Helmet or no helmet?
 

What one Brit has to say:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/m.../17/do1701.xml

Studies here in Oz have showed no such thing, anywhere except in the minds and perceptions of buffoons who have written trite media comments about them! The 'best' that the studies conducted here have demonstrated is the fact that the available data is inadequate and insufficient to draw conclusions from. That, and the fact that the point and purpose of cycling helmets is NOT all about saving people's lives!


I can well remember the time when compulsory wearing of helmets on cycles was first introduced here in Oz. I had a 'Dove' road bike at the time, and was using it as a commute in town. Yep, I was one of those drongoes who were so full up of their own sense of self-importance that they failed to see wood for the trees. I resisted, and didn't want people telling me what to do or not do.


How stupid I was back then, when I look back and reflect!

I wouldn't consider jumping on a bike without helmet on head nowadays. Matter of fact I'd think it'd be downright disgustingly inconsiderate of me to do so. Sure, if I'm in a serious collision I'm very likely gonna end up dead, considering I'm on a bike and vulnerable. That's risk you take, heading off on a bike. But it's not that I wear a helmet for.

Two simple facts:

That bike has two rather skinny wheels.
My skull has some rather vulnerable spots on it, just like anyone else's.



It doesn't matter how good or how careful I am. Likelihood is that I'm gonna come off that bike at some point in time, and when I do so it's more likely than not that my head is gonna hit the deck. A kerb edge or a sharp rock or whatever else is all it takes for what might be a bump and an egg on the scone to turn into me being a lifelong vegetable, and a burden on my family. Bugger that. Far as I'm concerned only a dickhead would want to wish that upon the people they love, and I'm damned glad that I stopped being a dickhead. My helmet doesn't guarantee me protection against it, of course, but it certainly swings the odds a helluva lot further my way.


The 'anti-helmet' campaign is chock-full of misinformation from wrongly interpreted 'studies', and self-centrad babblings about people's 'rights'.

Bugger the rights! How about the responsibilities, huh?




My opinion. If anybody disagrees with it and holds different opinion I won't think badly of them. I'll simply continue on believing that they are deluding themselves! :D

My choice: wear a helmet . . . yup, have crashed and cracked one; easy/cheap to replace helmet!

+1

+2

I crashed without one in 1987 and got a nasty concussion. I think a helmet would have helped. I always wear one now, and have crashed and broken two of them.

Catweazle, define "drongoes" please.

It's a fairly general purpose derogatory comment. Can be used to mean anything along the lines of:

jerk, loser, fool, galah, w.a.n.k.e.r. etc etc etc...


Bill Wannan, in "Australian Folklore", claims that the term originated from the name of an early 20th Century racehorse called Drongo, which was a really poor runner, and the term was initially used by transferrence to describe people who were dull-witted or clumsy.

I've gone through a bunch of helmets since a girlfriend gave me a Bell Biker in 1976. Haven't "used" one,yet, but that's OK.

Just thinking:
Wearing a helmet is safer. End of argument.
Biking on trails is safer then on roads.
Not biking is safer then biking.
Motor biking is more dangerous then cycling. They often do not wear helmets in WI and IL.
I am surprised that we are not asked to wear helmets in cars yet or walking around. You may fall someday, down the stairs or while drunk.

I still remember the days when I didn't wear one and other cyclist would point at their helmets as they passed and I would often flip them off:notamused:. I was young then, but now I'm seasoned (not old).

After decades of being a militant pro helmet, pro seatbelt user I seem to be undergoing a change of heart. I am begining to see that a persons choice to do or do not has considerable value.

On the other hand, I have no problem with the insurance companies of the world not passing the results of those choices on to the rest of us.

I am among the users of helmets and belts by choice. I no longer feel like I have any real input into what others choose to do.........as long as their choice has no input into my life.

Thanks! A man from England once said on here, "We're two countries separated by a common language".

Spot-on post.

