Advocacy & Safety - Cycle helmits should be banned

Ok sorry just cant help my self. Get ready you Yogurt niters to be outraged.

Cycle helmets are a waste of time!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Oh, that felt good. Ok so it’s not quite true and ok I don’t quite believe it but heck, what kind of an argument is it when you are reasonable. You would never end up with a war that way. Oh…. hold on is that the point?

If you think you look funky in them, wear one.
If you are a five year old child learning to ride wear one.
If you are mountain biking wear one.
But if you believe that that silly piece of foam will keep you alive in a major traffic accident then you are as daft as a badger. I had a van turn in front of me last January. I thought this was a bit rude so I stuck my head through his passenger window (yes it was closed) and left a body shape dent in his door. Got scraped off the road by the lovely (they gave me gas, wow that stuff is good :p ) Scottish Ambulance Service and taped to a board. Some stupid nurse while putting stitches in my face had the cheek to tell me I should have been wearing a helmet. As I could smell the cigarettes on her breath I told her if she shut up abut helmets I would shut up about cigarettes. If you want to wear a helmet wear one. Some time I even do (mainly when banging my head on my desk in frustration :mad: ) but let’s face it if they were any good motor bike helmet would look like cycle helmets. They are good for very slow impacts i.e. falling of you bike at 0 mph and hitting the ground. Anything that stpes people from getting on there bike is bad (boo). Cycling is a social benefit, it make me happy, it makes me healthy, I live longer, I cost less in health care (even with the odd stitch to the face). The down side is there are a few tragic accidents a year when folk are killed. Its sad. It happens. Its called life. Wearing a helmit will not ward off all the nasty things in life.

Any suggestion that helmets should be legally sanctioned should be vigorously opposed.

Those for the motion say I :)
Those against write something stropy, go on you know you want to. :(

Have a look at the link below has some stats may be of interest.

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/index.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/3623089.stm

Ummmm ... are you sure you didn't mean to post this in the Advocacy forum, not the Touring forum? That's where all the other anti-helmet posts are, I believe ... and this doesn't seem to have anything to do with touring.

I think he meant to post it in the "troll-forum."

Sounds to me that maybe you should have been wearing one when you hit that van :rolleyes:


...there I go again, feeding the troll, I should know better :o

You know what? I agree! If I see anyone wearing a helmit, I will personally inform them of the harm they are doing to cycling's image! A true cyclist should be ashamed to be seen in the dangerous, hideously obsolescent helmit. The helmit is an assault on every virtue that we, as cyclists, hold dear to our hearts. Cyclists, drop your helmits! You have nothing to lose! Join the Anti-Helmit Brotherhood (sisters allowed, too, subject to board approval)!

You know, Cyclaholic, I think you're right. Either that or there was some accident years back in which he should have been wearing that helmet. Such vitriol! I must needs purchase an umbrella.

Oh, you guys are no fun. Ok I'll take my rant some where else. I didnt relise there was a special place for people like me. How exciting.

Best touring head gear for most climates is a traditional cycle cap. Great things, add a ear muff in cold weather, replace with balaclava in v. cold conditions. In really powefull sun (tropics)a straw hat works really well. Surprissingly iff you jam then on tight they stay on your head, even down hill.

Oh, you guys are no fun. Ok I'll take my rant some where else. I didnt relise there was a special place for people like me. How exciting.

Best touring head gear for most climates is a traditional cycle cap. Great things, add a ear muff in cold weather, replace with balaclava in v. cold conditions. In really powefull sun (tropics)a straw hat works really well. Surprissingly iff you jam then on tight they stay on your head, even down hill.

Yeah there is...and it is usually under a bridge somewhere. Sorry we aren't biting...troll!!

Gotta love them Scots, their heads are harder than any helmet ever devised, just like mine!

Edit - AYE :) Helmet laws are for busy-bodies and commies. Wear one, don't wear one, who cares, no laws required.

What's a "Yogurt niter?" Is it anything like a "grapefruit-nut?"

I love useless threads sometimes, even dumb ones like this one.

