is almost entirely safe and mountainbiking inevitably seriously injurious. The data says that, yes, mountainbiking is not as safe as hiking but, at 1.54 injuries per 1,000 exposures, is safer than many other sports and, overall, relatively safe. You are thus incorrect in your basic assumptions.

Nobody knows what is meant by “exposures” Your reliance on this kind of “data” is hilarious.
[...]

I once read a book about hiker accidents in the National Parks
and elsewhere in the American West. It made for interesting reading because of
what led up to the accidents. It was hiker error every time. The only error
mountain bikers make is trying to ride their bikes on a hiking trail to begin
with. Dumb, dumb, dumb!

What nonsense ... if you walk a trail, step on unstable terrain, and therefore break a bone and die of exposure because rescue doesn't reach you in time (a real case from the report) how is that 'hiker error' any more than it's 'biker error' if you hit a rock awkwardly and thereby fall off ? It's the natural environment not sanitised to make it 'safe' .... there are risks whether you hike or bike.

Hiker errors resulting in accidents are interesting because they are unique. Mountain biker errors resulting in accidents are dull because they are all the same. The biker hits an irregularity in the trail and goes flying over the handlebars and lands on his head or back. Dull, dull, dull!

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 biking!

“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