I think my position is pretty mainstream among serious cyclists -- I choose to wear a helmet, but I oppose mandatory helmet laws for adults.

I always wear a helmet. I have shattered a helmet in a crash. I would rather shatter the helmet than my skull. As to making wearing a helmet mandatory, I don't have a really strong position on it.

I wore one during the Five Boroughs ride in NYC on May 4th. I don't wear a collar or a robe, so I don't preach or judge. Actually, unless I bump into a post like this, I don't give hemets any thought either pro or con.

Helmets for bicycling and rock climbing! :thumb:

I can't conceive of not wearing a helmet. I have read that gravity alone can crack a skull from the sitting position on a bike at zero forward speed. Many years ago I was just getting going on my road bike and crossing a railroad rail. I was probably doing two miles an hour. For some reason, the bike went out from under me and my head impacted the rail. The impact was at the very top of the head (the point?)

I was wearing a helmet, but almost passed out.

When I motorcycled it was a full-face helmet.

Al

Seems like he's using the helmet as a symbol really. A symbol of safety and people's contradictory attitudes toward it. People want the government to force people to be safe, but they don't want government forcing THEM to be safe. ;)

Same with protection against terrorism, vs preserving our rights.

Boris has a problem. As you can see-he is not built for exercise but at least he is setting an example by getting on a bike.

When I started riding- I got a helmet but it was months before it was second nature to "Always" wear the helmet. I'll give him a bit of Leaway at present as he is new in the job of Mayor of London. Whether I'll give him leaway on other Mayoral duties- I reserve judgement.

I wear a helmet every time I ride unless I forget it. It's just a habit I have and I personally don't have anything against it in terms of comfort or style. So why not?

People should wear a helmet or not depending on their personal preference.

The problem is that people think bicycle riding is dangerous and requires a helmet. It is NOT. I personally don't feel it's dangerous enough to warrant a helmet any more than driving a car or being a pedestrian. I think the importance of helmets is WAY overblown, and is cloaking bicycling in a mystique of danger that discourages parents from allowing their kids to just get on a bike and ride, discourages people from commuting on city streets and highways, and discourages people from riding who don't want their hair to be messed up by the helmet (which I think is perfectly legitmate concern and not vain).

On top of all that, many, many people wear their helmet improperly and greatly reduce it's effectiveness. I know of a person who literally fell off a bike (hit a curb or pot hole or was just clumsy - I don't know, except it didn't involve a car) and hit his forehead and almost died. He was wearing a helmet cocked back exposing his forehead as many / most are worn.

You might want to read this British Medical Journal article:

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/321/7276/1582

Found it on Dave Moulton's blog.

Most of us do not want a nanny state mandating self-protection, but we do see a proper role for a daddy state which attempts to prevent others from doing us harm. This is more about tradeoffs and optimization than about some deeply-rooted inherent conflict.

I always wear one on the street or serious mountain biking. Often don't if riding a MUP in hot weather. Chances of crashing are remote, and helmet is much hotter than a baseball cap. Heat stroke is more likely than a crash.

The modern, well designed bike helmet will be much cooler than a baseball cap I would venture; having worn both but not on a bike. In 95 deg heat with Gulf Coast humidity, I more often than not don't take it off even on a break.

My present mountain bike helmet, the Gyro Hex is the best I've had for ventallation at the lower average speeds of mountain biking. It's relatively low price @ $90 and typically discounted in the $40's. It literally scoops in the air.

Al

As another posted, modern helmets are designed to be much cooler.

Please rethink not wearing one on the MUP. I was riding with an experienced rider last year on a local trail when he caught a stick in his front wheel, flew over the handlebars and did a face plant on the trail. His helmet saved him from serious head injuries. He still suffered a broken tooth, cut lip and some road rash. It happened so quickly. The same can happen with a small animal darting onto the trail.

Sometimes I find the MUP more dangerous than the road :)