Some stupid nurse while putting stitches in my face had the cheek to tell me I should have been wearing a helmet. As I could smell the cigarettes on her breath I told her if she shut up abut helmets I would shut up about cigarettes.



No you didn't.
No one, with a lick of sense, would ever tell someone to shut up, while that person was stitching up their face!

Ohhh wait, that's right... you don't wear a helmet!

Helmit... anything like a baseball mitt?

Aye :)

I still wear a helmet when commuting and touring. But I don't think they should be required by law.

Outlaw cell phone use while driving first.

Helmit... anything like a baseball mitt?
A baseball mitt for your head, maybe?

Obviously those helmits don't do much. I'll stick to my fullface, tough shell BMX helmet, it beats getting my face sewn back together.

A baseball mitt for your head, maybe?

Obviously those helmits don't do much. I'll stick to my fullface, tough shell BMX helmet, it beats getting my face sewn back together.

Again?

No you didn't.
No one, with a lick of sense, would ever tell someone to shut up, while that person was stitching up their face!

Ohhh wait, that's right... you don't wear a helmet!

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

Again?
hmm?

Probably there is some merit to the info posted on the site. However even if the protection of the helmet isn't as great as some people think it has to help to some degree in some situations. In other words it can't hurt. And since wearing one has no influence on how much I ride for me at least there is no reason not to wear one.

The last time I smashed a car windshield with my head I was happy to be wearing a helmet. :)

Probably there is some merit to the info posted on the site. However even if the protection of the helmet isn't as great as some people think it has to help to some degree in some situations. In other words it can't hurt. And since wearing one has no influence on how much I ride for me at least there is no reason not to wear one.

There is a flaw in your reasoning; a helmet can cause harm. There is substantial evidence that perceived safety measures can cause people to unconsciously take larger risks. This is evidenced by people that say, "I wouldn't feel safe going 35 mph down such-and-such a road if I didn't have a helmet on". Well, bicycle helmets would do nothing at all to protect a head that hit a solid object at such speeds.

I don't bother people that wear helmets, even though I think they perpetuate the myth that cycling is a dangerous activity, thereby reducing the volume of cycling and increasing the danger for the rest of us. Therefore, I get very weary of complete strangers telling me how to conduct myself safely, when I have researched this issue and made an informed decision.

What is it about helmet usage that makes some helmet wearers such crusaders? People don't go around telling others not to smoke, that riding motorcycles is dangerous, and that the Whopper they're eating is going to give them heart disease; why do I get constant admonitions to don a piece of Styrofoam?

That said, it is also disheartening to have my position advocated by such an obvious troll :rolleyes:

There is a theory that when you are seen wearing safety gear, such as helmet reflectives etc they will percieve you as a safer rider and therefore give you less space. If you are just wearing shorts and shirt, you look less experienced and so more likely to "do something dangerous" (I guess) and so they give you a wider berth! :rolleyes:

Don't ask me where I heard this, I can't remember but I think it works.


Even though I say this, I still wear my helmet, ALWAYS. Even if it does only protect you from falling to the ground at 0mph (I just started using clipless pedals, so that is quite likely!).

Helmits are the devil's gloves

If helmets actually did something--it's the motorists that should be wearing them. Also if you really liked your family you'd do them a favor and not wear a helmet. You dont want to be living in a coma forever do you?

Anyone saying "If I knew that a car was going to hit me, I'd opt for no helmet"?

No you didn't.
No one, with a lick of sense, would ever tell someone to shut up, while that person was stitching up their face!

Ohhh wait, that's right... you don't wear a helmet!

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

And he probably has a nice large scar. Too bad the nurse didn' use smaller stitches (gee, I wonder why)

I know this thread's a troll, but some of us obviously haven't had enough bike crashes yet.

People don't go around telling others not to smoke, that riding motorcycles is dangerous, and that the Whopper they're eating is going to give them heart disease;

do you get out around people much?

...

I

...

hmm?

"it beats getting my face sewn back together" - again - ok so the joke fell flat, won't be the first time. ;)

The last time I smashed a car windshield with my head I was happy to be wearing a helmet. :)

Easy pal, or you'll be on double-secret ignore for another week! :beer:

I know this thread's a troll, but some of us obviously haven't had enough bike crashes yet.

Looking at our ugly mugs, I would tend to agree.

I still get a kick out of the fact that of all non-motorist traffic fatalities in 2004, 85% were peds and only 13% were cyclists. We best start wearing helmets when walking and ban attempting to chew gum at the same time. But it could also be spun that the reason the percentage of cyclists was so low was because we DO wear helmets...cept for one small fact, the majority of cyclists do NOT wear helmets.

I don't care if the OP was an obvious troll, we haven't had a good helmet furball in awhile. :p

"it beats getting my face sewn back together" - again - ok so the joke fell flat, won't be the first time. ;)
OK, I got it. Perhaps that joke should've been wearing a 'helmit'. :p

Helmits are the devil's glovesWell, when hell freezes over!

I like my helmet. I think it makes me look spiffy. My next helmet will have flowers on it or hello kitty or be pink or something. Nobody would intentionally hit somebody with hello kitty on their helmet, would they?

I know this thread's a troll, but some of us obviously haven't had enough bike crashes yet.

No,no,no. The one's who had enough crashes but were not wearing helmets aren't posting. Betcha can guess why!

I like my helmet. I think it makes me look spiffy. My next helmet will have flowers on it or hello kitty or be pink or something. Nobody would intentionally hit somebody with hello kitty on their helmet, would they?

My GFs helmet has flowers...I was thinking of a booboo kitty helmet for me, and yes, I would run you down like a dawg.

I didn't even know they made hell mitts. I could use one of those next time I'm catching hell.

Chipcom you are mean. And yes, if there are no women around the man is still wrong.

No helmet=stupit.

No helmet=stupit.

don'tcha mean, airhead?

Chipcom you are mean. And yes, if there are no women around the man is still wrong.

Remember the Popeye movie?
"I'm mean, I'm mean, I'm mean"
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

Ok Diane, you're right, I wouldn't run you over for wearing a Hello Kitty helmet, I'd run you over so I could give you mouth-to-mouth and a heart massage! I'm mean, I'm mean, I'm mean...and a pig too! :D

I didn't even know they made hell mitts. I could use one of those next time I'm catching hell.

+1

I just get annoyed when the helmet is pushed so far back you can see the whole forehead and hairline.and that the strap would crush the windpipe in an impact.

Chipcom...I'm sure you've seen some wonderful helmet adjusting techniques in your service years...Like a punch to the forehead.....Semper Fei OOOOOORRRRRAAAHHHHH

No, what would make cycling seem like a dangerous sport is if w were wearing full body protection, like most motorcyclists wear.

All the helmet does is add a bit of protection to an extremely impact-vulnerable part of the body. Only time it's actually dangerous is when not used right, just like how a seatbelt is dangerous if not used right.

I'd love to get a spine jacket in a poly dry weave....yea...full body armor....spikes too

I like my helmet. I think it makes me look spiffy. My next helmet will have flowers on it or hello kitty or be pink or something. Nobody would intentionally hit somebody with hello kitty on their helmet, would they?

Just be sure to avoid Barney... you'll find lots of extra people trying to hit you! :p

The OP obviously has a head injury.....

Yes. My God, how did we survive before 1990?

Yes. My God, how did we survive before 1990?

Sex, drugs and rock-n-roll of course!

Sex, drugs and rock-n-roll of course!

Well maybe that's it!

I certainly had my share all those years ago. Maybe I had so much, that's what's saving me, even now!

To te original poster (who I am assuming to be a brit) or any other brits, why do the english hate helmets? Im from Canada, a commonwealth country like Oz, and helmets are pretty much mandatory amoung utilitarian and competitive cyclists. However, it seems like every time i pick up a brit cycling magazine like cyclesport there is some one complaining about lord so-and-so's helmet bill. Is it a british thing to go barehead or is it also a continental too; like some old world thing? I mean i have noticed enough photos of italians with nothing but a campy cap to protect their heads. dont get me wrong, im not trying to force a helmet on anyone. i personally have been in enough incidents to appreciate the value of a helmet, but you know its your choice....