Note: An epitaph (literally: "on the grave" in ancient Greek) is text honoring the dead, most commonly inscribed on a tombstone or plaque or read as a funeral oration. Here's a good site for more gravestone quotes. And if you want to do something after you're dead, check this site out.Response: If true, this would be a serious drawback of helmet laws. Anyone who has observed the difference in riding in a city or country with many, many bicycles on the road understands how increasing the number of riders improves safety. The cyclic trend reducing bicycle use that began here in 1999 was related to fashion, to the rise of other forms of exercise and to safety concerns as car traffic was becoming worse. We had a decade of experience prior to that with states and cities passing helmet laws, and did not observe declines in cycling related to the laws. The decline that did take place was not limited to the areas that had helmet laws, and the subsequent recovery in cycling and sharp rise in bicycle use when gas prices spiked in 2008 was not related to helmet laws either.

In urban areas there has been a change in the attitudes of parents, who are concerned about traffic and crimes against children, and no longer allow their children the freedom to roam that bicycling used to facilitate. In addition, our helmet laws are so spottily enforced in most states that there would have been minimal effect in any case. v star 650 for sale perthIn the last ten years the cycle has reversed. parallel twin motorcycle engine for saleThe current boom in bicycles for both transportation and sport use has coincided with trends in urban living, changes in attitudes toward car ownership, emphasis on fitness and improvements in bicycle facilities. motorcycle lift table portland oregon

All of this growth in bicycling in the U.S. has occurred in the presence of the bicycle helmet laws passed between 1987 and 2010, most of them not including adults. Cost is not much of an obstacle to acquiring a helmet here, since our market supplies helmets at very low prices. We require seatbelts here in most of our states, but drivers do not stop driving because of that requirement. vespa for sale singapore 2013People do not move out of their homes to another state when smoke detectors are required by law. There is no statistical evidence that large numbers of motorcyclists quit riding in states that adopt mandatory motorcycle helmet laws, although it is certainly clear that some individuals in that group are extremely resentful. On the other hand, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute found indications that helmet laws can reduce cycling there in some age groups: see this abstract of their study for more info.

But a research project in Toronto before and after their law came into effect showed that "although the number of child cyclists per hour was significantly different in different years, these differences could not be attributed to legislation. In 1996, the year after legislation came into effect, average cycling levels were higher (6.84 cyclists per hour) than in 1995, the year before legislation (4.33 cyclists per hour)." We are convinced that the answer to the question will lie in observational studies, and most of them will be local. In 2009 a paper published on the Web site of the University of California at Irvine's School of Education used statistical analysis of national data to reach the conclusion that helmet laws resulted in a ridership decline of 4 to 5 per cent in the age group they covered. They do not seem to have realized that cycling overall declined in the US during the measured period. The data was collected from parents in telephone conversations, and we don't think that method is valid for helmet use studies.

They did not control for traffic increases or parents' crime concerns in the states with laws, and those included California, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida and others where traffic grew the most. And some states have many local laws instead of a state-level law, skewing the comparison. Fortunately, you can read the entire paper, titled Intended and Unintended Effects of Youth Bicycle Helmet Laws on the Web and judge for yourself. A 2010 Canadian study showed that bicycle usage remained constant after helmet laws were adopted in two provinces. For the latest assessment from Queensland, Australia, see this study. We cite its conclusions below. This Australian study concluded that there is no evidence to support the contention that helmet laws discourage cycling. This survey found that 94 percent of Australians support helmet laws. This blogger concludes that repealing the laws would do almost nothing to increase cycling.Spend any time around a group of bikers, and you’re bound to hear biker gang slang.

What is it they’re saying? What do they mean? "Gang" is a relative term when it comes to bikers; that is, the riders of motorcycles who band together into motorcycle clubs. There are actually are legitimate motorcycle clubs, although that may not be what someone thinks of when they think of biker gangs.Whether a biker rides alone, as part of a motorcycle club or as part of a biker gang, bikers enjoy their own subculture and biker slang. Here are the explanations for a few of the most commonly-used slang terms.Bikers often dress in the traditional black leather biker uniform, but if you take notice, you’ll see many wear vests embroidered with various patches. The patches, or their "colors" as the bikers call it, have an entire slew of meanings.They usually have patches to show which club or gang they belong to, and which other clubs or gangs with which they are affiliated.New bikers who undergo an initiation rite and are accepted are “patched.” That means they’ve earned their stripes - or patches, in this case - and they can now officially wear the patch on their clothing.

