On Mar 3, 6:55 am, "bookieb" wrote:
On Mar 3, 11:19 am, "bookieb" wrote:



On Mar 2, 10:56 pm, Tom Crispin

wrote:
Stolen fron the CTC Newsnet.

http://www.activenorfolk.org/page.as...01000300060003

In fairness, I don't think it's an anti-cycling bias. I'm choosing to
put this one down to ignorance rather than mailce.

Much of the rest of the site is filled with content of a similar
"quality", but presented as fact.

Ho hum,

bookieb

No, sod it anyway, the more I though about it, the more it annoyed me.

This missive just dispatched to:

*** Begins ***
Dear Sir/Madam,

I refer to your web page located at:

http://www.activenorfolk.org/page.as...00300060003&it...

To someone considering taking up cycling, or coming back to back to it
after a few years off, the wording of this page is off-putting.

The article is 224 words long. 40 words are positive [1], 46 words
are neutral, or convey a mixed message [2].

The remainer of the article (138 words) is entirely negative in tone.
Specifically, the following suggestions are made:

1. Cycling may be unsuitable for office workers.
2. Cycling may be unsuitable for those who work sitting down.
3. Cycling may cause or exacebate rounded shoulders, and/or a stoop.
4. Cycling may cause or exacerbate a sore neck or back ache.
5. Cycling may cause twisted knee and ankle joints
6. "An excessive amount of cycling" may cause infertility in males.

Can you provide any reputable references or evidence for any of the
above suggestions?

If the objective of this page to encourage people to consider cycling
as a means of enjoying some exercise, I would suggest that you might
consider reviewing its tone and content. Many websites and
publications with similar aims to your own put a general caveat around
suggestions for particular forms of exercise, e.g. "you should consult
your Doctor before begininng on this or any progam of exercise" .

I agree wholeheartedly with you aims and intentions of encouraging
fitness and phyical activity in Norfolk, but I fell that this page is
more likely to cause people to sink back onto the couch than anything
else.

Yours sincerely,

name removed for usenet

[1]:
"In general, cycling, even for quite short periods, will bring
positive health benefits. "
"Now you can find your local cycle paths and have some fun - no need
to call it exercise, but your health will take a leap forward."

[2]
"An excellent exercise for many people, but not for everyone. "
"Now for some positive slants: visiting a good bike shop and not
leaving until the resident expert has helped you to set your bike up
to suit you will make the whole experience much more enjoyable."
*** Ends ***

These people are (presumably) using public money to produce and
distribute this content - it should be of a higher standard than it
currently is.

Grrr.. shakes fist angrily

bookieb

It would certainly scare me off cycling.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada