I will frequently compare the risks of other activities to driving since it's something almost everyone does without a second thought to the potential for serious life changing injuries...so it's a good baseline to see if a risk assessment in another area is rational.
I get your point that different areas are...different! I've ridden MTBs all over North America including the North Shore a few times. I haven't felt like I should wear FF in any of those spots although I do think some of those spots are clearly higher injury risk environments than others.
My MTB risk assessment could be boiled down to: risk of coming off + terrain I'll land in + speed.
Moving from Victoria to Comox the trails trade steeper slower speed janky tech for easier tech + double the average speed. I feel at more risk for injury up here due to the higher riding speeds than I did in Victoria. Once you come off your bike at high speeds some part of your body has to decelerate you by interacting with the terrain. That body part is going to be damaged.
Jan. 12, 2022, 8:18 a.m. - Vik Banerjee
I will frequently compare the risks of other activities to driving since it's something almost everyone does without a second thought to the potential for serious life changing injuries...so it's a good baseline to see if a risk assessment in another area is rational. I get your point that different areas are...different! I've ridden MTBs all over North America including the North Shore a few times. I haven't felt like I should wear FF in any of those spots although I do think some of those spots are clearly higher injury risk environments than others. My MTB risk assessment could be boiled down to: risk of coming off + terrain I'll land in + speed. Moving from Victoria to Comox the trails trade steeper slower speed janky tech for easier tech + double the average speed. I feel at more risk for injury up here due to the higher riding speeds than I did in Victoria. Once you come off your bike at high speeds some part of your body has to decelerate you by interacting with the terrain. That body part is going to be damaged.