The vest or jacket may be emblazoned with the biker’s "road name" - his or her nickname that he goes by in the motorcycle club or gang.The outlaw bikers (those who seek that designation) have their own unique subculture. They often call themselves the "One Percenters." That designation comes from a riot that happened during a motorcycle rally in California in 1947. The riots, which may have been exaggerated in the media, so captured national attention that Life magazine did a story on them.The picture they used, of a very fierce-looking biker surrounded by beer bottles, caused the American Motercycle Association (AMA) to respond. They swore that 99 percent of all bikers were upright citizens and that it was the other one percent, or the "One Percenters," who caused all the trouble.To this day, the name has stuck. Not all bikers are members of gangs or have affiliations with a motorcycle club. These bikers are referred to as "citizens" or "independents."Is your neighbor a weekend warrior?

That’s the guy who drags a highly tricked-out motorcycle for road trips on Saturday and Sunday. He’s the guy with the leather chaps, and of course, the black leather jacket, not to mention the mirrored aviator sunglasses. The outfit is of note because, like the bike, it usually looks very brand new and hardly used.He may not be a very good bike rider, but he’s arrayed in his sartorial splendor for a sunny ride down the interstate!Your weekend biker neighbor might also be a more of a "waxer." That’s someone lifestyle bikers sneer at. At least the Weekend Warrior gets on the bike, even if it’s only on weekends. The Waxer is the guy who takes out his highly expensive and chrome-plated cycle, but he takes out only as far as the driveway.That’s because he washes nonexistent dirt off it, then waxes and waxes and waxes it until it shines like a diamond.A Weekend Warrior (or non-rider, if he’s a Waxer), might invest in a Touring Bike. That’s one built for comfort and flair, and is avoided by bikers who are looking for speed and handling.

The good news is that if the weekender ever decides to sell his bike, it really will be a mint (and unused) motorcycle!If you pass by a motorcycle rider on the road, you might be able to tell if he’s taking this seriously, or if he’s just the Weekend Warrior or Waxer variety of biker.One way is how he rides the bike. Is he sitting straight up, hair in the wind, enjoying the sunshine of the day? He might just be a really happy biker, but chances are he’s less than a professional.That’s because serious riders know that the wind hitting them square in the chest - the attitude of Mr. Happy Biker - does a lot to reduce the aerodynamics of a motorcycle ride.All bikers need to wear a "dome," the biker slang term for a helmet. Depending on their style preference, the biker may also wear "cuts," a denim jacket from which the sleeves have been cut. It frequently serves as a canvas for patches and logos. It is usually worn as the outside layer of clothing, often worn over a leather jacket.

The serious biker could take several stances while riding the bike. One is "The Tuck" where the biker keeps his head low and his arms tight to his sides. He makes himself one with the motorcycle, so as to reduce the "drag" of the wind over both him and the bike.Other bikers prefer to enjoy the straight-up form of "Ape Hangers," which are high handlebars which rise up to the rider's shoulder.Some bikers may participate in racing events with their fellow enthusiasts. “Trial Riding” involves an unerring ability to control the bike over terrain (much of this type of sport riding is done on off road competitions.)These kind of bikes are built specially for the sport. They’re very light for maneuverability, and because the biker is constantly using the cycle for jumping, twisting and turning, he’s so involved in the sport, he rarely sits down. Because of that, and the weight factor (you go faster with less weight on the bike), the Trial bikes usually are not equipped with seats.This kind of rider “twists the wick” (steps on the accelerator to get that much-needed speed.)

This is a guy who is seeking “the Ton,” or who may ride at speeds clocking in at 100 mph. In American biker slang, there is also the Double Ton, or the Double, which is 200 mph. Not that riders ever go that fast, but for the professional who has a need for speed, it’s the goal towards which he really is driven.The stories about bikers, their morals (or lack thereof) and mores can almost be precisely pinpointed to 1953. That was the debut of the ultimate biker film, the granddaddy of all outlaw biker flicks: The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando.It was everything about Brando and his biker gang that entranced moviegoers. They loved his sneer, his black leather jacket, the entire outlaw attitude. The Wild One, and Brando’s portrayal of the biker gang leader, started a surge and interest in everything biker, including biker gang slang. That fascination continues unabated to this day.Let it be known, though: not all biker gangs or motorcycle riders are "outlaws." In fact, the vast majority of them aren’t.